Hampshire Hotel - Queen's Gardens Resort

My Fiance and I decided to take a little side trip from St. Maartan to visit Saba for a night. He chose Queens Garden. We can not say enough wonderful things about this resort! Especially after I screwed up the days on our flight out, they still accommodated us! We were greeted with Juice and towels, followed by a tour and then our room. We decided after settling in, to take the hike up to the top of the Mountain, the scenic view with the steps. Its a tough hike but the view is so worth it. When we came back, we enjoyed our Jacuzzi in our room looking out to the ocean and mountains. We even had dinner in the Tree House. The staff is so kind as well and very welcoming. This was absolutely and unforgettable experience. We are definitely coming back for much longer. Thank you!!

Hotel - located in a valley of Saba Island directly above The Bottom...Saba's Capital. The hotel is made up of multiple buildings surrounded by lush landscaping and friendly and inviting areas near the bar, the pool and the restaurant. Each building houses rooms and suites to suit everyone. All rooms have a great view on the valley below and the sea beyond. Rather breathtaking to be frank. Service - This resort is all about service. Claire, Duco & Frank (and the rest of the crew that works there as a team) all do a great job of attending to all guests and making you feel like you are staying at a friend's house. They catered to all our needs. Arranged for diving lessons, transportation to areas on the island, advised us on hiking routes, etc. Food - I consider myself a pretty good judge of food and really enjoy cooking myself so no exaggeration when i say the food at the Queen's Garden is excellently planned and executed by their staff chef. A nice variety of continental dishes and some really creative items. Each night we enjoyed different dishes and were glad to eat there not just feeling like we had to eat there out of convenience. Make sure you ask for Duco's tableside spin on cacio pepe and the chef’s special brownie with Soursop ice cream dessert. Rooms - we were only inside one bit it was a very nice suite. You walk into a light and airy living room with fold out couch, tv, desk, etc. There was a loft upstairs for kids if needed. The bedroom was very nice with a very comfortable king size bed. Be aware that none of the rooms are air conditioned but there are plenty of fans. But if you go in the summer it will be humid! Little things - Queen's Gardens really tries to minimize their environmental impact. No AC. Open buildings with plenty of shade and ventilation. Lush Landscaping. All guests are provided with metal water bottles and there are water stations around the property to fill them with filtered water. Great way to reduce the number of plastic bottles you see everywhere at hotels and resorts when you travel (talking to you St. Martin!) No plasticware for dining. No plastic bags everywhere. Very nice. WiFi connection is slow but gives you a good excuse to unplug! The resort is kid friendly but a great place for couples. It is very quiet and tranquil.

We can't say enough great things about the owner Claire, who helped organize everything from scuba diving, to rides to/from the Windwardside, to dinner, and beyond. Not only was Claire exceptionally cool, funny, and accommodating, she also has staff who provide exceptional service as well. This includes the gin and tonic-maker extraordinaire (and server), Duco, and Frank, the server who was very attentive. When we weren't scuba diving with Saba Divers (we highly recommend them too), we were lounging at the pool, or enjoying the hot tub in our room (a very cool and unique feature of Queen's Gardens). While our room could use some updating, it was very comfortable and clean. We highly recommend that any visit to Saba start and end at Queen's Gardens. Thank you Claire and team for a wonderful stay.

Saba Queen’ Garden & Spa

Still slightly overwhelmed by the short but impressive plane ride, we're promptly taken to the hotel. The taxi ride gives you a quick taste of the island, passing through Hell’s Gate, Windward, the largest settlement, restaurants and bars hub on Saba, and finally, our destination: The Bottom. Hikers will notice, either daunted or excited: it’s all hills. 

Arriving, we are greeted by Cherrie. A warm sincere welcome. She sat us down. Refreshing scented towels, drink. And enquired about what our trip was about. She really took her time, like there were no one else in the place. Gave us lots of info about the hotel, what to do, where to eat, hiking, diving. How to say it? Did The Queen' Gardens have us at hello? You could say that. 

We were then led to our top floor suite, #8. Generous space. More living quarters than room, separate bedroom king bed, jacuzzi (which is amazing coming back from hiking, or diving! . The view from there is another big part if the love at first sight impression. Now that we're back, I find that vista stayed with me. I can appreciate how amazing it was to wake up, have coffe, and then enjoy it still throughout the day, the mesmerizing ocean nestled between Bunker and Great hills, while the red roofed, European looking The Bottom, earning its name, rests down in the middle of that picture. 

Like they say, location, location, location. 

While at the Queens, we did enjoy a few diners on the premises. They were more like culinary experiences rather than simple meals. The restaurant and its chef Nick offer impressive dining. Even lunch was excellent. All of this while sitting out, dining « al fresco », in a gorgeous, romantic atmosphere. 

Of course we walked. Mount Scenery, Paris Hill, The Ladder, are all easily accessible from the resort. Good shoes, walking stick, water, sunscreen; the usual, will be needed. Other trails will require a taxi ride to get to or back from. Some of these places do require a decent physical condition. All will give you a really nice rewarding feeling once done. More importantly, all of them offer a unique Saba 
experience. Wether it's vistas, a challenging climb, splendid vegetation, or historic voyage. For any outings, Claire or Cherrie will give you all the details. 

Diving Saba. Well I'm sure you could enjoy the island without, but... The Unspoiled Queen offers a generous part of her riches underneath the water. Cherrie who is herself an experienced diver will help you set it up, answer most of your questions, easy as pie. The hotel will refer you to Saba divers. There is one other diving outfit. I'm sure they're good. We went with Corey and his wife Gillian, and wow! While the Queens Gardens might very well account for our perfect scenic and comfy topside stay, Saba Divers, are wholly responsible for a truly unforgettable diving experience. 

In Corey and Gil we trust! 

The staff at the Queens will go out of their way. And I'm not just saying that. Harry will serve you breakfast like you're family, but he's just as likely to pick you up in town by chance, seeing you're stranded without a cab. 
Frank, waiting on us. professionnel to the core. Also inquired about my wife who was experiencing a bit of muscle pain. The next day, he brought his own medicine which ended up helping just in time for our next dive. 
Duco, the fast moving passionate gin aficionado seems like he's everywhere in the hotel. Pure efficiency. 
The staff, the place, really work like a well tuned orchestra. 
As such, The maestro deserves our praise. Claire the owner the hotel and Bubba restaurant in town, very finely takes care of everyone. Knowing you by name the second day, dropping us in town when she was heading that way, all in all making our sojourn such an incredible experience. No wonder so many people keep returning. 
Which we might very well end up doing as well. Tx a million for the perfect vacation!