THE DIWA CLUB in Goa - Hotel Review with Photos

India › Goa Hotels › Diwa Club Review
Updated: January 17, 2022
By Santorini Dave

Essentials
• Location: In a quiet part of Majorda and within walking distance of the beach.
• Hotel website: alilahotels.com
• Hotel phone: +91 (0)832 274 6800
• Check prices for Diwa Club

Review of The Diwa Club Hotel in Goa, India.

Within walking distance of the beach, Diwa Club offers a tranquil and luxurious setting amongst farms.

Diwa Club – Exclusive, tranquil, and secluded; not beachside, but a very pleasant village setting.

This is not a club, per se, but an elite collection of sumptuous and spacious rooms and suites set around delightful gardens and facing a huge pool. Among the outstanding features of the rooms and suites are the stand-alone bathtubs, intriguing art, and large balconies/verandas; some suites even have two bedrooms. Guests can also access the outstanding facilities at the (almost) attached Alila Diwa resort, such as the magnificent spa (the size of a guesthouse), yoga studio (with free classes), kids club, and even a movie theater. No resort in this part of Goa faces the ocean, but the wonderful and uncrowded beach dotted with laidback cafés is only a short walk via a lovely countryside path (or free shuttle bus).

Diwa Club – The Location

Attached to, and associated with, the Alila Diwa resort, 300m away.

Address: In Majorda, one of the most northerly areas of South Goa. (Most places in Goa don’t have a proper address.) The main entrance is along an unnamed street (not the main road through South Goa). The side entrance faces an unnamed path leading to the beach. This part of Majorda is sometimes called Gonsua. Guests arrive at the gates to the adjoining Alila Diwa resort and are whisked away to a separate reception within The Diwa Club. The 2 lobby areas are 300m apart and accessible by shuttle bus.
Area: Within a quiet section of Majorda, distant from the main road, 800m away. About 700m via a lovely path (or free shuttle bus) to the beach.
How to Get There: From the airport (15 km, 30-minute drive), there is little choice except overpriced pre-paid taxis. The nearest major train station is at Vasco da Gama, 20 km away (40-minute drive).
Handy to: Majorda beach.

Diwa Club – The Basics

Guests: Mostly foreign tourists seeking exclusivity and tranquility from the resort crowds. Very few families because they are encouraged to stay at the larger and adjacent Alila Diwa resort.
Kids Club: Guests can use the kids club at the adjoining Alila Diwa resort. Impressive setup, with separate areas for teenagers and those younger. Secure and supervised, it offers plenty of games and activities such as cooking, beach picnics, and face-painting. Also, special theater with movies screened twice daily (once per day especially for children).
Views: All rooms face the pool, but a couple at the end of the building may overlook more bushes than water.
Private Pools/Jacuzzi: None, but these are almost non-existent elsewhere in Goa.
Extras: At the attached Alila Diwa resort, free yoga classes twice a week and twice-daily movies at the theater. Also, shuttle bus to the local beach, and airport transfers.
Parking: Enough places near the lobby and behind the gates in the Alila Diwa resort.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +91 (0)832 274 6800
Email: diwagoa@alilahotels.com
Website: alilahotels.com

Diwa Club – Amenities

Pool: Huge pool for the exclusive use of those staying at The Diwa Club. Plenty of natural shade and sunbeds, but almost all rooms overlook it, so it’s not that private. Communal jacuzzi at one end. Guests can also use the stunning pool at the Alila Diwa, which features infinity edges and ‘islands’ of palms.
Spa: At the Alila Diwa resort, Spa Alila is extremely impressive. Spacious reception area leads to a series of ponds and private rooms, all with garden views. Guests can learn how to mix ingredients for their own treatments. Special section for children, too.
Fitness Center: Also at the Alila Diwa resort, the fitness center is well-equipped and popular among guests.
For Families: Kids club (see earlier), activities, kids’ spa, and a movie theater showing children’s movies. But note: all activities and amenities are at the adjoining Alila Diwa resort.
Activities: Separate cooking classes for children and adults.
Other Facilities: Boutique. Organized tours. Money-exchange. Laundry. Travel desk.

Diwa Club – Food and Drink

Restaurants & Bars: (Only 1 restaurant on-site called Bistro, but guests can also walk 300m or organize a shuttle bus to the other 4 options at the attached Alila Diwa resort.) Bistro – Mediterranean cuisine in a breezy and colorful setting facing the pool. • Vivo – Buffets at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a la carte 24/7. Focuses on healthy meals and offers tempting culinary themes throughout the week. • Spice Studio – Based around an ancient banyan tree, it specializes in Goan cuisine. With most tables outside, the setting is elegant, service excellent, and décor fascinating. Dinner only. • The Edge – All-day bar/lounge facing the pool. Imported spirits and trendy background music. Tapas available. • Courtyard Bar – Near the lobby and overlooking the courtyard, it offers signature cocktails and other unique fruit drinks. Leather lounges add to the appeal.
Breakfast: A la carte breakfast included in all rates.
Room Service: Available 24/7.

Diwa Club – Rooms

Room Types: Diwa Club Rooms • Diwa Club Suites (1 or 2 bedrooms) • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: No smoking in the rooms or public areas, but permitted in the gardens.
Best Room: The suites are larger than the rooms because they have separate living areas.
For Families: The suites with 1 bedroom are large enough for families of 4. Even better are the suites with 2 bedrooms.

Diwa Club – Local Transport

Walking & Cycling: Fabulous area for exploring on foot along lanes meandering into villages and to the beach. Also terrific for cycling. Ask at reception about bike rentals.
Public Transport: Public buses hurtle along the street just outside the gates about every 15 minutes. (More so in the early morning and late afternoon.) They loop around the local area and start/finish at Margao (Madgaon), the major transport hub for connections across Goa. No metro or any local trains of use to tourists.
Taxis & Auto-rickshaws: No auto-rickshaws or metered taxis. App-based rides, Uber and Ola, don’t operate anywhere in Goa, but the local alternative – Goa Miles – is worth trying, though really, the only option for longer trips are unmetered private ‘taxis’. Arrange these through the resort. Rates are overpriced but negotiable.
Cars & Motorbikes: Goa is the only place in India where renting a car or motorbike is feasible. No internationally-recognized agencies are present, so renting at a local shop presents obvious risks. Best to organize this at the resort. Rides on the back of a motorbike (called a ‘pilot’) are possible; ask around.

Diwa Club – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

The Camron +91 99224 83479 – Popular with guests night after night for its friendly service, extended menu, and likable background music.
Fish’ka Bar & Restaurant – Amazingly long menu, including pasta, burgers, and other western delights. Cheap prices, breezy setting, and fascinating photos on the walls.

Otherwise, walk to the beach via the shady path.

Beach Cafés – The few places on the sand offer little more than drinks made from local fruits and imported spirits. So, the only options for a meal are Greenland Bar & Garden Restaurant, at the end of the path to the beach (600m), and The Camron Café, about 200m north along the sand from the Greenland.

Nearby Shops

A few souvenir shops and a couple of basic grocery stores just south down from the resort gates. Better stocked grocery store along the path to the beach, virtually at the side entrance to the resort.

Nearby Beach

Majorda Beach is a magnificent stretch of sand that seems endless in both directions. It is astoundingly undeveloped, with just a few makeshift shacks renting sunbeds and selling mostly drinks. Waves can get a little rough for the inexperienced, so swim between the flags. (Lifeguards are on duty from about 10 am to sunset.) Some basic water-sports are also available from a kiosk on the beach. Note that facilities such as toilets are basic. To reach the beach (700m), use the side entrance to the resort (or take the free shuttle bus). The path to the beach is lovely, mostly flanked by fields of grazing cows, but take heed of the signs which say that the beach is strictly closed after 7 pm.

Diwa Club – The Hotel

The resort shares the entrance with its sister property.

Guests enter the grounds of Diwa Club through the main gates of the associated (and almost adjacent) Alila Diwa resort.

The club lobby is separate from the resort's.

There is a separate lobby area for guests at The Diwa Club.

A huge expanse of grass separates The Diwa Club from the much larger Alila Diwa resort nearby.

A shuttle bus connects both properties and the beach.

Shuttle buses provided by the resort whisk guests between The Diwa Club and Alila Diwa, and to the beach about 700m away.

With only 35 rooms, all within one building, The Diwa Club offers exclusivity.

The large pool features several sunbeds and lots of shade.

There is plenty of shade and abundant sunbeds around the large pool.

At one end of The Diwa Club pool is a jacuzzi.

Alilia Diwa's pool is magnificent and open for guests of Diwa Club.

Guests at The Diwa Club can also use the magnificent pool at the adjacent Alila Diwa resort.

Alilia Diwa's infinity pool has submerged sunbeds.

The pool at the Alila Diwa resort features infinity edges and sunbeds that seem to float.

Guests can use all facilities at Alilia Diwa, including the kids club.

Guests at The Diwa Club can also use any of the facilities at the adjoining Alila Diwa resort, such as the kids club.

The kids club has 2 sections: 1 for teenagers and 1 for younger kids.

Unusually, the kids club is separated according to age groups: one area for teenagers, another section for the younger ones.

2 movies are shown daily at the movie theatre on-site.

Uniquely among resorts in the region, a genuine movie theatre shows films twice daily.

The yoga studio offers free classes twice a week.

Twice a week, guests can enjoy free yoga classes at the special studio.

There is only one restaurant at The Diwa Club, but guests are only a few minutes’ walk from several options in the Alila Diwa resort. (Or use the shuttle bus.)

The Bistro restaurant offers poolside seating.

The restaurant at The Diwa Club is called Bistro. It also offers tables overlooking the pool.

The spa teaches guests how to mix ingredients for their treatments.

The gorgeous spa provides a special room where guests can learn how to mix ingredients for their own treatments.

The spa's treatment rooms are connected via a boardwalk among ponds.

The spa is lovely. Treatment rooms providing garden views are accessible along a boardwalk among ponds.

Vivo restaurant at Alila Diwa is excellent.

At the associated and adjacent Alila Diwa resort are several terrific options for eating and drinking. These include the main restaurant, Vivo.

Vivo offers outdoor seating on a wooden deck.

Tables at Vivo are also set up along a wooden deck outside.

Alongside the pool at the Alila Diwa resort is the bar appropriately called The Edge.

The other bar at the Alila Diwa also has a suitable name: Courtyard Bar.

Particularly inviting is the Spice Studio café at the Alila Diwa resort.

Rooms are located in a 2-level building.

All rooms and suites at The Diwa Club are in a single 2-level building.

Almost all rooms and suites face the huge pool.

The spacious accommodations are well-designed.

The rooms and suites at The Diwa Club are very spacious and nicely furnished.

All room balconies/verandas overlook the pool.

All rooms have a veranda/balcony each, and almost every one of them directly faces the pool.

The huge suite bathrooms feature stand-alone tubs.

A standout feature of the suites are the massive bathrooms with stand-alone tubs.

All rooms and suites are very nicely decorated with interesting prints on the walls.

The excellent The Camron café is right opposite the hotel entrance.

Directly opposite the main gates to the adjacent Alila Diwa resort are 2 excellent places to eat, including The Camron café.

Fish'ka offers an extensive western menu.

Opposite a lane from The Camron, the fabulous Fish’ka café provides a lengthy menu with many western meals.

A few souvenir stores are located nearby.

Just south down the street from the gates of the Alila Diwa are a few souvenir stores.

The resort's side entrance is along the beach path.

A side entrance at the Alila Diwa resort is along a path which leads (700m) to the beach and is also accessible by shuttle bus.

The 700m path to the beach from the side entrance is delightful and mostly shady.

A minimart is located along the beach path.

Along the path to the beach, very close to the side entrance, is a well-stocked minimart.

A colonial-style church is located by the side entrance.

Turning right (away from the beach) at the side entrance is a colonial-style church synonymous with Goa.

The beach is wide, clean, and uncrowded.

The beach not far from the resort is wide, clean, and amazingly uncrowded.

The beach cafés rent out sunbeds and umbrellas.

Plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas are offered for rent near the resort.

Flags identify areas with lifeguards that are safe to swim in.

Always swim between the flags, where the lifeguards operate.

The beach offers very few water-sports options.

A few water-sports are available from a makeshift hut on the beach.

Remember: facilities (e.g. toilets and showers) on the beach near the resort are basic.

A few shacks at the beach offer little more than drinks.

One of very few places on the beach offering a meal is The Camron Café.

Greenland Bar & Garden Restaurant along the beach path is a good place to eat.

At the end of the path to the beach from the resort is the inviting Greenland Bar & Garden Restaurant. Check rates and availability: Diwa Club

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The Diwa Club Hotel in Goa, India

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