My husband, our 5-year-old son and I just came back from our first trip to Anguilla.

HOTEL: We stayed at the Rendezvous Bay Hotel and Villas. We were sold by a Trip Advisor photo which was taken from inside the guest's first floor beach villa room looking out the door toward the beach/water. WOW. We wanted that view too. The cost for it, especially compared to the other resorts, was a pretty big selling point as well.

ROOM: We booked a first floor beach villa room. I actually thought all the villas had 2 floors. Not true. We were in #15, a one floor only villa room (the next to last one at the end of the beach). The room is spacious, clean and airy with vaulted ceilings. It has a mini-fridge, a.c., ceiling fan, safe (big enough for our son's portable dvd player and other items) and a powerful hairdryer. There is no tv (which we loved) but you can get one on request. There's also a huge patio with a bucket of water on the steps, so you can clean your feet after beach time and avoid tracking wet sand into the room. The water is changed every morning. Be aware that the sound of the waves can clearly be heard. We loved falling asleep to it every night, but it could be a problem for some. The biggest positive to the beach villa rooms is being just steps away from the water.

Now for the negatives. The room is spartan and dated. Some towels had wear and tear. The water pressure is not great. There's low light in the bathroom (not conducive to applying makeup before an evening out). There are hangers but none for skirts. I don't know about you but I love to wear them in the Caribbean so I was not very pleased about that. The 2 double-doors to the patio are old and have gaps around the frame which probably makes it easier for mosquitoes to get into the room... which brings me to the biggest negative (at least to me): those darn mosquitoes!! They are RELENTLESS. They would get in the room every day. They lay in wait by the front door and the patio doors. Thanks to a previous review, I was aware of the problem. We brought a HUGE can of Raid and Off spray. Both my son and I still got bitten (maybe 10 bites each). My husband who NEVER gets bitten got 2 bites. There's your proof to how RELENTLESS they are! It would have been much worse without Raid and Off.

BEACH: Sigh... 5-star, so forget all the negatives I listed! Uh, except the mosquitoes. :-)

RENTAL CAR/OTHER BEACHES: We rented a Toyota Corolla through the hotel for 4 full days. No problems. I really recommend doing that to see all the beautiful beaches. Our favorites were Rendezvous Bay, Shoal Bay West and Savannah Bay.

FOOD: Cedar Grove Cafe's food is very good. We had breakfast there each morning, lunch once and dinner once. This was not a problem for us, but please know that the restaurant is a 5-minute leisurely walk from the villas.

~ BREAKFAST: For convenience sake (read: 5-year-old child), we chose to have breakfast at RBH each morning. The food was consistently good. Our usual breakfast was 2 orders of scrambled eggs with toast ($8/person), 1 cheese omelette with toast ($10) + 3 juices ($4/juice). Total: $41.80 (includes a 10% service charge). One day, I tried their plain pancakes. You get 3 thick ones ($8). Very good. A copy of the NY Times Digest is provided at the breakfast table.

~ LUNCH: We actually did room service. It would have been nice to eat out on the patio but the mosquitoes would have had a field day with my son and me. We had a cheeseburger with fries ($12), a grilled chicken breast on a sesame seed bun ($12) + 4 slices of white bread (to make our son jelly sandwiches). With 2 cokes + 1 juice, total came to $48.50 (includes $5 delivery charge and 10% service charge). The food was good.

~ DINNER: We have such mixed feelings about our one dinner there. The food was OUTSTANDING (frankly, the best dinner we had our entire stay on the island) but the service left a lot to be desired. Bottom line, we sat down for dinner at 7pm and didn't get out of there till a little after 9pm. We only had entrees. No appetizers, no desserts. Ugh. When we got the bill, we were charged for a soup we didn't have. When we pointed it out to the young lady (we were not rude about it), she just took the bill, made the change while NOT uttering a word to us. Double ugh.
Anyway, moving on to the outstanding food: Our son had the penne pasta ($8); I had the night's special, a swordfish in creole sauce with curried yam in a bed of plantains ($34); My husband had the seared cajun spiced loin of yellow fin tuna. May we say YUMMY and YUMMY?! Both of our fish were WONDERFUL. With a fruit punch + a rum punch + a bottled water, dinner came to $86.45 (includes 10% service charge).

STAFF/SERVICE: Bart, the hotel manager, is great. We weren't very impressed by the wait staff at the restaurant. We thought they lacked warmth, except for one young waitress (her name escapes me now). As our stay progressed, the other waitresses became friendlier.

BEST OF RBH: Rex and Earl... the resort's beautiful sweet dogs.

CONCLUSION: We really liked RBH. It's very laid back and quiet. If we were to go back to Anguilla and the resort wasn't shutting down this summer, we would absolutely consider staying there again. But we recognize that it's not for everyone. If you want a modern resort, then you should stay somewhere else.

It is with much sadness that I say I'm glad we stayed here before it was too late. All will soon be torn down for the construction of million dollar beach homes.

Originally built by an Anguillan family with much foresight in the 1960s, it's time for this valuable property to move on. Unless you visit before August 14th, you'll never experience the way it was...

No TV - who cares? Maybe in need of renovation, but still very charming. Warm, caring staff, long, white, sandy beach... heavy sigh. I guess all places go the way of the CuisinArt just down the beach.

If you book during July of 2007, you'll get a special rate.

Allez-y.

RBH - 2/28 - 3/10 - 2007

RBH Villas
I think Rendezvous Bay Hotel has the best beach on the Island. You walk out the door and there is the ocean with this white powder sand beach, for us, it is idealistic

Room
The villa room is around 20’ x 15’ with a table, 2 chairs, a small fridge, an easy chair, a large chest for clothes, closet with a safe, iron and board . Along with this, there are 1 1/2 bathrooms, one with a sink and plenty of cabinet space, and a large counter top, along with a coffee maker and a 1600w hairdryer, and one with another cabinet, tub, shower, sink, and toilet It was great having the two sinks and such a large storage area. Everything was clean and bright, and our housekeeper kept our room spotless each day. I left her $3.00 per day on the pillow - that is the same amount I leave everywhere.

One great feature of this room, is the huge porch - 20’ x 10’ with good quality lawn furniture consisting of a table, two chairs, a chaise lounge and another side chair with footstool. It was so great to sit out there in the morning and have coffee, and in the evening a glass of wine while watching the sunset. It was wonderful.

Beach
I have seen a lot of beaches, but never one as nice as this…the sand is like talcum powder, and the water is crystal clear, the blue in the pictures - unbelievable! RBH beach is lined with good quality vinyl strapped lounge chairs, and navy blue umbrellas, plenty to go around, there was never a need to get out there early to claim a spot. The beach is clean, the grounds man cleans it everyday, picking up leaves and any trash that may have been left, and there was no seaweed. Our days were spent on the beach until we got hungry, and then we would head out somewhere and get something to eat, drive around for a while and then come back and hit the beach!

The first time we arrived, it was in the day time and I‘ll never forget that first view of that water, we were hooked; we can hardly wait to get there and never want to leave. In between trips, my days are spent dreaming of the beach, sneaking a peak at the messages boards and longing for the cool breeze, the splendid sunsets and the glorious people.

We unpack, and walk up to the restaurant, our first night tradition is to have our first meal at Cedar Grove under the stars, it is so great – the torches are lit, Oliver is there and we get our favorite seat outside. Everything is perfect.

We shared a Jeremiah salad – love that salad – so fresh and good, and I ordered my favorite paper wrapped snapper – this is Smokey’s own invention and it is truly wonderful, it is a snapper wrapped in rice paper with julienne vegetables in it, sealed tight and then he seems to grill it on the griddle, so that the paper is crisp and the fish and veggies are steamed, it is a real winner.

Ferry Boat Inn
I love that place, it has such a quiet charm, we walked in and Christian was manning the bar and Marjorie was sitting at the counter, she greeted us as if we were old friends.

As usual, we had the cheeseburgers and rum punch. I swear those burgers are the best I have ever had - EVER! They are thick and juicy and charbroiled - we like ours medium well and these are always moist, with a flavor that can’t be beat - the cheese is thick and bubbly, and Christian makes the best rum punches, I have tried to duplicate them many times and can never seem to get that perfect combination, no matter how hard I try.

Bananas by the Sea Thursday Dinner
Thursday evening, we were off to Bananas by the Sea. I had made the reservation on line, Dale responded back promptly, and I was looking forward to seeing them again. No disappointments here, everything was outstanding.

For appetizers, I had the Caesar salad with the homemade dressing - it is really good and the lettuce down there is always so fresh, with a flavor that can’t be beat. Pete had the Portobello mushroom, it is grilled like a mini burger with onions, tomato and cheese on top, served open faced - he loved it.

I had the crayfish, which in my opinion is not as good as lobster, I’ve only had it twice and both times it seemed mushy to me, don’t get me wrong, the flavor was perfectly good, I just like lobster better. Pete had the snapper with the lobster sauce, and loved it - he had the same thing last year and it is one of his favorites.

That room is beautiful, it looks so lovely the way they have bright tablecloths with the orange linens, and flowers and their service is always impeccable. This time we had Foster and Maria waiting on us, both went out of their way to make sure our every need was met, smiling all the time, and Bob is such a congenial guy, laid back and easy, but mindful of details. We like him and Bananas very much.

Friday March 2.
We brought the mats I had bought at BBB, they are a vinyl web and you just have to blow up small pillows for each end and they keep you afloat. I heard about them on the boards last year and they are really great - light and easy to pack and easy to blow up. We used them every day, sometimes floating all the way to AGH and then rolling them up and using them as a float to kick our way back. We both came back with the darkest tans we have ever had.

So, days were spent on the raft or the beach, taking a break for lunch, then coming back and floating down the bay, my favorite, “do nothing, then rest“.

Friday Lunch - Anguilla Great House.
We’re looking around for a place for next year, so we went down to AGH and were pleasantly surprised, either I was under the wrong impression, or they have done some serious upgrades to their property, as it looked very nice, clean, well kept, and had a new pool with bright yellow lounge chairs and they are on that same great beach. Seven couples from RBH - who have stayed there as long as 16 years had booked the AGH for next year, so we thought we would go down and have a look, it has good possibilities for us, although Cuisinart is adding a 19,000 sq. ft addition to their spa, so that may cause construction noise - something I try to avoid like the plague.

Their restaurant is nice, overlooking the beach. We both had the fish sandwiches and thought they were very, very good. Rum punches were too sweet for us, but overall a B+ for food and service. .

Friday Night - Roy’s
We had a 7:30 reservation as we wanted to miss the happy hour crowd, and it worked out great. When we got there, Roy and Mandy were standing behind the bar, and I said “Hi Roy, Hi Mandy” - Mandy even cracked a smile - I’m sure they were wondering “who the hell is that?”, but they were both friendly and gracious and sat us at a nice table on the outside rail. We were early and they were still getting over happy hour and I said we could sit at the bar and wait and Roy said “you don’t want to get in with that lot” - and had Mandy take us to a table.

The food was great! We shared a lobster and avocado salad, this has to be the best deal on the island, huge chunks of lobster and avocado and bacon with just a small amount of lettuce with a light thousand island dressing, really really good and good bread, I could have made a meal just on that.

Pete had the snapper in garlic butter, pronounced it delicious and I had the swordfish which was dense and moist. I loved everything about Roy’s, for me a place is good when I look at the menu and can’t decide what to have because it all looks so good.

When we left, Roy was at the counter and we told him we loved everything and he beamed. We’ll be back.

Saturday Lunch - Smokey’s
This is another one of our traditional spots and there were no disappointments. Even the service was fast this time. Janice was our waitress and was surprised we remembered her - how could we forget that angelic face and that big smile. I had a cheeseburger and the sweet potato fries -both are great and Pete had his favorite lobster sandwich on a roll, both come with coleslaw and it is some of the best - fresh with pineapple.


Oliver’s Saturday night
Well, as usual, I got the pumpkin soup and it was sweet and creamy and the lobster cake, which is big chunks of lobster like a crab cake, and Pete got the seafood compote, and we shared the coconut pie - which really is good - a big dense coconut macaroon in a light pie crust, warm, drizzled with chocolate and ice cream on the side. Pretty much the same meal we always get.

Sunday Brunch - Deon’s Overlook
I just can’t say enough about Deon’s, it always leaves me with a warm feeling, everything is so perfect, the food, service and setting is one of our favorites.

Pete had the Cinnamon French toast, which comes with eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausage - a heart attack waiting to happen - he doesn’t eat like that at home, so he is entitled on vacation and he makes the most of it!

I had the Western omelet - it is onions ham, red and green pepper and cheese very festive looking and delicious; I wish I knew how Deon cooks the eggs, because they are not scrambled or visibly fried, more like steamed, but they’re not runny or watery - I tried to get Emily to tell me, but she wouldn’t divulge the secret. We also love their Bloody Mary’s - very spicy with plenty of Tabasco and Coarse Ground Black Pepper - a different twist which is very enjoyable.

Sunday Night - E’s Oven
For each, and every restaurant, I had either made the reservation in advance via email, or called the front desk at the hotel and had them do it the day of the dinner. E’s was no exception and when we arrived, the “maitre de” looked our name up in the book (we were the only people there) and took us to a table and thanked us for making a reservation.

We both liked E’s a lot, and it will be one of our “must do’s” from now on. They started us with an amuse bouche, in this case a small sausage ravioli - outstanding. I think it is so nice when a restaurant does that, it is always unexpected and very much appreciated. I had the pumpkin lobster bisque soup - this was really good, the best I have had, so sweet and succulent with pieces of lobster, and I had the famous baked chicken and that was another winner, way too much for me to eat, I took it home and put it in the fridge and had it for breakfast the next day.
Pete had the mixed green salad - we both can’t get over how fresh the greens are on the Island, they are grown somewhere in Sandy Ground (I think that is what the waiter said - somewhere on the Island anyway) and they are always so good with such a variety and Pete had the coconut grouper which was a grouper dipped in a light coconut breading and fried - really good. A+

Monday - Lunch - Uncle Ernies
One word - blah. The price was right, but the burgers were just ok, and the rum punch was too sweet.

We walked up and down Shoal Bay East looking at possibles for next year, but the chairs are too close and the beach too crowded for us. From there we went to Alamanda and since we could not see the beach from the Hotel, we didn’t go in - just got out and walked on the grounds a bit - the same with Serenity - there we just drove in and drove out - they are doing construction - as is Shoal Bay East, lots of construction everywhere.

We drove east a bit and went down some roads looking at Villas, but didn’t find anything that was right for us.

Monday Dinner - Veya - NUMBER ONE
This place blew everyone else out of the water. I hope they are wildly successful as a lot of thought (and money) has gone into the stunning décor, the tableware, the good quality wicker furniture, and the gorgeous billowing, sailcloth, floor to ceiling drapery. The whole place has a slight east Indian flair, very calming and Zen, it truly is a beautiful space.

Both our meals were the best of the week, Carrie is a Culinary Institute graduate and it shows, a very eclectic blend of flavors and presentation.

They too started us with a lagniappe - in this case it was a cream of eggplant soup in a demitasse cup puffed on top with warm whipped cream - this really was outstanding. I had the mahi mahi which was a piece of fish grilled with bacon, onions and asparagus, oh my heavens it was soooo good, and it came with garlic mashed. For a starter we had the asian soup which was a spicy broth with julienne vegetables. But I’ll tell you, the killer here is their Johnny Cakes which is their bread offering - better than Nat’s if you can believe it!!

The whole meal was sublime, the service from our waitress Amalee was outstanding, and Jerry was the perfect host.
Two thumbs way up.

Tues Lunch - Tasty’s
We went to Barrel Stay, but they were closed, they are now only open Saturday, Sunday and Monday for lunch. Fortunately, Graham was there doing a bit of prep work and he informed us. We were disappointed that we didn’t get to try one of his great burgers, but we will make up for it next year.
He is such a nice guy, and seemed genuinely sorry that he could not accommodate us, we totally understood.

We enjoy Tasty’s - it is always so clean and the staff is very friendly - I love it when I see those big smiles as if they are greeting an old friend.
I had the lobster salad, and Pete had the seafood salad, they are both really good and big - chocked full of seafood and lobster - not just greens - way too much food. Their rum punches are too sweet too, we have been spoiled forever by Ferry Boat.

Tuesday Dinner - Lucy’s
Another great find. What a cute little place, colorful and clean with bright murals on the wall. Lucy is a gem - she opened her first restaurant in Island Harbor 29 years ago and is still going strong. She said she had her first year party the week before and Bankie, Sprocka and Gossip all came and played for free, she said it was a blast, she is such a nice person - so genuine, and humble.

The food was really really good - I guess Lucy does all the cooking because I didn’t see anyone else there. I had the pumpkin soup (what else) - it was very good and the Lobster - it was perfect, char grilled to perfection and served with warm garlic butter.

Pete had the Crab Fritter salad which is greens, with bacon and small warm crab fritters on top, and he had the snapper, lightly breaded and fried in garlic and oil - mouthwatering.

We loved it - I hope everyone goes and tries Lucy’s - I would like to see her do well - she deserves it.

Wednesday Lunch - Bananas
As I said before, we like Bananas very much, for us it is one of the perfect spots and in daytime it is augmented by the fabulous view. This day a huge yacht was parked in the bay and the sea was a deep indigo color, what a spectacular sight.
Bob, Karen and Leon all made sure we were well taken care of.

Pete had the black and blue burger, which is a thick burger grilled with a mound of melted blue cheese on top and I had the crab and shrimp wrap, very fresh, stuffed with crab and shrimp and lettuce, both come with steak fries. Very very good.

Wednesday Dinner - Flavors
I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately, it was my least favorite dinner of the whole trip. It just did not do it for us.
They serve Johnny Cakes with dipping sauce for their bread, and of course after Veya’s, nothing could compare, these were flat and crispy with no real defining flavor.

The pumpkin soup was bland and lukewarm, the goat cheese salad was pretty good, the deep fried goat cheese was interesting, but there was not enough punch in the dressing so that the salad, even taken in small bites, was totally overpowered by the goat cheese. The cheese encrusted grouper sounded good, but it too was bland and even the garlic butter sauce was, well, bland. Whatever happened to living up to your name? And even though we thought the food was just so so, the real turnoff came when we asked for the check, waited 15 minutes and then had to ask again.

Christine, the owner, a very nice French lady apologized profusely, but at that point, it was too late, they lost us.

Thursday Lunch - Deon’s Overlook
Yes, back to Deon’s again, when we were there for brunch, we saw the lunch menu and a few things caught our eye - the Brie Burger, the fish and chips and the lobster salad all sounded good. I got the fish and chips, truly amazing, very lightly breaded white fish, pan fried to perfection, mouthwatering with homemade tarter sauce and crusty rolls, and Pete got the lobster salad, another good one - without a doubt Anguilla ranks right up there for the best salads in the world.

Thursday Dinner - Pumphouse
Blue cheese burgers - fabulous burgers loaded with pungent blue cheese thickly piled on top and melted under the broiler - they came out bubbling on huge buns.
Delicious food and really great service, my only gripe was the two family’s with 4 kids who allowed the kids to run around and play hide and seek under the tables and shriek and scream. The parents were totally oblivious.
The Musical Brothers came on (they’re great) and we stayed for one set and left.

Friday Lunch - Ferryboat Inn
Had to stop by for one last burger and a rum punch and say goodbye to Christian and Marjorie. That Christian is such a doll, Marjorie really has raised him right - he is so polite and nice. When we were ready to leave, he was engaged in a conversation with someone and we didn’t want to interrupt, so we just waved and left. We were walking to the car and he came all the way out and wished us safe travels, what a sweet guy.

Friday Dinner - Trattoria Tramanto
I’m sorry that we waited so long to try this oft talked about little gem. What a great restaurant and their Staff is so accommodating.
We got a table in the very back corner near the bar, so that we were sort of sitting outside and could feel and hear the water, oh yeah, we could also hear the woman who stood outside on beach on her cell phone calling all her friends to tell them where she was going for dinner. After 3 calls, she finally left - phooey on cell phones - they should be banned from everywhere but someone’s room.
We shared a mozzarella and tomato salad, the perfect balance of cheese, tomato’s and mozzarella, lightly coated in basil with a light Italian dressing.
I had the Lobster Ravioli and they were everything I had hoped for, airy pillows stuffed with lobster in a light Alfredo sauce and Pete got the Sea Bass which was grilled to perfection in lemon and garlic butter. A very delicious and satisfying meal, I hope they are open the next time we go, so we can try their lunch too.
When we left, Alan was standing by the front counter and I told him “Thank you Alan - that was delicious” - he gave us a big smile.

So, that’s it, we caught the 10:30am ferry for a 2:30 flight, we were lucky and got to sit outside on the top deck. We had a cab (a car) all to ourselves in SXM and the driver was a delight. He took us down by the restaurant where the planes fly over (I think it is called the Sunset Bar), the girl was writing the plane times on the blackboard, and he said girls drink for free there if they go topless. I told him they would probably pay me to keep my top on.

The airport was an absolute zoo - a sea of people in the US Air area, and I was thankful we were on United, even if they did lose our luggage which was delivered to the house the next day.

Anguilla is changing, but it still retains its charm, it’s beautiful beaches and its wonderful people, a special place which is imbedded in our hearts.

Ellen

This hotel will be demolished in August, 2007 to make way for various types of facilities -- villas for sale, villas for rent, etc. It is just as well.

The hotel has a great location, a very good restaurant and very good top management on site (eager to please). On the other hand, the web site doesn't let you know that many of the garden rooms are essentially in two motel buildings -- old, dowdy, no privacy. The other accommodations don't look much better. Also, we found the wait staff to be mostly indifferent, and some of the housekeepers were the same. Perhaps they have lost interest due to the impending demo of the place.

At least the price reflected the hotel's quality. So, all in all, the value was OK, but we got a surprise when we saw the room.