Taj Holiday Village Resort and Spa

I've stayed at this property several times over the years and always had fond memories of it. So when my family came to visit, I didn't think twice about booking it again — this time to celebrate my 60th birthday with my closest family. What should have been a special occasion turned into one disappointment after another.

Rocky start:The hotel couldn't trace my advance payment even after I emailed them the receipts. Airport transfers were refused despite a four-night family booking, so we arranged our own. Worse, even though I'd informed the hotel of our 2 PM arrival, our Premium Cottage rooms (booked specifically for privacy) weren't ready. We waited three hours at the front desk while being offered other room categories dressed up as "the same thing."

Privacy? Not quite:The rooms we finally got were part of a three-room set — with the third room occupied by unrelated guests. So much for the privacy and exclusivity we'd paid for. We were told it could only be "looked into" the next day.

Food — surprisingly underwhelming: Caravela, the all-day dining restaurant, was overpriced for very average food. Breakfast (four mornings straight) meant cold idli-dosa, stale vada-puri, and eggs Benedict served cold — twice, even after complaining. Tables were routinely uncleared, with no cutlery, napkins, or basic condiments. For my birthday dinner at Banyan Tree (the Thai specialty restaurant), the food was forgettable — basic at best. Ironically, restaurants just outside the property — Black Sheep Bistro, The Second House — were far better than anything inside the Taj.

Rooms need work: Dated interiors, and the toilet/sink clogged more than once during our stay — clearly a plumbing issue that needs fixing. The tiled roofs were covered in plastic sheets, which presented an ugly sight and fluttered noisily in the wind. Appeared to be “rooms undergoing repairs!”

Where's the Taj service? Staff on duty were pleasant enough, but not once did anyone check in to ask how our stay was going, despite it being a milestone celebration. And when we left, there was no one at all to see us off — a first in all my stays at Taj properties.

The cherry on top: Three and a half weeks later, my TataNEU points still haven't been credited — because the invoice was raised in a co-traveler's name, despite the booking and payment being entirely mine.

We've decided to let it go, but we won't be returning to this property. Genuinely hoping this feedback leads to some real course-correction — this isn't the Taj experience I remember.

Brilliant experience while staying in Taj, Goa. Great amenities in the premise especially for kids. Food was great & service had been top notch. Very helpful staff members especially Andrea. She makes our trip memorable.