From the moment we arrived at Mustique's tiny airport, greeted by Marlon with a friendly smile andcool smoothies, we realised we were about to experience a unique holiday. Stan was at Firely to welcome us and show us to our room. We were staying in 'Pineapple' which had beautiful views over Britannia Bay. Wehave never before stayed in such a well equipped, thoughtfully furnished room...it had everything you could need, my partner did however not feel the need to wear one of the sarongs provided...that much of a 'new man' he is not!
As mentioned in previous reviews, the staff are one of the qualities which makes Firefly special, calling us by our first names, getting to know what our preferences were and generally providing impeccable service. Nothing was too much bother.
Stan and Liz were great hosts, we enjoyed chatting to them in the bar before dinner a few times and they took us to the Tuesday night cocktail party at the Cotton House...worth going to see but made us glad we had chosen Firefly!
There are several 'pool' areas, each one allowing you privacy...no need to share a sunbed/pool area with another couple. The beaches were fabulous and definitely worth exploring but our most relaxing times were by the pool...it doesn't get much better than floating around in the infinity pool!
The food was excellent, freshly prepared,varied ,interesting menu and a good selection of wine.We took a picnic to Macaroni Beach one day, they even packed a tablecloth, napkins and flowers!
If you are looking for glitz and bling, Firefly and indeed Mustique is probably not for you.However, if you are looking for luxury, pampering, privacy and escape from the outside world, this is your place! Both of us having travelled fairly extensively reckon that Firefly is the ultimate in understated, unpretentious luxury and is the most relaxing place ever. We can't wait to go back!

Thank you Mustique Firefly (Stan & Elizabeth) for providing an idyllic backdrop for the celebration of my partners 60th Birthday. The remaining question will always be 'How on earth will we ever be able to top that'

Looks like we will have to go back!

Special thanks go to their staff for the personal first class care and attention that we received, once they know your 'style' as Arion our waiter put it you never seemed to have to ask again, one morning I asked for room service tea at 7am, the next day I slept in later, at breakfast I discovered that Josie (housekeeping) had checked our courtyard at 7am to see if I was up and ready for tea. The bar staff of Patrick, Omar and Marlon really added to the fun 'In House' party atmosphere knowing when to join in and when to merge into the background. To sum up Firefly staff would be to say that nothing was ever too much trouble for them and more importantly I never heard the word NO.

As you would expect from such an establishment as this the details in the housekeeping were impeccable, with fresh linen every day, the most comfortable bed I have slept on, a turn down service in the evening, with mosquito net drawn, linen mats laid on the floor on each side of the bed and tea lights dotted around the room and courtyard. An abundance of fresh bath and beach towels, robes and sarongs for daily use.

Highlights of our Firefly experience in addition to many others and the above included the delivered picnic on Macaroni beach (such decadence), getting lost driving around the island (circa 1.5 x 3 miles) in the Mule, no road signs, traffic lights or roundabouts and very few cars on the 20 M.P.H. roads (more like small country lanes and mind the jay walking tortoises).
The Birthday Champagne (our own duty free) reception that we invited all the other guests to join us (no corkage charge applied, thanks Stan & Liz) chilled and served by Omar in the gazebo by the pool.
This guest 'ice breaker ' paid off for all attendee's who subsequently formed a table of ten for the Birthday celebration meal, with wine on the table (paid for this time), Birthday cake, complimentary bottle of 'Bubbly' from the house complete with mega sparkler attached to the ice bucket, a memorable time was had and firm friendships were made. Latterly in the bar the formation of the 'Shut the Box' Competition evolved (you make your own entertainment at Firefly, those who thirst on TV need not apply) the players gathered from as far afield as Kent, Alabama, California, Surrey (Guests of S & L) and Portland, Maine played a hybrid game Girls v Boys, the girls remaining undefeated on the one other occasion this was played.

Firefly's landscaped gardens, gazebo, pool, Jacuzzi and plunge pool provided separate areas to relax in and enjoy some private moments and is imaginatively set out, lunch here at least on one occasion is a must.
This serenity as far as I can see could only possibly be disturbed if you were unlucky enough to be staying at the same time as: say for example, perhaps a couple who may be having problems and that as a result you could unwillingly be subjected to some awful screaming arguments which could prove to be very uncomfortable, as Firefly is set on a hillside I noted that sound did tend to travel.
But what are the chances of that happening?
Firefly is up front with its 'Truthful Asides' page on their website, be sure to read them and if you recognise yourself you'll find the majority of others are of same heart, just like we did.

I can’t leave without mentioning Macaroni beach, the best beach in most opinions, being on the Atlantic side the sea is a little rough, so be advised to avoid going in the sea wearing any personal valuables, as one lady staying at Firefly went in with her prescription spectacles on and unfortunately lost them when a wave hit her. Despite her requests for Firefly to send in divers, she had to finally accept it would be a lost cause which was a shame as they then had to report this loss to the police and Mustique security for purposes of insurance and I lost count of how many times the officers came to the hotel to fill in forms with them. So be warned you wouldn’t want to spoil your own holiday or perhaps spill over and impose on other guests.

Thank you Alabama, California, Surrey and Portland Maine you helped make it special for us.

As my partner said

'Firefly provides all the luxuries you need for a simple holiday
For me 'Less was More'

My wife and I stayed at the Firefly for seven days at the end of May. Getting there was a bit more of an adventure then we had expected but it was fun. My wife hates small planes so when we were walked out onto the tarmac in Barbados and saw the size of the twin prop that we were headed for I knew that she was not going to like the flight. Secondly the plane makes two stops before landing on Mustique. Seeing the other two Islands makes you glad that you are stopping in Mustique and not the other two.

Upon arrival at the airport Marlin greeted us with some fruit smoothies and helped us get through customs and get our bags. The drive to the hotel in the mule took about five minutes, and the fresh air was great after getting out of the small plane.

When we got to the hotel, we felt a little silly looking for the reception, which is the bar, but Areon (sorry about the spelling) made us feel at home. I did feel like it was a little different that all of the staff came over to introduce themselves and called us by our first names, maybe a little forced fun but that feeling quickly changed.

We where shown to our room where our bags were, and the room (Seashell) was just about perfect. The bed was comfortable there was plenty of closet space. The plunge pool looked a little small and silly but we ended up using it a lot. (Be careful the second step down is a big one). Quaint is the word I would use to describe the room. It is not a five stare hotel room at the Hilton; it is really the kind of room you would like to have at your summer cottage.

After showering and cleaning up, (first complaint, the water temperature goes up and down, it bugged me, my wife didn’t' really notice) we headed up the bar. The bar is really beautiful, great ambiance. There are four small sitting areas and the bar that seats about 8 people. We sat and drank Champaign and watched the sun set. This is when we realized that we had made the right decision to come here. It was perfect with the breeze blowing through the bar. The restaurant is right next to the bar, and this was the best surprise because the food is very good. We had not picked the Firefly because of this and it really surprised us that it was so good, now not three rosette good, but definitely four out of five stars. We didn't like everything we ate, but it was all cooked very well. The menu also changes every three days. The service at dinner and the rest of the time is casual but competent. We never waited to long for anything and we never felt rushed or like they were trying to up sell us, and whether they did or didn't we always felt like the staff enjoyed being there and truly wanted us to enjoy being there to. When you ask them a question about the island or life on the island you get an honest answer, not some canned answer. You feel like the staff are real people who enjoy life, and they were one of the best parts of our stay.

The next day we took a ride in the Mule. After a thirty second lesson we were off. (Second complaint, those things are really loud. You feel like you are disturbing the peace when you drive around, but you get over that pretty quick because it's really fun). We went to Pasture Bay, great place to go if you want to make sure that you are alone but you can't swim there and that's no fun. So then we went to Macaroni beach which is where we ended up spending most of our time when we were not at the hotel. The beach is great, there are usually a few other people there, one day there might have been about 20 people on the whole beach which is about 500 yards long. The water is clear there are waves there can be a bit big sometimes but usually about the right size to see if you can body surf. We sat under a pair of palm trees at the end of the beach almost every day. I explored the rest of the beaches when my wife was sleeping one day and Macaroni was the best one for the quality of sand (who knew there could be such a difference between beaches on the same island) and the water. Gelliceoux bay at the end of the island is a close second but you have to make a long walk on a rocky path to get there.

We headed back to the hotel and had lunch by the pool. The whole pool area is very nice, but it is on a very steep hill and it's about 70 steps from the pool up to the bar, so call for drinks... The water in the pool is great (again watch the second step, just like the plunge pool) There are five distinct sitting areas in the garden around the pool so every couple can have there own space, although there were never more then two other people around all week even thought the hotel was full. You are aware that there are other people there but you never feel like someone is right next to you. We spent most of our afternoons sitting around a reading near the pool. It was very peaceful and very easy to order drinks and food. Our orders usually went something like this. "Hi Patrick, Andi would like something fruity and fizzy and I would like something fruity and frozen". All the drinks were made with fresh fruit and were great.

The rest of our days went basically the same. We had planned on eating at the other restaurants on the island but never did. Somehow we became very lazy there, it was great.

If you plan to go you should read the truthful asides because they are true. The bar can be a bit loud at night if you go to be early so I would recommend staying up late. The hotel is on a very steep hill and if you have heart problems you’re not going to want to walk up from the pool. We did not see any of the other rooms but the other guests that we talked to all liked the rooms that there were in. You would not want to take kids there as Stan really does not want them there. If you are looking to be treated like royalty then this is not the place, you will be treated like a friend. If you are bothered by people drinking and smoking, you should try Utah. Last possible negative is that the hotel is not on the beach or really with in walking distance of a beach that you would want to go to, which was what we were looking for in the first place but that really did not matter.

All of the guests that we met were fun and casual people, and all seemed very happy to be there.

Stan and Liz are great. They are fun to talk to but they don't overwhelm you. Stan is at the bar most nights and will gladly talk with you or let you alone if you are having a romantic evening. If you are a rude or obnoxious person he will probably kick you out. I read the previous review and I can guess that he probably told them that they were not invited back before they got the chance to say that they were not coming back. He told us that on more then one occasion he has asked families with loud children to leave. There were children there for about an hour one night but they were very well behaved. He really tries to create an environment for couples. He knows that that is why most of the people there have come, and he is protective of that. Stan and Liz definitely love their hotel and their staff, and it shows. We can’t wait to go again.

Wow! Where do I start? Having stayed at the firefly last July I knew I would love to stay again as it has got to be my favourite place in the world but I always think that a place is never as good as the first time….How wrong I was! This year was even more amazing than the first.

The whole Firefly experience started at the airport where my partner and I were greeted by Patrick with some very delicious smoothies (much needed after the plane trip from Barbados). We were then taken up to the Firefly and greeted with such a warm welcome by the friendly staff and owners. Once in the Pineapple room the little touches like the flowers on the bed, the fresh fruit and the note saying welcome back made it feel more personal.

Although Mustique has the most amazing beaches I have seen, I have to admit that my favourite time spent relaxing is by the pool. I can spend hours in the infinity pool looking over the edge at the wonderful views of the ocean and the very impressive boats which are moored there. We also enjoyed having lunch sat round the pool in one of the private little areas. There was always so much flavour and thought gone into the food and much to my partners delight the wine list had some fantastic selections.

Last year we spent sunset getting ready for the evening or one day we spent it in the Jacuzzi with cocktails and sunset snacks which was so romantic but this year we spent time in the bar with champagne cocktails (we returned home with the champagne club t-shirts) talking to other people staying there or people who had come up from the boats. A great atmosphere which flows on into the evening accompanied by an even more impressive menu where every night I tried something different, dishes I wouldn’t normally try but loved them all.

On the Tuesday evening Stan and Elizabeth took us to the cocktail party at the cotton house which was a nice visit but having been there before I find it too ‘commercial’ and although I cant complain about the free drinks, having my wine served in a water glass almost filled to the top was very poor but generally so was all the service, not to mention unfriendly. Just a little smile wouldn’t hurt?

Wednesday was my partners birthday so we had booked ‘Fly by Night’ (Fireflys own luxury power cruiser) for the day. What a fantastic way to spend your birthday on a beautiful Yacht being served champagne, admiring the views of the different Islands, before snorkelling to one of those deserted island where a table was laid out on the beach with a delicious picnic! Both the birthday boy and I were made to feel like royalty. Certainly a day that will be remembered forever!

Overall we found everything perfect and we really could not have asked for more. I could go on and on about the wonderful food, service, atmosphere etc but I highly recommend you go find out for yourself and I am sure you will agree.

In the bar we found details for a new place in Bequia which we later checked out on the firefly website, it looks fantastic! It couldn’t have been open when I visited Bequia last year as we ended up staying in a villa because most of the hotels were closed due to the time of year or just generally nothing spectacular. The new place looks and sounds fantastic, so much so that on my return we booked a week in May! So I will keep you updated!