The Leela Goa

We recently stayed at The St. Regis Goa Resort for two nights. We booked directly with Marriott and chose the property expecting the refined, personalised and attentive hospitality associated with the St. Regis brand. Unfortunately, our experience was quite disappointing. The property itself is beautiful, but for us, the service experience did not match the standard of a luxury resort of this level. 1. Dinner and lack of follow-through At one of our dinners, two dishes were below our expectations in taste. There was also confusion regarding the quantity of one dish. The issue was initially denied, and the dish was eventually brought after we had finished our meal, by which point we no longer wanted it. The following morning, a senior member of the F&B team asked about our dinner. We explained what had happened, and he proactively offered to arrange a better experience. We said we would let him know. We had not asked for anything, but because the hotel had proactively engaged with us and offered to address the concern, we expected some follow-through. There was none. This became representative of our broader experience: concerns were acknowledged in the moment, but there was very little follow-through afterwards. 2. Butler service St. Regis places significant emphasis on personalised and anticipatory Butler Service. Our experience was largely reactive. The Butler was responsive when we contacted him, but there was little proactive engagement during our stay. Even on checkout day, there was no check-in or engagement while we were still at the resort. The only message we received that day came after we had already checked out and reached the airport. For a service built around personalised and anticipatory attention, we found this disappointing. 3. Basic service and attention to detail On several occasions, plates were changed without the cutlery being replaced. We were also disappointed to see plastic Bisleri bottled water being provided as the default at a luxury resort of this standing. Individually, these may seem like small things, but together with the other issues, they contributed to an overall impression of inconsistent attention to detail. 4. Conflicting information about taxis We were told by the hotel that private taxis could not enter the resort because of restrictions imposed by local taxi operators, and that we needed to use local taxis. Our own private taxi subsequently entered the resort without difficulty. Whatever the underlying arrangement may have been, the information provided to us did not align with what actually happened, which was frustrating and unnecessarily limited our choices. 5. Maintenance / renovation not disclosed At the time of booking, we were not informed that one of the restaurants would be closed for maintenance or that maintenance/renovation work would affect guest areas, including the route towards the beach. We felt that material impacts on the guest experience should have been communicated beforehand. 6. Departure At checkout, the hotel offered a souvenir with an apology specifically regarding the plastic bottles. We declined because, by that point, the gesture addressed only one aspect of a broader experience. When our airport cab arrived, nobody proactively came forward to assist with our luggage. We had no difficulty handling our own bags, but at a luxury resort, this was another small example of the lack of proactive attention we experienced. A couple of positives To be fair, not everything was negative. Two members of the team genuinely stood out. One was particularly polite, humble and attentive during breakfast and one of our dinners. Another was exceptional during the nature walk. Despite heavy rain and being completely drenched, he continued sharing his knowledge of the plants and trees with genuine enthusiasm and care. That nature walk was, unfortunately, the ONLY highlight of our stay!!! Overall We have stayed at several other luxury properties in India and abroad, including Taj, Conrad and other leading luxury brands. What has stood out at those properties was not extravagant service or complimentary gestures. It was the warmth, attentiveness and ownership shown by the teams, particularly when something went wrong. That was the biggest gap in our experience at St. Regis Goa. We repeatedly found ourselves having to notice problems, raise concerns, ask for basic things and follow up ourselves. At a luxury resort of this level, we expected the opposite: a team that notices, takes ownership and follows through without the guest having to chase. The resort itself is genuinely beautiful, but beautiful surroundings cannot substitute for attentiveness, warmth and human connection. This was also an anniversary trip for us. We were not looking for special treatment. However, the resort was aware that it was a special occasion, and there was not even a simple acknowledgement of it or any other thoughtful gesture. We had hoped for a memorable stay but instead left feeling genuinely disappointed. We are sharing this to give prospective guests a balanced account. The property is beautiful and there were individual team members who impressed us, but our overall experience fell considerably short of what we expected from the St. Regis brand. Based on our experience, we would be far more inclined to choose Taj for a future luxury stay than return to Marriott for an experience of this kind.

We had an amazing stay at The St. Regis Goa Resort and couldn't have asked for more from the moment we arrived. Meera was so kind and helpful when she checked us in, giving us lots of information about the resort and making us feel very welcome. A special mention has to go to Deepesh, who was incredibly helpful when we had a slight issue with the person who drove us to the resort, who was completely unrelated to the hotel. Deepesh took care of it for us straight away and couldn't have been more helpful. Vincent also looked after us really well and regularly took us around the resort in one of the golf buggies. The buggy service was so convenient. We simply called from our room and, usually within five minutes, someone would arrive to take us wherever we wanted to go. It made getting around the resort completely effortless. We also had a lovely butler, Kunal, who was always available whenever we needed anything. I would definitely recommend making use of the butler service to have coffee delivered to your room in the morning. Sitting on our balcony with coffee brought to us was such a lovely way to start the day. My only small criticism would be the coffee station in the room. For a hotel of this standard, I was surprised that it only had instant coffee. However, being able to have coffee brought to the room by the butler more than made up for it. We stayed in a Lagoon Room, and the view from our balcony was one of the highlights of our stay. The wildlife was fascinating. We got up early on a couple of mornings just to listen to the dawn chorus and watch the birds waking up. It was such a peaceful experience and something we will remember. The food at Miri was fantastic. We had breakfast and dinner there every day, and on our first evening the chef came out to ask whether the food was too spicy and whether there was anything in particular we would like. My friend mentioned that she had wanted to try a lamb biryani but hadn't had the opportunity during our trip. The following evening, the chef had made one for us. That really impressed us. He had simply remembered something she had mentioned and made it happen. Karan and Samraj also took great care of us at Miri. They would sometimes bring dishes to our table that we hadn't ordered because they thought we might enjoy them. They were both very attentive and made us feel well looked after throughout our stay. The cocktails were excellent, and we loved spending time around the pool. The grounds are beautiful, with incredible planting and mature trees throughout the resort. Everything was very well maintained and spotless. We were there during the monsoon, so unfortunately there were no chairs on the beach. We were disappointed that we couldn't spend more time there, but we did walk down to the beach and it was beautiful. I imagine it would be lovely to spend a day there outside of the monsoon season. We also went to the evening champagne opening ceremony, which was a really enjoyable touch and a lovely way to start the evening. Our room was beautifully maintained, with a very comfortable bed and particularly good pillows. Everything was spotless and well presented. What stood out most about our stay was the level of personal service. Everyone we encountered was friendly and willing to help, and there was a real attention to the small details. Thank you to everyone who looked after us, especially Meera, Deepesh, Vincent, Kunal, Karan and Samraj. We had a fantastic stay and would love to return to The St. Regis Goa.

This property is just beautiful..the rooms were lovely ...the food was amazing ..what stood out was the lovely experience we got from the staff especially Dianne ! She was very warm and make sure we were comfortable and had a great experience at the property ...we will definetly visit soon...

What to say !!! Beyond words for everything!! To start with, property is at the most southern tip...sovey peaceful beach and far away from chaos. Superbky maintained with do many ponds and water bodies, hardly any mosquitoes or pests. Lawns and gold course are nicely trimmed and well kept. Breakfast buffet as well as meal buffet the spread is large and almost all things had great taste. The staff on yeh floor is willing happy to serve and take good care of the guests! The swimming pool is nice and clean. The faculties around the pool is 👍. Beach front is well maintained and security guards are glad to assist. Their buggy services are impeccable and prompt. As soon as u enter ..the Reception area itself feels luxury ..the check in process is smooth and efficiently taken care of! We were assigned a butler , Anguvi, such a warm person..while on the holiday my son fell unwell running high fever. Anuguvi repeatedely followed up with us "in person" visits , msgs to check if we needed any medicines, any special food etc to help in recovery of my son. Once we consulted the doctor, he procured the medicines in less than an hour ..all seamless. To the day we left , his follow ups were to the point . Really touched by this humane side , in hospitality business, where they meet new guests every few days yet to hv this connect and concern is exceptional. The warmth and care was extended by whoever we met; from chef to the managers , to customer service seniors , everyone did exceptional!! Special shout out to chef Kevin, he won our hearts .. especially of my son ! Went out of his way to make special broths, vegan cakes ( my son has diary allergies) and what not just to help recovery. Chef Kevin would come and speak with him at almost every meal just to make my son feel better !! On the restaurant floor , Karan was the star ! Always attentive , smiling and bringing us all that we asked for and more! There were so many of them Suraj , Mohd. Faisal and many more whose names I missed but all of them made our trip memorable despite us being room bound most days ! Go stay at this place for the mesmerizing experience with nature and human !! We will be going back for sure !

It wasn't just great but exceptional. When you raise the bar of expectation so high based on the brand name, it's quite something when they actually live up to it. The property is big, so transportation is sometimes essential — especially when you don't feel like walking or cycling. The buggies were always on time. How? Every person you meet greets you with a smile. Tanu, Abdullah and the entire team were super welcoming, always accommodating our requests and tailoring things to our expectations. Rooms were great, the lagoons were beautiful, and the scenery is wow. The beach was clean and less crowded, and we had a great time. We tried all the restaurants. I loved Oliveto — maybe I'm biased because I love Italian! Miri and Riverside were great too. Food overall was excellent, including breakfast. A special mention to the chefs who prepared things that weren't even on the menu, including something different for our baby. Very sweet and thoughtful. The only small pickle was that we were looking forward to a dinner buffet one night, only to find out at the last moment that there wasn't one - we lost our buffet to a group :( . Not a big deal though, as we enjoyed the a la carte very much. Big shout out to Prashant for taking me golfing — I LOVVVED it! Perfect for a beginner and he taught me patiently. Mr. Kaushik, our butler — man, he was always ready to help and take care of our every need. He managed everything so well for my birthday and was always there whenever needed. We were a bit demanding, and he didn't seem to mind a bit! Special mention to Haresh for the nature tour — relaxing, knowledgeable and fun. And our kid loved feeding the fish, rabbits and ducks — exactly what we were hoping for. I look forward to visiting again soon.