Coco Reef Resort & Spa

We visited the last week of August and booked with Virgin Holidays. The hotel(well Tobago inn general) is not that busy at the end of August. The hotel is a 5 min taxi ride from the airport, check in was quick and easy. They require a TDD300 deposit in cash or card. We booked an Ocean view room with breakfast included. Room was spacious (looked like it had recently been refurbished) and had a safe, fridge and a kettle with tea/coffee/sugar supplied. The bathroom looked a bit dated, but had plenty of hot water and soap/shampoo etc were supplied so no complaints there. Aircon worked well, but beware of mosquitoes outside on the balcony and at the restaurant when the sun sets. Restaurant/Bar: Breakfast was good and there was plenty to choose from. Usual egg station, pancakes, some local dishes etc. Staff were friendly and polite in the mornings. Some people complain here on TA about birds...yes there are some birds that will eat food out of your plate if you leave it unattended (not whilst you are eating - they are not that tame)but they do try to keep them under control and have Birds of Prey at breakfast every other day. We had a Black Hawk at our table on 2 occasions. All the food is covered and we never saw any birds on the buffet. We had lunch a few times, and were not that impressed, food is ok, but not great. But to be honest there are not really anywhere to find decent lunch close by, so if you are having a relaxing day by the beach you might as well have lunch at the hotel. Beach: Really nice enclosed swimming area, calm warm water. Lots of shade and lots of sun chairs available end of August. Can get beach towels at reception. Some days were really quiet, 6 ppl on the beach, some days were more busy with a few local day visitors(families), but never crowded. They do take drinks and food orders on the beach, but it is a bit hit and miss, sometimes it is just easier to walk 15m to the bar yourself and get drinks. There is an onsite dive shop and we went diving a few times with them 9am double tank dives, and usually back between 12 and 1pm. Very professional, good equipment and would recommend. Location is very central, just a 5min walk to restaurants, bars and shops, however the hotel grounds/gardens are large and when at eh restaurants or on the hotel beach you do not get the feeling that you are close to the town at all. Hotel also has a few shops that sell snacks, souvenirs and clothing. Overall we really enjoyed our stay and would revisit as the location is perfect, the beach has plenty of shade, secluded swimming area is great and it has a Dive shop on site. Read less

The friendly, courteous staff are so helpful. It made my stay so enjoyable. The food is excellent and Preston, in the restaurant, is very helpful. The beach is great... quiet and calm due to the breaker wall. We had no problems getting lounging chairs. We did the all inclusive and it is well worth the money. It included rum drinks, beers, house wine etc. The rum punch, rum collins and banana daiquiris were divine. I did have to ask for a little extra rum in the banana daiquiri but it was yummy. The buffet breakfast included french toast, pancakes, bacon, sausages and more. There is an egg bar where you could get omelettes, poached eggs, scrambled eggs etc made to order. There was a fruit section; croissants, pastries and bread section; coffee and tea section and a juice section. There was lots to eat. Lunch was also a buffet with fresh grilled fish, chicken, ribs, burgers and hot dogs. On the last day, it was an a la carte lunch which included fish stuffed with mushrooms and wrapped in bacon with mashed potatoes and veggies. It was delicious. The evening dinners, you have to make a reservation starting at 7pm. It was a la carte. We had scallop & shrimp then our main dinner. I had snapper with noodles and a pesto sauce. My sister had pork loin with potatoes and veggies and my brother-in law had beef with mashed potatoes and veggies. The next night we had steak which was tender and delicious. We had orange souffle for dessert and ice cream. The souffle was delicious flavour-wise but was extremely sweet. The curry shrimp with pumpkin choka was delicious. For certain there is food that you would enjoy. We had a wonderful 4 days and I would highly recommend the hotel. It is walking distance from the airport but it is a hot, sweaty walk so I suggest you pay the $40 TT and take a taxi to the hotel. We walked to the hotel but took a taxi back to the airport. You get beach towels and you can change them daily. There is a boat "Undersea Tobago" for anyone who scuba dives. There are kayaks for use. The rooms have a patio off the room with chairs and a table. I did not get to use it but it is there for your use. There is a line above the bath tub to hang your wet swimsuits to dry. The room was clean and kept clean. I will definitely be back to stay here again. One night there was a female singer and for my birthday, a man played happy birthday for me on his steel pan while I cut my cake. He played his gig while we had lunch. It was most enjoyable. Read less

Perfect location. Walking distance to popular Store Bay and very scenic. However, the rooms themselves were outdated and impractical. Wifi only works in certain areas such as the lobby. Wifi in rooms are limited. Limited number of outlets. Difficult to plug in kettle in a reasonable location. Rooms poorly lit. Floors look dirty. Private beach with some water sports equipment provided. Staff was sometimes cordial. Read less

This is a delightful hotel, full of old colonial character, and with excellent, friendly, and helpful staff. Eric, the manager, could not be more helpful. If you like modern antiseptic five star luxury, this is probably not for you, but if you enjoy good friendly service, and the feeling of timeless grandeur, you'll love this place. It is set it its own private gardens, which are well looked after, and very pleasant. Breakfast and dinner are served in Tamaras, a circular dining area set overlooking the beach, and permanently open around half its circumference. This makes for a very pleasant experience, although be warned that you'll be joined for breakfast by the cheeky bananaquit birds, searching for scraps. These birds are similar to British coal tits, but with a yellow breast. Keeping them under control (sometimes!) are several tethered birds of prey, controlled by Kelton Thomas, who runs the local bird of prey sanctuary. Kelton (with a British university degree in ornithology, and trained in falconry) is also the man to see for a guided tour around the island, or a guided walk through the rainforest, both of which we can thoroughly recommend. The hotel has its own private beach (so no beach vendors to disturb your peace), and the water slopes gently out to the artificial barrier. Although not a coral reef, this barrier has been in place long enough to boast a wide variety of tropical fish which can be easily viewed while gently snorkelling along the surface. I personally counted more than fifteen different varieties, including barracuda, ray, honeycomb cowfish (no, really), and the ubiquitous sergeant major fish, which tend to congregate at one shallow point where you can hand feed them. Although we did not have children with us, it is clearly very safe for even toddlers. The only boats allowed in are those operated by the local dive shop (and they are very careful when entering and leaving) which can rent you snorkel and/or scuba gear, and can organise diving trips for beginners and experts to local coral reefs. Lunch can be had direct off the beach at Bacchanals restaurant, without needing to change, and there is always a good selection, sometimes including a cooked-to-order barbecue, and sometime a self serve buffet. The staff are always ready to serve drinks all day, and patrol the beach with offers of beer, piña colada, rum punch, etc. If like us you are on an all-inclusive package, don't be surprised if, after a couple of times ordering the same thing, you come out of the water to find your favourite drinks waiting at your sunbeds for you! Dinner is generally a fixed table d'hôte menu, which changes every two days, and offers a good selection of starters, mains, and desserts. There are several lounge area for drinks before and after dinner, and during our stay there was live entertainment on some evenings. We visited in November/December, which I understand is toward the end of the rainy season. This meant that the hotel was quite quiet, but the short tropical rainstorms we experienced did not detract from our enjoyment. The temperature was generally 28-30°C, and quite humid after a shower. Our room had a balcony with a very attractive outlook overlooking the bay. Overall, the best I can say is that we are already planning a return for the same time next year. Read less

My first time back earlier this month for almost 3 years, after my husband passed away. i was very apprehensive about my return, however Eric Feniet and his staff made my stay so wonderful they were so kind and attentive and made my stay extra special. A very big Thank you to Eric and Staff. A beautiful hotel in a beautiful location A colonial style hotel which gives you a true taste of the caribbean, Stunning drive way lined with coconut palm trees together with all the floura and Fauna, wonderful private white sand beach, the food is outstanding, great facilities, travelled a few places, this is by far the best hotel, i have stayed in it has also won many awards. Wish Eric and Staff all the very best for Christmas and the New Year. ❤️Highly recommend coco reef. Read less