Castle House

Castle House occupies a gorgeous, three-story Portuguese colonial-style building painted in hues of soft yellow with white and navy trim and terra-cotta roofs. Guests pass through a large lobby with red tile floors and a wall-mounted flat-screen TV into a central courtyard with a pool and a covered outdoor restaurant, where the majority of the activity at this hotel takes place. Rooms are spread across all three floors of the hotel, accessible only by stairs (though staff can help travelers schlep luggage up to higher-floor units). Most guests are budget travelers, and the value property gets its fair share of international backpackers as well as a few domestic tourists.

Castle House is located on a quiet side street in otherwise busy Calangute, about a 10-minute walk from the beach. It's a two-minute walk from the Aguada-Siolim Road that cuts through town (north to south), and there are tons of restaurants, shops, and other hotels within a five-minute walk of the property. The Saturday Night Market in Arpora is around a 15-minute drive from the hotel. Anjuna Beach and its weekly flea market are about 20 minutes away by car. The Goan capital city of Panaji and Old Goa are around 35 minutes away by car. The international airport in Vasco de Gama can take anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes to reach by taxi, depending on traffic.

Rooms are simple but bright and well-maintained, with white walls paired with tan tile floors, a mix of black- and dark-wood finish furniture, and simple framed art pieces featuring cartoon art inspired by famous Goan artist Mario Miranda. Standard amenities include free Wi-Fi (free throughout the hotel), mini-fridges, wall-mounted split air-conditioning units, small flat-screen TVs, and free bottled water that's replenished daily. Bathrooms are large, with a blue-and-white mini-tile design and hot water is available around the clock. Free toothpaste is provided and there are wall-mounted soap dispensers in the showers. Ground-floor rooms have small sit-out terraces and extra beds can be added in these rooms for a fee. Note that the hotel also offers beds in a six-bed, mixed-gender hostel-style room that can be rented out in its entirety. 

While amenities at Castle House are simple, they aren't bad for a budget hotel. At the heart of the hotel's small courtyard is a compact swimming pool that's just big enough for lap swimming, flanked by a few plastic lounge chairs. Next to the pool is the hotel's covered open-air restaurant and bar, which serves Indian fare along with fresh juices and Lavazza espresso drinks. Breakfast is included in room rates and served buffet- style, with a selection of hot Indian items plus made-to-order eggs, toast, tea, and coffee. A pool table sits off to one side. Live music and karaoke sessions are held here every Friday during high season. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property and there's free parking just out front. The lobby features a large lending library with plenty of paperbacks. Bicycle and motorbike rentals, plus airport transfers can be arranged through the front desk. There's also a lockbox here where guests can store valuables, convenient given the lack of in-room safes. Check-out time is a little earlier than standard in Goa, but early check-in and late check-out are available for a small fee.