|
Explore Grenada |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| La Source |
|
|
|
LaSOURCE, Grenada, is a fabulous, relaxing resort for everyone.
I have just returned from two weeks pure bliss and now refuse to reset the dual time on my digital watch… I will be going back as soon as possible and have already been researching dates/flights/etc for my next visit!
If you would like just a few words of advice, let me keep it brief… “ IF YOU CAN, GO!!”
Due to carrier delays from London Gatwick, we arrived in darkness, but were picked up in a lovely air-conditioned limo for the short transfer to the hotel. Yes, the hotel is very close to the airport, however, during the entire two weeks, I only heard {say) 6 flights arriving/taking off; we are not talking London here! There are only a few days every week when a big plane lands here.
(NB we were flying Excel Airways – Excel One, and although the plane we should have been travelling in was stuck in Tobago, we actually lucked out and got onto a Jumbo Boeing 747 instead. Flight was VERY enjoyable and luxurious. Incidentally, Excel Airways seem to be the only carrier from UK that flies direct to Grenada.)
The ease of transfer to resort was wonderfully quick and easy and we arrived at reception to a cool cocktail to sip whilst we checked in. Our bags were taken up to our room, and we were very happy with the accommodation. Our room had a lovely four-poster bed with fan above the bed, excellent air-conditioning and a lovely roomy bathroom with hair-dryer, magnifying mirror and bathrobes suitable for the complimentary spa treatments.
As we arrived in darkness, we could only guess what was outside our window & balcony. In the distance, we could see the beautiful lights of St George across the bay, but it was the sound of the waves crashing against the shore that we loved. As soon as we woke the next day we rushed to the window/balcony and saw that the beautiful golden beach and gorgeous Caribbean Sea was a mere stone’s throw from our room. Absolutely perfect!
There are numerous activities available at this resort, too many to list, and there are lessons available in all. Check out the resort’s own website; WWW.LASOURCEGRENADA.COM.
Guests can be as active or inactive as the mood takes. The all year round high temperatures make the more energetic sports a little prohibitive for us used to Britain’s cold climate, but nonetheless we had a go at Tennis, Golf & Archery, taking lessons in all from lovely happy and helpful staff. Closer to the beach, all the water sports staff worked hard providing us in lessons and/or support in Windsurfing, Sailing and Water-skiing amongst other activities. I was absolutely useless at the water skiing, but other guests seemed to be natural at it! (Yes, Alison, that’s you I’m talking about!)
I attempted to master the Windsurfing, and by the end could sail right out almost out of sight, however I’m not yet able to turn the thing round and sail back, so every excursion out on the windsurfer lead to the water sports staff (many thanks, Oscar!) sending the motor boat out to collect me and the windsurf board. Even though by the second week they knew I was only going one way, the staff were unfailingly happy to rig up a windsurf just for me, and were equally happy to pick me up when I started drifting over to South America!
The employees at this resort were the best I have ever come across. Everyone we spoke to said the same, and all were planning on returning to this resort again, even those who would not normally consider returning to the same holiday destination twice. One couple (you know who you are!) were there for their 16th visit! The guests were mostly British/American/Canadian, the majority British whilst we were there. Without exception, everyone was great. People said Hello and Good Morning, etc as we passed and the whole atmosphere was very relaxed, happy, informal and friendly.
Yes, if you want to find faults, you can, but why would you?! You’re on holiday, so just CHILL, man!! There were mosquitos about (this is the wet season) and yup, my husband and I both got bitten, but don't let it ruin your holiday or put you off coming here. The rooms are as air-conditioned as you want (in fact the maids always left ours on even if we hadn't bothered) and the hotel twice weekly sprays stuff to reduce the annoyance. It's not a major problem at the resort, but bring repellent for trips into the jungle!
The place is paradise on Earth, and if you want to complain, please don’t come here!!
My biggest regret of the whole holiday (other than perhaps having booked a longer holiday!) was not taking the complimentary scuba dive sooner. I waited until the last possible slot to do the “try dive” and then had to squeeze in another four dives and tests to get my PADI Open Water certificate before I left. The diving staff were, in my inexperienced opinion, absolutely brilliant. I was very happy with the safety procedures and training. Qualified divers may book one complimentary dive per day and all equipment is supplied. If you wish to ask me any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me on njd01@btinternet.com and if possible I will be pleased to answer any queries you may have about the resort, flights from UK or the scuba diving arrangements there.
Go. It’s fabulous!
|
|
|
|
| La Source |
|
|
|
| Preview: |
| aving visited some upscale resorts in Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican
Republic, we knew this vacation would be different. We had never visited
Grenada before, nor a resort that is owned by this group. They also own
LaSport and Rendevous in St. Lucia. We are from Toronto, Ontario Canada.
|
|
| Grenada: |
| By far the most friendly and least intimidating island that we have
visited. The island is small - only 26 miles long by 11 miles across. It is
very mountainous and the roads are twisty and curvy - very similar to
Jamaica, yet even more mountainous. We drove the entire perimeter of the
island, and the scenary is absolutely spectacular! There is poverty on the
island, but it is much less than Mexico, Jamaica, and the DR. The island
appears to be emerging from the third-world. Everybody is very friendly
virtually everywhere and will always give time for directions. St. Georges
is absolutely beautiful and must be visited. They have a vivacious market
near the town center every Saturday. Many cruise lines visit the port. We
were never approached for drugs of any kind. Jamaica is rampant for this
activity. A decent rental car will cost you close to $100.00 U.S. for the
day, but it is well worth the cost. |
|
| THE RESORT - LA SOURCE |
|
| The Rooms |
| Virtually all rooms have a decent view of the ocean. Ours was an oceanfront
room which was situated very close to the ocean where the surf could be
heard at all times. The view of St. Georges from the room was simply
terrific. At night the city looked spectacular. Marble is abundant
throughout the room and all furniture is dark wood, made in Jamaica. Very
classy, comfortable, and NO television. The room is equipped with a safe
inside the closet, ironing board and iron, hair-dryer, and a well equipped
bathroom with high water pressure. There is a small fridge in the room,
however it is not stocked with anything. We found this to be strange
considering the cost of the resort. The housekeeping of the room was
first-class in every detail, and at night there is a turndown service. |
|
| The Spa |
| We found the treatments at the spa to be first-rate in every detail. The
women there DO smile and are very accomodating. To anybody who has
experienced less, I would have to say that it was your attitude or
personality that caused the problem. The truly stressed and burned-out
should experience the Chandra massage where your neck and head are worked
on. Simply amazing. I experienced a swedish massage that virtually left me
in a comatose "rubber" state. I have never had a massage like this. My wife
enjoyed a facial, two foot massages, reflexology, and a Chandra. The
treatments here far exceeded Grand Lido Sans Souci or Sandals. The best
part is that they are included in the package. |
|
| The Pool |
| Interesting part of the ratings of this resort. The pool does NOT require
chemicals or algacide! What happens is this: At the west side of the pool
there is a hill with trees and plants. Near the end of the day, some of the
plantlife is blown into the pool. Nothing more. I suggested to the resort
that they build an attractive stone wall beside the pool to stop this. We
found the pool to have a terrfic tempurature and to very comfortable. We
lounged and swam in the pool virtually every day with no problem. |
|
| The Beach: |
| The beach is small and private. Some women sunbathed topless. No big deal
because it is an adult resort. Older women kept their tops ON which was
great. There is a breaker in front of the beach to cut down on the surf. I
would not suggest casual swimming in the ocean at LaSource because the surf
is simply too rough - even with the breaker. The sand is not white, yet it
is not dark either. I would use the word "light golden" to describe it. The
beach was raked and cleaned every day, however I found it not to be up to
usual standards. While on the beach or around the pool, staff will come
around and ask for your drink order. This is not constant however and
varies greatly day-to-day. Nice touch however. |
|
| Grounds: |
| Grenada is very hot and the only way to have truly lush grounds at the
resort would be to use a ton of water, which in my opinion would be
unneccesary and wasteful. We found the grounds to be tasteful, well kept,
but not exotic. The resort is small by most standards and you will find
yourself being familiar with the complex in its entirety very quickly.
|
|
| People: |
| The majority of the guests are from the U.K. and many, many are repeat
visitors. We met a person from the U.K. that spent four weeks at the hotel
- twice per year! There are many single U.K. women here - but no guys. Very
weird because many were attractive and pleasant. The average age would be
approximately 35-45 for all guests. Very few American's visit LaSource. The
rest of the guests were Canadian or from elsewhere in Europe. The resort
owners are attempting to lure honeymooners to LaSource and I truly do not
understand why. The ambiance of the resort is for middle-aged, successful,
and burned-out people. |
|
| Management: |
| Adolph, the General Manager is ALWAYS walking around talking to the guests.
I don't think Adolph ever takes time off! He is truly concerned of the
comfort and opinions from the guests. Of all resorts that we have visited,
I found his management style to be simply the best. He never hides in his
office, and I found him to treat his employees with respect and grace. He
hails from Gravenhurst, Ontario and must be mentioned in this review. He
"walks-his-talk". |
|
| The Food: |
| I have read in other reviews that the food at LaSource is "to-die-for".
This is incorrect. The food at Grand Lido is "to-die-for". That being said,
the food at LaSource is pretty darn good. Nothing will make you sick or
wonder if you should have eaten it. The chicken roti at the Manager's party
was the best I have ever had. I say that seriously having visited Jamaica
many times. One lunch had sushi and it was first-class in every respect.
What bothered me with LaSource however is that you have to pay an
additional charge if you want shrimp or lobster. For the price, I strongly
feel that there should be one or perhaps two nights where it is included.
We originally ate at the restaurant upstairs for the first three days and
then ate the balance of our meals at the buffet downstairs because we felt
the food there was better. The British folk didn't agree with us and always
ate upstairs where you are tradionally served. LaSource also has "theme"
meals - American, U.K., Grenadian, etc. The wine at lunch and dinner was
top-notch and there was plenty to have. The wines hailed from France,
Chile, and South Africa. For an additional fee, you can order more "exotic"
wines. Save your money because the included wines are terrific. |
|
| Bars: |
| There are only two bars - one by the pool, and the Piano Bar upstairs. The
upstairs bar simply makes the best drinks. The pool bar serves
"watered-down" and sometimes "sloppily made" drinks. The pool bar was the
ONLY area of the resort where we found the staff to be generally not
smiling and have an unfriendly attitude. We couldn't figure this out during
our week-long stay. You can find Baileys, Tia Maria, Smirnoff Vodka,
Johnnie Walker Black, Glenfiddich, and premium rums at both bars. Only one
beer is served - Carib by tap only. I still feel that Presidente from the
DR is simply the best beer. Carib is not smooth at all. Both bars served
Jamaican coffees which were wonderful. |
|
| Activities: |
| There was pool exercises and volleyball every day. The U.K. group was
really into this. They have a small golf course on-site, however it was
rarely used. There were two large tennis courts, however the walk to the
courts was long and all uphill. Many people were into the daily scuba
dives. Table tennis tables were there - generally lots to do. We did
nothing - and enjoyed every minute of it. |
|
| Location: |
| LaSource has simply the best location of any hotel that we have visited.
Why? The limo whisked us from the airport to LaSource, and the drive lasted
a full two minutes, and twenty-seven seconds, that's why! After enduring
hours of gruelling drives to resorts in Jamaica and the DR, we found this
to be wonderful. My wife couldn't stop talking about how wonderful it was
NOT to be involved in a long excursion from the airport. \ |
|
| Conclusion: |
A week at LaSource is not inexpensive. We spent close to 7K for our
week-long stay. Of all resorts that we have visited, we were truly sad to
leave this one. We came to the resort tired, and feeling generally unwell
in many respects. We left feeling rejuvenated and vibrant. We have a
newfound respect for Grenada in general by its people. I would rate the
overall experience to have exceeded Grand Lido in Jamaica - a very
difficult feat in my opinion, because Grand Lido seemed to be the
"benchmark" for us for years! I cannot state that the resort "shines" in
any particular way and it's the overall experience that one must have in
order to properly rate it effectively. To date LaSource has won our hearts.
The problem is that we don't fully understand why. It just does.
To fully comprehend my conclusion, I will list some of the "better" resorts
that we have visited:
Sandals Negril - Negril, Jamaica
Grand Lido Sans Souci - Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Barcelo Maya - Mexican Riviera, Cancun Mexico
Cancun Palace - Cancun, Mexico
Secrets Excellence - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic |
|
|
|
| La Source |
Scott
San Jose, California USA
|
| June 2003 |
|
|
Overall Rating: 7/10
Value: 6/10 |
|
| Plusses: |
| A top resort in Grenada -- they don't come much nicer on this island. Grenada scuba diving is great. Food was good. Piano bar is fun. Staff is nice. Diner Restaurant very nice -- silver, china, crystal, nice menus. |
|
| Minuses: |
| A bit boring if you don't take advantage of the activities -- you have to like all inclusive to like this place. Spa treatments are weak and mass-produced in feeling as compared to an American day spa. Details lacked. Beach has rock breakers and no reef. Demographics of vacationers: 75% UK, 20% American, 5% other European. Upper middle class. Age dist: 20% under 30, 20% from 30-40, 40% 40-50, 20% over 50. 15% single, of those mostly under 35yrs single women. (go get em single guys) |
|
| Our Demographics: |
| Honeymooners, 29 yrs old, corporate workers from San Jose, California USA. |
|
| Logistics: |
| We went to La Source in the second week of June for 10 days. We traveled on American Airlines from San Jose->Dallas Fort Worth->San Juan->Grenada. The last leg of the flight was on a turbo prop. We departed San Jose at 6:30am PDT and arrived Grenada at 10:30pm local EST. It is a very long flight from San Jose and flying American. Note that flying Jamaican Airlines (from NYC) or Virgin (from Europe) they have much better flight times and large planes arriving in Grenada. I even heard that Virgin flies a 747 into Grenada -- though I still can't believe that! |
|
| Arrival: |
| Went through immigration at airport with no problems. Limo picked us up at the airport upon our arrival. It was the one and only American car that we saw on the island. Limo drove us the whole 5 minute (probably 1.5 mile) trip to La Source. We were greeted with a tropical drink and shown to the front desk. Our bags were brought to our rooms. Check in went easy -- very easy. Arrived at room 1212 Seaside. Room had French champagne (decent, but not great) garnished with fruits and a card congratulating us on our marriage. Nice touch. |
|
| Room: |
| The room was very nice as far as most all inclusives go. The location of our room was on the second floor 100 feet away from the water. The sound of the waves was constant and pleasant. The view was excellent. That was especially nice because we paid for the bottom tier "garden view" room and did not expect such a nice room. There are few better rooms. The room had marble floors, teak trim and teak plantation shutters. Mahogany furniture was good quality; the bed was big, comfortable and beautiful. The bathroom was decent sized with a single vanity and the shower could fit two. Marble was everywhere in the bathroom. There was a transformer plug that you could switch between 220 and 110. No TV. This upset my new wife as she is an addict. It made me grin. |
|
| Resort grounds: |
| Resort is small. This has it's pluses and minuses. It is quiet and the staff are not overloaded which is nice. The landscaping is Ok. It looks like it might have looked better in previous years. Some of it needs to be replaced and the grass needs some work. The main terrace is nice and the teak ceiling is amazing. All in all, the quality of materials used in building the resort were excellent, but the workman ship looks shoddy. Paint jobs have obvious mistakes, masonry isn't lined up -- that kind of stuff. The big picture is nice, but the details are lacking. For example, the clock on the clock tower is stopped. |
|
| Bars: |
| It is easy to get a nice fine drink (Johnny Walker Black for example) very quickly. The bartenders can make great absolut martini's, cosmos, tropical drinks, etc. Their plastic glasses were small so you needed to "double fist" it. Also, their single "Carib" beer is heavy in body and light in taste. I would prefer some selection and some Ales. The piano bar is just wonderful, but is only open at night. |
|
| Restaurants: |
In general good. Service is good. Served on fine china with solid sterling silverware and using fine lead crystal on linen table cloths.
Breakfast was ok. Made to order chef, but food was unpredictable. "Preserves" were more like pie fillings. You get the feeling you are eating left overs. Lunch is good. Different themes. Mexican, Japanese, UK, etc. Sushi and sashimi served and was good. Spinachy vegetable called Calaloo is just amazing. Tastes like artichoke heart with the look and consistency of spinach. Every soup I had was excellent Dinner was excellent. Three course meal, wine list with decent included wines. Asian fusion style leaning towards Caribbean. Everything is surprisingly a little greasy. But good none the less. |
|
| Beach: |
| The beach was ok. I expected better and was disappointed. The sand is not white. The beach is a private feeling beach which is good, but it is isolated so you cannot take long walks which is bad. Some women do go modestly topless, which is good! :). No one went au natural while we were there. Some Europeans wore speedos which is gross, but that is expected anywhere. The snorkel and swim area off the beach is small. The beach has boulders as breakers 25 feet off. They were put there to protect the beach, but it does detract. There is no reef to snorkel around. But around the breakers there are tons of fish. A school of 50 reef squid just sit there. Many many other fish hang out there. But the area you are allowed to swim in is small. La Source needs to fix this. |
|
| Spa: |
| I'm no spa expert and I didn't mind the spa. My wife is and thought the spa was weak. She said they felt "all inclusive" -- as in mass produced. Even the facial was an "express facial" according to her. If the top day spa in Silicon Valley is the Ritz, this would be the Comfort Inn. Sure, she's a spa snob. You might be tempted to come here if you are, too. Don't do it for the spa. |
|
| Scuba shop: |
| CJ and Adriane and the rest of the staff are great. Very safe, skilled and fun. They go above and beyond to get you good dives. Many times I thought to myself "man, they are working hard to make sure we have a good dive." That is great thing. Dive boat is ok but rumor has it they are getting a big new dive boat. If so, it will make La Source a 10 in my book. The scuba diving was so good, it's hard to know where to start. Drift diving, deep, reef diving, wreck diving (multiple wrecks, not just Bianca) -- it is all there. The only thing missing was a night dive. Saw many many nurse sharks. Turtles, baracuda, lobster, crabs, shrimp, eels, and schools and schools of fish are all in abundance. This place is NOT over fished and the coral is healthy. One very big note: If you are not PADI advanced, they will not let you go on any of the deep/advanced dives (and you don't want to miss these). They will try to sell you the advanced for 250.00 US. You can get around this by having a log book that proves you are an advanced diver. Else, you will be stuck getting a cert if you want to do the dives. They will not negotiate on this. Probably a bit of safety and of salesmanship. I can't blame them. Bring your log book. |
|
| Activities: |
| All the other activities were ok. The water sports equipment was good. The golf course is a small 9 holer -- but fun anyways. |
|
| Grenadians/Island: |
| This was our first exposure to Grenadans. In general, they are nice people, relatively well educated, overwhelmingly of African decent, usually fit, and English speaking with a Jamaican accent. I found the Grenadian women to be modest and very beautiful. All are a bit reserved and quiet (especially as compared to Americans). There are a few rastafarians -- like you'd expect in Jamaica. The parish of St. George's is nice and bristish/french in style. People drive on the left--UK style. There are these propaganda messages painted on things which is funny -- like "Don't sell your furniture for drugs". There were some drugs visible -- but only the 420 kind that I saw. It wasn't a problem no more than is in America. There are rich and there are poor, but most people seem in the middle. It isn't like the DR where children have no shirts and shoes. They are not that poor. Prices are accordingly. There are not that many things to buy, save for spices. You will not spend a lot of money. Overall it is a nice island, but if you are going to site see, go somewhere else. Grenadians seemed to like Americans. They seem to praise the intervention in 1983 a lot. I was worried that Americans might not be liked, but this was not a problem. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
