Holiday Accommodation

Introduction

Mahi Mahi is a luxurious three-bedroom self-catering unit in the striking and prestigious Black Rock Dreams condominium development. Located in Tobago's beautiful Stonehaven Bay, one of the most striking features of this lovely property is the direct access it offers onto the palm-fringed sands of Grafton beach.

Black Rock Dreams consists of eight villa-apartments on two accommodation levels. Each unit is privately owned and individually furnished and equipped. Not all of which are available for holiday rental.

These unique apartments offer the very highest standards of self-catering holiday accommodation. They are a perfect choice for those looking for upscale vacation apartments. We describe them as villa-apartments because they offer standards of holiday accommodation normally only associated with luxury villas. Given the almost total absence of vacation rental villas with immediate proximity to a worthwhile Tobago beach, the Black Rock Dreams units represent a viable alternative for travellers who would normally stay in a holiday rental villa.

Due to the popularity of these lovely condominiums, we now recommend four Black Rock Dreams units. Located at each end of the building, they are slightly larger, lighter and more desirable than the inner units, primarily due to the advantages of the added exterior wall. This review is specific to Mahi Mahi Suite. It only applies in a most general sense to other units in the Black Rock Dreams complex.

Location

Black Rock Dreams is located on the edge of Black Rock village, at the northern end of Grafton beach. This is on Tobago's beautiful Lower Caribbean coast (region 2).

Black Rock village will be of minor interest to visitors, but anyone familiar with the area will know Pleasant Prospect. It is home to a very useful mini-mart, three restaurants, bars, a take-out pizza outlet and the only ATM cash machine on this stretch of coast.

The Seahorse Inn, perceived by many as the island's best restaurant, is little more than 100m from Black Rock Dreams. The more casual, but equally deserving, Fish Pot Restaurant less than a mile away, at Pleasant Prospect. Two miles further, Tobago's leading Italian restaurant, La Tartaruga.

Every notable feature in the main Crown Point-Plymouth-Scarborough triangle is within a 15-minute drive of Black Rock Dreams. Residents are ideally located to tour Tobago's stunning northern coastline and rainforest. One could hardly find a more ideal location.

The island is small, but few properties are within walking distance of more than one or two shops, restaurants, beaches or other facilities. Relying on private taxis is expensive and inconvenient. To get the most from your holiday at Black Rock Dreams, we strongly recommend that you budget for self-drive car or jeep rental.

Accommodation

Mahi Mahi is situated on the upper floor of Black Rock Dreams' twin accommodation levels. The apartment offers glorious views over Stonehaven Bay and Grafton Beach. The upper floor apartments arguably have the best views, at the cost of an extra flight of stairs. It would be a mean-spirited person who argued over which view was better when all are so spectacular.

The apartment is accessed by two short flights of stairs from the underground car park. To the rear of the building there is also a narrow access road leading directly to the lower apartment level. This is helpful for unloading or loading luggage on arrival and departure. Apart from a few small steps on the rear balcony, the apartments are entirely single level and therefore offers possibilities for those with mobility issues.

The Black Rock Dreams complex assumes a quiet and unassuming ambience. Security is unobtrusive, and the building and beautifully landscaped grounds maintained to the highest standards.

Mahi Mahi Suite offers some 2,000ft2 of luxurious, under-stated, holiday accommodation. Ignore the word 'holiday': I would be happy to move in, permanently, tomorrow!

The apartment is serviced three times a week and housekeeper, Geyelle, was friendly and non-intrusive. Mahi Mahi is ably managed by Villas Are Us Ltd who offer complimentary meet and greet airport services to arriving guests. They provide a small basic welcome pack and can offer an accompanied grocery stock-up run after arrival when pre-arranged.

Living Room

A wide entrance hall opens into a large and open-plan kitchen, dining and living area. Subtle 'mushroom' colours dominate. The overall ambience tasteful, relaxing, comfortable and easy on the eye.

However, no matter how attractive the décor, your eye is automatically drawn to the amazing view presented through the wide glazed sliding windows across the front of the room. And, what a view it is! The foaming, turquoise waters of Stonehaven Bay combined with the dark golden sands of Grafton beach. An artist would be hard pressed to envisage a more idyllic landscape.   

A semi-circle of deeply-cushioned rattan furniture arranged around a glass-topped coffee table dominate the living room area. Should you get bored of the wonderful sea views, a large Sony television and DVD player is connected to the local digital cable service and offers a variety of local and North American channels

Tucked away in a nook beside the dining area is small 'office' area, furnished with a large antique-style mahogany desk and comfortable office chair. Guests can use the apartment's telephone to make local calls, or to receive local and international calls. A complimentary mobile/cell phone is provided, and top-up cards are widely available. Complimentary super-fast wireless broadband (50Mbps) is available throughout the apartment.

The apartment is fully air-conditioned. A single large unit discreetly and unobtrusively services the main living area. Each of the bedrooms has its own remotely-controlled air-conditioning unit. For those who prefer fresh air, all rooms also have overhead ceiling fans.

Dining Area & Kitchen

A large glass-topped dining table, with six comfortable cushioned chairs, is ideally positioned between the kitchen and the lounge area. It offers spacious formal dining for the apartment's maximum occupancy of six adults

Adjacent to the dining table, three padded rattan stools border the wide breakfast bar island that neatly separates the dining area from the more utilitarian kitchen area.

The kitchen is well equipped. The large stainless fridge-freezer with filtered water/ice unit ensures that you will never be short of a 'beastly cold' beer. It is large enough to ensure that trips to the supermarket can be kept to the minimum. Mind you, the nearest large supermarket is little more than a 5-minute drive away.

The built-in oven/grill was a pleasure to use. The oven is supplemented by a large microwave and four-ring electric hob. And, once you have finished your meal, there is a large dishwasher to take care of things. Smaller items of equipment include a filter coffee machine, kettle, blender, juicer, liquidiser and toaster plus a useful range of pots and pans, crockery, cutlery and glassware.

The Master Bedroom

The master bedroom is separated from the front balcony by wide glazed sliding doors. It benefits from stunning views over the gardens, bay and beach. Privacy is preserved, and glare overcome, by strong anti-glare film on the glazing.

The master bedroom suite is of very generous size and paired with an equally spacious bathroom with walk-in closet. It is furnished with a dark mahogany low-poster king-size bed with matching nightstands, lamps, a five-drawer chest and large dresser with half-length mirror. The mattress was firm and, helped by the lovely brushed cotton sheets and a light blanket, we slept like logs every night; no doubt lulled to sleep by the sound of the surf breaking on the beach below.

The bathroom is fully tiled and exquisitely presented. It would take a very long holiday to fill the walk-in closet and dresser drawers with clothing. The vanity unit is backed by a full-width mirror with overhead theatre-style lighting and equipped with dual wash basins, dual electric sockets for shavers and electric toothbrushes and a wall-mounted electric hairdryer.

The bathroom also has a deep four-foot soak bath tub and a large fully-tiled walk-in shower. Water pressure was good, so taking a soak, or a refreshing shower, was always a pleasure. Soap dispensers and complimentary small soap bars are provided in each bathroom, in addition to beach towels.

Bedroom 2

The second bedroom is of more modest size, but fully en suite with built-in wardrobes that offer generous full-length hanging and storage space. In addition to the comfortable queen-size bed, with bedside tables and lamps, there is a 7-drawer dresser with half-height mirror.

The room's wall-mounted air-conditioner is quiet in operation. A single window looks out to the rear of the property. Glazed windows are fitted internally and strong security bars and a wooden shutter externally.

The en suite bathroom is relatively small, but adequate, and equipped with the usual trio: a toilet, pedestal washbasin and a large fully-tiled walk-in shower. A small shelf above the washbasin provides storage space, supplemented by a larger wall-mounted cabinet with, very thoughtfully, a basic first aid kit. The bathroom also has a wall-mounted electric hairdryer.

Bedroom 3

Like the second bedroom, the third bedroom is located at the rear of the apartment. It is smaller than the other rooms and more simply furnished, with a queen-size bed, a bedside table, lamp and a narrow seven-drawer chest. Air-conditioning is provided courtesy of a small wall-mounted unit, or by the overhead ceiling fan. The room has secure windows with wooden shutters on two aspects, so is nice and bright

This bedroom does not have en suite facilities. However, a bathroom, that doubles as a general powder room, is located across the hallway, next to the living area. This bathroom is equipped with a toilet, attractive wash bowl and large fully-tiled walk-in shower.

The Balcony

A wide balcony runs the full 9m/30ft width of the conjoined living room and master bedroom. It opens out into a lovely seating and viewing area at the centre. Furnished with a comfortable padded all-weather settee, pair of matching armchairs and two circular tables, the balcony imparts a very 'grand' feeling as you sit back, enjoying the stunning views over the beach and bay through the decorative white balustrade and tall arched columns that support the high roof. A single large ceiling fan keeps the air moving. A gas barbeque unit is located at the end of the balcony. There is also a drying rack for wet swimwear.

For reasons that I can't explain, we have seen more stunning sunsets from the balconies at Black Rock Dreams than at any other holiday accommodation on Tobago. Another benefit is that the balcony is in shade for the majority of the day.

Although the apartment borders the road, traffic noise has never been an issue. The dominant sounds are the crashing of the surf and the tweeting of birds.

Swimming Pool & Gardens

The Black Rock Dreams gardens, whilst relatively small, have been beautifully landscaped and are immaculately maintained. Full credit must be given to the resident Swiss property manager, Chris, who can be regularly seen toiling away in the grounds

The gardens and pool are shared by all eight condominiums. None of the owners are in permanent residence and it is seldom that you will find more than half the apartments occupied, so guests are unlikely to find the shared facilities an issue

The centrepiece of the beautiful sloping grounds is the pool deck. It must be said that the pool is more ornamental than practical. However, it is great for a cooling dip or when the seas are running high and you don't want to be battered by the surf.

The pool consists of four interlinked circles, separated by a pair of mature palm trees. One of the circles forms a shallow children's pool. The pool depth varies between 1.4m and a little under 2 metres. A gentle water cascade tumbles into the pool from a ledge beneath a wooden bridge, making a striking water feature.

Attractive non-slip tiles border the pool, forming a spacious pool deck. Eight plastic sun loungers and a table with four chairs offer parents somewhere to rest whilst watching the kids, or to lounge away the hours in the lovely garden setting.

A rear gate, with keypad security system, provides direct access on to Grafton beach. A water tap (faucet) and hose is provided, just inside the gate, so that guests can wash the fine sand off their feet when returning from the beach. There is also a cold-water shower beside the swimming pool, just a few metres away.

The Beach

Grafton Beach is fractionally under a kilometre in length (0.6 mile). Soft golden sand dominates the southern end of the beach, interspersed with powdery black volcanic sand at the more sheltered northern end. With every tide, the lighter golden sand is washed ashore, often forming fascinating patterns on the heavier darker sand.

Grafton Beach is our favourite beach on Tobago. There are other, more spectacular, beaches but none of them provide the same combination of good swimming, body boarding, walking, access to cafes and restaurants, security and accessibility. The snorkelling isn't brilliant, but the sheltered northern end is fine for practising your skills before trying them out at more adventurous locations. A round-trip walk of the beach takes about 20 minutes and makes a wonderful wake-up call before breakfast.

Security & Shared Facilities

The owners and management of Black Rock Dreams pride themselves on security. The biggest problem is Tobago's ability to induce an all-encompassing sense of relaxed wellbeing that sometimes leads visitors to ignore the common-sense security precautions they would take for granted at home.

The front door to Mahi Mahi is double-locked and the external spiral staircase leading from the front balcony to the ground floor is protected by a strong iron grill gate with heavy duty lock. An internal security alarm can be set either at night, or when going out for the day. A reasonably sized security safe is provided within the apartment for cash, documents and other valuables.

Black Rock Dreams also boasts secure perimeter protection. The beach gate is locked at night, as are the beefy gates that guard the drop-off/parking area at the rear of the property. The complex boasts an underground car park with entry is via remotely controlled electric gates. The basement level is also home to the permanent property coordinator's office and apartment, plus various utility rooms.

Conclusion

I'm sure you didn't need to wade through several pages of description to judge the wonderful self-catering holiday accommodation offered by Mahi Mahi Suite; hopefully the review video will have done a better job.

Over the past five years, we have stayed at three different Black Rock Dreams units; visiting each unit twice, for a week at a time. We are therefore well-familiar with these apartments and any deficiencies in the location or accommodations would have made themselves very clear by now. Although each apartment is furnished and equipped to the owner's taste and preferences, they are basically similar. It is only fair to say that which you prefer and choose to stay in is very much a matter of personal choice.