Guest Report

[Taylor]

We booked for a fortnight at the end of January to join friends as we had enjoyed staying there five years ago. Despite some bad reports we were happy to return to a simply run and relaxed hotel in a wonderful setting.

During dinner a a bottle of champagne and pair of sandals were stolen from our locked room while we were at dinner and reported to the management. Exhausted afer our flight from the UK, we were just falling asleep with a knock on the door and while my husband answered it, a person had crawled into the room from the terrace door and stole my handbag placed carefully alongside my side of the bed. I woke and screamed for him to get out which he did, with the handbag he must seen through the curtains placing there as I got ready for bed before the light was put out. This contained all my papers, money, and cards and medication. The police were called and much of the rest of the night was spent while they questioned us and took notes. Two other rooms had been burgled that night and it transpired later that everyone staying at Arnos Vale had had property stolen.

We left the following morning and switched to the safety of the Blue Haven (where we had also stayed previously. Much holiday time was spent seeing police and the Honorary British Consul. The bravura and methods displayed point to drug-driven criminality from within the hotel. This is borne out by the sad decline in standards of management in what used to be a happy and beautifully situated hotel. The wife of the owner tried hard to make us happy but it was clear that we could not sleep safely in our bed, thefts nowithstanding.

It is so sad that good Tobagans are struggling to keep the tourist industry going when such harm is being done by drug driven criminals protected by their families. The police need to be given the confidence to take a firm and professional hand. Arnos Vale was such a special place.