Palacete Rodrigues

We paid 16,000 rupees for three nights, and basic services like cleaning and fresh towels were treated as something we had to request. Staff were more interested in asking if we wanted food or drinks than offering room service. When we left, a table leg was broken in our room, which was entirely our fault, but the owner shouted at us for leaving without telling her. When I asked about the cleaning and towels, she said it was the guests’ responsibility to leave the keys and ask for those services. We didn’t like the way she spoke to us. The pool seemed to be mostly chlorine, and a friend who went in came out with red eyes, then got sick with a cough and cold. Food was ordinary for the price, and the tea and coffee were like hot brown water from a roadside shop. During our three days, there was no room service or cleaning, and the towels weren’t changed. We first had to pay in full for two rooms before we could even see them. One smelled foul, the beds felt damp, and after sitting on them we had bedbug bite marks all over. The AC displayed numbers but blew no air, the bathroom doors had no locks, and there was no water supply. After we complained, they moved us to another room, but its walls were so thin we could hear what was happening next door, and rainwater leaked in. I can’t understand the 4.1 Google rating for a place this bad. Don’t be taken in by it. Stay away, or send someone you dislike here, like an ex, so they can suffer too.

It’s a lovely setting, and the people running it are nice. I found the place interesting, with lots of smiles and more of a friendly community feel than a hard commercial one, which I liked. I haven’t stayed overnight as a tourist, so bear that in mind. I first came to photograph the place for a book about Mapusa, and more recently attended a poetry session hosted here.

The staff and service were great, and they were always willing to help make the stay comfortable and memorable. The property has a quirky look and plenty of character. They put a lot of care into making guests’ stays memorable.

The food was good, the staff were courteous, and the atmosphere was nice. It could be a fantastic stay if they worked on cleanliness: I could feel dust in the beds, and the washrooms need maintenance.