Nestled between Gujarat and Maharashtra, Daman enchants travellers with its unique blend of colonial allure, scenic beaches, and relaxed vibe, writes Neeta Lal

The lovely city of Daman, an erstwhile Portuguese colony, offers a unique blend of colonial charm with a laid-back vibe. The administrative capital of the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, it is located between Gujarat and Maharashtra and attracts high footfall from a diverse set of travellers.

Peppered with colonial buildings showcasing a rich syncretic culture, the city’s stately Nani Daman Fort and the Church of Bom Jesus give one a taste of history, while Jampore Beach and Devka Beach make for Instagram-friendly settings for a day of relaxation.

But perhaps what makes Daman such a terrific destination for weekend getaways is its tourism infrastructure, including smooth interconnecting motorways, buzzy restaurants, and good hotels. Our abode for a staycation is the award-winning The Deltin Daman, the city’s only five-star hotel. Known for its stellar service and facilities, it mercifully comes without the high tariff of upscale hotels in Mumbai and other metros. A world-class spa, gourmet cuisine at its multiple restaurants, a large swimming pool, health club, gym, and plush accommodation ticked all the boxes for a fabulous and memorable stay.

For business travellers, the hotel houses 30,000 sq ft of business space catering to large events such as corporate conferences and weddings. The hotel’s sustainability efforts are also commendable, with strict procedures in place to prevent water waste in kitchens, guest rooms, and laundry, along with recycling used water for its expansive gardens.

As the Deltin group is synonymous with world-class casinos, the theme is reflected in the hotel’s design and architectural elements. Its stunning lobby flaunts a chandelier featuring hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs (the four suits in a deck of cards) strung together. This theme is also reflected in the glass walls enclosing the lobby. The hotel’s ergonomic and well-furnished rooms are equipped with HD TVs, HD satellite programming, mini-bars, high-speed internet connectivity, in-room safes, 24x7 room service, and early check-in options, among others.

Our Presidential Suite also came with an efficient butler who took care of our every need, including restaurant and spa bookings as well as sightseeing tours. Close proximity to Jampore Beach, Mirasol Water Park, Devka Beach, Dominican Monastery, and Moti Daman Fort made our local explorations seamless and pleasurable.

What’s a good vacation without good food? Indeed, for gastronomes like us, the hotel turned out to be a delight with three award-winning restaurants to explore. One of our lunches was at the Emperor restaurant, which features an extensive menu with Korean, Chinese, Thai, and Japanese offerings. Interestingly, the chefs here have reinvented many dishes to offer an imaginative take on classics. Thus, our fusion lunch featured pillowy soft lotus stem and chicken Chettinad baos as well as black sesame chicken tikka baos. The prawn and chicken dim sums were similarly delicious, while the garlic-infused noodles and chicken in Hainanese sauce transported us to China, sans passports and air tickets!

Another lunch at The Vegas all-day dining was also a treat for the taste buds. The spacious eatery offers multi-cuisine buffets with a vast selection of salads, Indian and continental dishes, desserts, and more. The buffet includes a separate section for Jain food – so vegetarians can rejoice too. Being unabashed carnivores, we dug into flavour-packed laal maas, piping hot breads, gobhi and bhindi sabzi, raita, and salad. Dessert was the creamiest ras malai on this side of the Daman Ganga river, garnished with a silver varq and date syrup!

Semi-comatose from so much good food, we pledged to skip dinner. But that was not to be, as we were informed that the chefs had prepared choice delicacies for us at the poolside Mediterranean-inspired BBQ and grill restaurant, Sky High. After eyeing the selection of inventive dips with Middle Eastern snacks, empanadas, and pizzas with innovative toppings, our pledge to “go easy” on food went out the window!

To slake our thirst, we visited Whiskys Bar, which offers an exclusive collection of single malts. The Poolside Bar and Juice Bar kept us refreshed with health drinks and fresh juices. There’s no shortage of entertainment at the hotel either. The Den – an atmospheric indoor family space – features foosball, billiards, carom, chess, and more. There’s even a creche for young parents who want to leave their little ones under supervised care while they unwind.

The property’s three azure swimming pools (including a kids’ pool) are a major attraction. After a quick swim on day two, we headed to the spa, where a rejuvenating body massage and facial left us feeling reborn!

After spending three wonderful days at The Deltin Daman, we’re led to wonder how, in today’s fiercely competitive hospitality landscape, the hotel consistently maintains such high standards. “As ours is the only five-star hotel in Daman, our top-notch service and facilities are unmatched by any other hotel in the area,” says the hotel’s dynamic general manager, Akarsh Mathur. “We cater to all requirements, whether it’s a weekend getaway or an ideal wedding, by customising our services to suit all needs. Our spacious rooms are the largest in their category, and our ample indoor and outdoor event spaces, as well as our large river-shaped swimming pool, are among the features that make our hotel a top choice for discerning guests. Our F&B has also received rave reviews.”

Mathur believes that with higher disposable incomes and “revenge travel,” Indian guests are prepared to pay competitive rates for excellent services. “The demand for upscale local tourism destinations has grown exponentially, and hotels no longer have to rely on foreign tourists from overseas to fill their rooms. If you provide great service and pay attention to guests’ needs, the property will always be buzzing,” he adds.

Indeed, who can fault that flawless logic?

Neeta Lal is an international award-nominated, Delhi-based editor and senior journalist.