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It was very disappointing! Visited: April 2008 |
| Posted by sandj |
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My husband and I chose Long Bay because we wanted a place to get pampered. We couldn't have been more let down.
I needed an extra towel, and we asked the lady who cleaned our room. She told my husband she would leave one, but she never did. Then, we left a friendly reminder note. Still, no extra towel. My husband had to go to the manager to complain. Finally, we got an extra towel.
The food was over-priced and not very tasty. The service was slow, and it felt like pulling teeth to get anything.
As for the "deluxe" oceanfront rooms: We spent a fortune to be on the beach. Except, we couldn't see the beach that well from our room because there were too many shrubs in the way.
The beach was pretty, but there were too many rocks to swim. You could really get hurt, so we never stayed here for swimming. We always went to Smuggler's Cove.
As for the rooms - the beds were so hard we couldn't really sleep. The rooms also seemed really in need of refurbishing. They were dinghy.
The water was turned off a few times, and the power went off on numerous occasions! There was lots of construction going on, too.
I really wish we had picked a different spot, but if I can help someone not make the same mistake - I'll be happy. If you want to be spoiled and pampered, Long Bay Beach Resort is not the place for you! |
| 11 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. |
Long Bay Beach Resort offered us high prices, dirty rooms, and rude staff. Visited: February 2007 |
| Posted by michael392 |
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I'll make this very short and as factual through my experience here during my honeymoon as possible.
We stayed in the "Beachfront Deluxe". Boy was this a joke. The photographer on their site is talented, but their housekeeping staff and room upkeep sure isn't. I found large stains on our linens and furniture cushions. It was very obvious, so there was no excuse. The bed was very lumpy, with old sheets, and old dusty curtains. The A/C was busted, and the staff never repaired it after numerous complaints.
The beach, was very pretty to look at or sit on (unless you dont like people arm to arm with you). However, I almost sliced my knee open body surfing. There were so many rocks here that it's really dangerous, combined with the very rough surf and ground swells.
The restaurant by the beach was okay, at best. During our Sunday brunch I wasn't expecting a $75 bill for two people to eat some salad and a few pieces of luke-warm meat, but that's the least of my complaints.
Our room was dirty, dirty, dirty. Housekeeping did come in, however I'm not quite sure what they did. But when we returned, there were still dirty beach towels on the floor (they couldn't even fold them for us, and my wife's back was thrown out).
The staff seemed unaware and unattentive. Waitstaff in restaurant was just as bad - every day looked like their first day on the job.
We will not return to Long Bay. We passed by much nicer places on Tortola with nicer and less crowded locations than this. I definitely don't recommend this for honeymooners, and certainly not for families with children as there is heavy road traffic during the day and very dangerous waters. |
| 39 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. |
We were very pleased. Visited: March 2006 |
| Posted by vgregor |
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My wife and I just got back from a week at Long Bay and we were very pleased overall. We normally like to stay somewhere small and intimate. The resort was in one of the best locations on the island for a number of reasons, and the staff and accommodations were first rate.
First , the resort was on the best, or one of the best, beaches on Tortola. It was also close to another one of Tortola's best beaches - Smugglers Cove. Each beach was great for different reasons. Long bay had waves and was as pretty as any of the pictures that the resort had on the web site. As a matter of fact, when my wife and I went to Tortola two years ago, we stayed in Cane Garden Bay and drove to Long Bay almost every day because it was so much more beautiful.
About a mile further west down a dirt road was Smuggler's Cove. It was a great snorkeling beach and you can rent chairs and have lunch from one of the two beach bars.
The west end was also convenient to Sopers Hole and the west end ferry dock - if you plan on visiting any of the other islands like Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, St. Thomas or St. John. Not far from Long Bay were a couple of great restaurants like Bananaket (go at sunset )and the Palms Delight (order the ginger chicken).
The resort had a couple of fine restaurants and just about every amenity was offered onsite. We did not choose the meal plan because we preferred to rent a Jeep (use D and D) and explore and try different restaurants.
Our room was poolside and a little noisy ...both from the pool (Marco...Polo...Marco...Polo!), and from the paper thin walls. One night we were awakened at 1.00 pm by the conversation in the next room. I think we heard the word " like " 50 times in ten minutes. Next time, we'll avoid spring break. Everything settled down though, and the hotel would have switched our room if we needed. For peace and quiet, I'd recommend a little further up the hill.
The pool had some issues as well in that It never seemed very clean. Also, the hot tub was broken. The Grill at poolside kept running out of food as well. One day it was the fish, one day it was the chicken, and another day they ran out of fries. None of this was enough to ruin our stay, though.
Long Bay was, by far, one of (if not the) nicest and most complete resorts on Tortola, and we would go back in a heartbeat. The area is known for its surfing, and there were miles of small roads and trails for hiking and running. Long Bay had scuba, snorkeling, tennis, and two car rentals onsite. |
| 30 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. |
Very pleased Visited: March 2006 |
| Posted by vgregor |
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My wife and I just got back from a week at Long Bay and we were very pleased overall. We normally like to stay somewhere small and intimate .The resort is in one of the best locations on the island for a number of reasons and the staff and accommodations are first rate.
First , the resort is on the best or one of the best beaches on Tortola. It is also close to another one of Tortola's best beaches ; Smugglers cove . Each beach is great for different reasons. Long bay has waves and is as pretty as any of the pictures that the resort has on the website. As a matter of fact , when my wife and I went to Tortola 2 years ago , we stayed in Cane Garden Bay and drove to Long bay almost every day because it was so much more beautiful. About a mile further west down a dirt road is Smugglers cove. It's a great snorkeling beach and you can rent chairs and have lunch from one of the two beach bars.
The west end is also convenient to Sopers Hole and the west end ferry dock if you plan on visiting any of the other Islands like Jost Van Dyke , Virgin Gorda or St Thomas or St John. Not far from Long bay are a couple of great restaurants like Bananaket ( go at sunset )and the Palms Delight ( order the ginger chicken ).
The resort has a couple of fine restaurants and just about every amenity is offered on site . We did not choose the meal plan because we preferred to rent a jeep ( use D&D ) and explore and try different restaurants.
Our room was poolside and a little noisy ...both from the pool ( Marko...Polo...Marko...Polo ) and from the paper thin walls. One night we were awoken at 1.00 pm by the conversation in the next room. I think we heard the word " like " 50 times in 10 minutes. Next time we'll avoid spring break. Everything settled down though and the Hotel would have switched our room if we needed. For peace and quiet I'd recommend a little further up the hill.
The pool had some issues as well in that It never seemed very clean and the hot tub was broken .The Grill at poolside kept running out of food as well . One day it was the fish , one day it was the chicken and another day they ran out of fries. None of this was enough to ruin our stay .
Long Bay is by far one of ,if not the nicest and most complete resorts on Tortola and we would go back in a heartbeat. The area is known for it's surfing and there are miles of small roads and trails for hiking and running. Long Bay has scuba, snorkeling ,tennis and two car rentals on site. |
| 7 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. |
Long Bay was a wonderful property - we had a wonderful stay! Visited: June 2005 |
| Posted by tennisla |
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This was our second time staying at Long Bay. We were here in June 2004, and again in June 2005. Both trips were wonderful.
We were very happy with our beachfront cabana. In my opinion, these were the best rooms at the resort. Being in a duplex on stilts on the beach, hearing the surf, being on a beautiful white sandy beach in just a few steps from your room - it was awesome!
We are planning a bareboat charter back in the BVI in June, 2007 - and Long Bay will be our post-charter home! |
| 6 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. |
Long Bay is low key with friendly service. Visited: November 2004 |
| Posted by william |
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We stayed in a beachfront deluxe room which was right on the beach, just like the beachfront cabanas. Our room was nicely decorated and comfortable and the view couldn't be beat. The only complaint I'd have was the roosters that crowed early in the morning and woke us up.
The food at the resort was good, but not great. But there were plenty of places on the island to find really good meals. The Sugar Mill restaurant was practically down the street and their food was excellent.
For us, this vacation was more low key and laid back. They didn't have a lot of activities at the resort - tennis, a spa, dive shop, and a fitness center. But the beach was very beautiful and hardly ever crowded. There were plenty of tours/trips available and there were two car rental agencies on site if you would like to see more of the islands.
Practically all the people we met were exceptionally friendly, so long as you gave them the courtesy of a "hello, how are you", "please", and "thank you". We've traveled to several islands in the Caribbean and I'd have to say the people of Tortola were some of the kindest people we've met in our travels. |
| 6 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. |
Accommodations were basic, but it was an enjoyable resort experience. Visited: October 2004 |
| Posted by mking100 |
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My husband and I recently returned from Long Bay and were overall pleased with our experience. The resort had, by a long shot, the best beach on the island....scenic, truly tropical and uncrowded.
We stayed in the beachfront cabanas, and the water literally crashed outside our door. The room was basic and a bit worn, but the view was incredible and it more than made up for it.
The pool was nice and the grill there served great burgers. The food at the main restaurant was decent, but if you like gourmet, you are so close to other great restaurants (i.e. Sugar Mill), it was hardly an inconvenience. Drink prices were reasonable as well!
We found the staff to be friendly and accommodating. The location near the west end was also convenient to ferries to St. John, Jost & Virgin Gorda.
Long Bay was no Ritz Carlton, but if you want seclusion, beautiful scenery and a friendly staff, you can't beat it on the island.
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| 9 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. |
It was very good - better than our stay a year ago. Visited: March 2004 |
| Posted by ron1 |
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Long Bay was better than we experienced during our stay in 2003. The management was taken over by Elite Island Resorts, (Galley Bay Antigua, Palm Island, St. James's Antigua).
Although new management had only been there only a short while, the place had already improved. The food was better, the beautiful grounds were cleaned up - it was an immediate improvement. The staff was much better trained, also.
Long Bay had great rooms and the very best beach on Tortola. It was close (ten minutes to Sopers Hole Marina), and there was also great boating and access by ferry to Jost Van Dyke, St. Johns, etc.
This was my third time here in the last 14 months and it was a great setting. It was also very good for tennis and kids. |
| 9 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. |
We found it better than how others previously reviewed this accommodation. Visited: February 2004 |
| Posted by goldrush |
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We just returned from Long Bay and found that the staff was friendly and helpful, and the rooms were kept clean and comfortable.
It was peaceful. We had no complaints about our stay here. It was somewhat spread out and low key, but it had what we needed. |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful. |
We had a wonderful honeymoon here. Visited: May 2003 |
| Posted by jenazny |
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After booking our honeymoon at the Long Bay Beach Resort, we came onto this web-site and read some less than stellar reviews.
Our first impression of the resort was similar to the reviews we read, and I was scared that we had ruined our honeymoon. The taxi-driver drove us around the resort…showing us the |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful. |
High price, mediocre rooms and indifferent staff. Visited: March 2003 |
| Posted by boudecca |
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We visited on the recommendation of a realtor we were working with who told us this was "the best" hotel on the island. After looking at many other options, we decided to take the advice of the local realtor. Usually price is a reflection of the quality one can expect: this property, being one of the more expensive on the island, was the exception to the rule. First, the bellman attempted to show us to our room on the hill overlooking the property. Only problem was that when we arrived at the room, the bellman announced that we could not park in the only available parking spot because it was reserved for someone else. Since there was no place to park, we could not leave our car. Our choice was to hike up and down the hill every time we left our room.
The Deluxe Oceanview Room itself was mediocre in size and design. Not only was it small, there were steps between the tiny sitting area and bed, making this a disaster waiting to happen. The room was dirty and unkempt. Air conditioning was nonexistent, although the property is marketed with air conditioning. Housekeeping is not a strength, as there was dust and dirt in every nook and cranny.
The staff was distant and not particularly helpful. Managers walked past you knowing that you wanted to speak to them. We stood for long periods of time at the front desk waiting for staff to look up from whatever administrative task was occupying their time. When finally addressed, helpful answers were not forthcoming. The final experience, however, was when our plans required a return trip to Tortola two weeks later. Since we needed to be on the West End of the island for one additional day, we gritted our teeth and tried to reserve a room at the front desk upon departure. We were told it was impossible to book a room even though we were standing right in front of the receptionist. When we asked to speak to the On-Duty Manager, we were told he wasn't there, though he walked right past us again. If we wanted to book a room, we needed to call New York. The problem was that the room phones did not work and we did not have a phone card. 1-800-CALLUSA was blocked by local authorities who insisted on putting all calls through their phone system (which I understand is now in litigation).
Fortunately, we were on business and were not expecting a holiday. The powers that be have been successful in creating a service economy with disdain for the customer. |
| 7 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. |
Not luxurious, but still a nice vacation spot. Visited: September 2002 |
| Posted by newsprincess |
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Long Bay Resort on Tortola was recommended to us through our travel agent and, after checking it out on the internet (and reading all the pros and cons), we decided to go for it.
I wasn't expecting the Four Seaons, but I was still surprised by the quality of the room. However, the place grew on us. By the end of our eight-day stay, I loved the place. It was in a great location, the people were as friendly to you as you are to them, and the beach was nice (albeit rocky!).
The rooms were very standard and you could tell that the place has been around for a while. The accommodations, however, were a nice size. The bed was huge, and there was lots of room to move about in the bedroom. There was also a mini-fridge, cabinets, counterspace and a sink in the entryway. The bathroom and nearby closet were quite big as well - with a bench in the shower area (no door!), double sinks and a big closet.
Our room was a beachfront deluxe. I think that if/when we come here again, we'll stay in the same type of room again. The property did offer rooms higher up on the hills, but you'll have a hike to get to the beach.
We went during the off season, so parts of the property were closed - like the highly recommended Garden Restaurant. My boyfriend and I dined every day at the Beach Cafe, instead - sometimes for lunch, breakfast or dinner. The menu was very pricy, but it was on par with every other eating establishment on the island. The food quality was acceptable - neither exceptional or horrid, just somewhere in-betweeen.
My boyfriend and I tried quite a few restaurants around the island and especially recommend the pizza and the spinach dip at the Virgin Queen, and anything at Capriccio's - a small streetside Italian cafe near the ferry docking. Our average food bill was about $35-$60 a meal - depending on whether we had appetizers and dessert and, of course, on how many drinks we ordered!
We had a car, and I'd recommend doing the same. It was great exploring the island on our own. We recommend Cane Garden Beach, Josiah's Bay and Brewer's Bay. If you decide to go by cab instead, know that it usually takes a while for one to get where you are and I've heard it can be quite expensive.
Overall, we had a fabulous time and we enjoyed having many of the island's gorgeous beaches almost all to ourselves! Hope this helps!
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| 6 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. |
A beautiful beach and a nice hotel. Visited: August 2002 |
| Posted by jtyneski |
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Long Bay was a nice hotel on a beautiful beach. We stayed in the deluxe beachfront room. The room was nice, but needed some minor touch-ups. The grounds at the hotel were very pretty with flowers, but the gravel walkway leading to the rooms would have been much nicer done in brick.
The pool was in need of much work, as mentioned in other reviews. We opted for the meal plan and were very pleased. The food at both restaurants was expensive, but excellent for all meals.
The hotel staff, overall, was very nice. However, we thought the tour desk staff could have been more help. The hotel was quiet without many activities, but if you take advantage of all the things to do on the island, like day sailing trips, snorkeling, etc., you will have a great time!
All the people on the island were very nice and friendly. Long Bay Beach Resort was situated on a beautiful beach and could be a top luxury resort of the Caribbean if they would put the money into it. Get out and enjoy the island of Tortola, and you will have a great vacation! |
| 4 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. |
It was a perfect resort on the best Caribbean island! Visited: June 2002 |
| Posted by sanford |
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We stayed in a hillside oceanview room. The room was nice and the view was fantastic. We had been to Long Bay Beach Resort before, so we knew where we wanted to stay on the property.
The grounds at Long Bay were in excellent shape. The food was expensive - but good. You can find much better and cheaper food all over the island, though.
Rent a car for the whole time. Hertz will pick you up at the airport and drive you to Roadtown to get your car. You can then leave the car at the airport on your way home. When we where here last time, we must have spent $300.00 dollars on cabs. Also, the driving is a blast here.
Drive to Smuggler's Cove - it was like a huge swimming pool with good snorkling and Chris made great drinks!
The people who work here were great. Watch out for Cheryl at the pool bar, she ran a tight ship.
In the past, we have heard people complaining about their bill at checkout time being a lot different than what they thought it should be. It was because they charged everything to their room. We paid cash for everything we did here. This way, the staff got the tips and we didn't pay for service charges.
Our only complaint was that the pool needed to be resurfaced. Other than that, everything was great.
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| 3 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful. |
HORRIBLY DISAPPOINTING Visited: May 2002 |
| Posted by dmorse830 |
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My wife and I went to Tortola on our honeymoon; we rented a private villa on the East End for the 1st week(absolute paradise-empty beach and tiki hut with hammock; straight out of a Corona commercial) and then went to Long Bay for our last 3 days(a horrible nightmare).
In all fairness, the only positive experience we had was at the beach restaurant where the waitress was great, candlelit tables by the ocean were very romantic, and the food was VERY good. (Try the red snapper with garlic butter or jerk chicken salad.)
Aside from that, I have nothing good to say @ Long Bay. Here's what I can complain about: 1) We rented a villa with a kitchen because we usually prefer to cook our own meals, however, upon arrival, we discovered that the owner of said villa had shut off the power to the oven and declared it "off limits".2) There were wet towels in a drawer in the bathroom from the previous tenants which had started to molder (NO JOKE); it so happens that my wife is EXTREMELY allergic to mold and could barely breathe while inside the villa - it was that bad. She had to sit outside on the deck while I made AT LEAST 10 phone calls to the front desk trying to procure a different room. Five hours later they send someone who shows us to a different villa without a kitchen (unacceptable). After another hour of jerking us around we are finally given an acceptable room. The thing that pissed me off the most about this is that none of the staff showed an inkling of concern and furthermore couldn't direct me to anyone who could do anything about it. 3)The beach SUCKS! Actually, the beach is very nice but if you want to actually swim in the Carib. don't go here-lots of rocks and coral to rip your flesh off. 4)While there, construction was constant. Imagine the lovely sound of power drills and electric sanders at 7:30 AM. (Hey, who wants to sleep late (in silence) while on vacation anyway?)
To anyone reading this - do yourself a favor. Check out other places on Tortola. You can find BEAUTIFUL, private villas for less money. Go anywhere else, Jonas Bay, Cane Garden, camp at Brewer's Bay, Carrot Bay, East End(Trellis Bay) is the best if you want a great beach and no people. Don't waste your money at Long Bay. |
| 10 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. |
Mostly Disappointed Visited: April 2002 |
| Posted by ylarosa |
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The two nice things: The grounds were very pretty and the staff was great, very nice and helpful.
The property:
The pool is in desperate need of repair! The hotel room furniture was stained (one chair even had a cigarette burn on it) and the curtains were dirty. Be careful of where your room is located because a portion of the hotel (that sits east) is under construction.
The food: The food was awful and outrageously expensive (an average lunch at the "cheap" restaurant, called the Beach Cafe, would run $50.) If you get Long Bay's meal plan you are locked in to eating breakfast and lunch or dinner at their restaurants. This will save you money but still, it's not worth it considering the poor quality of the food. Dinner at the more expensive restaurant (Garden Room) is, well, more expensive and not much better.
Getting around: The cabs are very pricey, unless other people happen to be going to the same destination. For example, a cab ride to Cane Garden Bay (20-25 minutes away) would have been $30 round trip for two people. We happened to take the cab with 4 other people from the hotel, so it cost us $5 per person, per trip. If you plan on taking more than two cabs a day or if you have a family, it's worth it to rent a car.
The beaches: Long Bay is very pretty but rocky and not really swimable. Cane Garden Bay is nice...calm water, good for swimming, but more people and activity. Smuggler's Cove (5-10 minutes away) is also great for swimming and the snorkeling is good. If you take a cab during their scheduled times (10am departure, 4pm pick up) it's only $5 per person. Any other time during the day, it's $15 for two people, each way.
Activities: They have tennis and a spa which we didn't use. We took a day sail one day which was awesome! Snorkeling was excellent at Norman Island. The Virgin Baths are beautiful...a must see!
Over all: Tortola is very nice and relaxing. The people on the island are lovely...very, very friendly. But Long Bay has a Long Way to go! Definitely not a four-star hotel (as it stated in Fodor's). |
| 7 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
Staff at Long Bay Aims to please. Visited: April 2002 |
| Posted by joturner |
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We first visited Long Bay in February '99 and were happy with that experience. Noting many negative traveler reviews on the web since that time, we were concerned but still hopeful when we took advantage of bargains and returned this April.
Long Bay, like many resorts, has had a rough time with the change in the economy and the public's fear of traveling--and in some areas, this shows (there are some repairs waiting to happen).
The construction mentioned in some reviews is almost done but it was non-intrusive anyway. Most important, we found that the staff welcomed us back and, with little exception, were very engaging.
The main restaurant food, while good last time, was really outstanding this visit. Our only recommendation was that staff make more of an effort to help guests find fun options during bad weather, which we had for a few days. (Of course, that almost never happens.)
We've never had a problem with sensing aloofness from staff or others we encountered on day trips and sailing. We treated each person as a new friend from whom we can learn something about the area, and were not disappointed in the response. It sure worked for us. |
| 0 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. |
It was great!! Visited: September 2001 |
| Posted by wendyhes |
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I loved the two bedroom villa that we stayed in. It was very large and very tastefully decorated.
The pool was awesome, and the staff was friendly. I also thought the location was beautiful.
I do recall some construction taking place, and I am hoping that it is completed. We are planning our third trip to Tortola for October, and we were thinking of returning to Long Bay again. |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful. |
Second-rate accommodation at first-rate prices. Visited: August 2001 |
| Posted by kotoole |
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This resort was quite a disappointment. The room was shoddy and not very clean (garbage cans were not emptied, towel shortages etc.). Expect additional charges for everything (never mentioned in advance of the service though). I half expected the toilet paper pieces to be counted.
The food was decent, but not spectacular. Staff was barely pleasant if at all responsive. The beach is beautiful to look at but impossible to swim in. It’s extremely rocky, shallow forever and choppy. |
| 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
Beautiful Visited: June 2001 |
| Posted by thomask |
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It’s a beautiful resort, with beautiful scenery, a beautiful beach, and excellent food. The majority of staff were very nice and accommodating. Overall, it was an excellent experience. |
| 0 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful. |
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