| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
bobthebus from Plymouth travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
monarch
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2007 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: We have stayed at the CSM 3 times and would not hesitate to do so again !!
The rooms were cleaned every day and clean bedding every day, the room cleaning boys were very efficient and friendly. There was always hot water for showering etc, unlike some countries!! There was the occasional power cut but the CSM have their own generator, which cuts in after about 3 minutes, if the proper power has not returned.
There are electronic safes in the rooms (new addition), which is free of charge as is the A/C.
The food has improved quite a lot at breakfast time, it now includes eggs done one way or another with some sort of accompaniment. There is also toast, cereal, fruit, orange and lemon juice, and of course tea & coffee. There has been some bad press about the way food is kept warm. well it is done by putting the food in containers and keeping it warm over a spirit heater, some thing that is done all over India, and indeed in a lot of Indian restaurants in the UK. NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT !!
New this year is internet access.
We found the management to be helpful (although we didn't ask for much) and very pleasant.
As we never stay at the hotel in the evening, because we like to eat in as many different restaurants there are in the Baga and Calangute area, I can't pass comment on the food served in the evening. I would say however, if it has not improved since last year 2006, then there will be room for improvement. The same goes for the entertainment, we didn't stay in to see it.
Click here for more information on this hotel, resort and region
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Kerry from Peterborough travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2006 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We arrived at the hotel in the early hours of the morning. The staff were there to meet and greet us and could not do enough to help us.
The rooms were spotless and very comfortable. They had a fridge(stocked daily with water, pop and beer - prices are extremely cheap), a shower room, air conditioning and a tv (not that you'd have time to what it!)
A traditional Goan breakfast is eggs, which is why they always lay on different egg dishes for breakfast. they also had fresh juice, cereal, toast, fruit tea and coffee which was more than enough. We ate lunch and dinner at the hotel a few times and always found the food to be fantastic. I did hear a few people moaning about the food, but I think they thought they were in England still and wanted steak and chips! (which you could get if you paid a little extra)
However, you should definitley try to sample some of the many restaurants around the hotel.
The evening entertainment was OK - a couple of singers per week.
The hotel is literally 2 minutes walk to the beach - which is beautiful. If you've never been before, don;t be alarmed by the Goan locals selling on the beach if you are polite and say no thank you they do leave you alone. You should definitely try some of the fruit that they sell though.
We flew with first choice and paid for the premium seats. I have to say it wasn't really worth it. The premium seating was full up and the reast of the plane was half empty! You can upgrade your in-flight entertainment for £5 and get to watch the same movies etc.
One thing I will say is make sure you have some £1 coins for when you get off the plane to give to the porters who put your luggage on the coach. It's nothing to us, but means so much to them.
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maxine law from leicester travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2006 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff |  | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The food was cold and recyled. Left for hours on small gas light to keep warm.
The hotel was generally clean.
The location is great few min walk from the beach.
Most of the staff was new as the hotel had been brought by someone from dehli and had brought the staff with him.
The staff that had been with the hotel for years were very helpfull and understanding.
First choice stated entertainment 4 times a week.The only entertainment we saw in 2 weeks were a guy on a organ once and christmas night had good entertainment
I would never visit this hotel again,or advise any one to do so.
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Stewbacca from Brighouse travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Thomas Cook
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2006 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Returned to the CSM, as it is the best hotel we have stayed in on our Goa visits. Hotel location is the biggest plus, A very short walk to the beach.
Staff really friendly as with all hotels, Room service - cleanliness second to none, clean sheets & towels every day (extra towels when requested). the two room boys who looked after our rooms were the same as we had in April & once again really looked after us.
The security guards were also very pleasant & made us feel very safe. My only gripes were the entertainment was not great & the food seems to have taken a nosedive in respect of choice & also quality.
There is a new owner & on the gala night at Christmas there seemed to be very little thought/organisation as we were told we did not have to book a table & on arrival found all the best tables seemed to be taken by people who were staying elsewhere.
This was not the best idea they had as there were people there who were on there first visit & up until that point were quite satisfied with the hotel in general. Just hope the new owner sorts it out & remembers that the customer should always come first.
I will still stay there again as the positives out weight the negatives.
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michael&lesley from newcastle travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
somak
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2006 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel had been taken over by people from Delhi and the atmosphere changed even whilst we were there.
The food was on more than one occassion cold and with very little choice and one night a lot of the guests revolted and demanded fresh hot food with more choice. Many repeat guests we met at the hotel said that the standards and attitude of the staff had deteriorated as only a handful of the original staff were still there. By the end of our 3rd week we were the only people in the place one night with the longer serving staff shaking their heads at the way the hotel was being run by the new owners. Such a shame as the hotel is in an excellent position but even that would not entice us to go back again because of the arrogance of the new owners.
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Stewbacca from Brighouse travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Thomas cook
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2006 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The CSM is probably the best Hotel we have stayed in on our visits to Goa, We found the Food was brilliant, excellent variety of choice both for meat eaters & vegeterians. The Breakfasts were excellent too.
The Housekeeping was to a very high standard & the laundry service was first class.
Room boys were also first rate, extra pillows & towels if asked for.
Only downside was the entertainment!
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Joanne from Birmingham travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Thomas Cook
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Anyone worrying about staying at this hotel - DON'T!
It's in a fantastic location, I would say the best in Calangute and Baga area. Gardens are kept lovely.
Rooms have good air con, cleaned everyday.
Only ate in the hotel once, so I can't really pass judgement on that.
The hotel is like a holiday village with cottages on either side leading down to the beach.
We ate at Bosco's beach shack which was great, all the lads that work there were lovely.
The pool is small but kept very clean, people don't really tend to stay round the pool as you don't get the breeze as you do on the beach.
We will be returning next year and definitely staying at the CSM!!
Hope you enjoy at much as we did!!
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Richard & Sharon + 2 from Derby travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Frist choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2005 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Basic but clean , whatch out for the lads who do minnie bar they ripped me off 4 times (£5) a time till I complaned .The Gards and the staff were all very good, My 9 year old son always found somthig to eat and my 16 year old girl picked but that is like always, but we eat out most of the time. Pool was nice and kept clean.
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Peter from Folkestone travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Somak
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2005 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This was our second stay at CSM in 6 months and it was just as good as the first time.
The staff are very helpfull the hotel is kept very clean. Edward the reasturant manager goes out of his way to make you feel at home and gives you lots of good advice about the best places to make your purchases and not be over charged to much.
We will definitely stay there again next year.
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thomas roberts from workington travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
somak
on a friends holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2005 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel is brilliant stayed here 4 times the only thing that let it down this time was the buffet meals all the time and it was 95% indian food.
Hotel spotless location nearly on the beach staff spot on sibby made us some great toast we would stay again only bed and breakfast.
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Peter Palmer from Folkestone Kent travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Somak
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2005 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel suite was basic but comfortable with a lounge bedroom and shower room. The rooms were cleaned every morning and the bed sheets changed, the public areas were cleaned on a continuous basis.
The food was very good with a reasonable menu.
The location was brilliant only 2 minutes from the beach and security guards at frequent locations around the hotel ground to insure safety.
The staff were all extremely helpful and pleasant.
We had no entertainment while we were there.
We will definitely be going there again.
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Paul Davis from HIgh Wycombe travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Hayes and Jarvis
on a couples holiday.
There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2005 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: When we arrived I found the room to be very basic and needing a few cosmetic changes. In fact it was a bit of a culture shock but after a few days you learn to get use to it.
The room had no air conditioning, just a fan. There was a TV shelf with aerial but no TV, still I didn't go on holiday to watch TV! I also did not like the fact the room was locked by a padlock. The room was cleaned each day and kept very clean. All the staff are very friendly from the top down.
Food: Breakfast is continental style; you pay extra for cooked breakfast. Dinner was paid for by a daily voucher, which you receive when you arrive - its value is RS250 and pays for the buffet, or you can choose from a set menu. Drinks are extra.
Entertainment was limited but we arrived just out of season so this might explain why.
Hotel is next to the beach with all the beach shacks easily accessible.
In conclusion, although not perfect the pros far more outweigh the cons.
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Lloyd Foster from Wakefield travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Somak
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2004 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Stayed at the CSM for xmas and new year and our only regret was having to come home! Fantastic location,staff are wonderful and we had a great two weeks.
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ward from bristol travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
somak
on a friends holiday.
There were 6 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2004 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: friendly and very helpful staff
have been using Colonia Santa Maria for last seven years and find the service just seems to improve with time
Food is great and always a great choice available
staff recognise repeat visitors and always provide a great welcome
security is excellent
beach access makes this a popular location
Each time we visit we introduce new friends to the hotel and they love it
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Chris from Ipswich travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Hayes and Jarvis
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2004 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I have stayed at this hotel twice and we are due to stay again in January 2006.
The hotel has a good standard of cleanliness and is better than you would think for a two star hotel.
The food is very good and you do not have to have the buffet meals if you do not want to.
The hotel is in a superb location right next to the beach and the number of shacks there are plentiful.
The staff at the CSM are excellent, especially the girls on reception and Nick behind the bar.
The only downfall is the entertainment which is not really geared up to western standards, however there is plenty nearby if you want that type of thing.
This is a very popular hotel and if you get the chance to book it do so as it will offer an ideal introduction to Goa.
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margaret @ laura from manchester travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
hates and jarvis
on a singles holiday.
There were 1 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2003 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We stayed for 4 weeks when it should of been 2 weeks as I had a bad ear. The people at this hotel are so caring and looked after us.
The rooms are basic like all in Goa and the rooms are kept clean by the boys, they will do anything for you. There is a fridge and we had a tele with Uk programmes.
The restaurant was so good with the different food you could have, and chef would always do the best he could if you wanted anything different from the menu. The lads that waited on were ace!!!
Nothing was 2 much trouble for anyone.
The hotel is right on the beach you fall out of the hotel straight on the beach! There is also security looking out for you.
There’s nothing more I can say except I would recommended this hotel to anyone it gets the thumbs up from me xxxxxx
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Elizabeth Walker from Camberley travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Hayes and Jarvis
on a 18-30s holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2003 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: A nice basic hotel with excellent staff who are very friendly. They filled up our fridge with cold drinks every day and you only paid a few pence to buy these.
Breakfast was ok - not much choice and the bread for toast took ages to brown due to the low voltage toasters that were used by the guests. As we were half board, we had our evening meal too and there was a good choice of things to eat - the sizzlers were excellent. You had to pay extra for some things like seafood and they had different themed nights for dining. The eating terrace had lots of plants, so take lots of mosquito repellent otherwise you'll be eaten alive!
Hotel conveniently located for small scale nightlife, mostly concentrated around the bars, restaurants and beach shacks.
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David hj from Nottingham travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
Monarch
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2002 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This was our first visit to Goa and what a wonderful hotel, fabulous location just off the beach, clean, basic and wonderful food.
We are the sort of people who used to scorn people who return year after year to the same holiday destination but after this holiday in Jan 2001 we have since been back 4 times. The 5th time is in 9 days and I cannot wait. The CSM is a pearl amongst pearls, the Goan people are so friendly and the hospitality is renowned worldwide.
I have come home!!!!
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dawn and stu from edinburgh travelled to Colonia Santa Maria with
going places
on a friends holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2002 |
rated the Colonia Santa Maria as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: After traveling to Goa many times we found these apartments excellent, although basic but where in Goa is'nt it?!
The appartments were huge a living area, large bedroom with balcony and huge bathroom, and dont forget the fridge (MINIBAR),which was stocked daily at the usuall goan prices (peanuts)!!!
The restaurant was excellent as were the others a flipflop away. And the beach well that was all of two minutes walk.
What elses do you need to know? How clean? Very, cleaned every day beds every second day.
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