So So Experience on the "Spice Island"
Jan 23, 2025 AlexBtravlz New York City, New York
First time traveler to the "Spice Island" of Grenada and although most of my reviews are rather lengthy I may struggle to get out more than what I received at this resort. First things first it is located about 15min from the airport by car. There is NO Uber here but they do have a similar service using an app called "Haylup". I strongly suggest… Read more
First time traveler to the "Spice Island" of Grenada and although most of my reviews are rather lengthy I may struggle to get out more than what I received at this resort. First things first it is located about 15min from the airport by car. There is NO Uber here but they do have a similar service using an app called "Haylup". I strongly suggest you use this if you decide not to use a rental car. Upon arrival I was greeted with a "Welcome Drink" from the bar...standard yet easy check in and a small tour around the property. My bags were transferred to the Villa (#5) and I was taken in a golf cart up a small hill and down some steps to the home away from home. First impression was that the pics online don't do the accommodations much justice. Its not as "Rustic" as it appears in photos. That was not a disappointing thing to me. The bed was what appears to be a king size, seating areas, nice cozy lighting, mosquito net around the entire bed and of a ductless AC that worked to perfection. Closet space, a digital safe and small fridge filled with overpriced soda and beer and a bottle of wine. 2 cans of equally overpriced pringles for snacks and from here we head to the restroom. The walls were painted blue...working sink, separate toilet room and a semi outdoor shower. I say semi because the shower is surrounded by 3 walls for privacy and there is in fact an overhead roof so its not necessarily "Outdoors" but the open air which is allowed threw an exit from the bathroom to the "Plunge Pool" and a large window with a bamboo shade allows for the outdoor feel. As I stepped out to the deck the "Plunge Pool" is simply that. Its design is small and looks more like a Jacuzzi but there are no bubbles. That would have certainly been a better feature but its more like a location to Sit and relax to cool off or at night to sit and star gaze. There is no light in the pool although one was clearly visible but didn't work so at night it wasn't operable unless u like to sit in the pitch black dark. In addition the filtration system was not working. I literally checked 3 times myself. I made a front desk call about it on day 2 but nobody ever came to fix the issue. I should also mention that a previous guest complained about the pool being dirty and never cleaned. I must add that although there was a reply by management to said post I can speak on my own account that not one time was my pool cleaned or did I see any pool cleaned for the duration of my entire stay. The pools all have a floating chlorine tablet in them and they give you a small net to clean out floating debris. But after using that several times I can say the water in my plunge pool was cloudy and the filtration pump was not working. So for the entire duration of my stay I didn't use the pool...that was disappointing. Other than that the villa itself is beautiful. Note they have European outlets primarily and one us type socket located in the cabinet with the mini fridge so if you are coming from the U.S id bring a multistrip if you have multiple things to charge. Amenities/Beach The property is located on a small beach with cool, clean waters that are swimmable. The beach was clean and is shared with another resort on the far end. The beach is considered "Public" but it was quiet except for the weekend where a few locals came on the beach to enjoy as well. Also on the property is an off site cliff that takes you up a small hike named "Sunset Point". Its worth a lil trip I went up there 3 times for the beautiful views. The resort also features an art gallery and daily Yoga classes for guest in the am hours. There is also a Spa on hand which I didn't have the chance to try but the facility looked great...Prices not so much. Food/Bar Siiiggggghhh....Well first off I usually try my hand at "All Inclusive". Why? Because I simply cant be bothered with the over inflated prices of a resort after they charged you for the stay and are in milk the guest mode. Welp I cant say I didn't know this before I arrived but there are a few things to be considered here. First and foremost the resort is NOT a walking distance to any outside locations. Are the shops far...No but you will still need a car. Not to be frugal but I suggest when you arrive stop by the market and get a few things, Bottled Water, Snacks etc. You are given 2 16oz bottles of water per day, After that its $4usd per. A 24 pack of the same bottled water was only $6usd at the market so ya know whatever works for ya. The small pringles can was also $4usd and was $1 at the market. I understand making money but I also understand being greedy...Again use your own judgement. I ate several times at the Laluana Restaurant for the convenience but note it will cost you. If you choose to eat Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner in a day its gonna run you about $200usd. And note although the countries primary currency is XCD everything is priced at USD. The menu at the restaurant is Italian. Most of the dishes were ok but I stuck to the fish mostly which was costly. The "Catch of the Day" which was usually King, Barracuda or Snapper was priced at $32usd per plate and came with a side of vegetables. On one night I ordered the grilled barracuda and was served 2 fillets. Top fillet was tender and cooked to perfection, 2nd fillet under was rubbery and hard to cut...I though it was chicken placed on the plate by accident. I called the waitress over, Explained my gripe and showed her the difference. Her eyes got large and she quickly scooped up the plate and took it back. When she returned she says she was told sometimes the texture of the fish is different. All I could do was laugh....Night was done for me. I ate out every night after. One major issue I see here is the Staffing. The folks here clearly are overworked. Still they are courteous and professional so for that I would like to acknowledge Enicka, Shania & Kelvah for being outstanding host this past vacation. The crew that's in the restaurant have to often shuttle over to the main bar when someone wants a drink then attend back to the restaurant to serve, clean and take orders. It was hard to watch them work without wanting to help. Its insane that there isn't a dedicated position for each member so they are not so overworked. The drinks themselves weren't great. I don't even believe this is a fault of the staff I think the liquors used were very low grade making these often -$12 minimum per drink undesirable but with very little options you get what is available. Purchase a couple of bottles of liquor at the airport before you arrive. There is an outdoor bar named "Monkey Bar" open on weekends, On some nights live entertainment one of which I enjoyed by an artist named "Barracuda" which I thoroughly enjoyed on the night he performed....Problem is everything shuts down too early. by 9pm there is nothing to really do. Wasn't looking for a party resort but the bar should at least be up and running with lively music playing and socializing by the sea till 11pm Sheesh. I could run through a few more things but its becoming exhausting. I find nothing more disappointing than paying top dollar for a resort and receiving lackluster service. Again I cannot blame the staff I just think the owner has lavished in an idea that cut to many corners and the result is a product that may not deliver to standard for a consumer like myself. See ya on the next review folks Read less
