The Reef by CuisinArt

We had quite a trip out to Anguilla and after over 12 hours of Car/plane/plane-customs/car-customs/boat-customs/car we finally arrived, exhausted. Checkin was quick and the hotel was very quiet. We got a complimentary drink from the bar, nobody was there but the bartender. We then went to our room to check out the awesome room we reserved. Top floor with huge balcony, umbrella, table, outdoor couch, outdoor shower, and hot-tub. It initially was wonderfull. The view was the most lovely view of the bay and St Maartin in the background, simply stunning. We tried out our hot tub and found it to be cold. After attempting to change the controls we discovered the main power had been shut off to the tub. I flipped the switch and adjusted controls to highest temperature available. We got up the next morning and the tub was still cold. Called the lobby and they sent maintenance to check it out. Maintenance said the water was too low and changed some settings, 12 hours later the water was still cold. We emailed our travel agent and she contacted the hotel. The very next day the tub was nice and hot (however we lost a few days of use) Our agent told them we needed some compensation for the loss of use and they gave us a bottle of champagne. Aside from all that our room was very clean and very well maintained the entire stay, housekeeping was excellent. When we were there it was extremely windy to the point the umbrellas were removed from the beach (the only shade). Also the umbrella on our balcony would move the large stone base and thump on the floor making a boom sound all night long. The umbrella was torn and tattered as well from all the wind. We walked around a bit and noticed areas where grass had died or been removed and replaced with astro-turf. Thats fine, but they didnt cut the turf to match the sidewalk. So, pieces of turf were sticking out into the sidewalk. Also the sidewalk lighting going to our room was not working at all and was out in several other places. This hotel tried to add residences before the hurricane and progress was halted and seems to not have ever started back up. So it is surrounded by empty, partially completed buildings filled with sand an growing plants (just not a good look). Food on the resort was excellent and all the servers and bartenders (with exception of 1 bartender) were great and extremely friendly. However this is not an all inclusive and the food is a little pricy (it is all over the island not just here) it adds up quickly. Everyone wants a tip for everything in Anguilla. I was even told by customs/immigration officer upon arrival that I NEEDED/HAD to tip the porter before entry. Golf cart shuttles to the other resort and back seemed to expect tips as well. We left the resort several times and the hotel staff told us to rent a car. We should have listened to them. A 10 minute ride to another hotel cost around $15 each way and a 15 minute trip to a tour was $20 each way. We wanted to get out and do more exploring but didnt want to pay a ton in taxi fees. If we come back will cetainly rent a car. The time of the year we went (first week of May) was dead. We looked around and saw maybe 2-3 other couples on the entire resort. The Cuisinart Golf had maybe 8 couples as well and that was it. There were times we went to eat and were the only guests there. We had a band playing just for us and the waiter for an entire dinner. Cuisinart Reef (or just Reef as they call it, "cuisinart" is the other hotel, seemed to have no beachside bar or food service while we were there. Again it was difficult to be at the beach with the sun/wind and no umbrella. Also the beach here was rather rocky in spots and had a great deal of seaweed. Cuisinart Golf was up the bay a bit and had much less wind, had food and beverage service on the beach and had a little more going on. The beach at the Golf was nicer and had fewer rocks/sea weed. We have found that while traveling to the islands that there will usually be something wrong with a room (hot tub this time) and that management will drag their feet until a travel agent gets ahold of them to make it right (even happens at big places like Sandals). However the staff that actually interacts with you daily get to know you and share their stories and life with you. There are wonderful people on the Islands and we love visiting them, hearing their stories, and seeing their smiles. Read less

We just got back from a four night stay at the Reef...we were in a Beachfront Junior Suite. We had a ground floor balcony and absolutely loved it. The service and amenities were perfect. The room gorgeous and clean. We love Anguilla and the staff at the Reef was top notch. We loved the pool, the ability to use snorkel gear and bikes. Breakfast was delicious and included in our stay...the service excellent there as well. We felt so welcomed every single morning. Cannot say enough good things about Angullla and The Reef. It was our first time bringing our kids to Anguilla and they loved it too. Excellent in all ways!!!! Read less

We began our trip by treating ourselves a bit. We took a private boat charter over to Anguilla from Sint Maarten and then arrived at the The Reef around 6:00pm. Even at sunset the view of the hotel was amazing. We settled with dinner at The Yacht club on the ground for a quick dinner and off to bed early for a full day of festivities. Friday My favorite part about being an early riser (thank you morning swim practice) is getting to explore cities I travel to with limited people. We woke up early for breakfast and were off to explore the grounds of The Reef by foot. Surrounding the amazing beach are some of the condos that were to be. Irma came and destroyed their progress, and now they are over grown and houses for small animals. The one we looked at was a nice home for a family of birds, so we decided to move along. After a nice morning walk, we grabbed some bikes from the front desk, and took off to our Mediterranean cooking class at the Santorini. I was so amazing to get the spend the afternoon preparing the meal of Aqua Pizza, AMAZING. And I’m not fan of sea food. Following the class, we made our way to the main grounds, The CuisinArt. Spent the afternoon at the beach enjoying the sun, and the beautiful beach. Later that night we found ourselves at (my personal favorite place in the world) The Preserves at the Dunes, drinking with locals. Saturday A day of athletic adventure. Again, we grabbed some bikes from the front desk and were off to the driving range at the Santorini. If it wasn’t for the strong trade winds that day, and my horrible short game, a round of 18 would have been great. But we settled for an hour or so at the driving range. Its been a WHILE since I last picked up a golf club, but at least my swing looked better than Greg’s That evening we found ourselves back at The Dunes, surrounded by great music and even better company. Omari Banks opened the night. After a few sets, Bankie Banks joined the stage, and I don’t think I have heard a more beautiful sound than Bankie Banks’ voice. His rasp, the soul in his voice, the HARMONICA… how could you not sit there for hours on end?! Got to speak with some amazing people that have changed my perspective, outlook, and just everything about life. More on that later. Sunday Easter Sunday. We began the day with a nice walk through the ruined buildings on the property. This time we came across a few condos that were not already occupied by small animals and decided to explore them further. Through the crumbled concrete, broken glass, and exposed wires, Greg and I climbed staircases to a beautiful view of Sint Maarten across the ocean. After our morning walk, we headed back to the Dunes for their Sunday School, food and live music. By this point in the trip, Greg and I have spent more time at The Dunes than our own resort. Instead of listening to the performance, we spent the entire afternoon talking to Bullet and Banks about life, creativity, art, and everything in between. The conversations and moments we had at The Dunes deserves its own post, but for now, just know that place changes lives. Monday Monday morning, Greg and I enjoyed one last walk around the resort, talking and reflecting on our time spent in Anguilla. We had the opportunity to meet some amazing people, who do amazing work in various fields. We learned to cook (properly), remembered how to ride a bike, and grabbed some amazing photos. Anguilla is so far my favorite Caribbean island (sorry SXM), highly recommend the trip. Read less