Double Tree by Hilton located in North Goa’s Arpora region is a great family-friendly resort in Goa that won’t break the bank. Which is important because resorts in Goa are notorious for being pricey.
We’ve learned it’s best to travel to certain cities during the off-season, which is why August is a good time for your travel to this beach-side state.
Off-season runs during mid-June to mid-September due to the monsoons. While the seemingly torrential rains would make it difficult to go out to the beach, and explore the state, that wasn’t the case. Goa hardly got any rain this year.
As a result, the hotel was quiet and that worked in our favor because we got upgraded to a King Pool Room with pool access through the patio! This is a definite plus for families with children – the accessibility means you don’t have to walk through the hotel to get to the pool, and can come and go rather easily.
The pool is open daily from 8:00am to 8:00pm. It isn’t too deep, and has a lifeguard on duty, which means the kids can safely splash around. There’s also an on-site babysitting service, a kids play area, and a recreation area comprised of a carom board, pool table and tennis table!
Housekeeping ensured the room was kept neat on a daily basis, and they even replenished our bottled water supply whenever we asked. That was huge because tap water is definitely NOT safe to drink.
Kettle to make hot tea or coffee
Always ask for bottled water when you’re at a restaurant in India, or better yet, carry your own. The last thing we’d want is for the kids to ill off the water.
The room rate provided included a daily buffet breakfast, which surpassed all expectations. The buffet consisted of pastries, North & South Indian breakfast items such as dosas, potato bhaji, and even omelets and scrambled eggs made-to-order. Oh, and there was a deli counter and cereal area with fruit loops, raisin bran, and corn flakes. The beverage section consisted of smooth cold coffee, and various flavors of the Indian yogurt drink, lassi.
So many options, guaranteed to leave you feeling very satisfied and well nourished every morning.
Even though the hotel is in a quiet location, during the season there are a number of kid-friendly activities within walking distance. There’s go-karting right opposite the hotel, which is great activity for both kids & adults.
Or if for some reason you’re not up for the beach, there’s a waterpark next door for the kids to enjoy.
A daily shuttle offered by the hotel leaves every hour from 11:00am to 7:00pm and takes you straight to Baga beach. During the monsoons, most beach activities shut down, but you can always take a dip in the water.
After you’ve worked up an appetite, stop by one of the beach shacks that serve up fresh seafood options. We recommend Britto’s, which is a Baga beach institution. It’s always packed regardless of the season, but it is a wonderful kid-friendly option. Plus the seafood is so worth it. Just make sure to bring cash.
The Britto’s seafood platter is not to be missed
Having hotel staff pay attention to the smallest details definitely leaves a lasting impression on you. We’ve stayed at Double Tree Hilton’s in the US before, and they’re nice – especially those cookies on check-in. But none of them matched the level of service received at this Double Tree location.
Felt a twinge of sadness as we checked out, but one thing’s for sure, we know where we’re going to stay next time we head to Goa! Of all the hotels in North Goa near beaches, this one has won our favor.
