Hilton Goa Resort Candolim

I am still staying here. Checked in on 25th June and checking out on 28th June. The service in the hotel is so pathetic that you have to wait for chai or omelette to arrive for 45 minutes. The breakfast starts at 7 but the coffee machine doesn’t work till 8:30 and on top of that breakfast ends at 10:30 in a city like Goa where people come back very late after night out. The staff is cordial but extremely ineffective. The breakfast spread is also very limited.

I am a huge admirer of Indian hospitality. Every time we have stayed at luxury hotels in Goa, we have experienced service that goes above and beyond. That is one of the reasons we love traveling across India.

This time, however, our experience was very different.

We had booked the Presidential Suite, expecting the highest level of service. Unfortunately, our room was not ready even though the official check-in time was 2:00 PM. We were finally able to access the room after 3:00 PM.

When we entered, the room was extremely hot and humid. The lights and air conditioning were not working at all. Since the Presidential Suite was on the top floor, which required climbing multiple flights of stairs without an elevator, it was especially disappointing to reach the room only to find it unusable.

Because the AC wasn't working, condensation built up and the living room floor became covered with water. It was slippery, and we nearly fell several times.

We called the front desk four or five times regarding the issue. Each time we were told that someone was working on it. When the technician finally arrived, he mentioned that it was simply a tripped breaker—a repair that took only a few minutes. Unfortunately, we had already spent over an hour sitting in an unbearably hot and humid room.

I even requested another room or a place where my family could sit comfortably until the issue was resolved, but no alternative was offered.

There were also no instructions in the bathroom explaining how to operate the shower or get hot water, making things more frustrating.

Our departure experience was equally disappointing. We called seven different times over nearly three hours to arrange transportation to the airport. Every single time we were told that a supervisor would call us back, but no one ever did.

Overall, I felt there was a lack of supervision. The staff members were polite, but many appeared inexperienced. Almost every request was answered with, "We'll get back to you," but very little follow-up actually happened.

I genuinely believe the hotel may have been overbooked, and I understand that operational challenges can occur. However, what matters most is how those situations are handled. Guests staying in a Presidential Suite should receive prompt attention and proactive service.

Despite all of this, I am still giving this hotel 5 stars because I don't want one experience to reflect poorly on Indian hospitality as a whole. India has some of the finest hospitality in the world, and I sincerely hope this hotel improves its operations and staff training so that future guests receive the level of service they deserve.