Grafton Beach Resort - Tobago

I took a mini vacation in early July to Tobago's (now) All Inclusive Grafton Beach Resort. I choose Grafton primarily because of the All Inclusive deal since both my kids (2 years and 3 months) accompanied us on this trip and I didn't want the hassle of either cooking or going out for food. This turned out to be a good decision in the end as the All Inclusive package for roughly TT$960 per person per night worked out pretty well.

The hotel was clean and the staff friendly. They were especially nice to my 2 year old and I think she enjoyed their company during our 3 days there. Our room was well maintained and I have no complaints. Though I would have preferred if a microwave or coffee maker was in the room (to assist in heating up bottles of milk) - but I did request an electric kettle from the hotel and this turned out to work just fine. I did ask for a room on the ground level and close to the restaurant and pool area and this was also given.

I could not write this post without commenting on the many birds I saw during our stay. Grafton is apparently located very close to a Bird Sanctuary and these birds made full use of the fresh morning nectars of the many Flambouyant and Hibiscus trees around the compound. I did get a couple nice shots of the Humming Bird. The hotel does offer hikes to the Bird Sanctuary however because of the kids, we weren't able to participate.

The beach near Grafton was not the best in Tobago. It wasn't dirty or rough but I know that you can get better in Tobago. I would suggest heading over to Mt. Irvine or better yet Store Bay for a nice dip in the water.

The food in the All Inclusive package was good. Not excellent like say Jolly Beach in Antigua but good for Trinidad and Tobago's standard. I had a Pork Wellington with mash that makes my mouth water every time I think about it!

The drinks were semi-premium. Carib and Stag were off the tap and you had your choice of local Angostura blends (with the exception 1919). The red wine served was actually a chardonnay - not my preferred choice but good nonetheless.

There was a baby pool which was kept at a nice warm temperature for those tiny fingers and toes. The adult pool had a swim up bar which is always welcomed in an All Inclusive resort :)

All in all, I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to get away for a weekend and not have to worry about anything. I'll definitely consider staying again.

Tropikist Tobago

I've stayed at Tropikist so many times, I might as well buy shares in the damn place. I like everything about this Hotel. The location is excellent; just a stone throw away from the airport and Store Bay. There are also many restaurants close by.

The hotel itself is nice and clean. The pool; though not as big as the Tobago Hilton pool, still gives you the opportunity to have fun without bumping into an unsuspecting swimmer. (That however may not be the case on Great Race weekend) The restaurant - though not spectacular - give a wide assortment of local and american dishes. Breakfast at Tropikist was good but Tobago Hilton had a better spread when we were there.

I am not sure if there are any room with a full kitchen at Tropikist - something that I'll have to investigate. If we're looking for a nice weekend getaway, Tropikist will be on the top of the list.

Tobago Hilton

We stayed at the Tobago Hilton in 2006. I wasn't particularly impressed with this mini weekend get-away and probably won't stay at the Hilton again. Though the Hotel itself was nice, clean and service was good, I just wasn't impressed. The Hotel itself is a bit far from everthing - there isn't anything within walking distance so you'll need to rent a vehicle. The food at the Hotel wasn't much different than what you can get in Trinidad. Breakfast however was exceptional. The pool area was nice and big enough for everyone to have their 'own' space. One major disappointment about Tobago Hilton is the lack of beach front bathing real estate. The waters are too rough and it was pretty rocky. If you're looking for a vacation where you don't have to leave the Hotel then I guess the Tobago Hilton is OK. I won't make this a first choice for future visits to Tobago.