Casa Philomena — Hotel in Goa

My Review of Casa Philomena

This was my 5th or 6th visit to Goa in the past 7 years, having stayed once in South and all other times in North Goa. However this time there were a couple of things different. Firstly, this was my longest stay in Goa (thought not that long according to long term travelers, but long as per me) for 9 days and Secondly, first time in my life, I'd decided to rent an apartment instead of taking the usual route of staying in a Hotel. I'd been in touch with Kirsty K Green over facebook and emails since the past 6 months and finally visited Goa in the month of Mar'16 during the 3rd and 4th week. At first I was a little bit apprehensive about staying in an apartment rather than in a hotel, had like a million questions in my mind and over the course of the past 6 months fired all of them to Kirsty who patiently and painstakingly resolved all my queries. I would not go into detail of each and every aspect but would try and summarize my experience in a point wise manner.

I have NEVER EVER returned back from a vacation so relaxed and rejuvenated, PERIOD. During the stay I felt that I was staying in my own vacation holiday home, like 'a home away from home' rather than in a rented property. The apartments and the apartment complex are being very well maintained and I was quite surprised to know that the building is now 7+ years old. The 1 BHK apartment which I took was fully equipped with everything that one might want for their short term or long term stay. TV, satellite connection, fully functional kitchen, microwave, refrigerator, utensils, to name a few. The apartment is in the heart of the Calangute district and is walking distance from shops selling stuff (milk, fresh produce, water, bakery items, etc) which one might need on a day to day basis. The linen is changed in every two days and the apartment is cleaned by two guys on a daily basis. I'm sorry I remember name of only one of them, Harish, forgot the name of the other one. The swimming pool is clean and very well maintained. Though I didn't use the pool myself but my kids used it almost on a daily basis to their heart content. There's a 24 hour security guard at the premises.

To conclude, I'd say, this is one of the best vacations which I took and am glad I stayed at Casa Philomena. Kirsty and her team are doing a phenomenal job and make you feel totally at home. I think that I've found a permanent home in Goa for all my future visits and would DEFINITELY be staying at...

A very good and budget friendly place- Travelkrafts was one of the best stays in Goa. Located at a good location, Baga, Candolim and Calangute are pretty closeby. Anjuna is around 20mins away. You can cover North Goa pretty easily. This spot is easy to locate and has all facilities required for a comfortable stay. The rooms were clean and well maintained with a rustic look. There is a kitchen with basic amenities to cook, incase you feel like making a cup of coffee or maggi for yourself. There is also a microwave to heat food if you've ordered in something. Nihal was our caretaker and he ensured he was available at all times to help us.

The point of contact, Mr. Raza, was a super friendly and accommodative host. We were two girls who travelled alone to Goa. Raza stayed back late in the night to welcome us. He was proactive in making arrangements for us. He also gave us a good list of places to explore. We had to extend our stay by 6-7 hours due to a rescheduped flight and Raza ensured we could stay with no hassle.

I would definitely visit again! Thank you so much for making us...

Casa Philomena is one of the worst accommodations I have ever experienced. Do not be fooled by the pictures online—they are completely misleading.

False Promises & Terrible Management – We booked expecting certain facilities but upon arrival the manager (Vibhor) changed his words and refused to honor the agreement. When we complained he rudely told us to either stay or leave

Unhygienic & Poorly Maintained Rooms – The rooms were dirty old machine was broken and we was not able to wash our clothes

No Proper Customer Service – The staff was rude, unhelpful, and barely available. Cleaning was only done on alternate days for a limited time (3-5 PM) and even then it was poorly managed.

Unsafe Environment – They were painting the upstairs area while we were staying and since the balcony was transparent it made us feel extremely unsafe We were not informed about this beforehand.

Terrible Hospitality – The manager forced us to wait outside both before check-in and after check-out showing zero concern...