Thanks very much for your comprehensive website. We are due to go out to Le Grand Courlan in October and like many others posting onto sites for info I was more than a little concerned when I read the varying reports as this holiday is going to be our most expensive ever, but your review has helped allay our fears.
Whilst I appreciate that you won't exactly 'slate' a resort or hotel enough to put guests off booking, I get the feeling that reading between the lines of your reviews and replies to other enquirers that would be able to tell if you're trying to say that a particular accommodation or resort was of a lower standard and my overall impression of the resort so far has been raised no end.
I'll certainly post a note or two on my return.
One has to be prepared to bend to local custom and if life is slower, then life is slower, that is the point of going abroad after all, different experiences and traditions etc. etc. etc.
On balance there are far more good experiences posted than bad and sometimes people go looking for something to pick holes in or complain about, and invariably find it. Their glass will always be half empty !
I don't expect 4* standards of London or New York, I do expect to have a good time and come home with great stories.
Thanks very much for all your hard work, this correspondent is very grateful (& relieved !)
For the record, a customer of mine stayed at LGC and the Hilton for 10 days each in October last year and had a great time at both.
BJ
LGC Resort
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4842
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Hello Barry
Welcome aboard!
You seem to have rather got the wrong idea about the nature and purpose of this site.
myTobago is exactly what it purports to be. We discuss Tobago honestly, openly and frankly. There’s no need to read between the lines in anything that I say; what I say is what I mean.
Just for your clarification, this site does NOT accept paid inclusion of ANY type. We write these reviews to help travellers like yourelf. We spend between 3 and 7 days at the property and giving our frank, honest and unbiased opinions and impressions. We stayed at Le Grand Courlan for four days.
If you assume that I am not being frank and honest because you’ve read some of my other reviews and see that they are all positive, the answer is quite simple. With all due respect to our readers, I am not going to suffer 3-7 days of my holiday in a crap hotel just to tell people about it. We only stay in GOOD places. We know they’re good before we even consider them for review.
I’m sorry if my tone is a little strident, but I’ve obviously failed in my task if my reviews are being taken as glorified hype from the hotel’s advertising department. If you do a little more research on the site, you will soon seen that I am far from hesitant in voicing strong negative opinion where it is called for.
I fully appreciate that many people will be rather astonished by our feelings about the LGC. Believe you me, nobody was more surprised than Jill and I. I have no reason to believe that our stay was ‘untypical’. Yes, as I say in the review, maybe we were lucky in that we stayed there at a time when there were some really nice guests – everybody has experienced the sort of situation where one week can have lots of other guests that you get on really well with, and then the next week a bunch with whom you have nothing in common – but we’re not stupid and have written enough of these reviews to be able to remain objective. I, for one, am not going to slate the hotel just because I’ve described it as ‘tired’ and ‘past it heyday’ in the past. Credit where credit is due and it matters. I certainly have no reason or need to write reviews for the benefit of the hotel.
Welcome aboard!
You seem to have rather got the wrong idea about the nature and purpose of this site.
myTobago is exactly what it purports to be. We discuss Tobago honestly, openly and frankly. There’s no need to read between the lines in anything that I say; what I say is what I mean.
Just for your clarification, this site does NOT accept paid inclusion of ANY type. We write these reviews to help travellers like yourelf. We spend between 3 and 7 days at the property and giving our frank, honest and unbiased opinions and impressions. We stayed at Le Grand Courlan for four days.
If you assume that I am not being frank and honest because you’ve read some of my other reviews and see that they are all positive, the answer is quite simple. With all due respect to our readers, I am not going to suffer 3-7 days of my holiday in a crap hotel just to tell people about it. We only stay in GOOD places. We know they’re good before we even consider them for review.
I’m sorry if my tone is a little strident, but I’ve obviously failed in my task if my reviews are being taken as glorified hype from the hotel’s advertising department. If you do a little more research on the site, you will soon seen that I am far from hesitant in voicing strong negative opinion where it is called for.
I fully appreciate that many people will be rather astonished by our feelings about the LGC. Believe you me, nobody was more surprised than Jill and I. I have no reason to believe that our stay was ‘untypical’. Yes, as I say in the review, maybe we were lucky in that we stayed there at a time when there were some really nice guests – everybody has experienced the sort of situation where one week can have lots of other guests that you get on really well with, and then the next week a bunch with whom you have nothing in common – but we’re not stupid and have written enough of these reviews to be able to remain objective. I, for one, am not going to slate the hotel just because I’ve described it as ‘tired’ and ‘past it heyday’ in the past. Credit where credit is due and it matters. I certainly have no reason or need to write reviews for the benefit of the hotel.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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Barry Jones
Le GrandCourlan Spa
No problem there, I'm very much looking forward to our trip, it's going to be great. We are going with an open mind anyway and are determined to enjoy ourselves.From the review, it looks like we will anyway and will certainly give you an update on our return. we are looking forward to it.
You made a valid point when you mention the anonymity of e-mail, don't take someone else's word for it, find out for yourself.
In this day and age poor service, conditions and facilities will close a place down pretty quickly anyway.
Bring me sunshine !!!
BJ
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4842
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Spot on, Barry! Keep an open mind.
The main purpose of our reviews - and one of the reasons that they are so long and in such great depth - is to allow us to show lots of photographs and lots of detail. Nowhere is right for everyone. That's also why our reviews never make comparisons with other hotels on the island. We simply try to give our honest impression of the place and hope that our words of wisdom (or lack thereof) might help the reader decide if the hotel is 'their' sort of place.
As I said, LGC 'could' become our favourite luxury hotel on the island if our experience in February was to be repeated another time or two.
Enjoy!!!
The main purpose of our reviews - and one of the reasons that they are so long and in such great depth - is to allow us to show lots of photographs and lots of detail. Nowhere is right for everyone. That's also why our reviews never make comparisons with other hotels on the island. We simply try to give our honest impression of the place and hope that our words of wisdom (or lack thereof) might help the reader decide if the hotel is 'their' sort of place.
As I said, LGC 'could' become our favourite luxury hotel on the island if our experience in February was to be repeated another time or two.
Enjoy!!!
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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Colin Smith
LGC at the end of August. I hope!
Hi Steve!
Having just registered and being apprehensively keen to post my first ever... well, posting?!! I would like to say a big thank you to yourself and Jill for the myTobago site. As someone who has never been to the Caribbean and who through necessity has always suffered (sic) relatively inexpensive holidays in the past, to have a site such as yours giving up to date comments and reviews from people who have actually experienced the places in question I find a great source of comfort as I plan to splash the cash and treat myself and a close friend to a little piece of paradise!
Enough of the sucking up I hear you cry! Anyway credit where credit is due.
I am planning to go to LGC towards the end of August subject to availability (decision made just over an hour ago!) and am looking forward to being able to keep yourself (and Barry) informed as to whether you just struck lucky earlier in the year or whether LGC really is Le Grand hotel on the island.
Yours with much hope of getting there!
Colin
Having just registered and being apprehensively keen to post my first ever... well, posting?!! I would like to say a big thank you to yourself and Jill for the myTobago site. As someone who has never been to the Caribbean and who through necessity has always suffered (sic) relatively inexpensive holidays in the past, to have a site such as yours giving up to date comments and reviews from people who have actually experienced the places in question I find a great source of comfort as I plan to splash the cash and treat myself and a close friend to a little piece of paradise!
Enough of the sucking up I hear you cry! Anyway credit where credit is due.
I am planning to go to LGC towards the end of August subject to availability (decision made just over an hour ago!) and am looking forward to being able to keep yourself (and Barry) informed as to whether you just struck lucky earlier in the year or whether LGC really is Le Grand hotel on the island.
Yours with much hope of getting there!
Colin
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4842
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Hi Colin
OK, you can get up off your knees now, you've crawled quite enough. Welcome aboard. Enjoy the forum and get planning. You've made a good choice for accommodation, but now start planning what you're going to do and how you're going to get there.
Enjoy!
OK, you can get up off your knees now, you've crawled quite enough. Welcome aboard. Enjoy the forum and get planning. You've made a good choice for accommodation, but now start planning what you're going to do and how you're going to get there.
Enjoy!
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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R Stainwright
My wife and I have Just returned from a fantastic 2 week honeymoon at Le Grand, and have now read Steve's review on our return!
We had a great time, the food and staff were all superb and we are now saving for our return (probably not for about 5 years though).
The beach was good though we did note a few dogs and their mess and my new wife did get propositioned in my absence, though not in an offensive way.
Th snorkeling around the right hand side of the bay was very good, far better than my experiences in the med. Even the left end of the beach was good though you had to be carefull not to be pushed onto the rocks.
All in all a great start to our new life together
We had a great time, the food and staff were all superb and we are now saving for our return (probably not for about 5 years though).
The beach was good though we did note a few dogs and their mess and my new wife did get propositioned in my absence, though not in an offensive way.
Th snorkeling around the right hand side of the bay was very good, far better than my experiences in the med. Even the left end of the beach was good though you had to be carefull not to be pushed onto the rocks.
All in all a great start to our new life together