Fogo Island Inn

First, the truly outstanding experiences. Our room was amazing. Our driver Sean Decker was great. We loved spending the day with Clem touring the island with an expert, an insider, and a fun & funny guy. Our hikes with Laurie and Addy were filled with stories, history, flora, fauna, and sun, rain, and wind - just the way we like our hikes! Sarah’s smile and personality should be bottled and sold in the gift shop. Sandra was so kind to convince Nathan to do a special Inn Tour for us on his non-tour day. And we really, really enjoyed our time with Nathan, his stories, and the tour of the Inn and the workshop! Breakfast, coffee, tea, and our daybreak boxes were excellent. Every dessert, every pastry, every tea cookie was outstanding. And so was the sourdough bread and butter. I think that the name of the Inn should be “The Fogo Island Experience and Inn” - as what we found was that they experience of meeting everyone and spending time with them was the best part of our time at the Inn. 1. Communications About the Private Transportation Service The Inn had requested our cell # so that the night before we would be texted our driver’s name and where to meet at Gander airport, etc. No one texted. There was a hiccup booking the service so the thought of booking a last-minute rental car in Gander and driving ourselves to the Inn was not a worry that we wanted on vacation. We called the Inn the night before to find out the process, and were reassured that Sean would be there (and he was). The day before leaving the Inn, we were approached in the lobby to let us know that we needed to be ready at 8:45 am the next morning, but nothing about the shared transportation to the Ferry. We had requested a couple of special items in our lunch box, but those requests were ignored with no explanation why. We were handed our lunches in the van and thought that we were in shared transportation to Gander. 2. Reservation Review Upon Arrival Suggestion: The reservation should have been reviewed with us, special requests on file, our travel agent room credit, whether we would be able to take advantage of the complimentary room upgrade for our reservation, how dining reservations work, how in-room dining works (there are no instructions on the menu - when you ask for one for your room), that the contents of the fridge in our room is complimentary (no in-room sign), how to book experiences, when the shed would be open during our stay, what is an extra charge at the Inn and what is complimentary, how to book the sauna, etc. Maybe even a personal session with an experience consultant over a cup of tea to book experiences and ensure that we get to do everything we want to during our stay. We had communication/miscommunication issues with all of these items and they could have been avoided. After getting to our room and unpacking, we realized that no one confirmed our room credit or whether we had our room upgraded. When I went to the front desk, I was told that the Inn was full so no upgrade. I had already gone online to see that rooms were available. I was proven correct upon pointing this out, but left the desk with a very negative feeling. I don’t think that was the clerk’s intent, but it was the result. 3. Dining at the Shed … Was an experience. We were offered a glass of wine even before the door closed when we arrived. The staff made sure that our wine glasses were never empty - as well as for everyone else sitting around us. After appetizers, there was a brief explanation on how the evening would progress, but nothing about the wine. We were dumbfounded that the wine that we were offered was NOT included. Nowhere was there any indication of this on the table, in the explanation of the evening, anywhere - just like the complimentary wine, beer and soda that was in our room. We can certainly afford to pay for what we drank. My point in mentioning this is that we felt that the lack of communication felt dishonest. That is how we felt upon seeing the inclusion at checkout. Suggestion: Upon securing a reservation at the Shed, provide a beverage menu and the associated prices. And then have copies of the beverage menu available for everyone at the Shed. We were fine with the wine served, but would have actually preferred something else. 4. Dinner No one asked for our food allergies and dislikes prior to our first dinner at the Inn. And then they were ignored or the kitchen was not aware of them throughout our stay. Our duck order one evening was requested the first time to be more cooked than usual. It came near raw both the first time and the second time. We gave up and had 5 scoops of ice cream. Overall, we found most of the courses at dinner had forced local ingredients and flavours that over-powered the taste and enjoyment of the local protein/base ingredient. I think if we had seen our dinner menus as sample menus for the Inn prior to booking our stay, I am not sure that we would have booked. A couple of suggestions: I. Post the dinner menu in the morning so that guests can review it and make a decision of whether to dine in the evening at the Shed or outside of the Inn. This avoids reviewing the menu when you sit down only to realize, oh/ew, we should have dined elsewhere tonight. II. Provide a shadow menu of fish/seafood, vegetarian, and protein that showcase the local food without all of the experimental cuisine - e.g tree pine broth, marigold oil, and Newfoundland (?) sunchokes. We would have loved to have cod and chips one evening!

Absolutely amazing, and the only bad thing I can say about the experience is that it has ruined other hotels for me.

Quite an unpleasant experience attempting to book dinner. I emailed two months in advance with the request. I was told I was added to the waitlist and that someone would "be in touch" prior to the date. I never received another communication from the Inn despite my sending a follow up email. I understand guests of the Inn need to be prioritized but anyone is a potential future guest particularly someone seeking to dine there. Letting me know in advance that my request could not be accommodated would be an expectation of a more modest restaurant much less one with Michelin posturing.

I will assume that if you are considering the Fogo Island Inn that you know the history and philosophy of the Inn. We went in late April and it was still cold but the stay was wonderful. The setting, the food, and the staff could not have been better. The staff clearly embraces the goals of the the Inn. Our local guide Aubrey Payne (who grew up on the island) was great. Very creative meals in a beautiful dining room - Logan the sommelier guided us through the creative wine list sprinkled with local and Portuguese options. Nice hiking. You do have to want to get there but that is part of the fun. A truly special place.

We stayed at Fogo Island Inn in May 2025, and overall it was a remarkable experience. The Inn’s dramatic setting on the edge of the North Atlantic is unlike anywhere else — wild, beautiful, and deeply serene. The architecture and design are exceptional, with thoughtful touches that reflect the island’s culture and traditions. The food throughout our stay was excellent. We were fortunate to be there during a guest chef dinner from Pearl Morissette, which was a real highlight. I’m vegetarian, and every effort was made to ensure I had thoughtful, comparable dishes, which I genuinely appreciated. The kitchen’s creativity and commitment to local ingredients came through in every meal. We also thoroughly enjoyed the walking trails and the chance to explore the island on foot. The local community hosts and guides make a real difference — they bring Fogo Island to life through their stories and connection to the landscape. Our walk with Travis was particularly memorable and added so much to our understanding of the island. That said, there were a few areas where the experience felt less polished, especially considering the very high price point. Unlike other luxury properties we’ve stayed at — such as the Explora hotels in Chile and Argentina, which are of a comparable standard — no drinks are included, which felt out of step with expectations at this level. We were also celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary, and although the Inn was aware of this in advance, there was no acknowledgment of the occasion during our stay. While small gestures aren’t required, they are common at hotels in this category and would have added something meaningful to our anniversary. Despite these points, Fogo Island Inn remains a special and unforgettable place. Its sense of place, commitment to the community, and pristine natural surroundings make it a destination unlike any other. With a few refinements to match the standards of other high-end hotels, it would be truly exceptional from start to finish.