The Deltin Daman – A Luxurious Weekend Getaway

Son: Mom, I wish we had a time machine.

Me: Why do you say that?

Son: So that we could go back to last Friday. At this time, we were on our way to Deltin. I want to go there again.

 This was the conversation I had with my elder son on Friday morning when he was getting ready for school. Hubby and I enjoy taking weekend trips to resorts near Mumbai and this was our first trip to the Deltin in Daman. Just that one trip was enough to make all four of us fall in love with the resort and it’s wonderful hospitality, to the extent that the “Deltin hangover” as I choose to call it, lasted the whole week!

Since we were unable to travel over the Holi long weekend, I really wanted a break for the Easter long weekend. We wanted to go to a resort we hadn’t been to earlier and thought of the Hilton Shillim Estate but that property is better enjoyed when the kids are left at home. The boys needed a break as much as we did so The Deltin Daman, a four hour drive from Mumbai, was it.

The exterior of the resort  actually resembles the many factories that dot the Daman-Vapi area. But as they say, don’t judge a book by it’s cover because behind it’s industrial-looking facade lies a discreetly and elegantly luxurious resort with the Casino theme reflected in all the decor elements; from the chandelier in the lobby to the specially commissioned art works by Krsna Mehta.

The Decor

The Casino theme is reflected throughout the resorts in beautiful little touches in the decor. The beautiful chandelier in the lobby is made entirely of spades, diamonds, hearts and clubs (the four suits in a deck of cards) strung together. This design element is also found in the glass wall behind it as well as in other unexpected places through the resort.

 

Accommodation

The rooms at the Deltin are among the most spacious ones that we have seen! We had booked the Deluxe room with two queen beds and a balcony and what amazed me was that even with two big beds, the room didn’t feel even the slightest bit cramped. Most of the rooms have windows overlooking the pool but we had specifically asked for one with a balcony at the time of booking. Actually, hubby had asked because he knows my body clock has become so attuned to waking up early, I simply can’t sleep till very late even on a holiday and love to have my coffee on the balcony while the kids and he peacefully sleep.

The bathroom is simple and elegant with a bathtub and a rain shower with toiletries by Inara. What I really liked is the fact that they have used “kadapa”, a sturdy, black, non-slippery stone for the bathroom flooring rather than fancy but slippery marble and the likes.

Gastronomy

The Deltin has several options for ones culinary experiences like the Vegas, Emperor, the Pool Bar and Whiskeys.

Vegas

This is the all-day dining restaurant at the Deltin and offers a wide range of cuisines. If, like us, you opt for a “meals included” package, then this is where the breakfast and lunch buffets are laid out. And what an amazing spread it is!!! There is a wide variety in the buffet to cater to all the palates and the food is DELICIOUS! And let me not even start with the desserts. Being a long weekend, the resort was packed and of course, so was Vegas during breakfast time and several guests, us included, ended up having to wait for 30-40 minutes for a table. It would have been nice had they opened up a banquet hall as a second dining venue, which is what Radisson Blu does,  so that people didn’t have to wait  in an already crowded restaurant. This is also the reason why I didn’t take any pictures of this restaurant….too many people! The dinner buffet was by the poolside with live music and I know I’m repeating myself when I say that the food was delicious!

Emperor

How wonderful do these little “pods” look? The boys were so eager to dine here that we skipped the buffet and dined here one night. And what a great decision that was because it was among the BEST Chinese meal I have had. I would even rate it as better than some of the Asian fine dining restaurants in Bombay!!!

 

Recreation

On all our weekend breaks, the one thing we look forward to is relaxing and lazing in the pool and that’s exactly what we did! The Deltin has three pools; one, a shallow kiddie pool, the main big pool which is shallow at both ends and where the Pool Bar is located, and another lap pool.

I took this picture as I was  lounging in one of their “in-pool” loungers while the boys played catch with the pool ball. The one thing that was missing were pool-side parasols to give some shade against the harsh sun but as one of the staff members told me, they are awaiting the delivery of the new parasols.

Once out of the pool, the only other place the boys wanted to go to was The Den, the indoor recreational room with billiards, table-tennis, carrom, foosball and chess. They would have continued playing all night had I not dragged them back to the room. This was when I wished Deltin also had a little library for folks like me who weren’t into indoor games and who would like to read something. I hope they heed this suggestion. There is also a Creche for younger children but which, ironically was always filled with adults each time the boys wanted to go there. Elder son even suggested that they should have a chaperone in that room for kids who would strictly not allow adults to enter so that the children could play there.

 

And then of course, there’s the Spa, the thing I always seek out when making resort reservations. But seeing how long this post has become, the review of the spa will be another post.

Hospitality

Courteous and warm, all the staff at The Deltin (from the Reception to the Housekeeping to the In-Room Dining to the staff in the restaurants) strive to ensure you have a great stay and are very prompt in their service. They try to accommodate all your  requests as best as they can. Though they don’t have a library, when I asked if they had any books or magazines, they managed to find a couple of travel magazines for me!

My Experience

Even as I write this post, I feel like going back to the Deltin Daman because that has truly been a wonderful experience. The USP of this property is the Casino and hubby and I are eagerly looking forward to going back there once the casino is operational. And it isn’t just me, even my sons had such  a fabulous time that elder son told me that The Deltin was his favourite weekend resort. And younger one wants to stay there for his entire summer vacation!!! I guess that just shows what a great time they had there 🙂