While international travel is largely on hold, we decided to keep up with the tradition of vacationing during our birthday week this year as well by travelling domestic. And what better place than Goa, especially when it’s about being “Vocal for Local”.

We decided to do a small staycation at ITC Grand Goa and were completely blown away by its hospitality and commitment towards making their guests feel safe during the current pandemic situation. Right from our pick up from the airport to the check-out, we were really impressed by the safety and hygiene measures that were put in place.

On arrival at the airport our luggage was sanitised before it was stowed in the car. The car had a safety shield between the driver’s and passengers’ seat and our driver had gloves, mask and a face shield on throughout the journey. There was even a disinfectant spray and sanitiser kept inside the car for us to use. Not just that, upon arrival, right before entering the hotel, the car was fully disinfected at the entrance gate.

We received a very warm welcome by the staff who were all wearing masks. Our luggage was sanitised once again, we were asked to sanitise our hands and a mandatory contact-less temperature check was done. The check in desk had a protective shield, our id proofs were disinfected and given back to us in a safe envelope. We were then escorted to our room and that’s where we first noticed the WeAssure programme by ITC Hotels. The suite door had a WeAsssure door seal indicating that room was disinfected thoroughly and assuring that no one entered before us. You can watch the full room tour on my Instagram page.

We experienced the same amount of care at the restaurant during lunch and the next day at breakfast as well under their WeAssure programme. The cutlery came sealed in paper bags and buffet spread was covered and kept behind a glass shield from where the server served the dish. We in fact just chose what we wanted to eat and the food was brought at our table. It is these meticulous and very effective precautionary measures which really put our mind at ease and helped us enjoy our stay at the lovely property without any worries.

Coming on to the property – ITC Grand Goa is a massive beach side property with lush green gardens, swaying coconut trees, calming lagoons, picturesque bridges and beautiful swimming pools which radiate allure and luxury.  Its architecture has a quintessential Indo- Portuguese touch to it. Our favourite piece of landscape was the Chapel and the three crescent Grand Bridge. It also houses a fully equipped gym and a luxury spa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed at the Sea View Suite and absolutely loved it. The suite has a huge living room area with a sofa seating on one side and a large working desk on the other. The bedroom space is a very generous size and has the comfiest king size bed and pillows. There is a huge balcony with a separate outdoor dining and lounge area with a stunning view perfect to watch magical sunsets, but the best part of the suite (for us!) was the sunken bathtub which was already prepared by the housekeeping staff for a luxurious bubble bath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We loved the food at ITC – it was delicious! For lunch we had a mouth-watering, authentic Goan meal of dry chicken, fried fish and prawns curry with poi and brown rice, followed by a portion of local sweet treats. For breakfast, the next day, we tried some cinnamon waffles, masala dosa and scrambled eggs with sausages. We also enjoyed a round of drinks at Farol Bar at night with some light eats and just loved the Goan inspired cocktails and mocktails with Fenny and Kokam juice as the base.

 

 

The hotel has a direct access to the pristine Arrosim beach which is like the crown jewel of this property. With miles and miles of soft white sand Arrosim beach is nothing short of a slice of paradise, especially during the evening time as the sunset here is stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, we had a wonderful and relaxing stay at this beautiful hotel and the hospitality of ITC Grand Goa staff was top notch. We left with a lot of good memories and hope to visit soon and experience the sheer luxury all over again.