The O Hotel

The O Hotel is an upscale, purpose-built boutique property that was built in 2009. Guests enter through a side door next to the Lucky 7 Casino next door and have to walk along a long path alongside the main building and its bar and restaurant to reach the reception area at the center of the hotel. Three huge black cast-iron chandeliers hang over this area. Rooms are located in a set of long two-story buildings that face each other and out onto an external courtyard. There are Balinese-inspired elements throughout the property, with huge wooden doors and fountains for decoration. Gray cement pathways add an industrial touch, but during our visit they looked like they could do with a good polish. The hotel attracts plenty of overseas guests, primarily from Scandinavia and the United Kingdom, along with Indian tourists wanting easy access to the adjacent casino.

The O Hotel is located right off the main road in Candolim. It can be a bit difficult to spot, so travelers should just look for signs for the Grand 7 Casino, which shares a front gate with the hotel, and pull in. The property itself stretches all the way down to the beach. The nearest tourist sites include Aguada Fort (a 10-minute drive south of the hotel) and Old Goa (about 40 minutes away by car). The capital city of Panaji takes about a half-hour to reach from the hotel. It's about an hour to the airport by car.

Most of the rooms at The O are either compact entry-level Courtyard Rooms (on the ground floor) or their slightly snazzier counterparts -- Deluxe Rooms -- located on the upper level of the property. These rooms are just a tad larger, but still on the small side, and unlike Courtyard Rooms they can accommodate extra beds for kids or third guests. However, they are otherwise similar in terms of look and feel, with ample use of wood in the floors and furniture, plus brightly colored monochrome accent walls and tan bed runners. Amenities found in both categories include flat-screen TVs, safes, and coffee- and tea-making facilities. Deluxe Rooms also add balconies. The hotel also offers a few suites, including O View Suites with separate living rooms and huge windows with panoramic views out on the sea. The best room in the house is the Presidential Suite, with separate living and dining rooms plus its own private plunge pool. 

Bathrooms are similar in both categories, as well, with large countertops and pretty mosaic shower tiling. The main difference is that those in Courtyard Rooms have shower/tub combos while Deluxe Room bathrooms have separate walk-in showers and deep soaking tubs. 

This hotel has a ton of great amenities geared toward relaxation and recreation. There's a lovely infinity pool between the room area and the beach, beyond which sits a lovely lawn with plenty of shaded lounge chairs. The beach offers plenty of room to sunbathe, but like all beaches in India, it's not private and lounge chairs must be rented separately from the hotel. The fitness center is tiny with a rack of free weights and a couple of treadmills. The O Spa features massages and treatments while the O Salon offers hair treatments and nail services. For something special, the hotel even has its own private yacht, which can be used for events or dinners. Dining options include Kitsch, a spacious all-day dining restaurant with Goan and international fare, plus daily afternoon tea service. Alternatively, guests can opt for room service or have snacks and drinks in the lobby bar. There's also privately run bar and restaurant, Boca Loca, at the beach end of the property with seating on an outdoor deck. Though The O is not really a business hotel, there is a small banquet hall for rent, primarily used for wedding events and parties. There's also free hotel-wide Wi-Fi. Plenty of free, secured parking is available in a lot shared with the adjacent casino.