WELCOMHERITAGE PANJIM INN in Goa - Hotel Review with Photos

India › Goa Hotels › WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Pousada & People’s Review
Updated: January 18, 2022

Essentials
• Location: 3 buildings Fontainhas.
• Hotel website: panjiminn.com
• Hotel phone: +91 (0)832 222 1122
• Check prices on Booking.com – WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s

Review of Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People's in Goa, India.

These 3 sister WelcomHeritage hotels are located in heritage buildings with beautiful rooms in the old city.

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s – Prime position and supreme elegance; triple the choice for one quintessential old-city stay.

This combined guesthouse is based in three beautifully-restored and brightly-painted former colonial buildings, offering considerable beauty, history, and grace in separate locations across a junction in the sleepiest part of the old city. Sharing one reception area, they offer unique accommodations unseen at competitors. Every room is different and filled with attractive old-fashioned furniture – whether upstairs and facing the junction in a former elite school, down a lane and surrounded by art. or within the original guesthouse notable for its balcony. Adding to the immense appeal are the terrace restaurant, plunge pool on the rooftop, courtyards with wrought iron tables, guest lounges overflowing with antique furniture, and art gallery.

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s – The Location

Address: In the suburb of Fontainhas in the old part of Panaji (Panjim), the state capital. Rooms are spread across 3 separate buildings about 100m apart. Each building is virtually at a junction of the main street, Rua 31 de Janeiro (31st January Road), and a lane to the Ourém River. Easy to find and well-signposted. The reception area is in the Panjim Inn (with the balcony).
Area: Delightful section of the old city which is packed with brightly-colored colonial-era buildings. The 3 annexes of the guesthouse are nicely set back from the main thoroughfares, so traffic is minimal. About 50m west of the secondary river, Ourém, and 600m south of the main river, Mandovi.
How to Get There: From the airport (25 km, 45-minute drive), there is little choice except overpriced pre-paid taxis. The guesthouse is 1.5 km from the Panaji KTC bus stand, which has connections all over Goa. The train station at Margao (Madgaon) is 35 km (60-minute drive) and at Vasco da Gama is 30 km (45-minute drive) away.
Handy to: Old city of Panaji (Panjim)

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s – The Basics

Guests: Foreign tourists, usually older, who relish the setting, history, and serenity.
Views: Hit-and-miss, as expected of renovated old buildings. Most rooms on the upper floor of the 2 main buildings (Panjim Inn and Panjim People’s) overlook the main street, which is quiet, while those in the Panjim Pousada annex face an internal courtyard or nearby building.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: Certainly not expected (or provided) at this sort of historic inner-city guesthouse in Goa. 
Parking: Nowhere on-site but the public carpark behind the building facing the junction (Panjim People’s) should be safe enough.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates for both properties.
Phone: +91 (0)832 222 1122
Email: reservations@panjiminn.com
Website: panjiminn.com

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s – Amenities

Pool: The jacuzzi-cum-plunge pool on the rooftop is a surprise and the only modern aspect of the 3 buildings. Sunbeds alongside.
Spa: The M Salon provides a few interesting treatments.
Fitness Center: Not expected (or provided).
Other Facilities: Gitanjali Art Gallery. Laundry.

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s – Food and Drink

Restaurant & Bar: On the balcony of the main building, The Veranda Restaurant is delightful. Ideal for a drink while staring at the street below. Better, stay for a hearty meal of Goan, Indian, or western food. Bar on a lower level.
Breakfast: Decent buffet breakfast is included and served in the adorably old-fashioned dining room in the main building.
Room Service: Some limited service during restaurant hours – 7 am to 9 pm – in the main building only (Panjim Inn).

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s – Rooms

Room Types: Standard, Deluxe, and Superior Rooms (Panjim Inn) • Superior Rooms (Panjim People’s) • Standard and Deluxe Rooms (Panjim Pousada)
Smoking Rooms: No smoking in the rooms, but allowed in the courtyards.
Best Room: Hard to say because they’re all so different and charming. Probably the Superior Rooms in the Panjim People’s annex. Superbly renovated, these are spacious and packed with antique furniture.
For Families: There’s not much space in the rooms for extra single beds, but ask the helpful management.

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s – Local Transport

Walking: Fantastic area to wander about, but the sidewalks along the narrow streets can be awkward at times.
Public Transport: No metro or any local trains of use to tourists. To reach the beaches, take a public bus from the Panaji KTC bus stand to the regional hubs of Mapusa for the north or Margao (Madgaon) for the south.
Taxis & Auto-rickshaws: The few black-and-yellow taxis have meters, but drivers won’t use them. These are best arranged through reception. App-based rides, Uber and Ola, don’t operate anywhere in Goa, but the local alternative – Goa Miles – is worth trying. A few auto-rickshaws are available for local trips, but of course, they also refuse to use their meters.
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 through the hotel. Rides on the back of a motorbike (called a ‘pilot’) are possible; ask around.

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants & Bars

Bombay Coffee Roasters – Unassuming corner position, but far larger than expected. Popular hangout on 2 levels for drinks, sandwiches, light meals, and free Wi-Fi. 90m south down the main street.
Desbue – Unique menu of tempting ‘European fusion’ meals. Gorgeous décor and excellent service add to the appeal. Bright-green building on a corner 120m north up the main street.
Viva Panjim – Easy to miss down an alley, the setting is serene and the décor, fascinating. Focus on Goan cuisine. Just past Desbue.
Mamaramma – Limited menu but delightfully cozy setting. Light meals, daily specials, and world-class coffee. Adjacent to the lovely old St. Sebastian’s chapel. Head up the street from the guesthouse and take the first left.
Venite Bar & Restaurant – Charming upstairs location. Fascinating décor and tiniest possible balconies hovering over the sidewalk. Easy to miss in the guesthouse of the same name, north up the main street. (500m).
Down the Road & Riverfront Restaurant – Overlooking the old bridge, the views and food at the Riverfront are excellent. Down the Road bar/nightclub is on a lower floor. Head east to the Ourém River (50m) and turn left (north). (500m).

Nearby Shops

The streets and narrow alleys of the old city are lined with all sorts of interesting shops, but they’re mostly for locals, not tourists.

Nearby Attractions

The fascinating old city has some of the finest examples of colonial-era buildings anywhere in India. Beautifully renovated or delightfully crumbling, and often painted bright blue or yellow, they are dotted all over the streets near the hotel. But note: this is not Old Goa, which is about 10 km east.

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s – The Hotel

The guesthouse is located within 3 buildings in a 100m radius.

This guesthouse is separated into 3 different buildings within 100m of each other in the old city of Panaji (Panjim). This is the main building, WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, where the reception, café/bar, and dining room for breakfast are located.

Panjim People's is located in a former school building.

Directly opposite the junction from Panjim Inn (the main building) are more rooms in this former school, now called Panjim People’s.

Panjim People's offers a few rooms with decent views.

The Panjim People’s annex only offers a few rooms upstairs, but the views are superior.

Panjim Pousada is located about 100m from the other 2 buildings.

A short lane less than 100m from the other 2 buildings leads to this annex of rooms called Panjim Pousada.

Panjim Pousada is quieter a it is located further away from the main road.

Rooms in the Panjim Pousada annex are a little quieter: about 50m from the street, which is very quiet anyway.

Rooms in the Panjim Pousada annex are based around a lovely courtyard.

Panjim Pousada also houses an art gallery.

The Panjim Pousada section of the guesthouse also features an art gallery.

Panjim People's houses a larger art gallery.

A larger art gallery is on the ground floor of the Panjim People’s annex.

The reception area is downstairs in the main building, Panjim Inn.

All 3 buildings have a lot of lovely antique furniture.

The 3 buildings are packed with lovely antique furniture.

Contemporary art adorns the corridors in all the buildings.

The corridors in the 3 buildings are also lined with contemporary art.

All 3 buildings feature multiple guest lounges.

There are several guest lounges across the 3 buildings.

Panjim Pousada houses a lovely courtyard.

There is a lovely courtyard area at the back of the Panjim Pousada annex.

Verandah Restaurant offers seating on the second floor.

The charming Verandah Restaurant is upstairs in the main building.

The bar is located near the courtyard under Verandah Restaurant.

Part of the courtyard in front of the reception area, and below Verandah Restaurant, is used as a bar.

The dining room in the main building is where breakfast is served.

Breakfast is served in the dining room filled with antique furniture at the back of the main building.

Each room is different and lovingly furnished.

Panjim Pousada rooms face a quiet courtyard.

Views can be unexciting, but rooms in the Panjim Pousada annex face a quiet courtyard.

All rooms feature delightfully old-fashioned art and furnishing.

The furnishing and art throughout all the rooms are delightfully old-fashioned.

All rooms feature proper 4-poster beds.

All rooms are different, so it's a good idea to see a few before finalizing.

Rooms vary in quality, size, and position (for views and quietness), so check out a few before deciding.

The larger Panjim Pousada rooms sometimes even feature separate living areas.

Rooms in the Panjim Pousada annex are larger and quieter, and some feature separate living areas.

The chic European bistro, Desbue, is close by.

Although located in the quietest part of the old city, there are several classy bistros nearby, including Desbue for chic European cuisine. This is barely 100m north up the main street.

A cute eatery easy to miss, Mamaramma is just off the main street within a 2-minute walk.

Mamaramma is run by an expat and uses organic ingredients.

Run by an expat, the food at Mamaramma is delicious and often made with organic ingredients.

Bombay Coffee Roasters nearby is quite spacious.

Bombay Coffee Roasters is far larger than it appears. About 100m south down the main street.

Viva Panjim nearby is a casual but smart-looking bistro.

Down an alley very close to the guesthouse (but also easy to miss), Viva Panjim is a smart-looking bistro with a casual vibe.

The superb Riverfront Restaurant serves great meals and drinks.

About 400m from the guesthouse and facing the old bridge is the fantastic Riverfront Restaurant. Open all day for drinks and excellent meals.

Venite Bar & Restaurant nearby is charming and spacious.

The most charming place nearby is Venite, which also offers more spacious seating inside.

The neighborhood is quiet and pretty funky.

The area of the old city near the guesthouse is quieter and funkier than further towards the main river.

The neighborhood has several colonial era buildings.

Lanes all around this part of the old city provide lovely glimpses of the colonial era.

The magnificent Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is within walking distance.

The magnificent Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is about 600m away.

Panaji has several brightly-colored and beautifully-renovated buildings.

There are so many brightly-colored and beautifully-renovated buildings in this part of Panaji.

The walkway along Ourém River is great for walking.

Just around the corner, a walkway along the Ourém River is ideal for strolling and people-watching.

Auto-rickshaws are easily available in this area.

Unlike most beach regions in Goa, auto-rickshaws are available across the city.

The Viva Panjim lane houses a classy boutique.

Shops near the guesthouse are more for tourists. This classy boutique is on the corner of the lane that leads to the Viva Panjim café. Check rates and availability: WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s

WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn, Panjim Pousada, & Panjim People’s Hotels in Goa, India

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