Grafton Beach Resort Reviews

I have just returned on 25th August 2006 from a 14 night holiday staying at the Grafton. After reading past reviews I was very worried about staying here. All my worries were groundless.

We were made to feel welcome from getting our cases taken out of our taxi by the bell boy until we had to very reluctantly go home!

The food was very good with lots of local and international choices. Alcohol was certainly not watered down in any bar - I had to ask them not to put too much in. Out room was well equipted with a beautiful view of the gardens and beach. With ACU that worked - you don;t often get that in the med. The room was cleaned thoroughly everyday, with new towels etc. Beach towels were also provided.
The staff were a bit reserved at first, but if you make the effort you will make some really good friends. Entertainment was provided but quite low key. If you want more lively entertainment venture out of the resort. Try Sunday School - great fun.

My daughter and I did lots of trips while in Tobago, and booked trips with 3 different tour reps/companies and can say that they couldn't do enough for us. Even providing us with occasional free taxis to different beaches.

What I would say is try Super Tours especially his personal Island tour as it can be customised to what you want to see.
We also did a day trip by boat, fishing, snorkelling and swimming onto beaches only accessible by book. Fish you catch and cook on a BBQ is just a delight.

I would return to the Grafton with no reservations.

My daughter and I did not get hassled at all when in Tobago, be polite but firm - it works.

Airport is small, suggest after you have checked in on the return trip, don't go through to the departure lounge too early. You can go down to Crown Point beach and wait there! Duty free shops outside the airport also make sure your order in waiting for you before you get on the plane.

We flew with Excel airways on the first day of the security alert, and were only 45 minutes late in arriving. Much better than BA or Virgin. No delays on return flight either.

I can't praise this hotel enough, and wonder if the last review was to the same one! The food was very good for a small Al hotel, we were there for 2 weeks and had no complaints at all. There was always a good choice and the staff were friendly if a little reserved. That is their way together with the slower pace of life and we should accept that. After all, would you rush around in that heat?

The accommodation was very good. We were given an room with a double bed and immediately asked if we could change to one with a K size bed. They upgraded us with no hassle to an ocean front room. I would like to say we have visited the caribbean many times and have high expectations of our holidays, but we know what we like, ie small friendly hotels with a layed back atmosphere. That is exactly what we got at the Grafton. There were few children here and I think the hotel is more suitable for adults than children. Yes the sea is choppy but we knew about that before we went. The beach was never crowded and there was plenty of sunbeds for all.

The entertainment was a bit hit and miss but we weren't bothered about that as it is the sort of hotel where everyone gets to know each other and we had many pleasant and fun nights round the bar.

We were sad when the time came for us to leave and would quite happily have stayed on a bit longer. We have had much more expensive holidays in the caribbean but found Grafton to be very high on the list of favourites. We found it excellent value for money and would certainly recommend it if like us you want a layed back holiday away from the stressful life that we lead

Having read the comments on the Excel Airways web site did not expect the flight to go without a hitch,but what a surprise only a 1/2 hour delay and we were off.The aircraft that is used now is a 767-ER(leather seats and loads of legroom,far more than the Virgin flight last Feb to Barbados)On arrival we were met by Toby(manager)and a rum punch.
We did not opt for a sea view room, but got one anyway (most are sea view).
We suspected that the hotel was not full(even though it was half term in the UK ) sunbeds available throughout the day in the hotel but limited on the beach.
Be aware of the occasional rogue wave, extremely powerful and dangerous, food good, service good, birthday cake provided when requested. A chill out holiday!! Thanks to Toby (Manager).

We travelled with Virgin Holidays and I have to say they were marvellous. On arrival we were given an upgraded room over looking the sea which was fab to wake up to each morning. The staff were all very friendly and most helpful. The food was plentiful and a good choice. My only gripe was that we only managed to get into the Neptune Fish resturant once as it was so busy and despite being told when we arrived that we had to book for dinner each evening, it was always full!

The swimming pool is rather on the small side but it was adequate, the beach is lovely but beware of the waves they can be very strong.My friend got very badly bitten on her feet and we later discovered it was caused by sand flies which apparently come out after 5pm - you have been warned!

We hired a car from the office for the day and toured the island seeing some spectacular scenery at a small cost compared to the virgins tours. I believe the tobaggians have hidden all their road signs though as we only saw one on the island and found trying to find places quite aggrevating as they seem to disappear!

We also booked a catamaran trip aboard ";Island Girl"; this was the highlight of the holiday. We were out all day and had a really super time actually caught our own lunch on board from the back of the catamaran stopped at a lovely beach called cotton bay and swam with the rays!

I have travelled extensively and found this place a haven of peace, if you are looking for tranquility and stunning views with good accomodation and great food together with lovely people then this is the place you want to be. I cant wait to return!!

Having read other reviews about this resort, we were looking forward to spending our holiday there. The welcome was warm and our drinks were chilled.

However, the first room we were assigned to was a twin room (we had booked a double), and it smelt of damp, and was located to a noisy generator, and the patio door had cracked glass. We were put into another room with a double bed, and which did not smell of damp. As it was late at night, and we were tired we accepted the room. In the morning things became a little clearer. The bathroom was tired (broken tiles, mildew, blocked up shower spray), and the bed spread, curtains, pillows also showed signs of mildew.

This was not just restricted to the room, the general feel of the hotel was run-down. Common area seating had been blackened from peoples sweat, sun loungers were showing signs of age, dining furniture covered in dried bird excrement. All these observations indicated that there was nothing that some cosmetic renovating couldn't have solved.

Half way into our stay, further problems arose. Fresh towels became scarce. During the dining hours, we had to pester the staff for food to be added to the buffet area. Considering it was an all inclusive, it was too much like hard work. We hardly spent any time at the resort (as we spent most of our days exploring the island), but when we did, we kept on running into unnecessary problems.

To be fair, the staff were as helpful as they could be, given the circumstances. Food (when it was available) was of reasonable-to-good quality wise, fruit was plentiful, drinks refreshing, and the fish restaurant was alright. Certainly not a 3+ star experience though, and pricewise other Tobago 4 star hotels are cheaper. In the end we transferred our remaining stay to the Hilton.

The island of Tobago is fantastic.The Grafton beach resort was excellent.Staff very friendly and helpful.Do not waste money on a sea view Garden View is superb.Must go to Pigen Point,private beach cost arround two pounds per person,and food and drink is cheap.Chicken chips and salad was £2.50,bottle of bear 90p.

All in all Tobago is paradise.

What a great place to chillout in.Some of the amenities described in the brochure werent available but after a couple of days here who cared.After hearing so many horror stories about the caribbean i was a little reluctant to go but it was well worth the trip.The hotel accommodation is a little bit tired but is mainly ok.It is probably not worth paying for a seaview room as most of the rooms have one anyway.The food varied from very good to average in the main restraunt.Neptunes restraunt was invariably very good.

The beach bar was also excellent for a snack at lunchtime.the entertainment in the evenings was generally low key but ok.It was repeated each week so if you miss it one week then you can always catch it next week.
The people we met were very friendly especially the guys on the beach.the hotel staff were good especially KIM behind the bar.

We hired a car for the day and went round the island very easily although somebody has stolen all the straight roads.
Because we went with thomson and there wernt that many guests when we arrived at the airport Steve the taxi driver picked us up and every time we went on a trip there was steve to pick us up.

All in all if you need to escape the stresses and strains of everyday life you could do a lot worse than this.

This was our first visit and definatley not our last. The Hotel was excellent.

The staff were very friendly and helpful, nothing was too much trouble.There was a good variety of food.We were lucky to see turtles hatching on our first morning at the beach.There were so many fantastic beaches to visit. We would recommend hiring a car so that you can have a good look around the island.

We found a beautiful beach just at the end of the airport runway called Fort Milford.Another of our favourites was Grange Bay which was not far from our hotel.We also visited the Bird Sanctuary around the corner which was amazing. The birds are feed at 4pm every day.Another must is a trip to Argyle Waterfall.

I would highly recommend traveling with Virgin Atlantic. The twilight check in was excellent as was the check in chill out on our return.

We are travel agents and booked this trip mid last year. First hint - don't book too far in advance and do shop around. The variation in what people pay for the same thing is staggering!

We flew on the Thursday non-stop flight Gatwick - Tobago Crown Point with excel airways. We booked Classic Premium but we were a bit disappointed. One of the 3 tv's in our cabin has apparently never worked so basically no inflight entertainment for 9 hours. However if you ask for a hand held dvd player you might get lucky. Drinks flow every hour on the hour in Excel One and Classic Premium and are included in the price of your upgrade. Seat pitch is 34 inches but means nothing if the person in front of you reclines their seat back as far as it will go. Despite the gripes we departed and arrived on time in both directions and the food was good.

The hotel is not 5* luxury - if this is what you want then perhaps I would suggest the Hilton or Coco Reef. The hotel is very well established and a few people we spoke to were on their 3rd or 4th visit and we saw one wedding taking place. The rooms have all that one would expect (tv, telephone, aircon, balcony, full bathroom) but I would say a little dated. This did not phase us at all. We had no fridge for the first 2 days but were sorted out as soon as it was mentioned. We had a beautiful sea view (which we paid quite a bit for). I would be a bit careful about paying for sea view as it appeared most of the rooms had them anyway!

Tobago is a paradise on earth. If you are very much into bird life, marine life and plant life then this island is the place for you. It is unsploit and prestine. Beaches are all public and stunning. Englishmans Bay being the jewel in the crown. Hummiming Birds and parrots fly freely. For a good afternoon tea get down to The Arnos Vale Hotel and feed the birds in the gardens. Do take a few trips to see the island. We did Buccoo Reef and Nylon Pool. The coral and fish are amazing. Nylon Pool shallow and crystal clear. The Caribbean sea fantastically warm. We did the ";Round A Bout"; tour full day. Booked with our rep Judith (the local Hayes and Jarvis agent). This trip is by airconditioned mini taxi with a max of 4 people. Totally personalised. We travelled up the Caribbean coast stopping to swim at Englishmans Bay, then cut through the rainforest to Speyside (Atlantic coast) where we stopped for lunch at Gemmas Seaview Kitchen Treehouse. Gemmas should not be missed. After lunch down to the Argyle Waterfalls and then onto Fort King George in Scarborough. A fab way to see the island all in one day.

The people may seem a bit feisty at first but simple good manners and mutual respect will go far. Michelle in the hotel bar is fantastic. The food is very good. The speciality restaurant Neptunes should not be missed if you love sea food. Small (only seats about 14) - so must book as soon as you get there. Breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner were varied each day. One night is buffet and the next night a la carte - so good variation. Lots of sea food although beef, pork, chicken, turkey, pastas also featured. Lots of local veggies and fruit prepared in many different ways also abundant.

Pool - small but sufficient. We only used it twice and that was for the swim up bar. Unfortunately the British have inherited a very bad habit from the Germans and that is laying towels on sun loungers as early as 6 am. If you havent laid your towel out by 8 am then there is no way your getting near the pool. This is annoying as on several days we noticed towels occupying space yet the owners of these did not appear until 3 pm! This is rude and selfish.... We swam in the sea instead which was heaven. Be warned though - the waves are violent!!! Debs almost busted her knee on the first day. If you have kids watch them like a hawk.

As a traval agent I know who I can recommend Tobago too. This is not Mexico, Jamaica or certain parts of the Dom Rep. It is peaceful, quiet and naturally beatiful. If you want a good relaxing holiday with some good old fashioned hospitality then this is the place.

p.s it rained everyday - but was still very hot and humid. do take a good sun block those clouds can be deceiving.

Enjoy!!!

Our party of five had agood holiday at the grafton beach resort,general facilities were good, no long waits for resturants or drinks. Staff were generally pleasant and polite although some did not always bring a smile to work with them. If you intend to use the squash courts be prepared and take some balls with you as there appears to be problems in the hotel getting balls.

We found the selection of food to be excellent although the chef appeared to be heavy handed with the pepper pot for some people.

We found the managment to be very responsive to requests from individuals with regard to alternative meals where the spice was a problem

Congratulations to staff:

Miss Ivis Bonas(resturant supervisor)for always having a welcoming smile and a wonderful sense of humour. She was always happy to help.

Ms Janel Rojas(food and beverages deputy manager)nothing was to much trouble for ms Rojas to sort out. She was very freindly and approachable

Family Size: 4 (2 adults and 2 children, 12 and 10).

Cost: All-Inclusive, 1 room, £4,200 (excluding flights), for 2 weeks in December 2005 (not over Christmas day).

Hotel Overview - The hotel feels like it is 'just' about trying to get away with offering the minimum. There is no feeling to the place, the staff are robots.

Oceanview restaurant quite grumpy/unhelpful. Food is quite uneatable, much of the time (canteen food), not what you expect at a hotel charging what they charge.

Beach OK, not too busy, but rough breakers (forget watersports, even though they promote them).

We would never want to go back to the Graffton Beach.

Tobago: We were out and about every other day and got to know some great local people. Tobago is nice and vibrant for a Carib' Island, but I still prefer Grenada in this part of the Carbbean, I've not been there since the hurricane).

Room - OceanView; Although with two King size beds, the room is not large enough for more than two people, to live in, there is not enough wardrobe/draw space. The rooms are kept clean and the air-con works well. Do not pay more for the garden rooms (not worth it). Bathroom clean and functional.

Food - This is only the 2nd time we have gone 'all-inclusive', last time at Almond Beach Villageon Barbados, Dec2004 (good, much high level of service/food quality etc). The food was quite terrible 99% of the time. Canteen food and service; every meal became a chore, not a pleasure. They do a waitress type service some days, but staff are poorly trained. The food was the worst part of this hotel. We eat out a number of times, nice restaurants locally (not over priced).

Drink - As expected with all-Inclusive most drinks were watered down; when the bottle had a 'yellow dot' on it meant it had been 'dealt with'. So look for bottles behind the bar that are not yellow dotted. Even though drinks are included in AI. I always fancy a bottle of wine, the list has a terrible selection and charges around £45 for a bottle of cheap £5-6 (off-licence price UK). So I did not partake (nore did anyone else the 2 weeks we were there). Other restaurants on Tobago charge approx' UK restaurant prices for bottle.

Entertainment/Sports - One of the reasons we chose an AI was the entertainment (to keep kids happy, so they can use the hotel facliites while we enjoyed a leisurely dinner). Kids Sports room is OK, but the evening 'live' enterainment is dull.

Forget watersports, the sea is too rough that side of the island. Sadly it was one of the main reasons why we chose this hotel (we do alot of watersports as a hobby in UK etc... Canoeing, sailing etc). You have to go out so deep to get away from the white water breaker, then its still never calm.