After stumbling across the website for 12 Degrees North we booked what turned out to be an amazing, relaxing vacation. Our host, Joe Gaylord made our vacation something to remember. We spent two weeks at 12 Degrees North from Jan 20th, 2008 to Feb 3rd, 2008 and will most definitely go back. Our housekeeper, Candace was gracious and accommodating. She is at your apartment from around 8:30am until 3 each day except Sunday. You have to know what you want to eat, buy the groceries, and she takes it from there. Breakfast was delicious, lunch, whatever we wanted and she cooked us some delicious dinners which we reheated after sunset.

12 Degrees North is YOUR vacation. You are in total control of what happens. We spent days doing whatever we pleased. Sometimes the only ones floating in the pool, or snorkeling off the pier. We met with the other guests and our host just before sunset to replay what the days events had been. We met guests who have come back to 12 Degrees North year after year, some for longer than 20 years. It is like being at your best friends cottage. Bring your book, exchange it at the beach house, go snorkeling, Joe lent us flippers. Go into town, get groceries and let your housekeeper do the rest. Don't be shy, she will accommodate whatever diet or gourmet delight you desire. We picked up a Grenada cookbook on day two and picked items from the cookbook to eat like they do in Grenada. Joe took us to the grocery store our second day making orientation easier. Grocery shopping is like shopping at home with some items limited or sold out until the next shipment comes in. We arranged an island tour with someone Joe recommended and were very pleased with our day seeing the island.

We enjoyed ourselves doing whatever we wanted. No one to tell you the pool is closed after 9pm, no one to tell you there are no clean towels left, or no beach chairs. Joe has done a wonderful job of making his guests welcome and supplying all that is needed to enjoy your vacation.

Yes, you may find a worn pot or a chip in a plate, a cracked tile in the pool, or a seam needing repair on a chair cushion as noted in other reviews. But nothing that stops you from enjoying what is a remarkable experience. If you are expecting a pool bar with guests who use the pool as a bathroom, 5 restaurants on-site with mediocre food and needing to get up at 5am to reserve dinner or a beach chair, or so called entertainment shows, then go to the all inclusive. Otherwise, come to 12 Degrees North, let Joe and his magic take hold of you and you will have the most amazing and relaxing vacation of your life. We will talk about how much we enjoyed our holiday at 12 Degrees North for a long time to come.

We have been to various places in Mexico on many occasions, Portugal, Jamaica, Panama, Costa Rica, Venezuela, USA and Canada. 12 Degrees North is a special place where you can be alone if you want, walk to a nearby restaurant or beach, use the kayak, snorkel or just be alone reading a book to get away from it all. With no TV, phone or radio, you are free to escape everything. The island and its people are one for all to experience. Try it, you won't be sorry. Thank you Joe, we will be back.

As I write this, the temperature is minus 36 with wind chills in excess of minus 44. It was just over a week ago that we returned from Grenada. This was our second holiday spent with the folks at Twelve Degrees. Everything was as expected and even a bit better. Our last visit was in Feb/06 and it was evident by the grounds that some damage had occurred by Ivan. This time, the grounds were lush and tropical - just like you would expect. The pool was a welcome site in the late afternoons when a quick dip was to be had - just to cool you down. We spent most of our days lounging by the water, reading, watching the boats in the bay and having the odd snooze. If it's a quiet, relaxing setting that you are after - this is the place. We met other patrons that have been enjoying the atmosphere for more that twenty years. It's no wonder that you end up feeling like your part of the family. If you need to find Joe, he's there, otherwise you're left to enjoy the experience that you want to create. For us, anywhere we wanted to go was just a cab ride away (very reasonable rates) or a walk down the road. NOTHING was an inconvenience. Would we go back again - YOU BET.

We were fortunate enough to spend a week at Twelve Degrees North the second week of December. I was a bit concerned after reading the two negative reviews but have to agree with the last review written in November that it is truly a gem.

Joe is a wonderful host with lots of advice and suggestions. It was a delight to spend time with him.

Yes, it is a small resort and was exactly what we were looking for. It really did feel like we were staying at a friend's home.

The room was large, nicely appointed and we so enjoyed having our meals on the lanai, looking at the ocean. Donna prepared delicious breakfasts, lunches and even a few dinners. It was fun to go to the market with Joe and then have Donna make some local dishes for us. We enjoyed it all.

The pool and grounds are all in good shape. A coral reef is right there and it was easy to access the water from the steps on the dock. The water was great.

As the previous reviewer noted, Twelve Degrees North is not for guests wanting lots of action, but a perfect place to rest, relax and enjoy Grenada.

We decided to return to 12 Degrees North, where we spent our honeymoon, for our 10 year wedding anniversary. Given the recent two nasty reviews, we were very apprehensive. Those fears were unfounded. The place was exactly as we remembered it, only better. There is now excellent cell phone service on the island, but luckily there are still no phones or tvs in the rooms.

The grounds were in excellent condition. The pool was extremely well maintained, cleaned every day, and I didn't see any cracked tile or signs of neglect. It is definitely big enough considering there are only 8 units in the whole place, another huge bonus. Much of the time, we had the pool to ourselves. A large deck was added since our last visit, so it was also wonderful to spend our days sitting by the ocean and hearing the water below us. There were no signs of splintering or bird poop, and it seemed to be extremely well maintained. We also found the beach chairs by the pool and ocean very comfortable and clean.

Our room was spotless, large, and comfortable. It's so wonderful to arrive to a fully stocked kitchen (and in fact, our housekeeper even left us a meal for dinner since she knew we had a late arrival time and may be hungry). The complimentary bottle of rum punch was just as we remembered it - the best! We always had hot water in the shower too.

Joe is an excellent host, and it feels more like you are staying with a friend than in a hotel. He's always there for advice or tales of living on Grenada, but wasn't overbearing at all. He's the perfect host.

We had the same cook and maid as our first visit, Yvonne, who is fantastic. She took care of our every wish. It's true that most people probably aren't used to having a personal cook, maid and laundry person, but they are happy to do it. If you weren't there for them to cook and clean for, they'd be out of a job. We were sure to tell Yvonne how much we appreciated everything she did for us.

Twelve Degrees North is not for everyone. If you are part of the "see and be seen" crowd, or like to stay at cookie-cutter chains, this isn't for you. If you are an independent traveler who wants to feel like you are staying at a friend's house, Twelve Degrees North is your kind of place.