Best quirky: The Hobbit
Practically perched on top of Anjuna’s moonlit raves, this little hidey hole in the hillside can be approached only to within 250m on wheels. Inside, some of the walls are still rough-hewn red laterite of the native rock, others plastered white, all curving whimsically and organically to carve out the two levels into three bedrooms and a split-level meditation area and for restorative wave watching. In the monsoon, the rock sprouts little natural streams that slip away into channels cut into the walls. In warm weather, the odd plant pops up. In cooler, clement times, the sky overhead is strewn with paragliders’ sails. Instead of room service and laundry, two well-stocked kitchens are provided and a washing machine; also TV and broadband connections. There is no generator; just the one inverter. And a sole Man Friday to clean and run the odd errand for you. Tariff from Rs 9,900 for the whole villa (seasonal) Contact 9820055053, thehobbitgoa.com


Best designer: The Park
The latest property from a chain that is India’s most boutique-y, The Park on Holiday Beach in Calangute is as designer as they come. No surprises there. What is surprising though is how well the retro-modern aesthetic of the Park commingles with carefree Goa. Louis ghost chairs co-exist peacefully with the porcelain fish by a local artist that floats over the reception. The all-white rooms seem startlingly restrained but flamboyant flourishes in the public areas make up. Staff uniforms by Wendell Rodricks and Rohit Chawla’s portraits of Goa’s expat population complete the designer look. Tariff from Rs 7,500 Contact 0832-2267600


Best spa: Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa
There are several excellent reasons to visit this resort. It’s set on the secluded Bambolim Bay, with waters lapping gently on to clean sands. It offers elegant but roomy accommodation. It’s got the obligatory range of dining options. But the ‘killer app’ is their Shamana spa. With 19 treatment rooms, all with private plunge pools, this is the largest and most comprehensive resort spa in Goa. The massive (34,000 sq ft) building also houses an extensive gym, a yoga room, beauty salon, sauna and even a 25m indoor pool. Spa junkies, this is a no-brainer. Tariff from Rs 8,500 Contact 1800-122-1234, goa.grand.hyatt.com


Best value: Lemon Tree Amarante
We want it all, don’t we? Modern amenities, first-rate service, good food, stylish interiors, great views, someone to watch your kid while you check into the spa and, above all, a small price tag. All possible if you’re at the Lemon Tree Amarante. Located on the lively Candolim beach, the hotel is evocative of Goa’s Portuguese heritage with its sloping red-tiled roofs, stained-glass windows, Christian oil paintings and striking tile work. Leisure seekers will love hanging by the pool, treating themselves to spa therapies and enjoying pretty views from private sit-outs. And if you’re actually coming here to work, there’s a well-equipped business centre. It’s hard to find better value elsewhere. Tariff from Rs 6,999 Contact 9911701701, lemontreehotels.com


Best tents: Montego Bay
When all that separates you from the sea is a bolt of canvas, your holiday will be beachy. And Montego Bay, a cluster of white tents on Morjim, one of Goa’s quietest beaches, offers just that. So if you’re happy with spare but neat furnishings and an attached bath with a shower and WC by way of ‘comforts’, it’s the perfect place. There are a handful of huts and villas as well, and a restaurant to ply you with seafood. Tariff from Rs 3,000 Contact 9850152250, montegobaygoa.com


Best super-exclusive: Elsewhere
Three bamboo jetties stick their tongues out into a brackish channel parallel to the sea — Otter Creek. Three tents sit behind them, a four-poster bed under each canopy.  They occupy one end of the 7,432 sq m spit of Elsewhere, a semi-secret address north of Ashwem, reached by a wooden footbridge. Accommodation is either in tents or in one of the four beach houses, all a charming blend of local architecture, rustic charm and European country chic. Tariff from $483 a week for the tents/from $937 per bedroom per week for the Bakery Contact  aseascape.com


Best luxury: The Leela
A favourite with filmstars, political dynasties and other deep-pocket types, one of the Leela’s big attractions is its location. Occupying a large wedge of tropical palms between the mouth of the Sal river and the sea at Mobor in South Goa, this is a beautiful sprawl of tropical gardens, artificial lagoons and personal plunge pools. From Lagoon Terrace rooms overlooking the greens, to Conservatory Premiere rooms as well as Lagoon Suites, Villas and Club Suites, the Leela offers you many ways to do ‘king-size’. The resort also possesses a golf course, and its spa, casino and the beachside seafood restaurant Susegado are very popular too. Tariff from Rs 16,000 Contact 0832-6621234, theleela.com


Best classic: Vivanta by Taj Holiday Village
Part of a sprawling complex that also comprises Fort Aguada (Goa’s first full-scale, luxury hotel that opened back in 1981) in Candolim, the Taj Holiday Village attempts to imitate a Goan village. Portuguese-style cottages dot the landscape that opens right out on to its own beach. Although this is five-star luxury, it feels homey. The star of this property is Chef Rego, and his legendary Goan cooking, and no visit would be complete without at least one of his meals. Tariff from Rs 11,000; Contact 0832-6645858, vivantabytaj.com


Best new: DoubleTree by Hilton
Formerly the Riviera de Goa, this renovated 104-room property has been rebranded. Most of the rooms have a balcony overlooking either the sea or the lagoon. The hotel counters the impersonality that is often threatened by size with such endearing extras as chocolate-chip cookies and Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries. The free wi-fi and trinity of F&B make it score over smaller properties, though the pool is modest and the building looks cosy, courtesy the old architecture. It is also affordable luxury, since DoubleTree in India has chosen to maintain a low profile compared to its properties abroad. Tariff from Rs 5,250 Contact 0832-6655666, doubletree3.hilton.com


Best alternative: Yab Yum
Are those igloos in a palm grove? Or are those nesting Olive Ridley turtles? For Yab Yum’s purple, thatched domes on Ashwem beach (although the rooms don’t have a sea view) in the remote, undeveloped north look nothing like a ‘shack’. Placed somewhere between seasonal hutments and tony resorts, Yab Yum — made of local volcanic rock, mango wood and palm thatch — occupies a suitably upmarket yet informal space. Here, New Age offerings and ‘green’ practices are complemented by free wi-fi and airport transfers. The kitchen is plied with fresh produce grown on the Jivana Plantation, their sister property in Mandrem, and the staff is happy to help children paddle in the pool or find ‘something to do’. Tariff from Rs 2,900 Contact 0832-6510392


Best quiet: Coconut Creek
Looking for a beach that is truly peaceful? Don’t venture north, of course. In fact, don’t even venture too far from the airport. For, round the corner from it, on South Goa’s non-touristy Bogmalo beach, lies Coconut Creek — quiet, sheltered by palms, pretty. You will also be treated to neat rooms, decent food, a lovely pool, plenty of charming nooks to laze in and even a spa. If you’re in the mood for an evening of drinks and music, Joet’s Guest House, the property’s sister concern is just the shack. Tariff from Rs 5,750 Contact 0832-2538090, coconutcreekgoa.com


Best villa-for-rent: La Casetta
A great way to live the good life, in complete privacy, is to hire this villa located just off Candolim beach. A sprawling, fully furnished villa with its own swimming pool and a Zen garden, along with three large bedrooms, living room and a kitchenette, it’s like having your own swish home in Goa. There’s plenty of space to lounge around, and the rooms are beautifully sunny. Home-cooked meals can also be arranged. Tariff from Rs 15,000 for the villa Contact lacasettagoa.com


Best shack: Thalassa
The highlight here is not the rooms — although the wood-and-thatch structures offer a perfectly charming shelter. It’s the food, enhanced by one of the best views in Goa. Set on top of a secluded outcrop in Vagator, with nothing but sea below, Thalassa serves up first-rate Greek food at affordable prices. From sofrito and dolmadakia to lamb/beef pita wraps and desserts — the entire menu is worth sampling. Comfy wicker furniture, diaphanous white curtains that flutter in the breeze, flickering candles, plants everywhere…it’s just lovely. There are five rooms to choose from but we reckon you won’t spend much time indoors. Tariff from Rs 2,500 Contact 9850033537


Best for families: Dreamcatcher
A mini-village of fifty makeshift Kerala-style cottages, Dreamcatcher enjoys the best of both worlds. Planted at the northernmost edge of Palolem beach, it’s wedged between the sea and a beautiful lagoon overlooked by the deck of its restaurant. Run by Walter Fernandes and his Liverpudlian partner Jackie, the ‘shacks’ come with pitched roofs, faux-wood pillars, railings and balconies. There’s even a double-storied suite with a bathtub for honeymooners. Rebuilt in a coconut grove over three months every winter and dismantled in half that time, Dreamcatcher also offers yoga classes and massages. Tariff from Rs 600 Contact 0832-2644873, dreamcatcher.in


Best food: Cidade de Goa
There’s far from a dearth of beach resorts in Goa, nor even of the five-star kind, but if you’re looking for the full resort monty but on a smaller, more intimate scale, then Cidade is it. The oldest of the venerable beach resorts, built in 1982, the resort is very well located on Vanguinim beach, 10 minutes from Panjim. The compact property is bright and cheerful, and features enough green spaces for children to run around in and still be within calling distance. Cidade also has a daily activity list for kids, as well as playgrounds, a special pool and even a games room. Tariff from Rs 6,375 Contact 0832-2454545, cidadedegoa.com





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