Best Beach Hotels in India

Facing onto the expanse of sands that make up Benaulim Beach, the Taj Exotica is surrounded by manicured gardens, tropical flowers and coconut trees. It provides opportunities to get active, with facilities enabling yoga, tennis, swimming, golf, or some relaxation with Ayurvedic therapies at the Jiva Spa. Book a room, garden villa, or pool villa, all of which display a Colonial meets palatial style of decor. There are three restaurants serving Goan seafood, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, two bars and ample facilities to keep children entertained during your stay.

The 44 acres owned by this Radisson Blu Resort overlook the sea and incorporate a 27,000-square-foot outdoor pool spa with mini palm tree-planted islands to swim past. There’s much to do onsite, with the resort offering ATV rides, boat adventures, scuba diving, bicycle rental, archery, indoor games and canoeing, as well as spa treatments. 157 suites, chalets and villas have private patios or balconies, work desks and TV with casting capabilities. Guests can dine at the family-friendly Waters Edge Café with pool and sea views, or the fine dining establishment, Wharf 2.0.

Set beside Arossim Beach in an unspoilt area, this resort stretches across 45 acres of land. Pretty terracotta tiled roofs, wooden balconies and palm trees evoke an east meets west feel. The buildings are joined by lagoons and waterways with mini waterfalls and lush flora. Each of the 252 rooms has their own outdoor space, some with secret gardens and outdoor showers. Kaya Kalp – The Royal Spa includes a yoga and meditation space along with treatment rooms. And there are six dining options, including a seaside charcoal grill and an alfresco open kitchen. Children have their own play zone and there’s a host of activities, as well as one of the largest freeform pools (with waterslides) in the country.

This lush five-star resort extends to the water’s edge at Bambolim Bay. It has 313 rooms, all with furnished balconies (suites have their own whirlpool too). Dark wood, tiled floors and crisp white bedding create a sophisticated and contemporary Goan aesthetic, along with marble bathrooms. Learn to make the hotel’s signature Italian dishes at The Verandah restaurant’s cookery classes, or eat in one of the other dining concepts: The Dining Room (with five live kitchens), Chulha Indian eatery, the Confeitaria Coffee Bar or a pool grill. Drinks and snacks can be enjoyed at Bay View Lounge, with cocktails and late-night music at Capiz Bar.

A majestic colonial-style landmark on the city’s coastline, The Leela Palace occupies 4.8 acres of shoreline. Inside are award-winning Chinese and Indian restaurants, an international buffet, elegant high-teas served in a seaview lounge, an old-world cigar bar offering cocktails and caviar and a French-inspired patisserie/chocolatier shop. A carefully curated art collection can be viewed throughout the property and the hotel has its own ensemble of musicians taking guests on a voyage of Carnatic music. 326 rooms and suites spread across 11 floors are suitably grand, as are the spa and the pool areas.

This resort is found in the south of Goa (Raj Baga, Canacona, to be exact). Boasting its own casino, golf course, helipad and even a yacht, this is one of the largest hotels – certainly in terms of land – within Goa. It has 255 rooms, six dining venues, a kids’ corner, tennis courts, two pools, a holistic spa and a five-star rating. The two-storey LaLiT Golf & Spa Resort is less than two decades old but was remodelled in 2008.

Stretching 10 acres along the Bay of Bengal, this palatial residence is a wonderful example of Rajasthani architecture. Kaldan Samudhra translates as “an immortal place in paradise” and was opened in 2021, after several years of work by the country’s top builders, sculptors and artisans. 106 bedrooms have a regal style, reflecting a traditional aesthetic and range from deluxe twins to three-bedded villas with private pools. The grounds incorporate a long pool meandering past the hotel buildings and a private beach where you can practice sunset, as well as soak up some rays.

The W brand chose Goa as the location for their first property in India (it’s also the adult-centred brand’s first hotel to have a children’s club). This venue is found on a peaceful hillside above Vagator beach, yet while the setting is deeply relaxing, guests can party it up at the funky chain. Boxy, angular and modern, the building looks like an architectural art installation, or something from a Bond film, while the interior decor takes its cue from the area’s natural beauty and fishing heritage. A Rock Pool (so named as it’s carved out of the hillside) is the place to chill out, so to is its Clarins spa. But you can party at the Woo Bar, dine in its two restaurants and play tennis at the onsite courts.