What To Really Expect at Hyatt Place Goa Candolim in India [Review]

Eager for some fun in the sun, I took advantage of a quick school break to plan a trip to Goa on India’s western coast. The area is known for its idyllic beaches, buzzy nightlife, regional cuisine, and amalgamation of Portuguese and Indian culture.

I’m also a sucker for a cheap World of Hyatt Category 1 stay. I’ve found that Hyatt Place, as a brand, consistently offers family-friendly accommodations, which is a primary consideration for me when planning a vacation for our family of 5. Booking the Hyatt Place Goa Candolim in North Goa was an easy and affordable choice for our stay.

My review will detail what to really expect from this property, from its amazing breakfast buffet to kid-centric games and activities.

Booking Hyatt Place Goa Candolim

Award rates for my February 2025 stay at Hyatt Place Goa Candolim were peak, costing 6,500 points per night. Award nights are otherwise 3,500 points for off-peak dates and 5,000 points for standard dates.

Before transferring points from my Chase Ultimate Rewards account to World of Hyatt, I verified with Hyatt’s website chat that 2 rooms were available for 2 nights each. After the representative confirmed that they saw the availability, I transferred the points and completed the booking. I redeemed a total of 26,000 points for 2 rooms (1 King Bed with Balcony) for 2 nights each.

The cash rates were $93 per night pretax, so considering the 18% tax rate, I received about 1.7 cents per point in value for this stay, slightly more than our valuation of World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each. If you’re considering cash rates, check out our recommended credit cards for Hyatt loyalists.

When I booked, the hotel had 2 suite types available. Based on images online, the main differences appeared to be a separate living room with a dining table for 4 and a tub in the bathroom. However, neither was available for a suite upgrade award.

Hot Tip:

Even though the suites look ideal for a family of 4 or more, the occupancy (based on the online search) appears to max out at 3 people. You should contact the hotel directly if you have more than 3 guests.

Hyatt Place Goa Candolim Location

The hotel is 19 miles from Manohar International Airport (GOX), known as Mopa. The drive takes about 45 minutes. Goa International Airport (GOI), known as Dabolim, is 22 miles away, and the drive is closer to 1 hour. Since the difference is minimal, you should ideally select the arrival airport with the best airfare. If you’re arriving by train, Thivim railway station is 12 miles away, and the drive takes around 40 minutes.

If you want to try 2 Hyatt brands during your visit to Goa (great for the Brand Explorer award), the Hyatt Place Goa Candolim is 1.3 miles from the Category 2 Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa. It’s a quick $3 taxi ride or a 30-minute walk.

Hot Tip:

If you plan to take a taxi from the airport, consider downloading the GoaMiles app on your phone ahead of time. Our ride in a 6-seater SUV cost $16 from the airport.

Checking In

We arrived at the property around 9:30 a.m., knowing that we were likely way too early to check in.

The security team greeted us as we exited our taxi and ran our bags through a metal detector outside of the lobby.

As soon as we entered, we were warmly welcomed and each given a shell necklace by a front desk associate. My kids were thrilled.

The front desk agent was happy to scan our passports and explained our room options based on availability. I had asked for 2 adjacent rooms (connecting rooms were not available) and was told that we could have 1 room at that time and another a few doors down closer to noon, or we could wait for 2 rooms together to open up. I preferred the adjacent rooms, so he advised that he would WhatsApp me when they became available.

I put the hold for incidentals on my Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, which earns 2x Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchases.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

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A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

100,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$2,000

Annual Fee

$95

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19.99% - 28.24% Variable

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Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• Member FDIC

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• APR: 19.99% - 28.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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While the paperwork was being sorted, we were offered a welcome drink of kokum juice. This was a lovely gesture, but it had a slightly bizarre sour chili taste that we didn’t care for.

To pass the time until check-in, we changed into our swim clothes in the lobby bathrooms, stored our luggage at the front desk, and headed to the beach for swimming and lunch.

We never received a WhatsApp message, but we returned around 2:30 p.m., and one of the rooms was available. The room next door was being cleaned, and we received its keys within the hour.

Lobby

The lobby had a few seating areas for larger groups. The area to the right of the front entrance had a long sofa with a table and 2 chairs, and a group of 4 club chairs was nearby.

A bookshelf divided this seating area from a small business center. My kids loved that the hotel had its own Roblox account.

The left side of the lobby had a similar setup: another long settee paired with 2 chairs and another group of 4 club chairs.

Room — 1 King Bed With Balcony

A front desk associate escorted us to our room and walked us through the breakfast and pool timings. To reach our room, we exited the lobby, turned right, and followed an outdoor corridor toward the pool.

We turned to the right past a colorful mural, fountains, and the Zing restaurant. Our rooms were in the 4-story building with the white balconies shown below.

We took the elevators to the fourth floor and walked down an open outdoor corridor to our rooms, 401 and 402. A living plant wall artfully obscured the view of a parking lot next door.

We accessed the room using a wooden key card. Since we were only given 1 key card per room, we returned to the lobby later to get an additional set.

The room had a closet shelving unit on the left, the bathroom on the right, and the bed and Cozy Corner further ahead on the right.

The closet unit had a tremendous amount of space. The open left side held an extra pillow, hangers, a flashlight, and 2 sets of slippers. A door opened to reveal a safe, an iron, and an ironing board.

On the primary shelf in the open space was a laundry bag with a laundry price sheet. Prices were reasonable, with the cost to launder t-shirts around $1.50 each and shorts just under $1.

I looked at the list of necessities available. We traveled with carry-on luggage only and didn’t have travel-size toothpaste, so I was pleased to see the hotel could offer this as part of its free personal care items. Other items like deodorant or nail clippers were available to buy, and additional options like flat irons, adaptors, and cribs were available to borrow.

The right side of the closet space had a hanging rod and an area for luggage. I appreciated all of this space to prop open our bags and have a place to store our shoes.

Past the closet, the largest part of the room gave a great first impression. Cool blues and tans were echoed throughout the wood furniture accents, blue Cozy Corner sofa, blue desk chair, and multicolor artwork and rugs.

I really liked the design of the wall behind the bed, from the recessed panel with backlighting and art to the upholstered headboard. The only misstep seemed to be that the nightstands flanking the king bed were a bit wider than the headboard, which caused the Cozy Corner unit to butt up against the window. This meant there wasn’t much room for the curtains to hang freely without bunching up. These were heavy curtains, however, and did a great job at keeping the room darkened from the morning sun.

The linens were crisp and comfortable, and the mattress and pillows were firm. We slept solidly.

Both sides of the bed had integrated reading lights, light switches, and a somewhat international outlet. India uses plug types C, D, and M (the round holes), but you could also use a 2-prong type A U.S. plug.

Hot Tip:

If you need to use a 3-prong type B U.S. plug (or any other type), consider bringing a travel adapter or borrowing one from the front desk.

The left side of the bed also had a USB-A input, a wireless phone, and a notepad with a pen.

The right side of the bed had a master light switch and an alarm clock with wireless charging. Since none of the light switches were labeled, we would often turn off the switch that controlled the outlet that the clock was plugged into. The fact that it was plugged into the only outlet also meant that nothing else could be charged on this nightstand.

Across from the bed was a 55-inch flat-screen TV with a long floating shelf with underlighting. We never used the TV in our room, but our kids enjoyed that they could watch cartoons in English in their room.

To the left of the TV was a minibar with a kettle, coffee and tea service, complimentary water bottles, and glassware.

Below this setup was a small, empty minifridge.

To the right of the TV was the desk area. It had a bright lamp, 2 outlets (one of which was used by the lamp), and 2 light switches. Even though the chair was armless, it was firm and comfortable.

Unlike most of the Hyatt Place locations I’ve stayed at in the U.S., the Cozy Corner space was not separated from the bedroom by a divider. Regardless, it was in great shape, and my husband enjoyed relaxing and working from this spot. I liked the padded ottoman and the small tray-style table that could be positioned under the couch.

As we were traveling with our 3 kids, I inquired at the front desk whether the couch turned into a sleeper sofa. The representative told me he would send up a rollaway bed, so we were never able to answer that mystery! Should a rollaway bed or a sleeper sofa not have been options, we could have easily thrown linens over the sectional to make a child-size bed.

This property opened in 2023, and the wood laminate floors showed some wear, but not as much as the carpets.

We had a lovely balcony with 2 chairs, a table, and an ashtray. While smoking isn’t allowed in rooms or public spaces, it is allowed on the balconies.

My favorite feature of the balcony was the drying rack. Goa is a beach town, and the hotel has a great pool, so having a rack to dry swimsuits was super convenient.

Toward the left, we also had a view of the pool and lounge seating.

My least favorite aspect of this balcony was that it was directly over the pool bar. On our first night, a live performer started playing around 9:45 p.m. I called the front desk around 10:15 p.m. and asked how long he would be performing. She mentioned that live music wasn’t typical and that she would check. He stopped playing after the next song, which we appreciated after a long day of travel. The next night, we heard recorded music being played around the same time, but it also wrapped up before it interfered with our sleep.

Bottom Line:

If you are a light sleeper, ask for a room assignment away from the bar area.

Bathroom

The bathroom had a large vanity with tissues, a bar of soap (with massage bumps!), 2 glasses, and several amenity boxes, including dental kits, a shaving kit, a shower cap, a comb, ear care, and an emery board. Remember how I mentioned that we traveled without toothpaste? There was no need to ask the front desk, as these dental kits had tiny tubes of toothpaste.

A bottle of Portico body lotion was mounted on the wall. I would have appreciated a bottle of hand soap here instead so that we wouldn’t have to shuffle the bar of soap between the shower and the sink. A pair of hand towels and body towels were under the sink, along with a hair dryer.

As there were no signs or indications that that water was unsafe, we brushed our teeth with the sink water (instead of using bottled water) and did not have any gastro issues.

The bathroom had a recessed shelf with azulejo tiles, a Spanish-Portuguese design popular in Goa. The toilet had a bidet hose. A glass divider wall separated the toilet from the shower, which meant that a bit of water (or a flood, if you’re my kids) escaped the shower space any time someone showered. A raised nonslip mat was on the shower floor under the rainfall showerhead.

The handheld wand and rainfall showerhead in the shower provided great pressure and temperature control. I also appreciated the extendable clothesline for hanging wet swimsuits.

I’m always paranoid about the style of room that has a glass wall between the bedroom and bathroom. I like my privacy. Fortunately, this bathroom had an opaque roller shade that we kept down for the duration of our stay.

Portico verbena shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were mounted on the wall. The first night, I noticed that the conditioner was nearly empty, and the second night, I realized that the shampoo was, too. These did not get properly topped up prior to our arrival.

Bottom Line:

The room was incredibly comfortable and thoughtfully designed. As soon as the music died down each night, we slept like rocks.

Amenities

I was impressed by the variety of amenities this Category 1 property offered.

Pool

The pool was open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It was a touch chilly but not uncomfortable. I appreciated that it received shade for most of the day. The rear of the pool had a raised shallow area for small children. This space was surrounded by sunbeds and circular lounge beds with umbrellas.

The pool had a constant attendant — not a lifeguard, but someone to deliver food and drinks, retrieve errant beach balls, and I even saw a guest hand him a phone and cord to plug in to charge. I think he was also responsible for making sure that all guests had proper swim gear on. I witnessed a few guests trying to get into the pool in street clothes and he quickly interrupted them to advise of the policy.

This attendant was also responsible for getting towels for guests, only he would only do this 1 at a time. A tray table next to the restrooms constantly held 1 towel, and when that was removed, he would replace it with 1 towel and 1 towel only. I would visit the pool with 2 or 3 kids, and instead of the attendant responding and retrieving enough towels for all of us, we would need to grab 1 at a time throughout our time at the pool. It was a bit bizarre.

The attendant also advised guests to shower before swimming. The showers were located steps from the pool next to gendered restrooms.

A beautifully landscaped space with a cabana was just beyond the pool.

A few minutes before 8 p.m. on our second night, we were advised that the pool was closing. Each night, the pool was surrounded by safety cones and chain ropes to indicate that it was closed.

Lobby Upper Level

The lobby had a unique upper level in a square shape overlooking the ground-floor lobby. It had games, seating areas, and a bar. Upon exiting the elevators, there was a seating area next to a PlayStation and a pool table.

A foosball table was next to a small bar (known as The Bar). A menu can be found here. The Bar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A small but colorful seating nook with outlets was in a corner near the elevators.

Kids Play Area

A colorful kids area was on the first floor of the same building as the Zing restaurant. It is intended for children from ages 5 to 9. Any children under 5 must have a supervising adult. A complete list of rules can be found here.

Activities Room and Arcade

An activities room was just ahead of the kids play area in the Zing building. It had an air hockey table and a ping-pong table.

The adjacent room was the arcade and had a foosball table, a carrom table, a chess board, and video gaming equipment.

When I was exploring the space with my kids, a staff member approached us and reviewed the costs of the shooting game, VR game, and driving game with us. At $4 to $5 each, these were a bit overpriced, in my opinion, but my kids thought they looked like fun.

Fitness Center

The fitness center was open 24 hours a day, accessible by key card, and was located on the first floor of the Zing building. Despite the large space, it had a small number of machines.

There was a multi-function piece of strength-training equipment next to a TV and a cabinet with towels and water bottles.

Facing the window were 2 treadmills, a stationary bike, and an elliptical machine.

Against the wall were several free weights, a balance ball, a step, and a weight bench.

Event Space

The top floor of the Zing building had an open space that looked suitable for events or receptions.

Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi speeds of 10.89 Mbps download and 11.19 Mbps upload weren’t mindblowing, but we had no issues logging on and staying connected throughout the property.

Candolim Beach

The hotel is in North Goa, closest to Candolim Beach, but within easy reach of the more northern Calangute Beach. The entire stretch of these 2 contiguous beaches is just over 4.5 miles.

It took under 10 minutes to walk to Candolim Beach from the hotel, and we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the sand and the cleanliness of both the beach and the water. The entire stretch of the beach is covered with beach shacks that serve cheap drinks and food and offer free sunbeds and umbrellas for customers. Fisherman’s Hut was one of our favorites.

Sinquerim Beach and Sinquerim Fort are at the south end of Candolim Beach. The Portuguese-era fort was built over 400 years ago as an extension of Fort Aguada and is free to visit and explore.

From the portion of the fort that extends into the Arabian Sea, you have a great view north of the beaches.

Food and Beverages

In addition to the lobby bar previously mentioned, Hyatt Place Goa Candolim has an all-day restaurant called Zing, a pool bar, a lobby market, and in-room dining.

Zing

A breakfast buffet, complimentary with the nightly rate, was served daily from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. A note in the room advised that the buffet became progressively busier later in the morning. À la carte breakfast was available from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., and a lunch and dinner menu was served from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. The all-day dining menu is available here.

At the breakfast buffet, a made-to-order station with waffles, pancakes, French toast, eggs, and dosas was set up outside.

My kids loved the masala chai station, where an attendant mixed the tea and poured it into small glasses.

The interior of the restaurant had 2 rooms with additional seating and held the primary buffet, which was unlike any other I’ve experienced at a Hyatt Place.

The central station had fresh fruit, yogurts, cereals, juices, and a salad bar.

The variety of breakfast options, from Indian to continental, was spectacular. Indian dishes changed each day and included options such as chicken korma, Goan fish curry, idli (rice cake) with sambar (vegetable stew), pao bread, Mysore bonda (fritter), upma (semolina porridge), xacuti (Goan curry), and pongal (rice cooked in milk). Standard European-style buffet fare like bacon, chicken sausage, herbed potatoes, beans, and tomatoes were also available.

There were plenty of vegetarian options I tried and enjoyed, like this aloo bhaji (spiced potatoes) with poori (fried bread).

My kids really enjoyed the variety of pastries, donuts, and muffins.

I was thrilled to be able to order my absolute favorite Indian breakfast, masala dosa, from the station outside. This thin lentil crepe is delicately wrapped around a stuffing of spiced potatoes and served with tomato and coconut chutney. It’s out of this world.

Bottom Line:

Whether you’re new to Indian food or a seasoned pro, Hyatt Place Goa Candolim’s buffet has an abundance of delicious options. Western favorites are also available.

Pool Bar & Lounge

The Pool Bar & Lounge is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. A beverage menu is available here.

The Market

Next to the check-in desk is a market open 24 hours a day. A price list can be found here. We found nearby convenience stores to have much more reasonable pricing for sodas and snacks.

In-Room Dining

Room service from Zing could be ordered at any time from an in-room dining menu.

Service

The staff at this property was phenomenal across multiple departments.

The front desk team was accommodating and courteous at nearly every point of our interactions. At checkout, I received a paper survey to fill out. As I waited for my taxi, the representative read my brief feedback and came over to apologize for the lack of bath amenities. I mentioned that it was no big deal but that they might want to give it attention for the next guest.

We had a slight hiccup when trying to retrieve a missing swimsuit after checkout. We could never get confirmation over WhatsApp that it had been located, and my husband had to wait a little bit for it to be found. However, he was able to recover the swimsuit, so it’s still a win in my book!

On arrival, the housekeeping manager visited our initial room to inform us that the second room was ready. He also helped coordinate the key card and rollaway bed delivery. We later connected with him in the hallway on our second day where he asked if we needed any service.

From a housekeeping perspective, the property was generally clean, but we did notice room service dishes (including some celebratory cakes) that lasted over a day on the ledge near our room. These were eventually removed.

The breakfast and pool staff were also pleasant and helpful. The entire team was comfortable to be around and really ran a great operation.

Final Thoughts

My family thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Hyatt Place Goa Candolim. As a Category 1 World of Hyatt hotel, this amenity-rich property is a steal on points, and its cash rates are incredibly reasonable.

The rooms are contemporary and well-designed, and my kids went to bed every night dreaming of breakfast the next day. (Who can blame them? So was I!). The pool, proximity to a wonderful beach, and variety of kids’ activities make this a fantastic property for families.

If you’ve made your way to India to visit the Taj Mahal or sites in New Delhi or Mumbai, consider building a few days in your itinerary to visit Goa. The Hyatt Place Goa Candolim should be an easy decision to make when planning your stay.