Starmoo Home  Blog Vainguinim Valley Resort Goa India review
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Vainguinim Valley Resort Goa India review |
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Well, neither did I have the intention to watch the auto rickshaw race nor am I crazy like Madonna or Phil Keoghan or Kanye West but I did hope that I might run into some Bollywood celebrities and this is how I ended up in Goa with my family for a much-deserved vacation.
We had read horror stories about hotels in India so we wanted to pick the right hotel. It seems that the rating sytems in India is different because even their so-called five star hotels are like a Best Western in the US. After poking around and reading all the reviews we contacted several hotels (it was so hard to book since many hotels do not have online booking and did not accept credit cards issued  outside India or demanded full payment through an Indian bank before even arriving) but some never responded or asked for their full rates even though travel agents were offering one third of that.
Eventually we found vacancy at Vainguinim Valley Resort, a so-called "5 Star boutique property and a high class gaming resort located at the Vainguinim Valley, Dona Paula." We had our hotel ride waiting at the airport and our rooms were large and comfortable but not necessarily luxurious. When we walked around the property, we learned that everything worked, was comfortable, staff was attentive and pleasant, but nothing came close to what I call a five-star resort. Since the only reasonable price was for an all-inclusive package, that is what we chose, but all the meals were Indian (there were only a few non-Indian tourists) and served in a cafe. The hotel is also a short walk from the beach. We also went to the spa but it was more like a hair salon in the US that happens to offer manicures, pedicures, and massages. If you are man who does not like a male masseuse, you have no choice so I decided not to even bother.
Overall, it was a good vacation. Everything worked, the beach was quiet with no beggars, but do not expect a luxury resort experience. In any case, the prices were nothing comparable to that of an international standard five-star resort either.
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