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Heritage Hotels
Hotel Astoria It's a family-run establishment set amidst the peace, tranquility and simplicity of the lovely valley of Assagao in North Goa. It's just a hillslope away from the famed Mapusa town and on the way to Anjuna beach, the ultimate Goa destination for the European visitor. The Hotel has been built in the cool shade of aging mango trees and swaying coconut palms, in traditional Goan style, on a naturally terraced landscape. You are virtually in the lap of nature here, with the sweet songs of the bulbuls and birds of colourful plummage. Ida and Edwin Fonseca, who run the place, ensure the guest of comfy rooms with a sitting area, ceiling fan, showers and a balcony. Facilities include a well stocked bar and a restaurant, offering Goan, Continental and Indian dishes. Evening entertainment includes occasional live bands. Being connected with the best sandy beaches in North Goa, it's a regular haunt of tourists, who drop in for lunch or dinner enroute to Anjuna beach, and often book a room enraptured by the natural surroundings and traditional hospitality. Transfers from the airport take just about 90 minutes. The tariff too is also quite favourable compared to what's been charge either at Mapusa town or in Anjuna proper. If the millennium visit brings you to North Goa, you could give this decent Goan, lowbudget hotel a try. Contact at torient@bom2. vsnl.net.in
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joeldsouza@satyam.net.in
In Fontainhas, the celebrated Latin quarter of Panjim bedecked with quaint bylanes, aristocratic houses and ornate portals, two heritage type hotels have come up where old family mansions have been converted into guest houses--Panjim Inn and Panjim Pousada. "Panjim Inn has been in my family for over five generations, originally as a house and now as a hostelry," says Ajit Sukhija, a much qualified expert in management, who gave up service to set up his own private venture. Sukhija has retained the ambience, which is truly old-style aristocratic and Catholic, with 1920s portraits adorning the walls of the dining hall. Panjim Inn possesses 13 bedrooms, each of which boasts of its distinctive individuality, furnished with period, carved furniture. The beds are 4-posters, antique and so are the almirahs. Panjim Pousada, on the other hand, with seven bedrooms, is an old-style Hindu home, which has been refurbished and renovated to reflect the elegance of the bygone Victorian era. It has a typical chowk in the centre, with a tulas and a surrounding courtyard, which now functions as an art gallery, where paintings of Goan and other artists are displayed. Both the Panjim Inn and Panjim Pousada, are actively patronised by foreign guests. The fine art gallery, Gitanjali, spreads over both the premises, displaying quality art work. There is a restaurant too. It serves clean, wholesome food, light refreshments and breakfast. The tariffs in season range from Rs.500 for a night to Rs.1150, depending on the type of the room. They are on email and can be contacted at panjimin@goa1.dot.net.in as well as on website http://www.panjiminn.com/. Says Sukhija, "It's high time that Indians and Goans, too, started taking interest in their heritage, which the two establishments try to evoke."
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