Grand Hyatt Goa is an enchanting destination resort and spa set on the calm waters of Bambolim Bay in North Goa. It is located 7 Km from Panaji and is 25 Km from Dabolim Airport. It is an oasis of pure relaxation and a luxurious resort overlooking the sparkling waters of Bambolim Bay

 

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The view of the Bambolim bay as you walk down from the lobby towards the well maintained lawns of the resort.

We visit Goa at-least once a year and this was the first time we were travelling with our little one. Travelling with a toddler always comes with its own challenges and one of the key aspects that you will have to factor-in would be the resort that you would be staying. We usually prefer South-Goa but this time around chose to be close to the airport in order to avoid the commute and also be closer to Panaji – just in case we would need any necessities.

I will share the details of how we prepared for our trip and other aspects of travelling with a toddler in a separate post.  You can also read the “Voyaging Stars” blog of a fellow blogger who writes amazing posts on travel with babies and young children – I leveraged many of her tips

We had no second thoughts in making our reservations at theGrand Hyatt at Bambolim. I checked with couple  of my friends who had already stayed at this resort before making the reservations and they pretty much had rave reviews about the property. We usually drive down to Goa, but with my toddler on board, this time around we took a flight to Goa. It was a short 1.5 hrs flights from Bangalore to Goa and the hotel cab was waiting for  us at the arrival gate. It took us around 45 minutes to reach the resort from the airport. 

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The bridge that connects North and South Goa

 

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Roads in Goa are in great condition. There was not much traffic though.

 

The Resort & our room

The resort is inspired by the 17th century Indo-Portuguese palace and is spread over 28 acres of colourful, tropical gardens and lush lawns that roll down to the bay. On arrival, we were treated with a chilled beverage of our choice and check-in was a breeze. There was no customary Goan music to welcome us though.

We were greeted by Lolly Mukhiya, who helped us with the check-in formalities and also guided us to our room. The entire resort has 7 guest houses and our room was allocated in the ground level of the Guest house 6. The pool facing room was neatly laid out with all the amenities that you would associate with a luxury hotel. The room also comes with an attached sit-out which opens out to the garden. Special thanks to Lolly for taking a family snap and printing a birthday card using that photo for my daughter’s birthday – we were celebrating her 1st birthday

The buildings in Grand Hyatt have the unique Tarazzo style of tiling the roofs and this has to be one of the distinguishing features of the resort. The Indo-Portuguese theme can be seen all over the resort, including the capiz shells (pearls are found inside these shells and they are widely called as “Mother of pearl) which is used extensively in the hotel’s restaurants and public areas like lobbies. “Capiz bar” and “The Verandah” hotels infact have strings of these shells hanging from the ceiling, creating an artistic installation.

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The main building which houses the lobby and the restaurants.

 

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The neatly laid out room

 

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The sit-out area facing the pool

 

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The kids pool area with the “Pool bar and Grill” on the left

 

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The rooms facing the bay – it would be a good idea to opt for the bay view rooms

 

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The view of the Bambolim bay from one of the sea facing rooms. Try opting for rooms which are on level 2 there by getting a better view of the bay

 

The resort looks beautiful by the night – some photos that I took using my camera in night mode.

 

16th Century Chapel

One of the key attractions in the resort is the 16th Century Chapel – the remains of which are still maintained in the resort. There are 2 stories to the origin of this chapel.

The local legend has it as a chapel built by the local fishermen as a place to worship. But after the plague of the mid 17th century, it was abandoned which lead to its destruction.

However, historians have a different story to tell. They believe that this Chapel was built in 1613 by Gonsalo Pinto Da Fonseca when Bambolim was declared as a separate parish. This chapel lost its prominence in 1616 when a new church was built on Orth de Vigar or Padigaracho Dongor. Our Lady of Belem, Confraria Nossa Senhora De Belem church which is now located on the hill, regularly sees people coming in for Sunday Mass.

Until the hotel was built, fishermen still used this place as a safe house to store their nets or other fishing equipment for safekeeping under God’s protection. Till data, the local villagers come to pray at this chapel

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The remains of the 16th Century Chapel

 

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Another view of the Chapel

 

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The Chapel by the night

 

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The Chapel over the years has borne the brunt of the Goan Monsoon and is in bad condition. There are few make shift arrangements made to keep the remains intact.

 

For more information on the various restaurants in the resort and the activities that you can get involved, Click here to  continue reading Part 2 of this post.

 

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