Castle Comfort is a wonderful SCUBA diving destination that has the added attraction of having access to a beautiful tropical island with lots of hiking and sightseeing available.
The hotel is small (14 rooms) with a restaurant that features balcony, indoor, or waterfront dining depending on the weather. We were on a package that included breakfast with several choices: banana pancakes, made to order omlettes, fruit (when available and fresh), continental, and local food options. Food and service were excellent. Breakfast was served on a balcony overlooking the pool/garden and the Caribbean with bullfinches begging for scraps.
The rooms are fairly large with ensuite bathrooms, clean and well maintained. The rooms have air conditioning and various arrangements of windows and ceiling fans to control ventilation. We stayed in an oceanfront room with a balcony overlooking the Caribbean, two double beds and ample storage. During the runup to Carnival, a night club two properties away can be quite loud but I think this is only a problem in January. Otherwise, Castle Comfort is very laid back and quiet.
The diving operation (Dive Dominica) is exceptional. A two tank boat dive is included every morning with unlimited shore diving (off a convienient pier). The boat crew and dive masters were all friendly and efficient and very good in and on the water. Dive Dominica is based in the Castle Comfort and has 3 or 4 boats of various sizes to handle various sizes of groups of divers, whale watchers, or snorkelers. Dive trips left very promptly (not Island time) with the dive crew handling the loading and unloading of equipment. We were responsible for setting up our own equiupment and changing tanks between dives with the crew doing all the heavy lifting from boat to diveshop. If you are staying in Castle Comfort, your equipment is stored in a locked area after it is rinsed and dried. This storage area is secure but available to guests for shore diving around the clock. The diving itself is very good, mostly small critters and healthy coral. We saw very few large fish but lots of small, weird things (flying Guynards, frogfish, seahorses, octopus, electric rays, etc.)
The divemasters were very good at finding interesting things and showing them to the group. The dives were "follow the leader" type outings with a divemaster in front and behind a loose collection of buddy pairs. We were allowed plenty of space between divers and we could go as slowly as we liked. Overall a very professional and well-run dive operation.
Land tours to great waterfalls and hot springs were part of the package and were wonderful. Most of our concentration was on diving but next trip we will take part in more of the wonderful hiking oportunities. The hotel staff were great with suggestions of other places to go and things to see on the island.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
People with disabilities, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Outdoor / Adventure