Taj Exotica Resort Goa

It was a lovely trip. Everything for the trip was perfect. The kids area was very thoughtful and the staff was always ready to engage them especially Narmin, she was very good and kind with kids. We will definitely visit again soon.

I had high expectations from Taj Exotica, Goa. unfortunately, my experience was far below what I have come to expect from the Taj brand. Right from the booking process to check-in and various service interactions during my stay, there were repeated disappointments.

The issues began immediately after making the booking through my Taj InnerCircle account. I completed the payment using my credit card along with Tata NeuPoints through the payment link provided. However, after the transaction, the page displayed a "Link Expired" message, and I received neither a payment confirmation nor a booking acknowledgement. I contacted customer care, who transferred my call to the property, which in turn redirected me to the accounts department. Despite multiple attempts, no one answered. I eventually sent an email, and only after sharing my credit card transaction details, since no payment reference had been generated, did I receive payment confirmation and booking confirmation—almost two days later.

The arrival experience was equally underwhelming. There was nothing memorable about the welcome. Guests were expected to pick up a glass of red color drink (???) that had been kept uncovered at the entrance, without anyone explaining what it was or offering it personally. Interestingly, not all members of my family were even offered the drink. A welcome gesture should feel warm and thoughtful, not impersonal and confusing. Even much smaller hotels present welcome drinks with courtesy and explain what is being served, does it contain sugar? is it suitable for everyone?

Our check-in experience was also disappointing. Although we arrived at around 3:30 PM, the rooms were still not ready. After waiting for nearly 30 minutes, we received the key to only one room, while being informed that the second room would be ready later. The second key was finally handed over around 4:00 PM. We ourself dragged baggage from one room to other after receiving keys. We requested for inter-connected room but when the door between rooms was opened the space between was extremely dirty as it was not opened and cleaned for several days. Had to call housekeeping staff to clean it.

The most frustrating experience was with the pre-booked Evening High Tea at Hora Do Cha. Before arrival, I had received several promotional emails encouraging advance bookings, so I booked the High Tea online. However, when we reached the venue at 5:00 PM, there was no staff present and no High Tea setup. We were sent from Hora Do Cha to the main restaurant and then to the bar before finally being told that there was no High Tea buffet at all and that we would instead have to order items from the menu, which would take another 30 minutes. To make matters worse, during billing I was charged both for the pre-booked High Tea—which effectively did not exist—and for the food we had separately ordered. This was completely unacceptable, on complaining it was removed.

Overall, this stay was a series of avoidable service failures rather than isolated incidents. For a luxury property carrying the Taj name, I expected seamless service, attention to detail, and genuine hospitality. Instead, I experienced poor coordination, ineffective communication, and operational lapses at multiple touchpoints. It was a highly disappointing experience and certainly not what one expects from the Taj Group.