Inside an eco-friendly boutique resort in Goa

Circle, designed by Spiro Spero, offers not just a tranquil ambience but an equally nourishing food and rejuvenation experience for their patrons.   

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Courtesy Spiro Spero

Though it is located in close proximity of all the popular cafes, party places and the beach, at Anjuna in Goa, boutique resort Circle would still transport you to a calm and serene world once you step into its domain. This ten room resort is set in a two acre forested landscape and has two living areas, seven rooms set in a 100-year-old Portuguese house (The Old Quarters), and three studio rooms (in pet-friendly The New Quarters). Some rooms have private gardens and sit-outs, two rooms have private dipping pools, two rooms come with living areas and a pantry and all rooms are designed with a natural, easy aesthetic that is modern and minimal. Interior designers Keith Menon and Smriti Ahuja of Mumbai-based Spiro Spero, who is instrumental in the sublime design of Circle, took inspiration from the natural material of the land, the surroundings of the property and combined it innovatively to render an undeniable Goa feel to this boutique resort.

Circle is an eco-conscious resort, and it is evident in its design and all its functions. For instance, the cyclone which hit Goa in 2021 felled a lot of trees around their property. While some were replanted, the ones that could not be saved were handcrafted into beds, side-tables, polished into a 10-foot long consoles, made into a 15-foot log table that seats 12 and used at the Circle. Almost 40 per cent of all wood used for the design was sourced from within the property itself.

A manmade self-sustaining fish pond that attracts different species of birds; a suspended short story library placed next to shaded hammocks; badminton and volleyball sand courts; a bar making organic syrups from local produce; herbs from their own greenhouse; eco-measures like avoiding single use plastic, food wastage, recycling water and other waste as much as possible, using solar powered geysers, composting food waste are other highlights of Circle.