Back in 2009, when the rich did not have a word for quiet luxury, Palm Grove introduced tourists to a Goa without its capricious ravers. Designed for slow travellers, this tropical haven, located on one of the quieter beaches of North Goa, attracted guests with its tastefully done-up interiors, yoga retreats, and the daily promise of a tangerine sky. It was a different time. An era before Airbnbs and boutique villas. There was no Cabo Serai, no Coco Shambala, no chain like Postcard, no Ahilya by the Sea, not even Elsewhere, currently the ultra-rich’s preferred beach home, located a short walk from this hotel.
“When we opened, we were quite lonely on this beach stretch,” recalls Agardsdotter, a fashionable Swede who wears big tortoiseshell spectacles. “There were only simple rooms and cottages around, which were not very well-maintained, so we decided to build something that was beautiful inside-out,” she adds about the early blueprint of her eco-conscious resort, which was inspired by the mud houses around which Goan architect Tallulah D’Silva has built her practice.
Even today, Ashwem doesn’t have the tourist frenzy of Baga and Anjuna, but it is no longer in the hermetically sealed realm that it once occupied. On the left there is La Plage, still serving impeccable French cuisine; a little further is Thalassa Beach Boutique, where the party never ends; and on the other side lies Vaayu Kula, the perpetual hangout of surfers and other folks with well toned bodies. Which is all to say Little Palm Grove is no longer on a Robinson Crusoe sort of beach idyll. But stepping into this property somehow feels like a nervous system reset as you take in the view from the breezy balcao and settle into your laid-back vacation.
Comprising five simply done-up mud houses in wood and lime plaster, all of which look out to the sea, the decor of the hotel is intentionally understated. The walls are finished in a soft blush colour, the furnishings come in rattan, and everything in the room feels natural. In keeping with the hotel’s green theme, all rooms are also furnished by local carpenters who have repurposed antique wood sourced from Maharashtra into cupboards, work desks, and patio furniture. The hotel’s sustainable agenda makes thoughtful cameos across the property. Take for example the water refilling station placed outside every room, which encourages guests to remain plastic-free during their holiday. The rooms look rustic in style, but that’s not to say they don’t come with the mod cons of modern living—an airconditioned bedroom, a stocked pantry, a life-affirming shower that can be set to a temperature of your liking, and the promise of a 24/7 room service from a staff that is so welcoming and attentive you feel like a regular even on your first visit.
“The seclusion and the privacy that you find here is unmatched,” stresses Agardsdotter, who has had a long-gestating vision for these rooms. “There’s the uniqueness of the view, the private plunge pool area is canopied by trees, and the veranda feels like it’s just you and the sea… We want people to feel that they can be private here and not meet or see anyone, unless they want to,” she adds.
She’s right. The pool looks right on to the ocean, and staring at the sea from the wooden deck you somehow feel shielded from the outside world. Barely 10 steps away is the beach—so clean it appears like a private strip of sand. Here lie 10 inviting beach beds, shaded with umbrellas made of fallen palm fronds, and alloted to their hotel guests. The hawkers here, too, seem to have received the privacy memo—I’m surprised to not get any offers for massages, braids or even a mid-nap nudge to give a cursory look to their sarong and trinket collections.
While Ashwem now possesses a bustling food scene, Little Palm Grove has no in-house restaurant, and no plans of opening one either. Instead, the hotel relies on two neighbouring shacks to outsource meals from day to night. Every morning, a breakfast spread from Pagan Café next door arrives to the al fresco sit-out—avocado toast, banana-strawberry crepe, eggs done your way served with energy shots and fresh juices—depending on what you’ve handpicked the night before. Lunch and dinner can be had at the sea-facing restaurant at their sister property, Palm Grove, where Aperol afternoons are highly recommended, as is their seafood thali during lunch hours. With no light or sound pollution around, dinners are peaceful—with Indian grills, standard cocktails, and some continental fare served under a breezy, starry sky.
