Simrose — Hotel in Agonda

It really is our most favorite beach resort to stay on our most favorite beach in Goa. (We have been to Baga, Calangute, Candolim, Sinquerim and Agonda, and liked Agonda the best because it doesnt have a party atmosphere).

What really works for this place: Amazing chefs. They can cater food to your taste (our request was no chili, less oil, less masala and they delivered). The food was delicious and did not leave us with a heavy feeling afterwards. Their secret is fresh ingredients, and very skillful chefs who can make tasty AND healthy food. Every thing on their menu is also excellent.

Top tier hospitality. The entire Simrose team (if I list any names, I will be missing out on a few names, really all of staff) understands their mission. They are calm, attentive, smart and capable.

Amazing massages. All of the masseuses at their on-site massage center were excellent. They were professional and did a very good job. The spa was clean and comfortable (thank you air-conditioning). Please keep up the good work at the spa. I highly recommend their full body Abhyanga massage and their foot massage. We felt amazing after getting their massages.

Taxi and tours. We arranged several taxis and tours through Simrose front desk. Everything was arranged in a straightforward manner, as requested.

Location. The property is right at the beach. With great view of sunset from the restaurant. The sea water is warm and inviting. And beautiful walks on the beach at dawn to the boulders further south (20 min walk). Also in walking distance (2 min walk), there is Indian Traditional cooking class.

Pool. They have a little pool, with plenty of tree shade. It is perfect for young kids to enjoy in the afternoon, when the ocean waves are too big and the sun is too harsh.

On-site Yoga classes. We did not try the yoga classes, so cannot comment on them. But its nice that the option is available to make it a truly rejuvenating vacation.

Where to temper your expectations: Rooms. There is a whole variety of rooms, some small, some large. From western standards, the rooms are basic. But they are functional, with AC, hot water shower and electric kettle. The rooms are not a deal-breaker for me, as long as I can get a quiet and restful night sleep and a...

Absolutely, without fail, the warmest, most welcoming staff in India esp. Danesh and Aayus. A mix of Indian and Nepali staff, the team are open-minded and create and encourage an inclusive atmosphere for all to enjoy equally.

The menu was fantastic and well-priced (except the shisha which was very expensive). Both local and international dishes were spot on, and always served quickly, hot and with a smile. The number one rule for sensitive Europeans tummies in India is 'don't eat the fruit, salads or veggies'. But everything at Simrose is prepared and cooked using mineral water and thus despite eating veggies & salads and drinking fresh juices here every day we were all absolutely fine.

The sizeable beach restaurant here with its comfy seating and chilled music is the heart of Simrose. It's the best place to sit in the cool, early mornings with a book and a tea, or in the evenings watching the sunset with a cocktail, and a 180 degree view of the beach.

The WiFi was strong and reliable. The laundry was cheap & quick. The beds were comfy and the A/C was very good too. Simrose sits on a lovely little beach road with lots of shops, bars and restaurants nearby but without much traffic. The tuktuk & taxi stop is just a minute's walk. We went a couple of days by taxi to Palolem Beach (15 min drive / 400 rps.) which is busier and noisier than Agonda but still nice (Zest Cafe had the best juices and smoothies) and each restaurant had lots of sun loungers to use.

There's not much more I can say about Simrose apart from what a fantastic all-round stay it was and we're looking forward to returning one day.

A few little pointers:

I'm a light sleeper and unfortunately the upstairs, seafront rooms aren't well soundproofed. Listening to the waves all night isn't an issue, but listening to neighbouring rooms was tiring. I'd come back tomorrow but I'd choose a different room (maybe the brick-built rooms without a sea view).

The pool was small but the ocean is right there. No beach furniture is allowed on the beach (I believe due to Agonda Beach being one of 4 official turtle nesting sites in India) but you can just lay...

We booked Simrose looking at the great reviews here. Being a family of four, we chose the quadruple luxury hut, which was priced at around 8000 per night. We were disappointed!! Firstly, we were greeted with piles of scrap junk piled right at the entrance. This was really off putting, as the first impression matters when walking into any hotel/ resort. The place looked rundown and in bad shape. Major renovation was going on , which again left a bad taste. The rooms were varnished or painted just few days prior to our arrival, and the strong smell was extremely uncomfortable for us and our young children. We had booked our ( non refundable) rooms 2 months prior. Surely there was enough time to finish most of the renovation before our arrival. Secondly, we had no cleaning service offered in the three days and four nights we stayed there. It was only once we requested , that the rooms were cleaned. We had no bottles of water replenished, no tea or coffee was given at any time. These are basics that are provided in any hotel. Breakfast was not included in our plan, which was not clearly specified. The only saving grace was the restaurant which provided good food in good quantities, with the beautiful sea as the backdrop. We were very disappointed with the experience over all. We are discerning, seasoned travellers, who are quite flexible and accomodating, but do expect a certain basic standard of service and treatment. Simrose, please note. You need to provide the same quality of service to all your customers, regardless of whether it is off season or not. Sorely disappointed! Would...