Advani Hotels and Resorts (India) Limited’s Caravela Beach Resort, a five-star deluxe property located in South Goa, has earned the prestigious Travellers’ Choice 2023 Award from Tripadvisor, placing it among the top 10% of hotels worldwide. Established in 1991, the resort spans 85,000 square metres and boasts a 75-metre beachfront.
Advani Hotels and Resorts (India) Limited has experienced significant growth and is now set to further enhance its prospects and create strategic value through various upgrades to the property.
Sourav Panchanan, General Manager of Caravela Beach Resort, Goa, shares insights into the resort’s journey and everything it offers to its discerning guests.
Tell us about how and when Caravela Beach Resort was born?
Caravela Beach Resort was established in 1991, following a strategic decision by Sunder Advani, Chairman and Managing Director of Advani Hotels and Resort India Limited, to invest in the growing Indian hospitality market. The journey began in 1987 when Advani, inspired by the pristine beaches of Goa compared to those in Bali, Hawaii, and other renowned destinations, chose Varca Beach as the ideal location for this venture.
After exploring numerous global beach destinations, he identified an 85,000-square-meter plot with a 75-meter beachfront on Varca Beach.
The resort’s design featured a 23-metre-high ancient lobby and a challenging par-three golf course, setting it apart from other properties. The decision to build ground plus two floors ensured unparalleled ocean views. Caravela also introduced India’s first electronic casino on a cruise ship, enhancing its appeal and positioning it as a unique destination.
Over the years, Caravela has evolved, closing the casino to cater to the growing demand for domestic weddings and conferences. Today, Caravela Beach Resort is a leading five-star luxury resort known for its stunning beachfront, spacious accommodations, and exceptional service, embodying the vision that began over three decades ago.
What inspired you to get into the hotel business?
I grew up wanting to follow my father, an Army officer, into the forces, but life had different plans. At seventeen, I found myself in hotel management school, which led me to work with prestigious hotel chains like IHG and Hyatt in India. My career took a major turn when I moved to Scotland, gaining invaluable experience at luxury properties such as The Gleneagles and Hilton Glasgow.
In 2015, I returned to India and joined Caravela Beach Resort, starting in food and beverage and eventually rising to General Manager. Today, I oversee our 201-room luxury resort, where my focus is on creating personalised, unforgettable guest experiences. My journey has been full of diverse challenges, and each has shaped my approach to leadership and hospitality. Looking back, I’m grateful for the opportunities that have brought me here and remain committed to delivering excellence.
How do you differentiate your property from others in Goa? What are the services and offerings you provide at the property?
Caravela Beach Resort is one of Goa’s pioneering luxury five-star properties and stands as the only independent, single-ownership hotel in South Goa with over 30 years of rich Indian heritage. Designed by world-renowned architects WATG and BELT COLLINS, the resort embodies a blend of Goan-Portuguese architecture. It boasts a 275-meter private beachfront along Varca Beach, which was once recognised among Asia’s Top 10 beaches by TripAdvisor. Spread across 24 acres of lush greenery, the resort features 199 rooms, offering guests a serene escape. The resort’s name, Caravela, is inspired by the first Portuguese ship to sail into Goa, symbolising a spirit of exploration and innovation.
Caravela is also renowned for hosting dream weddings, where couples can exchange vows against the breathtaking backdrop of the Arabian Sea, paired with flawless service that makes the day truly special.
The resort is a favourite for families, offering a year-round schedule of fun and educational activities for kids. It also emphasises well-being, offering guests yoga sessions, rejuvenating spa treatments, and beauty services. A standout experience is the indulgent foot massages right on the beach.
Dining at Caravela is a delight, with four restaurants and several bars. The Swim-Up Pool Bar and seasonal Beach Hut restaurant are particularly loved by guests. Here, you can enjoy the freshest seafood, Goan specialities, and authentic kebabs, all while listening to the soothing sounds of the sea. For an unforgettable end to the day, the Sunset Bar is perfect for watching the sunset with a cocktail in hand.
What culinary delights and dining experiences does your hotel offer to guests, and how do you ensure that your menus reflect both local flavours and international tastes while maintaining high standards of quality and creativity?
Dining at Caravela is an elaborate experience with four restaurants and multiple bars from informal, traditional, and convenient food across several restaurants within the resort. Our lively menu features dishes from around the world, including Goan favourites like Pomfret Recheado, Mushroom & Cashew Xacutti, and Red Rice. Savour Asian delights such as Masaman Curry and Moon Fan Fried Rice, or enjoy classic international offerings like our renowned Classic Hamburger and freshly made pizzas, often hailed as the best in town.
The Swim-Up Pool Bar and the beachfront restaurant Beach Hut (seasonal) are especially popular with guests. Beach Hut has won the Times Food Award multiple times. You can leave it to the chefs there to bowl you over with the freshest catch-of-the-day, Goan delicacies, and more, along with authentic kebabs, while taking in the mesmerising sounds of the immense blue sea. You can watch one of the best sunsets at the Sunset Bar with your favourite cocktail in your hand.
The Carnival Pan Asian Restaurant has also been nominated for the Times food award many times and offers you a plethora of delicious oriental and Far Eastern favourites.
Atrium Bar, overlooking the expansive lobby adorned with Portuguese-styled high ceilings, is a space offering an extensive fare of single malt, various types of gin from the world over, and wines for the connoisseur, coupled with lip-smacking finger bites.
At Lanai and Cafe Cascada, the motto is to serve the call of all culinary cravings—and since cravings are not bound by time, it’s open 24/7! Take a tour of the international buffet spread or savour the individual delights from the a-la-carte menu, highlighting sections such as healthy, vegan, Indian, and western kitchens.
Castaways is a poolside alfresco offering oven-fresh pizzas by the pool. The menu ranges from international salads, milkshakes, and American subs to classic fish and chips. Everything you ever wanted and more!
We cater to all dietary needs with a range of vegetarian, Jain, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options. A favourite among South Goa residents and Caravela guests, all of our restaurants are family-friendly and open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including lavish buffets. Our special children’s menu comes with an activity pack and colouring pencils to keep the little ones entertained.
What is your contribution to the MICE industry, and how do you ensure that your facilities and services cater effectively to the needs of this targeted audience?
Caravela Beach Resort, Goa, is dedicated to hosting successful meetings and events throughout the year. From corporate events to family celebrations, we bring people closer together to create exceptional events. With our remarkable venue options, culinary expertise, and passionate in-house teams, we create individually tailored moments that will leave a lasting impression. Be it a large-scale event or a small one; an outdoor event or an indoor one, we can offer lush green lawns overlooking the ocean, poolside venues, and well-appointed indoor banquet options for every meeting requirement.
How does Caravela specialize in creating unforgettable wedding experiences?
Caravela Beach Resort specialises in creating unforgettable wedding experiences by offering a combination of stunning venues, personalised services, and exceptional attention to detail. Couples can choose from picturesque locations like our white sand beach, landscaped lawns, or elegant banquet halls, ideal for any wedding event, from intimate ceremonies to grand receptions.
Personalisation is at the heart of our service. Dedicated wedding coordinators work closely with couples to tailor every aspect of their celebration, from customised menus to entertainment. Unique touches like beachside sunset pheras and themed receptions add a special flair.
Our wedding packages include luxurious accommodations, complimentary airport transfers, and curated menus featuring locally sourced ingredients. We also offer eco-friendly wedding options, making us a perfect choice for sustainable, carbon-neutral weddings.
From planning support to on-site coordination and innovative services like live streaming for remote guests, Caravela ensures every wedding is seamless, memorable, and a true reflection of the couple’s style.
How does your hotel prioritise enhancing the customer experience, and what specific measures or initiatives have you implemented to ensure guests have memorable and satisfying stays?
A satisfied guest always comes back and brings in more guests. Much of our promotion comes from word of mouth, and we focus on delivering personalised, attentive service to each guest. Our team is trained to anticipate needs, resolve issues, and provide alternative solutions when specific requests cannot be met.
Guests are also increasingly appreciating the public spaces at the resort, particularly our beachfront, where we’ve enhanced the experience by offering a restaurant and bar with a deck that provides uninterrupted views of the sea and stunning sunsets.
We reward our loyal guests through a dedicated loyalty and amenity programme, which includes perks such as priority early check-in and late check-out, personal contact during their stay, complimentary foot massages, luxury bath setups, and evening cocktails. To continuously improve, we engage with guests before, during, and after their stay to gather feedback.
How do you maintain sustainability practices within your hotel operations?
Caravela Beach Resort has always prioritised operating with integrity, transparency, and accountability, maintaining ethical standards for over 30 years. In line with our sustainability goals, we recently invested over INR 1.25 crore in a fleet of eco-friendly vehicles to help reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to environmental protection.
We have also installed an on-site water bottling plant, which eliminates single-use plastic bottles by providing reusable glass bottles for all 199 guest rooms, restaurants, bars, and event spaces. This initiative has led to a reduction of single-use plastic by up to 90%.
To further conserve water, we have implemented water-saving solutions in washbasins, showerheads, and urinals, reducing water wastage by over 1,750 litres per minute. Additionally, we engage in various initiatives aimed at reducing, reusing, and recycling cigarette waste, coffee grounds, used soaps, guest room amenity packaging, and discarded linens.
How has Indian hospitality shaped up in the last two-three years, and where are we headed now?
The Indian hospitality industry has seen significant changes in the last two-three years, particularly after the pandemic. A key trend is the rise in domestic travel, driven by improved highway infrastructure like the revamped NH66, making short getaways more accessible. Travellers are also more conscious of their carbon footprint, pushing hotels to adopt eco-friendly practices. Leisure travel is growing, with many business travellers extending trips to unwind, and the popularity of train journeys is rising with the introduction of Vande Bharat trains.
Personalised travel experiences powered by AI and an increased demand for immersive, local experiences are shaping preferences. However, challenges like geopolitical uncertainties, supply chain issues, and skilled labour shortages are inflating operational costs.
Looking ahead, technology will drive the next phase of transformation in hospitality, but the core principles of guest service will remain vital. The future holds great opportunities for hotels willing to adapt to these emerging trends.
