Le Méridien Goa, Calangute — Hotel in Goa

We recently stayed at the “5 star hotel” Le Meridien in Calangute for 4 nights. We left feeling deeply disappointed. In particular, the poor service from staff throughout the hotel. This is most evident in the dining area. The buffet service for breakfast offers a delicious array of food, however, the staff run around like headless chickens and cannot seem to get much right. Go before 9am if you would like a more pleasant experience.

Furthermore, there seems to be a real issue with communication in the dining area. On several occasions we would order an item and a completely different thing was served to us!

As part of our package with this stay, we had a complementary buffet lunch or dinner. The food was of acceptable quality but it had several flaws e.g. dishes left out without the hot plate turned on, meaning warm dishes were being served cold. We pointed this out to the team, but found it kept happening. In the end, we stopped going to the lunch / dinner buffet because we had a much more enjoyable experience in the Beach Shacks across Goa.

On our second day, we returned after a day out to a room that hadn’t been cleaned for a reason unknown to us. After informing the reception team they swiftly arranged for a room clean. During our stay, we often had to repeatedly ask for towels to be replaced. We had paid for a triple room but for some absurd reason we were receiving only 2 towels each day.

Not everything was bad. Two members of staff were particularly helpful and kind during our stay (Shruti and Jenny). Staff speak great English and are friendly. The hotel looks lovely and is located in the middle of a popular tourist area of Calangute (less than 15 mins walk to the nearest beach). The decor is modern and the rooms well finished. There are plenty of local amenities.

In the swimming pool, people jump in without a shower and wear their regular underwear which is frankly disgusting. You also see people wearing T-shirts and shirts in the pool. Ironically, I was challenged by a member of staff who suggested my swimming shorts were not swimming trunks. I had to then explain myself and show the inner mesh to the member of staff to “prove” my swimming trunks were indeed swimming trunks (lol). This was in front of a crowd of people at the pool so it was embarrassing. This is supposed to be a 5 star hotel! You should not openly challenge a customer who is wearing obvious swimming trunks and embarrass them in front of other people.

Like most parts of Goa, the hotel have a subtle deal going on with the local ‘taxi mafia’. They don’t like when GoaMiles cabs come near the hotel. However, we had no issues using GoaMiles during our stay. I recommend avoiding the local cabs suggested by the hotel as they charge absurd prices. The taxi situation in Goa is extremely frustrating but I will not rant about that in this review.

We arranged airport transfers via the hotel to avoid additional stress compared to organising our own taxi (which we probably should have done in hindsight). The charge was approx 2700 rupees each way. On the return trip to the airport our taxi was 20 mins late. As a gesture of good will, the hotel manager waived this fare for us (thank you).

Overall I believe this hotel lacks the hospitality and personal touch that comes with owning a 5 star rating. The room rates are not cheap, hence this lengthy review. There needs to be a real look into the service provided by all staff and this must start with the management department leading by example. Marriott hotels are associated with class and excellent customer service. This hotel lacks charm and character.

Unfortunately I do not recommend this hotel based on my recent experience. However, I do hope that other people have a better time...

As an avid traveler, I approach hotel stays with an open mind and reasonable expectations. Regrettably, my recent experience at Le Meridien was disappointing, falling short of the standard one would anticipate from a reputable establishment.

To begin on a positive note, the location of Le Meridien was indeed convenient. However, the condition of the rooms was a cause for immediate concern. Upon entering, the uncleanliness was conspicuous; the bed sheets were notably untidy, displaying unsightly bubbles that indicated a lack of attention to detail in their maintenance.

The washroom conditions exacerbated the initial displeasure, with the water closet (WC) noticeably dirty and the washroom itself failing to meet basic hygiene standards. Such conditions in a hospitality environment are unacceptable and can significantly tarnish the perceived value of a stay.

The staff's behavior only added to the discomfort. Rather than demonstrating professionalism and courteousness, their attitude came across as unaccommodating, particularly in their inability to handle the crowd during the breakfast rush. This lack of capacity not only caused unnecessary chaos but also compromised the overall dining experience.

Speaking of dining, the lack of variety in the food menu—remaining stagnant over the course of three days—was a dispiriting revelation. The absence of menu rotation displayed a discouraging disregard for the guest’s dining preferences and the hotel's commitment to culinary excellence.

Furthermore, the hotel's unwillingness to receive feedback was another shortfall. Constructive criticism is a cornerstone of improvement, and the fact that the staff was not open to suggestions or corrections is an indictment of their service philosophy and a missed opportunity for the hotel to refine its guest experience.

The hotel’s family-friendly claim was also called into question as it lacked amenities and an environment conducive to young guests' needs. The distressing discovery of a hair strand in the food served was the last straw, signaling a severe lapse in food safety protocols that one must find difficult to overlook.

In conclusion, my stay at Le Meridien was marred by numerous issues, from cleanliness and staff behavior to dining and responsiveness to guest feedback. It is my hope that the hotel takes this criticism as an opportunity to reassess its standards and implement the necessary changes to regain its standing as a reputed hospitality provider. Sadly, as it stands, I cannot recommend Le Meridien to fellow travelers, particularly those seeking a family-friendly environment and a stay reflective of the attentiveness and quality promised by the...

My mother and I travelled from London (UK) and stayed at Le Meriden Goa for 9 nights. Overall, we had a positive and pleasant experience. Below is further detail about our stay.

Positives:

Firstly, the main highlight of our stay was the wonderful, friendly team at Latest Recipe restaurant. Each member of the team always greeted us with big smiles and were always attentive, on-hand if we needed anything. I would like to give a special mention to are Binoy, Sangram, Smiti and Moumita. These individuals are a real asset to the company! They are such nice, genuine people and care about the guests they are serving. We hope to see them again if we return!

The quality of food at Latest Recipe was fantastic. We loved the variety of food at breakfast and the Dosa station is a wonderful touch. We also experienced a great dinner service at Latest Recipe on two occasions and loved it. The prices were very reasonable and our favourite dish was the black dhal paired with garlic naan.

The housekeeping team were also fantastic. Our room was always cleaned to a high standard and fully stocked with everything we needed. A special thank you to Simanchal who cleaned our room on several occasions. The team leader, Mahak was also so kind and checked on my mother and I a lot to make sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves.

The 20% discount for the Neomis spa is a great benefit to staying at the hotel and we really made the most of this. This should be communicated more to guests so they can enjoy, maybe a leaflet in each room.

Negatives:

The arrival process at the check-in desk was chaotic and felt a little rushed. A welcome drink was promised but I had to call the lobby to chase this and then someone finally brought these to our room.

The senior staff in the lobby area are not very friendly and as helpful as the other teams around the hotel. It doesn’t cost anything to smile! It seemed like they thought they were too important to speak or...