Holiday Accommodation

Introduction

The Mount Irvine Bay Hotel & Golf Club dominated the Tobago holiday accommodation market for many years after opening in 1972. The hotel's main attribute was its wonderful 18-hole golf course, which became recognised as a championship course of international repute.

Time moved on. The hotel changed hands and was finally purchased in 1986 by Dr.Robert T.Yorke, a native Tobagonian. The refurbished hotel adopted a marketing policy that placed less emphasis on tour operators. As a result, it largely disappeared from holiday brochures. Occupancy dropped, but the traditional 'feel' of the hotel was very much more important to the owner than a packed house.

Illness struck and the hotel fell into limbo until Dr.Yorke passed away in 2015. His daughter Jacqueline Westcott-Yorke took over. While trying to remain true to her father's vision, Jacqueline has done a remarkable job of upgrading and modernising the hotel and bringing it back into the global tourism market. The refurbished hotel was relaunched as the Mount Irvine Bay Resort.

Location

The hotel and golf course arelocated at the base of Mount Irvine, on Tobago's beautiful north-western Caribbean coast. The airport is just a 15-minute drive away.

The 18-hole golf course occupies some 127 acres of land stretching from the lower slopes of Mount Irvine to the glorious sands of Mount Irvine beach on Tobago's Caribbean coast. The land surrounding the golf course is home to some of the island's most prestigious homes and villas. The area has a discrete yet wealthy feel.

Located with the island's most densely populate area, the hotel is within easy reach of shopping and the most popular activity areas. Three of Tobago's best restaurants are within a five-minute drive. The location is also a perfect base for touring all parts of this stunning island.

Architecture

The hotel is set within 16 acres of tropical gardens on the edge of the associated golf course. The land was formerly a sugar and coconut plantation.

The main focal point of the resort is a wonderful sugar mill, built in 1862. The Mount Irvine estate was the largest and most important sugar plantation on the island and controlled some 46 other estates. The walls and foundations of the original sugar factory have been charmingly interwoven with the new hotel and remnants can be seen around the grounds.

The impressive reception lobby is housed in a unique building that features an amazing conical roof of wooden shingles. It represents a wonderful and sympathetic echo and tribute to the sugar mill, which now houses the hotel's Sugar Mill Restaurant.

Guest accommodation is provided within inter-connected two-storey accommodation blocks, plus a series of duplex bungalows distributed around the attractive landscaped grounds.  

Accommodation

Accommodation at the Mount Irvine Bay Resort comprises of 80 rooms in four categories: Standard, Superior, Suites and Garden Cottages.

Ramps have been installed throughout the property, so access for wheelchair users or those with mobility problems should not be an issue. Wheelchair accessible rooms are available, and the hotel also offers a disabled suite furnished with mobility bed and disability-equipped bathroom.

Inter-connecting doors separate most rooms and cottages, enabling dual units to be reserved by families, etc.

Standard & Superior Rooms

The Standard and Superior rooms are in the main accommodation wings of the hotel. Every room has a private balcony or patio. Rooms on the upper floor have scenic sea views or look out over the pool or gardens. Ground floor rooms offer garden views.

The Standard rooms are semi-refurbished. The Superior rooms have been fully refurbished and so are much more modern and stylish in appearance and benefit from upgraded fixtures and fittings.

Regardless of category, the room are spacious, fully air-conditioned and furnished with either twin double beds or a single king-size bed, a desk, in-room safe, cable TV, Wi-Fi (variable strength signal), hairdryer, tea and coffee station, plus an iron and ironing board.

Superior Rooms are additionally equipped with a mini-fridge and USB charging ports in the bedside lamps.

Rooms are serviced daily. All linen and towels (including pool/beach towels) were of excellent quality. Laundry and room services are available.

Suites

In addition to the regular rooms, the hotel offers one and two-bedroom Suites. These are basically Superior rooms with interconnecting doors leading to a second/third Superior room furnished with a sofa and chairs instead of a bed. One-bedroom suites have a king-size bed, whilst two-bedroom suites have the king size bed plus two double beds.

Garden Cottages

The Garden Cottages are housed in small semi-detached/duplex cottages dotted around the attractively landscaped 16-acre grounds of the hotel. Each cottage has an inter-connecting door, so can be booked as a two-bedroom unit if required.

The cottages are more spacious than the Superior rooms or Suites. They are furnished and equipped to the same high standards, but with the added facility of a wet bar. We loved the décor of all the rooms, and the Garden Cottages in particular. Our only slight criticism would be the absence of pictures or paintings, which would have given the rooms a more homely feel.

Most of the cottages have been completely refurbished since our last visit. The upgraded cottages have an enclosed patio. Furnished with a sofa and chairs, glazed sliding doors separate this charming area from the bedroom. The hotel still offers a few 'standard' Garden Cottages with an open (but covered) patio area.

Food & Drink

The hotel's main restaurant, The Sugar Mill Restaurant, is in the picturesque 200-year-old sugar mill, which represents the centrepiece of the hotel. This lovely venue affords stunning views over the Caribbean Sea, Mount Irvine Bay and Buccoo Reef. It is as close to open-air dining as you can get whilst remaining sheltered from the sun - or occasional rain.

The Sugar Mill Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfasts are served buffet-style and were our favourite meal of the day. There is no table d'hôte menu and the limited á la carte menu was near identical for both luncheon and dinner.

The menu focusses heavily on Tobagonian cuisine, with just a quiet nod to international influences. The novelty wears off rapidly. Within just a few days we found ourselves hoping for change. The one exception was the local buffet held one evening during our stay. This was truly excellent.

Guests can enjoy beer, wine or cocktails in the Lobby Bar, adjacent to the hotel's main foyer. Close by, the Hummingbird Lounge offers tea, coffee and light bites in your choice of attractive and comfortable indoor or semi-outdoor seating areas. If not already spoiled for choice, drinks are available at the Pool Bar or across the road at the Golf Club Bar.

Just a short walk from the hotel, the Beach Bar is open to resident guests and the general public. As well as drinks and casual dining options, the Beach Bar offers toilets and changing facilities and provides sun loungers and sun umbrellas.

Activities

Clearly, the principle guest activity at the Mount Irvine Bay Resort is golf. The hotels par-72 18-hole course opened in 1968 and for many years was acknowledged as one of the best courses in the Caribbean.

Poor maintenance and lack of investment during Dr. Yorke's illness took their toll. Sadly, the course is now a shadow of its former self. Restoration is being undertaken, but it will be some years before it can be considered anything but a resort course. Please note that the filming of our video took place during a hot and dry period when most of Tobago was looking dry and parched.

However, and despite this, the undulating course still offers breath-taking sea views and a challenging game of golf. It is unlikely to disappoint. Hotel residents receive a 20% discount on green fees. Caddies and carts are available and clubs and other equipment can be rented from the golf shop.

For those who prefer something a little more relaxing, the hotel offers a range of massage and beauty treatments on the premises, through a third-party service, French Secrets.

Corporate & Events

With more than 154 acres of golf course, hotel and gardens to choose from, it is not surprising that the Mount Irvine boasts and excellent choice of venues for both indoor and outdoor meetings and events, both private and corporate.

The Robert T.Yorke Ballroom and The Jacaranda are private spaces ideal for business meetings and conferences. Both areas can seat up to 200 people theatre-style, or seat up to 160 for dinner. The ballroom can be split into two smaller private spaces. There is also an adjacent smaller Hospitality Lounge suitable for groups of up to 20 participants.

Weddings

Leading on from the previous section, the Mount Irvine Bay Resort arguably offers the best choice of onsite wedding locations in Tobago. The lucky couple are almost spoiled for choice of indoor or outdoor venues for the ceremony and suitable for either small or large wedding parties.

In addition to the ballrooms mentioned previously, popular wedding locations include the terrace besides the Sugar Mill restaurant, with its stunning views over Buccoo Reef; glorious Mount Irvine beach with its private dining room; in the shade of a magnificent 100-year-old Samaan tree in the colourful landscaped gardens; or on the terrace of the golf club.

The hotel offers wedding services and can make all arrangements on behalf of the lucky couple.

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool nestles into the landscaped ground in the centre of the hotel.  Measuring approximately 25x7m, this is a pool that will satisfy serious swimmers as well as those who simply wish to paddle in the 1m shallow end or sit in the warm waters enjoying a cooling drink at the swim-up bar. The pool was in excellent condition and the water clean, bright and sparkling.

Beaches

It is just a short, but pleasant, walk through the hotel's lush and mature gardens to the beach. You then need to cross the Caribbean coast road to get to the beach, but this is hardly an issue.

The hotel's golden sand beach could not be prettier. Mount Irvine Bay is quite large and consists of several coves and beaches. The calm and protected waters make it a popular boat mooring spot and some of the island's best snorkelling excursions start and end in this bay.

Although not very long, the hotel beach is quite deep. Several trees provide welcome shade. The beach shelves quite noticeably after entering the water, but the swimming is normally excellent. Snorkelling is also quite good, particularly around the rocks on the left-hand side of the beach.

The beach is popular with locals and tourists alike, so it can get a little crowded at weekends. Sun umbrellas and loungers are provided for hotel guests and can be hired by the public. The hotel's beach bar provides drinks and casual dining options, as well are providing toilet and changing facilities.

Conclusion

Our week at the Mount Irvine Bay Resort passed all too quickly. When we reviewed the hotel 14 years previously, we concluded…

"Having stayed at every hotel of any consequence on Tobago, we are of the opinion that the Mount Irvine Bay Hotel & Golf Club is worthy of consideration by travellers seeking a quiet, relaxing holiday in an environment of comfort and high standards. The hotel has the friendly feel of a much smaller establishment. The overriding atmosphere and ambience at the Mount Irvine Bay Resort is one of calm, quiet sophistication."

So, has anything changed in those 14 years? Well, without doubt, the refurbishment has done wonders. I've never seen the hotel looking better. It remains true to its historical roots, but now has a modern spin. The accommodation is as comfortable as any other hotel on the island and the staff friendly and accommodating. Would we return? Yes, without question or doubt.

The Mount Irvine's only major problem is how best to overcome the hiatus of the past 15 years. How can they tell the world that they are not only back in business, but back with serious intent? This hotel deserves attention and patronage and we are delighted to welcome them back into our list of recommended holiday accommodation options for Tobago.