Forty Winks Inn

I chose the Forty Winks Inn based on vicinity to the Queen’s Park Savannah, mainly for the night market, the vicinity to the old part of Port of Spain for the old buildings, the local restaurants and also based on the description and reviews. Once I had booked, Pam (the owner) contacted me to check what time my flight was arriving. I was arriving in Trinidad at 0600 and I understood that check in was much later, so I requested to leave our bags at the Inn. Pam offered breakfast and an early check in for a small fee, and I graciously accepted. I’m glad I did. The Inn is a simple two level building with rooms on both floors. We stayed on the ground floor at the back of the building. There is a courtyard along the side of the building where breakfast is served. On the second floor, there is a rooftop garden that is often visited by local birds, including green parrots. The room was simple and comfortable, exactly what I needed as a base for day trips. I had to do coursework during the evenings, so I often sat in the foyer where the wifi was strongest. Pam is a wealth of local knowledge, and asked straight away what my plans were for Trinidad. When I outlined that my list of places of interest and that I’d need a driver, Pam organised a driver who turned out to be better than I could have ever arranged myself – “Sweet” Nick from “Sensational Tours and Transport”. Pam had known Nick for years. I can’t recommend Nick enough, if you’re looking for a guide! We walked to downtown Port of Spain from the Inn, as well as Woodbrook and St James. We were warned to not venture east of Henry St, but honestly we never felt unsafe. Sadly, the only issue I had during my stay was the vicinity to local food. The listings on google maps mostly don’t exist anymore or at least don’t keep the hours on google. It’s an issue in Trinidad and Tobago, and a lot of it is due to a downturn in tourism. There aren’t a lot of local food options available at night nearby, besides the night market (which I would recommend), and you might need to walk a bit further to St James etc. We did get takeaway fish from “Sweet Mouth” at the back of Hereford’s Bar on Maraval Rd a couple of blocks north. We ate it in the rooftop garden at the Inn and it was a great easy option. There is also a Rituals Coffee House a couple of minutes walk away. There is a Massey Stores supermarket a few minutes walk to the south. If I was visiting Port of Spain again, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay at Forty Winks Inn again. I enjoyed chatting with Pam over breakfast in the mornings, and discussing our experiences in Trinidad and travelling. And if you’re lucky, you’ll get to meet her beautiful dog Bella.