Casa Susegad

Press Reviews

AWARDS

i-escape's Annual Guest Awards 2011
Winner: Family category.
See the full list of winners

REVIEWS

Lonely Planet, October 2011
"Head into the hinterland to Casa Susegad, a restored Portuguese villa set in the atmospheric, seldom-visited village of Loutolim. Run by a friendly British couple, all five rooms are lovingly restored, meals include ingredients from the hotel's organic garden, and animal-lovers will revel in the presence of half a dozen friendly canines. Laze by the pool, indulge in a long lunch while monkeys cavort in the trees and knock back a coconut feni or two (the local Goan firewater), and you will truly appreciate the meaning of a good Goan susegad."

Outlook Traveller, December 2008
"As Goa’s beaches begin to creak under the congestion, discerning travellers are moving into the interior in search of charming new escapes. True to its name, Casa Susegad, in the village of Loutolim, takes the ‘art of elegant idleness’ very seriously. Carole and Norman Steen’s bright and cheery home is set in one-and-a-half acres of grounds, and the western view to the distant jungle-clad hills from the sunset terrace is breathtaking. As only four rooms are on offer, expect personalised and extremely attentive service."

The Guardian, September 2008
"I also called at Casa Susegad in Loutolim, a colourful jungle bungalow run by a British couple. With its bright embroidered fabrics, lanterns, crystal-themed rooms and numerous canine inhabitants, it's more hippy-scruffy than the other hotels, but there's a pretty turquoise pool and paths leading up a shady hill to curved seats padded with cushions and strung with lights."

Guest Reviews

Reviews are only from people who have stayed there and booked through i-escape.

• “We had a truly fantastic stay at Casa Susegad. Norman, Carole and all the staff made it a wonderful experience: familial without being overly casual. It is very comfortable with beautiful surroundings and rooms and good food. Meals eaten often with other guests were a delight. A very unique atmosphere. I even got used to the dogs and cats and I am nervous around animals. They were around but under control and became part of a very endearing mix of company.”
  Caroline, United Kingdom (20.02.12)

• “We had an amazing time at Casa Susegad. The staff not only delivered amazing service but were also extremely friendly and very helpful when it came to planning our time in Goa.
  Casa Susegad is the perfect place to unwind and get some peace, offering on-site massages with the lovely Sarla; great yoga classes with expert Ajay and 5* fusion meals (as well as the best Indian wine I've ever had) cooked by Joanita. Ramdas, the driver will offer you a completely personalised trip to wherever you want to go, offering up history and local knowledge about the area.
  Visiting this place is an absolute must.”
  Nicole, United Kingdom (15.02.12)

• “Briefly consult your Portugese dictionary for the meaning of the word 'susegad' and you'll find the reason for staying in Norman and Carole's Casa. Away from the crowded beaches but close enough to the more quiet southern ones, Casa Susegad is perfectly located to enjoy more of the real Goa in the nearby countryside. Carole and Norman have succeeded in creating a comfortable Indo-European mix of old Indian furniture, lazy sixties sofa's, books, games, dvd's and even a snooker table. Adequate luxury with a nice pool and great sunbeds. Carole's dishes are delicious (but dont forget to mention if you are spice sensitive). Dining at the huge dinner table in the dining room at times enables an easy contact with your fellow visitors. The relaxed athmosphere is that of a family pension, not a hotel. A great place to rent all five rooms for a visit with family members or friends. All this is enthousiasticaly supported by a pack of very friendly dogs, cats and frogs (if you are lucky some monkeys as well) and a friendly staff.”
  Annika, Sweden (27.01.12)

• “It was outstanding!”
  Beate, Germany (26.12.11)

• “Having just returned from a 2 week trip to South India, I can say our stay at Casa Susegad was a highlight. I only wish we had stayed a little longer than our two nights. Carole and Norman were excellent hosts, attentive but not overly so and very accomodating to different dietary requirements, producing lovely and unusual dishes. They have made Casa Susegad a really lovely home. We found it a great place to unwind particularly after a long flight being a pleasant 30 mins drive from Dabolim airport, where we were met on time as pre-arranged. Casa Suseguad is tastefully decorated and furnished, has a lovely pool and gardens and there are pretty birds, butterflies, flowers and interesting insects - and not too many of the biting kind. We enjoyed our late afternoon walk along the local lanes with the dogs who insisted on coming despite Norman's attempts to keep them in but they were no trouble at all. I would definitely recommend Casa Susegad as a place for peace and quiet away from the tourist hotspots but close enough to the coast if you really feel the need to visit.”
  Marion, United Kingdom (15.11.11)

• “Where to begin!
  
  We’ve been home now for 17 days and how we wish we were still at Casa Susegad. We really can’t say that the Casa was a hotel because it was just like staying with our friends. From the moment we arrived and Norman came out of the house to greet us warmly we knew that all of our research had paid off.
  
  We were the only guests for the first few days but Carole and Norman were on hand to make sure that all our needs were met.
  
  We stayed in the Carnelian Room, which had a lovely big bed and plenty of storage space. The big bathroom had a powerful shower and there was always hot water if needed, although the cold water was tepid which was fine by me. Maria who was quietly efficient kept our accommodation spotlessly clean.
  
  One of the highlights of our stay was the delicious food, which Joanita created for us every day. We have been to India many times in the past and good food is always high on our list of priorities. We can honestly say that the food at the Casa was consistently the best we have every eaten whilst in India. There was no menu presented at dinner, instead Carole would discuss the evening meal with us during the morning. She would ask if there was anything we would particularly like to have and if we had no requests she would suggest some dishes and mostly we were happy to agree with her suggestions. The only time we had a dish more than once was because it had been so delicious the first time that we were keen to have it again! Carole and Norman even took us with them to the town of Margao when they were going to buy fruit and vegetables in the market.
  
  The gardens at Casa Susegad were lovely and home to many exotic birds. Norman suggested we sit quietly up by the waterfall in the jungle garden to see birds taking a bath and we weren’t disappointed. There were monkeys in the trees just beyond the garden fence too. The swimming pool was much larger than we expected when there was only a total of four guest rooms. The sunbeds (which had started life as ox carts) were more like large beds with cotton throws and pillows!
  
  Neither of us are particularly dog lovers, being more drawn to cats, but the six resident dogs quickly became part of our daily life and three of them even insisted on accompanying us on a walk down into Lotoulim. Most of the cats were quite shy but one of them, Pickle, was very friendly and would sneak into the cool shade of our room if given a chance!
  
  There were a few other couples staying at the Casa for some of our time there and we all joined Carole and Norman at the top of the garden for ‘sundowners’ one evening. It was a lovely start to the evening that ended with all of us having dinner together round the huge table in the guest dining room. On the other evenings we had a candlelit dinner on the terrace outside our room.
  
  The honesty bar for the use of guests worked really well and there was plenty of choice of drinks at reasonable prices too. Before dinner we often sat on the front porch with a gin and tonic and watched the locals getting on with their lives.
  
  All of the staff were a delight, always smiling and nothing was too much trouble for them.
  
  If you are looking for a relaxing stay in beautiful surroundings with authentic Goan food then look no further than sharing Carole and Norman’s home with them. We certainly intend to go back and hope that we are able to before too long.”
  Robert, United Kingdom (24.04.11)

• “Casa Susegad is not just a gem it is incredible. From the unrivalled welcome to the thought gone into the napkin rings - even the tiniest of things at Casa Susegad are thoughtfully created and executed to perfection. I can honestly say we have never stayed anywhere better, more relaxing, more attentive (appropriately so) and simply more wonderful than this. And we have stayed in some wonderful places!
  We went on to stay at a fabulous five-star hotel we'd pre-booked before our trip and it felt like we were downgrading to go there. We tried to stay longer at Casa Susegad but had paid upfront for the other hotel so we left reluctantly.
  Carol and Normal are the perfect hosts - they make you feel special but know when to leave you alone. Their team are a credit to the care and respect Carol and Norman give them. Our four-year old daughter thought she was in Narnia and treated Carol and Norman like she does her grandparents!
  The photographs do not do this place justice at all - it's much nicer, more elegant and classically authentic than the photographs convey. My own photos also don’t do it justice. Quite simply if you want hospitality that is second-to-none and food so scrumptious we are still talking about it months later then look no further.
  We will be back!”
  Jane, United Kingdom (08.04.11)

• “Food and Service are outstanding as well as garden with pool. The only weak point: location is far away from Goan beaches.”
  Ute, Germany (14.01.11)

• “We checked out of our room for noon and they very kindly let us have use of another room for showering etc as we weren't leaving until 5pm to catch the train to Mumbai.Carole and Norman made us feel very welcome. The atmosphere is extremely relaxing and easy going.
  
  It was so nice we never ventured further than the property itself. Great sunsets from their terrace behind the house.”
  deborah, United Kingdom (08.01.11)

• “Casa Susegad is a landmark on our horizon of boutique hotels – a haven of local charm and quiet elegance. Small enough to be friendly but spread out enough to have personal privacy. A sense of authenticity and quality about everything: the room, the food served on our own terrace, the huge wooden poolside loungers. Carole and Norman went out of their way to make existence easy. With their help we made 100% use of our first time in India . Even the driver loyal to Susegad is one of those human beings good to be around.
  
  If we had to find fault with anything at all, it would be the rudimentary bathroom. Part of the Indian norm, it turns out. And we soon learned that Casa Susegad’s facilities were sophisticated compared to other joints.
  
  Goa is market heaven. Lots of tourist tat but if you have a discerning eye you can make some great buys. Determined bargaining skills make these even greater buys. When curried everything starts losing its’ allure, try the Ritz Family Restaurant in Panjim. It serves excellent grilled fish at very reasonable prices.”
  Philip, Belgium (05.12.10)

• “Maybe because we were the only guests that night, we felt like we were staying with an old friend - just one who happens to have a fabulous house! We only booked one night as a stopover before our flight home, but we will definitely return for a longer stay - maybe once Norman and Carole have converted their personal living quarters into a guest room, as these definitely have the wow factor. This hotel wins my personal award for the coolest sun loungers ever - antique bullock carts!”
  helen, United Kingdom (07.03.10)