Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, Goa

Situated on a sprawling piece of grassy hillside overlooking Fort Aguada and the Arabian Sea, the Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa is a luxury vacation resort that attracts older international couples and well-heeled Indian weekenders, along with the occasional wedding group. Registration takes place in an elegant lobby featuring a large wooden reception desk decorated with hand-painted panels. Huge arched windows look out to the sea beyond, while a set of twin staircases with iron railings lead downstairs to the heart of the property, where a sprawling lagoon pool stretches out to the sea. The grounds are lovely, with lots of greenery and palm trees. However, the property is relatively spread out, and while the hotel offers buggies to help guests get from point A to point B, some find the wait tedious and inconvenient.

The hotel is located at the southernmost end of Candolim, right next to the famous beachfront Fort Aguada (which guests can access directly via a gate at the base of the hotel, next to the pool). It's easy enough to get down to the shops and restaurants in Candolim, either by walking along the beach or taking the main road, but the latter option involves a five-minute walk down the hotel's long driveway before even reaching the road. Baga takes 20 minutes to reach by car, and it's about a 35- to 45-minute drive to the more bohemian beaches in Anjuna and Vagator. The airport in Vasco de Gama takes around an hour to reach. 

This hotel offers a huge variety of room types, from regular rooms with sea or garden views clear up to private villas, the largest of which has three bedrooms.  Amenities are generally consistent across categories, with -- at the minimum -- flat-screen TVs with DVD players, free Wi-Fi, minibars, and coffee-and-tea-making facilities standard across rooms, but decor varies considerably. For example, the Superior and Deluxe Rooms have a sapphire-blue color scheme, with dark-wood furniture and off-white walls and floors giving them a sleek, cool, look. The higher category Aguada Cottages and Premium Rooms and Suites have an arguably more dated, and certainly more summery look, with ample use of yellows in the throw cushions, carpets, and floor tiling. The hotel also offers a number of Hermitage Villas with separate living rooms and private lawns. These feature hardwood floors and throw cushions and bed covers reminiscent of Delft china. There's also a gargantuan Presidential Villa with its own decor scheme plus a living room, a dining room, and a huge garden. Most rooms have balconies or terraces, some with great sea views. Bathrooms vary greatly, with shower/tub combos in some and walk-in showers in others -- some also have deep soaking tubs. 

Features cater to well-heeled vacationers who don't want to leave the property for food or entertainment. The star feature is the lovely lagoon-style swimming pool that stretches from the base of the main building clear out towards the sea beyond. There's also a small kids' pool. Next to the pool area sits SFX, a lounge bar with big padded chairs and gorgeous sea views. Snacks, coffee, beer, wine, and cocktails are served here.The resort offers a handful of other excellent dining options, with a main restaurant, two bar/cafes, and two fine-dining dinner options. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the all-day Kokum Kitchen, which offers a ton of Indian and international choices plus a large breakfast buffet. Dinnertime dining options include Il Camino, with a show kitchen featuring a large pizza oven, and Morisco, a seafood restaurant with an adjacent martini bar that serves international and Goan options and fresh lobster.

This hotel is a popular spot for weddings, with gorgeous lawns for up to 800 guests. There's also a ballroom with audiovisual equipment plus a couple of smaller meeting spaces for a maximum of 50 to 70 guests. The resort is big on wellness, with a huge fitness center complete with multiple cardio machines, free weights, and a squash court. The spa, Jiva, offers a ton of treatments like Indian Ayurvedic therapy, body scrubs, and beauty services. There's also a billiards room with ping-pong, plus a second game room with foosball, the traditional Indian game of carom, and lots for little kids, including an arts and crafts table. Parking and Wi-Fi are free.