We highly recommend Suite Pepper’s Cottage. In early August 2010 Mom and I visited beautiful Dominica and stayed in Pepper’s spacious and comfortable apartment which is on the ground floor of the home he shares with his lovely wife and gorgeous children. We wisely opted for breakfast every morning. Our island adventure began the instant Pepper picked us up at the airport and didn’t end until he dropped us off for the journey home. Pepper is the tour guide extraordinaire. He was born on the island and knows every inch. We enjoyed the more well-known tourist sites as well as out-of-the-way gems of the island. In addition, Pepper knows the best places to eat. The best part of our adventure was the kindness and generosity of the people of Dominica. ~Courtney Ramey

My girlfriend who had already planned to travel to Dominica for a full week decided to bring me along as a birthday gift. Because i came at the last minute and on such short notice i had not had much time at all to research what to do and see. Pepper (also known as 'The Doctor' to the locals) turned out to be a more than perfect host and guide. Pepper picked us from the airport and by the time we arrived at our beautiful suite we were already at ease about the remainder of the trip. On that very night of our arrival he escorted us to a place where we found ourselves lounging privately in a warm sulfur pool which sat alongside a river that lined the rainforest, and all this under a wonderful night sky!! 1 of the greatest experiences of my life. A great introduction to a week full of adventure and paradise. Within this next week Pepper drove us literally everywhere on the island. Touring, hiking (which Pepper will accompany you on), dining, grocery shopping, nightlife, whatever you want do, Pepper's smiles will take you there! He catered to our every need in the true sense of someone that really loves and is passionate about their job. He will bend over backwards for you and smile while doing so. He is very knowledgeable about the island and as you travel with him you will see that he is well-known and highly respected everywhere on the island. Last but not least i must conclude that Pepper is a genuinely good person. In my short lifetime i have been fortunate enough to travel many places around the world and have met people from all different walks of life, and with all that said, Pepper was one the most humble, good-natured and good-hearted people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He made our trip better than we ever expected, I'm still smiling :)!!!

We booked Pepper’s Apartment for nine nights in February. Jimmit is 5 ½ miles north of Roseau. The neighbourhood has good quality homes, mountain views, and cooling breezes. There are NO shops or restaurants within walking distance. Frequent mini-buses to Roseau run past the noisy road in front of the house.

The apartment is rustic; roomy for two, but certainly NOT for four adults. This was likely the dirtiest room I’ve ever stayed in: cobwebs, ancient dust bunnies, grimy dust on every surface, scummy bathtub, dirty rugs and a floor that needed sweeping. The old paint tape around the windows and floorboards, and a few random items lying about for no reason added to the atmosphere of neglect.

There is no proper space to sit outside to read or relax. The website (which tends to oversell this place) raves about the roof. In fact it’s rough concrete with no railing, and rebar and pipes sticking up.

There are a few things missing: hand towels, face towels, alarm clock/radio, microwave, coffee maker, laundry soap, maid service, and an information binder. Lighting in the kitchen area is poor. Cooking utensils are low quality, and only two forks. There is no garbage pickup in the room, and dogs bark day and night.

A request for a light bulb was met after 4 days. Towels aren’t replaced, so we washed our own. The TV is small, but gets satellite channels. The beds are “okay”, but my back started to ache after a few nights. The bed sheets are low quality. The a/c works well. The website says the bathroom is “luxurious”. In fact, it’s very basic. The medicine cabinet projects out over the sink, making washing, shaving, etc., awkward.

Breakfast was included, but I would recommend that you make your own. Pepper asked when we would like breakfast. We suggested 8 am. He said 7 am. But in fact, breakfast arrived on Pepper’s schedule at anytime between 7 and 8:10. Sad to say, but they were probably the worst breakfasts we’ve ever had in a hotel or B&B. Most items were WAY too sweet or unappetizing.

The website mentioned the use of a laptop, but when I asked Pepper about it he suggested I ask my neighbour. The washing machine didn’t work and Pepper suggested I ask to use our neighbour’s. We asked about a ride into town and he again suggested I ask my neighbour for a lift. I began to think I should have been paying my neighbour instead!

Our package included tours. The time schedule is “relaxed”, so we spent a lot of time waiting and wondering. The tour van is new and comfortable. Pepper can take you to spots you’d never find on your own, and he's a friendly and personable guy. Tours include a few stops for Pepper ‘s personal business. We avoided the cruise ship crowds, but our tours had to fit into his schedule. Transportation to and from the airport was included.

I’d give Suite Pepper a three point rating balancing the price with the weak points. Pepper is a busy guy; unfortunately if one is too busy it can be hard to do everything well. This isn’t a bad place to stay, but potential guests should be aware of what to expect.

Staying at Pepper´s Appartment was one of the best decisions we made for our trip to Dominica. We were a party of 4 (2 couples) who stayed in one of his appartments. The appartments are self contained with a kitchen enough to cook for 4, clean toilet and shower, AC, free internet. The only minor downside was that the appartment was open plan with 2 double beds offering limited privacy for each couple. However as we were only there to sleep after a long day adventuring this was not a major issue as the cost per person for this was excellent.

On the plus side Pepper was an incredibly helpful resource when organising our stay and planning activities, from the hiring of a 4x4 to locating some of the most secluded and beautiful beaches on the island. I would recommend anyone who was looking for a place to stay on Dominica to drop Pepper a line and find out how he can help you.

In addition. The location, just north of Roseau, will require you to hire a vehicle (4x4 recommended as driving on the roads is one of the experiences!). But this shouldn't be a problem as the hiring of a vehicle is an essential requirement for anyone who comes to the island in order to enable exploration.