I have just returned from 2 weeks at this excellent hotel, where every whim was catered for. It had the "wow" factor in many areas, from the very personal check in, complete with rum punch and cold towels to, in particular, the rooms and the food. IWe stayed in a Seagrape suite which are situated directly on the beach. This room had more closet and drawer space than many top European hotel rooms I have stayed in. The wardrobe is built in behind the door, with many shelves and the safe (very easy to operate). Facing you is the large and spacious bathroom, complete with twin basins on a large wooden unit with plenty of shelving underneath. The toilet is adjacent. Opposite is a large, glassed walk in shower, next to this is a large jacuzzi bath with louvered doors above so that you could see straight out to the beach (whilst still maintaining your privacy). There was also a large sunlight in the roof. Outside the bathroom to the right was a dressing/makeup/hair area then you went into the bedroom area, two large king sized beds divided by a unit with lamp, phone, radio and CD player, there was a long and spacious unit with drawer's, lighting was provided throughout the suite with many different lamps. You then entered the sitting area, sofa, chair, coffee table, unit with plasma screen, DVD, glasses, crockery, kettle and mini bar. Patio doors (also separate screen doors) opened onto the terrace with day bed and cushions, 2 rattan chairs and rattan table, a nice touch was the basin of water, changed every day to clean your sandy feet in. Two steps lead to the patio with 2 sun loungers (cushions put on every day) and a large and very comfortable hammock. Beyond this was the sandy beach and the crystal waters of Grand Anse.

I will not describe the food, I would be here for ever, breakfast was served to you (no tacky buffets here), lunch was delightful, afternoon tea a fantastic experience (I only managed this once and wished I had been hungry enough to try it more|), dinner was tremendous, five courses sounds daunting but manageable, the portions looked small but were more than satisfying for any appetite. The presentation was outstanding, I longed to see the crockery store as every night I saw different dishes.

The staff are an absolute credit to the owners and the management, I feel really unfair mentioning certain staff as they were all fantastic, but special thanks to Tash, Nash, Dexter, Delroy, Marvin, Bernadette, Allastair, Shirley Anne and everyone else, you are all fantastic. Special thanks to the owners for making it such a wonderful personal stay and to Mr Hardy and Miss Edwards. Everyone knew your name, were polite courteous and most of all great fun.

We were especially lucky to be there on a night when Sir Roystan and Lady Betty invited guests for cocktails to their home, a very memorable experience.

This hotel is very much for the well heeled traveller looking for peace and tranquility. It is absolutely immaculate and I so look forward to returning.

It was with great regret that I left, helped by the personal check out and the lovely, warm send off from the owners and management.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nancy and Fagan and Torvill and Dean for the fantastic company, laughs and memories, you were all fantastic. Thanks also to Lesley and Steven for being lovely neighbours in our 2nd week. Special thanks to Kwame for entertaining us and we all look forward to the "reading".

were do you start with this wonderful hotel.upon arrival we were greeted with cold towels,drinks and warm smiles.Our beach front suite with its king size bed,walk in shower,jaccuzzi bath,and patio on the beach complete with two sun loungers & twin hammock,well stocked mini bar (re filled everyday) was beautifully presented.The beach must be one of the best inthe caribbean.The staff from the beach cleaner to the general manager cannot do enough for you,the bar staff in particular,delroy,nash,jones & tasha,are a credit to the resort.Food at some all inclusive resorts can sometimes be a bit of a lottery BUT NOT AT THIS HOTEL,the food has to be tasted to be believed and the presentation is worthy of any top hotel in the world from a simple omlette to the sunday roast beef every dish was delicious.If you get the chance to visit the spice island beach resort please do so because it simply is the best !!!!.
ps thanks to Torvill & Dean,Morag & Elsbeth for making our stay even better if that is possible

Our stay at the Spice Island was between the 6th and 13th April 2006 on an all-inclusive package with Virgin Holidays.

We arrived early evening after a short transfer from Tobago and stayed for seven very pampered nights.

The hotel is extremely stylish and decorated in muted natural colours. The reception area is in the centre of the property with each of the two restaurants (Oliver’s and Sea & Surf) to either side, with a terrace/dance floor in the centre and bandstand towards the beach. A lounge area is to the rear of the Sea & Surf restaurant and the bar and main pool to the side of this area. Suites (numbering 66 in total) are located to either side of the main complex. No smoking is permitted in the hotel and smokers are banished to the public beach.

Before going, we had read some comments about this hotel being slightly elitist and unwelcoming to families. We were relieved to find that this was not at all the case and that not only were children welcomed but treated as equals and well accommodated for. All the kids there were well behaved and respectful. There is also a kids club for those who wish to use it. The only thing to bear in mind is that under-fives are not permitted to dine in Oliver’s in the evening but we noted a family with young kids had been given their own space across in Sea & Surf.

Breakfast and dinner were served in Oliver’s restaurant. At breakfast, cereals, fruit and fresh baked pastries etc were self-service (but with staff to help you if you needed it). Orders were taken for cooked breakfasts and were brought to us – the eggs Benedict and kippers were excellent. Although, evening attire was ‘formal’ no one really dressed up. Dinner was five or six courses, each adequately portioned and beautifully presented. Chef Mark Banthorpe successfully creates a fusion of Euro-Caribbean cuisine, making the most of the locally available produce. The house wine (by the glass) was of a good standard and a choice offered. Service was friendly and efficient. Kids can pre-order something of their own if they do not like the menu offered, which is on display from the morning onwards. Our ten-year-old son was game enough to try the adult menu every night except one and found it a great experience. The one night he didn’t fancy the main course he pre-ordered spaghetti and meatballs with tomato sauce and got a big portion of just that, freshly prepared and the plate was cleaned!

Three course lunches were served in the Sea & Surf restaurant and this was waitress service except one day when a buffet and barbecue was provided. We would highly recommend the mini-roti starter but be warned - it’s not as ‘mini’ as it sounds – bear this in mind when ordering a main course! Again, the kitchen staff were happy to modify and adapt menus for kids.

The bar was usually quiet during the day as many guests made use of the waitress service (included in package). The bar was mainly used by those using the main pool by day and for a pre-dinner drink. Cocktails were very good and bottled Carib beer was available. Wine by-the bottle and champagne were not included. Although happy to carry our own drinks, bar staff will usually deliver drinks to guests’ sun-loungers, tables or suites.

The manager’s cocktail party takes place on Wednesday evenings at the owners’ (Sir Royston and Lady Betty Hopkin) house, located on top of a cliff overlooking the (Atlantic?) ocean. Guests arrive (by complimentary minibus) just in time to see the sun setting on the horizon.

During our seven nights stay we had our accommodation upgraded twice.

Our first garden view suite was on the first floor and had a balcony – the bay could just be seen over the roof of the seagrape suites at the front of the hotel, on the beach. It was spacious with a sitting area and the décor was classical and cool. There was an enormous ensuite bathroom with floor to ceiling polished limestone tiles, Jack and Jill basins, bidet, double shower and whirlpool bath. As we noticed that no bed had been made up for our ten-year old son and it turned out that they could not put a bed in this room for him, we found ourselves upgraded to one of the seapgrape ocean view suites on the opposite side of the property. The staff were extremely helpful and transferred us with the minimum of fuss and we were able to unpack and dress for dinner in no time.

This suite was similarly decorated with a significantly larger sitting area, the sofa was converted to a bed for our son. The bathroom was significantly smaller than in our first suite and had louvre doors, which opened out into the room and looked through to the beach. Through the patio doors was balcony with sofa and table, a patio with two sun loungers and a hammock. Immediately beyond the edge of the patio was the beach, which rose slightly before dipping into the sea. We had a spectacular view of the bay looking over towards the tiny capital of St George – heaven!

It was possible to spend the whole day in the vicinity of the room – the all-inclusive mini-bar was restocked daily (this included six bottles of spring water), as was a bucket of ice – and then there was room service! Beachfront guests made good use of the sea (crystal clear and rock free) and the beach, which based on Grand Anse, was a good mile or so of pure white sand. Guests staying in pool suites had use of their own pools, although some were only plunge pools.

After a few days a party of VIP guests arrived and wanted the block of rooms where our suite was located – upgrade number two - to the Royal Ginger suite which had its own pool and sauna. This was gorgeous – a large room with four-poster bed overlooking the private pool. There was a huge ensuite bathroom (slightly dated in blue marble) and a separate lounge area where a bed had been set up for our son. Outside was a stepped terrace of terracotta tiles with a canopied day bed and dining table. Entrance to the suite was by a gate, with an intercom.

Hotel management were wonderful and gave us a parting gift as a token of appreciation for our understanding. We and our son were always addressed by name.

Overall opinion – quiet, relaxing and on the whole hassle free – not everyone’s ideal holiday but perfect for those hoping to wind down and chill out. Excellent location – best on the beach if not on the island.

Are there any cons? To be honest it was a bit of a pain changing rooms the second time and we lost our fantastic ocean view. The local mosquitoes love ‘foreign food’ (I’d two bites from my previous week in Tobago and came home covered in them) – so take lots of repellent and use it even during the day. Finally, wind – the strong onshore breeze can certainly pick up at times (causing mini sand devils on the beach) but it does bring cooling relief to the heat of the midday sun.

Would we go again? Definitely, about to book.

We just returned from Spice Island . It was excellent. The food was outstanding , plenty of choices and variety , prepared very creatively and attractively presented. The staff is extremely friendly and well trained. Our pool suite was perfect - well decorated, clean, comfortable. The beach peddlars are a nuisance. The sea kayaks don't really exist . Forget about the golf - its as bad as it gets. That is all minor. This is a beatiful, well managed property.