Guest Report

[Jan Bissessar]

We stayed at Raintree House with a group of seven people in mid-July 2011. Two were visitors from Panama and Germany, the rest of us were from Trinidad. After a long search online, we decided on Rain Tree after being enticed by its great hilltop location in Mt. Irvine, infinity pool, many bedrooms, and affordable price.

On arrival at the front gate, we were all immediately blown away by the superb view overlooking Mt Irvine Bay, the extensive grounds, and the towering tree after which the villa is named. The entrance to this villa is so attractive that we were instantly impressed and could not wait to get inside. There is also ample parking space in the driveway.

We were also surprised upon entering the villa. It is large inside with lofty ceilings. The kitchen, living room, and five bedrooms are big and have all the basic amenities. There are three bedrooms on one side and two on the other, so privacy was not an issue. The bedrooms each contain a wooden stand for drying wet towels and clothes, which proved really useful. The wraparound balcony upstairs was a surprising and welcome feature, even though we did not make much use of it.

The verandah downstairs shows extensive views of the ocean, and the infinity pool was a lot of fun to use. The landscaping in the back of the house and in the pool area is more lush and tropical than the front. We had a general feeling of safety in the house, since the grounds are big, the house is in a private location, and the front gate requires remote control entry. The agent we booked with was very accommodating, and the housekeeper came every morning. The villa also provided a basket of towels for use at the pool and beach, and without these our trip might have been a bit more complicated.

Although we had a very relaxing time at the villa, some improvements need to be made for us to stay there again. The grounds in the backyard weren't ready upon arrival; workers were loudly cutting grass and landscaping, which meant the pool was not clean and the freshly cut grass was flying into the verandah. This activity also raised the bugs. The floor of the pool looked like it needed to be scrubbed, and without a light in the pool it was less fun to be in at night. The pool is on the smaller side and is certainly not for diving, but we knew this coming in. It seems that a big and deep pool in Tobago is a rarity these days.

Inside the house, one of the toilets did not work, and the bathrooms were somewhat small. We could not tell if the bedsheets were clean. Opening the kitchen cupboard under the sink revealed some water damage. In the living room, the TV was small and many channels did not transmit clearly, which limited our viewing choices. While the sofas were comfortable enough to sleep on, the living room felt a bit old. In general, the decor of the villa could be updated to look more modern, and the villa could feel more clean. The glass doors on the verandah left us feeling a bit unsafe, but one could attribute this feeling to the increased instances of crime on the island in general.

More attention could be paid to details within the villa, but it was a comfortable stay for us. Given the price we paid, and the fantastic and private location in Mt. Irvine, we could justify staying there. We will most likely look for a different villa to stay at in the future, as we would be willing to pay a higher price for another villa that paid more attention to its decor and cleanliness. But it was overall a relaxing and pleasant stay for us at Raintree House.