Overall, we had a very relaxing and enjoyable time at the M.O. Canouan. While there were several kinks to iron out throughout our stay (which would have resulted in a 2-3 star rating), they were handled by the manager, Michael, and the staff went above and beyond to remedy and make sure that we were more content with our visit upon departure. So, overall, the experience and property get 4 stars from us.
Good to know in advance/suggestions:
1. THE LOW SEASON IS DEAD: If you are fine with just a few other people at the hotel, and limited restaurant options & activities, low season is for you. Low season tends to coincide with hurricane season. If you like more variety and a more lively atmosphere, the high season (winter months for U.S./European citizens) gives a more typical resort experience.
2. PLAN ACTIVITIES AND DINING IN ADVANCE: The hotel does not have great onsite communication — there are no guest guides, such as a leaflet or binder, in the room. Rather, everything is seemingly online. However, I was not able to get specific information online, except for the spa and a few activities such as "sunset on the 13th hole" for added prices. Finding out specific contact information onsite was a bit confusing if the butler doesn't offer much information over text or in-person. I found this to be a bit cumbersome and time consuming to chase down (meaning I want to be on my phone less, rather than more, on vacation). I received an email introduction from our reservations manager, Karen, to the M.O. Canouan team prior to our trip, but did not hear much about dining options, menus, activities available, etc. Karen did send a couple of 'PDF brochures' that are a general overview, but not detailed information about each restaurant, nights open, etc. I mentioned to Michael, the manager, that it would be more helpful to guests to have: 1) Advance detailed information rather than just a web link to 'generalized' PDF booklets -- and that more information via email from the activities & dining team in advance might help prevent onsite slow-down during the vacation; and 2) When guests arrive, make this information more handy even if it is a one-pager slipped under the door each morning — this would prevent any lack of communication from the butlers regarding offerings, availability, and prices from being a detractor. His answer was that due to “sustainability efforts,” this kind of information was not printed on paper. In this situation, “sustainability” takes down the 5-star experience, in my opinion. And that seems to be a Corporate decision, unfortunately.
2. TRAVEL: Using SVG/Grenadines Alliance as the commuter aircraft was *not* pleasant. While this is completely separate from Mandarin, it is the most frequent type of transport to the Mandarin other than private charter. The SVG plane is very old, has no air conditioning, is very loud and smelly, and turbulent even on a good day. The tires of the plane were completely bald! I don’t consider myself a queasy flyer at all, but I highly recommend *not* using SVG. Other reasonable options include boat transfer, however there are a very limited number of ferry trips available to Canouan. If private charter is price-prohibitive and ferry is not an option with your transportation needs, then this may not be the hotel for you, unfortunately .
3. CASH AND GRATUITY: As is typical for island hotels as part of a chain company, the staff are paid a very small amount of money as a base salary (they certainly deserve more as a salary, in my opinion, for a 5-star hotel). The staff relies heavily on gratuity and they are very grateful for anything you can give in cash. American dollars are favored if you are traveling from the U.S. (rather than Eastern Carib dollars). Note: tips written in on the credit card statements are given to an overall group of workers and so your individual server might only get a portion of your gratuity. **If you need to obtain more cash, the front desk will give you an advance of currency with a 5% surcharge. There is a bank in the main village, but I opted for doing the hotel surcharge instead, for convenience sake.
The hotel accommodations:
The rooms, villas, and common areas are a 6-star (out of 5) property! The buildings are incredibly designed and built -- and are complete with high-end decor, building materials, and amenities. I say “6 star” because this Mandarin tops most of the 5-star hotels we have stayed at in the U.S. and internationally.
The beach:
The beach is not as ideal in that it was affected from Hurricane Beryl in 2024, and is also very choppy compared to any beach on the Caribbean side. It is not impossible to swim in the beachfront surf area if there is a green flag out, but it is not a calm ocean setting, if this is what you are looking for. However, the view is lovely and listening to the waves is very relaxing. A lot of seaweed comes in with the storms and rain, but seems to be maintained by the workers as much as possible. The staff is also happy to take you to another calmer beach in another area (such as Shell Beach), but that involves a shuttle or golf cart ride.
The pool area:
The pool area is beautiful and well kept. The pool bar area is well-staffed and has lots of yummy drink and food options. The staff made sure to accommodate every request of mine. If you see “Kashi” (her nickname), ask her to make you the "special Kashi tropical mocktail" as I called it - or make it a cocktail with some rum (she used ginger, mint, cucumber, and passion fruit juice)! Staff also comes by the loungers often to bring water, more towels, and ask if there are food requests. Sunscreen is also available at the pool. Note that this can be a pretty windy area at times, but we didn't mind it.
The spa:
This is the most fantastic spa experience my husband and I have ever had -- and we have traveled a lot! We purchased the "Emerald Enchantment" 120-minute couples treatment package and it was worth every penny. The treatments are not inexpensive, but very worth it. I did not see locker rooms or a larger relaxation area, but we went on our last day and would not have had time for a larger lounge area anyway. The spa therapists have top-notch level training.
The food and dining:
Definitely 5-Star level. Dining is pricey (US $50-100 for the nicer Tides dinner entrees and around US$ 25-40 for Lagoon entrees), but I cannot say enough about the chef, the offerings, and the wait staff who make the prices very fair. They accommodated every request of ours. My only wish is that there was not just one dining option open at a time, but during the low season, this is how it is. As suggested above, you can work with your M.O. concierge, in advance, to make sure that you ask which ones will be open each night so that you do not miss a particular restaurant being open during your stay. Be sure to ask about to-go meal offerings on the day you leave. The kitchen will pack up a lunch or whatever you ask, to take on your journey, for a charge. It is worth it!
We found that transportation off site is around $30/couple round-trip for a restaurant such as SOHO beach house.
Amenities / Technology:
The amenities are an M.O. designed brand. Shampoo, conditioner and gel are the dreaded community-style dispensers, but at least the M.O. versions seem more sanitary than some of the easy-access community bottles, like a lot of hotels have gone with now. Brand new boxed soap is available, at the sink and tub area, that is packaged and not a community dispenser. Lotion is also still individually packaged and brand new - so at least a couple of items in the bathroom are how it used to be with 5 Stars!! (The "eco/sustainability" reason is a popular excuse with toiletries now and it is clear that it is a money-saver, rather than a true expectation from guests. It is silly that for these prices, guests no longer get sealed, brand new individual toiletries. I hope Mandarin changes this back at some point).
Linens are very high end and thankfully, a real duvet cover is still used for the beds. There are no top sheets, however. You would have to ask for one. Towels and robes are high end. Slippers are put out with turn-down service.
Technology can be glitchy - we had to change rooms because the high-tech iPad-controlled items weren't working (climate, lights, TV, etc).
Excursions and guided activities:
Because our visit was in the low season, there were very few activities to choose from. And some of this "low season" ghost town is not just because of the hotel, but because the island itself is also very small and remote — access to traditional island activities were not available. There was no live music or anything of the sort at the resort. It was a skeleton staff.
However...one of the highlights of our M.O. stay and trip was that one of the employees, Erasto (ask for him!), went around to the guests on property, and was kind enough to offer a fun hike to Mt. Royal. Erasto brought everything we needed for the hike…towels and water were most welcome along the way. While it is a *rigorous* hike (steep and fairly rugged), it is well worth going to the top to see all of Canouan and beyond, on a nice day. **I do not recommend this hike if it rained the day before or even sprinkled the morning of - it is very slippery.
Special additions:
The management went out of their way to welcome us with fruit, beverages, and sweets. Thanks to the team for all of the special touches in honor of our anniversary. And I highly recommend the chocolate cake!!
Suggestions for Corporate:
- Give the optics that the hotel still provides plenty of entertainment and variety during the low season, even if it requires keeping additional staff and investing a little more. You won't get guests in the low season if it continues as is.
- Provide more detailed information in advance and in the room itself.
- Provide a reasonably priced, safe, and comfortable way for people to get to Canouan from either St. Vincent or Barbados. This is the biggest detail hurting your hotel's business. An old SVG airplane and a couple of ferries are not going to keep the hotel viable. As wonderful as the hotel is, noone will come if they have to fly on a really old smelly SVG airplane and pay $1,200 roundtrip per couple to do so.
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