My fiance and I went to Twelve Degrees North in Feb/Mar07 and I've held off from wrting a review beacuse we had a disappointing stay. All other reviews on this site were very positive and I thought that perhaps we had just gone with some misconceptions. However, I agree with much of what was written by jaqisurrey (Disappointing Stay, May 21) and thought that perhaps I should chip in.

The location is good, the room was big and Joe was helpful. The snorkelling off the deck was great and Joe has some tall stories to keep you amused during the sundown gathering. As with much of the Caribbean, there is no "strip" of restaurants and so taxis or a car is required if you want to try different restaurants. I liked the notion of being left to our own devices, with help and guidance there if you wanted it. However, the place had a strange atmosphere; Joe seems to be done with the place and wants to sell. The place could do with a bit of TLC and a keen manager. The room was fine - a little old fashioned but adequate. The kitchen was small. So was the bathroom - the shower was poor and for $225 per night I was expecting a bit more than a dribbly, tepid shower. The lack of air conditioning wasn't an issue as far a temperature was concerned - the trade winds cooled the apartment and we soon got used to the heat. However, the screens on the windows did not stop the bitey insects and we both got bitten to hell, despite lashings of deet. Also the absence of windows meant that the rooms were poorly sound isulated - the local dogs and the guy two rooms away with the hacking cough really started to grate. And I can ususally sleep through storms! On the subject of the dogs, I knew they would be on the property and that was fine. I'm not a dog person so I found them a bit smelly and avoided them. However, what I wasn't prepared for was them lying on the drive (outside the guestrooms) and barking. It drove us nuts and sleep was difficult.

The housekeeper arrangement was something I had never really experieced before. I found it odd and I didn't ever get used to it; asking her to do stuff made me feel bossy. Our housekeeper was lovely but pretty timid and servile. I had come away to relax but having to plan what I wanted for lunch/dinner, what I wanted the housekeeper to do, do the shopping etc wasn't very relaxing and I felt like I was still at work! However, going home with no washing was a bonus.

The general upkeep of the place seemed to have slipped. The wood on the dock was splintering, the jetty and the swimming platform were covered in bird droppings - to the extent that the swimming platform was unusable and I went out and bought flip-flops for walking down the jetty. The sunbeds were old and the lounger mattresses were plastic - the beach towels provided were tiny and so sunbathing meant lying on the plastic matresses, in a pool of your own sweat. We got told off for removing the towelling sunbed covers from our room to put on these beds as "they are only for use on your terrace". I felt like a naughty child.

The beach bar is not a bar - there is no fridge or ice or glasses. If you are lying on the deck and fancy a drink, you have to climb back up to your room. Ditto with the loo - if you need to go, then it's back up the hill, or there's always the sea, along the bird dropping jetty...

Good stuff on the island included:
- La Sagesse - the beach, the restaurant and the nature reserve.
- La Luna - posey beyond belief but a great spot and good for drinks. Food not so great - if its the work of a celebrated Scilian chef, then I am a banana.
- The Aquarium - Sunday BBQ. Good beach bar.
- Westerhall Rum distillery - got a great show-round and tasting from a lovely guy. Hic.

Not so good:
- Fish Fry - a long drive for not a lot. We also got side-swiped by a loony bus driver on the way back, which was scary.
- Rubbish - there is rubbish everywhere - old cars, drums, bit of buildings. I know this is probably leftover from Hurricane Ivan, but that was 2005. It's a beautiful, picturesque island but it's a pity that it isn't being kept that way.
- Food - the menus are the same everywhere; steak, tuna, prawns, all drowned in garlic. Why could we only buy Malaysian prawns? Nuts.
- Driving - crazy. Watch out. The drivers have no perception of risk, speed or anticipation.

We decided to honeymoon at 12 Degrees North based on reviews read and we definitely weren't disappointed.
If you like to get away from it all and aren't keen on staying in typical tourist resorts it's spot on.

The best bits:
- Getting looked after everyday by our wonderful house keeper Bernadette...her cooking is up there with my mum's.
- The amazing reef on the doorstep - we snorkelled everyday and spotted octopus, moray eels, puffer fish, trumpet fish, angel fish, scorpion fish...doesn't get much better
- The peace and quiet and relaxing environment
- Hospitality of all staff, including the wonderful owner Joe Gaylord - welcomes you as if you're his only ever guest and give valuable knowledge on the area (and you get fresh flowers everyday)
- Different restaurants every night. Everywhere in Grenada is quite spread out (there's not one main strip) so cabs are required but we found many of the restaurants offer them as a complimentary service. There are also restaurants in walking distance and even though they will drive you home we often chose to walk off the 3 courses!
- The grounds and wildlife - the grounds are kept in immaculate condition by the groundsmen and are the home of a family of rather large iguanas who would lounge just outside our veranda most days
- The size, cleanliness and comfort of the apartments...and the bed was enormous

Don't go if you'd rather the 5* treatment or like to mingle with other tourists all the time, it's far more of a rustic Grenadian experience where you end up feeling part of the family. You get plenty of your own space to enjoy the company you're in and we'd often have the sun deck, pool and reef to ourselves.

We have travelled a lot and stayed in many remote places and this is up there with the best of them. I have never felt so sad leaving a place and that was down to the wonderful staff, local people and Joe.

I have already recommended it to friends and family, and although there's a lot of other places I'd like to visit I wouldn't hesitate in going back. It was a perfect honeymoon retreat and we had the most amazing time there.

I was surprised by the comments of the last reviewer as our experience was much more pleasant. We stayed in May 2007. The apartment was spacious, the bed , the biggest I have ever stayed in and most comfortable with plenty of pillows. Towels and linens were changed every day and laundry returned cleaned the same day. The apartment was simply furnished but kept impeccably clean by Housekeeper Yvonne. The pool is small but well maintained and perfectly adequate for the number of apartments. There is a small manmade beach before a large expanse of decking and a decked pier out into the bay. All beautifully maintained and the sand combed each day. We brought our own drinks from our apartment to enjoy in the hammocks or the decking. Early evening was the best time when the sunset provided lovely views. The tennis court was a bonus and we played every day. We used the kayak to paddle across to the Calabash for lunch. A hired car would be an advantage as most places to visit in Grenada are further apart than you would think and taxis are not cheap. There are restaurants within walking distance but when it becomes dark (and this is early!), you've had a couple of rums and there are no lights, (and you are not wearing flat heels) it can be rather a trek . However, some restaurants provide a complimentary taxi service so it doesn't hurt to ask. In summary, 12 Degrees North is a truly peaceful and well run place for those who are looking for somewhere a bit different.

The place has a wonderful position overlooking the entrance to Prickly Bay, though it is a bit far away from restaurants, especially as there are no lights along the road. A car or taxi is therefore needed if you wish to eat out.
We found the rooms a bit of a let-down - there was plenty of space and the bed was huge, but damp marks along the edge were slightly offputting. (Perhaps our expectations were too high)
Although our rooms had obviously been repainted quite recently ,It felt as if the whole place was rather tired and in need of a facelift; the bathrooms are basic and totally serviceable , though we never managed to get any warm water! Some of the tiles are cracked and the grouting certainly needs cleaning up or renewing. The daily towels were rather thin and hard, though pillows were very comfortable and plentiful. There were no curtains at the bathroom window and the mosquito net was loose, The kitchen is adequately equipped, as is the living area - no TV or music so there is peace and quiet , though unfortunately there seemed to be quite a few dogs living in the area and, of course, when one started, then it set the others off!
The furniture is just the average sun house cane and again the covers were faded, and the white melamine cupboards very dated
Everywhere is kept very clean by the daily housekeeper. The idea is that she is there from 8am to 3pm and prepares breakfast, lunch and even supper if you so wish. In practice our housekeeper never arrived until 8.30 or later (she had a very difficult journey to get to work so I really would not blame her) This meant breakfast was never ready till 9 and, as one tends to be up and about by 7 (English time 12 noon), that is quite a late start in the Caribbean! Whilst she tried hard, her cooking skills were simple and basic (lovely Calaloo soup!) so we ended up eating out most of the week. We also were surprised to be asked to pay for everything imaginable - soap, dishcloth, paper napkins, washing up liquid, soap powder , matches, the lot! (Loo paper and very simple shampoo in a wall container came free)
The gardens were well kept if plain, and the pool was cleaned every day, however this was very small, considering the number of rooms (about 10-12 I think ) and some of the tiles were cracked and stained , so it did not feel too comfortable to me. There was a very pleasant area of decking leading down to a pier, though some of the sunchairs were worn and looked grubby (though they weren't! )A very quiet and peaceful area to lounge at, but no drinks or bar available , -a trek up to the room was possible, but a real drag on a very hot day - an "honesty" fridge would have been ideal!
In all I feel that the place has just become a tad run down and perhaps the price does not really reflect this ?( We went on to stay at another place on the island with very similar views and with top rate accommodation in every way and this was much cheaper too.
By the way, be careful not to ask for any discount when paying cash ( it meant we had to get several amounts out over a few days) as you may be told by Mr Gaylord, (as we were ) that , if we paid by credit card, he would add an additional 4% charge on to our bill - something we had not been told when booking....