MURIn continuation to our ongoing series on best hotels for team building programs, we started making a list of top ten hotels in the west and realized that Goa, one of our favourite destinations in the west, alone has so many good properties that a separate list is needed to do justice to all of them. So here is a list of our top ten favourite hotels in Goa for conducting team off sites and team building programs. As earlier, we have kept the same criteria in mind while selecting our top 10, which include quality of banquets and accommodation, service, connectivity etc. Below are our list of top ten hotels in Goa for conducting team building programs (in no particular order). We have tried to include hyperlinks in the blog to the banquet facilities at each hotel so that you can check out suitability for your own teams
1. Zuri White Sands
Located on the beautiful Varca beach, Zuri White Sands is one of our favorite places in Goa for medium sized groups of up to 100 people.
Source: ZuriWhite sand
Banquet facilities are good with excellent service quality. Huge outdoor lawns and easy access to the beach open up a lot of activity options in the resort and the beach. Running a Geocaching Challenge, with a dash of local Goan flavor added is one of our favorite activities at the resort.
2. Park Hyatt
Constructed in a traditional villa style architecture, The Park Hyatt on the Arossim Beach is one of the most popular venues in the South of Goa.
Source: Park Hyatt, Goa
The proximity to the airport is one of the added advantages of this lovely property as are its good conferencing facilities. A 15 minute walk along the beach leads you to the famous Zeebop Shack for a flavor of local Goan culture – a must visit if you haven’t already! The Sandcastle Castle is an excellent team building activity option for teams wanting to experience the beach and soak in the sun while having an engaging team experience.
3. Grand Hyatt, Goa
A newly opened property, The Grand Hyatt has been a game changer in the list of large group venues in Goa.
Source: Hyatt.com
Located at a convenient 15-20 minute drive from the airport with more than 300 rooms and one of the largest ball rooms in Goa, the hotel is already a hot destination for company meetings and annual conferences especially for large groups. In season time, there is easy access to water sports operating on the beach as well, adding a bit of adventure to the overall experience.
4. Taj Exotica
Located on the quiet Benaulim beach, the Taj Exotica, Goa (the only one operated under the Exotica brand by Taj in India) is one of our personal favourites for conducting leadership team retreats and ranks near the very top of every list of luxury hotels in Goa.
Source: Tajhotels
Banquet facilities are excellent and the service quality is legendary; one of our colleagues remembers instances from a family holiday – there were teddy bears and chocolates waiting for their two year old baby girl when they returned to the room every day! ( just the delight on her face has made the hotel one of their favourite holiday destinations in India!)
5. Leela, Goa
Situated on the pristine Mobor beach, the Leela, Goa is one of the all-time favourites for leadership teams to hold their annual retreats.
Source: The Leela
The 75 acres property is one of the biggest in Goa, and the rooms have beautiful water bodies surrounding them, making it a memorable stay experience. The banquet facilities are good – excellent service is one of the X-Factors of this property.
6. Kenilworth Resort & Spa
Situated on the Utorda Beach (almost neighboring the Park Hyatt Property), the Kenilworth is an excellent option for medium sized groups of up-to 75 people and the hotel boasts of very good banquet facilities.
Source: KenilWorth hotels
The activities team at the hotel are very helpful in arranging use of hotel facilities and beach sports at your convenience. The large pool also give the option of setting up a mini Rafting Challenge inside the property as an engaging team building experience.
7. The Lalit, Goa
The Lalit Golf Resort and Spa (erstwhile Intercontinetal Hotel) is a charming Portugese style property situated in South Goa on the Palolem Beach.
Source: The Lalit
Though a bit far from the airport compared to other venues, the property more than makes up for it with its impressive facilities – which include a good international class 9 hole golf course, huge lawns conveneint for conducting large events and large banquet spaces. Availability of multiple banquet rooms also make it an ideal venuesfor conferences involving multiple breakout sessions conducted in parallel.
8. Cidade de Goa
Designed like a self-sustaining Portuguese hamlet, the unique architecture of the Cidade De Goa Resort captures your attention from moment you step foot in the property.
Source: cidadegoa
Banquet facilities are good and can cater to medium sized groups comfortably. The Beach Challenge is one of our most popular activities at the venue.
9. Vivanta by Taj, Fort Aguada
One of the older and most well-known properties in the whole of Goa, the Taj Fort Aguada offers a charming, vibrant Goan experience. Not much has changed (thankfully!) in some parts of the 18th century Portuguese Fort and watching the sun set from the Fort Walls with waves lapping below is an experience not to be missed.
Source: tajhotels
The hotel offers excellent flexible Banquet facilities – options include huge lawns which can host up to 1000 people for an evening dinner and conference rooms which can host up to 100 people programs. The beach nearby also has good options for water sports and Dolphin watching (if you try this, do ensure you leave early in the morning by 7am or so – it is worth it!)
10. Holiday Inn
With 200+ rooms, the Holiday Inn is one of the hot favourites for large annual off-sites and company meetings in South Goa.
Source: holidayInngoa
The large 5000+ sq ft ball room and banquets can easily host team building programs for upto 300 member groups. The huge lawns also make it an ideal venue for hosting large group team building activities, one of our favorites is to conduct an outdoor SuperCar Challenge in the lawns.
Which are your favourite properties in Goa for conducting team off-sites? Do join the conversation…
For those of you who missed our earlier posts in the series, you could refer our Top 10 hotels in South India for team building, Top 10 Hotels in North India for team building and Top 10 Hotels in West India for team building blogs.
