Easter 2004 review

[Steve Rea]

We went all inclusive to the Rex over Easter 2004.
The pool is very good
So is the new bar.
Overall we found the hotel very good and the staff friendly.
The rooms are fairly basic but have aircon that works and a sliding door to a balcony / patio that faces onto the beach.
There's not tv's etc in the rooms but then why go to paradise to watch tv?
There's a few bits here and there that could do with a little bit or smartening up but nothing to worry about.
The food is good. Buffets mainly. The fish dishes especially the barracuda (sp?) is very nice.
The fact that the beach is literally outside your door is great too.
We'll be going back

[E Smallwood]

Hello,
Can you help me with a few queries that my parents have as they are off to the RTB in Nov this year.
1. Does the hotel provide towels for the pool/beach ??
2. What is the voltage at the hotel 110v / 220v and is it UK 3 pin or USA 2 pin plug points ??
3. If my parents bring Travellers Chqs, can the hotel change these ?
4. Are there Tea/coffee making facilities in the room, and if not do you know if they can hire a kettle ??
Any info you can provide on the above would be great.
Thanks Elaine

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Elaine

1) Don't know - but I bet somebody else does and replies within 24 hours
2) They use the UK 3-pin plugs, according to Marc Jones
3) I am confident that the hotel would change them - but not at as good a rate as they would get from one of the banks in Crown Point or Scarborough.
4) Again, I'm sure Marc will reply to this one.

[Jill M]

Elaine,

I can confirm that the RTB does provide Beach Towels. We were All Inclusive, so did not have to pay. I'm not sure what the charge would be, if any.
2. They use 3 pin plugs at RTB.
3. The hotel can change Travellers chqs, but as Steve said, I don't think you will get the best rate.
4. No Tea/Coffe facilities in the room. Although you do get an Ice bucket and glasses. Ice is outside the ground floor bedrooms. You can hire a kettle for a small charge (can't remember how much) and also a fridge if you need it. But the transformer you had to plug the kettle into was in a poor state and I would certainly not use it if there were children in the room. The wires were only just connected and would be condemned in the UK. Having said that, it worked fine. I used to ask for a small jug of milk in the evening after dinner, for my morning cup of coffee and place it in the icebucket with a small amount of ice. (We didn't hire a fridge).

Also we had a TV already in the room, as did our friends who were not AI. It didn't get used much though - just to see what the locals watched.


Steve - you lost your bet - not quite within 24 hours.
Jill

[E Smallwood]

Thanks Steve, Thanks Jill
Info is just what I needed to know. This should stop my parents pestering me now for the answers!
Elaine

[Dave Guest]

Further to the other responses...

Beach towels are provided but I'm not sure whether this is only for all inclusive guests or whether everyone gets them. You can change them each day for fresh ones although the laundry service isn't too reliable and some days the fresh towels don't arrive until late into the afternoon.

Our room was all 3-pin UK plug sockets in the main bedroom but there was one 2-pin US-style socket in the small adjoining bedroom.

For traveller's cheques exchange get one of the taxi drivers outside the hotel to take you to the RTTB bank in Scarborough. It cost me something like $TT150 for the round-trip but I was still left with more TT$ than if I'd exchanged at the hotel. Remember to take your passport to the bank as they won't exchange without it!!

Dave

[Marc Jones]

You can hire a kettle, it was about 30p a day if I recall correctly. (I didn't use it, my missus did!).

You can also hire a fridge and a TV! We had a fridge, most handy for the odd beer and keeping a bottle or two of water in!

Anyone can get towels, I wasn't all-in but had them. You get a card on check in that you swap for a towel at the hut by the watersports. You can swap them daily and when you leave you give the towel back and get the card not a new towel - this then gets given to reception and you get refunded for it*

*when you check in they 'charge' you $tt1000 on credit card, they take off/add what you owe on checkout.

I would take credit/debit card to get money, we didn't take travellers cheques (but we did take some $tt cash).

[Dave Guest]

That's strange, we didn't get charged TT$1000 on check-in. We just settled the telephone and laundry bill on checkout.

It was quite funny actually as there was a 2 cent discrepency between the invoice total and the amount the clerk charged me and she couldn't complete the checkout process as the system thought I still owed them money. I offered to pay the 2 cents out of own pocket but they insisted on getting it all rectified and new invoices issued etc. It was quite a palarva but in amusing kind of way.

[David Watkins]

Never mind about taking ataxi to Scarborough,take the bus--it is a pleasant half hour and costs 2tt(20p) but you have to get your tickets in advance.You also get to talk to locals.
David(counting down to my return)

[Marc Jones]

Dave, I assume you was AI? We wasn't.

[Dave Guest]

Yeah, we were AI but we still had to pay for all the extra services like laundry and telephone etc on checkout so I'm not sure why there'd be a difference.

[Marc Jones]

Difference was you'd paid more than me

We then had the option of paying for food etc or signing for it 9and it coming out the CC deposit upon departure).