We have stayed three times at Coco Reef and each time we visit we are impressed with the staff who are attentive and caring. A special mention to Esther who went out of her way to make sure our experience was perfect. And to Jeanette who is the very best bartender on Tobago. Nothing is too much trouble and your friendly approach will be rewarded by the staff. The hotel public areas and rooms need some updating, we met the owner who is well aware of the shortcomings and has a program of maintenance and upgrades in hand. That said, we have always been comfortable here, the bed is good and the air conditioning works well. Outside, you will appreciate the beautiful manicured gardens in front of the hotel and the well maintained private beach dotted with Palm trees for shade. At the end of the drive you are amongst the bars, restaurants and street food stalls, Jade Monkey is the best bar a few minutes walk from the hotel and you will feel safe and welcome while you are out. Be sure to visit Pigeon Point beach for a day where the sand, sea and facilities are great. For our tours we used Dexter of Island Man Tours who has become a personal friend over the last few years. Take a foodie inspired island tour for a real flavour of the island, explore the beaches on the Caribbean coast and the Rain Forest which is truly stunning. Dexter will listen to what you want to do and tailor the tours to your needs, he will personally escort you on most of the tours and has a good sense of humour. Coco Reef offers a great place to stay and at the same time is well positioned along the main road where all the facilities you will need are placed. Enjoy your stay!
After having read the many poor reviews about 'Starfish', 'forewarned as they say' we were pleasantly surprised just how much we enjoyed it. I think that many people expected an up-market luxury hotel as in the Maldives or Cancun - it is most definitely not and needs a revamp and big investment ! The setting is perfect and on a long, mainly deserted beach with the hotel towards Plymouth end and Black Rock at the other. All very Robinson Crusoe and when the sea is calm, as it was when we were there, perfect for swimming. The gardens and pool are very well-kept although there is no deep end - all at 3ft 6inches. We found the main restaurant food very tasty but not refined in any way. The papayas and melon and many of the vegetables are grown in the hotel garden across the road. It does not cater to fancy European tastes and I suppose it could be called wholesome English-speaking Caribbean cuisine. Our room 208 was large, very clean with good AC and had two large double beds and a small back room and (as all the rooms) overlooking the beach. So now the downsides - most of the clientele are weekenders from Trinidad and they pour in on Friday and leave on Sunday or Monday and the hotel, quite frankly, finds it difficult to cope. The breakfasts are hectic and queues build up at the egg station, the restaurant is full, the staff are frazzled, the pool area is full and the whole place is noisy. During the week calm reigns once again and, depending on how many Brits arrive on the BA flights, there is a wonderful sense of having the place to yourself once again. Our last few days had almost nobody on the beach, in the pool or in the water and the restaurant was quiet. There is so much more to say but our holiday ticked all the boxes, we rented a car and explored the island and I managed to re-live and visit all the places I experienced 50 years ago when I was there in my early twenties. Tobago is a wonderful island to visit and much less developed and spoiled by tourism as most of the other Caribbean islands - it is a slice of the real Caribbean!