I should start by saying that I wanted to like the place, I truly did, but the pictures don't match the real vision that you get when you're ready to check into your room. The room was a great price, yet no matter how hard the air conditioner ran, it was an oven until 3 am came around. The personnel was very friendly, not to mention most of the guests are hardcore divers, which are always drunk or friendly or a combination of the two. (I'm a diver myself).

The beds are classically lumpy and hard, but for those adventurous types, I guess that is fine. It's located right in the middle of street parties and food vendors lined at the sides of the road. (and if you must drive, you're just gonna hate the way the sides of the road are a thin razor and the road is only big enough to barely fit one car down, however, the dominicans find ways to still get down the road).

If you're really going to do yourself justice, make it a point to stay where you can truly be pampered for a modest price at Papilliote. I was amazed at how much nicer their rooms were, not to mention, the best food on the island. (Although I didn't stay there, i was so impressed by their restaurant and the layout, that I took a tour of their gorgeous place and amazing gardens, so I'm going to post a review about their fine establishment, (not to mention there is a waterfall that is amazing and only 10 minutes from papilliote.))

If you must stay at the Anchorage however, please make it a point to eat at the local pizzeria, it's heavenly....they use real cheese and make some of the best food you could want while on the island. Please note that I'm very used to travelling to Caribbean countries and I make it a point to eat everything, so this is great food!

I just wished the hotel would have measured up for my one week a year that I get to enjoy the little things in life, but I paid a low price and I got low quality for it, so buyer beware....

My boyfriend and I visited Dominica for 4 nights in November. Our primary reason for the visit was Scuba Diving. We loved the island. It is a gorgeous island - lush and green, mountains and rainforests.

We stayed w/ Anchorage and dove with them as well. I would recommend this hotel/dive center and would return to them again.

Pros:
- Hotel was clean, simple.
- Great location on the water.
- Open-air facilities and public areas (lounges, pool, restaurant) were bright, airy, and colorful.
- Clean bedroom and maid service daily
- Cheap: we paid $80/night for an ocean-front room with balcony.
- Air-conditioned bedroom (window-unit)
- Dive Center is onsite and the boat launch is steps away from your room.
- Diving spots in Soffiere/Scott's Head are only a 5 minute boat ride away
- Convenient to many hiking spots
- Good food & drinks in the lounge and restaurant. We usually had fresh local fruit & homemade banana bread for breakfast; and grilled fish, fries and salad for lunch.


Cons:
- Beds were rather uncomfortable, towels were stiff, and the shower temperature was lukewarm at best.
- Bedroom decor was rather stark, plain.
- Balcony door did not have a screen, so we could not keep it open at night (my paranoid fear of critters!)
- Dinner is prix-fixe, you cannot order a-la-carte items. I do not like to eat huge meals, so I would have preferred ordering an entree only.

We did not opt for the all-inclusive or partial inclusive meal plans, but chose to pay for our meals individually. This was better value for us, because we usually do not eat a big breakfast.

In summary:
We would return again in a heartbeat. The water-front
rooms all have balconies and you can listen to the water crashing on the rocks all day. Very convenient for scuba diving (5 minute boatride). The dive center at Anchorage was quite personal/intimate. Each day, there were 4-5 divers total on our boat including us.

The diving itself was lovely. Lots of gorgeous coral reef formations, steep wall dives. Lovely small critters and pretty fish, lobsters, crabs - but no large fish/sharks/etc. The hiking opportunities are endless - a true adventure island.

Note of advice:
Dominica is amazing - one of my favorite islands -- but it's not for everyone. More geared to the road-less-travelled folks, off-the-beaten-path, solitude-seeking travellers. It is not for those with high expectations or those looking for 4-5 star conveniences and services.

Also, be advised there is no nightlife. Bring a book, a scrabble board, or checkers and relax and have fun! Chill out by the pool or lounge area, have a Kabuli beer and kick back.

Driving on the island is scary. We rented a 4X4 (a must in case you slip off the road). The roads are typically single lane, twisty, turny, mountainous and terrifying. But fun!

And plan to stay at the hotel for dinner. Why? The driving! Unless you are courageous enough to brave the scary roads in the dark. Then again...in February it might be lighter around dinner time.

There is a great dive instructor at Anchorage, otherwise I would advise great caution if diving there, it's a pretty shady, poorly managed group.

We booked a whale watching tour at this hotel the evening before the tour was scheduled. We gave our names, hotel name and even our room number so they could contact us if needed. We were told to show up 1 hour before the tour was scheduled to depart (2P). We got our tickets and waited until 2:30P before we were told that the tour would be CANCELLED because they didn't meet their quota of people. This was going to be the focal point of the day and we had arranged our schedule around it. This made for a WASTE of a vacation day for us because it was too late to schedule anything else. The refunded our money, but didn't seem too concerned that we were inconvenienced. Service is not a strong point here.