The Best Hotels in Trinidad and Tobago

This place started out as a family restaurant in 1964, and now it’s got not one, but two dining spaces serving delicious food – including dim sum at Tiki Village. It’s expanded, too, to include 94 guest rooms, all crisp fabrics and wrought iron beds. In Port of Spain, it’s a dream for anyone needing a handy base for the carnival held in Queen’s Park Savannah. Choose from a standard suite with two double beds, or a kitchen suite with separate king-size bedroom and living room.

Trinidad’s sibling, Tobago, is home to this beachfront biggie, with its funky live music – ideal if you fancy an all-inclusive getaway, with its all-in meal-and-drink option. Rooms are serene: soothing green walls, rattan furniture, and neutral tiles. Pick one of 178 oceanfront kings and doubles, or stretch to a roomy one or two bedroom suite. Hungry? Four of the eight restaurants are part of the all-in deal, among them Kali’na, its menu influenced by Tobago’s culinary past.

In the northwest extreme of Trinidad, the Anise Resort and Spa wows with views of lush terrain and neon-blue sea. It’s an intimate getaway in Sans Souci (translation: without care) with only 11 rooms, and appealing interiors that nod to the locality: bamboo furniture, hardwood floors, walls and fabrics in tropical tones. The focus here is on peace, but kids of all ages are welcome, and during turtle season (March to July) they love to spot leatherbacks from the Turtle Deck.

By the waters of Batteaux Bay, Blue Waters Inn is a century-old hideaway beside a curve of golden Tobago sand. The aesthetic of the 38 guest rooms is cool, classic Caribbean: clean, white walls and ceilings, and dark wood furniture. Spend your holiday blissfully beachside, or sign up to explore the area. There’s birdwatching, kayaking, and tours of cocoa plantations. The highlight is the (seasonal) Rock Lobster Dinner on the deck at Aqua restaurant, with still waters below.

If you can’t stay still on vacation, you’ve picked the right place; the activities list here makes it one of the best hotels in Trinidad and Tobago for active types. You can relax, too, though – the beach sprawls, and the palm-edged pool is very inviting. Try tennis lessons, perhaps, or explore the nearby rainforest and waterfalls. The rooms, suites, and villas are classical-tropical: coral walls, Spanish tiles, and vibrant printed fabrics. Dinner means local flavors, too – outside, under the stars at Bacchanal’s Beach Restaurant.

Seeking hotels in Trinidad and Tobago for the whole family? Young ones will be in their element at this all-inclusive resort of nautical-tone modernism, lapped by the shallows of Great Courland Bay. The Kids Club pulls out all the stops, with daily arts and crafts, and sessions on Tobago culture. That leaves you free to get stuck into sailing and snorkelling – or head off for a session of scuba diving or golf. Our favourite activities here? Eating and drinking: five prime spots include Courlanders, for delicious coconut-curried fish.

Hollywood cottoned on early to this piece of palmy heaven on Bacolet Beach in Tobago; as far back as the ’40s and ’50s, the likes of Rita Hayworth and Robert Mitchum were drinking rum cocktails on the terrace. Now it’s a boutique beauty of 55 rooms with sea views and color palettes of blue, white, and brown. From breakfast to (all-inclusive) dinner, the chefs can cook up pretty much anything you want. Oh, and a masseuse is able to bliss you out on the warm-breezy deck – perfection.

You’re assured exceptional views of the hotel’s private bay from this intimate bolt-hole, 2km (1mi) from Tobago’s capital, Scarborough. It’s handy for key attractions such as the Botanical Garden and Argyle Falls. Closer to home, the beach club has two sparkling pools, an opulent spa, and rooms with gauze-draped four-posters. The mood is equally chilled at Cafe Havana, with Latin and Caribbean menu influences, the likes of tropical chicken sandwiches and creamy curried shrimp.

Want to feel right at home in the nation’s capital, Port of Spain? Then book Coblentz Inn Boutique Hotel in a suburban part of town. In its 17 rooms. the islands’ Caribbean and East Indian legacy shines – in pink-and-green walls, and bamboo furniture. Or you can stay in the Cocoa House with its chocolatey decor and nods to the old main export. The sunny yellow and blue restaurant, Battimamzelle, is named after a dragonfly native to Trinidad. We recommend you try the tasty guava barbecue kingfish.