We (a couple from Germany) had planned to stay at fort young from 16 til 26 May, because the funny experiences we left the hotel 2 days earlier.

Let us talk about the things which are normal in the hotel and for the front desk staff:

Our arriving day was a Friday. On Fridays it is normal that the fort young hotel is a disco.

The music plays from 08.00 pm til 11.00 pm and the band tries to break down the old walls of with the noise. No chance to sleep or to watch television (the music in our room was louder than the audio of our tv)

We stayed in room 513 (oceanview room) with wooden floor). We laid on our bed and the basses brought the room to swing – and our stomach too. It has not sangs in our ears – it has thudded in our ears. It was painful.

At 10.00 pm we phoned with the front desk and told them that the music was painful loud and the answer was “ oh, it is only on Fridays and it will stops at 11.00 pm”.

After the music stops it was not a quiet night; we heard the doors from the neighbours, conversations near by our room (because the windows had no glasses only wooden slats with fly screens).

Next day (Saturday) we asked for a quiet room. The front staff was blind to our wish – because it is only one night in the week with music – on the other days the room is so quiet. (Remark: Sure, it is a quiet room when you love to hear the door of your neighbour, the talking staff when they begins to work in the morning between 5/6 and so on)

The woman at the front desk told us that we can move in a deluxe oceanfront room at first until tuesday and we have to pay an additional charge (for the upgrade).

We moved into room number 510, It was a nice room with ceramic floor, fridge, a modern bathroom and with quietness. We had a quiet night with good sleep. Next day (Sunday) the air condition had not cooled the room. We called the front desk and the problem was fixed in one hour. Another quiet night, next day (monday) same problem with the air condition; but also fixed in short time. (The air condition was modern and computer-operated; so it was easy to solve the problem).

Tuesday morning at 08:30 the phone rang and the front desk told us that we had to go back in the room in which we stayed before. So we moved back in our horror room.

A further experience: in the evening: the air condition worked more as a heater than a cooler.

Another call to the front desk but the problem was not so easy to fix because in our room was a split unit a/c (not computer-operated) without the appendend remote control. The maintenance came and told us that the problem can be solve not until next day. So we phoned the front desk again and asked what they will do to give us an refreshment. Directly we asked for two cold beers. The woman at the front desk laughed and offers us two bottles of water We declined with thanks and our comment was: if we would like to have water we have a lot in our bathroom.” It was a hot night with lovely noises - but no refreshments.

Next day (wednesday) the problem with the air condition was not solved and we had capitulated because of the abyss of ignorance of the front desk

On Thursday a miracle had happened. The a/c worked fine and we slept full of pleasant anticipation of the disco on Friday.

On Friday evening - after returning from our island tour - we found a special courtesy from the management – the announcement of an “private” event on Saturday with live music from 08.00 pm til 02.00 am. So we enjoyed the disco with painful loudness and concluded to leave abortive this horrible hotel

Saturday morning we checked out with reference to the upcoming “privat event”. What a miracle: now the girl at the front desk asked us whether we would like to stay in a deluxe oceanfront room.

At that moment the preparations for the “privat event” were in full swing. So we saw that it was an event of digicel-telecom. The towers of loud speakers were approximately 2 meters high and 1 meter wide.

In the afternoon the sound-check could be heard to the ferry terminal

At the evening we saw the private event (party of digicel with customers and employees. Top event: lottery with a car as first prize) at the local channel on tv.

In our opinion the fort young hotel is more an event hotel for local companies than a hotel for tourists and it would seem that the management is not be interested in “normal hotel guests”. The Management and the staff don’t know the importance of customer care in relations of normal hotel guests..

In dealing with customer complaints the staff is perfect in ignorance and impudence.

Sorry, but our written English is not the best.

OK - my husband and I got a really good rate (US$65 per night plus taxes etc), however if I had paid advertised rates I would have been REALLY upset with the room.

It was comfy enough, but small, and very noisy. (We had room 523) right above the laundry. throughout the night a fridge or similar would switch on and off, and the arrival of the staff was our alarm clock. Add to that the noise from the constantly ringing phone in the staff office next to the laundry there was no chance in a quite siesta!

However, Friday night is party night in the foyer, and all the noise echoes straight up in to the older rooms which are located around the bar / foyer area, but to add insult to injury when the hotel holds a private function the band will be sound testing all afternoon prior to the event, and then blasting out into the evening. When I booked the folks at the hotel will have known that a function was booked, and had I been advised i could have made an informed choice about staying - especially as this was the last night of what was supposed to have been a relaxing week away on the peaceful nature isle!

I can accept dated rooms, but is is unfair to put guests through all this noise!

Other gripes - really small 'double' bed, the equipment in the laundry would interfere with the TV signal. Inability of restaurant staff to accommodate simple requests - such as an early breakfast - how hard is it to let a guest grab a juice and a piece of cake just prior to the restaurant opening?

The food is good, a nice selection, and by Eastern Caribbean standards, priced reasonably for the quality (Americans will find food costs expensive, and of a limited choice).

Praise to the friendly security folks, and our maid who was lovely!

If you are diving the hotel works with Dive Dominica, their boat picks up at 08.30am, then heads back to their base at Castle Comfort, where it waits for a further 20 - 30 mins give or take prior to departing for the dive. If I was coming back again i would probably stay at property closer to the dive shop so that I couls have an extra half hour in bed, or a leisurely breakfast!

The rest of the hotel is comfortable, situated in a great location in Roseau and if I was traveling on business I am sure that it would be ideal, but I wouldn't recommend this property as a place to take you well earned vacation.

By the way, yes Dominica is a developing nation, but that is no excuse for hotels, or any tourism business to provide poor service.

The hotel is in an ideal location for business travelers, but I would not suggest this hotel to friends or family because of the older rooms and rude and dismissive service I received from the staff and management.

I stayed at this hotel with my family in late December 2007. The rooms were scary! The oceanview room was old and was similar to a motel room. The bathroom had a significant amount of mold and only a shower - no tub (not that I would have used a tub filled with all that mold anyway).

The second oceanview room that we reserved was to be for 3 people, but we did not receive the 2 queen size beds we were promised. Instead, we got two pretty small double beds.

When I went to the front desk to ask how the old, moldy and scary oceanview room could qualify as the upgraded oceanview room I was promised (I had booked online, but had also spoken to the Ft. Young rep over the phone about the rooms), I was treated pretty poorly by the front desk folks.

I was told that the newer renovated rooms were more expensive (we paid approx. $200 US a night , per room) and that if we wanted an upgrade to a room without an extremely moldy bathroom we would be required to pay an extra hunderd dollars per night.

We were eventually moved to a renovated room where the bathroom had no door and the tub was covered by two curtains - absolutely no privacy.

I wrote a letter to the hotel management upon returning from my trip (about this and other issues I encountered at their hotel) and never received any kind of response form them.

I would steer clear.....

This is touted as the best hotel in Dominica. While the oceanfront rooms were spacious and had a balcony with a wonderful view, the service was terrible and, often, extremely rude. It takes at least 2-3 calls to get a request filled. They never had enough towels. Usually, we only got 2 bath towels, no bath mats, and no hand towels. Once, when we went to the front desk because our telephone requests had no response, we were given towels but, when we asked for towels for our friends in another room, we were asked, "Why are you vexed? You have towels", (the implication that we shouldn't care about our friends). This is just one example. I could give many more but the review would be too long.
Despite the fact that we did not arrive at the hotel until six in the evening, our room was not ready. During our stay, we had a problem with the TV which was not addressed.
The breakfasts were good and the private company which handled the tours was excellent.