“Peaceful getaway”
I only heard about The Sol, a restored colonial Portugese villa in North Goa, in passing and it lives up to the photos on its website; it was beautifully maintained and absolutely peaceful. The rooms were excellent - well-furnished and cool, and the amenities were above par by small hotel-standards. The staff were extremely helpful, and went out of their way to assist us (despite their efforts, the 'relaxed' approach that often characterises the Indian service industry was apparent, and often we had to make repeat requests for the same thing - regardless, the staff were well-intentioned and never reluctant to help). The food in the small restaurant was also delicious (although a little on the spicy side as expected) and of a local and pan-Asian variety, with plenty of seafood to choose from.
Although only 5-10 minutes to Candolim beach by taxi, some visitors might find the hotel a little remote. It suited us to stay in the hotel as the surroundings were so lovely, and only went to the beach on one occasion. The one downside to relaxing poolside, which is very small, is that there were no sun loungers so we didn't have the option of reclining in the sun and be in the pool itself to catch any rays. Regardless, it was a delightful holiday and we were very comfortable and well looked-after. I would recommend the hotel highly to anyone looking for a tranquil getaway in Goa.