T+L Reports: Good to Goa

When German fashion stylist Claudia Ajwani and her Bombay-bred husband, Hari, opened Goa's Nilaya Hermitage in the nineties, the New Age hotel glammed up the hippie beach resort with kaleidoscopic interiors and rock-star attitude. Now, at their cliff-top retreat, Fort Tiracol—a Maratha stronghold from the 17th century—the couple has imported the same Euro-chic that attracted Richard Gere, Giorgio Armani, and Sean Connery to Nilaya. The sunflower yellow-splashed building with tiled awnings brings to mind Portugal's Algarve. Behind their heavy wooden doors, seven guest rooms have wrought-iron and teak furnishings, marble-powder floors, and poured-concrete showers; each room overlooks the Arabian Sea and the only white-sand beaches in the province. An infinity pool is planned for next year, and mopeds can be rented for road trips to deserted stretches of coast, where sea turtles are the only company. Fort Tiracol, Tiracol, Pernem, Goa; 91-2366/227-631; doubles from $110, including breakfast.
—Phoebe Eaton