Let me begin by saying that the hotel itself is quite nice, with a great atmosphere, clean cottages, and a peaceful location. Had it not been for the management we would likely have scored this place as Very Good.
We have travelled in India several times both in the North and the South and have stayed in all types of accomodation, from 500 INR backpacker places to the ITC chain of luxury hotels (15000 INR) and this is the only hotel we stayed in where I felt like the Manager out and out tried to scam us.
In some cases we book hotels in advance when we are arriving late or want to stay somewhere specific. In this case we had booked and pre-paid for 3 nights accomodation at Dreamcatcher. They used Pay Pal and we were billed in GBP for the room. We emailed the accomodation a few days before arrival to state that we would likely be staying 4 days and not 3 and that we would arrive sometime around 9:30 in the evening.
When we arrived the first question was which room did you book. My answer was simply that we had pre-paid X number of GBP for 3 nights but that I couldn't remember which precise type of cottage we had book. Given the time of year (around Xmas in Goa) we had booked about 8 weeks in advance and all I knew is that we had paid for one of the nicer cottages with attached bath and private balcony.
He tooks us to show us 3 cottages by the water that fit the description and proceeded to tell us that these went for 3300 INR to 3800 INR. This seemed a bit pricey to me but given the time of year and the fact that Palolem has few accomodations in this range I resigned myself to the fact that we were likely booked somewhere a bit pricier than it should be, but that wasn't too bad since we had already paid for 3 nights so we would only be paying the quoted rate for the last night (the extra night we had decided to stay which wasn't yet paid for).
We clearly told the MGR that we had paid, showed him the receipt and said that we would pay the agreed upon rate for the last night.
Our stay was pleasant, the restaurant was pretty good, the place was very quiet, and only about a 2 minute walk to the beach.
The problem came when we got ready to leave, at check out the MGR asked for my proof of payment which I had already given him. He then asked me to go to the internet cafe with his employee to print out another copy of proof of payment from my email. At this point I was getting a little frustrated because we had a taxi comin for us and we had sorted this all out the first night. I offered him the 3800 INR and told him simply that this should settle us up and that I had to go. He then said no that we owed the difference between what we had paid and what the total bill was (15200 INR). I told him that the difference should be 3800 INR since we had already agreed that we would only needed to pay for the 4th night.
At this point (about 25 minutes in) he finally found the pay pal proof of payment I had given him, at which point he now converted the pounds back to INR and told me that we had pre paid for a mid range room that was 2300 INR per night so we owed the difference for each night of accomodation that was pre paid plus the final night. I was livid as I explained to him that we had already agreed to something else and he simply insisted that we would need to pay the difference (about 8000 INR). I asked him why he had showed us only the most expensive cottages apparently when we had reserved something else and he told me it was my fault because I didn't know what room I had booked. I replied that I was Canadian and that he had billed me in pounds for a rate that was quoted online in INR, so that when I arrived I really had no idea what I had specifically paid for, that was his job since he had taken the reservation. We argued back and forth for a full 20 more minutes at which point my partner who was waiting outside came in quite angrily and said that I had been far too patient with him. He put the 3800 INR on the desk and stormed off. I advised the MGR that this was fair at which point he told me that the difference would have to come out of his salary. I felt badly but the reality is that he didn't do his job, and I suspect he was either incompetent or trying to scam us.
Long story short, we thought we had been clear and that we were dealing with someone who was on the up and up, but despite pre paying and being clear this hotel either can't manage a reservation or is plain crooked.

Our third time back in Palolem, second time back to Dreamcatcher and without doubt this is a fantastic place to stay.

Set at the quiet north end of the beach, Dreamcatcher offers a more comfortable, secure and peaceful environment to chill out on your stay to what is in our opinion, the best beach in Goa.

This time we stayed in a Type F cottage right by the lagoon, slightly set back from the main section of huts which offers more privacy. The rooms at Dreamcatcher are sophisticated (hence the higher price tag) by Palolem's standard but don't go expecting five star amenities and its not for you if you like your creature comforts as all accommodation on Palolem is basic but that's part of the charm. What Dreamcatcher offers is a peaceful retreat for those who like to relax and take it easy, get back to nature with friendly service, beautiful surroundings and a laid back environment.

Having visited Palolem for over 10 years now the beach is beginning to change with the introduction of a couple of late night bars and regular beach parties but these generally take place at the southern end of the beach so its good to see that Dreamcatcher is still offering more of a quiet and laid back retreat. If you're coming to Goa to party this place is not for you. It's a shame we were there before the official start of the season (Dec) as there were still some restaurants yet to open (including Dreamcatcher's which we were looking forward to trying) but the upside of this was less crowds and cheaper prices.

Beware as staying by the lagoon means more mosquito bites are unavoidable and sadly the poor stray dogs on the beach can fight well into the night but that goes for the wherever you stay on Palolem.

If you're looking for a more comfortable, chilled out place to stay on the beach then this is the place for you.

I have been going there for the past few years - usually for 2- 3 months - as my daughter and grandchild live in Goa, and I am always greeted with the words "Welcome Home".
It is such a beautiful place with the gardens so well tended. The huts are basic, but improve every year and I can't speak highly enough of the owners and staff.
Eating breakfast watching the kingfishers and red eagles flying around the lagoon is a joy and I can't wait for my next visit in December this year.

me and two of my friends were on a backpackers budget and stayed in this hotel after we finished from a tour of india! The hotel is set out with separate bungalows connected by sand and little paths. We stayed in the lowest range of accomodation but walking around we saw higher ranged huts that looked amazing. even though ours was the lowest range we still had our own little veranda that we could sit and and a hammock! the resort is really cute with palm trees everywhere and wildlife. The owners were all really friendly and it has a family feel. The restaurant is extremely good value with many western options (nutella pancake! :)!
it also has seating on the rivers edge which is beautiful in the morning! The bathroom is basic but clean and same with the room. the spa there is great i had a massage and treatment everyday we stayed there! the spa has a professional feel and is very affordable compared to some of the other prices on our trip it has a wide range of treatments as well. it is a short walk to the quiet end of the beach and each night we walked to the beach where there is a wide range of restaurants to choose from backing on to the beach.
All in all a VERY affordable good quality clean hotel perfect for couples, backpackers or small groups of friends. You can also get family sized huts!