353 ReviewsSantiago is nestled under the rustling canopy of palm trees in the hugely popular Baga area. With abundant palm trees and a picturesque pool in the middle, it makes for a great place to stay at on your vacation. The Resort is decorated and well furnished to a high standard and the rooms are bright and spacious with the added warmness of the caring and friendly staff. Santiago is a cheap hotel in Goa that offers you something money cannot buy and a need to come back over and over again.
View More
Cobra Waddo, Calangute, Bardez, North Goa,403516,Goa,Goa,India
Santiago is nestled under the rustling canopy of palm trees in the hugely popular Baga area. With abundant palm trees and a picturesque pool in the middle, it makes for a great place to stay at on your vacation. The Resort is decorated and well furnished to a high standard and the rooms are bright and spacious with the added warmness of the caring and friendly staff. Santiago is a cheap hotel in Goa that offers you something money cannot buy and a need to come back over and over again.
Rating from 353 reviews 
Darren N on 20/11/2017 13:20
My partner and I are going to goa in November and was asking about do we need malaria tablets or not had mixed reviews can anyone help us . I’ve just come back from there on Saturday. Was there two weeks with my partner and we both never took malaria tablets and we are both well and fit
hemasingh08 on 18/11/2017 11:18
It was a pleasure staying at Santiago. We got immediate check in as it was working day and off season. The staff is good and friendly. The room was good with a balcony facing pool. The hotel is a boutique hotel with few rooms, but well maintained and friendly people all around. Breakfast is not elaborate but good enough for survival. We made few new friends from different parts of world. It seemed that we all planned our holiday together. Few things need to improvement, which I already mentioned in my personal email to the hotel. Not to forget the restaurant Las Masalas, its a good and reasonable place to eat food. Specially the goan delicacies. We really liked the chicken xacuti, cafareal in lunch or dinner. During breakfast pancakes, French toast and dosas were yummmm. Overall we had a great time.
Pulak on 09/11/2017 18:30
Stayed in Sept 2017 with family and friends. An average property located at a 15 mins walk away from Baga beach.
Try booking the pool view rooms (Mahogany), but barring the view they are exactly the same as the lower priced category (Maple).
The restaurant serves very reasonably priced and quality cuisine. During peak seasons when occupancy is high there is a long queue for breakfast and it can get chaotic. The bar is decently stocked.
The swimming pool is well maintained and the upkeep of the rooms is also decent.
A car rental agency 50 mts from the hotel entrance is a good option to hire vehicles.
Courteous staff and overall a value for money property.
BobtheBrit on 30/10/2017 14:38
(Loreena McKennitt) Santiago Beach Resort, Calangute, Goa
My wife and I visited Goa, with friends, back in the spring of 1999 as part of tour that included Kerala, but I thought it would be nice to return, a year after losing her after a viciously short and futile battle with Leukaemia.
The Hotel Santiago resort in Calangute looked like fun, so I booked a week, all inclusive.
Travelling solo.
I'd enjoyed a couple of days in Abu Dhabi en-route, so my journey was complicated by a four hour layover in Mumbai, a delayed flight and stolen iPad; I arrived at the hotel late afternoon.
Check in was swift and efficient and I was shown to my room (159) on the ground floor, overlooking the pool, albeit from a low angle.
My first impression of the room was that my late wife would have turned around and demanded to be taken to the Hard Rock, Hilton or Hyatt. No matter, the room - while a tad gloomy ( the windows are relatively small and frosted, which doesn’t help) - was clean. There’s a sitting area with a fridge, day bed, TV and a ‘kitchen’ area with fridge, kettle and sink. The bedroom and bathroom were sparse, but the mattress very comfortable. I had to turn the air-con off overnight as it was noisy and blasted cool/cold air onto the pillows.
Bedding is changed every two days, or daily if requested; I didn’t have a problem with every two days.
Outside, the hotel has lost much of its bright colours featured in the brochures, being repainted white, it’s a shame as the bright colours always appeared to be be a Goan feature.
I unpacked, wandered to the bar and was greeted with a cold bottle of Kingfisher by the bar staff. It was explained that this (late October) was still low season and that I should ask if I wanted any western dishes, such as bacon and sausage with my breakfast.
No matter, the food - mostly vegetarian - was delicious.
For information, BBC world news is channel 391 on the TV, and there are no ‘western’ (square 3 pin) sockets in the room. A stroll into ‘Town’ and 80 Rupees addressed that.
On my first full day I met Max, the tailor and ordered some shirts, and the jeweller just outside the hotel gates - read on to learn if they were any good.
Subsequent meals were delicious, I’ve written before that I’m known by name in two of my local Indian restaurants, if Santiago’s chef opened a restaurant in Blighty I’d be a regular at his place.
The waiters continued to offer me bacon and sausages at breakfast, but the freshly made masala dosas were delightful, so why not?
I don’t think they were serving any formal lunches during my stay, there were very few guests at lunchtime, and I was often offered a ‘snack’ - I didn’t fly nearly five thousand miles for a fish-finger sandwich.
It would be unfair to mention any staff by name, everyone, from the waiters, the chef, the hotel manager, and the pool guy were cheerful and friendly, most greeting me by name after the first day, and all happy to help. Others, such as cleaners and gardeners simply waved and smiled.
The reception desk staff were polite and efficient.
I’ve noticed a number of negative posts here on Trip Advisor from Indian guests; for the record, the only complaints I witnessed were when the staff enforced the pool rules regarding ‘proper’ swimwear. The Indian families tended to just visit for a few days, and all seemed to enjoy their stays.
It’s perhaps worth mentioning that the power was flaky at times, so it might be worth bringing a torch, even if you don’t plan on leaving the hotel after dark.
The free WiFi provides good coverage, even if it’s not the world’s fastest.
There are Tea and Coffee making facilities in the room, but it’s worth asking at the bar for ‘real’ milk, as the powdered stuff doesn’t cut it.
And, at breakfast, ask for ‘Black Tea’ as the locals drink a sweet milky concoction.
Also worth mentioning that the hot water is the hottest I’ve ever experienced in a hotel.
The in-room booklet suggests it’s heated by ‘geyser’ - which I took to mean a gas heater - but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was actually geothermal!
Oh, and yes, it’s a ten or fifteen minute walk to the beach, I made the trip once and settled back near the hotel pool, it’s cleaner, with fewer hassles.
To follow up from my first day shopping, the shirts from Max were well made and fitted nicely, and the ear studs I’d ordered were nicely made. Both purchases were excellent value.
Earlier in this review I wrote that my late wife would have turned and left; she’d have missed a really friendly and enjoyable hotel.
hinaparg on 12/10/2017 11:43
A complete package Hotel, Quick Service , Nice staff, spacious rooms with a beautiful view,refrigerator, clean swimming pool, good breakfast , good recreational room with TT, Pool table , carom, small library...Additional Advantage is its walking distance to the beach and the Bike and car can be hired just outside of the Hotel. overall recommended
