I snap out of my mid-morning reverie inhabited by infinite paddy fields and repeating rows of vintage Goan villas as my chauffeured power grinds to a halt on an asphalt street tainted by red dust. Sol de Goa, my next take look, doesn’t observe the cookie-cutter method to the luxurious, boutique hotel design format: There is no over-the-top structure or loud neon signages that cry for attention. I’ve become so conversant in awaiting bungalows painted within the Indo-Portuguese palette of deep ochre, sapphire, and claret that my jaw drops when I witness the ivory limestone façade of the white stucco building thatched with laterite roofs.
Sol de Goa: First Glimpses
Through a closed wrought iron gate, I capture glimpses of a principal courtyard with an emerald pool rimmed by lilting frangipani branches and trailing Boston ferns. At coming near eye level, the e facet of the latticed gate is tile-sized, sincerely pronouncing ‘Sol.’ That’s when it hits me—this is one of these discreet, extremely luxe Goa hotels that is more like a personal club than a flashy resort.
Sol de Goa: A Second Life
The Nerul assets are just beyond Candolim, close sufficiently to the celebration district but still cut off from North Goa’s traveler takeover. Sol de Goa isn’t new in any manner (the boutique hotel’s interiors were initially styled with the aid of Tarun Tahiliani when it opened to customers a decade ago). Logistics, however, demanded more excellent legroom within the foyer and a tech upgrade over the years. So, German decorator Uti Travasso, who additionally designed the boutique resort’s extra well-known sister hotel Fort Tiracol and The Source at Sula Vineyards, became roped in re-haul, which was finished earlier this year.
“The authentic format had a pool inside the valuable courtyard, which no doubt became appreciated by the residents as a robust focal point. However, none of them ever swam in it because it changed into placed smack in the center of the general public areas and simply too near the reception for consolation,” Uti notes.
So, the land was accelerated inside the backyard of the hotel, and an outdoor deck became brought to the principal shape with a 2nd infinity pool at the periphery that overlooks lush paddy fields, the Nerul River that runs via them, and lighting fixtures from the Candolim Church glimmering in the horizon, at dusk. The extension additionally created room for the again-of-the-house Sol Bar, Restaurant & Verandah to comprise an alfresco dining location and an open kitchen. By her admission, Uti had peppered the gap with Ralph Lauren-stimulated front room furniture in a preppy blue-and-white striped print. She selected daring sculptural mild fixtures from Carla Alvares, a famous Goan chandelier artist, to rev up the foyer.
Sol de Goa: Goa Meets Galle Face
The principal building has a vintage-world charm that departs from normal Goan antiquity. The suite interiors comply with a monochromatic scheme—ivory partitions pitted in opposition to darkish timber furnishing, sweeping open layouts with wooden parquet flooring. Conventional four-poster beds draped in Sarita Handa mattress linen, making it seem more significant, like a Geoffrey Bawa construct inside the Old Dutch Precinct at Colombo’s Galle Face, instead of a quintessential Goan villa. “There is a specific Sinhalese effect to space, but I’ve sourced the antique furnishings from an antique street close to Mapusa,” Uti says.
Perhaps the lodge’s most captivating part (to me) is the labyrinth of slender, wooden staircases that connect the shaded atrium to the two top ranges. The foyer outside every room has a fence with louvered plantation shutters and comfortable alcoves with settees to the living room. In particular, the rooms at the topmost 2d st2ndy are in a surreal atmosphere that provides a chick bird’s view of the stunning belongings.
Sol de Goa: Party Like No Other
Goa’s party animals congregate at Sol Bar & Verandah on a Thursday night, aka Solvay, while the hotel hosts some exceptional global DJs on the arena song scene. Stop for a cocktail or a few culinary artistry with the aid of the motel’s resident chef, couple Sanchit Behl and Maia Laifungbam. A fusion of culinary flavors is suggested within the choice of hors d’oeuvres—mutton bheja pops with curry mayo, crispy pork papad, or a savory aloo methi waffle, to pique the palate.
