 |
Know Before You Go! |
Have you visited Young Island? We'd love to know what you think...
Please write a review with as much detail as possible. Tell us about the amenities, facilities and staff.
Click Here to post your review for Young Island.
 I enjoyed Young Island. Visited: May 2006 |
| Posted by lace |
 |
This is a beautiful island and a wonderful resort. The food is great, and the resort is a very relaxing place to be. |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
 It is a beautiful property- but the staff is lacking. Visited: October 2004 |
| Posted by mmclarke |
|
My husband and I just returned from an eight-night stay on Young Island. While I agree with the other posters that the property was beautiful, the cold, unhelpful staff put a damper on an otherwise five-star property.
I appear to be in the minority, as others have raved about the service. For example- we were never greeted with so much as a “Hello” or smile whenever we entered the office. After initiating a greeting and making a request/asking a question, the front desk staff’s response was often a blank stare or an “I don’t know”.
Simple things like making SCUBA reservations, fixing a clogged toilet, finding out what time the ferries ran (conflicting schedules were posted) and purchasing stamps were a huge hassle.
While the restaurant/bar staff was a little better, no one seemed happy to be there, and smiles were few and far between. And don’t even think about taking out a complimentary sunfish for a sail unless you want to have the beach attendant standing with his arms crossed staring at you the entire time and glaring at you if you came anywhere near the border of the “safe” sailing zone.
Bottom line: great property, but short on service. |
| 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
 It was excellent. Visited: July 2004 |
| Posted by fiskbulldogs |
|
Young Island is the perfect place to forget what time it is, what day it is and even forget who you are. Rest and relaxation is the order of the day on this secluded resort.
My wife and I honeymooned here for a week and it was wonderful, from our welcome down to the glass of wine we had the night before we left. |
| 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| Young Island is a well manicured jungle. Visited: May 2004 |
| Posted by luda_wolf |
|
We just came back from spending one week at Young Island Resort. We were not disappointed in our choice. It was exactly as it was described by their web site and as I pictured it.
The grounds were a well-manicured jungle of tropical flowers and plants with the cottages hidden amongst them. We opted for the cheapest room category and were pleased to find it to be a very good size, nicely decorated with plenty of storage space.
There was a small refrigerator, wall safe and every unit had it own patio or porch with lounge chairs and tables. Ours also had a hammock. There were no air conditioners in the units, but we found we really did not need it as all windows had slats and constant trade winds kept room very comfortable (at least when we were there in May, might be different in the summer).
We were on the three meals a day package, so we ate all our meals here. Food was very good with the emphasis on using local produce and spices with the European flair and it was very well presented. It was served in the gazebos in a garden.
The dinner menu changed every day and was offered as a 5-course meal. Breakfast menu stayed the same and the lunch menu changed every two-three days. They also had a couple of buffet nights, which were very good.
The resort had entertainment three times a week, jazz, steel drum band and some group played local music. Everybody gathered up at the lounge for a little social just before dinner every night. The owner of Dive St. Vincent outfit joined everybody there every evening and could schedule all your diving, snorkeling and other island trips.
Before the trip I was afraid that it would be all young honeymoon crowd, but was pleasantly surprised to find a good mix of all ages with a lot of couples celebrating their 10th to 30th anniversaries with majority being Americans.
The island of St. Vincent was very lush and had a lot of jungle undeveloped land. From the tourist perspective, it was still very undeveloped and once we did the tour of the island stopping at all must see spots, there was not much to do.
There was no duty-free shopping, gambling or much of nightlife. There were a few small hotels and restaurants that mostly catered to divers, as the island is known for it excellent diving.
Young Island Resort was perfect get away for somebody who wants mostly rest and relaxation in an upscale resort with some occasional diversions. We found it just right for us as we spent some time vegging around the resort and relaxing and did all island "must-dos" to keep us from being bored. |
| 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| We enjoyed outstanding meals, but it was too windy. Visited: February 2003 |
| Posted by richkreuzer |
|
They were advertised as trade winds, but it was more like trade gusts. I am not sure if this happens all year. However, the staff was terrific and the meals were superb. Although, I have been to better locations for much less money. |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| A consistently outstanding resort. Visited: June 2002 |
| Posted by smcculler |
|
This was our second visit to Young Island, and we were delighted that it remained an exceptionally fine resort at an excellent value.
We travel frequently to many diverse areas, and Young Island remains at the top of our "Favorite Places List".
Of course, the resort is beautiful. We especially like the cool breezes that blow through the many-windowed cottages and the private outdoor showers, but the staff is really what sets this resort apart from all the others. They are simply wonderful in terms of quality of service and attention to the guests--and they are genuinely friendly, informative, and interested in making our visit a happy experience.
The guests have been a nice mix of ages and nationalities, and we enjoyed interesting conversations at meals and cocktails. On this trip, we took advantage of the Sailaway option. Captain George is a long-time sailor who handled the Lady Young like a dream - and Mate Danny provided great meals and fine conversation and guided us to some great nightspots. We also had the special pleasure of attending the Kiddie Carnivale on St. Vincent this year. What great fun! We highly recommend Young Island Resort to all weary travelers hoping to find a return to quality and service in a very special place. |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| This is an outstanding resort in an atmosphere of total relaxation. Visited: November 2001 |
| Posted by bill_hawkins |
|
Young Island provided first class food and personal service in an atmosphere of total relaxation.
The cottage I stayed in was right on the beach and close to restaurant and bar. It was not particularly luxurious, but had a lot of character and felt good.
The beach was excellent with a very gentle slope into the water. It was good for swimming and snorkeling.There was plenty of space and I never felt crowded.
Where Young Island came into its own, was with the quality of the staff. They saw me wandering down to the restaurant when one of the team met me with a "Hello, Mr. Hawkins. How are you?". This was before I even had to tell them my name or cottage number. They would then show me to my table with wonderful views of the sea and the boats moored some distance away.
The service was consistently attentive and the cuisine was excellent. At lunch time there was an imaginative menu which changed each week. I was very impressed with the different menu which was offered each night. I enjoyed excellent food - tender chicken, which had been marinated the day before in white wine, and fresh lobster on Friday. The dishes were always extremely enjoyable and original.
I am an hotelier and I am constantly looking at an operation as a professional even though I am on holiday! I was not disappointed. There was a very special atmosphere at Young Island.
|
| 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| Island Hideaway Visited: February 2001 |
| Posted by imbesij |
|
My wife and I were looking for a true escape. Young Island certainly met our expectations. Having stayed at the Anse Chastenet on St. Lucia for our honeymoon, we knew we had a bit of an adventurous spirit.
Young Island is probably the nicest place to stay on St. Vincent Proper judging by what we saw. It is a small island just south of the main island, so one feels very secure. The setting is a tropical paradise. We ate under open kiosks overlooking the water. The service is extremely friendly and excellent. The food is good to excellent, with the menu changing daily to provide enough variety. Dinner is something to look forward to.
The beach is somewhat disappointing. It is small, but adequate for the number of guests. There is a stretch of sand tucked away on the side with excellent views and plenty of privacy. Those looking for lots of water sports will be disappointed by the aging equipment that is seldom used.
The accommodations are probably the best part of the adventure. We stayed in two villas while there for 10 days. We were upgraded from a middle-scale villa to a luxury villa upon our return from a 3-day sailing trip arranged in advance through the resort. For those with the money to spare, the luxury villa seems well worth the increase in price from the middle-grade villa. I would recommend either the basic accommodation or the luxury villa since the increase in price for the middle grade accommodation did not seem worth it. The luxury villas on the hilltop are spectacular with vistas of the sea, and the sound of the surf. The shower is private, but "outdoors" and overlooks the sea - truly unique. The private patio is perfect for a room service breakfast and so forth. The walk up nearly 100 steps from the main part of the resort is tiring, but worth it. There are accommodations on the beach for those not willing to expend the energy.
The sail-away option is only for those who feel truly adventurous. Make sure you bring motion sickness tablets! It was a nice way to explore some the Grenadines south of St. Vincent.
The main drawback is the lack of activities. The resort did not go out of its way to coordinate excursions for its guests. What they did arrange for us were usually guided tours, but were rather expensive, because we were often the only couple on the tour. Entertainment on Young Island itself is limited to mood music in the bar, and a steel band 1 to 2 times per week at dinner and at the bar. Also, the average age of the guests were “not so young,” as you might guess. Not too many honeymooners were present.
All in all, this was a quiet tropical paradise—a true escape from it all.
|
| 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| Unique! Visited: October 2000 |
| Posted by stevemarvinmccloud |
|
I had the pleasure of staying at Young Island for four days. The surroundings, accommodations, service and beach are quite fine. This is a great destination for honeymooners, couples, families and singles who want to try a special destination. I strongly recommend the boating excursions to other islands and exploring St. Vincent. The quality of the food is good, not outstanding, but the service is delightful. Overall, I highly recommend Young Island. |
| 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| A pleasant hideawa Visited: November 1999 |
| Posted by ATraveler |
|
Having only stayed in large fully-accommodating hotels for the past 20 years in both Europe and the Caribbean, my wife and I tried to venture forth and take a 180 degree turn from the ordinary. We booked a week at Young Island. This island paradise was truly unique. It certainly lives up to its reputation as being a high class Robinson Carusoe hideaway.
The luxury suites were truly breathtaking and had remarkable views (except for one, #26). There was nothing to do except laze around, read a book or two and soak up the sun--just plain relax.
If you are truly looking for a place to get away from civilization but be well taken care of at the same time, this is it. But be prepared for some shocks and maybe some slight inconveniences.
As you might realize, we did not stay the full week. We left after three days and went to the Ritz-Carlton in San Juan for the rest of our trip which has always been more our speed. The total quiet was too much for us, and we were a little bored.
First of all, remember this is a private island, so there is no town to walk through or any scheduled activities to participate in. Yes, there are tours of the island of St. Vincent that you can take, and most of the guests we spoke to did them because there was truly nothing the do on the island except sit in the sun. Schedule yourself to do the tours on Saturday or Sunday if possible because the town of Kingston, on St. Vincent closes up shop on Saturday at noon and is not open on Sunday; so, if you don't schedule something to do you are going to be stuck on the island (unless all you want to do is sit on the beach for 7 days then you are truly in luck!)
Secondly, if you are in one of the luxury suites on the hilltop, be sure to take everything you need for the day with you because once you climb down the 100 rock steps from the top of the hill to the bottom (where all the island activity is -- the pool, beach, office, dining areas and bar) you do not want to have to go up again because even for someone in good shape its tiring.
This brings me to the next important issue. There are no phones but you can have room service. How can that be? You guessed it! You must walk to the kitchen and order room service then go gack to your bungalow. If you are in any of the suites down near the beach or only have a few steps to travel down this is probably no problem. Being in the luxury bungalows on the hill, this amounted to a trek. By the time we got down to order room service we did not want to walk back up so we ate dinner in the dining room.
Lastly, remember this is an island hideaway. Typical luxuries such as areas to sit (i.e.-lobby with couches or lounges) aren't here. If it rains, which it did everyday sometimes for minutes other times for hours, you can find cover in the bar or in the kiosks used for dining. It must rain alot although they don't tell you because I found umbrellas everywhere even in the rooms.
All in all, I gave Young Island 4 stars because although it was not for my wife and I, it truly is an island paradise that if you are sure you want to get away from everything and not care about typical vacation luxuries, but have attentive service, fine food, a beautiful atmosphere and courteous staff, then this is the place.
By the way, we were having such an uncomfortable time that we gave the manager a little grief at one point. She was so accommodating to us even though we were not happy, I would go back just for her.
Oh, I almost forgot. It seems that there is a bar that hosts local bands on Saturday nights. It is not every Saturday night so you may want to find out which night it is before booking your trip. If you are like me, I tend to like silence when trying to sleep. The music can be heard in every bungalow and depending on the way the wind is blowing it can be loud at times. If you are like my wife who can sleep through the bombing of Dresden, it's OK. But since I cannot, it was annoying.
The concert starts at 10pm and ends at 2am. You might say, hey! why dont we just go to the concert if we are going to be awake. You can't. The little boat that takes you from the dock to Young Island stops at 10pm. So if you are lucky enough to be on the other side at the start of the concert you can't get across to go to sleep at the end. Enough said.
Have a great trip. This is a gorgeous and relaxing place despite the shortcomings which to some or most people, except me, might not be shortcomings at all. |
| 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
|
| Every hotel, resort, b&b, and villa. That is our goal. Did we miss your favorite hotel or villa? Do you own a hotel or villa? Please let us know. Click Here! |
| Did you find something offensive on our website? Please let us know. Click Here! |
|
| The ultimate "Robinson Crusoe" hideaway, an 'islanders' island", are appropriate descriptions of Young Island. One of the first whole island resorts, Young Island is located just 200 yards off the south coast of St. Vincent in the southern Caribbean. This tiny island is fully self-contained with wonderful, private... |
Caribbean Villa Rentals
|
 |
Saint Vincent Lodging
Saint Vincent Travel Guide
Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Necker_Island, Anegada, Little_Thatch_Island, Virgin_Gorda, Tortola, Cayman_Islands, Dominica, Dominican_Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis, Puerto_Rico, St_Barts, St_Kitts, St_Lucia, St_Maarten, St_Martin, St_Vincent__the_Grenadines, Trinidad_and_Tobago, Turks_and_Caicos, St_John, St_Thomas, St_Croix, Villa Home Page
|
- Saint Vincent Links
-
|
Bequia Beachfront Villa Hotel