Tl;dr – As part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, this still-under-construction Elephant Tree Beach Club & Villas has signed with Hilton.
If you enjoy doubles, bake and shark, and other Trinidadian delicacies as much as I do, then you’ll like this latest development.
In 2028, Hilton will open one of the first upscale points-ready hotels on the island of Tobago, which is part of the dual-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Over the years, most of the commercial development (in terms of hotels) has focused on Trinidad, leaving Tobago to be a largely local, laid-back island. In my visits to Trinidad, I’ve only heard the best things about Tobago – about everything from the island’s beauty to its people and the food (Curried crab and dumplings?…um, yes, please!). Perhaps this latest development will finally help me get over there. Let’s dive in!
Elephant Tree Resort and Villas Tobago
Yesterday, Hilton announced the signing of the Elephant Tree Resort and Villas Tobago, a development that will feature 40 guest rooms and 126 residences. As mentioned above, this property will settle into Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, which, alongside the Curio Collection and LXR Hotels & Resorts, accounts for the lion’s share of Hilton’s ‘soft-brand‘ portfolio. If you’re more familiar with Marriott benchmarking, LXR -> Luxury collection, Curio -> Autograph Collection, and Tapestry -> Tribute Collection.
The resort is located in Roxborough, near Argyle Falls, the island’s largest waterfall that deposits into a swimming hole.
While the dining outlets aren’t fully fleshed out as of yet, you can expect a full-service all-day restaurant, a beachfront bar and grill, and a lobby bar, and I wouldn’t be surprised if another one or two options popped up throughout development.
In addition to the gorgeous beach, guests will have their choice of ‘three swimming pools, including a multi-level, three-story waterfall and a splash pool for kids.’ When you need to get that ‘wellness in,’ you can head to the state-of-the-art fitness center or book an appointment at the ‘modern spa.’
The development’s Facebook page has all sorts of fun drone videos dating back to when ground first broke (2022). Additionally, the Elephant Tree’s blog (linked above) and this real estate website have some amusing renderings that are reminiscent of The Sims.
Elsewhere around the island of Tobago, visitors can enjoy picturesque sites like the Nylon Pool, Buccoo Bay and Buccoo Reef, and Pigeon Point. If you’re a diver or snorkeler, Tobago, due to the lack of tourism, boasts some of the most unspoiled waters full of marine life. Quaint towns like Charlottesville and Scarborough present great expeditions to sample local cuisine.
Biggest things on the Horizon for Tobago
Tobago is making a focused effort to open itself to the larger tourism world. This year, Tobago welcomed a new international terminal at ANR Robinson International Airport. While I expected daily service to Trinidad’s Piarco International Airport in Port of Spain (Caribbean Airlines) and direct service to JFK (also operated by Caribbean Airlines) is also not a shocker, I was pleasantly surprised to see a fifth-freedom route by British Airways between Tobago and Saint Lucia. (Aside: I’ve been planning a hypothetical Caribbean island-hopping itinerary where I visit every major-ish Caribbean island with no backtracks, so this fifth freedom will be good to keep in my back pocket.)
The big fish, though, is Condor’s planned weekly service to/from Frankfurt onboard its Airbus A330-900neo.
That’s not a bad start for the island’s ‘coming out’ party. (Be sure to book that Prime Seat!)
In case you’re already planning to visit Trinidad and want to make a stop in Tobago but don’t want to fly between the two islands, there’s a ferry you can take. The journey takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours.
