My boyfriend and I have just returned from 2 weeks in Tobago. We stayed at several different hotels and travelled all over the island. We had a wonderful time.
We stayed 2 nights at the Blue Waters Inn and it was by far, the worst place. Here are the reasons:
The staff were positively rude. Having stayed at other hotels, where the staff were friendly and welcoming, the staff at the Blue Waters took us by surprise. The barman could barely be bothered with us at all!
The food was bad. The food in the Shipwreck bar was Ok but the food in the Fishpot restaurant was not good. Breakfast was also a joke. Poached eggs that you could bounce on!
The beach was not that clean. For a hotel that is based on the beach and makes much of this fact, you would think they could get out and clean it daily. It had bottles and rubbish on it.
It was not good value. It is a relatively expensive hotel and for much cheaper rates, we stayed in far better places.
Well, that is enough reasons I think. I would honestly warn anyone not to stay here. Tobago has plenty of beautiful beaches and hotels so there is really no need to stay at the Blue Waters. If you do stay and need decent food, take a trip to Jemma's where the food is fantastic, the staff are friendly and you will feel welcomed.
Blue Waters April 2004
Blue Waters 2004
Wish i hadn't clicked on for a quick look now,we're off there on Monday!!! Will keep my fingers crossed you just hit a couple of 'off' days re staff etc.. The dirty beach bit sounds awful and as for your description of the food---well--- perhaps i'd better pack some sandwiches and take a refuse bag with me !!! Stella
- Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4842
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
Stella
Fear not - you are sure to have a great trip. I can't dismiss Jenny's post, but I am surprised that she found the food at Jemma's "fantastic" and the staff friendly, because the food is only commendable if you haven't eaten GOOD Creole food, the service is the worst and unfriendliest on the island IMHO and you are only welcome while you are running up a bill. Sadly it has become one of the worst tourist traps on the island. Try Redmans or the Birdwatchers.
Have a great trip and Happy Birthday to Graham on Tuesday.
Fear not - you are sure to have a great trip. I can't dismiss Jenny's post, but I am surprised that she found the food at Jemma's "fantastic" and the staff friendly, because the food is only commendable if you haven't eaten GOOD Creole food, the service is the worst and unfriendliest on the island IMHO and you are only welcome while you are running up a bill. Sadly it has become one of the worst tourist traps on the island. Try Redmans or the Birdwatchers.
Have a great trip and Happy Birthday to Graham on Tuesday.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
- Kevin Hampson
- Tobago Fanatic
- Posts: 353
- Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2003 3:24 pm
- Location: South Devon
Hi Stella,
Don't worry, you'll have a great time at BWI.
Two days at a hotel is not much of an review. We had 10 days last November and were going back in October.
If you don't like poached eggs try the French Toast its to die for.
My wife and I also stayed at Coco Reef and we much prefer BWI at least you know your in the Caribbean.
Regards
Kevin
Don't worry, you'll have a great time at BWI.
Two days at a hotel is not much of an review. We had 10 days last November and were going back in October.
If you don't like poached eggs try the French Toast its to die for.
My wife and I also stayed at Coco Reef and we much prefer BWI at least you know your in the Caribbean.
Regards
Kevin
B.W.I.2004
Hallo Kevin, Thanks for your input, i'm going to enjoy this holiday, so will visit with an open mind. I prefer my eggs scrambled anyhow!! Have also been to Coco Reef but as both you and Steve point out ,B.W.I is the REAL Tobago. 'Bye' Stella
p.s The bit i'm really not looking forward to is the drive on the M25 to Gatwick!!!
p.s The bit i'm really not looking forward to is the drive on the M25 to Gatwick!!!
Stella, I am sorry if I have worried you. I hope you have a great time and we all have different tastes after all.
Kevin, I did try the french toast and didn't think much of that either but hey, we all like different things! Yes, we only stayed 2 nights and I was pleased we only stayed 2 nights!
On our last night, we went out for dinner with a local who has lived in Tobago all his life and knows pretty much everyone. When we said we had stayed at the Blue Waters, he pulled a face and said he wished we had told him we were going to stay there, he would have warned us not to. He said it was renowned among locals for being unfriendly.
I am not trying to start a big debate about this. Obviously plenty of people have stayed there and enjoyed it. I do feel I need to defend my post as the responses were a bit patronising! I do know good Creole food, I really liked Jemmas. Live and let live.
Finally, the comments book at the BW has plenty of not so complimentary comments about the food so it wasn't just us.
Stella, have a fantastic time!
Kevin, I did try the french toast and didn't think much of that either but hey, we all like different things! Yes, we only stayed 2 nights and I was pleased we only stayed 2 nights!
On our last night, we went out for dinner with a local who has lived in Tobago all his life and knows pretty much everyone. When we said we had stayed at the Blue Waters, he pulled a face and said he wished we had told him we were going to stay there, he would have warned us not to. He said it was renowned among locals for being unfriendly.
I am not trying to start a big debate about this. Obviously plenty of people have stayed there and enjoyed it. I do feel I need to defend my post as the responses were a bit patronising! I do know good Creole food, I really liked Jemmas. Live and let live.
Finally, the comments book at the BW has plenty of not so complimentary comments about the food so it wasn't just us.
Stella, have a fantastic time!
Just to re-iterate what Jenny said (and just so there's no confusion here, I am the boyfriend in question): Each to his or her own, for sure. Nobody was more disappointed than we were when we got to the BWI and discovered that they seemed so massively indifferent about whether we enjoyed our stay or not: the reception staff were fine, but we may as well not have existed as far as the bar and restaurant staff were concerned, a stark contrast to everywhere else on the island.
Everyone else will have to make up their own minds as far as Jemma's food and ambience goes. It may not be haute cuisine, but it is nonetheless more than acceptable and a deal better than anything we were offered at the BWI. As for it being a tourist trap, I saw no evidence of this at all: sure, it's in a prime location which is hard to miss, but that doesn't mean that it's bad or crowded or ruthlessly commercial. The food was fresh, timely and really pretty good, in our view - not something you can say about every restaurant in Tobago. It may not be the last word in Creole cuisine - but it cheered us up when the BWI failed us, which was all that really mattered.
I second Jenny in wishing Stella a fabulous holiday! And I really hope that we experienced a temporary blip. There's no doubt that the BWI is in a gorgeous location; on good form, I absolutely expect that it would be a stellar (pun intended) place to spend a few days. Whatever we thought of it, there's no doubt that we'll return to Tobago at some point - it's a wonderful place, for sure.
S.
Everyone else will have to make up their own minds as far as Jemma's food and ambience goes. It may not be haute cuisine, but it is nonetheless more than acceptable and a deal better than anything we were offered at the BWI. As for it being a tourist trap, I saw no evidence of this at all: sure, it's in a prime location which is hard to miss, but that doesn't mean that it's bad or crowded or ruthlessly commercial. The food was fresh, timely and really pretty good, in our view - not something you can say about every restaurant in Tobago. It may not be the last word in Creole cuisine - but it cheered us up when the BWI failed us, which was all that really mattered.
I second Jenny in wishing Stella a fabulous holiday! And I really hope that we experienced a temporary blip. There's no doubt that the BWI is in a gorgeous location; on good form, I absolutely expect that it would be a stellar (pun intended) place to spend a few days. Whatever we thought of it, there's no doubt that we'll return to Tobago at some point - it's a wonderful place, for sure.
S.