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Reviews of Sandalwood Hotel & Retreat

3.5 out of 5
Sandalwood Hotel & Retreat
Vainguinim Beach, Panaji, Goa

Reviews

7.6

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 25 out of 77 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 23 out of 77 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 17 out of 77 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 77 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 6 out of 77 reviews" "

8.0/10

Cleanliness

8.2/10

Staff & service

5.0/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Patrick

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This hotel is overpriced given its very mediocre facilities. Major drawback: the only option to move around was to use the only taxi driver made available by the hotel, who was charging 2 to 3 times the normal rate and proved unreliable. Foreign tourists should avoid this hotel.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

2/10 Terrible

Yash

Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

Liam

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
The room was large and had more space than expected. It was clean also. However, there was a kitchen with no cutlery or plates. The restaurant was okay but empty throughout. The bar wasn't open. There were no sunbeds around the pool. There were advertised sunbeds on the beach but these didnt exist. The nearby beach is essentially a private beach for the guests in the neighbouring 5 star hotels. This means you cant use any pf the facilities on the beach (cafe, bar, sunlounger) unless you are a guest from one of those hotels. There are security guards who escort you off the property even when enquiring if the restaurant/bars are open to non-guests. The nearest shops and restaurants are 30 minute walk up out of the valley and into Dona Paula so it is not ideal unless you have your own transport. The reception staff, when asked if they could book us a taxi, simply gave us the mobile number for a taxi company and refused to assist in arranging. The same goes for laundry. We enquired about the laundry, were given a mobile number of someone who no longer works in laundry and when we explained this was now the case they shrugged their shoulders as if that was the solution. Overall not a great hotel. It is not 4 star, probably 3 at best.

10/10 Excellent

Rudra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good stay
It was a good place but the place wasnt in actual Panji. The hotel is split by 2 brother's and the pool belongs to the other half. The actual hotel room was large.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2022

2/10 Terrible

Sanjeev

Business traveler
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Most Pathetic Hotel
Terrible hotel rather it’s not a hotel it’s a lowest quality of railway she’s with no professionalism and ethics...I would request any one or every one do not book or stay at this hotel as they have no staff ..lowest quality of food and untrained staff to handle the hotel guests . The hotel management has no involvement and have no idea of the word meaning service or hotel or responsibility...
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Arica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely service, food, pool, clean
We were so well cared for and got to know the staff. Clean comfortable rooms, tasty and affordable restaurant. A fantastic bargain. The only take away is it is not a walk to Panjim and cabs can be pricey—but you’re next to the nicest cleanest beach in town.
Stayed 8 nights in Nov 2019

8/10 Good

santosh

Traveled with group, Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

Rach, New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous authentic Goan food. Walking distance to a small, quiet beach.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Room comfort
Very noisy neighbours made for an unpleasant stay. Rooms were great for the price. Gym equipment wasn't great. Not the best location but it is walking distance from the beach and nearby Cidade Resort. All in all,
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
It is difficult to find from Google Map. Also Collier food with less options for order. Far away from famous beaches. However nice breakfast
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2017

10/10 Excellent

KSK, NJ, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Hotel with Amenities
We were in Goa for just 4 nights, and wanted a nice hotel with some facilities and amenities (pool, spa, restaurant, etc...). Sandalwood Retreat was perfect for us, while it isn't a 5-star hotel, it was a nice, affordable alternative close to our Where we wanted to be. Would strongly recommend it, keeping in mind it is nice, simple place with attentive staff.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

Alexandra

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing
Enjoyed our stay. Nothing much in the immediate area. Beach almost deserted. Sunbeds and umbrellas there. Free shuttle into town every day. Nice pool. Breakfast good. Restaurant good, Phillip the head waiter very helpful and good English. Good place to chill out and relax. Nothing hectic here.

4/10 Poor

Bernard, London

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Adequate, but not recommended
A very modest hotel. Some pleasant features, but rooms could be cleaner and more up to date. I asked several times for the AC to be fixed; it didn't happen. Requests seem to get lost in translation. A bit in the middle of nowhere, and the beach - 4 minute brisk walk away - not as nice as Miramar. A bit overpriced for the quality of the hotel. All in all, it is ok, but I wouldn't recommend

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Clean hotel, but expensive commute
The stay wasn't worth the money, especially because we spent a lot of money on commuting to and from beaches. The travel desk at the hotel was overcharging us just because there were no other cabbies available in the vicinity of the hotel. The hotel is fine if you intend to stay within the resort with kids. I wouldn't pay the same amount again for going there, especially because of the experience with the travel desk

8/10 Good

Stephen, Hong kong

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Ok place. Nice staff.
Lengthy check in process. Too many rules and regulations all laid out on a sheet of A4 paper. Not too impressed to begin with but then a couple of the staff made us feel welcome. Pradeep the guy in the restaurant befriended us and made us feel at home. Philip was great, a well travelled man on cruise ships for many years, he know what hospitality means. No view from our balcony. Asked for slippers but were not complimentary we had to pay. Hotel In the middle of nowhere so not much to do.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Family emergency
I had to go to Goa for a family member who was in a hospital near the hotel. The staff, especially the bellhops and those in the SeaPearl, were exceptional. The food was also outstanding although I don't recommend the malai kofta. Anyway, thank you Phillip and all the friendly young men who work in the restaurant.

8/10 Good

Esther, TX

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel, great breakfast buffet.
The beach was disappointing. Silt water, river beach, not like the other white sand beaches in south Goa. Quiet and uncrowded but still disappointing. The three minute walk to the 'beach' was along trash and stagnant, bad smelling backwaters.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
nice stay
Their phone was not reachable. Somehow i found a driver who knows the area little bit and found address with help of Google maps. Staff and services were good .

10/10 Excellent

Xueming, Shenyang ,China

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Only beach Hotel
It is too far away from the city, No buses

10/10 Excellent

Anand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Hotel Close to Beach
Overall very happy with the stay. Nice comfortable rooms, with great amenities. Only thing lacking is a good children's play area. Beach is close by.

8/10 Good

Sreekumar

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

4/10 Poor

Ryan, Seattle

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
You get what you pay for
Pros: friendly and helpful a staff. Cons: spotty wifi, dirty bathrooms, power outages, 2 star feel to the rooms. If you get a top floor room it could be nicer. My friends room had mold and he broke out into hives. They let him change rooms but mold... The staff were around the friendliest of all the hotels we've been to and seem to care about good service. The only saving grace. When I was there there were lots of kids running around. It's off and far away from a lot of things and the beach is a 5 min walk from the hotel. It isn't directly part of the premises like I originally thought. The price was a value so I didn't expect too much. I didn't take a shower in my room the whole time i stayed... I ended up sneaking over to one of the nicer resorts via the beach on my stay for an upgraded experience.

8/10 Good

shriprakash, Hyderabad

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful experience
A beautiful resort for a short getaway. They served a good selection of items for the buffet breakfast. The staff was very hospitable in attending to us.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Worst hotel stay I have had in a very long time
I am not sure what previous positive reviews were based on, but I just returned from a stay at the Sandalwood and most aspects of our stay there were terrible. From forgetting our airport transfer and leaving us stranded after midnight at the airport, to losing one of our reservations, to damaged furniture and equipment in the room, to a negative experience with the tour desk and a small beach that is full of garbage much of the time, I would not recommend staying at this hotel. I would suggest another resort that is further north or south of the city of Panji and has better trained staff.

10/10 Excellent

RAJIV, Pune

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent Stay
We went for a rotary conference with our friends. I had booked 2 rooms but there was some problem and the booking showed only 1 room. The staff was however very good and upgraded us to a suite which was very good.The breakfast menu was also very good.

10/10 Excellent

Gagan, Delhi, India

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Its very nice hotel next to clean beach
It was an awesome experience staying at hotel. All view and beach is so clean. I feel its better the those expensive resorts. I stayed in Dona-sliva earlier but services was pathatic. Here Staff was so helpfull and supportive. Even ording Food is very econoninal with good quantity. Panjim market is just 10 KM away on same road. Private beach with reserved beds for Sandlawood hotel guests. Its nice feeling to stay there. Every night there is music in lawn and you can sit and relax in your private balcony. Cheers Guys

8/10 Good

kaushik , india

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Small but Beautiful Resort with Wonderful people.
Stayed from the 25th Dec 14 to 28th Dec 14. The resort is small and a Exact two mins walk from the beach but except these two issues everything else is very good. Specially its staff, be it Reception or Dining, their staff is their major strenght. The food quality is good and so is their spread. Rooms are big and spacious with all facilities. The Swimming pool, Gym and Spa are small but functional. A special mention of their main person for all Guest interactions- Mr Piyush who is very cordially, helpful and responsively dependable. Its a nice place(has its own beach-2 mins walk, has water sports stall and is near Dona Paola beach-1Kms) though a little far from the Main beaches- Calangute-14 Kms/ Baga-15 Kms/Anjuna- 17 Kms, Panaji main market area- 4 Kms, Old Goa- 5 Kms, Madgaon Station-35 Kms, Mapusa- 16 Kms. Would like to revisit for a quiet & peaceful stay among its staff who soon grew into friends.

8/10 Good

Herath, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worth the price & good food
Well worth the price I pay. Really happy with everything except in-room WiFi, which was useless (works well at reception & main restaurant). Food at restaurant was great. If you are going to an event at Cidade de Goa, walking time is 20 min (on a mountainous road) as Cidade doesn't allow guests to enter from rear entrance. On your way back it's only 3 min.

8/10 Good

Ethel E, Toronto

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
3.5 stars
Inconvenient location for access to shopping and walking. Taxi needed for all out of hotel activities.

6/10 Okay

Mark, lakenheath

Liked: Staff & service
Nice but not as nice as it's made out to be
Our first room had air con problems which they fixed but as they fixed it with the windows open out room was infested with mosquitoes. They did move us very quickly to be fair. I wouldn't recommend any of the restaurants as the food is poor particularly the fish dishes. Room service were very prompt and their prices very reasonable. The rooms were clean but after three nights our bedding still hadn't been changed. The spa within the hotel is very good and rates are very good. One thing I would urge you to stay away from is the moped hire partners based in the hotel. They refused to helmets for passengers and out of protest they made us wait two hours before turning up with a helmet by which point we'd lost the will and asked for a refund which took another 90 mins of wasted time. The same company supply the hotel with taxi's. Their prices are at least 300 rs higher than any Goa taxi firms. Also the mopeds are uninsured so if you have an accident it's all at your expense. Be warned!

8/10 Good

Mohana

Liked: Room comfort

10/10 Excellent

mahesh, bangalore

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice resort close to the beach
This is more like home than a hotel. My room had a living room and two balconies apart from the bedroom and this space was very much appreciated and enjoyed by our two kids. Staff is very helpful.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
People in the reception are friendly' but shuttle to airport not available

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Hotel, Calm and Excellent Staff. Helpful
Really good Experience with the Hotel. Would visit again if needed.

6/10 Okay

Sandeep, Mumbai

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Small glitches, but a nice hotel otherwise.
Wifi was not working throughout my stay, water stopped while having bath, had almost got burnt with the hot water as the cold water stopped while making sound of air passing.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel with reasonable price
It was a good experience staying in this hotel. Good air condition in the room. I felt food is bit expensive but overall it is a very good hotel.

10/10 Excellent

gandhikeyur007@, ahmedabad

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Its awesome
Location 100% Room facility 100% Cleanliness 70% Staff 60% Need lift Value fo monet Must visit again

6/10 Okay

Mario, rotterdam

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
OK for the price
The Sandal wood is an OK place to stay, it's a little out of the way so yu'll rely on cabs to get around. It does have a one way shuttle to the main city that you can book for the night before. The pool is shallow. The bar and restaurant are great, food is good and cocktails really good, staff are rreally nice and friendly. Beach is only about 50 metres away with a section for the hotle guests, chairs and umbrellas, walk to it is however along a dirty waterway. Our Penthouse was on the top floor and our beach view through some trees was disspointing as the main view from that window was the rubbish area. The hotel has no lifts, so you'll need to use stairs. Our floors were filthy, and after asking them to clean it, which they did, it didn't help. they use dirty mops and water, so bring slippers or you'll have black underneaths of your feet. Biggest issue, other than the cleanliness was the airport pick up service. We advised a flight number and scheduled times, our flight was changed and left early, so we arrived early. All other passengers on our flight had their drivers waiting except for us, we waited for 20 minutes and then got a taxi. When we arrived at the hotels we were told we should have waited until the driver arrived and said we had to pay. Unsure why they couldn't check the flight schedule on the day like everywhere else in the world does, and why they made us feel like it was our fault the airline decided to change the flight time. Use a taxi, you'll save as well

6/10 Okay

Anurag, Mumbai

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Breakfast was great
Stay was pretty ok. Good things: They serve very good breakfast. Every evening there were programs which were very entertaining. Rooms were spacious. Not so good things: There was strange sewage like smell all over the place even on the beach. Beware of travel desk. They have different rates mentioned on their tariff card but in the name of peak season they use to charge more. Just outside the hotel there is a taxi stand. folks out there charge a lot more and the reason is one has to walk a bit to reach main road to find an alternative. So the travel desk person and the taxi stand guys just outside has a nexus. If you try to get a taxi from outside on your own these guys try to pull the driver. They will ask the driver about rate he is charging and who has asked for the taxi. Also the travel desk guy knows nothing about the places. I feel hotel management should get rid of the travel desk. Get somebody who knows the places in and around Goa. Also one who can arrange taxi's at cheaper rates. Please also add few TV channels for kids, they do not have any option. On Christmas I feel they could have given some gifts to the kids, that would have been a pleasant surprise for them and would have made their stay memorable.

8/10 Good

RP, HYD

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Disliked: Room comfort
ok budget hotel
room was ok, but i took the deluxe premier, if u take compact it is not so good, this was in third floor no lift, so had to carry all the luggage 3 floors

10/10 Excellent

Kevin, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Tranquil and relaxing
Our requests for the room were met, we upgraded to a deluxe room, which is very spacious and well worth the extra money. The rooms are cleaned to a very high standards everyday. The beds are so comfortable and are made up with ultimate precision. The nice crisp sheets look like they have been ironed fresh each day. The swimming pool is very well maintained and surrounded by extremely comfortable sun loungers. We have eaten in the hotel restaurant every night so far, and for a two course meal with drinks we have paid about £12. It's very good value and absolutely lovely food. Saving the best comment for last. Since we arrived, we have found all the staff to be extremely friendly and very, very helpful. Milson on the bar, Priya on the reception, with the most amazing smile are part of a wonderful team of staff. Looking forward to spending the rest of our holiday in this tranquil resort. Looking forward to meeting Mr Shekhar Davadkar to congratulate him on running a lovely resort. Room 2102

8/10 Good

MG, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great restaurant
Huge lovely room with blacony and kitchenette which for the great price was unexpected. the beach was a short walk away. We used it as a stopover to fly out of Goa, its about 40 mins from the airport by cab. The hotel has a bar area and restaurant which was really great food and lovely staff. Best naan bread I've ever had!

10/10 Excellent

Deepak Taneja, New Delhi, India

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent hotel and highly recommended
We were 3 couples with kids and stayed at the hotel for 3 nights in suite rooms. Hotel staff is excellent and very co-operative. The location of this hotel is in the center of the city, so you are never too far from any where. It shared the same beach as cida-de-goa, and just 100 steps to the beach. Another location advantage is the close proximity to chances casino. We stayed at casino till 2 am and were at a very safe distance from hotel. Breakfast buffet was lavish and abundant, I would surely recommend this hotel to all.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Enjoyed the stay, will definitely recommend
We had an excellent experience at Sandalwood Hotel and Retreat. The room were clean, well kept, spacious than expected. Staff was courteous, polite and ready to help. Food was okay. Ambiance, location is great. Real value for money. Will definitely recommend and visit again

10/10 Excellent

Asheesh, Mumbai

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Recommended
Awesome property little away from city but bang on the beach. Nice food swimming pool and very peaceful.

6/10 Okay

Not Disclosed, Mumbai

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Poor Location Good Great Service
The stay inside the hotel was satisfactory. The location of the hotel (except for the proximity of the beach) is unacceptable. The stay at the hotel I believe should only be ventured if you have a car or be ready to spend on high taxi rates. There is nothing in the proximity of this hotel. The service at the hotel is excellent but the food quality is average. The breakfast menu spread is not bad but can be improved. 4* Rating for this hotel? Well I will not agree. The open spaces in this hotel? Not much. Service is a USP for sure.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good Stay but far from Baga and Calangute
We stayed in the two suite bedroom. It had good ventilation and AC. The bathrooms were clean and dry. The beds were clean.

10/10 Excellent

Parinita & Vinay, Pune

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
One of the best lazy stays we have had
The hotel was more like a mini home stay amongst all tourists - foreigners, families, couples. We really enjoyed the food, the hospitality, the room location and the view outside the room as well. Wifi facility was really good in terms of the internet speed. Bathrooms were clean, neat, except for the humid odor which was negligible after a spray of room freshener we requested to the room service. In room coffee, water, other facilities, lighting, etc were just to the perfection. We have stayed at St. Laurn Business Suites, which was no where near the Sandalwood Experience. We surely will prefer staying here everytime we visit Goa. It was an amazing stay. Thank you and a Good Job done.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
sandalwood hotel, vainguinim beach
Great Hotel - compared to some of the other properties around the same price range, Sandalwood offered more room space and an excellent ambience. While some of the staff was young and bit raw, they more than made up for it through honest effort. Would love to go back again - only this time for a vacation !! Hotel could do well by having an in-house shop/store offering simple beach accessories like beach slippers etc though. Kind regards Shrinivasan