My fiancee and I had a brief two day stay at the Sugar Mills Suites.We were absolutely blown away by the location.We had a condo apartment which had two balconies, one with a fabulous view of the pool and another with a breathtaking view of the ocean. The condo was equipped with a full kitchen bathroom and airconditioned bedroom. During our stay we had minimal contact with members of staff however our experience with them was quite pleasant.We had a wonderful brief stay and we did not want to leave..we wanted to set up residence here.The place is absolutely peaceful and beuatiful.

We stayed in one of the Duplex apartments (38b). It was well equipped with cooker/oven, kettle, toaster, coffee maker, blender, fridge freezer, 3 TV's with satellite, DVD and CD stereo. On the balcony was a jacuzzi and we had access to the pool. The two bedrooms had aircon and en-suite. No aircon in main sitting room but it had 3 sets of double doors that can open. There was an outside toilet and shower room and washer / drier. There was also a wall safe.

The apartment was only about 5 or 6 years old so was still like new. We rented through Virgin Holidays and we had our apartment serviced every day, (even our dishes were done!). The reception staff were very helpful and efficient.

Should you wish the facilities at the VHL TOBAGO (formerly the Hilton) were available for use / hire. The hotel was only about a 5 min walk from our apartment. We had a look around the hotel and were very grateful we did NOT book there!

The grounds of the Plantations Resort were immaculate, we were a stones throw from the sea, (not a beach though) and we looked over the fairway of the golf course. It is on the more windy Atlantic side but with temperatures of about 30-35 degrees we were glad of the breeze.

As for security - there are two main entry checkpoints. Until they got to know us we were stopped and asked for ID / names. As you drive round the development there were about 3 or 4 other check points. As you enter the area our apartment was there was another checkpoint with barrier. We were stopped and asked for ID etc. At night some of the checkpoints close but we saw a roving security vehicle with green flashing light as a visible presence.

It was extremely quiet, we could hear the sea, birds and wind at night which was very relaxing. In all the standards were very high, excellent service, great location. In my opinion it is an absolute must if you are renting a villa and want peace of mind.

It has been a lovely experience. We stayed in a villa with a jacuzzi upstairs and a private pool downstairs. The location is ideal, overlooking the golfcourse. The villa cluster is very well equipped with all what you can need: kitchen fully furnished, air con, fans, TV, DVD... Everything was like a dream. Staff very friendly and it´s a superb secure place.
There are several shops and restaurants near by.
You need to hire a car, Shermans Rentals is a good one.
Tobago is a beautiful place. For dinner we recommend Cafe Coco, Seahorse Inn, The Pavillion and the Melange. Superb restaurants at reasonable price if you compare with Europe.
We will recomend this accomodation to everyone.
Don´t go to the Hilton which is in the same complex, it´s not well kept, it seems very old. The pool area is nice overlooking the sea.We had breakfast there and the waiter was everything excepting nice, I can´t understand how they have someone like her working there. The rest of the staff seems ok.

Background

My boyfriend and I stayed at the SugarMill Suites from February 6 to February 8, 2008 for a brief Tobago holiday after Carnival in Trinidad.

We had heard about SugarMill Suites both from independent internet research and on a recommendation from a (Trinidadian) friend, who has stayed on the property on many occasions.

Location

The SugarMill Suites are located on a large property in Lowlands, Tobago called "Tobago Plantations Beach & Golf Resort." Notably, the Hilton hotel is located on the same property. The suites are set right on a golf course. Among accommodations to choose from are condominiums, villas, bungalows and villa clusters. It is almost like a self-contained, gated community, and is very different from any other resort location in Tobago.

When driving through Tobago Plantations we were surprised to find out that while the villas on the property are found on many different websites for rent independently, they are located almost right next door to each other! When researching accommodations in Tobago, you would not know this because of the independent ownership of the various villas.

The location was superb and most importantly, safe. It is only a short drive to the airport and some of the major beaches and attractions, such as Store Bay, Pigeon Point, Gulf City Mall, yet far enough removed as well. Store Bay was a little overcrowded for our liking, and we know we would not have liked to stay at the apartments located nearby (i.e. Johnston Apartments), which we have heard are substandard and unsafe anyway.

We had looked into other villas on other parts of the island, but had read some bad reviews about them. When we drove through those areas to see the villas (e.g. Bon Accord), they did not appear safe - even in the daytime. It only confirmed that we had made the right choice in staying at Tobago Plantations.

The one drawback about the location is that you must have a vehicle to get around. But, you simply cannot get around in Tobago without a car anyway. I am a second-generation Trinidadian, and I visit Trinidad regularly for Carnival, but have not been to Tobago since I was a kid. So, I could not have asked for a better location from which to explore the island.

Critique of the Accommodations

We stayed on the ground floor of a villa cluster, which is like two bungalows stacked on top of each other. It had two bedrooms (one with a king-sized bed, and one with two doubles), each with their own bathroom; a kitchen; living room; dining room; an outside patio with a plunge pool, patio set, pool chairs and barbecue. The villa cluster was very cosy and clean, and we felt at home in no time.

While very nice, I would not say that everything was perfect, however. Over time, and with wear and tear, the villa was not in ideal shape. There was slight discolouration of the kitchen counter-tops and some parts of the floor. Unfortunately, upon arrival we were told that the bathroom from the top floor caused water to leak through the ceiling into the bathroom on the ground floor. This problem was being worked on as we arrived, and I'm sure they continued to fix the problem after we left. Luckily, since it was just the two of us, we did not use the second bedroom anyway. Overall, you could tell that maybe 4 or 5 years ago, this villa would have been in pristine condition.

That being said, we recommend SugarMill and would choose to stay on the property again. Our experience was fantastic. We had no problems buying groceries at the local Penny Saver supermarket. We barbecued on evenings and ate breakfast on the patio while watching people play golf on mornings.

General Tobago Travel Tips

A rental car is a must! Drive through the mountains and small towns to visit some of the more undiscovered beaches: Castara, Englishman's Bay. But do make time to spend a day at Pigeon Point.

The island is very small, but the roads can be confusing, and even treacherous. Maps of the island are not detailed road maps. Use caution when driving, and make sure to have a full tank of gas because there are few gas stations (and they are all within a short distance of each other off the main highway).

Drive into Scarborough and take time to sample the local food. I have had great roti at numerous places, both in Trinidad and at home in Toronto. The best roti we had in all of Trinidad & Tobago was at Rena's roti shop in Scarborough.

Tobago is a beautiful island in certain parts, but you have to keep in mind that Trinidad & Tobago is a third-world country. Tobago is a unique island and has a unique atmosphere - so don't expect to have the same type of experience that you would in Jamaica or Barbados.