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"Lonely Planet Review"
- Marika McAdam
- Lonely Planet autho
A proud colonial heritage house with the protective air of an establishment that is intent on keeping itself unique. Though an opulent top end hotel, the authentic slice of Goa in which Siolim House is located offers guests a genuine |
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| insight into genuine Goa. A finalist in 2001 for the UNESCO World Heritage Asia Pacific Award, Siolim House is happily situated in a merrily weaving road that joins the contrasting worlds of Chapora and Siolim. Far from the madding tourist crowds, Siolim House offers residents a true Goan experience. Keeping guard over the privacy of its grounds and its guests, this self-contained world is exclusive without the artificiality that often comes with it. The simple-but-prominent pool next to the house can be admired from the breezy open air courtyard where meals are served. Its eclectic 275-year history has left an elegant legacy; hints of the orient remain courtesy the governor of Macau, who formerlly owned Siolim House. Rooms are named after 17th-century trading ports and have elegant and individual class. |
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 Heavenly beds
Gems in Goa
Siolim House, in the west coast state of Goa, is not a hotel but a home, its owners insist, and one of the most charming in India (popular with the British in-crowd). Guests staying in the seven large suites have the run of this 275-year-old Portuguese-era manor, once home to the governor of Macau. Bedrooms are cool and elegant with mosquito net-draped beds and tiled floors (but no television or airconditioning). Flop by the pool or set course for the nearby beaches. Free wireless broadband, yoga classes and Ayurvedic treatments are welcome extras.
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 The Independent - The heat of the moment
What's new?
Nothing new this year, but those in the know love intimate Siolim House. |
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 Goan Herritage
SIOLIM HOUSE
While restoring Siolim House, Varun Sood, its owner, has plucked back the bygone era and brought it to the present. As a heritage hotel, the place has a delightful, old- world charm. This crumbling manor in Siolim was built in 1680 and restored in 1995, thanks to the enterprising Sood, He was only 26 when he set about tracing its owners. He spent a year going through its old documents and another two-and-a- half years going on a recce of Portuguese homes. Siolim Houses lost magnificence was then restored.
The manor, with its striking yellow colour and large olive windows, has beautiful gardens and an old well. Through the foyer, on the left is a passage that leads to the living room with antique chairs, beautiful side tables, an unusual teak cupboard and Queen Ann rocking chairs. A sandalwood box, belonging to the Kadamba period, occupies pride of place.
An enchanting courtyard, flanked by large white columns, has rooms on all sides. An open dining area, situated in the courtyard, has insignia- marked wrought iron gates opening to a garden and swimming pool. You can sit in the garden and eat some scrumptious home-cooked delicacies. Each bedroom has gilt and bronze-edged beds with silken fabric. Frescoes outline the walls, with some rooms having 18th-century bidriwork.
Bathrooms, with marble and wooden flooring, have a colonial style bathing. |
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HIGH LIFE (British Airways) - Aug 2003
India's new sophisticates - Sue Crapenter picks the ten most stylish sleepovers on the subcontinent, from traditional palaces to chic resorts.
"Former residence of the governor of Macau, a 300 year old ochre-washed indo-portuguese manor house, beautifully restored with just seven airy suites, a garden full of bougainvillea and frangipani, and a pool. Still a private home where you feel like a personal house guest, Siolim House has all the atmosphere of a chic European pousada or villa - a quality so possible yet so rare in the old colonial states of India.." |
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 Man's World - October 2003
"... they have restored Siolim as a place that is part palazzo, part home, part air, part light. It exists in a bubble, removed from the rest of Goa on the edge of Siolim village, one of the rare coastal villages that has somehow managed to escape the interest of the raggy taggys. The only time I have had a bigger room than the muslin-aired polo field that was mine at Siolim was in a major suite at The Ritz in Paris. But then perhaps C}sar Ritz, the governor of Macau and [Blank] share the same ethos: to survive the ugliness of the world the human condition needs space and light tempered with luxury. .." |
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 Justine Hardy on Goa Hotels in Travelintelligence.net
"..In the north of Goa, where the beaches are relatively undeveloped, Siolim House has seven exquisite suites in a restored Portuguese villa. Disembark at Thivim rather than.."
Condé Nast Traveler on Staying at Siolim House |
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 Old world charm
"The restored Siolim House, a colonial Goan villa with its fusion of European and Indian style architecture, will enchant visitors..."
writes MARIANNE FURTADO de NAZARETH in the Deccan Herald |
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 "This is the real Goan experience. Sunrays filter through the mother-of-pearl windows onto the draped, four-poster bed. Above, the ceiling is crafted in wood and tile by artisans who have carried their handwork through generations. In the large room, your footsteps echo the walls painted in local shell paint. Outside the window a beautiful patio sparkles in the sunlight. Tiny birds twitter a chorus alongside scampering squirrels. When I move to the bathroom, it is large enough to waltz in. Am I living a dream at the turn of the last century? Welcome to Siolim House, a stately manor in the best Goan tradition, beautifully and lovingly restored ..."
Wendell Rodericks in July 2000 India Today Plus on Siolim House- rated among India's top boutique and heritage hotels
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 "Tucked away in one Goan village is the beautiful Siolim House that is over 250 years old. It has all the trappings of a village house, simple designs and forms, lots of space, genial people and stories that would put a sea dog to shame. Alan DâMello has this story to tell... " - full article by Alan d'Mello in Business Traveller |
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 "built in the 17th century, Siolim House recalls the era when Goa was the capital of Portugal's vast colonial empire. The house once belonged to the governor of Macau, and it has seen numerous battles, since the surrounding area constantly changed hands. The grandeur of the house with its fabulous tiled floors and oystershell windows, generous us of space and excellent service, make it perfect for house parties.."
Article in Harpers & Queen (UK) Sep 2002 - "Six Pack - Legends - Eleanor Southall on hotels that have seen a thing or two" includes Goa Hotel, Siolim House |
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Article in Harpers&Queen (UK) - "Six Pack - Legends - Eleanor Southall on hotels that have seen a thing or two", one of 6 hotels in the world, and the only Goa hotel
High Life - British Airways - another surprise nomination (for us) in India's top 10 historic hotels - especially since we are not really a Goa hotel! See this and other reviews |
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