I recently visited Goa on a spontaneous family road trip. Are you a frequent traveller? Then you know how difficult it is to find a hotel in Goa and that too during the weekend. It was a leisure trip, so I wasn’t planning on writing about it. But I wanted to share all the good places and restaurants I visited in North Goa. So I decided to write a review of the hotel Aldeia Santa Rita. Also, check out my favourite seafood restaurants in North Goa.

NOTE:- This is not a paid promotion.

Are you looking for budget-friendly hotels in North Goa? Or hotels near the beach? Family-friendly hotels? Then Aldeia Santa Rita is a one. Aside from this, you can dine at several good restaurants nearby. And, the shopping street is just a few minutes away.

I spent four comfortable days here. So, how many stars does Aldeia Santa Rita get? Well, I would give it three stars. The hotel has good and bad points. I’ve discussed each aspect of the hotel in detail.

ABOUT ALDEIA SANTA RITA

LOCATION:- Dando, next to Kings Villa, Candolim, Goa 403515.

Aldeia Santa Rita is in Candolim. Vegetation obscures the entrance and hotel signboard. You have to know the exact location. Otherwise, you won’t realise you have passed by the hotel. I have been to Goa hundreds of times and walked down that road more than that. But I never knew that there was a hotel there. Once you find the hotel, you can easily spot it the second time around.

There is a small ramp that leads to the parking space. Beyond here, you can see the colourful bungalows of the hotel. Patches of grass separate the buildings. Walk straight towards the hut at the end. That is the reception and the restaurant. They have a pool adjacent to the reception. Also, a small archway leads to the beach.

The bungalows create a colourful backdrop for pictures.

THE ROOMS

Colourful bungalows establish the hotel. Four rooms complete one building— two rooms on the upper floor and two rooms on the ground floor. Patches of grass separate the houses. Few rooms have poolside views. The hotel offers two types of accommodations. One is the standard room, and the other is the superior room.

STANDARD ROOM:- A single enormous room with a queen bed and attached bathroom. A dressing table along one wall and a cupboard along another side. One or two chairs and a centre table. Also, each room opens onto a small balcony. There is a kitchenette without a stove. Here you can find a teapot, a couple of cups, mugs and a small refrigerator. Every room has a fan and an air conditioner installed.

SUPERIOR ROOM:- Two rooms and a kitchenette complete the superior room. One room is the bedroom, and the other room is the living room. Each room has an attached bathroom. The rooms are spacious. A queen bed sits in the middle, a table and chair along one wall and a cupboard along the other wall. The living room is attached to the kitchenette and the balcony. The rooms have air conditioners and fans.

Both the standard and superior rooms have the same amenities. The only difference is the standard room is a single room, and the superior room has two. Both rooms are double and triple sharing.

THE RESTAURANT

Aldeia Santa Rita has a restaurant. The restaurant is hut-like, on the left side of the pool. Also, they have outdoor seating. During summer, they cover the outdoor space to provide shade. They set up the breakfast outdoors. Breakfast was a part of my package. I only ate breakfast at the hotel. For other meals, I ate out at other nearby restaurants. Therefore I can’t say much in this regard. However, I will say the breakfast was simple without too much fanfare.

Bread, butter, coffee, tea, eggs, juice, chocos, and cornflakes were everyday breakfast staples. The other items varied. One day we had puri bhaji. And the next day upma and aloo paratha, veg cutlets, so on and so forth. The food was ok.

There are plenty of good seafood restaurants near the hotel. You can check out my favourite 5 must-visit restaurants in North Goa.

THE POOL

Hotel Aldeia has an enormous rectangular pool. The pool sits adjacent to the reception. The swimming pool is 4 ft deep at one end and 6 ft at the other. The water appears green in colour due to the Spanish green tiles. Coconut trees stand tall alongside the pool. Also, sitting around the pool are wooden loungers.

The pool is open to guests from 9 am to 7 pm only. Throughout the day, the water is cold and perfect for swimming. There is no lifeguard on duty so keep an eye on the little ones. And there is a shower and a changing room near the pool.

The pool was huge, and the water was pleasant. Everything was good mostly. But, the swimming pool could use a good scrub. I saw the staff adding chlorine and other cleaning agents to the swimming pool at night. They even refilled the pool daily. But while swimming, you could feel that the tiles were a bit slimy. The tiles are green, so you can’t see very clearly. That’s the only complaint I have regarding the pool. I recommend the hotel staff clean and scrub the pool.

THE BEACH

The Sinquerim beach is a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Follow the path near the reception. The Aguada Fort bastion is a short walk from the beach. The golden sand beach is clean and has clear water.

It is the Sinquerim beach, so it is mostly vacant, unlike the populated Baga or Anjuna beaches. You will mostly encounter guests from the Taj hotels and or a few tourists visiting the Aguada Fort. You have the beach to yourself. Enjoy walking on the beach, watching the setting sun or partaking in water sports. Also, there are small shacks on the beach. You can stop by for a drink or delicious seafood lunch or dinner.

The Sinquerim beach is the perfect place to relax and let go of your worries. You can enjoy nature’s beauty in solitude. That’s why I love this beach.

THE STAFF AND SERVICE

I spent little time at the hotel. I was either at the beach, out dining or touring around Goa. So I had few interactions with the staff. But even during these few meetings, I was unhappy with their service. I had a good stay, but it could have been even better.

The staff isn’t rude, but they aren’t helpful either. The staff is a bit negligent. Before leaving to explore the city, we asked them to clean our rooms daily. When we returned, our rooms were still not cleaned. Upon enquiry, the staff said that we had not left our keys. But our keys were at the reception and we had informed them. After that, they quickly called housekeeping. It happened twice during our four-day stay. Also, during breakfast, there is no staff around. Only one person works at the omelette station.

The hotel managers aren’t rude or arrogant. They are just unenthusiastic. I don’t know if it was because of COVID they had limited staff, or that’s the case always. The service was a tad bit slow, but they got it done.

PARKING FACILITIES

They have a small parking space to accommodate up to seven four-wheelers and a few bikes. The parking is first to come basis. The others have to park their vehicles on the road near the hotel. Also, if you park inside the premises, you could be called time and again to move your car. So it’s up to you if you want to park inside or on the road.

CONCLUSION OF REVIEW OF HOTEL ALDEIA SANTA RITA

North Goa has surplus hotels. But finding an availability during peak season is an impossibility. So it’s always good to have a few options at hand. Here’s my review of the hotel Aldeia Santa Rita in Candolim. It is a good budget hotel in a great location.

I hope this ignites your wanderlust because it’s summer, and

The beach is calling.

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