Grafton - Don't worry, it's OK (Report from Christmas week)

[Peter Brown]

My wife and I have just got back from Tobago. We stayed at the Grafton Beach from 24-31 December. It was a fairly late booking, and we accepted the recommendation of Hayes & Jarvis that the Grafton was a reasonably good middle-priced hotel. After I’d paid for the holiday, I saw bad reports here and on the TripAdvisor website, and asked Hayes & Jarvis whether the hotel was going to be OK or not. After checking with their reps and customer relations people, they assured me that the hotel was OK. So we flew out on Christmas Eve, although with a certain amount of trepidation.

We needn’t have worried. The hotel is good – it’s not great, but then it’s not the price of a great hotel. It was probably built in the 70s, and it’s looking a bit dated and rather tired in places. But it’s clean, and the staff are excellent.

Our room had an ocean view, and was fine, with excellent daily maid service. If I had niggles, it would be that the aircon was a bit noisy, and the bathroom extract fan didn’t always work.

The food seemed fine too. Because our plane was delayed, we were the last people to eat dinner but there was still a good choice of food available. There was a wide selection of food at breakfast, lunch and dinner. We enjoyed some excellent fish, chicken and beef. We also ate in the Neptune seafood restaurant over the pool, and the food there was very good too.

The pool was crystal clear, and was cleaned regularly. Most of the surfacing around the pool is a fairly grippy concrete, but there are smooth tiles in the adjacent reception/bar area. In fairness to the hotel, there are signs warning guests to dry off before entering these areas from the pool, in order to avoid slipping. There were loads of clean sunchairs around the pool, in fact we never saw them all taken. Beach towels were available every day, and I even exchanged ours for fresh towels one afternoon after we’d got the first lot of towels sandy on a nearby beach.

Although the beach looks great in pictures, I have to say it’s rather disappointing close-up. It’s rather dirty-looking, and the sea had crashing rollers all the time we were there, so it wasn’t ideal for swimming. The sunchairs on the beach were tatty. And I’d fully agree with others’ comments about the hotel’s Beach Bar – it’s a complete disaster area and is in need of some tender caring arson one dark night.

Anyone going to the Grafton should be sure to visit some other beaches. We hired a car from Singh’s (the inhouse rental agency) and visited Pigeon Point which was magnificent. We also went to Buccoo and Arnos Vale. Incidentally, Alvin at Singh’s was very helpful and laidback – he didn’t even take a credit card deposit for our newish Toyota hire car.

There was entertainment every night we were there. Maybe that’s because it was Christmas week. Most of the entertainment was excellent, and the guests really enjoyed it. There were some daytime activities arranged, but these tended to be “power walks” or strolls to the nearby bird sanctuary.

Above all, I’d highlight the excellence of the staff. They were - virtually without exception – polite, helpful, well-trained, friendly and unusually quick for the Caribbean. It’s a shame that some of the guests weren’t as polite.

I know it’s wrong to single out any one member of staff, but my accolade would go to Josanne, one of the lounge bar hostesses. Her elegance, attentiveness and warm hospitality were qualities any hotel manager would give his right arm for.

So, if you’re planning to visit the Grafton Beach, don’t be put off by some reports you’ll read. With hotels, as with everything else, you get what you pay for. The Grafton Beach is a mid-price hotel, and it delivers good value.

[Wendy G]

Hi,me & my husband,are staying at the Grafton Hotel this may, for 2 weeks we are going with my nephew,his wife to be(there getting married there)one of my sisters and her husband.Now the reviews i've read so for are putting me right off this hotel,i was really looking forward to this holiday!