An In-Depth Look at Le Méridien Goa, Calangute, in India: What To Expect

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like taking a beach vacation with 3 preteens, right? That’s how I found my February 2025, booked for a school holiday break to enjoy the picturesque beaches and rich Portuguese-Indian culture of Goa, India, with my husband and 3 kids.

I chose Le Méridien Goa, Calangute, in Goa, India, for its ideal location with close proximity to Calangute Beach and dining options. Its room types could easily accommodate my entire family of 5, and its reasonable nightly rate included breakfast, which is the highlight of every hotel stay for my kids.

Here’s what you can expect from a family stay at Le Méridien Goa, Calangute.

Booking Le Méridien Goa, Calangute

After reviewing properties in the area where I wanted to stay, I settled on Le Méridien Goa, Calangute. I was particularly drawn to this property because it had a room type with 2 queen beds. It was an ideal second room for my 3 kids since no one would have to sleep on a sofabed or rollaway mattress.

I had a Hotels.com gift card, so I booked 2 rooms (a Classic Room with 2 Queen Beds and a Classic Room with 1 King Bed) for $146 each per night for 2 nights ($582 total). The base rate was identical to Marriott.com, though the Hotels.com taxes and fees were slightly higher. Rates were slightly higher than the rest of the month due to the Valentine’s Day weekend holiday.

Hotels.com has a price guarantee that you can utilize until the day before check-in. I monitored prices every few days and successfully filed 3 price matches against lower rates on Marriott.com. Ultimately, the nightly best rate I matched was $138, and I earned $16 per room in OneKeyCash back as reimbursement for the price difference.

I also stacked my Hotels.com purchase with a 4% cash-back rebate from RetailMeNot, earning $19.73 back on the reservation.

Award nights for this stay were available for an average of 44,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. With nightly cash rates of $135 (with taxes and fees), the cost per point to redeem would have been 0.3 cents per point — not great considering we value Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.5 cents each.

I paid the balance on my room with my Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, which earns 2x Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchases and offers great travel protection benefits should my trip have been interrupted or delayed.

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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

APR

19.99% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

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

Financial Snapshot

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

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Hot Tip:

If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy loyalist, you could also consider putting the reservation on a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card to earn up to 18.5x Marriott Bonvoy points on the booking.

Location of Le Méridien Goa, Calangute

We arrived in Goa via Manohar International Airport (GOX), known as Mopa. GOX is closest to the hotel, and the 18-mile drive takes about 40 minutes. Goa International Airport (GOI), known as Dabolim, is a bit further away, and the 25-mile drive takes about an hour. The property is centrally located to both hotels, so let your airfare and arrival/departure options guide your booking rather than being tied to a specific airport.

Should you arrive by train, the Thivim railway station is 10 miles away and requires a 30-minute taxi to complete the journey.

Hot Tip:

We arrived at Le Méridien from a nearby hotel, but our return taxi to the airport in a 6-seat SUV cost $14 via the GoaMiles app. I suggest scheduling your return ride in advance to secure a driver.

Checking In

The property had a modest sign and driveway at the main road, and the entrance at the time was next to a lot that was privacy-blocked for what looked to be the construction of another hotel.

We arrived on-site around 2:30 p.m. After security scanned our taxi at the gate, it pulled through to the porte cochère, where a second security team removed our bags and placed them through an X-ray scanner.

There was a branded water feature at the porte cochère, and beyond this was a parking lot (complimentary for self-park or valet) with an electric car charging station.

The lobby was wide, with 3 desks to assist guests. Seating areas were minimal, and the expansive space meant the lobby never felt too full.

We were guided toward the area near the lobby bar, Longitude 73, for a welcome drink. My husband chose Simba Lager, an Indian craft beer; my children chose a fruity drink from a dispenser.

Water and fruity drink dispensers with daily rotating flavors were on both sides of the lobby, and my kids helped themselves every time we exited or entered the hotel.

After scanning our passports, we received 1 key card per room and were personally walked to our rooms. Realizing we needed more cards, we returned to the front desk a bit later to have more made.

Hot Tip:

Because I booked through an online travel agency (OTA), my reservation was ineligible to earn Marriott Bonvoy points or receive elite benefits. Because I hold a low-level status, I valued using my Hotels.com gift card more than earning points in this scenario.

Classic Room with 1 King Bed

The path to our rooms led us past Jazz & Grills, which was closed during our visit. We stepped outside and down a ramp that led past the pool.

Along the covered walk was a nice sitting area in an open breezeway.

There were a few elevator options, but the agent who led us took us to one that was down a few stairs. The elevator was too small for our party and required a key card, so my husband and son took the stairs and got a little lost looking for the agent.

The elevator lobby gave an awful first impression with the visible storage of a handful of rollaway beds. A privacy curtain in this area would do wonders. Whenever we exited the elevator, I had to remember to turn right instead of left, and my eyes were always on those worn mattresses (shudder!).

The path to the room also had carpeting that desperately needed replacement. It was worn, stained, and separated at the seams. For a hotel that otherwise felt high-end, the common areas leading to the room felt like a second thought in the guest experience.

Our assigned rooms were 1024 (the king room) and 1025 (the room with 2 queens). Upon entering the king room, the bathroom was to the left, an open closet to the right, and the bedroom further afield.

The king room was a bit dark upon entry, and the 2-queen room had the room-darkening curtains completely shut. The room had unique lined wallpaper behind the bed inspired by weave patterns of the Kunbi tribe, the first settlers of Goa. This blended well with the mix of wooden and metal tones throughout. I appreciated the long, tufted leather bench under the TV.

Our overall sleep in this bed was wonderful. The blanket’s weight was comfortable, and the pillows were hefty and semi-firm.

The primary nightstand was on the left side of the bed. Its marble countertop held a cordless phone and a writing pad. The panel behind the phone had light controls, a nonoperational USB-A port, and an outlet occupied by the phone.

The left side of the bed had a hanging light for reading, while the right side had a mounted metal lamp. The right side also had a much smaller circular nightstand, a universal outlet, and light switches. The dark brown door that connected our room to our children’s room was next to the right side of the bed.

The bed held a folio with some worn pamphlets regarding hotel services and the in-room menu.

Vouchers for a free coffee at Longitude 73 and a free pass to the Museum of Goa were included. Various items, such as baby items, religious books, and pillow options, were available by request. I thought “handpicked classics for reading” and board games were unique options!

My husband immensely enjoyed this comfortable armchair and table by the window.

He opened the curtains and repositioned the chair to watch the cows in the lot next door. One wouldn’t think this was a great view, but he enjoyed watching the birds float in and out of the palm trees and the occasional “moo” from the cows while catching up on work.

I, on the other hand, worked from the desk. The artwork throughout the hotel was unique and modern, echoed in the art above the desk, which had 3D jewelry influenced by the Kunbi tribe integrated into the photographs. The chair immediately sank upon sitting into it, but it was manageable for working.

We enjoyed the spacious layout of this room and found that the spaces flowed quite well.

On the other side of the workstation was a minibar.

The top of the minibar held bottled water in refillable glass bottles, a kettle, mugs, and instant coffee and tea service.

Behind the cabinet door was a minifridge. Not all of the water bottles fit at once, and when the bottom shelf was full, we couldn’t use the door shelving, but we made it work.

The glassware in the minibar shelving seemed a bit incomplete: a tall glass, a goblet, and 2 short glasses. None of these seemed very clean, so we passed on using them.

Upon entering the room, a large, open closet was opposite the bathroom. The left side of the closet held a luggage shelf, open shelves, a safe, and 2 drawers.

The area closest to the front door had 2 sliding doors that revealed 2 vertical closet rods (vs. a standard horizontal all-the-way-across rod), an iron, slippers, and shoe-cleaning amenities. Without a clothesline in the bathroom to dry our swimsuits, we used the hangers in this closet to hang everything up.

On our first night, we realized we could see perfectly in the dark, thanks to the blazingly blue light from the thermostat. Too tired to mess with it, I slept with my eyes facing away from it and didn’t give it a second thought until we noticed that the panel had dimmed itself the second night.

Bathroom

Compared to the wood-like floor of the bedroom, the bathroom had slate-style tiles. This space could be closed off from the closet hallway with a heavy sliding wood door, and the window between the vanity area and the bedroom had a roller shade for privacy. The modern space had a large robe, a lit makeup mirror, bath amenities, and towels.

Glasses, tissues, and various bath amenities, including a dental kit, shower cap, vanity kit, and comb, were on the counter.

The left of the sink had MALIN+GOETZ hand wash and body moisturizer in refillable pump bottles. The live plant was a lovely accent I haven’t noticed in other hotel stays.

Another sliding door could further close the toilet and shower room. I like this design because a person can have privacy using the bathroom, and another can use the sink/vanity without invading their space.

The shower was fully enclosed and had a rainfall showerhead. MALIN+GOETZ shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were installed on the wall. No bar soap was provided.

What was missing from this space, particularly for a beach-area hotel, was a clothesline or rack to dry swimsuits. We did not have a balcony, and I didn’t notice drying racks on balconies facing the pool.

Classic Room with 2 Queen Beds

For comparison, here’s a peek at the connecting room our kids stayed in, which had 2 queen beds. A nightstand in the center of the 2 beds was beneath an array of light switches and outlets. The primary difference was that there was a small, circular nightstand instead of the armchair and side table, but the room was otherwise very similar.

Amenities

Pool

The pool was at the heart of the resort, and guests had to pass through this space to access their rooms. The area closest to the Plunge Pool Bar (at the bottom of this picture) had a raised counter with bar stools integrated into the pool’s design.

Every time we used the pool, an attendant greeted us and asked us to scan a QR code to register. Then we were brought the towels needed for the number of people in our party.

These loungers and umbrellas were comfortable, but there weren’t enough when the pool was full. We had an instance of setting our things on a ledge nearby when no seating was available.

The pool received lots of shade in the morning and late afternoon, which I particularly loved, and midday was the best option for full sun. These in-pool loungers were on a shallow shelf and felt more for aesthetics than comfort.

Because of the pool’s central location, it was always bustling.

On our first afternoon, there was tons of noise and a putrid smell from the adjacent construction site. That same day, there appeared to be on-site remodeling works, as workers were using the path by the pool to bring a constant stream of debris from the hotel to an awaiting dump truck.

The next night, all the loungers were removed in the afternoon for a Valentine’s Day dinner and buffet by the pool. An oil drum tandoor was blazing a fire and giving off smoke in the pool area, which was a bit unpleasant. The event didn’t affect the pool hours, but the area was always a constant hub of activity.

The pool is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Kids Club

The kids club was in a central area near the pool. We used the elevators nearest to it to go to our rooms. It was open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The kids club offered daily art activities for kids ages 6 and up from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Slots for up to 10 kids could be booked in advance, and parent supervision was required.

Outside of organized events, the space was comfortable to enjoy games as a family.

It had a foosball table, air hockey, ping-pong, carrom, and billiards. Everything was set up and ready for use, and an attendant was on-site to answer any questions.

The rear of the room had tables with seats, toys to play with, and board games.

Fitness Center

The fitness center was open 24 hours a day and was just beyond the pool area. It was spacious, and I appreciated the addition of supplemental freestanding air conditioning units.

The strength-training area had free weights and a multi-functional machine.

The cardio area had ellipticals, a recumbent bike, and treadmills.

Against the window were stationary bikes and a space for yoga or stretching. Yoga mats, wet chilled towels, and a cold water dispenser were nearby.

Wi-Fi

I had no issues accessing Wi-Fi throughout my stay using my name and room number to log on. When tested, download speeds were 29.07 Mbps, and upload speeds were 28.73 Mbps.

Calangute Beach

Calangute Beach was an easy 10-minute stroll from the property along side roads.

Beach shacks stretched the length of the beach in both directions. Simply order a few drinks or snacks, and you can typically use the sun loungers in front of the establishment for free. We enjoyed Malonies Beach Shack and had some fantastic chicken tikka to wash down with Limca sodas, all at affordable prices.

This portion of the beach was wide and expansive just north of Candolim Beach. The sand and the water were remarkably clean. If you want to walk south to Sinquerim Fort (jutting out into the sea in the picture below), it’s about a 2.5-mile walk along the beach.

Hot Tip:

For a look at another property in Candolim Beach, check out my review of the Hyatt Place Goa Candolim.

Food and Beverages

Latest Recipe

Latest Recipe is the all-day dining restaurant at Le Méridien Goa, Calangute. It is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and is a level above the lobby in the main building, reachable by elevator.

The breakfast buffet is included in all room rates, and the service period was long — from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Signs in the elevator mentioned you could get a free beer if you dine from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., the busiest time being from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

On our first morning, the restaurant was full. There was overflow seating in the elevator lobby and a nearby meeting room. However, we wanted an early start on our second morning, and the dining room was empty.

The first station my kids spotted was the “smoothie of the day” cooler that featured mango and banana smoothies. These flavors did not rotate.

Beyond the smoothies was a salad bar on one side and a cereal bar on the other.

The main buffet area had a lot of options, and I was pleased to see so much variety.

To the left was cut fresh fruit and juices.

These were next to a selection of bread, a donut wall, and pastries.

The rear of the buffet had a made-to-order station for pancakes, waffles, French toast, and crepes with various sweet toppings. You could order at this station and have the food delivered to your table.

I enjoyed the poori bhaji station, which served freshly fried poori (bread) with potato curry. These medu vada (spiced lentil fritters) were also delicious, especially dipped into the tomato and coconut chutneys.

What I loved most about this breakfast buffet was that I got to try a little of everything, including Indian dishes I might not normally order at a restaurant. The daily hot options featured items such as Goan fish curry, dalia porridge (similar to Cream of Wheat), sabudana kheer (tapioca pudding), gobi and aloo paratha (cauliflower and potato flatbreads), idli with sambar (steamed lentil cakes with vegetable stew), poha (a rice dish), semiya upma (vermicelli), watana ross (white pea curry), and Goan mushroom curry.

Western options such as grilled tomatoes, beans, and potatoes were available, as well as eggs made to order. Other hot dishes, including bacon, chicken sausage, eggs Benedict, bhature (fried bread), masala chilla (savory pancake), and vada pav (fried potato patty in a bun), could be ordered from the kitchen.

Hot Tip:

While I had hoped the early-bird breakfast special for free beer meant a voucher to redeem at the pool bar later in the day, the waiter was ready to hand me a beer for breakfast. He mentioned it could be returned to the room if I didn’t want it then.

Longitude 73

Longitude 73 is in the lobby and operates as a coffee house in the morning and a cocktail bar from 3 to 11 p.m. Here, we could redeem the voucher from the room for 1 complimentary espresso or cappuccino per room per stay.

Entry is via steps down into the bar area, with additional seating on a second level.

Plunge Pool Bar

The Plunge Pool Bar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Guests can order directly from the bar or their lounger.

Cocktails were pricey, toward $9, and beers were around $2 to $5. Indian-leaning cuisine was available for $9 to $13. Cheaper food can be found at nearby restaurants or the beach, but you have options if you don’t want to leave the comfort of your pool lounger.

Service

I received an email the day before my stay advising of arrival details and hours of operation for dining and amenities. I replied to this email around 9 a.m. on the day of check-in to advise that we had requested connecting/adjacent rooms. I also mentioned we were arriving from a nearby hotel and asked when the earliest we could arrive was. Within 30 minutes, I received a reply from the front desk manager that the rooms had been blocked accordingly and were ready for arrival. The prompt reply and early check-in set a great tone for our stay.

The other service touchpoints throughout the stay were pleasant and professional, from the security team, who greeted us as we exited and entered the property, to the front desk staff, who showed us to our room, and to the pool staff, who brought us towels.

Final Thoughts

I think the best way to reflect on a great vacation is to wish it could have lasted longer, and that’s how I left Le Méridien Goa, Calangute — wishing for just a few more days.

My family enjoyed the beach location, the comfortable and spacious rooms, and the on-site amenities, from the pool to the kids club. A few cosmetic updates, such as concealing rollaway beds in the elevator lobby, replacing hallway carpeting, and keeping service traffic out of the pool area, would elevate the experience.