COCONUT BEACH CLUB REVIEW
I want to begin by explaining that this was our first trip to the Caribbean and this review is the combined efforts of two American couples celebrating their 25th wedding anniversaries. I am writing a separate review for everything other than the CBC because I had difficulty finding a recent review when we were so anxious for information on this resort.

ACCOMMODATIONS
This is not a luxury resort. It is a small, intimate, rustic looking resort with a three-story building for lodging. There are colorful gardens in the front and a beautiful beach in the back. There appears to be a balcony overlooking the water for every room. The best views are on the third floor because you can see over the trees. However, climbing three flights of stairs several times a day can be tiring.
It is essentially one building with four connected units. So if you stay in the middle, you’ll be walking all the way around to get to the beach because there is no stairway on the water side… unless you’re on the first floor. First floor units have a deck instead of a balcony so you can walk right out onto the beach. But, you have no privacy as you do when your second or third floor slider is open onto the balcony. Figure out your priorities and choose accordingly.
We booked a deluxe room and a deluxe suite which were adjoining. We had plenty of space for four adults. The deluxe suite had a small kitchenette, but both rooms had refrigerators, closets, bathrooms, hairdryers and a small bathroom cabinet. The beds were oversized and pretty comfortable. The suite had an extra bed in the living area and also had two balconies – one off the bedroom and another off the living area. We had plenty of hot water except for the one evening when a wedding party of 20+ arrived from the UK. Even then, it was lukewarm.

SUPPLIES
There was soap, shampoo, lotion, tissues and extra toilet paper in the bathrooms with fresh towels every day. We did have one morning that we had to wait for towels; I think they ran out after the arrival of the large wedding party. There was sugar, saccharin, coffee or tea in the rooms with coffee cups and drinking glasses. I prefer the aspartame (Equal) over saccharin (Sweet-n-Low), so I always bring a supply on vacation. We got our beach towels from the front reception desk. There was also champagne, rum and a bottle of vodka in our room when we arrived and fresh flower buds in the bathroom. We did not experience dingy towels or torn bedspreads, although one of three did have a small (cigarette?) burn hole.

FOOD
The food was actually very healthy and much better than we expected. Breakfast and lunch were all-you-can-eat buffet style with eggs made to order and lots of fresh fruit or cereal in the morning. There was sausage or bacon or both, toast, baked beans, pancakes, jam, cheese, potatoes, etc. Lunch always included a tossed green salad and more fruit as well as a variety of other hearty options. We had seafood pasta, fish, hamburgers, etc. Dinner was more formal with smaller portions and reservations between 7:00pm and 9:30pm. Dinner included a choice of three different appetizers, a main course and dessert. There were three main course choices plus a “special” option (usually some form of pasta). We never walked away hungry, in fact I felt like we ate much more than usual! We were told that the menu rotates every two weeks, so you would not have the same meal twice in a 2 week stay.
The dining area for breakfast and lunch is like a large tiki hut overlooking the beach. The dinner seating is below the bar, near the pool.

BATHROOMS
There are two “public” restrooms located to one side of the pool, near the dinner dining area. The bathrooms in our rooms were small but much like any other hotel I have ever been in. Tub/shower, toilet, sink, cabinet. The water pressure was pretty good.

INTERNET
There is a computer located near the front reception area in a small room next to the travel consultant’s office. Use of their computer with internet costs 50 cents per minute. I brought my laptop thinking I could hook up to the internet in my room in order to email my kids. Unfortunately, the wireless signal was very poor and there was NO signal in my room. I had to bring my laptop into the internet room to get a connection. Then I could not maintain the connection long enough to type and send an email. The charge for internet with your own computer is $5 USD per day.

PHONE
Even though my cheap cell phone did not have international capabilities, I was able to use it to TEXT home. I could not use it to make calls, but I could send text messages! That was a nice surprise that made up for the internet loss. My plan costs 0.3 units (minutes) to send a message and no cost to receive, which was very cheap communication.

STAFF
The BEST! I have to admit that while reading previous reviews, I thought it was odd for people to name specific staff, it seemed too personal. Now, I get it. One of the advantages to a small, intimate setting is the relationships you build with everyone around you. Zauda is their primary bartender. She is a bright, energetic and sociable woman with a talent for making everyone feel connected. On her days off, we were entertained by Jermaine, a playful, charismatic young man with a contagious smile. Some of the young girls from the restaurant worked the bar during the day and were also fun and sociable. Annalicia took a quick break from dinner clean-up one night to teach us dance steps while the steel band played. We truly enjoyed our interactions with the staff and would consider them a factor in our desire to return!

ENTERTAINMENT
During our eight night stay, there were two nights of entertainment. One evening a couple of gentlemen played guitar, shook maracas, sang songs and told jokes. They were quite amusing! The second night was a very brief exposure to a wonderfully talented steel band.

BEACH
The beach was a bit narrow but plenty large enough to accommodate all guests and we never had any difficulty finding a lounge chair. There was one day that we didn’t get to the beach until after lunch and the umbrellas were all taken but there were still plenty of chairs. I did notice that the tide does not seem to change much throughout the course of the day, unlike the dramatic tide changes here in the states.

GUESTS
During our stay, the majority of the guests were from Britain. We met one other couple from the United States (Oregon). There were a few younger couples, but most were middle aged since children are not allowed other than during the Christmas season. A few people kept to themselves, but most were very friendly and outgoing. We actually looked forward to spending time in the bar at night just to socialize and hear about everyone’s adventures that day.

ATTIRE
Men had to wear long pants and a shirt with a collar for dinner. Most of the ladies wore nice dresses and we had great fun dressing up for dinner! We did have a breeze most nights so I would suggest bringing a shawl or light jacket or sweater of some sort to cover bare shoulders. There was no dress code for breakfast or lunch.

WATER
We filled water bottles from the tap at the bar which we were told was filtered. We used water from the tap in our rooms to brush teeth and shower, etc. and nobody had any problems with traveler’s diarrhea - I had brought medication just in case!

INSECTS
We used the vitamin B1 for 10 days prior to our visit as another post had recommended. It really seemed to work. Although I did not see many mosquitoes, I did have one bite on my leg during our 9 day stay which I only noticed while shaving my legs. I remember swatting my leg the night before at the bar, but it didn’t swell or itch.

BAR
A large, open, hut-type building near the pool with a television and a bookcase full of books. There are tall stools at the bar and padded chairs and tables near the TV. Opens at 10am and closes at 11pm. The kitchen is behind the bar, so there is always someone within ear shot. Since most guests were on the beach during the day, the staff comes to you with a tray of non-alcoholic juice and/or soda drinks before lunch.

MISC.
Cruise ship pass by daily on their way to St Johns and seem very close. We had great views from the beach or from our third floor balcony!

OVERALL IMPRESSION
This trip was everything that I had hoped it would be! We enjoyed the island, the views, the people, the resort, the food,

EVERYTHING! I would definitely recommend this resort to friends.