rated the Village Royale Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location |  | | Staff |  | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: First impressions weren’t great and we seriously contemplated finding a different hotel for our 2 weeks stay but after a long tiring journey we decided to sleep on it first. Once we’d got over the initial ‘oh my god’ feeling things didn’t seem so bad.
We were allocated a room on the top floor of G block. The balcony was massive but we soon realised that it was unusable because every time someone in the block took a shower it flooded from an overflow pipe on the roof. The balcony doors had begun to rot away and didn’t shut properly and the window panes in the kitchen and bathroom didn’t quite fit the frames so had we not been on the top floor we would’ve been worried about security. Other little ‘niggles’ we had with the room were mainly cosmetic and didn’t really matter that much – like no taps at the kitchen sink! On the whole though, considering where we were and the price we paid the room was satisfactory and the main thing was that it was clean and the beds reasonably comfortable.
Breakfast was included in the price and consisted of tea/coffee/juice and toast served up to 11am. Other extras could be ordered and the standard was very good. We had dinner in the hotel twice and it was excellent. The bar staff are very friendly and do a great job.
We avoided the pool and bar area during the day because it was noisy and cramped. I can’t understand why people would travel all the way to Goa to spend everyday by the pool. Unfortunately we did witness guests day in day out drinking heavily, being rude to the bar staff and allowing their children to run riot with no consideration for other people.
We knew when we booked that the hotel was not central and for us the location was not a problem. Taxi’s are available at the front gate and only cost 70 rupees to Calangute beach. The hotel offers a free bus service 4 times a day into Calangute market area. On a couple of occasions we walked back to the hotel from the beach which took about 25 minutes but isn’t an easy walk in the heat.
On the whole I wouldn’t recommend the hotel especially if you enjoy spending time by the pool rather than going out and about as we did and we wouldn’t return unless we got an extremely cheap deal. Although this review is mainly negative we did have a fantastic time in Goa and will be returning for the third time this November.
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rated the Village Royale Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The previous report by Natasha in 2005 is still correct. Little improvement seems to have been made apart from a lick of paint.
It is basic, but we had half board thrown in which was a serious mistake.
The food was a problem both my wife and I were ill, my wife required Doctors attention. The Doctor was quite a regular visiter to the hotel???
After the second week we realised that it was the hotel food and stopped eating in the hotel, but the damage was done and spoilt our holiday.
An example of the standard of food hygiene occurred during the 2nd week when a glass fronted dislay cabinet appeared in the bar area containing pastries, croissants, rolls, cakes etc in 30 degree temperatures and it was not refrigerated.
The hotel is clean and very basic, don\'t eat the food and just use it to sleep.
Certainly will not go back and I just want to forget it and put it down to a bad experience.
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rated the Village Royale Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We knew before we went that the Village royal was out in a field past st Alex church in Calangute so no shocks on arrival we also got a very very cheap deal for 3 weeks there so thought we'd give it a go & if we didn't like it we'd move. Anyway for easiness I've split my report into 3
The good:
1. Decent sized rooms basic but good standard for typical Goa 2-3 star. Usual slightly grubby whitewashed walls, hard beds, pillows like concrete, but excellent shower for Goa & bathroom better than average. Balcony facing rest of hotel decent size.
2. Fridge provided (be aware with certain UK travel co's you need to pay extra for fridge).
3. Fan over bed good - but this end of March/April exceptionally hot even Mrs hates a/c - me wished we had a/c at night!!!( no a/c rooms avail in the VR)
4. Any minor problems (our fan wasnt working properly on arrival) were sorted out quickly. staff friendly & keen to help.
5. Food in hotel excellent - big surprise!! We also got given 3 vouchers for evening meals of 350rp each which made us eat in the hotel this was unexpected & if hadn't been provided we would have eaten out every night - glad we didn't the hotel food was the best we've had in a Goan 2-3star hotel.( been in Goa 4 prev trips).
6. Gardens well kept, pool well kept, enough sunbeds if you wanted & pool towels provided.
The bad:
1. Every morning hotel staff & supervisors shouting at the top of their voices to each other - supervisor trying to find various room boys as they did their jobs etc - pain in the rear, I don't want to be woken by hotel staff every morning unless there's a life & death emergency!
2. Hotel allowed guests to play their own music in their rooms in the evenings quite loud at times unless you complained, I don't want to listen to someone else's music thanks very much, OK not hotels fault that they are stuck with inconsiderate selfish guests but do expect it to be dealt with quickly.
3. Hotel staff insisted on playing VERY LOUD music intermittently around the pool during the day & also in dining area at night, we never stay in a hotel daytime or evening but the music would have driven us away even if we had fancied a day by the pool. Much TOO loud! OK maybe I'm getting old but even as a 19yr old I did not like blasting disco music with a meal! We asked a staff member one day to turn it down which he did but then kept sneaking back to turn it up again.
Most of the hotel guests were 30-50 plus apart form some families with kids, at times I felt like id found my way into a club 18-25 hotel - aaaargh
4. Room was not cleaned some days despite us handing in the key well on time. Also occasional probs with getting clean towels but have to add these were sorted out quickly.
5. The hotel is not finished down the end is half built & screened off with a makeshift screen. The staff quarters are down this end, at times the guys were very noisy shouting to each other, playing music loudly etc, not really acceptable! I know it must be difficult for them & they obviously need to relax when they have their rare & limited time off but sorry I don't want to have to listen to them whilst staying in a hotel on my balcony. ( If you want pics of what I mean pm me & I will send you one)
6. One night my o/h had just got in the shower & soaped up water went off - OK no big deal happens in Goa..........after 20 Min's still no water, we were on the balcony & saw a reception guy wander past, asked him how long till water on, he said about 5-10 Min's, nearly 20 Min's later still no water, o/h went down to reception to see what was happening, reception gut shrugged & said maybe no water for 24 hrs!!!!!!!! o/h lost it BIG time lots of shouting etc which he shouldn't have done but did apologise for after. It wasn't the no water it was the attitude of the staff, if the water was going to be off for an extender period (it was only our block that was affected) someone should have been sent to notify us & offer us an alternative ie: use a room for showers or move rooms - there was quite a few empty rooms, this was not done until o/h went mad. Not good enough really. The cause of the problem - showers are serviced from the water towers on top of each block which run out - ours ran out on a Sunday evening so they weren't keen to pay to fill it till the next day- poor VR very poor. We saw over the next few days several other blocks suffer from the same problem.
7. Karaoke on Thursday nights - grim grim grim - but lots of our fellow guests loved it, but guaranteed to get us out into Baga/Calangute/Candolim early on Thursdays evenings - not to return until it was well & truly over!!!!!!!!
The ugly: on the Friday night before we left, we got back to the hotel at around midnight as usual. Quite a few drunk guests around the pool, we went on our balcony guests quite noisy ( our room was quite far from the pool area) next minute loud shouting, cheering, commotion etc & a splash followed by lots of others, people were being thrown in the pool ( pool rules as in most hotels for safety - no swimming after 7pm). Nothing done, next minute a large group of staff ran through the complex down to their quarters at the end of the buildings shouting & screaming at the top of their voices & then started banging loudly on doors, staff came out & loads running around yelling & screaming until around 1am when a guest came out on her balcony & shouted at them to 'shut up', I sat on my balcony shaking my head in amazement, Ive stayed in different classes of hotels all over the world & Ive never witnessed such uncontrolled behaviour in my life before. The security guards were wandering around scratching their heads not knowing what to do..........I wish Id called the Calangute police because it really was totally unacceptable.
There was a lot off elderly couples in the hotel not to mention families with young kids, me I again felt like I'd found my way into a club 18-25's nightmare!!!!!!!!!!
Would we stay here again??? Yes despite the problems, BUT only if we got again a very cheap deal! We would not pay around 500 quid for a couple of weeks in this place we would much rather go somewhere like the Osborne or the magnum again. Shame really cos despite the out of the way location, the rooms are really quite good, I like people to be happy at work but the management at the VR is just too slack, they need to control their staff a little more & get a better balance so they are happy & also guests are happy.
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rated the Village Royale Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We were here for 4 weeks having been to this hotel before.
The price and location was right for everyone in our party.
The rooms need a coat of paint on the walls where people have been bug squatting. The steps leading to the rooms are dimly lit and need a good wash down.
The pool was closed for a couple of days while we where there do to objects and muck being thrown in.
Entertainment was good it has more going on at nights than most other hotels. New Year was really good in the hotel games, prizes, loads to eat and drink then of course everyone went in the pool great to see. Even the room boys waiters and guest went in it was a good laugh.
Vinny and Raj are the two best waiters they take time to get to know you and your names well done lads
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rated the Village Royale Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel is 2*. There are no family apartments, so all in one room, but room was very large and contained fridge and Sep bathroom (again large) and balcony. No a/c but fans were quite enough and very few power-cuts.
Beds quite firm but apartment clean and staff very friendly and courteous. We were there for 4 weeks and were given 4 free meals at the hotel restaurant for all 3 of us, which was unexpected.
Normally we would eat locally, but we used the vouchers and the food was exceptionally good. The Xmas dinner was also good, especially the Goan cuisine. The pool is OK, but to be honest went to the beach every day.
Approx 20 Min's walk to beach but buses go at 10am and 11am for free from hotel every day on time and it's only 50p if you get a tuc-tuc if you miss that. Good value for money and would stay again.
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Claire from Durham travelled to Village Royale Hotel with
MyTravel
on a couples holiday.