Sherwood Park Apartments - Review Page 3
General Areas
In perfect keeping with the nature and location of Sherwood Park Apartments, none of the rooms are equipped with telephones or televisions. A small reception area on the ground floor of the building is furnished as a lounge area, with cable television and a telephone which guests may use, without charge, for local calls. International calls can be made, by arrangement, from a telephone in the main office. The Reception area also has a useful commercial display refrigerator stocked with essential beverages (milk, water, soft drinks) and guests can avail themselves of supplies from the fridge using an ‘honesty’ system where the guest simply enters details of anything they have taken in a book, for subsequent addition to their account. This was a perfect demonstration of the general ethos of the establishment.
Stepping down from the Reception area, one enters a large and attractive main terrace. This is furnished with two large palm-thatched sunshades providing shelter to four sets of tables and chairs. Although it hasn’t happened during our stay, I understand that Nigel, the manager, regularly hosts barbeques for guests on the terrace and the barbeque unit is available for personal use at other times.
A further level down is the 13½x6½ metre swimming pool, the depth of which seems to vary between around 1 metre and 1.75 metres. Like almost everything else, the pool is in excellent condition and regularly maintained and cleaned. I can confirm that the pool circulation and filtration system must be in good order. The pool attendant had spent an hour or more vacuuming the pool one afternoon. Within an hour of him leaving, the surface was covered in thick ash from a bonfire at a neighbouring property. By the following morning, the pool was again immaculate.
Sited around the pool is another pair of the attractive palm-thatched sun umbrellas, identical to those on the main terrace. These provide large areas of shade throughout the day. There is a substantial range of chairs and sun loungers around the pool and, as the Sherwood Park Apartments website says, this is not an establishment where you need to get up at the crack of dawn to place your towel on a sun-lounger.
Staff Services
Sherwood Park Apartments offers good, comfortable and affordable accommodation in a tranquil and central location. These factors alone should guarantee the success of the establishment. However, when you add the cheerful and friendly hospitality of manager Nigel Pirtheesingh, his capable assistant Marvin, and five other permanent members of staff, you have a totally winning combination. The establishment is still relatively new but I predict that within a year or two, a very large percentage of the residents at any time will be repeat guests.
Tobago best-known characteristic, and the very feature that causes visitors to fall in love with the island, is the friendliness of so many of the local population. Shrewd business people cash in on this characteristic and choose employees with the cheeriest smiles, who are likely to endear themselves most to visitors. Whether by design or leadership, Sherwood Park Apartments have certainly achieved the right mix. Their website boasts “Arrive a Stranger, Depart a Friend”. Never was a marketing slogan more true.
Manager Nigel is a true star and sets a fine example. He is constantly charging about, running guests to the beach, dealing with staff and maintenance issues, handling the complimentary airport transfers for arriving, or departing, guests. Yet, no matter how busy he is, he never shows the slightest impatience and always seems happy to stop and answer a guest’s questions, or simply to pass the time of day.
Nigel meets all arriving guests personally at the airport and transports them back to the apartments. I haven’t experienced his “Meet & Greet”, but I can imagine that his easy and enthusiastic manner will have even the most travel-hardened guest relaxing and confident within minutes. On arrival at the apartment, he provides a personal introduction to the facilities.
Nigel’s cheery attitude extends to all the staff. It is always a good sign when you hear employees singing, whistling or exchanging friendly banter while they work. In many places, this could be a distraction while trying to write reviews. Here, it just brings a smile to my face.
Sherwood Park Apartments offer a grocery and laundry service to guests, for a small additional charge. Jill got some heavy sand stains on her favourite white shorts yesterday that defied her best efforts to clean by hand washing. We gave them to a maid this morning and hey presto, they were back dry and laundered, with no sign of the stain, within three hours.
Beaches & Excursions
I have yet to stay at a hotel, guesthouse, apartment or villa on Tobago where I have not said that your own transport is desirable or essential. This equally applies at Sherwood Park Apartments. Yes, you could chill out beside the pool every day and let the staff do your grocery shopping for you, but it would truly be a shame not to get out and about under your own steam and explore this beautiful little island.
It is a 10-15 minute drive from the apartments to a collection of good beaches along the Caribbean coast – Buccoo beach, Grange Beach, Mt.Irvine Beach and even gorgeous Back Bay. Another five minutes and you can experience Grafton Beach and Turtle Beach. If you haven’t got your own transport, Nigel operates a daily shuttle service, at a small charge, to and from Pigeon Point, which is little more than a 15 minute drive way.
As mentioned, the location of the apartments is a wonderfully central place from which to explore every corner of the island. Tour companies will pick you up from the apartments and Nigel and his staff will gladly arrange any tours on your behalf. They can also arrange car hire and have three mountain bikes available for hire by guests.
Catering & Dining
As a self-catering establishment, it is hardly surprising to find that the Sherwood Park Apartments does not have a restaurant or café. However, in recognition of the fact that guests may wish some relief from the chore of cooking, Nigel has arranged a few catering options for guests.
When occupancy is high, and subject to minimum numbers, Nigel can arrange a barbeque on the terrace, or for set meals to be cooked at his home and then delivered to the apartments for guests to enjoy on the main terrace, or on their personal balcony. Another popular choice, without the requirement of a minimum number, is “Indy’s Home Catering”. As with Nigel’s offering, these meals must be ordered the day before requirement, but are then delivered to your apartment.
There are no restaurants in Carnbee village itself, but there are two local bars just a 5-minute drive (15-minute walk) from the apartments. One of these, the Good Times Bar & Grill, serves local luncheons, or light snacks in the evening.
Given its wonderful central location, virtually every good restaurant on the island is within a 10-20 minute drive of Sherwood Park Apartments, so you choice is almost unlimited.
Conclusion
It would be difficult to find a better package of friendly, caring hosts offering comfortable and affordable accommodation in such a tranquil and peaceful setting.
Everything about the Sherwood Park Apartments so closely mimics the essential ambience and character of Tobago itself. It illustrates the very best of the island's relaxed, laidback, friendly personality.
I have studied the Sherwood Park Apartments website and am delighted to tell you that, for once, you can take their claims at face value. “Arrive a stranger, Depart a Friend”. Never was a truer word spoken. What more can one say?
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