Michele A.
Google
The British Colonial has a beautiful first impression. The entryway, common areas, and on-site restaurants are well designed and visually impressive, giving the property a polished, upscale feel from the moment you arrive.
The room itself was clean but dated. The walls and doors are extremely thin, and you can hear everything happening in the hallway. Thankfully, the bed was comfortable, so when it was quiet, it was easy to sleep.
The TV setup in the room is outdated and frustrating. There are no smart TV options, and while I eventually figured out how to use the cable, the information guide doesn’t work at all. You have to manually flip through channels to see what’s on and hope you catch a movie at the right time. I highly recommend bringing a Fire Stick or Chromecast if you plan to spend any time watching TV.
Room service was a frustrating experience. I tried placing an order through the website listed on the check-in information page, but it stayed “pending” for 40 minutes with no updates. When I tried calling, none of the direct-dial buttons on the room phone (front desk, restaurants, housekeeping) worked. There were no instructions, so I ended up dialing zero to reach the front desk and sorting it out. The food that was delivered was not great, the fries were already cold and soggy.
Food and drinks overall were underwhelming and expensive. One bright spot was the coffee shop.
We visited in January, when the weather was in the low to mid 70s. There was one beautifully sunny day around 72 degrees, but the breeze made it too cold to comfortably sit at either the beach or the pool. Unfortunately, the pool is not heated (if it is, it did not feel heated). If the pool had been warmer, it would have been a perfect way to enjoy the sunshine and warm up at the same time.
The beach is beautiful and it’s very cool to watch the cruise ships come into port, but we did have some issues related to broken beach chairs, and staff not cleaning garbage off the beach/chairs/tables when people left. There’s also lots of loud music always playing, so if you’re looking for a relaxing beach experience and not a party beach, this may not be the right place for you.
Service overall was okay—not bad, but not particularly memorable or exceptional either.
Bottom line: The British Colonial shines in its public spaces and location, but the rooms, amenities, and overall experience don’t quite match the elegance of the common areas. With some updates and better attention to comfort and convenience, it could be a much more enjoyable stay.