WOW !!!!!
That was our first words upon arriving at paradise
nearly 4000 sq feet of luxury, your own pool, views of the Caribean Sea, 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, your own maid.
Only down side is the restaurant, not up to the same quality as the villas
There are 14 villas based just outside Black Rock.
Paradise found
Stonehaven Villas
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Alex J
Going to have agree with you there we!!!! Girlfriend and I flew out there on the 6th of September for my neighbours wedding.
They had booked 5 villas out of the 14 that are there (so you could imagine i had to do my through the keyhole bit and have a nose round all of them).
They had villa 1,2,3,7 and 10, Stonehave Villas location is on a hillside so if you are looking for a easy walk to reception then i think most people would be better off at villas 1 and 2 as they are right near the Bar and Resturant, Villa 3 is a little bit more furthur up the hill!!
Villa 7 was a little further up then the other 3 but a fantastic view of the bay (mind you they all have great views being on a hillside).
Villa 10 was the icing on the cake for us nearly at the top of the hill, but the views from the balcony in our room or being in the pool with a beer in one hand and camera in the other whilst watching the sunset is my ideal way of relaxing for the evening!!
After speaking to various people there i found out that most of the villas are privatly owned and rented out to holiday companies for the remainder of the season.
Villa 10 was exceptionally well furnished (mind you they all were!!!) but i think out of all the villas, this was by far the best, in my opinon.
As you mentioned food in the resturant was not bad, but i think it could have been better!!!
In my opinon i would have to say for location this was by far one of the best places i have stayed in all my visits to the Carribean, including Tobago 5 years previous.
If you looking for an idealic setting with great views and perfect accomadation then Stonehaven Villas i think would beat most places hands down!!!!!
P.S. Only thing they could do to make it a perfect place to stay is install chair lifts up the drive to the top (Just Kidding)
P.P.S Please don't ask about the staff at the 'Tobago Hilton' in our second week!!!!
Will be recomending the S.Villas to everyone i know for years to come
Alex
They had booked 5 villas out of the 14 that are there (so you could imagine i had to do my through the keyhole bit and have a nose round all of them).
They had villa 1,2,3,7 and 10, Stonehave Villas location is on a hillside so if you are looking for a easy walk to reception then i think most people would be better off at villas 1 and 2 as they are right near the Bar and Resturant, Villa 3 is a little bit more furthur up the hill!!
Villa 7 was a little further up then the other 3 but a fantastic view of the bay (mind you they all have great views being on a hillside).
Villa 10 was the icing on the cake for us nearly at the top of the hill, but the views from the balcony in our room or being in the pool with a beer in one hand and camera in the other whilst watching the sunset is my ideal way of relaxing for the evening!!
After speaking to various people there i found out that most of the villas are privatly owned and rented out to holiday companies for the remainder of the season.
Villa 10 was exceptionally well furnished (mind you they all were!!!) but i think out of all the villas, this was by far the best, in my opinon.
As you mentioned food in the resturant was not bad, but i think it could have been better!!!
In my opinon i would have to say for location this was by far one of the best places i have stayed in all my visits to the Carribean, including Tobago 5 years previous.
If you looking for an idealic setting with great views and perfect accomadation then Stonehaven Villas i think would beat most places hands down!!!!!
P.S. Only thing they could do to make it a perfect place to stay is install chair lifts up the drive to the top (Just Kidding)
P.P.S Please don't ask about the staff at the 'Tobago Hilton' in our second week!!!!
Will be recomending the S.Villas to everyone i know for years to come
Alex
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Glyn Kirpalani
- Tobago Fanatic
- Posts: 333
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:27 pm
- Location: Norfolk, UK
Hi all
We loved the villas so much we married at the clubhouse in spetember last year, had our reception for 30 people in the verandah of our honeymoon villa number 2 and nothing could be criticised except a lazy barman at our reception (sacked shortly afterwards).
I am not supposed to advertise, but I always wanted to mimic that shaver guy who says in his ads "I liked it so much I bought the company", this is the closest I will ever get:
"We liked the villas at Stonehaven so much we now market/rent them".
I am sure Steve will allow me this small indulgence
Regards
We loved the villas so much we married at the clubhouse in spetember last year, had our reception for 30 people in the verandah of our honeymoon villa number 2 and nothing could be criticised except a lazy barman at our reception (sacked shortly afterwards).
I am not supposed to advertise, but I always wanted to mimic that shaver guy who says in his ads "I liked it so much I bought the company", this is the closest I will ever get:
"We liked the villas at Stonehaven so much we now market/rent them".
I am sure Steve will allow me this small indulgence
Regards
Glyn Kirpalani
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4842
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Glyn. Repent ye who abuse yourselves and the myTobago forum. You must now stand in the corner and say ten "hail myTobagos".
Alex J. Thanks for you useful posts, but please don't tease - tell us about the staff at the Hilton. (No, I'm not looking to criticise the Hilton - after all, Alex's comment may be positive, not negative)
Alex J. Thanks for you useful posts, but please don't tease - tell us about the staff at the Hilton. (No, I'm not looking to criticise the Hilton - after all, Alex's comment may be positive, not negative)
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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John Hill
-
Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4842
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
-
John Hill
Type faster I have no hope you control the board.
And by the way Grenada is via Tobago so will also be visiting Tobago even if its only looking out the window at Auto Rentals Office will bring back fond memories of our 2003 holiday.
Can I just add how sad I am at the Andy Harris story I know you put in alot of hard work, but you will always remember it for what you acheived and the self satisfation gained.
Well done to all who tried to may Andy's dream come true.
Let's all pray it reaches a happy ending.
And by the way Grenada is via Tobago so will also be visiting Tobago even if its only looking out the window at Auto Rentals Office will bring back fond memories of our 2003 holiday.
Can I just add how sad I am at the Andy Harris story I know you put in alot of hard work, but you will always remember it for what you acheived and the self satisfation gained.
Well done to all who tried to may Andy's dream come true.
Let's all pray it reaches a happy ending.
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Alex J
I am not going into to much detail as it would be unfair to tar the Hilton with a bad name, but i will just say if the Hilton want to progress with there development plans in Tobago i would really say they should get more professional receptionist staff, we found them rude and arrogant, on our first day & last day there and from my point of you i think they are more concerned about coperate clients rather than Mr & Mrs Holiday maker.
i have my own business and first impressions to me always count and i would have thought the same would apply to other business's, i admit that the Hilton is on a totally diffrent scale to my business but at the end of the day manners and a smiling face as you arrive and leave doesn't cost anything!!!
Sorry about my little rant there, but i feel better now!!!
The Hilton is nice hotel with everything there to make a great holiday, great rooms, great pool and great resturants but unfortunatly for me it just lacks atmosphere it feels cold there. I know i had been to the Stonehaven Villas the week before and yes i might have a biased view, but the bottom line is if the Hilton want a return to there investment there and yes they are investing heavily there take it from me!!! Then i think they need to try harder!
Alex J
i have my own business and first impressions to me always count and i would have thought the same would apply to other business's, i admit that the Hilton is on a totally diffrent scale to my business but at the end of the day manners and a smiling face as you arrive and leave doesn't cost anything!!!
Sorry about my little rant there, but i feel better now!!!
The Hilton is nice hotel with everything there to make a great holiday, great rooms, great pool and great resturants but unfortunatly for me it just lacks atmosphere it feels cold there. I know i had been to the Stonehaven Villas the week before and yes i might have a biased view, but the bottom line is if the Hilton want a return to there investment there and yes they are investing heavily there take it from me!!! Then i think they need to try harder!
Alex J
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Glyn Kirpalani
- Tobago Fanatic
- Posts: 333
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:27 pm
- Location: Norfolk, UK
Hi Alex
I also stayed at the Hilton in 2001 and I agree that some of the staff can be a little aloof and cold, but believe me their customer services skills are usually better than most hotels on the island.
You see this is a prevailing Tobago problem - if you pass someone in the street or need assistance out and about they are the warmest, most hospitable people you could wish to meet. However, once that uniform is on and the same person is behind a counter it often, sadly, fades away - with the notable exception where the owner him or herself is serving you.
The Hilton takes its customer service seriously, with european managers trying to instill best practice, eg with shared tips schemes and "employee of the month" awards which hit the press. Why it doesn't always succeed is a mystery in many ways, although one local told me that Tobagonians are proud and independent and sometimes feel that "service" means the same as "servility". They do not of course, but there are historical reasons why servility or slavery might quite rightly be resented.
The THA has a customer service school I believe, which is either to be relaunched (or started!) - let's hope it imporves things, assuming hotels send their staff there (then monitor afterwards!) or do similar in-house. They could also benefit a lot from motivating the staff more by paying higher than the minimum wage of 80p per hour.
There is hope - the Coco Reef and Cafe Coco seem to have excellent, smiling staff with decent uniforms and working conditions - although only by local standards.
Don't let it put you off returning - it was nothing personal. Send your comments to the German manager Patrick - see what reply you get and publish it here??
Regards
Glyn
I also stayed at the Hilton in 2001 and I agree that some of the staff can be a little aloof and cold, but believe me their customer services skills are usually better than most hotels on the island.
You see this is a prevailing Tobago problem - if you pass someone in the street or need assistance out and about they are the warmest, most hospitable people you could wish to meet. However, once that uniform is on and the same person is behind a counter it often, sadly, fades away - with the notable exception where the owner him or herself is serving you.
The Hilton takes its customer service seriously, with european managers trying to instill best practice, eg with shared tips schemes and "employee of the month" awards which hit the press. Why it doesn't always succeed is a mystery in many ways, although one local told me that Tobagonians are proud and independent and sometimes feel that "service" means the same as "servility". They do not of course, but there are historical reasons why servility or slavery might quite rightly be resented.
The THA has a customer service school I believe, which is either to be relaunched (or started!) - let's hope it imporves things, assuming hotels send their staff there (then monitor afterwards!) or do similar in-house. They could also benefit a lot from motivating the staff more by paying higher than the minimum wage of 80p per hour.
There is hope - the Coco Reef and Cafe Coco seem to have excellent, smiling staff with decent uniforms and working conditions - although only by local standards.
Don't let it put you off returning - it was nothing personal. Send your comments to the German manager Patrick - see what reply you get and publish it here??
Regards
Glyn
Glyn Kirpalani
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Alex J
I must add that everyone else in the resort were polite and very helpful, last time i came to Tobago i stayed at the Rex Turtle Beach and that was a great holiday and had a great time!!
I have stayed at (dare i say it) other hotels on diffrent islands of the same size and still there is that warm feeling there, i dare to use that 'close feel feeling', but it for me was just missing at the Hilton.
I hate to potray a bad light of a hotel of that size and i am sure that others will go there and see it in a diffrent way to me but there you go,
everybody expects diffrent things when they go away, yikes that makes me sound like a right whinger.
But to be honest it did not spoil a great 2 weeks that i spent on the island, for me i just think its constructive criticism!
Hope i haven t been to harsh!!!
Alex
I have stayed at (dare i say it) other hotels on diffrent islands of the same size and still there is that warm feeling there, i dare to use that 'close feel feeling', but it for me was just missing at the Hilton.
I hate to potray a bad light of a hotel of that size and i am sure that others will go there and see it in a diffrent way to me but there you go,
everybody expects diffrent things when they go away, yikes that makes me sound like a right whinger.
But to be honest it did not spoil a great 2 weeks that i spent on the island, for me i just think its constructive criticism!
Hope i haven t been to harsh!!!
Alex