Hawksbill House
Mini-review by Steve & Jill Wooler, March 2008
The number of invitations and requests that we receive to review properties far outstrips our ability to undertake them. In an ideal world, we would visit every accommodation property on Tobago. As a non-commercial site, we simply lack the time and resources to accomplish this.
So, the best we can do is to spend two months each year producing detailed reports on as wide a range of accommodation as possible. While conducting the main reviews, we also undertake detailed inspections of properties that we intend to stay at, and fully review, the following year.
This mini-review of Hawksbill House follows one such inspection. It will be replaced by a full report after our 2009 visit to Tobago. In the meantime, we believe that the property deserves inclusion in our coveted list of Reviewed & Recommended properties.
Mini-Review Introduction
Hawksbill House is one of a trio of self-catering luxury holiday rental villas situated just a few metres from one of Tobago’s loveliest Caribbean beaches. The architectural style and furnishing of the villas are quite different and each has its own ambience. Choosing between them is entirely a matter of personal preference.
Remarkably few Tobago holiday rental properties can truly claim to be within walking distance of a nice beach with safe swimming. With the high daytime temperatures experienced in Tobago, even a ten-minute walk is more than most visitors would welcome. Only a tiny handful of properties can claim to be genuinely ‘beachside’. By our definition, that means within a 60-second walk of the beach. The ‘Westbury Villas’ (owned by British former racing driver, Peter Westbury) fall into this prestigious group.
Given the shared ownership, management and proximity of the three villas, we would normally conduct a single review of just one sample property. However, due to the architectural differences, unique location, limited choice of alternatives and the fact that they represent the type of accommodation aspired to by most visitors considering a Caribbean beach holiday, we have decided to publish reports on two of the three. So, how did we choose between them? Well, we simply picked the two villas furthest apart, physically and alphabetically. Therefore, we shall undertake full reviews of Hawksbill House and Yellowbird Villa in early 2009. In fairness, it has to be said that the two reports are near-identical and are a safe and valid guide to the third property, Sandpebbles Villa.
The Location
The ‘Westbury Villas’ are located on a shallow hillside rising from beautiful Grafton Beach in Stonehaven Bay. The aerial photograph (click to enlarge) shown on this page is an accurate illustration of the stunning location and the relationship of the villas to each other and the surrounding landscape. Hawksbill House is the highest of the villas and furthest from the beach – not that 100 metres can exactly be considered a material distance.
A narrow road separates the beach from the unmade access lane leading up to the villas. It is hard to believe that this was the main north coast road in years gone past. These days it is nothing more than a quiet road providing access to the beach and the few prestigious properties that border it.
Grafton Beach is sandwiched between the village of Black Rock to the north, and the hamlet of Pleasant Prospect to the south. The former holds little interest to the average visitor, but Westbury Villas are within easy walking distance of the latter.
Travellers along the Caribbean north coast (Shirvan Road) are sure to be familiar with Pleasant Prospect. The hamlet is home to The Fish Potrestaurant, Pizza Boys, Marie’s Place and the only ATM cash machine on the Caribbean coast – a group of establishments that are sure to be patronised by every self-catering visitor staying along this stretch of coast.
The Shirvan Road, which runs along the lower part of the Caribbean coast road from its intersection with the Crown Point-Scarborough highway, has become Tobago’s dominant restaurant strip. More than half dozen of the island’s most popular restaurants are housed along, or adjacent to, this mile-
or-two of coast road – all within a 5-minute drive of Hawksbill House. The Seahorse Inn, generally perceived as one of the best and most established restaurants on Tobago, is less than a five minutewalk along the beach. Pack a mini-Maglite or other small torch and you can forget about taxis or concerns over drinking and driving.
When one combines these factors, Hawksbill House boasts a truly excellent location. It is little more than 20 minutes from the airport; 15-20 minutes drive of every notable business or feature in the popular Crown Point-Plymouth-Scarborough triangle and ideally situated for tours and excursions of Tobago’s beautiful northern rainforest. Although the villa is within walking distance of the facilities at Pleasant Prospect, a self-drive car or jeep is highly recommended - as we equally say of almost every property we stay at on Tobago.
The Accommodations
Hawksbill House is a spacious two-storey villa of traditional Plantation House style. Deep shaded balconies dominate the imposing facade and enhance the Grand Colonial feel of the property. Surrounded by lush gardens and mature tropical trees, the house imparts a great sense of privacy, but is at once welcoming and homely.
First impressions on entering the ground floor are of light and warmth – but warmth in a ‘cosy’ way, not of heat. The house is spacious and decorated and furnished to the highest standards. If you enjoy the ‘plantation house’ feel – and I do, having been brought up in the region – then you will truly love this property.
The house is laid out fairly conventionally with an open-plan living room and kitchen on the ground floor and three spacious bedrooms on the upper. The living room is elegant and sophisticated. It is furnished with padded rattan furniture and boasts all the usual features, including cable TV, a music centre and a small library of novels and other reading matter. It seems almost a shame that guests are unlikely to spend much time within this area. However, it is all too tempting to wander through the French windows and onto the wide shaded veranda with its wonderful views over the small but lush multi-tiered gardens and 20-foot diameter circular swimming pool. Sun worshippers can be sure of ample opportunity to work on their tan on the padded sun loungers on the pool terrace.
The kitchen is spacious and equipped to high standards with a fridge-freezer, 4-burner gas stove, microwave oven, toasters (yes, two) and electric kettle. A washer and dryer are available in an adjacent utility area.
A formal dining table with six chairs is located next to the kitchen. However, the kitchen also provides direct access onto the main veranda. I suspect that guests are more likely to dine semi-al fresco on the more casual table provided there, even when not making use of the gas barbeque unit provided here.
Each of the three bedrooms has a full-height French window giving access onto one of the two small balconies along the frontage and which offer limited sea views. The bedrooms are air-conditioned, but also have ceiling fans. This is ideal for those, like ourselves, who prefer natural air and who like to be lulled to sleep by the sound of the surf breaking on the beach. Two of the bedrooms are furnished with Queen-size beds; the third with two single beds. Needles to say, all three bedrooms are fully en suite.
As one would expect, the house is serviced six days per week. Although normally provided on self-catering terms, a cook can be arranged at extra cost. All linen, including beach towels, is included, and extra services such as baby-sitting can be arranged locally.
Conclusion
Whilst all-inclusive hotels have their place, particularly when visiting a destination for the first time, there is no doubt that the best way to experience Tobago is to get out into the community. Renting a house or villa is not only a more rewarding experience, but also remarkably cost-effective when viewed on a cost per head basis.
Like the other Westbury villas, the location of Hawksbill House is truly exceptional. Grafton beach is one of the finest beaches on Tobago and the villa is within a few minutes’ drive of every decent restaurant, supermarketsand other facility in the popular south-west of the island.
The Westbury villas will be of particular interest to those arranging weddings and corporate or incentive trips to Tobago. The three villas at Grafton beach can accommodate up to 18 adults in wonderful comfort. The same management team also have a lovely 3-bedroom villa on a small private development bordering the golf course, just a mile or so down the road. In association with other owners on the same development, parties of 40-50 people can easily be accommodated across the two locations.
Without doubt, these villas represent a wonderful choice of holiday accommodation. We genuinely look forward to our 2009 trip to Tobago and the opportunity to stay at this fine property.
Return to the search listing page
The buttons above present articles sequentially, in the order shown in the menu bar
at the top of the page. You are currently on the Property Review page in the Accommodation menu.
