Holiday Inn Goa Candolim

You get a practical base for a diving holiday in Candolim, with the coast close enough to reach on foot and the useful comforts of a full-service hotel waiting when the day is done. Air-conditioned rooms, balconies, free WiFi and a year-round outdoor pool cover the essentials without asking you to turn the place into a second home.

Families are welcome, and the room range works for couples, friends travelling together and larger groups. There is also a fitness centre, a garden and a restaurant on site, so you can keep the evening simple when salty clothes, tired legs and the Goa heat have already taken their share.

The hotel is called Holiday Inn Goa Candolim, at Sinquerim in Candolim. Its setting gives you two choices: stay in for dinner and a quiet drink, or walk out towards the beach, nearby bars and the forts around the coast.

The address is in Candolim, India, in the Sinquerim area. Candolim Beach is about 500 metres away on foot, with golden sand, sun loungers and parasols. Sinquerium Beach is also roughly 500 metres away, so you are close to more than one stretch of coast rather than tied to the hotel pool.

Fort Aguada is about 1 mile away and can be reached on foot or by car. Reis Magos Fort is about 2.5 miles away, while Goa State Museum is around 4 miles from the hotel. If you fancy a longer outing, Chapora Fort is about 7 miles away and Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary about 6 miles away.

For arrivals, Dabolim Airport is about 24 miles away by road. Manohar Parrikar International Airport is about 18 miles away by road. The hotel offers an airport shuttle, either privately or as a shared service depending on the arrangement, to be booked with the hotel.

Most of the rooms are compact rather than sprawling, so the sensible choice depends on how many people need to get out of wet kit and into dry clothes without performing furniture removal. Couples will usually find a king room with a balcony the straightforward option; the balcony adds somewhere to sit and lets you take the air without leaving your room.

For two divers travelling together, a twin room avoids the nightly negotiation over who has stolen the duvet. The Premium King Room with a king bed and a single bed is better suited to a small family or three adults who want one room without moving up to the large suite. For a bigger group, the Two-Bedroom Suite with a balcony and sunrise view is the clear step up, accommodating up to six guests.

Every room has air conditioning, a private bathroom, a desk, television, wardrobe and tea- and coffee-making facilities. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel. Soundproof rooms are available, which matters when you are trying to sleep rather than conduct a midnight audit of the corridor. A drying rack is supplied for clothing, while daily housekeeping, room service, towels, slippers, bathrobes and toiletries keep the practical side of the stay reasonably tidy.

Spice Studio is the main restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in an air-conditioned indoor setting. The cooking covers international dishes, with Indian, seafood and other international choices available, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. That gives you room to eat locally or keep things familiar, depending on how adventurous your appetite feels after diving.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, with continental, Full English and Irish, and vegetarian choices. Local specialities, pastries and a range of drinks are part of the morning spread. Breakfast in your room is also available, which is handy when an early start makes conversation an unnecessary extra.

There is one named bar on site: The Lounge. It is the place for a drink rather than a full evening production, while the nearby area adds a few alternatives, including Shivers Lounge Bar, King Fisher Villa Bar and Sinq Night Club, all within roughly 300 metres. A coffee house on site, a bar, restaurant and room service mean you can keep the logistics pleasantly short.

The outdoor swimming pool is the obvious place to spend the part of the afternoon when you have no intention of doing anything strenuous. Sun loungers and beach chairs are available, and pool or beach towels are provided. You can also walk to Candolim Beach, where the hotel lists loungers and parasols for the sand-and-sea version of the same plan.

When your shoulders need more attention than a sun lounger can provide, the wellness facilities include massages for the head, neck, back, feet, hands and full body, as well as couples massages. A sauna is also part of the wellness offering. The spa facilities are temporarily closed for renovations, so do not build the whole recovery plan around them; the massage services and fitness centre remain the more relevant details for now.

A garden, picnic area and outdoor furniture give you somewhere to sit away from the room. Bicycle rental and bike tours are available, as are water-sports facilities on site and evening entertainment including live music. Snorkelling is offered off site. For a couple, the most workable combination is simple: swim, walk towards the beach or Fort Aguada, then return for a massage or a drink before dinner.

Check-in runs from 3 pm to 11.30 pm, and check-out from 10 am to noon. A 24-hour front desk, express and private check-in or check-out, concierge service, lockers and luggage storage make the arrival and departure mechanics fairly easy to manage, particularly if your flight times do not line up neatly with the room.

Free private parking is available on site, with valet parking also available. WiFi is free throughout the hotel. The airport shuttle is available as a paid service and should be arranged with the hotel. Shuttle service is also available for other journeys, with the details handled directly by the hotel.

Children of all ages are welcome. Cots and extra beds can be requested, subject to the selected room and availability, while children aged 11 and over are treated as adults for occupancy purposes. The hotel accepts cards, not cash, and pets are not allowed. Accessible facilities include wheelchair access, lifts to upper floors, lower bathroom sinks, raised toilets and toilets with grab rails.