The location is great - long beach and nice gardens, but the cottages could be so much better (and should be at $144 in the off-season). The kitchenette lacks such basics as can and bottle openers, the fridge has no ice tray, and one wine glass was in pieces in the cupboard. The shower cubicle is tiny, but the TV is a decent size (unlike in many hotels) and the beds are very comfortable (ditto).

The hotel is nicely located, right on the beach, but that's the limit of the attraction. The staff could not recommend places to go snorkeling (and they are supposedly associated with a whalewathc/dive center?!). The kitchen was out of our first lunch choice, not a huge deal, but then the sullen waitress returned to say the kitchhen only had 4 fries - that is, 4 individual fries - so would we like salad instead of chips with our fish'n'chips? huh? The place was clean and decently appointed, but service was lacking.

We stayed at Picard Beach Cottages for three nights. It is the sister hotel to Portsmouth Beach Cottages, which is accommodation for the students at Ross University. While we were there it was the last day of term at the University, but there were no rowdy parties to keep us awake, not much noise at all after about 11. The cottages are quite spacious, and include a little kitchen area. We had a garden cottage (not a beachfront one) but didn't feel we missed out. The service was not great – a bit surly and unhelpful but luckily we didn't really need help from the staff. Picard Beach was fine for relaxing and enjoying the good weather – we can't vouch for any of the facilities. The mosquito netting wasn't perfect, so we used our own net.

Portsmouth feels quite different from the rest of the island, and we didn't like it as much. It is a good 40 minute walk from Picard beach to Portsmouth, or a $5-10EC taxi ride. If you do stay at Picard Beach, it's worth making the trip to Blue Bay for supper. They serve great Creole food and drinks at reasonable prices right on the waterfront. To get there, you'll have to go right through the main part of Portsmouth, over two or three bridges and you'll see the hanging sign on your left, pointing down an alley way.

I went to Dominica and stayed at the Picard Beach Cottages and had a wonderfull time. I went from the 19th thru the 26th of March and stayed in room 306 with no problems with the cottage. The staff at the cottages were very helpfull with any request such as setting up tours or answering your basic questions. I can not give enough praise to our housekeeper. Everyday she would make sure our stay was the best that it could be. From providing fresh fruit and flowers to makeing sure we had everything we needed. I had seen other reviews stating that the water pressure was very low, but I did not have this problem. We had great showere presure. I dont know if they just fixed the problem or what, but I have no complaints whatsoever. The restaurant was ok, but I do have to recomend Tomatoes. It is a small little place near Ross University, you cant miss it. We also took an island tour with Eric Marie (the Cottages will be able to get him for you). He was great! He took really good care of us, showing us all the small things the island has to offer and does everthing with you.
We also took a whale watching tour there at the cottages. It was great also. The people were so friendly and informative. We did not see any whales, but it was still a great trip. We stoped by Secret Beach for a while, and swam in a small cave. It was tight, but a great time.
Overall this was a great place to vacation. If getting away from your regular tourist trap is what you are looking for, then Dominica is the place to go.