A friend of us recommended Villa River Cat, so we had high expectations which were not met. It is very close to the beach which was dirty (although there were people that did some kind of "cleaning"). The rooms we have seen are nice, but…
A friend and I came to Villa Rivercat on the earnest recommendation of an artist friend. We stayed in the winter of 2011. We were asked to prepay 50% at booking time, by bank transfer. We found Rinoo appearing to build up a spiritual ambiance about the visit by talking and talking a lot, about himself and about India. In time we found he is pointedly focused on getting the money - which quickly becomes exhausting for the visitor. The staff seemed stressed and terrified. After the first night we rearranged our plans to leave early, and decided to slip a staff member an enormous cash tip, away from the house as he toiled in the garden. And, just like in a horror movie, we got caught by Rinoo. It was a very creepy moment. Of course our last minute change in plans became a negotiation. I don't remember what additional money we needed to pay; but we did not enjoy the experience of negotiating with the proprietor. His technique is to first describe the goal as impossible, and then to change positions it seems dozens of times, and then finally to come to an agreement while we were paralyzed with exhaustion. He used this technique not only to negotiate the final payment, but also with the simple matter of providing advice on purchasing train tickets. It was an interesting place; he was a very interesting man; but I would not choose to do business with him again.…
villa rivercat is not a hotel it is a home !!! it has a lovely selection of rooms from simple rooms without bathrooms , to lush ones on the top floor with bathrooms and ac. good breakfast and especially good coffee ! rinoo the owner is charming and knows goa like the back of his hand . he took me on a secret day out to a magical place in maharaschtra but iam not allowed to say where ...we had the best chillie pakoras by the roadside. i have been coming here for 18 years and mandrem village got a lot busier. but the rivercat is still a calm haven. check out the back garden first thing in the morning and have your coffee by the river. the house is the perfect place to relax there are good yoga facilities very close by, and in the garden is andre a russian masseur and therapist who has the best energy and has helped me feel whole again. don't just sleep at the villa, make sure you go and use the many hammocks and chairs to read , or just to unwind. go to maps market but avoid the main day on friday , amazing spices , teas etc. look slowly and you find many portugese influenced delicacies. lots of good food around. the house is cool, and very clean ! my home from home…
We loved to stay there. The children(7 and 9 years) enjoyed all the swings, Cats and dogs. Close to the beach, Beautiful rooms, Clean and big, and full of nice antiques. A very good atmosphere. Free drinking water and nice breakfast. It is not a cheap place, but it is worth the money if you stay there for a couple of days.
Just stayed over Easter at Rivercat for 5 nights and it was a haven after staying in hot beach huts. Immediately when we walked in we loved the eclectic mix of art and sculptures, the cool music playing and the effusive and welcoming nature of out host Reeno. The beautiful gardens overlook the river with relaxing chairs and hammocks to chill in or there are numerous terraces to read a book and just 2 mins walk from the beach. His staff are wonderful too and very accomodating.
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