Seriously idyllic location with everything you need within easy reach. Palm Corner is perfectly located, with a good layout, and decent kitchenette.
Being on the beach, it is over run with insects (various walking, flying and biting varieties) and so you have to keep the windows shut if you want to minimise the critter population. There is a mosquito net but this serves to make you hotter and mosquitoes can and do get inside. Having the windows shut makes for an unbearably hot room in which it is impossible to sleep, and makes you sweat right through the pillow and the sheets. (I really hope they clean the pillows between guests.) The cleaner only comes once during a week's stay, and only changes the sheets and towels and doesn't clean anything. Now because you are right on the beach it does get really sandy and dirty in there - as do the mats, towels etc - no matter how careful you are. We felt if only she would mop the floor (no facilities provided to do it yourself) that would make such a difference. The water comes from a tank and smells really fishy, we ran out of water once, etc - it is always hot, but we didn't feel clean. Various other minor aspects were off-putting too, eg the electricity, the general cleanliness, it could do with major paint job, etc. Speaking to other holidaymakers, I don't believe this to be typical of apartments in Castara. The apartment above also looks like it is a lot nicer and up to date than the studio. Porridge, who helps to maintain the apartment is very helpful and conscientious, and really does his best to try to fix things asap, where he can.
We really loved everything about Castara - the beach, the sea, the people, marine life, dogs & cats, the food, the atmosphere feline life and the people, but it seems the owners of this place are really trying to skimp as much as possible, which sadly put a bit of a dampener on our 2nd week in Tobago. On their website Ts & Cs it says you have to accept that it is a very basic apartment (not their words), and we had booked & paid months before, so we didn't feel complaining would make any difference so we just waited it out.
Guest Report
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Alison Moss
- Tobago Business
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2005 2:15 pm
- Location: Berkshire, England
Re: Guest Report
We were very sorry to hear that Amber and Martyn did not enjoy their stay with us. We pride ourselves on having a high level of customer service and are fortunate enough to have many returning guests year after year, so we were very disappointed to receive this negative review.
In regards to their comments about the insects, we do not believe that this is anything to do with being on the beach - it's unfortunately a minor annoyance of being in the tropics. We do suggest to all our guests to bring mosquito repellant from home and also to buy mosquito coils from the local shop, both of which help considerably with the bugs. It's a shame they were unable to use the net over the bed properly as this is an extremely effective way of keeping the mosquitoes out and would have allowed them to keep the windows open all night and be cooled by the breeze. We also provide a fan.
The apartments are thoroughly cleaned to a high standard before guests arrive and are let as self-catering, so the cleanliness is the guests' responsibility during their stay. We provide a mop and bucket, and various other cleaning products for guests to use, including a broom for sweeping out sand. If Amber and Martyn had notified Porridge that anything was lacking at the time he would have certainly addressed this and any other issues they had.
The fishy smell referred to was apparently from a broken water pipe nearby and not the water tank. The pipe has now been mended.
It is very unfortunate that Martyn and Amber feel we "skimp" - the apartments are well-equipped and well maintained and we often receive positive feedback to attest to this. Beach House is not for everyone, but we always hope that our guests love it as much as we do. We are saddened that Martyn and Amber did not enjoy it as expected.
In regards to their comments about the insects, we do not believe that this is anything to do with being on the beach - it's unfortunately a minor annoyance of being in the tropics. We do suggest to all our guests to bring mosquito repellant from home and also to buy mosquito coils from the local shop, both of which help considerably with the bugs. It's a shame they were unable to use the net over the bed properly as this is an extremely effective way of keeping the mosquitoes out and would have allowed them to keep the windows open all night and be cooled by the breeze. We also provide a fan.
The apartments are thoroughly cleaned to a high standard before guests arrive and are let as self-catering, so the cleanliness is the guests' responsibility during their stay. We provide a mop and bucket, and various other cleaning products for guests to use, including a broom for sweeping out sand. If Amber and Martyn had notified Porridge that anything was lacking at the time he would have certainly addressed this and any other issues they had.
The fishy smell referred to was apparently from a broken water pipe nearby and not the water tank. The pipe has now been mended.
It is very unfortunate that Martyn and Amber feel we "skimp" - the apartments are well-equipped and well maintained and we often receive positive feedback to attest to this. Beach House is not for everyone, but we always hope that our guests love it as much as we do. We are saddened that Martyn and Amber did not enjoy it as expected.
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Gillian
Guest Report
I read the previous report with some amazement ! This was our 4th visit to Castara and The Beach House, and we absolutely love it.
Yes the accommodation is rustic and simple, but the pictures on the website illustrate this. The apartment was very clean when we arrived, however we soon brought sand in even though we washed our feet under the outside tap before entering. There is a broom and brush and dustpan in the apartment, and a mop and bucket usually outside between the 2 lower studios. If the mop had been moved, one word with Porridge would have produced one from the store room. It doesn't say on the web site that there is a cleaning service, but that the bedding and towels are changed once in a 1 week stay ( every 3 days in a fortnights stay)
We plugged in an anti mozzy machine(bought at Penny Savers) at night and stood it between the fan and our bed. We didn't even bother with the mosquito net and had all the wooden shutters open. We had the odd bite at night but it was hardly a drama!
The temperature was the hottest I have ever known it on Tobago ... even the locals were complaining about the heat.
The kitchen is very well equipped, the only suggestion is perhaps a couple more glasses for liming .
We met some really lovely people staying in both the upper apartment and next door downstairs. two couples were return visitors, and another couple only booked in for a few days and didn't want to move on ! I think they would also be surprised by the previous report.
We'll be back!
[Editor: 5-star RSR award granted by reader]
Yes the accommodation is rustic and simple, but the pictures on the website illustrate this. The apartment was very clean when we arrived, however we soon brought sand in even though we washed our feet under the outside tap before entering. There is a broom and brush and dustpan in the apartment, and a mop and bucket usually outside between the 2 lower studios. If the mop had been moved, one word with Porridge would have produced one from the store room. It doesn't say on the web site that there is a cleaning service, but that the bedding and towels are changed once in a 1 week stay ( every 3 days in a fortnights stay)
We plugged in an anti mozzy machine(bought at Penny Savers) at night and stood it between the fan and our bed. We didn't even bother with the mosquito net and had all the wooden shutters open. We had the odd bite at night but it was hardly a drama!
The temperature was the hottest I have ever known it on Tobago ... even the locals were complaining about the heat.
The kitchen is very well equipped, the only suggestion is perhaps a couple more glasses for liming .
We met some really lovely people staying in both the upper apartment and next door downstairs. two couples were return visitors, and another couple only booked in for a few days and didn't want to move on ! I think they would also be surprised by the previous report.
We'll be back!
[Editor: 5-star RSR award granted by reader]