every year i visit Tobago with my family around December month. December 2010 we decided to go at Surfside ( what a mistake).
when we arrive the owner came took our money and sent us to our room, just like that. I thought when you are in the Hotel business you must have customer service. They had none. They did not even welcome us or said "good day how was you trip". I was so angry with their attitude but i had to stick it out because there were no refund. On several occassion the owner pass us on the corridor and did not acknowledge us with a smile or a small hello. How impolite?

Now the room is another story. The floor was dusty, i had to ask for a broom and swept it myself ( i was on holiday). The lines were so worn out i could see right through it. My kids felt scorn to sleep on it ( luckly i carry my own).
The kitchen was old and dirty , the stove was old and rusty . The fridge was dirty looking.
The worst was the toilet area. My kids could not use the washroom. They had a piece of wood for a towel rack , how poor.

Then there were the mosiquitoes invasion. The noisy Ac .
They sent towels for us which were old as my grandmother ( i left mines so they could have some)

The next time i go to Tobago i will be staying at Douglas Appartments.
Surfside need to take some training from Mr. and Mrs. Douglas.

Surfside need to go and take some customer service training or else get out of the Hotel Business.

After reading some of the other reviews, we weren't sure what to expect. Fortunately, we were pleasantly surprised. The staff was friendly, courteous and helpful. The location was just perfect - within easy walking distance to the airport, great restaurants, beaches, mini-mart, etc. Luckily, they gave us rooms in Poolside, which is off the main street and quiet, with its own small pool and area. They provided good maid service, including fresh bath and beach towels.

The only problem was that some guests played very loud music from their vehicle, but they willingly complied when we asked them to turn the music down.

Another added feature was free wi-fi in the lobby. I would happily stay there again, but if you plan to do much cooking, some kitchen upgrades should first be done.

We arrived dusty and tired from Trinidad where we had stayed in one of the worst hotels I've ever been in so that may have something to do with the fact that we found the Surf Side perfect for our needs.

Sure it could use a little updating but the ac, tv, shower, and kitchette all worked perfectly. We were on a bit of a budget so the $50/night price was fine too. We used the kitchen almost every day to make some local grub.

I couldnt assign a star rating to this hotel - if you're looking for an American 3-star this might slide by as a Caribbean 3-star but if you're used to plastic key card access this probably isnt what you have in mind. For Europeans I'd think the Surf Side is much like some of the less expensive hotels you find in Ibiza or Corfu though of course without all the partying.

The location couldnt get much better - a 5 minute walk to Pigeon Point and even closer to a great little expat bar with really cheap beer! Again, we we're expecting a Four Seasons so I thought the value good. Room service kept up with all the sand we constantly tracked in and the front desk, though their English wasnt so good, was helpful when we needed something. Bed was a bit hard but c'mon, this is Tobago - a fly speck in the Caribbean, where's the adventurous spirit in so many of these reviews!

Both my girl and I would come back to the Surf Side and plan on it in fact.

The location is quite good, walking distance to the beaches, food, internet cafe and taxi service, I was hardly at the location except for rest periods as I was there for the Jazz Weekend. I am a very methodical person and know just where I leave everything, at 3:00 pm, I packed and laid out the clothes I would wear to travel back to Trinidad in, I took out my jewelry to wear and tucked it under my jeans so as not to leave it exposed and the balance consisting of a silver chain with bracelet to match, a gold chain with a pendant "K" on it and a male gold ring with a jade stone and 2 diamond setting I put into a small brown envelope which i put into my shoulder bag, this bag had my ticket, some medication, a snack and an envelope which had $1,500.00 in it., at 3:30pm, I left the room to head to the beach for a dip but was experiencing problems closing the door, but as i stepped outside, the house keeper was just finishing the room next to mine so i asked her to please lock the room for me and handed her the key and which she did, handed the key back to me and i went on my way, on my return 1hr later, unlocked my door, rested a bit, showered dressed and left, dropped the key to the office and told the girl there about my problem locking the door....got on my flight and came home. Unpacking my bags a while ago (the day after) went into my bag to take out some money to pay the gardener realised that it looked less, on counting, came up with $500.00 short, on further investigation of my bag told me that my jewelery were also missing. On contacting the "hotel" the young lady who took my call promised to investigate and call me back, Her return call was non committal, how should i proceed???