palm island if your looking for laid back amazing beach good standard of rooms away from every thing this is worth a try. Nervous flyers beware the flight from st lucia is one to remember only 12 seats but the cat journey to palm is fantastic.
nice pool but with a beach like this why use it water warm snorkelling very good try seeing other islands on there boat food good service good only small but one place you would never forget would i go back yes prob for week not two

I relied heavily on Trip Advisor when booking our most recent vacation. Accordingly, I want to give an accurate review of our recent stay at Palm Island and hope it is helpful for others who are deciding whether it is the place for them. I should start by saying that we have traveled extensively and stayed at many AI resorts. Palm Island is head and shoulders above anything else we have ever experienced. However, if you are looking for casinos, pool games, loud music and constant activities, this is not the place for you. If you are instead looking for an idyllic location, total relaxation and a stress free vacation, this IS it!

Travel: It is kind of a long way to go, however, Palm reps made it as easy as possible. We were met at the Barbados airport by a Palm rep who ushered our bags through and us through "in transit" customs. She was very attentive and returned to make sure we made our flight to Union Island (which Palm had arranged and which is included in your vacation if you spend 7 or more nights). The flight to Union was on a 16 seat aircraft - gorgeous ride. We landed in Union (about 45 minute ride) and were immediately met by a golf cart to whisk us away to Palm Island's boat - we never touched our bags. After the beautiful 10 minute boat ride, we were met at the dock by a waiter with tropical rum punches and were told that to help us relax there was no need for check in - we were showed to our room and told our bags would be brought there shortly. All in all, it was a long day, but went very smoothly. NOTE NEW TAX OUT OF BARBADOS OF $31 US EACH TO BE PAID IN CASH- Palm Island has no control over this and it just started Feb 1 - be sure to have cash. After that, not much else you need cash for on this vacation.

Accomodations: we had a beach front cottage - the way to go I think. Beautiful and tropical - wonderful, comfortable king bed and great linens and pillows. Extra large bathroom with big walk in shower. The beach fronts have two loungers and a small deck in front and also a table and chairs outside. There are also loungers on the sand in front of your cottage or next to your cottage depending on location. All are directly in front of water - spectacular views, breezes and the sound of the waves at night is wonderful. Numbers 7-10 are right on beach you can walk out onto. We were in 17 which was not on a beach we could walk out unto, but more private we thought. Rooms have safe for valuables, comfy robes (lightweight for the climate). umbrellas, a mini frig which is stocked with soda, juice, cream for coffee, beer, wine and restocked daily, candles, coffee and tea makers and bug spray - have read lots about bug problems, we never got bitten by anything the entire week we were there.

Food: Meals are included - all are sit down in open air restaurant. The food was excellent overall - some meals better than others, but overall, really great. Chef tries very hard to have a large variety of dishes and one vegetarian dish. Breakfast was part buffet (baked goods, fruit, cereal, cheeses) and part menu - eggs any way, bacon, sausage, banana pancakes, cinnamon french toast - all very good. Lunch changed daily and included at least 4 or 5 selections. You also had the oppty to eat in the Sunset grill which is open to those arriving by boat (only place on the island that boaters are allowed) - more grill type fare and we really enjoyed the lighter meal along with hearing the chatter of all the boaters from many different countries. Plus, sitting out on the sand was a real treat. Friday night was a beach bbq and it was spectacular - grilled steak, lobster, spareribs and all the trimmings. Drinks are all included. Note there is no room service- this was not a negative to us, but want to make it clear. There was drink service on the beach in front of the bar/restaurant. We ordered a picnic (an extra $20 US per person) and it was awesome. You pick your remote location/hammock and at the appointed time you show up and there is a table/chairs, linens and lunch in total seclusion on a gorgeous beach - very special. Afterwards, hard not to sidle up to the hammock and take a nap in paradise. Tea is served from 4-5 in the afternoon and there are little sandwiches and sweets. Some appetizers at the bar from 6-7 and on Wed is a big managers cocktail party with great appetizers like shrimp, beef sticks and more.

Location : it is hard to describe how beautiful it is - stunning. Could not be more "on the beach." we have stayed at lots of places that claim to be beachfront, this is on the beach = period. The island is about 2 miles around and we hiked around a few days. There is the other side which has beaches and secluded hammocks - reminded us of Survivor Island! The beach is white sand - it is not the soft sand like at Turks & Caicos, but it was not rocky - it was smooth and there was plenty of open clear blue carribean water that you could walk right out into. A few rocky spots, but plenty of open space as well. We had considered going to PSV and did not go there b/c of all the reviews of how rocky the beaches were. This was important to us and we were not disappointed.

Activities: They offer Hobie cats, sea kayaks, tennis, a spa, library (with great selection of books), TV room with internet access (there are no phones or TVS in the rooms) . However, to be honest, we were total slugs - we have very frenetic lives, so this was just what we needed. Outside of our picnic, we took one boat trip to the Tobago Cays on the Scaramouche - a real wooden sailboat. It was spectacular - swam with sea turtles! There are many different boat charters available, scuba and fishing. We snorkeled some off the beach right on the Island as well. You can go back and forth to Union Island to shop or whatever on the boat - we never did, but we saw others that did.

Clientele: There are only 38 rooms so the staff, which is absolutely superb, get to know the guests and greet them by name. When we were there, it was about 75% UK and 25% American. We met others who had been there before who tell us normally it is about 50/50. Couples ranged in age from 30's up - not a singles place. Come here with someone you love to spend time with and can enjoy the quiet with.

Staff: As stated above, they are superb. Best we have experienced. Friendly and attentive without being in your face. They all work very hard and their effort to provide excellent service was apparent to all they served.

Atmosphere: This resort is quiet and idyllic, but may not be suited for all. There is no music at all during the day and very little at night - one night there was a steel drum band, and two other nights live entertainment, but very low key. We loved it and consider this to be a plus- however, as I said at the beginning of the review if you want drinking games, bingo by the pool and para sailing, this is not the place for you.

We can't wait to go back. We cannot understand how anyone could write a single negative thing about this place - other than that it might not be the right spot for those seeking constant activity. If you have a specific question I did not answer, feel free to email me at jbrighton1@carolina.rr.com.

We wanted to get married in an idyllic setting and in a fuss-free, barefoot way and, boy, did we get it! The island is 5 star rustic elegance - no room service or fancy electrical gadgets but just pure peaceful bliss. We stayed in an Island Loft which was spacious and fitted with air con., ceiling fans and a massive bathroom with a huge bath and seperate shower. The Island Lofts are set slightly back from the beach but we still had a sea view from our veranda. The staff are excellent - friendly and helpful. Food great and the minibar was restocked daily in our Loft. It's easy to get around the other islands - there are boat trips, and Palm Island has it's own speed boat to take you over to Union Island to get flights to the other Grenadines, St. Vincent and also to Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada. Regarding the mosquito/ sand fly issue: I normally get eaten alive in the Med. by mosquitos, and I actually only got a couple of bites on Palm Island. Our room was kitted out with repellent and mosquito nets and provided you use them you should be fine. The organisation of the wedding itself was spot-on. There's a wedding coordinator on site (Nadia) who arranges all the legal side of things, and can sort out hairdressers, flowers, food etc. The photographer also lives on Palm Island and did us a DVD of the ceremony aswell. If (like us) you want to get married just the two of you with no family coming along, Palm Island is perfect. They only do on average one wedding a week so you don't feel you are on a wedding conveyor belt with other brides waiting in the wings. If you want a glitzy, timed-to-perfection wedding with lots of family and friends then Palm Island is not for you. Palm Island is informal paradise and clearly many people agree with us as they have many repeat guests. We plan to join this repeaters club and go back next year for our anniversary!

We have just returned from Palm Island having spent the second week of our honeymoon there. The first week was spent sailing through the Grenadines on a bareboat yacht.

Overall we thought the location and setting were excellent and the staff were very friendly. Some of the more experienced staff are fantastic, really make you feel welcome and look after you extremely well. Others are less attentive/still learning perhaps.

We were surprised by the US style to everything - menus, communications, etc. This is a shame as it detracts from the hideaway feel which you would otherwise get.

The food is pretty good for an all-inclusive resort. Not London restaurant standards. With a little imagination it could be great.

The beachfront rooms are great. Totally in sync with island life. Not for those seeking fully air-conditioned rooms with TV etc - no need for a/c even if provided, fans and all round shutters were fine. No TV thankfully. Bugs were not a problem compared to rest of region.