We need help!!

[Tiina H.]

Hello! We will spend a week of our honeymoon in Tobago and I have read a lot about different accommodations there. But can´t still decide where to stay! These are the things I wonder about:

- Has the Grafton Beach resort more ideal location than the Blue Haven for seeing the island´s attractions? I mean, does it get expensive to do daytrips from Blue Haven? We don´t want to stay in a hotel all day long.. I also wonder is it safe to drive a car in Tobago (and expensive to hire one) or would it be better to go to arranged tours?

- I found a deal for Grafton Beach resort that is 194.60 USD/night for two AI and Blue Haven 206 USD breakfast only. Is Blue Haven worth it or should we save our money and go to Grafton Beach? I have read that it takes 20 minutes with taxi from Blue Haven to get to the other restaurants. Is it expensive to eat in Blue Haven not having AI?

- First I thought about going to Arnos Vale hotel, but I have doubts about scruffyness (I don´t know if that is a right word..): harmony colors and simpleness of the room are important to me.. Also Coco Reef has been under consideration, but it is too expensive for us. And don´t know if Castara region would be better than the ones which I now mainly consider...Aargh!!!

So, any help would be nice! Thanks in advance

[Kevin Hampson]

Hi Tiina,
Welcome to MyTobago the web site that's almost as friendly as the Island,

I can't say much about the hotels I normally stay at the north end of the island but I will say a bit about the car hire and driving.

Car hire is not to expensive and pretty safe once you have got over your jet lag you will be fine. The only fast road on the island is from the airport to just past Scarborough and once you get off that things slow down a lot. Look out for potholes, sharp bends and sheep. The Island is not big so wherever you stay you will be able to see it all, but the roads are slow so allow plenty of time to get to places there is no point rushing.

The only advice I can give on the hotels is don't think about the cost, think what you really want for your honeymoon, if your after being pampered then go with the Blue Haven, If you want to get more of a feel for the Island the one of the mid range hotels will do you fine.

Have a good read of some of the reports on a few hotels and done worry about posting questions on here some one will always answer.

Have fun

Kevin

[Cornelia Montgomery]

Wow!
When you say that you can stay at the Grafton for $US 200 all-inclusive for two people, I'm amazed. Several years ago, we paid $230 a night (double room( to stay at the upscale sister hotel, Le Grand Courlan. That included no food, no drinks. I woudn't be surprised if the accomodations now are less than honeymoon quality.

[Blue Haven Hotel]

Dear Tina,

Good evening, I am replying from the Blue Haven Hotel in lovely Tobago. We are situated around 5 min (by car) and 15 min (if you would like to walk) from the capital Scarborough.To drive a car is not a problem, we work together with a very good company called Thrifty and you can hire a car from 50 US upwards. We also have a driver named Mr. Lyons, who was Robert Mitchums chauffeur in earlier times. He would love to take you on one of his day trips!

Arranged Tours are always good to give you an overview of the island, later you might want to hire a car and experience Tobago on your own. There are a lot of lovely restaurants in Tobago, ours is called Shutters and Marc our German headchef has worked for the celebrity caterer Kaefer in Germany, for the luxury hotel Adlon and for several other high profile establishments. Our menu costs 195 TTD plus taxes and we also have an a la carte menu available.

So if you would decide to come to us we would be happy to have you here at the Blue Haven Hotel!

Kind regards,
Christine

[Steve Wooler]

Hello Tina

Welcome aboard!

Heavens, what a lot of questions. Let me see how much we can help with…

1) Tobago is so small that it doesn’t rally matter too much where you are for daytrips around the island’s attractions. All the tour operators do pick-ups and returns to all the major hotels, so forget this as an issue.

2) It is PERFECTLY safe to drive a car around Tobago – as long as you remember to drive on the left, as in the UK. Hiring a self-drive car/jeep is by far the best way to enjoy the island. It can be good to take a one-day organised island tour first – it’s a great way to get to know the island, get a general feel for the layout (what’s where) and a sort of acclimatisation to the driving habits.

3) The Blue Haven is a 4/5* luxury hotel, whereas the Grafton is a 3* middle-range hotel. Read our reviews of both these hotels for more details to understand the differences. The Blue Haven is small and far more romantic than the Grafton - but you must obviously pay more for the privelege.

4) Yes, it is a 15-20 minute taxi drive from the Blue Haven to most of the island’s favourite restaurants. The Grafton is much closer.

5) Yes, dining at the Blue Haven will be more expensive than eating out at local restaurants – largely because hotels have to charge both resort tax and VAT.

6) Sadly the Arnos Vale is going downhill rapidly and seems rather hell-bent on self-destruction. Their new manager has just handed in his resignation and leaves at the end of this month. He was their one hope.

7) Castara is beautiful – but there are no hotels there. All accommodation in Castara is relatively basic, self-catering.

I hope these answers help resolve at least some of your dilemma.

[Bryn]

I consider myself to still be a newlywed (1.5 years). I would absolutely choose the Blue Haven for my honeymoon. From what I have heard (haven't been there personally) it is very romantic. I wouldn't do AI in Tobago as part of the experience is dining. There are some fabulous restaurants! Renting a car is a must, in my opinion. You will want to tour the island and experience the culture.

Another fabulous hotel is the Hilton. We rented a private villa in the Plantations last year and it was $1,200 US for a full week...with our own private pool. That may be an option for you. The one we stayed in was Villa Sans Souci. That's a nice alternative to hotel living. We were able to self cater. I hate eating 3 meals a day out! It was divine to sit in the pool in the morning with a nice cup of coffee!

If I can be of any further assistance please feel free to email.

Cheers!
Bryn
Vancouver, BC
[email protected]

[PaulineC]

Hello Tiina

I agree with the previous posts. We have not stayed at Blue Haven, but we did visit it, together with most of the big hotels on the island, when we stayed in Castara last year. We found that the hotels by and large corresponded with the descriptions on mytobago.

Blue Haven is much more of a boutique up-market hotel, compared with say the Hilton. I would definitely choose the Blue Haven; it is smaller and more intimate. The staff were very pleasant to us as non-residents. The Hilton had a more "corporate" feel to it and is very large. The Coco Reef is in a very pretty setting also, but again bigger and busier that Blue Haven.

You only go on honeymoon once! Go for the Blue Haven.

Pauline

[Graham Jones]

My wife and I stayed in both these hotels last November. (My reviews are in each hotel's section)
In our opinion there should only be one choice - the Blue Haven. Hire a car and visit the island and the local restaurants, though the hotel does a fine meal in its Shutters restaurant at approximately £25.
In our opinion there is a considerable difference in standards between these two properties, as might be indicated by the price difference.

[Tiina H.]

Thank you all!

We go to the Blue Haven Though it´s a bit pricey for us, but you are right - we go to the honeymoon only once (hopefully ). Now that the hard part has been done, we have all spring to plan what to do and read this wonderful website! Sadly St. Lucia and Barbados don´t have similar sites..