NOVOTEL CANDOLIM in Goa - Hotel Review with Photos

India › Goa Hotels › Novotel Candolim Review
Updated: January 18, 2022

Essentials
• Location: On the main road in north Candolim.
• Hotel website: all.accor.com
• Hotel phone: +91 (0)832 711 2223
• Check prices for Novotel Candolim

Review of Novotel Goa Candolim Hotel in India.

The chic and family-friendly Novotel features 2 pools in the center of hip Candolim.

Novotel Candolim – Lively, convenient, and likably funky; not on the beach, but among endless facilities.

Sitting behind a gnarled banyan tree, the Novotel is in the center of the most happening part of Candolim. With a chic layout, the hotel admirably maximizes its limited space without feeling cramped. Rooms are comfortable and functional, but views vary greatly, so choose one overlooking the pool. The standout features are the twin pools: one sparkling-blue and a size expected at a much larger resort; the other, more like a lagoon – shallow and suitable for children. In fact, the energetic vibe and impressive amenities, like the kids club (with activities), make this especially well-suited for families. Also, the Novotel is surrounded by fab places to eat, drink, and shop, while regular shuttle buses are offered to the glorious beach nearby.

Novotel Candolim – The Location

Not to be confused with the Novotel Goa Resort & Spa Hotel about 1 km south.

Address: Faces the main road in the northern end of Candolim, a major tourist region in a southern part of North Goa. (Most places in Goa don’t have an address.) Near the invisible border with Calangute. The entrance is behind a huge banyan tree and sometimes easy to miss.
Area: Plenty of tourist facilities in both directions along the road and about 600m from the beach.
How to Get There: From the airport (40 km, 70-minute drive), there is little choice except overpriced pre-paid taxis. The nearest major train station is at Thivim, 20 km away (30-minute drive).
Handy to: Facilities and beaches at Candolim and Calangute.

Novotel Candolim – The Basics

Guests: Tourists from across India and elsewhere, including many families.
Kids Club: Small but likable, and alongside the pool. Daily activities include yoga and karaoke. Separated for different ages.
Views: Varies a lot, so choose carefully. Poor views of nearby buildings from most rooms, except those facing the pool.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: With limited space throughout, these are not expected (or provided). 
Extras: Shuttle bus every 30 minutes to the beach.
Parking: Limited parking on-site, which needs to be arranged when booking.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +91 (0)832 711 2223
Email: h8855-RE@accor.com
Website: all.accor.com

Novotel Candolim – Amenities

Pools: A major attraction is the 2 pools. One is the sort expected at a much larger resort. The other resembles a lagoon (complete with a ‘waterfall’) and features 3 waterslides for children. Not much shade around either, but plenty of sunbeds and fun things to play with in the water.
Spa: The Elle Spa & Salon between the lobby and pool offers a better-than-average array of massages, but little else.
Fitness Center: Quite a good size and plenty of gear for regular gym goers.
For Families: Kids club. Children’s splash areas. Baby-sitting. Indoor badminton, football, cricket, and basketball courts. Table tennis. Trampoline.
Other Facilities: Boutiques. Money-exchange. Beauty salon. Laundry. Business services.

Novotel Candolim – Food and Drink

Restaurants & Bars: The Square – Spacious and airy setting with open-plan kitchen. Buffets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a la carte all day. Live music nightly and kids’ menu. • The Little Place – Cute nook with funky furniture for sandwiches, pizzas, cakes, and coffee. • Bar Asia – Casual and welcoming bar/lounge facing both pools. Also serves burgers and other light meals.
Breakfast: Not included, but can be paid for when booking or on the day.
Room Service: Available 24/7.

Novotel Candolim – Rooms

Room Types: Superior Rooms (King or Twin Beds) • Deluxe King (or Twin) Rooms • Luxury King (or Twin) Rooms • Elegance Suites with Shared Airport Transfer • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: Smoking is allowed in some rooms.
Best Room: So much larger and nicer than the standard rooms, the Elegance Suites feature balconies and separate living areas. Extras include yoga lessons and airport transfers.
For Families: The management is happy to accommodate families, so ask about squeezing in 1 or 2 extra single beds into the rooms, or book rooms with connecting doors.

Novotel Candolim – Local Transport

Walking: Some sidewalks and plenty to see along the main road, but strolling is nicer along the side streets to the beach.
Public Transport: Local buses are convenient and frequent. They travel up and down – and stop anywhere – along the main road through Candolim and Calangute. Some detour to Panaji (Panjim), the state capital and regional transport hub, via a stop opposite the Acacia hotel (1.5 km south). No metro or any local trains of use to tourists.
Taxis & Auto-rickshaws: A few auto-rickshaws (which won’t use meters), but no metered taxis. Uber/Ola don’t operate anywhere in Goa, but app-based rides can be arranged through Goa Miles. The only options for longer trips are unmetered private ‘taxis’ which can be arranged at the hotel or with drivers hanging about the streets.
Cars & Motorbikes: Goa is the only place in India where renting a car or motorbike is feasible. There are no internationally-recognized agencies, so renting at a local shop presents obvious risks. Best to organize through the hotel. Rides on the back of a motorbike (called a ‘pilot’) are possible; ask around.

Novotel Candolim – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

Southi Resto Bar – Bright and cheerful, with tables also facing the road. Upmarket versions of Indian street food. About 70m north.
Barrica Bistro +91 79774 62353 – Cute place for a coffee and sandwiches. Just north of, um, Southi.
Kailash Parbat – Part of a country-wide chain and a trendy meeting spot for contemporary Indian cuisine.
Coffee House Candolim – Adorably quaint spot for a coffee or light meal in a garden setting. Opposite Kailash Parbat.
Many would probably prefer a cheap meal and cold drink, especially at sunset, at one of the cafés on the beach (see below). All are fairly similar, but particularly inviting is Lopes’s Beach Shack.

Nearby Shops

No shortage of places to spend Rupees, especially at the numerous tailors and jewelers. The closest decent supermarket is Newton’s, 1 km south.

Nearby Beach

The beach is wide, clean, and not too crowded. Spread across the sand, a few casual cafés sell food and drinks and also rent out sunbeds and umbrellas. Always swim between the flags. Lifeguards are on duty between about 10 am and sunset. From the Novotel, head right (north) and then take the first left along the side street signposted ‘Sonesta Inns’.

Novotel Candolim – The Hotel

The hotel is located in Candolim, behind a massive banyan tree.

Almost hidden behind a massive banyan tree, the Novotel is easy to miss within a busy area of Candolim.

The lobby area is chic and makes good use of its limited space.

The design of the main pool is a little funky and it’s certainly larger than those in most similar resorts in the vicinity.

The second pool is shallow and resembles a lagoon.

There are 2 pools. The second one resembles a lagoon and is shallower, so it’s ideal for children.

The poolside Bar Asia serves burgers and light meals.

Alongside both pools, the inviting Bar Asia also serves burgers and other light meals.

The gym is located in a building by the pool.

Next to the pool, the gym is in a separate building.

The small and decent kids club has a few interesting activities.

The kids club is small but decent, and offers a few interesting activities.

The Elle Spa & Salon is located between the lobby and pool.

The Elle Spa & Salon is along a corridor between the lobby and pool.

Square restaurant serves buffets through the day,

The hotel restaurant, Square, offers buffets at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Square also offers tables overlooking the pool.

The Square restaurant also provides some tables overlooking the pool.

The Little Place by the lobby serves coffee, cakes, sandwiches, and pizza.

Near the lobby is a cute little place called The Little Place. It serves coffee, cakes, sandwiches, and pizza.

The best views are from rooms facing the pool and gardens.

Rooms facing inwards towards the pool and gardens provide the finest views.

Rooms feature an appealing dark wood decor.

Rooms feature a likable décor dominated by dark wooden finishes.

The spacious rooms feature sofas by the full-length windows.

Rooms are spacious enough for a sofa alongside the floor-to-ceiling window.

Rooms feature extra-long table-cum-desks.

An extra-long table-cum-desk stretches along one side of each room.

The main road in front of the hotel is shady and interesting.

The hotel faces the main road, which is shady in places and always fascinating.

The main road has several interesting shops.

The main road is packed with interesting places to spend money.

Southi Resto Bar nearby serves upmarket versions of Indian street food.

Serving upmarket versions of Indian street food, the Southi Resto Bar is about 100m north.

Barrica Bistro nearby is a great place for a coffee and light meal.

A cute place for a coffee and light meal is Barrica Bistro, just past Southi’s.

Kailash Parbat nearby is a popular place for great vegetarian Indian meals.

Another tempting place for a great vegetarian Indian meal, Kailash Parbat is 350m north of the hotel.

Coffee House Candolim close by is absolutely adorable.

Especially adorable is this coffee shop a few minutes’ walk north of the hotel.

A restaurant near the Hyatt Centric hotel serves all kinds of Indian cuisine.

The main road is lined with casual eateries serving cheap Indian food. This one is next to the Hyatt Centric hotel, about 300m north of the Novotel.

A side street nearby leads straight to the beach.

This side street leads to the beach with a few minutes’ walk of the Novotel.

There are several casual cafés on the beach.

The beach at the end of the side street about 600m from the hotel is dotted with casual cafés.

The beach cafés are perfect for enjoying drinks at sunset.

The cafés on the sand near the hotel are perfect for a drink at sunset.

The beach is wide and quieter than many others in the general area.

The beach cafés rent out sunbeds and umbrellas.

There are always plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas to hire.

The sunsets along all the beaches in Goa are magnificent.

Buses connect to facilities in Candolim, Calangute, and Panjim.

Buses career along the main road outside the hotel, linking all the beaches and facilities in Candolim and Calangute, as well as the state capital and regional transport hub, Panaji (Panjim). Check rates and availability: Novotel Candolim

Novotel Candolim Hotel in Goa, India

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