Mayfair Palm Beach Resort, Gopalpur: A relaxing stay at a haven of peace  

There are two things I always do when I am going through social media travel groups or reading groups. I keep adding to my two lists. These are my TBR (To Be Read list) and my bucket list. It’s another thing that the husband often jokes the bucket list is like magician PC Sorcar’s bottomless bucket. But he does admit that having a list like this, has its perks. You are always immersed in the joy of travel planning. So, in this bucket list of mine, I included Mayfair Palm Beach Resort in Gopalpur, a few years ago.

I first saw the photos of this resort on a friend’s FB wall. Many friends and people in travel groups often post photos of their stay at Mayfair properties. However, none have attracted my attention as this one did. There’s something truly stunning about this place, and as my story unfolds, you will realise why I felt so.

Planning for Mayfair Palm Beach Resort trip

When you see a place and want to visit it earnestly, it often happens that Providence has other plans. For months and years you do not manage to end up in that place. Getting leave from work could be an issue, budget constraints, prioritising other destinations might defer a trip forever. I am sure travel enthusiasts will identify with this predicament.

The same happened to us. Finally, we managed a holiday to Odisha last year and embarked on a road trip to Puri and Gopalpur. My son quickly bought a car mattress to ensure he gets enough sleep in the long haul. The car pump was put into action the night before the journey. In a matter of minutes, the mattress bloated up to an inviting state.

We were so excited that my son and I could hardly sleep through the night. It rubbed off on the husband, who was driving, but just managed half an hour’s sleep.

Hitting the road to Gopalpur

Unslept but brimming with enthusiasm, I took the navigator’s seat at 6 am. Even before we hit the highway, my son had hit the pillow. The roads are good, the diversions few, and the approach to Puri has beautiful hills that are not visible from the trains.

The drive from Puri to Gopalpur is even more scenic, and the highways can rival any of their international counterparts. The radars keep hawk eyes on cars that cross the 80 km/hour limit, keeping the roads safe and chaos free.

We took a detour to Chilika and finally reached the scenic town of Gopalpur. Of course, we took chai breaks and lunch breaks in between.

Best beach holiday in Gopalpur

I wasn’t really interested in Gopalpur tourist attractions, instead, I wanted to relax and stay put in the resort. There are a number of Gopalpur Beach hotels but not many luxury beach resorts with a pristine private beach, manicured lawns, a pool, and ample activities. Most importantly, it’s a 5-star property with fairly affordable prices. Just make sure you don’t book in the last moment during rush season and end up paying through your nose. Because that’s when the prices really go up.

We had reached Mayfair Palm Beach Resort a little before check-in time. So, we just finished the formalities, the welcome drinks and before they handed us the room keys we went for a stroll around the property. A walk through the refreshing green gardens took us to the beach.

That’s when our eyes landed on that space on the right side of the garden overlooking the sea. And we couldn’t look away. The shaded corner had comfy sofas, a bar, a selfie point. It had that absolute relaxed Krabi vibe. Immediately we settled down there ordering our drinks and snacks.

We sat in that beautiful setting with the salty breeze blowing serenely, the waves kissing the sands and the white façade of the hotel creating a majestic backdrop. We had forgotten that we hadn’t actually gone to our rooms. The call from the hotel to complete our check in nudged us out of this beachside bliss.

A stunning combination of heritage and luxury

Before going to this Gopalpur beachside retreat, I had done my research. I had gone through the reviews of Mayfair Palm Beach Resort, checked what travel vloggers had to say, and read the write-ups in the travel groups. But nothing had really prepared me for what I felt when the card was swiped to open the door to our room.

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Tastefully done in pink and white, a huge room greeted us. Not many luxury hotels would have such a huge room, a washroom the size of a bedroom and the icing on the cake was the huge balcony with a splendid view of the sea and the garden.

Given a choice, and if the sun had been a bit less harsh, I would have perhaps spent my entire day sitting on that circular lounger placed strategically in one corner of the balcony, replete with cushions.

What’s striking about this property is how it marries heritage designs with modern amenities. Be it in the room styling, the lawn landscaping or the look of the bar, the architectural mantra is very clear.  

History of Mayfair Palm Beach Resort

The beachside property stands on 12 acres of land and has a history that goes back to 1914. During World War I, Gopalpur served as a port and the Lighthouse stands just next to the resort. In 1947 the Oberoi Group acquired the property from an Italian lady. After Shimla and Kolkata, this was the group’s third hotel.

The hotel bore the brunt of the Super Cyclone of 1999 and the Tsunami of 2004. The repairs and overhead costs kept mounting. In 2011 Oberoi Group decided to sell off the property and the Mayfair Group acquired the hotel for Rs 10 crores. They have refurbished the rooms, added more rooms and now there’s a new wing as well.

Walking through the corridors of Mayfair Gopalpur is like walking through history. Adorning the walls are photos of people who have stayed in the hotel. That includes, prime ministers, presidents and the most well-known celebs of our country.

Our relaxing stay

This beachside retreat has so much to do inside that you will not feel like stepping outside. No wonder international tourists frequent this destination. The squeaky-clean beach, crystal clear sea water, silverfish swimming around, and loungers for sunbathing, make it a truly relaxing experience. Sitting in the garden you can hear the birds or watch the local children courting the waves and swimming far into the sea. As I sat on the swing on the beach the waves caressed my feet. Time stood still.

From the sea, we moved to the pool. In fact, that’s where most of the children at the resort were. Playing with floaters and rubber balls, they were having a ball. The pool is surrounded by greenery, giving it a natural shade. The temperature of the water is pleasant and the depth perfect.

The resort is a haven for children since it has an outdoor play zone and indoor one too. There’s table tennis, pool, a giant chessboard and archery. In the evening a member of the staff organises games where both adults and children can take part.

While the spread of breakfast is truly mind-boggling, one can opt for buffet at lunch and dinner too. We opted for a la carte lunch and dinner and enjoyed our choice of Indian and Italian fare. There’s a nicely done up bar too.

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The only thing that irked us

I can’t really blame the hotel for this, but this was the bane of our stay at the property. A large number of families holidaying there believed in letting their children have a free run. So, they could be breaking the table tennis board or screaming like howler monkeys when their mobile was taken away for two minutes. In a serene place like this this does become a wee bit annoying.

FAQs

How to reach Gopalpur?

Usually, 6 trains run from Kolkata to Gopalpur. It takes around 11 hours by train and it’s best to opt for an overnight train journey. But if you want to see the daytime views from your train windows there are plenty of trains that start in the afternoon. There are trains available to Gopalpur from most of the cities in India. If you are flying then you will land in Bhubaneshwar, and it takes around 3-4 hours by car from there to reach Gopalpur.

What are the rates and how to book a room?

Room rates usually start at Rs 8,000 for two people with breakfast. For children above 6 years, an extra bed is needed; the price starts at around Rs 3000.

You can book online through travel sites, but we decided to book through our travel agent. You can book directly through Mayfair’s website too. There is one thing you need to keep in mind, when it’s holiday season, the prices go through the roof. So, the most sensible thing would be to book in advance. There are different kinds of rooms; some have views of the ocean, some have private pools. If you have the budget you can opt for the ones that come with a higher price tag.

What are Gopalpur’s tourist attractions?

If you have time in your hands then you can do a trip to Daringbadi, a hill station with forests and waterfalls. It takes 3 hours from Gopalpur to reach Daringbadi. You can stay there for a night or two. Although there is not much to explore there, it can be a nice stay in the lap of nature.

From Gopalpur go on a boat ride at Chilika Lake from Ramhha, check out Rushikulya beach or go shopping for tribal handicrafts at Shakuntala Market.