Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa {IND}
Jun 28, 2016, 6:36 pm
#31
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Benicia, California, USA
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A few questions:
1. Any updates/new reviews on this resort?
2. I've read that the last 10-15 km of road leading up to it is really lousy. Is that still the case?
3. My wife and I would be going to there from Mumbai, as part of a long-planned vacation in India that we are finally taking this February. Might anyone have any estimate of what it would cost to get a reliable driver and car to take us there (just one-way)?
4. We'd then be flying to Goa. Am I correct in assuming the closest airport to fly from would be Pune? And if so, how far is the resort from Pune, in terms of travel time?
5. Is the drive to the resort interesting at all, in terms of natural beauty and/or giving my wife a sense of what the area between Mumbai and the resort is like as a reflection of India? (This will be her first India trip. I've been there before, for both travel and work.)
6. Any experience to share in terms of current Diamond treatment re upgrades, etc?
Thanks for any advice!
1. Any updates/new reviews on this resort?
2. I've read that the last 10-15 km of road leading up to it is really lousy. Is that still the case?
3. My wife and I would be going to there from Mumbai, as part of a long-planned vacation in India that we are finally taking this February. Might anyone have any estimate of what it would cost to get a reliable driver and car to take us there (just one-way)?
4. We'd then be flying to Goa. Am I correct in assuming the closest airport to fly from would be Pune? And if so, how far is the resort from Pune, in terms of travel time?
5. Is the drive to the resort interesting at all, in terms of natural beauty and/or giving my wife a sense of what the area between Mumbai and the resort is like as a reflection of India? (This will be her first India trip. I've been there before, for both travel and work.)
6. Any experience to share in terms of current Diamond treatment re upgrades, etc?
Thanks for any advice!
Jul 2, 2016, 6:11 am
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: BD, DL, UA, AA, Marriott, SPG
Posts: 1,131
Hi Thunderroad!
1. Any updates/new reviews on this resort?
I've been back a few times. In general things remain about the same however they seem to have cutback on the staff a little bit. The staff also don't seem to be as well trained as they were in years earlier. Ask for Vinay to show you around if he's available. He's been at the resort from the start and is superb.
The hotel is showing some signs of aging but it isn't too bad. One negative is that the heater in the pool in the SPA villas aren't very effective which can be an issue in winter.
2. I've read that the last 10-15 km of road leading up to it is really lousy. Is that still the case?
Unfortunately yes. You can expect that stretch to take about 30 minutes. Best way to minimize the impact is to get a sedan/suv with big wheels.
3. My wife and I would be going to there from Mumbai, as part of a long-planned vacation in India that we are finally taking this February. Might anyone have any estimate of what it would cost to get a reliable driver and car to take us there (just one-way)?
A suv with driver from a big company will cost ~ Rs. 5 K. If you get one from a smaller company it will cost ~ Rs. 3 K.
http://www.carzonrent.com/ & http://www.avis.co.in/ are the two big companies I know of in Mumbai.
There were talks of sea plane service starting from Mumbai as well.
http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/ind...ons/index.html
Might be a good option!
4. We'd then be flying to Goa. Am I correct in assuming the closest airport to fly from would be Pune? And if so, how far is the resort from Pune, in terms of travel time?
Pune airport is the closest airport. It will probably take about 30 - 45 minutes less to Pune airport than Mumbai airport from Shillim.
It might be better to just take the drive back to Mumbai. You'll have a lot more flights options to Goa from Mumbai than Pune.
5. Is the drive to the resort interesting at all, in terms of natural beauty and/or giving my wife a sense of what the area between Mumbai and the resort is like as a reflection of India? (This will be her first India trip. I've been there before, for both travel and work.)
The drive is pretty scenic in parts. You'll pass a nice lake and get views of the mountains. Other parts of the drive you'll pass through some small villages and of course in getting to the expressway you'll drive through the Mumbai traffic!
6. Any experience to share in terms of current Diamond treatment re upgrades, etc?
As a Gold or Diamond we've always been upgraded to a Pool villa from the King Villa. Late checkout has never been a problem as well. Breakfast on the weekend is a buffet but they also give you a menu and you can order anything you want from it without charge. On weekdays they typically just have ala carte.
In general they take very good care of Diamonds/Golds.
Enjoy your trip and feel free to post here or message me if you want any more information
.
1. Any updates/new reviews on this resort?
I've been back a few times. In general things remain about the same however they seem to have cutback on the staff a little bit. The staff also don't seem to be as well trained as they were in years earlier. Ask for Vinay to show you around if he's available. He's been at the resort from the start and is superb.
The hotel is showing some signs of aging but it isn't too bad. One negative is that the heater in the pool in the SPA villas aren't very effective which can be an issue in winter.
2. I've read that the last 10-15 km of road leading up to it is really lousy. Is that still the case?
Unfortunately yes. You can expect that stretch to take about 30 minutes. Best way to minimize the impact is to get a sedan/suv with big wheels.
3. My wife and I would be going to there from Mumbai, as part of a long-planned vacation in India that we are finally taking this February. Might anyone have any estimate of what it would cost to get a reliable driver and car to take us there (just one-way)?
A suv with driver from a big company will cost ~ Rs. 5 K. If you get one from a smaller company it will cost ~ Rs. 3 K.
http://www.carzonrent.com/ & http://www.avis.co.in/ are the two big companies I know of in Mumbai.
There were talks of sea plane service starting from Mumbai as well.
http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/ind...ons/index.html
Might be a good option!
4. We'd then be flying to Goa. Am I correct in assuming the closest airport to fly from would be Pune? And if so, how far is the resort from Pune, in terms of travel time?
Pune airport is the closest airport. It will probably take about 30 - 45 minutes less to Pune airport than Mumbai airport from Shillim.
It might be better to just take the drive back to Mumbai. You'll have a lot more flights options to Goa from Mumbai than Pune.
5. Is the drive to the resort interesting at all, in terms of natural beauty and/or giving my wife a sense of what the area between Mumbai and the resort is like as a reflection of India? (This will be her first India trip. I've been there before, for both travel and work.)
The drive is pretty scenic in parts. You'll pass a nice lake and get views of the mountains. Other parts of the drive you'll pass through some small villages and of course in getting to the expressway you'll drive through the Mumbai traffic!
6. Any experience to share in terms of current Diamond treatment re upgrades, etc?
As a Gold or Diamond we've always been upgraded to a Pool villa from the King Villa. Late checkout has never been a problem as well. Breakfast on the weekend is a buffet but they also give you a menu and you can order anything you want from it without charge. On weekdays they typically just have ala carte.
In general they take very good care of Diamonds/Golds.
Enjoy your trip and feel free to post here or message me if you want any more information
.