Stayed in Dominica last year at the south of the island, so we knew what to expect. Portsmouth is a fantastic place and the people are so friendly. We booked through the Cabrits dive centre on a 7 day dive package and stayed 10 nights at the cottages. We expected a shack and were not disappointed, far from being a cottage. Forget self catering, this kitchen was basic, the pans we dirty including the frying pan which was filled with fat and dirt which must have been there for months. The glasses had been placed on a layer of old kitchen paper and inside the cupboard was absolutely filthy. Although the floor was swept and washed every day, with clean towels and bedding, by a very friendly cleaner, every corner was dirty with cobwebs,dirt and hair etc. Even though we complained four times about the TV and Telephone which did not work, and that we had no way of boiling water, except in a milk pan which we had to clean, nothing was done. After five days they did offer us a different cottage, however we decided to stay as we were one of the few guests with hot water. Every morning we had to wash away the flying ants which came through the drain in the shower. The restaurant is very expensive and always seemed to manage not to have any change. I know this must read badly, but basic maintence and thorough cleaning would resolve many of these issues. These Shacks are in a great location and the views are fantastic. The diving was great and the dive team at Cabrits were professional and great fun. We found the best place to eat was the Iguana Cafe (rasta food), on the way to Portsmouth. Not only do you get a great meal, the owner and his wife are very friendly and explain all about the ingrediants and cooking methods. Dominica is a wonderful island and we will go back again, but we would not stay at the Picard Cottages.

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.