Everything but the way they handled the payment of the stay and services at the end. This makes me give them a bad review.

We have cards with EUR. We couldn't pay from INR to Euro and this issue happened only in the resort. We used the same cards to withdraw money in India, to pay to other hotels and to different restaurants. But in Taj all our European cards got rejected. The only solution was to charge us in Euro instead of INR which led to a surcharge of 200 euros. Basically we felt like we are being robbed and I think that for such a big chain and a top resort it's a shame. I would not return to Taj hotels & resorts due to this issue.

The Taj Exotica hotel in South Goa is a good place to stay although it does feel that the hotel needs a revamp now, as it is quite dated in the public areas, although our room (deluxe room with sea view) was a renovated room looking out to the sea & really lovely. Having said that, the Taj Exotica is probably the best hotel to stay at in South Goa, if you want to avoid the absolute horrors of North Goa (about 1 hour away). The breakfasts were very good and we really enjoyed the dinners we had at The Lobster Village at the hotel. The hotel is right on the beach so perfect for an early morning stroll. The beaches here at Benaulim are really nice and do not attract many tourists.

The hotel is quite dated in some public areas and really needs a revamp. Not all the staff are that great - it seems there is a lack of training and a clear lack of visible management on display, especially in the restaurant areas.

The resort is huge. It used to take me almost 20-30 minutes of paced walking to make one full round. There is greenery everywhere, everything is kept clean all the time. The working staff is polite and work non intrusively and quitely. The beach is clean and beautful. There are a few beach restaurants on either side if you wish to eat outside. The resort also has a restaurant at the beach. A few restaurants are also present outside the resort entry. Eveything from check in to check out was smooth and friendly. Outside taxis were not allowed near the area due to the taxi union so I had to make short notice arrangements at the resort which were fulfilled immediately. Lots of activites are arranged throuhout the day for chidren and adults. Bicyles are availble. Buggy for moving around can also be arranged. Pool area is beautful and big too. Definitely worth a visit.

There was nothing to dislike.

Indian Hospitality at its best. The staff is super professional and mindful of every small comfort of the guests. Lobster Village Restaurant at the beach offers incredible views, excellent food, live music and friendly staff. In-room dining was like magic- were happy to customise and even provide cuisines/food items not on the menu as well. Highly recommended. We also tried services like golf training and Ayurveda sessions. Both were of extremely high standards. Dr Anjana at the Ayurveda Centre was very patient and explained every nitty-gritty in detail.

The property was very nice with lots of open spaces and activities, great location and clean beach. The staff were very courteous. Special mention, Akshobhay for arranging rooms we wanted and cake my daughter wanted 🙂, the play area staff Narmin, Malvica, Charlaina and Scully for taking care of our daughter, Mario for singing nice goan songs and old classic Bollywood songs. Evening entertainment activities were fun. Overall very positive vibe and a fun place to stay with family.

The service at the restaurants were slow at the outside seating areas.

Great facilities for kids, lovely big pool with lots of swallower zones for little ones, friendly kids club with range of activities across the hotel. Beautiful location on the beach.

Charged extra for beds for the kids in the room (the hotel reception staff explained that the book by for two adults and two kids was made via booking.com on the basis of all four of us sharing one bed). This wasn’t specified by booking.com so came as an unpleasant surprise that we couldn’t avoid. Hotel restaurants nice but expensive compared to other local restaurants.

The pool villa was great. It was monsoon season, so the beach was closed and there were no water activities, however the weather was for the most part great and warm and sunny, with rain in the afternoon. Perfect for relaxing around our private pool!

The room when we checked in was not great and smelt a little musty / mouldy and the sheets felt damp. This is usual in a room that hasn't been used in a tropical place. I reported it to the staff and it was resolved the next morning. Also they have kept a hold on my debit card, which my bank cannot release, for the room booking, even though it is paid in advance. I have tried contacting the hotel to discuss releasing this, but getting hold of them on the phone is very difficult and in fact I tried to call them before travelling as our flight was landing very late and I could not get through to anyone, and when I finally did they hung up on me on all occasions.

Taj exotica was the best I have visited in the entire line up of Taj that I have visited. The property is beautiful, vast and well maintained on a daily basis. The staff could be seen continually working to keep it spic and span. They took care of us so well that we felt as if were at home. Whatever we asked for, they tried their best to provide it. I would specifically like to mention Creson, Nikhil and K from the dining restaurant sala da pranzo, Ajaykumar from pastry counter, Chef Navin, Evening Chef (I could not get the name), Vithoba from housekeeping, Frenny from Jiva SPA, Parmeshwari from Ayurveda Spa,Yuvaon from Travel desk and Mainak from Business centre. They were so helpful to us. The entire staff was always smiling and ready to be of help wherever we went. We went to exotica to celebrate a birthday in June and it became the most memorable vacation that we had in a long time. The beach was clean and maintained. The ducks were cute! Not to forget the Huge swimming pool and bicycles they provided us. Its a beautiful property where you can enjoy indoor as well as outdoors. We saw many beautiful birds and butterflies. The cherry on the cake was that Shri Ratan Tata visited the hotel at the time we were staying! (It was an honour truly) It was very difficult to leave from exotica, it was too beautiful.

Nothing

Friendly staff and great amenities. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks were exceptional. I appreciate the no cash/no tipping policy of the resort, it showed that the friendly staff really wanted to be there and weren't relying on tips to deliver great service. The room was well maintained every day.

Location was little challenging. We needed a car service to go shopping or to sight-see. But I still enjoyed the secluded nature of the beach and resort. We weren't in our room often, so we didn't raise a ticket, but the mini bar wasn't replenished every day. My recommendation for the buffet is to divide the staff into sections. We were consistently interrupted by multiple folks asking the same questions. If they are given a section, it would be easy to determine who to approach.

The Taj Hotel is an exceptional place to stay and exceeded all of our expectations. It is located near a beautiful beach and within tropical gardens - perfect for relaxation, wellness and being surrounded by nature. It is an ideal location for nature walks, observing the beautiful plants and spotting tropical birds within the grounds plus taking a stroll along the beach. Our stay also included breakfast and one meal. The food was of a very high standard, with an array of choices plus the option to order from the live stations directly from the chef. The meals were something we very much looked forward to as every day we were delighted with something new. We would like to thank the staff at the hotel who went above and beyond, for all their kindness and help during our stay. Special thanks to Siddharth, Clarina, Housekeeping, the chefs at Sala Da Pranzo and all of the waiting staff at the restaurant. We had such a wonderful stay and we are looking forward to returning soon. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Goa.

Everything was exceptional.