My wife and I stayed at Silken Sands hotel while backpacking through India. We decieded to visit Goa after hearing that some travellers come for months at a time for the beaches and parties. While the Goa scene was not really our cup of tea, the Silken Sands hotel was one of the best values we've had in India. It probably helps that we visited in the off-season, but what we got for our money was far beyond our expectations. It was by far the nicest hotel/hostel/homestay we had in India, but not the most expensive. A good combination.
The staff are helpful. The owner is friendly and looks after the needs of his guests. The hotel can arrange tours, pickups, food, and pretty much handle anything you need if you're in the mood to relax and don't mind spending a few extra USD than you might haggle on your own.
There's a pool, a resturant serving reasonably priced bland westerner-oriented "everything" food, a patio, and a strange little fountain. Standard double rooms are VERY spacious with a nice bathroom, hot water, strong A/C, fan, a huge selection of cable channels, available wi-fi (IDR 120/hr or 400/day or 1000/week). The bed is soft and a real double rather than the usual 2 singles pushed together. There's a laptop in the office you can use to check your email.
The bus route swings near the hotel, so you can get around for cheap and avoid the overpriced ricks and cabs when travelling light.
Yes, there are brownouts, but this is still India, despite what seem to be the wish of foreigners who visit Goa. Some lights, the fan, and the wi-fi stay on thanks to the hotel's backup power. Hallway lights go off, so you might want to have a flashlight ready just in case.
It is a fairly long walk from the hotel to the beach or to town. The bus is a good option. There is a dirt football pitch out front which means no noisy neighbors, but a bumpy ride in if you are in a rick or cab.
In the low season, this place is a great value and the staff are very nice and helpful.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC