My wife and I spent 3 weeks back packing in india and stayied at the marinha dourada and loved it..the rooms are spotless, cleaned everyday and the staff are so friendly and helpful...we had heard lots of stories about accomodation in india and spent hours searching the web to find a well priced, clean, friendly hotel, close to everything but not right in the middle of it all.
This hotel ticked all the boxes...it is only 5 minutes taxi ride away and 15 minute walk from the main shops,restaurants and bars..
Having searched for months we found that there was always someone who didnt like a hotel and they really can put you off, be assured this is a great hotel and for those who have not been to india or goa before it is a culture shock and you maybe surprised at the low standard of certain hotels or shocked that the 4-5 star hotels are not cheap at all..
when we stayied there was building work going on however the hotel is simply expanding and dont be put off by the photos shown, just check before booking of ask as we did to be placed away in the first block...
This hotel you can rest assured is clean, has great facilities, excelent pools, well located and friendly staff

craig (26) and ann (26)

northern ireland

The Marinha Dourada definitely deserves more than 2 stars. The rooms are very spacious, are kept spotlessly clean, they are cleaned & the bedding changed every day, along with the towels being changed. There are two lovely pools, which are kept very clean. The nearest one to the entrance is the more shaded one and the one over the bridge gets more sun. You get the normal bed reserving but there are plenty to choose from so it's not really a problem. We stayed in the newer annex part of the hotel, which on normal occasions would definitely be the best part to stay in, but while we were there, a new hotel was being built behind and the noise from the builders was terrible every morning from 7am - even on Christmas Day! It really sounded as though they were in our bathroom. Took the shine off slightly. All the staff are super polite say hello or good evening whenever they walk past. There's staff at reception 24 hours, secure safety deposit boxes and internet available for a small charge which I used to pay all my bills that were due just after Christmas!!! We only had breakfast for a few days of our stay - there was a good choice including cereals & toast, eggs & beans & there was chef out in the restaurant every morning who would cook fresh omelettes when ordered. They have lovely fresh fruit platters available too but you have to pay a little extra for those.The one complaint I have about the hotel itself is that on our last day we asked if we could keep the room for a few extra hours due to the time of our flight and they charged us almost £90, which considering we only paid £500 for 14 nights was absolutely ridiculous. There's a taxi rank right outside the hotel so there's no problem accessing other areas, agree a price before you set off though. We went and had a look around Sun Village hotel which was almost twice as expensive as the Marinha, and there wasn't a lot of difference. The Marinha's location is a bit better too. Regarding the area, I would definitely advise getting a taxi to Mandrem beach - it's beautiful. The bridge to get across the river to the beach is a bit like a bushtucker trial but it's well worth it. Not too many sellers bother you neither.
To sum up, I'm not sure if I would go to Goa again but if I did, I would definitely stay at the Marinha Dourada.

The hotel is in a lovely setting overlooking 2 lakes. There was building work going on behind the hotel when we were there but it really didn't affect us. We even sunbathed at the pool nearest the work but still didn't hear it. The staff are lovely and you get a very 'personal' feel. Bedrooms were pretty basic but very clean. The only downside was breakfast - very ordinary, and rather boring. It really wouldn't take much to improve on that but I can't imagine that actually happening. The outside bars were nice but with only a crackly radio to listen to which veered in and out of being tuned in! Rather irritating sometimes, but unfortunately they had no CD's to use instead. There really are only a few things that would greatly improve this hotel (in MY opinion...) but maybe that adds to the charm..??! I don't know... The bands that play by the restaurant are very loud and it's very much a case of 'speak now or forever hold your peace...'!!! However, ALL can be forgiven when the staff walk by and give a cheery 'hello/morning/evening'. The beauty salon is basic, but very good and very cheap (certainly by UK standards). The perfect opportunity to pamper yourself!!! Don't expect 5* carribean standards, but I think if you're realistic and appreciate cleanliness and a 'charm' about the place then I don't think you'll be that disappointed.

We returned a week ago from Marinha Dourada, below is a detailed review and information that we also would have liked before we went, hope it helps:

Liked about Marinha Dourada :)
- Cheap - laundry, minibar (mainly water, no chocolates with some fizzy drinks and alcohol) at good prices and restocked daily, room service also at great price but they do charge VAT which we did not get charged when we ate out
- Views - The views in the early morning and at sunset across the lake/swimming pool are beautiful
- 2 Swimming Pools - Either side of the complex there is a pool to choose from, the new annexe one seems better though and is cleaned daily the other one when we were there it seemed someone had been sick in it and was not cleaned since. Good size pools and the new annexe one is just under 5ft all the way through so good if you are a good swimmer or not. Watch out for the ants and insects in pool, which there are plenty of even when cleaned. Sun beds are not a problem.
- Good location - Quiet but yet easy to get to all locations and there is a taxi stand outside the hotel, so you never have the hassle of looking for a taxi to go out.

Disliked about Marinha Dourada:(
- Room Service - Once the staff take the plates from your room the leave them outside the room, with the left over food being eaten by the birds, stray cat .... Also attracting flies and other rodents/insects
- Lake looks beautiful, but the water is stagnant, is very dirty and smells terrible. This will if it has not already attract rats (which are plentiful in India, especially near water areas)
- Breakfast - Included in price, if you like bread full of ants then it is recommended. Although the omelettes are freshly cooked
- Rooms - We had to change as the building work was so loud, when we were told we could barely hear it. Our new room was on the ground floor and was at most times full of ants (in India they are very large ants). The staff would chat outside the room early in the morning. We could not relax in the balcony as it overlooked the pool and lacked privacy
- Conferences - We could just about bare the rest but the worst part was the Conferences that the hotel holds for local companies. We were there for a week and were very excited when the central area in the hotel (next to the lake) was being decorated with a buffet, when we got dressed to enjoy the entertainment and food, we were told these are only for the Conferences and not for hotel guests. The people that came through the Conferences love their mobile phones. They would stand in the balcony at around 6.30am talking as though they are sat at home, so loud!! At the pool was the same issue, they would stand in the balcony screaming (to them it was talking) on the phone. The hotel staff tried to stop them and were shouted at, we were all told they will soon be going so don't worry!
Then there were the other conference people who fancied a swim, why not but when the take your sun lounger, with your towel on it and you can see them using both and laughing. It is annoying as you have to sign for the pool towels, which you get charged for if not returned. There were 3 different conferences that were held in the one week we were there.
- Entertainment & Hotel Food in the evening - If you are not vegetarian, then they had a couple of sizzler nights which looked good. We only saw entertainment on one of the nights. The area where food is served for guests was small but cosy.

- We enjoyed on holiday: Baga beach was our highlight, sitting by the beach having a candle lit dinner. We had taken one suitcase with our clothes and another with clothes for charity, so we could bring back other things from Goa. We went to a children's orphanage nearby (please do visit, it is a memorable experience and leaves you feeling like you have made a difference).
For shopping we went to both the markets on the same night, would prefer Inga market, Mackies is small. Items in the market are some kurtas (indian shirts, lovely for hot weather and can be bought for 150 rupees, negotiated from 600. Anklets for the ladies are a good buy too, and sunglasses.)
Although, this is not where we did our shopping for gifts. We did this in Calangute and Panjim. Both were lovely but it does get very hot. If you go to Baga, be aware of the Naheed (or something similar) taylor, we and other people we spoke to were ripped off by him. He made a lady’s english suit for me from the Next catalogue, which looked noting like it. It cost £35 but was awful, it was a man's suit that he called a woman's and other people we me at Baga, said they had similar bad experiences there. One lady was tearful when she told us that she paid him £120 for 2 suits and never got them! So be aware of Naweed or Naheed taylor (can't remember the name too well), do not go there!! For taylors in Baga try PK Enterprises, good clothes and great taylors.

Places to shop - For clothes, Silk Emporium in Panjim was good. There are some back shops there that are worth a visit, there is one shop that has 5 floors, called Bharne Creations that was fab! Some local ladies recommended this place to us. It was close to Shiv Sagar restaurant, (great indian vegie place) where we stopped for lunch. For jewellery, try World wide Jewellers in Calangute. We bought some diamond earrings for £300 and got these valued at £1,800 when we got back. We got a certificate made, but be aware as they al try to sell bad quality diamonds but luckily my partner did lots of research before hand on the quality so we got a good buy.

For places to eat, All Spice was lovely. East meets west is good too. Try the beach shacks it is lovely to watch the sun fall, have a candle lit dinner and enjoy drinks all right on the beach, Baga is good for this.

All in all we (my partner, myself and our 11 year old son) had a great time and are looking forward to going again. We have been to india a few times but love north Goa, the people and atmosphere are great! We will be staying at a different hotel though, perhaps will try the Taj Village, which is gorgeous but expensive. There are many hotels to choose from and note that in May the Goa season ends as the monsoon is about to start, most shops/hotels close down so this is a good time to go as the people want to make quick money before they close for 6 months.

Please share your experiences too and let me know if this review was useful. Many thanks, Sonia