Blue Waters Inn April 2004

[Chris Ludwig]

Hi all,
we are travelling through the caribbean islands since 15 years starting with Puerto Rice and then down the line till Trinidad. This time we vistided Tobago and it was the first time that we want to leave an island after three days. NO it was not the island it was the unfriendliest, disinterestedliest and rudest staff particularly Tracey Jones we ever had in all our 28 trips to the islands. The waitresses and waiters were standing at the bar talking to each other, but don't think that they came to us, no we had to go to them and place our order and had to take our order back to the table. The only three words the knew very well without a smile were the words "which room number". The only nice guy was the security man. Even the general manager, by the way, we saw him half an hour during our horrible three days was not interested why we left the hotel after three days instead of staying 11 days. Nothing against the location and the facilities but this bored staff was a nightmare. Thanks god we found Cuffie River. Tobago is such an beautiful island with absolutely great and lovely people. You have to look a very long time to find such a unable managment and staff. We will return to Tobago but never ever to the unpleasant place Blue Waters Inn.

[Cornelia Montgomery]

Wow! I've been to BWI a few times, and while I agree that it has some faults, I'm astounded by your assessment. Yes, while eating at the Shipwreck Bar, we've occasionally had to actually rise from our perfect-view seat to place our order. I never thought of it as a big problem. Sometimes the servers act as if they have more important things to do, but I think it might be a way of preserving their dignity, Tobago-style. I also don't expect everyone to greet me as a long-lost friend.

But this thread reminded me that last night at a restaurant in my Boston, Massachusetts, suburb, my husband and I ran up a bill of about $US65, with drinks. Now that's about the price of most dinners in Tobago, and we left a 15% tip. Our waiter hustled. How much of the automatic 10% service charge do waiters get in Tobago? We always leave an extra 5% on top of the 10% service charge if the service is at all decent. But why does our waiter at home hustle, when a waiter in Tobago may not? Shouldn't the monetary reward be the same? Or is the service charge siphoned off into other directions? Here, waiting tables in a good restaurant is not undignified; many students earn their way through college that way -- most recently my friend's daughter, who got a master's degree in library science.

Here's an idea: Tobago hoteliers should fly their employees to the Miami's Applebee's or somesuch so that they can see that even some Americans have to hustle to get ahead.

Now, as to BWI's faults, I find few. Needed are good reading lights in the bedrooms -- nothing much else to do at night for some of us. Get rid of the combination bedpads/sheets, which always come off in the night. Get more comfortable lounge chairs on the beach -- nothing much else to do, must relax in comfort. Encourage boats to stay away from swimmers.

Oh, oh -- I hope I'm welcome next February.