Calabash Cove Resort & Spa - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1352 reviews

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  Evening food lets down an otherwise great resort

  We returned to Calabash Cove after 10 years. The resort is beautiful, the rooms clean and comfortable, and the staff helpful, professional and efficient. Lots of nice touches - english plugs, a safe big enough to take a laptop, movement-sensitive lights on the way to the loo, fresh towels daily, fresh cold drinking water daily, free cold drinking water and copious towels from the pool bar, drinks and lunch served at the beach, nice balcony, and an excellent coffee machine in the room. The inclusive breakfast was good, and we found some nice things on the lunch menu, but the evening food was poor. The chef can overcook anything, particularly fish, doesn't know how to use spices and fruit, and doesn't know how to match sides with main dishes. We lasted for three meals and then started eating out, despite the inconvenience and the £35 per night cost of a taxi - anything to get away from that chef. My first meal was a sweet and sour duck breast, which was neither sweet nor sour and was accompanied by the bizarre combination of raw and cooked carrots. Thankfully I like my duck overcooked, but anyone hoping for pink flesh would have been disappointed. My partner had the grilled tuna salad starter as a main course. The tuna was nicely cooked but was cold. It was a salad, but as it was grilled tuna she was expecting the fish to be at least warm. My second meal was a moroccan spice rubbed chicken breast, which was overcooked, not at all spicy, and accompanied by carrots and sprouts, when it was crying out for pineapple and apricot. The couscous was the best part of the meal. My partner had the grilled mahi mahi (dorado). The fish was overcooked and the plate was so hot she couldn’t touch it, which means the fish was still cooking on the plate. For dessert she had grilled pineapple with coconut ice cream. As pineapple grows on the island she was expecting it to be a generous slice of fresh pineapple. Instead she got what looked like a tinned slice with a hole in the middle, and it was cold. The ice cream lacked coconut flavour. My third and final meal was 'escovitched snapper'. Escovitching is supposed to be shallow frying of a whole fish to crisp the skin, then dousing with a generous selection of vegetables in a hot vinegar dressing to finish the fish to a soft texture. This chef had cut the fish into slices so that it curled up, deep fried it, and thrown over a few thinly sliced carrots. The pieces of fish were precisely the same as I had in my fish sliders at lunch time the day before - overcooked, salty and barely palatable. That was the last straw. For the first evening of our escape we took the short journey to a small resurant called Sonrisa. The menu was quite modest, but we came away praising the flavours for the first time this holiday. Delicious herby fried chicken, rice, potato salad, fried plantain. Luxury! And we were not the only ones. We only spoke to two other couples - one also complained about the food, and the other made the same escape as we did, despite the cost of the taxis. We both loved the steaks at The Big Chef and the amazing seafood at The Naked Fisherman. The Calabash Cove chef should eat there! Lunch could be problematic too. I had sweet potato chips one day that were barely cooked, and potato fries another day which were not crisp. The fish sliders I have already covered. The burger was OK, but quite heavy - I make better burgers at home. The chicken caesar salad had warm limp lettuce, undercooked croutons, too much cheese and not enough dressing. However, in our final days I asked them to do the fruit platter from the breakfast menu, along with the fried goat's cheese starter in a honey glaze, and that was delicious. I feel really sorry for the rest of the staff, as they work really hard and know what they're doing. The food lets them all down. We won't be going there again.

  May 10, 2025
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  This was a birthday getaway present. Turned out to be fantastic, memorable and one in a million.

  Every bit was memorable. I was recognized and celebrated by the staff. I got birthday decor both in my room and the restaurant. When we went for the spa treatment it was another celebration. I won’t forget this anytime soon! I highly recommend this resort.

  May 09, 2025
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  Relaxation at its finest!

  This resort is beautiful! We stayed in a beachside cottage and it was absolutely dreamy. We loved the quiet atmosphere and found it very easy to relax and unwind while listening to the waves. The staff was helpful, kind, and courteous and left us wanting for nothing. We loved the concierge service provided and took advantage of it throughout our stay. Our days passed too quickly! The only tip we have is that the restaurant gets a bit hot, so you’ll want to dress light! We can’t wait to come back!

  May 04, 2025
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  A paradise to be to enjoy and relax

  We were here the second time after our visit in 2021. There is always a risk that when you return you might be the disappointed as you may miss the surprising "wow" effect. That was at no point the case at Calabash. The view on arrival was still exiting, the people so nice and the food so great that we enjoyed our stay not less then the first time. We love that small great and quiet hotel and I'm sure we will do even visiting a 3rd time that great place on this beautyfull island.

  Apr 30, 2025
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  Perfect Honeymoon

  Calabash cove was amazing! When we first arrived, the view from the lobby set an amazing impression. We checked in and were shown to our cute beach cottage. The property was beautiful and full of flowers, and we were so close to the beach which we was amazing. We loved our Cottage and it was perfect for our honeymoon! We ate at the restaurant frequently and they had a vegetarian/vegan menu which was perfect for us. We also did the private sunset dinner and while it felt like you were spoiling ourselves, it really wasn't that much more expensive to add on to the package. Overall I would recommend this for sure to anybody looking for romance or even just some nice Beach time

  Apr 30, 2025