Conde Nast Traveler : Hot List Hotels 2011

Thanks to clever architectural angling, this 20-room newcomer is just off Goa's main drag, yet free of honky-tonk mass tourism. Its guests—mostly stylish young Indian couples—instead enjoy the tranquil views over rice paddies and the Sinquerim River to Candolim church. The hotel's architecture celebrates Goa's colonial heritage: Three-story whitewashed wings punctuated with dark-wood windows and shutters frame a leafy central courtyard. Interiors by Indian fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani continue the colonial theme, but update it. Each room's antique four-poster bed is draped with mosquito netting (although the rooms have AC and come with electric mosquito coils), historic photogravures and mezzotints of Portuguese-era trading ports line the walls, and silk cutwork and silver-threaded fabric on cushions lend an air of elegance. (The marble bathrooms, on the other hand, lack tubs and could be a bit brighter.) There's an intimate dining room, but most guests prefer to eat on the terrace outside the bar-lounge, where lanterns create a seductive atmosphere in the evening, and the menu includes Goan, North Indian, and Thai dishes—the local ones are the most authentic. Service is eager but not always speedy, a failing that's apropros given the relaxed setting. The hotel's most conspicuous drawback is the tiny (and shade-covered) courtyard pool, though there are tentative plans to open a larger one with direct sun exposure.

Which room to book: No. 19, on the top floor—one of the hotel's four suites—is spacious, private, and has a large terrace next to a dazzling coral tree.

The Navhind Times: March 22, 2010 - 23:21

Boutique Sol offers 5-star ambience
"Other than the regular facilities, The Sol swanks with a tropical courtyard pool, a well stocked bar, a fine dining area serving not only international cuisines but also granny’s local favourites as well as a spa with paddy filled views for a calming and rejuvenating experience.

Mr Suraj Morajkar of Sun Leisure’s said, it is built to exude luxury and warmth." The Sol has the calm Sinquerim River flowing on one side and lush paddy fieldsbordered by fresh green hillocks on the other."

Outlook Traveller Magazine: Aug 01, 2010

Check Out
Fresh Take
"If you’re thinking of a Goa that’s not just about the surf and the sand...The Sol is worth taking in.

The beaches of Goa glitter and beckon hordes of tourist each year, and they are, quite needless to say, spectacular. But so overpowering are they in the public mind, it is only as an afterthought that it occurs that the state has other types of beauty to offer. Goa, we need to remind ourselves, is part of the glorious Western Ghats. Goa, we recollect slowly, has a fine riverine system and a lattice of lush mangroves. It is this other Goa that this little hotel in North Goa, promises to show you.

In calling it little, I do not disparage The Sol; with 20 rooms gathered in a two-storeyed building built on half an acre, it is indeed small. The property opens directly to the road, and only a small strip of utilitarian yard surrounds it. ‘Location, location, location,’ they stress, and The Sol achieves it to an extent. Flanked by paddy fields and a long pebble’s throw from the Sinquerim river, its surroundings are verdant. The building is white, elegant — and distinctive. Wrought iron gates are thrown open at the main entrance, old pieces of furniture are arranged artistically and everything somehow manages to look both period and contemporary. A little beyond the reception, in a style that’s reminiscent of the traditional Goan central courtyard, an open area cleverly teams up with a small pool to create a nice outdoorsy nook."