Guest Report

[Boon Ooi]

My wife and I were looking for a quick long-weekend getaway from Fort Lauderdale and opted for a trip to Trinidad and Tobago. I had done extensive research on hotels and resorts to stay in Tobago and really didn’t read anything that made me feel really good about any particular place until I came across reviews for Gloucester Place. We travel a fair amount and have stayed mostly at hotels and have only stayed at B&B’s about half a dozen times. We decided to give Gloucester place a try and we were definitely pleased to have made that choice. Bea and Win are wonderful hosts. We were made to feel very comfortable upon arrival, Bea offered us cold fresh made lemonade and bananas from their trees, showed us our room and later Win gave us a lay of the land, the path to the beach and to the river and mini falls down the hill alongside the house.
The location: It is located on the north end of the island, somewhat remote and away from the “urban” area. It is a great place to retreat to for quiet relaxation – expect no night life – you would need a car to drive to the nearest “town” Castara (more like a village settlement) for dinner. There are only a handful of eating places in Castara. The menu for the day depends on what fresh ingredients are available and frequently on what the cook/chef feels like cooking. Gloucester house above the Parlatuvier fishing village and a 10 minute walk down 200+ steps leads you to the beach and village. Unlike comments from a prior reviewer, we did not hear any road noise or traffic at all. If you like to run, there is a tough uphill run from the beach at Parlatuvier up the hill and also a path leading to bloody bay (that path can be muddy if there is rain.
The room: Our room has a balcony looking down to the ocean and the distant waves breaking over the rocks. The night sky was amazing. The bed was comfortable and the air-conditioning kept us comfortable. The only quirkiness was the bathroom which does not have a door although it was set around a corner. Also, as we were the first guests for the season, the water from the hot water heater, having sat unused for a few months, emitted a sulphur dioxide smell. It started dissipating after a while
The house: The house has a great verandah overlooking the ocean – breezy – with chirping birds, A great place to relax, read or basically do nothing.
The atmosphere: We were fortunate to meet another nice couple staying at Gloucester place at the same time. The nice part about staying at a B&B is the social interaction with the hosts and other guests. We enjoyed the company and conversations. Bea also offered to cook dinner for us one night and we enjoyed a meal of chicken curry. She was wonderful in also cooking a chicken dish to cater to my wife’s dietary needs. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Gloucester Place and would recommend a stay there without hesitation.