Guest Report

[Asha Marvin]

My partner and I stayed for three nights at the Toucan Inn as we were visiting relatives in Trinidad and wanted a few nights in Tobago before we flew back to the UK.

I searched on this website as well as others for reports on hotels but opted for the Toucan because My Tobago had a very helpful overview that showed me where all the hotels on my shortlist were situated. As we were only staying for a short time I wanted to be near the airport to cut out unnecessary travelling. I am so glad we opted for the Toucan now as my other choices proved to be miles away and would have been a very hefty taxi fare! The Toucan is a mere couple of minutes in a taxi from the airport but don't let this put you off- we were not disturbed by aeroplanes at all. In fact it was very peaceful.

When we arrived we were met with lush green plants surrounding the hotel and this put me in very good spirits as the place was obviously cared for. We were walked to our room and we had a garden cabana with twin beds. I was pleased that we were given a garden room as other reports mentioned noise at the poolside cabanas was a problem. Although for the few nights that we were there the was no noise at all- anywhere! I would describe the room as basic. It was a good size with two beds, table and chairs and tea making facilities. The bathroom consisted of a good shower, toilet and basin as one would expect. I repeat it was all basic but clean and towels were replenished regularly. There was a slight patch of mildew/mold on the wall but nothing to worry me. The beds faced a large window which looked out onto the garden which was nice and there were table and chairs outside our room to use. I think we paid about $110 US which I calculated as approx £55 GBP per night. I thought this was a bit on the expensive side but the impression I got from others (Trinidadians and others on the island) was that this was one of the better hotels. By UK standards I would probably class the rooms as a high 2 stars but I think you pay for the surroundings and convenience. Without comparing it to the more expensive hotels on the island it is difficult to guage where the Toucan sits in comparison. To be honest though all I want in a hotel when I am on holiday is a clean bed and good shower as I don't intend to spend all day in my room! And this is exactly what the Toucan provided.

The restaurant and bar was very pretty. It is a large wooden structure in the colonial style with a veranda to sit and have meals on with a view of the pool. We only ate dinner here one night and being vegetarian I wasn't expecting great things. However, I was most pleasantly surprised! The dinner was great- good portion, tasty and not bad for approx £8 GBP. The cocktails were also very nice! The restaurant was alsways busy with people other than guests which I took as a good indication of the level of service and food and I wasn't disappointed. We had breakfast every morning and chose either a full cooked meal (eggs, beans, cheese, toast, mushrooms; no meat!) or pancakes and syrup. It also started with a platter of fresh fruit. I am not normally beaten by portions but this gave me a run for my money- they were huge! We were also joined by the local birds which came to eat beside us.

The pool is small but very clean and perfectly adequate. To be honest with such great beaches nearby we didn't really use the pool. But when we did it was lovely to cool down in and they provided a room to shower and change before we left for the airport on our way back.

The staff were very accommodating and helpful. We changed our original reservation and arrived a day early which was not a problem at all.

Mr B is a character who offers tours from the hotel. You will notice him by his distinguishing bowler hat of various colours. We didn't make use of his tours so I can't comment on them. Instead we opted to walk to Pigeon Point beach (about 15 min walk; Store Bay is closer) and hire a car for the second day to make our own way around the island. This was very easy to organise as there were at least 4 car rental places up the road from the Toucan.

All in all we had a wonderful few days in Tobago and the Toucan Inn was a great choice. The rooms were basic but perfectly adequate as a base and the bar, restuarant, pool and surrounding gardens were beautiful. It is also ideally situated near to the airport and main tourist facilities at the beach. I would happily stay there again.