커튼 블러프 -

There was a really homey feel to this beautiful resort. There is a reason why there are so many repeat guests. The local staff are attentive and friendly and have also been there many years. The beach chairs and "umbrellas" are the best I have ever experienced.

We spent a pleasant week at Curtain Bluff, but this is another trip that really makes me question the ‘Travellers Choice Best of The Best’ that it seems to have won. Why does this place review so well on here? We really didn’t see it. The Location - Beautiful, set on a bay with palm trees on the beach and forested hills behind it. The beach was extremely relaxing, seemed to be enough sun beds for everyone. No music, just very relaxing. The grounds were nice, albeit small, tropical plants, well kept etc. The beach was the highlight of our trip. The Room - Old but ‘fine’. A stunning view with the waves crashing on a beach a few metres from our balcony and an unblocked view of the seas. The room was however very tired. At this end of the market standards have changed a lot in the past ten years for the better and Curtain Bluff has failed to catch up. The bathroom felt old and dated. The Food - Not up to a modern hotel at this price range. There are two restaurants, we didn’t think either were great. Breakfast was ‘fine’ although a little boring. The lunch by the beach has both a la carte and buffet service, which were again ‘fine’ but nothing to get excited about. Dinner, again ‘fine’ but not great. An example - the steak is not a steak but is in fact a slice of beef. Why not charge people a few $ more and actually provide decent food? Service - Certainly very friendly, but at times slow. Eg getting drinks at the beach involved predicting you might want a drink in 45 mins and so ordering ahead. Gym - Again very small and not well equipped. Dumbbells up to 75lb and some basic machines but got very crowded before breakfast. Spa - Again, ‘fine’ nothing wrong with the massages but the treatment rooms etc not up to the standard of a modern luxury hotel. An annoyance - Breakfast finishes at 9. So impossible to sleep til 730, have some coffee, get a workout and then get breakfast. Meant our mornings were rushed, again not acceptable at this end of the market. Why does it review so well? We observed that most of the guests were older retired people who have returned multiple times - perhaps they don’t have anything to compare it too? As a couple in our 40s who travel regularly and have a lot of comparison points we had a decent trip but were not impressed and wouldn’t return - you can do a lot better in this price range. To top it all off, hotel car to the airport was late, airport a chaotic mess when we got there. Nearly missed our flight, had no time to get anything to eat before our flight. Sad way to end a vacation but very Curtain Bluff. At this price range you have to be better than ‘fine’.