Dolce Villa

Heritage Villa is a five-bedroom private-pool villa in Nagaon, Alibaug — a short walk from one of the cleanest stretches of beach on the Konkan coast, and close enough to Mumbai that you can leave after work on a Friday and be in the pool by dinner.

The house is built around a 20 by 40 foot private pool, which is genuinely large for a villa this size — most Alibaug properties in this bracket give you something closer to a plunge pool. Around it sits a lawn that comfortably handles 40 to 50 people, which is why this property gets booked as often for birthdays, anniversaries and small weddings as it does for family weekends.

All five bedrooms are air-conditioned with wooden flooring, king beds, a 55-inch LED screen, a mini fridge and an ensuite bathroom with 24/7 hot water. The property has eleven bathrooms in total, so a large group is never queueing. A vertical garden runs along the first-floor balcony, and the upper rooms look out over coconut palms toward the hills.

There is enough to do without leaving: carrom, table tennis, chess and cards indoors; cricket, football and badminton on the lawn; and a campfire setup for the evening. Unlimited buffet meals — vegetarian and non-vegetarian — are prepared on site and included in the rate. Parking takes up to 15 cars and the property is covered by 24/7 CCTV.