the Calabash. In December 2012 we stayed at both. This review seeks to compare and contrast the two so you can decide which is best for you. For those of you who dislike long reviews or like to know the ending first we preferred the Calabash but there are advantages to them both.

We originally booked Laluna because we liked the stand alone rooms (we were looking for somewhere quiet) and thought it was nearer the diving than the Calabash. When we arrived there we found a big digger working on the road and disturbing the peace. After being woken form a post lunch snooze we discussed this with the owner and he kindly and graciously agreed to refund us the money we had paid in advance. I have to say that he could not have been done more and we are grateful to him for allowing us the chance to move. Nothing said in this review should detract from the fact that he acted like an absolute gentleman.

LOCATION. Laluna is built into a hill overlooking the sea. Effectively this gives a tiered arrangement and each room has beautiful views out to the sea. The Calabash has a number of small blocks built in a horseshoe shape. From Laluna's small beach you have uninterrupted views of the sea. The Calabash's beach is in a bay where a lot of yachts berth so the views are very different. If you want seclusion and isolation then Laluna is for you. The Calabash is directly under the flight path and reasonably close to the airport so, a few times a day you have a short (about 20 seconds) burst of noise.

ROOMS. The Calabash is an all suite resort and the suites are arranged in two story blocks of four. Some of the ground floor suites have whirlpools or even small plunge pools at the back. We like the quiet and initially preferred the idea of Laluna's standalone rooms. In reality we never heard our neighbours at the Calabash.

Lauana's style is Indonesian and the rooms are painted dark in a distressed plaster type finish. We have come across this before and it is fine for a bedroom but is quiet dark if you want to relax in there during the day. The Calabash is more western with whites and pastels and tiled floors. When the heat was too much or it was raining we felt that the Calabash rooms were easier to relax in. When we were staying at Laluna it did rain and we found that subsequently all our cloths smelt damp. They claim to have 'open air bathrooms' but open air is very different from ‘outdoor’. This was not an outdoor shower under the stars but an indoor bathroom open to the elements. I am not sure what the point of this was as it seemed to mean everything got damp when it rained outside. I am sorry to say that we had no hot water at Laluna during our stay (and this was not resolved after it was reported). At the Calabash the bathrooms were definitely cleaner and crisper but maybe slightly less characterful – we had plenty of hot water and lots of clean dry towels.

Laluna claims that each room has an iPod dock but ours just had an old cassette player that reminded me of something from the 80's.

BEACH. The beach at the Calabash was bigger and had a lot of places to sit. We were surprised at Laluna that no one took in the bed covers so when we wanted to lie on the beds after it had rained we had a choice of a wet bed or a hard wooden sun lounger.

RESTAURANT. The reviews of Laluna's restaurants were impressive but we felt unrepresentative. The food was bland and unseasoned. One night I had a crab dish which had so many anchovies (which I normally love) that I was unable to taste anything else. The dynamics of the kitchen were strange and the head chef seemed to spend more time out of the kitchen talking to customers than in it cooking! The Calabash could not have been more different, we did not have one meal that was anything less than great. Some of the food was bordering on historic.

The Calabash has a lunchtime beach restaurant that is separate from the main restaurant and was exceptional. Even if we weren’t staying at the Calabash I would visit just to return to Mark B at the Bash Bar for lunch.

STAFF. I think the staff at Laluna were okay but the staff at the Calabash were exceptional. Many had been with the hotel for ten or even twenty years and were superb ambassadors for the resort.

DIVING. The Calabash has a dive shop on site whereas Launa has an arrangement with a local dive operator who will pick you up from the hotel.

SPA. Both resorts offer spa treatments. We did not have the time to try the spa at Laluna and were put off by the cost of the spa at the Calabash. As a comparison Laluna charges USD 95 for one hour treatment, the Calabash charges USD 150. Spice Island charges USD105 for a 50 minute Swedish massage.

FITNESS. Both resorts have fitness rooms. Laluna's was tiny and from memory had little natural light. The Calabash's was larger with more equipment and lots of light. When we were there the water fountain was not working. If you are a yoga fanatic then Laluna has classes everyday. The Calabash can arrange a class on demand but rather strangely it does not offer regular classes.

EXTRAS. At the Calabash you got a number of little 'freebies' such as a glass of fresh juice on the beach, tea in the afternoon and lovely nibbles at 6:00 in your room. At Laluna you got none.

As you can tell we were very happy with our time at the Calabash and we were pleased that we moved. We are grateful to the management of the Laluna for being so flexible and offering us a refund. If we were in Grenada again then we would have no hesitation in choosing the Calabsah.

This intimate, remote hotel enjoys a beautiful setting and some nice features. However, for a pretty high end boutique hotel it simply misses the mark. The relaxed nature of the staff is pleasant but they really do need to get to work on maintaining the rooms (our television remote did not work when we arrived and over 4 days was never fixed) and keeping the beach clean. After our first morning breakfast experience with cold eggs & bacon we chose to eat at other places. We thoroughly enjoyed our spa treatments (hot stones massages) and would highly recommend the spa to future guests. While the ambience of the rooms is nice, there is no comfortable seating at all. It seems to me that this is a property that has the potential to be great but it certainly is not at that level right now.

This resort has the potential to be great but there is work to be done! The water in the bathroom was never warm, the jets never worked in the outdoor tub, breakfast was cold upon arrival at the table, the beach is not cleaned, the Hobie Cats need maintenance etc. etc...We were on the top level of the property, no choice given as to our location, it is 93 very steep steps from the reception level to the six rooms at the top of the property. Plus there is construction right next door at this time.
BUT...the spa is lovely and the two Balinese masseuses are very talented. I highly reccomend the hot stone massage. The staff are friendly but I suggest management needs to be on top of the little things that make the difference to travelers.

We went for Thanksgiving last year (2011) and this year on the first week of December.
We flew from JFK, 4 1/2 hour flight to paradise. It took 15mins from the Grenada airport to Laluna.
The bay is amazing, the sunset even more. The small houses are perfect, cozy and so intimate.
The whole resort has a perfect and harmonious design, you will feel immerse in nature with all the comfort you need.
And the food... we are an italian couple and we can truly say the food is awesome. Local fresh ingredients everyday... vegetables, fish, meat... with the magic touch of Chef Daniele.
Don't waste time somewhere else, just go!