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Barbados Beach Resort - Barbados

Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: Janet Smith Feb / Mar 2007

Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : Bill & Tricia - Dunfermline (57,56)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

For those of you with Google Earth the Hotel is located at North 13 Degrees 03 Minutes and 55.32 Seconds; West 59 Degrees 33 Minutes and 30.68 Seconds. That's right - it's under the cloud! For those who have a choice as to where they can sit on the Aircraft ask for a Left side window seat and don't forget to have your camera handy. Most Aircraft arrive in the afternoon and the approach is by flying across the tip of Barbados, all the way down the West Coast and then along the South Coast to the Airport. A great way of seeing the Island and Bridgetown. Pity we were seated on the right side!!

As has been said by others, all the staff are very friendly (although I reserve judgement on the receptionists) but so too are all the people that we met on the Island. Our rooms and the Hotel were clean and the rooms cleaned every day. The bathroom did look a little dated with a fixed shower head. Best that can be said was functional - certainly no wow factor. Unless, that is, you are having a shower and someone flushed a toilet. Then you have the wow factor as you are subjected to hot water for a few seconds until the cold comes back through.

We asked for an Ocean View and were originally put in 206. Later that evening we were told to move to 304 due to an Air Conditioning problem. We were less than happy about this but it worked out OK as we had a slightly better view and a larger fridge. Our Ocean View was more land than sea. Also, something that most of us suffered from, there are quite a few mosquitoes around.

The views from lower floors are obscured by the trees so the higher the floor the better. A Pool view on one of the higher of seven floors would be a good place to be. Pool views also face more Westerly but you are subjected to the evening entertainment until 23:30. As opposed to us in our Ocean views subjected to dogs barking at odd times throughout the night!

I am a fussy eater and there was always something for me to eat at any of the meal times. We also enjoyed the fact that there was very little queuing for the food and the Restaurant was never full - very civilised.

During our time there (late Feb/early March) the climate was brilliant, 25-30 Centigrade all the time. A little hot in direct sunlight but very pleasant in the shade. The South is subject to the prevailing South Easterly wind. Throughout our time the waves became steadily stronger until it was no fun at all going into the sea. On the other beaches there were red or yeoow flags flying for must of the time. Tricia and I took a couple of poundings when we were caught by breaking waves and the under-tow close to the shore. With the stony (smoothed coral) sea bed it was quite painful sometimes. All this upset meant that the sea near the Beach was permanently filled with sand particles. Contrast this with a visit we made to the West coast - there the sea was much calmer and clear and the sea bed sandy.

A vast improvement would be a shower for those coming from the beach back to the Hotel. All we had was a tin bath for washing our feet. A shower booth had been built near the pool but there was no plumbing and this confused a lot of people.

We spoke to two Canadian couples who had been coming back to the Hotel for 25 and 15 years respectively. They told us that the beach used to go out 50 or more yards from where it is now. I noticed that in the short time we were there a lot of the sand had been washed away and areas were being scalloped away on the larger beach further along.

Note - A lot of Canadians come to Barbados; if you want to get off on the right foot do not ask what part of the USA they come from. Apparently it is on par with asking a Lancastrian what part of Yorkshire he comes from!

We used the local buses a lot; both the 'proper' ones and the local 'pick-up' ones. Both charge B$1.50 for each person no matter how near or far but you need the exact change for the 'proper' ones. Note, the yellow buses run all the way up the West Coast and have their own Terminus near the Docks. The Blue ones have a Terminus near the River in the centre of Bridgetown. The 'pick up' buses have another Terminus close to a market about half a mile away from this Terminus. Stand 12 at the 'proper' bus Terminus will get you on the main road to Oistins and it is then a matter of knowing which stop you want - it's the one after the Plumbers on the left!

When we were there the exchange rate was - in round figures - 2 Barbados Dollars to a US Dollar and there were 2 US Dollars to the pound. So a Barbados Dollar was worth 25 Pence as near as makes no difference.

We never ventured out in the evenings so cannot objectively comment on the lack of other places to go. Staying in the Hotel was more to do with the people we chummed up with rather than anything that the evening 'entertainment' could provide. The Hotel DJ consistently managed to ruin the evening by cueing up records without realising that this was interrupting the record being played; and he managed a 20+ second fade in / fade out to really spoil both records!

We did note there was a British run bar and the Mermaid restaurant in one direction outside the Hotel and a bar/restaurant in the other. As stated, we chose to stay at the Hotel purely because of the company we kept. If we had been alone we would certainly have looked for other venues most nights!

What would be a tremendous improvement would be seating away from the 'entertainment' - I use the term loosely - so that people could talk without having to shout over the music or could listen and enjoy (sometimes) the music at a lower volume.

Do go on a Catamaran trip, it is really worthwhile. They all seem to follow the same schedule and go to the same places. On the Friday when we went there were 7 of them with slightly staggered times all stopping for Turtle feeding, snorkelling and lunch. We went on the Rubyat which caters for the younger element with loud music all the time and dancing on deck positively encouraged. All good fun but we would choose one of the other, bigger, ones next time with more shade and indoor seating area.

If you just want to look at Turtles then take a walk (40 minute gentle stroll with time to admire the views along Oistins bay) along to the pier at Oistins fish market. We went on three different occasions and there were always some around but, apparently, most appear on fish market days when the Offal is thrown into the sea.

If you want to do your own thing then hiring a Taxi at B$60 an hour is a good way of seeing things at your leisure and not being herded round on a schedule. We hired one to visit Orchid World (not as good as we thought it would be) and Gun Hill (great views on a clear day - ours was a little hazy but still good).

If you want to keep your room past midday you have to let them know and pay £45. I know it is good business for the Hotel but we did take it as a personal rip-off for no more than 3 hours extra (most flights are in the early evening so pick-up is about 15:30).

When we were there the temperature was a very nice 25-30 Centigrade. Maybe a little hot in direct sunlight but very comfortable in the shade. We had the odd shower early morning and evening but nothing of consequence. It was also warm rain and the temperature meant that you were dry again in no time.

Would we go back again? Not to this Hotel and this is really nothing personal. It is mainly to do with location. Yes we would like to visit Barbados again but next time it would be the West Coast. Somewhere between the Cement factory at Hangmans Bay and what smelt like a chemical factory at Batts Rock Bay. So saying I have met people who were not overly impressed with Almond Beach, somewhere we considered before going out. Oh well, it will have to be Sandy Lane then!

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: janet smith - 2006 / 2007

Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : alan- middx  49, 46.

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Barbados Beach Club is o.k but do remember this is only 2 star and therefore limited in some respects. i.e. only 1 bar on the site and this is as far from the beach/pool as it could possibly be. the grounds are a sparse but being a beach person this did not worry me.The rooms are a good size, clean airconditioned and from what i could see most had a sea view,rooms cleaned every day, all the staff at this resort very friendly and the restaurant staff very efficient, plates removed and drinks topped up as soon glass was empty. we were able to get clean beach towels every day but a deposit of 30 b.dollars per towel was required. safe in room available to rent but free safety deposit boxes in recepition available if required.

The downside was that the beach immediatly outside hotel although sandy was quite small, though never crowded, they have free sunbeds but no sun umbrellas so you have to hire these from reception. the sea is quite rough so watch out for children.You can walk a few hundred yards past some small rocks and the beach continues on and is bigger but this part of the beach has no sunbeds for hire as they are all owned by the hotels.

The worst thing about this hotel was the food, very hit and miss and at best lukewarm, the hotplates were kept warm by little more than a candle and were constantly left open. All in all we had a good time loved the people and loved Barbados we will return but not to this resort, it is worth paying a bit more and really enjoying luxury all said and done this must be one of the best 2 star resorts around and great value.

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Atlantic - Sept 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : David Judd 66 Brenda Judd 55

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Submitted by Mr Judders, As promised a few weeks ago. My wife and I have just returned from a ten day holiday in Barbados staying at Barbados Beach Hotel.  Much-maligned in many of your reports on Holidays Uncovered.  I am happy to say we found much of this criticism unjustified. Classified in the Virgin Brochure as an 'All Inclusive' 3 star Hotel, you can't compare it to a 4 or 5 star establishment. However to call it shabby and in need of renovation,  as has been quoted in past reports seems to be quite unfair. 

We upgraded to a Superior Deluxe  Room, which was well worth it for the superb sea views, and spacious room with air conditioning and a huge bed. The service throughout was extremely efficient and friendly. We were shown to our table for every meal in the self service Restaurant,  and were well looked after with top ups of wine and water. The food was as varied as you wanted, the choice was yours. There was either beef, pork, lamb or chicken on the menu every night plus vegi,  rice and salads. The grilled steak from the weekly barbecue was excellent. The sweets did'nt really live up to their appearance and were a bit heavy going. Two other Restaurants were available, and could be booked  twice a week by 'all inclusive' guests. Italian style at the Venetos balcony Restaurant and Sea Rocks A La Carte Restaurant,  just a few steps from the hotel. We tried both and found Sea Rocks was excellent both for food and service. Supplementary charges only for Lobster and Steak.

The Pool was kept very clean and the water really warm. The terrace area was somewhat basic compared to that we have experienced  elsewhere, however  there was plenty of space  and sunbeds were plentiful.  Every night  music from a resident DJ or live group entertainment ,  and a weekly cabaret show, which was more than some of the neighbouring 4 star Hotels had available. Service at the poolside Bar was always prompt with no shortage of drinks available  especially  recommended  the Fruit Punches with or without Rum and Pinacolada cocktails, as well as local beer, which was quite drinkable and consumed in great quantity by many guests!

Overall  we were quite impressed with this Holiday Package from Virgin Atlantic. Their Twilight Check in Service at Gatwick the evening before departure worked well. They even do a check in at your Hotel prior to your Pick Up, on return,  so you only need to go through to departures once you get to Grantley Adams Airport.  Pity about  the gargantuan queue to get all passengers through one single security check point. Perhaps this will be improved once the New Terminal is completed next year.

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Holidays- august 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Sarah Pappa- Crawley West Sussex- 18

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

when we arrived we were welcomed with a drink in reception. Our overall holiday was very poor as me and my boyfriend split up and he met another woman but other than that it was great.

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: July 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Ivana 48 Lorraine 47 - glasgow

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having read mixed reviews about this resort I was a bit concerned about it, but on arrival I can only describe this hotel as excellent.

the staff were very friendly and did everything to make the guests feel welcome.  The food was good and plentifull and there was always something that you could eat, it was also good being able to try different dishes that you would probably not at home.  The bar was well stocked with most drinks and the service was very good, in fact after ordering only twice, the staff knew what you wanted without having to ask you.

The room was very spacious and cleaned every day, and lovely white towels replaced again every day.  the staff in the restaurant, bar and hotel could not do enough for you always willing to help out and offer advice on all things, places to see, trips to take. 

I only went to the beach once during my two week stay as i prefer the pool, but the sand was great and a polite refusal was all that was needed for the guy with the briefcase selling his wares, i was not at any time offered any illegal substances but i am assured if this is what you are looking for the sellers will always find you.

I liked this hotel and the company we met and i would recommend this hotel to all.  OK it may not be 5 star but what more could you ask for, good food, lots of drinks and nice weather and good company.  my friend and i are thinking about going back in 2006.

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Mr Judders

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: No rating

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The reviews to date i.e. July 2005 are very mixed and inconclusive. Thomas Cook who i booked my holiday with had could not make any coment about the reviews I showed them, saying this was an 'unregistered' web site, as far as the travel industry is concerned. I am booked to arrive on 1st August 2005 at Barbados Beach Club on their all inclusive deal. so watch this space and I will be happy to reveal the latest truth about this Hotel which has been both malined and praised in your reviews.

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Roger, Beryl, Chrissy & Paul (47,50,54&55)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

On arrival in Barbados we did not realise how laid back this island is.  Everyone is so friendly and laid back as if tomorrow is soon enough.   

The only thing we could fault about the BBC was the deserts!!!  Apart from the rum-baba and the fruit salad everything else was like rubber mousse.  The main dishes are excellent. The rooms are spotless and cleaned every day, all staff are fantastic.  

We hired a car for 3 days and got lost at least half a dozen times, there are no road signs once you get off the main roads, so be sure to take a good map, but that is part and parcel of exploring the island, we all thoroughly enjoyed our adventure.  A firm NO THANK YOU with anyone trying to sell you anything is quite ample. The fish night at Oistins is not to be missed.  We also went to the Harbour Lights which was very good value from money, the floor show was brilliant.

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin december 2004

Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : jim porter - kent (47, 45, 16, 11)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our 3rd consecutive christmas holiday in Barbados: We love barbados, all four of us do. We normally stay at the fantastic 'Almond Beach Village' but this year fancied a change. And what a change it was!
Rooms at Barbados Beach Club are bigger, the pool is fine ( small, but fine) the beach was good and the staff (as all Bajans)great.

But, if you stay at this hotel...... take plenty of spending money with you. All inclusive to this hotel means : doing all that they can to drive you away from the hotel of an evening to stop you drinking at the all inclusive bar. tactics include : advertising other local bars for you to go to for the evening ( the one opposite the hotel he actually owns , so he gets his money twice from you if you go to the pool bar!)The evening entertainment is the most 'stingeyest' I hope that you ever suffer, such as an old member of the door staff playing records with great professionalism like: the birdy song followed by an obscure David Bowie track , followed by the kinks followed by elvis.sounds funny now! but when you realise this is designed to stop you relaxing at the hotel bar, it stops being funny. Also Wine is NOT available ( even by the glass ) unless it's with your meal at meal time, and even then you have to play hunt the waitress.

The meals are quite interesting too, very clean, but the local pigeon likes to walk around the restaurant at breakfast and lunch
All in all great holiday but take plenty of money to go to Lawrence Gap with you

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Dec 2004

Opinion submitted in Dec 2004 by : ange 47 claud 43

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we have just spent 2 weeks at bbc and it was wonderful. 

i was a bit worried after some of the reports i had read. i need not have worried the hotel room was great ( it was great having a fridge) the rooms were spacious and we had clean sheets every day. the food was varied and i enjoyed it all. the staff were friendly and helpful. the only complaint that we would have is that the d.j. every night was a bit too much ! the same christmas songs every night for two weeks ! 

the beach was small but there was always room for us but i dont know what this would be like when the hotel was full as it was very quiet while we were there. i would recommend the catamaran cruise it was a fantastic day and i had to be put to bed as soon as we got back due to the fruity wine!

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thompson-june 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : M.BELL. 53,45,40,39.

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was meant to be a special holiday-unfortunately it wasn't!.I cried for 2 days as our upgraded rooms,which cost our party an extra 800 pounds ,although spotlessly clean,were in dire need of refubishment.Rust stained baths,bathroom fittings coming away from the wall, extremely dangerous service access in bathroom  with inadequate locking-our rep was actually reporting this to thompson as a matter of health and safety!!

Pool area was filthy ,often smelly  where the pool had leaked out on to the terrace.Poolside tables ,chairs and loungers were absolutely mortifying-and those were the ones that weren't broken! Another thing that spoilt our sun bathing was the garden areas used as litter trays by the hotel cats -and in tropical heat you can imagine what that smelt like!

Food in the restaurant was repetative and of a mediocre standard-it got worse when several foreign bodies  of the 'animal'  kind were found in it!After speaking to other guests who had had the same problems we formed 'THE MAGGOT CLUB' -this helped us make the best of a really bad job.We actually met the hotel owner who told us that he had 3 hotels and that this one was the last on his list to be upgraded!It was such a shame as the hotel is in a prime beachside location and could be absolutely fantastic.

Barbados is a beautiful island and the people are wonderfully friendly.I would recommend the'ROOTS AND RHYTHYMS' evening -absolutely fantastic!- book it yourself and take a taxi there.and save yourself some dollars-your holiday company has had enough off you!Also try the catamaran trip and snorkel with the giant turtles and fish-absolutely a wonderful experience.---JUST DON'T STAY AT THE BARBADOS BEACH CLUB UNTIL IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY OVERHAULED.

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - may 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : rachel and lee 20 and 25

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at the Barbados beach club for 10 nights in May 2004. I think a lot of the other reviews for this accommodation are extremely unfair.

The hotel and its grounds were immaculate. The rooms were cleaned every day, this included the bed linen being changed everyday!

The food was full of variety and contained local dishes as well as english favorites. The desserts were extremely tempting!!!

The all inclusive drinks were served in small plastic cups, which was a bit inconvenient but you can drink as much as you like and the bar staff were friendly and happy to serve you as many times as you went up. Yes some international brands are at an extra charge - but this is standard through most all inclusive properties.

As one comment says the beach was small - i dont really think thats the hotels fault!! However, all beaches in Barbados are public so you can take your towel and plonk yourself on any beach. The sea down this bt of the island is a bit rougher that the west coast, but its a lot of fun. Jumping over the waves, surfing through the waves etc. made for a few laughs between me and my partner.

I personally would recommend this hotel not only for the points above but because the staff were so friendly and helpful - unlike most hotels ive been too. As a travel agent I wouldnt hesitate sending customers here.

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - May 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Richard and Debbie Aston - Warwickshire (40, 35)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

GENERAL : For those people who want affordable all inclusive accommodation, in clean friendly surroundings then this is it.  This was our first time 'all inclusive' and we were both very impressed.  We used the hotels guest services to book a trip to The Garrison Savannah to watch an afternoons horse racing and it cost us around £7 each.  We also used the hotels free shuttle bus to and from Bridgetown - very handy, which you also book through guest services.  We also booked our island tour by coach through the hotel instead of our tour operator and paid only BD$30 each, the highlight of which was a picnic on deserted Bath Beach with the other people on the tour - 8 in total.  

Highlight of our trip must be the island tour by Helicopter - booked direct with Bajan Helicopters - it was slightly expensive at BD$180 but worth every penny - it was absolutely fantastic and one we will never forget!  If you're a cricket fan don't forget to ask directions in Bridgetown to The Kensington Oval - although the ground was officially 'closed' the gates were open and we could enter and take photos and video my husband loved it here.

HOTEL : My husband is a fussy eater but he found something to eat at every mealtime.  Food is plentiful, hot and delicious.  There is either roast beef/pork/lamb/chiken on the menu every night (plus vegie / fish / salads / pasta / rice / potatoes) and the puddings are to die for, and one night a week they cook steaks on the grill.  For breakfast there is fruit, cereals, toast, marmalades, scrambled eggs, bacon, baked beans, plantins and there is someone there to cook you omelettes, pancakes and fried eggs if you wish.  For lunch again there is enough to tempt you.

You are told that you have to pay for cocktails and any 'non-local' drinks, but I was drinking Bacardi Rum and Coke and this wasn't the case.

Rooms are large and spacious and kept very clean every day.  Bathrooms also.  Towels are changed regularly, infact ours were changed every day.

We went out one night for a meal to The Ship Inn at St Lawrence Gap and had 'The Captains Carvery' - at BD$42 each - we had lamb, beef and pork carved onto our plate and helped ourselves to loads of vegetables - we were asked if we wanted seconds but that was enough.  I don't eat lamb at home but the lamb here and at the hotel was simply delicious.

The beach is a good size and because the hotel is on the south coast the waters are rough and really only for strong swimmers.  But if you walk round to the next beach it is larger and we used to walk to the end and back most days.

Overall, we are very impressed with Virgin and The Barbados Beach Club.  We can't praise this hotel and its friendly staff highly enough.

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Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Beach Resort

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel january 2004

Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : janet and steve fuerteventura (46 , 49)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at the Barbados Beach Club 19 January 2004 14 nts after getting a great deal on my travel auction site for £620 14 nts all inclusive . If we had paid the full brouchure price we would have definatlely asked to be moved to another hotel.

The hotel is very shabby and our bathroom had cracked and dirty tiles the whole hotel needs renovating.The food in the pool side restaurant is ok (breakfast lunch dinner)but the restaurant needs an overhall. The food at Venetos Italian restaurant is not so good and the food at Searocks was ok (had to pay extra for steak and lobster).

There was no activities during the day  and evening entertainment was very low key (no holiday atmosphere at all). The hotel is next to a beach but because it is on the Atlantic side the sea tended to be very rough some days and was not safe to swim in unless you were a very strong swimmer.(best calm beaches are on the west coast).

Barbados is truly paradise and we cannot fault the island or its people . We went on the Atlantis Submarine and dived to a depth of 150 mtrs and saw corals a shipwreck turtles and lots of fish it was amazing (nearest thing to scuba diving). If you chose a catamaran trip dont go on the Heatwave choose Cool Runnings or Tiana (the people on those catamarans looked to be having a better time than we did).

If we returned to Barbados we would not stay at the Barbados Beach Club ever again.

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Bridgetown - Barbados

Hilton Barbados - nr Bridgetown

Operator and Date: British Airways - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Ken & Sheila (60ish!)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Holiday started off badly, as we had booked meet and greet service to park the car.   Despite phoning, as requested, from the M23, and arriving exactly at the stated time, Maple Manor Parking turned up half an hour late to pick up the car.  I could have used the normal long-term parking quicker, and at less cost, and avoided the irate Traffic Wardens!

We flew to Barbados in BA Club Class.   What a wonderful start to any holiday.  Very expensive, but, oh boy, do they look after you well.

The BA rep met us at the airport (or building site as it has become known!), and very speedily got our transfer to the hotel.

The new Barbados Hilton is a magnificent hotel, having been opened only since July 2005.  It is superbly located on a small peninsular of land, so the sea is on all sides.  It is only a few minutes from Bridgetown (Hotel Shuttle $3US for 2 people). We were greeted in reception with a cold towel and a much welcomed drink.  All the rooms are the same (except the suites) and are of typical Hilton 5 star standard.  Every room has a balcony over looking the sea.  The food in the Hotel was of truly excellent standard.  Each evening in the 'Lighthouse Restaurant' there was 'A la Carte', or a magnificent buffet, the theme of which changed each night (Bajan, Tex-Mex,  Asian, Seafood etc)  There was another 'A la Carte' restaurant which seemed more expensive, which we didn't use.  Buffet Breakfast cost about £15 and Buffet Dinner cost about £30 each.   There were two bars, one inside and the other, 'Waters Edge' very close to the beach.  Happy hour 5-6 each night.  The hotel caters as much for conferences and air crew stopovers as it does for holiday makers, but that means the wonderful pool area isn't as busy during the day.  Despite the hotel being full, it never seemed very busy. There were 3 pools, with one being just one foot deep for kids. 

The golden beaches were wonderful, with imported rocks dividing the beach up into safe little shallow coves.  Being on the south coast of the island, the sea isn't as calm as it is further north on the east coast.   The rock pools were a delight to see all sorts of highly coloured tropical fish.  There is a dive and water sports centre very near-by, which we didn't use.

We hired a car for a day, and drove round the island.  Some roads are a patchwork of potholes, and it's impossible to drive more than about 10mph - unless you are Bajan of course!  Of note, the insurance on the car doesn't include for wheels and tyres - I now know why!

The Bajan people were extremely friendly, and whilst in Bridgetown, taxis drivers hassle you, they accept a polite 'no thanks'

Return home was as good as the journey out, so we had a wonderful relaxing holiday.  Even Maple Manor did better returning the car!

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Christ Church - Barbados

Allamanda Beach Hotel, Christchurch

Operator and Date: 2004

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived in Barbados with a pre booked appt waiting for us. This turned out to be hell, so had to arrange for a hotel for the rest of our 13 night stay.

We booked into the Allamanda Beach Hotel in Christchurch. The hotel is on 3 floors, with apprx 52 rooms. All rooms/appts overlook the sea, either full on or side view. Our appt was very big, with a basic kitchen, large fridge and freezer, full oven/cooker, crockery etc. There was a table and chairs and an easy chair. Ours had 2 large single beds that were pushed together and quite comfy.The appt had Satelite tv, air conditioning (free and effective) and ceiling fan and direct dial phone. The bathroom had the usual, plus a large shower stall (no bath). In the bathroom, in the wardrobe is a safe which the hotel charge for, but there is also one behind the reception in a locked room that is free of charge. 

Opening the door onto the balcony (which stretched the entire width of the appt) there were 2 easy chairs and a table. On first looking we thought that the pool may be a little small for the hotel, but at no time was it in any way full. I think its busiest was when there were about 6/7 people using it. Thankfully there was never an issue of the 'sunbed wars'. Anytime, no matter what time of day we were able to get beds. There are beds around the pool and in an area that has been nicely decked out where you can relax, overlooking the sea. 

Even though the hotel is on the beach and you can get to/into the sea there is not an area to lie on beds. It's down 4/5 steps and rocky, but the hotel has cleared a path so that you can swim out between the rocks. From here you can walk along the white sandy beach. The staff at the hotel are very friendly and helpful and if something needs doing, its done straight away. There is a small restaurant/bar that caters quite well with snacks/meals/drinks and a shop that sells bits n bobs. The rooms are basically decorated, but clean The bedding is changed daily and the towels every 2/3 days. You will be given 1 voucher per person for towels that you can use for the beach etc. Once handed in you can then have clean ones the next day.Overall a very pleasant place to stay.

The downsides (which are not many)are that there is no lift (if you are on the 3rd floor), there is no entertainment at all, the bar shuts at 10.30 and as the hotel's on a main road it is quite noisy at night.
Whilst talking to the manageress she told us that the hotel is being fully refurbished in 2005, Even the pool is being re designed. It will still trade under the same name.

The Allamanda has a sister Hotel (The Amarylis) which is a short hop away and of which there is a free shuttle bus to and from. This hotel is much bigger and grander and has a fantastic beach with free non-motorised water sports. All of the Amarylis facilities are also for the use of the Allamanda guests. Again at this hotel sunbeds were never an issue either on the beach or at the pool. The meals in the Amarylis were superb. We had the buffet menu (BD$50 approx £23)per person and the al la carte which came to about BD$160, about £55 for the 2 of us.

We were quite dissapointed with St Lawrence Gap. We had been informed that this was the place 'to be at'. Well we found it very low key, with roughly 20 restaurants and no entertaining bars etc. Quite a let down. If you dare..... then get onto a mini bus into Bridgetown. The drivers are manic, the buses are heaving and yet people still get on. Another first for the Guinness Book of Records I think.
On the whole we had an absolutely fantastic holiday, doing as much or as little as we wanted. Enjoy!!!!

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Amaryllis Beach Resort - Christ Church

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Vikki Bibby - HULL (60,60,40,39,30,30,3)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel - Beautiful beach front location (as they all are in Barbados). Very clean and modern. Maid service excellent. Option to use hotel beach towels for a 25 dollar returnable deposit. A-La-Carte restaurant (to rich - did not know whether to frame it or eat it!). Turtle beach bar excellent for quality of food and service but be prepared to wait awhile! Be warned - hotel mini supermarket VERY expensive and the manager was seen to be buying from the local supermarket and bringing the goods to the shop to sell!

Trips - Turtle swimming is a must!!! fabulous experience that we will never forget. Crew of the catamaran were wild! Be prepared to drink plenty! Be careful of taxi drivers in Bridgetown, they hassle you in every shop and hover in the doorways, they also make their prices up as they go along. St Lawrence Gap is a good night out but keep your wits about you in the Reggae Bar!

Overall the place looks like paradise and well worth a visit.keep a close eye on your change as when you pay for items in US dollars, you get the change back in Barbados dollars and if you dont know the difference in exchange you may end up out of pocket.

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Amaryllis Beach Resort - Christ Church

Operator and Date: co-operative travel - 2005

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : vikki Bibby (hull) 59,59,39,39,30,30,3

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

beginning with the negatives! Poor hotel entertainment and the main bar closed around 10-30 every night. if All Inclusive I would advise that you stock up on alcohol before they close. Food repetative and ok for salad freaks.

Now for the positives. Place lovely and clean and literally on the beach which is a great place to snorkel. Be careful as there is a small coral reef that will cut your feet to bits! Turtle Beach bar has nice light meals, burgers and snacks but can get busy but worth the wait.Satff very friendly and always smiling, nothing is to much trouble. Rooms had air con, were basic but clean. Some rooms are next to the laundry and this made it very noisy very early in the morning. Lots of wildlife roaming around such as humming birds, bull frogs and wild monkeys passing through the dining room! Watch were you are standing on a night as the hermit crabs tend to congregate in the dining room (which is on the beach)but they are great to watch. Swimming pools small but nice and clean and to be honest the sea was better, shallow for children and very warm. Hotel surrounded by well tended gardens. 

For a great trip (but maybe not with the kids) try the turtle swimming, they are awesome and huge! Crew were wild (hence not for the kids) but great fun with nice food. Turtles fantastic, best thing I have ever done.

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Amaryllis Beach Resort - Christ Church

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : Danielle Small

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked our holiday in September through V----n to go to Amaryllis Beach Resort on an all inclusive basis. Our experience was far from happy, although the weather was very good and the beach location was perfect. 

The Amaryllis Beach Resort is advertised as a 4 star hotel. In our opinion it is struggling to achieve 2 stars. The facilities, quality of service and quality of food were all very poor. The entertainment was practically non existent and there was no kids club. The most popular activity, judging by attendance, was the filling in of complaints forms.

To make matters even worse the limited resources offered by the hotel were not shared equally amongst hotel guests. We witnessed that the guests of an Italian tour operator were getting preferential treatment over the other guests. This included the best seating positions in the restaurant, the best service, a separate supply of beach towels and the preferred positions on the beach offering natural shade. There were at least 4 representatives from this tour operator who had effectively taken partial control of this hotel to ensure that their guests were well looked after to the detriment of other guests.

We were made to feel so unwelcome that we resolved to leave the all inclusive scheme and distance ourselves from the hotel as far as possible. The all inclusive didn't mean all inclusive for the 39 steps restaurant and the Pizzaz restaurant. It was limited to one use only and up to a value of $42 per person at the 39 steps restaurant. We do however recommend The 39 steps restaurant which although included as part of the hotel complex is independently run and offers good food and live Jazz music on Saturday night. It proved to be our sanctuary from the frustrations of eating at The Almond Tree restaurant.

Other things you would not expect to encounter at a proper 4 star hotel included, a noticeable shortage of staff, absence of ceiling fans in the Main (Almond Tree) restaurant, missing fixtures and fittings from rooms, shortage of beach towels and no parasols provided on the beach - hence the importance of finding natural shade.

We don t consider ourselves to be natural born complainers and normally we try to enjoy all our holidays even though there may be certain problems or deficiencies. The extent and severity of the problems we encountered at The Amaryllis Beach however made it impossible to enjoy this holiday and the attitude of the hotel toward its non Italian speaking guests was nothing short of disgraceful.

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Bougainvillea Resort Hotel - Christ Church

Operator and Date: Air Canada - March 2004

Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Michael Butler - Nova Scotia (51, 48, 17)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

March 21, 2004

We just returned from Barbados having spent 7 days at Bougainvillea. We loved our stay. We hope that the following comments help you make decisions about your trip to Barbados and your stay at Bougainvillea. Everything was well organized from check-in to checkout.

All the staff was well trained and wanted to ensure a relaxed stay. Francina, Heather, Babita, Don and Leena made the front desk a great location to find out about the facilities. Avril and Rosalind made sure that any activities you wanted to do during your stay were organized for you.

Our room was on the ground floor with a private patio, table and chairs. It looked right out on to the pool and was seconds from the beach. Listening to the waves was magical. The kitchenette had all the basic kitchen utensils, pot and pans, hotplate, toaster, microwave oven and coffee percolator as well as a full size refrigerator. There is a grocery service available. You can fax an order to the hotel before your arrival and they will have your order in your room when you arrive. If you do not pre-order there is a little store two minutes down the road where you can pick up milk, bread, etc. before you go to a grocery store. Check on hours of operation.

The room was spacious, clean, air conditioned, with and in-room safe. There was lots of closet space. The bathroom was spacious and clean, lots of towels and face cloths, soaps and shampoo. When you arrive the room is sprinkled with local fresh picked flower petals, which is a lovely touch. There is a 20-inch television in the room. Channel selection is basic. There are not enough programs to keep young children entertained but you really want them outside in the fresh air anyways. We brought a portable DVD player and disks to hook up to the television so we could watch movies at night, which was a lot of fun.

The room was cleaned daily. You are expected to wash your dishes. You can dial long distance from your room. On arrival you are provided with voucher cards to get your beach towels from the water sports hut on the beach. You can exchange the towels daily and on the last day you exchange the towels for the vouchers, which you give back to the checkout counter otherwise, you are charged $25.00US for the towel.

The beach is fantastic. It is clean, safe, few vendors, lots of chaise lounges, shade, breezy and close to the rooms. You can get umbrellas from the water sports hut. We walked past other hotels along the beach and we were of the view that the better beach location was at Bougainvillea. The water was very rough during our entire stay. Unless you are comfortable about being thrown about and bashed by waves, you will not be spending too much time in the water.

The pool is fun and you can use the pool at the sister hotel at Sand Acres next door. At Bougainvillea there is a lovely bar in the pool run most days by Marguerite. She makes excellent rum punch and other drinks. There was no excessive drinking, loud parties or noise at the bar. Smoking is still very acceptable in public locations and in the rooms. The little children playing in the pools were all well behaved thanks to their parents. There is a hotel policy restricting visitors to the hotel. Non-guests must be registered with the front desk. The resort is patrolled 24 hours by security.

We prepared breakfast and some lunches in our room. We ate most other meals at the Lantern Restaurant, which is right on the beach. The staff were pleasant especially Eurita who always made sure we had a great table, lots of great cold water and Bajan hot pepper sauce. The food was well prepared and presented. Freddy's mashed potatoes were delicious. The drinking water in Barbados is excellent and safe. You can drink the water right out the tap, wash food and make ice cubes. The hotel organized two weekly cocktail parties and provided entertainment. These events were lots of fun. Make sure you make reservations so you are not left out. We did order pizzas a couple of times from Pizzazz Pizza, which were delivered within an hour, hot and delicious.

To do a round trip to buy groceries was about $17.00 US. Grocery shopping was fun and everything you could want was available including rum, wine, beer, snacks, yogurts, milk, bread, butter, etc. There is a shuttle service available for guests three times a day to Bridgetown which you book for at the Activities Desk. The shuttle takes about 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. It drops you off close to the main shopping district and across the street from the main branch of the Royal Bank of Canada and the Bank of Nova Scotia. Taxis are always waiting in front of the hotel. We were, however, disappointed with the non-grocery shopping. Nothing grabbed our attention (probably just our taste) although all of the jewellery shops had beautiful items. Harrison's and Cave Sheppard have changed their marketing approach and I guess we did not fit the profile they were aiming at. We ended up purchasing all of our gifts at the Bougainvillea gift shop rather than using our precious time to go back to Bridgetown.

Make sure that you check out the night before your departure to avoid the rush during the morning of your departure. Credit cards, traveler's cheques, Barbados and US dollars are all used. Check out is 11:00 am. If your flight is later in the day, you can use their lounge facility (shower, bathroom, etc.); however, it can get hectic and cramped if there are too many families all wanting to use the facilities. Try and request a day room from the front desk. There is a $75.00US charge but it is worth it if a room is available. They could not leave us in our room but they gave us a superior suite next door at Sand Acres, which was nice to try out. Sand Acres is 30 seconds away and has all the same amenities as Bougainvillea.

Luggage can be stored with the doorman for the day until your departure time. Tipping is not expected at Bougainvillea, as it is included; however, we found that we were so well treated that we always wanted to leave a little something special to say thank you. Also it is important to remember that the pace is generally slower in Barbados, which is the reason why you go there. If you expect a frenzied response to your requests then you need to chill out and have another rum punch. Just go with the flow, man, and you will have a vacation to remember.

We have tried to mention the main points that you need to consider before leaving home and arriving at Bougainvillea so that you are well oriented on your first day. The dress around Bougainvillea is always casual; however, you need to wear t-shirts with your bathing suit at the Lanterns Restaurant and many other restaurants in Barbados have a "no shorts" policy. Make sure you check when making reservations about the dress code. In each room there is hard covered book about Barbados which you should review as it covers numerous topics that you might want know about to make your stay more enjoyable.

Take lots of sunscreen, t-shirts, shorts, sandals and bathing suit and 2 or 3 cans of Tim Horton's ground coffee if you like your Timmy's in the morning (assuming that you are Canadian, eh). Have fun in Barbados and especially at Bougainvillea. Michael Butler in Canada

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Dover Beach Hotel - Christchurch

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Annie - (35,32,2)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The location of the hotel is excellent.  Just at the corner of St Lawrence gap so all the bars and resturaunts are easilly accessible and it was on the beach.  The rooms were cleaned and the beds changed daily.  However, you would call it quite basic in comparison to european rooms and  the amount of money it costs.  But I do believe that some rooms were a lot nicer than others!

Beaches to die for on the South coast and very friendly locals makes this a holiday to remember.  Especially in St Lawrence Gap, you do occasionally get approached for drugs and legal saleable goods but just say no with a smile and they wish you good day and leave you alone. Ive been to places such as Mexico and have felt extremely threatened by the locals but in Barbados, they were fine.  The people actually talk to you in the shops and they appear to have a very good sense of humour. Sometimes, they appeared more British than the Brits on holiday! Rockley beach, just up the road, was the nicest beach and sea I had the good fortune to swim in.  Absolutely beautiful.

Definately go to Oistins for the fish fry every friday.  Although the locals all go, the tourists outnumber them. We also did a bit of Celebrity spotting there as well!

Do not make the trip to Sam Lords Castle which is apparantly derilict.

You've got to remember that this is a developing island so there are a lot of building/refurbishment going on but the other attractions make up for it.

We got the mini bus at the top of St Lawrence Gap to Bridgetown.  You can squeeze on these mini buses for $1.50 which was about 45 pence anywhere on the island.  Our little one loved the bus, with the callipso music blasting out.

Enjoy your holiday.  I enjoyed it so much that i am planning to go back. PS.  It was hot hot hot! 104 degrees phew!!

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Pirates Inn - Christchurch

Operator and Date: Independant-Feb 2007

Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : V&S - W.Sussex (26&29)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Pirates Inn offers fantastic value for money, friendly staff and an excellent location to explore the island or chill out on the beautiful Rockley Beach which is 5 min walk away.  Rooms were clean (as was the pool area), spacious and the kitchen was well equipped with everything needed for the self catering holiday.  However, if you can afford the extra charge for air-conditioning we'd highly recommend it! We found most of the guests to be annual regulars and knew the area and all the good eating, drinking and shopping spots very well.

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Rainbow Reef - Christchurch

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - 2004/5

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Debra - London

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This trip didn't start too well as our flight went from Gatwick via Manchester - a small detail Airtours declined to mention in their brochure or website.  At least we had realised about a week before - some people just got a nasty shock when they got to the airport!  The flight also ended up being delayed another couple of hours at Manchester due to a "baggage discrepancy" so it would have been nice to arrive at a clean, comfortable hotel where we could crash out and relax after the horrible journey - unfortunately we were at the Rainbow Reef.  

Our room was the absolute pits - old, shabby, dirty (the bathroom and shower were totally disgusting)with just enough room for 2 single beds, no balcony so just like a little prison cell really.  Other guests mentioned that they had had their rooms broken into so there is obviously a security issues into the bargain.  After complaining to the rep (a not very helpful guy called who couldn't see what our problem was and infuriatingly kept going on about following procedures) we were offered an "upgrade", at our own expense, to a studio which was a much better size but just as shabby and not much cleaner.  We declined and moved to the Butterfly Beach hotel which is exactly what you would expect of a decent 3* hotel, i.e. clean and spacious.

I would say avoid the Rainbow Reef at all costs - it is just horrible.  There is no way Airtours should be touting this as 3* and the double rooms should not even be an option - the studios you might be able to stand at a pinch.  The only good thing about this property is its proximity to Dover Beach

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Sandy Bay Beach - Christchurch

Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin -Jan 2007

Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : both 39

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well it was right on the beach, crystal clear waters, huge rooms and bed, comfy too , clean ,great bathroom, staff very helpful and friendly, if you treat them nice theyll reciprocate!!!

Youre in Barbados so expect to take things slow, wait for a drink it wont kill you.

Nothing for us to moan about but then we expected a Caribbean holiday and thats what we got, try doing just that and you may enjoy it, expect more and youll most likely be moaning but please dont spoil the Caribbean way for the rest of us,do us all a favour and go somewhere else instead next time.

Best bit was watching a humming bird in action in the gardens by the pool, worst bit was overhearing moany people moaning cos it wasnt like the UK !!!!! and they couldnt get wrecked in 30 minutes.

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Sandy Bay Beach - Christchurch

Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin Holidays - Oct 2006

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Jane & Mark - Surrey (47,51)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is certainly not a 3.5* hotel as rated by Virgin, more like 2*.
Damp musty rooms, filthy communal areas by the (very small) pools.  No parasols. Only one bar for the resort, over 200 rooms, rude bar staff.  Not recommended at all.  Virgin have received loads of complaints about this hotel yet still market it as 3.5*.
The rep only has this hotel to lok after as she is dealing with complaints all the time!  We demanded to be moved after 2 ghastly days and they did so without any hassle.  The rep admitted that she has to move loads of people.
New hotel much better (Sea Breeze) but still spoilt our holiday as only there for one week.

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Sandy Bay Beach - Christchurch

Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin holidays oct 2006

Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : dawn - bristol -38 gray - 42 - marg -64 - ryan 10

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

well all i got to say is i dont understand why vrgin are sending people there. 

The apartment wasnt to bad, the food isnt that bad apart from none of the food is hot its freezing cold, even the kids chips, its buffet style outside, and its covered in flies, that put us of striaght away, cause i like my food hot.The attitudes of the people that work at the hotel was discusting.

The beach looks beautifull untill you see the cats digging holes on there and going on the toilet then digging it back over,i wouldnt let my 10 year old on the beach because of that as you dont know what you can pick up.

There was nothing to do at the hotel so we decided to go on a couple of trips, that we booked with the vrgin rep, we booked the safari jeep trip and the sumberine trip, the sumberine trip was brilliant so was the safari jeep one untill we got in to the woods and had a punture on the jeep, well you have never seen anything like it, are guide who took us didnt even know how to change a tyre, he tried to phone for help but because we were in the woods he couldnt get a signal on his phone so its just as well my husband was there he had to take his tee-shirt off and get on the floor to put the jack under the jeep he was covered in mud and big ants i felt so sorry for him, but if he didnt do it he could see we were going to be there for a very long time. Apart from that it was a brilliant trip you must go on it.The weather was boiling hot it was beatifull to get up everyday to sunshine.

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Sandy Bay Beach - Christchurch

Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin - September 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : 23 - 23 - 24 - 26

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have just returned from a fabulous week at Sandy Bay Beach resort, Barbados.

I read all the reviews about the hotel before we went and was left feeling very apprehensive, this shouldn't of been the case.  What a fabulous place.

The hotel was basic but still very nice, very clean and the rooms were huge, we had a kitchen, lounge and bigger than average balcony on the first floor, the lounge had a TV with all English channels, news, sports, comedies etc.  The second floor had 2 bedrooms one en suit and a further bathroom.  Both bedrooms were air-conditioned, the sheets and towels were changed everyday and the place was always clean.  On arrival the fridge was stocked up with pop and beer and a bottle of rum.

One of the bedrooms faced onto the road - who goes on holiday to stay in your room - the balcony looked out to the sea and that's all that mattered, we were advised that they would be more than happy to move us but it wasn't a problem, we were happy to stay put.

The reception area was very nice with a shop and beauty parlour, the shop assistant was hilarious.  The restaurant and bar area are outside -it was very nice, who could complain, eating your meals looking out to sea, although the place is hounded by birds.  There's a wide selection of food for breakfast and lunch, the evening meals were a little samey, chicken and rice, but there was still always something to eat, plus I'm a picky eater anyway.  There is a snack shop anyway and they would cook you anything you wanted - sandwiches etc.

The beach was just amazing, the sea was so clear and so warm, and clean, just fantastic.

The hotel is 5 mins from St Laurence Gap were all the night life is - it was good fun.  A little intimidating on arrival but the locals are welcoming and it was good.

I advise hiring a car and travelling the island - we hired a mini moc £50 for the day, it was bright yellow and stood out like a sore thumb, but this added to the hilarity.  We were stopped by a local guy when touring the Island he was in St Lucy he stopped to advise us where to go, then asked for a lift (we felt nervous letting him hop on board, but shouldn't have) which turned into 2 hours of site seeing, sites we would never of found without him, we tipped him $40 Barbados dollars and he asked us to double it (cheeky begger), which we did, it worked out at £20 which was nothing after the places he'd taken us - turns out this is how they make their living, so don't turn them down - go find him, his name was Andrew and he was hilarious, he made our day and the photographs we got to take were amazing.

To sum it up we had a fantastic holiday and I would go back tomorrow if I could, people who have posted bad report on here must be seriously unhappy people to find things to moan about.  They are so chilled out on the island and will do anything to help, even the local guys on the beach who tend to the sunbeds.  It's a fantastic place and if you cant enjoy it, there's something amiss.

Advice - Don't buy the Aloe Vera from the guy on the beach, it appeared off to us - although this wasn't the case, fresh Aloe Vera just smells really bad like sweat and resembles male body fluid.

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Sea Breeze Hotel - Christ Church

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin  November 2005

Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Paul Berry - Hampshire-(Both  55)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Sea Breeze was in a lovely setting with a large beach frontage with sandy/easy beach access to the azure sea.We had a top floor room overlooking the second pool and the beach.

We learnt that the hotel changes ownership this week which is probably the reason for the very tired looking decor of the bathrooms and the general upkeep of the hotel infrastructure.The whole place needs some tender loving care.We had water pouring down the inside wall during the above average rainfall for this time of the year and the restaurant also leaked badly.The pool table needed replacing as it was badly worn.Having done the negative bit i can say that the staff and especially the restaurant staff and the bar staff made our holiday with their cheerful/smiling/willing/attitude.

The food was excellent apart from a couple of dinners.The choice was very good.We would go back -WHEN  The bathrooms in the other two blocks have been re-furbished and the whole place has had a facelift.Virgin do not have their Chill out Check in service pickup from Sea Breeze.You have to drag your suitcases to the Barbados Beach Hotel although passengers are picked up from Sea Breeze.A bit Short Sighted of Virgin.

All in all i would rate this accomodation as 3 rating not its current 4

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Sea Breeze Hotel - Christ Church

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - September 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Hayley, Clinton - London

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

My partner and I travelled to Barbados with Virgin for 10 nights in September and decided on the Sea Breeze based on what we had read on this site, and the value for money compared to some other hotels.

We arrived to a welcome drink and were shown to our room which was as described, of good size and clean with a beach and ocean view (most rooms here have this view which is a bonus!)

We opted to stay all inclusive which we would recommend as the food here is great, and they have a different selection every night. We did however venture out for dinner on a few of the nights mainly because the nightlife isnt that great, its more like background music and we fancied a livelier night on some occasions!!

The staff were all fantastic, they would greet you morning and night and were always happy to help with any questions. The beach vendors were there every day trying to sell you things, but they would leave you alone with a polite no thanks!

We went to both Harbour Lights and Roots and Rhythms in the evenings which were both great but very different. We prefered Harbour Lights which is basically a show with Limbo dancers, fire eaters, stilt walkers etc... but they get you involved (if you want to!) Its a really good atmosphere and the food was good too! We went in a package trip but decided not to get the coach back at 10.30 as the party goes on til around 4.00am with free drinks til 2.00 (plus it was only $25bd to get back!) Roots and Rhythms was again a show with the above plus a steel band but its more of a caberet show where you watch then dance for a bit later but it closes at 10.30 sharp!

Other recommendations are the catemeran cruise, caves and critters where you visit harrisons caves, then visit a wildlife park where if your lucky you get to feed the monkeys (remember to take some bananas!) Also if you fancy visting one of the worlds top 50 restaurants The Cliff is fantasic! Great food, great service and great views! It came to about £110.00 for us both which was great value for the quality of the food!

So overall Barbados is a great place to visit, we would definately go back! The Sea Breeze is quiet but friendly and situated in a good area (near to Oistens and The Gap for nightlife and Bridgetown for shopping!) I could go on but i think i have said enough!

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Silver Rock Hotel - Silver Sands, Christ Church

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin Dec 25 2003 to 7 Jan 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : 51.62

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was ok, we had a room on top floor (3rd) overlooking the beach and this made it for us. The hotel is quite small, certainly the grounds are but beach is right on the doorstep. Sun beds in short supply and a bit passed their best, the pool is very small. Food acceptable & some days very good, entertainment most nights and some of the acts very good-others notso! The main difficulty is getting used to the layed back approach of the staff especially in the bar and local spirits a bit iffy. 

Trips out - the island jeep safari was good fun and informative the cat. boat trip a blast from start to finish and both well worth the cost. easy to get about in the local buses which pass close to hotel.

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Silver Sands Resort - Christ Church

Operator and Date: September 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : JJ, 42,39

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from the Silver Sands Resort. We flew with First Choice and the service from them was OK.   We found Barbados beautiful, the hotel itself lovely but isolated, and the hotel room (no 89 ocean view studio) a dump but we didnt stay in it too much.  The food at the hotel was nice and varied despite other reviews, but the best food we ate was at the Surfers Bar which is about 200m (signposted) from the hotel.  You could get a lovely meal for around 26 to 49 Bajan dollars and the beer Carib, Banks or Stag at 4 BDS was just great.  The food at the Cricket Wicket pub just outside the hotel entrance was great as well.

There wasnt much to do at the hotel and the sea was very choppy where the hotel is so we found a lovel little cove just beside the Surfers bar where we used to go everyday for a swim and some peace and quiet, lovely !

We hope to go back to Barbados but not the Silver Sands.

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Silver Sands Resort - Christ Church

Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin Holidays - February 2006

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Alan Johnson - Warrington (49,50,57)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We bave just returned from an excellent all inclusive holiday.  Hotel excellent, food good, staff very nice, beautiful beach and sea, although sea very choppy, but fine, if you like any kind of surfing.  The hotel is very secluded, only a couple of local bars, one of these show sky sports, but doesn't open until 18:00 hrs. which is 22:00 Hrs BST, so no good for watching live football, had to go to St. Lawrence Gap, which is about a 15 mins. drive by Taxi costing about $15 Barbados Dollars.  Would recommend this hotel to anybody.

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Silver Sands Hotel - Christ Church

Operator and Date: (Virgin Direct) Virgin - September 2005

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Amy Jones - (24, 25)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a fantastic holiday at the silver sands.  Set on a beautiful beach the small complex is quiet and friendly.

The hotel is a taxi ride away from lively St Lawrence Gap and there are some fantastic restaurants and bars in 'the Gap'.  The bajan people are so friendly and we felt very safe in the resort. 

You get hassled on the beach by the locals about buying things but there are plenty of sunbeds around the pool.

You have to give $500 upfront to put on a card to use in the hotel shop, bar and restaurant, whatever you dont spend they put back on your card at the end of your stay.

The best night out is 'Oistins Fish Fry' a local event which happens every Friday night.  The locals cook fresh fish and serve with rice and veg and then it turns into an outdoor r'n'b night. 

Make sure you take a taxi ride to sandy lane beach, Paradise!!! Watch out for the crab apples falling from the trees as they blister your skin.

I would definately go back to Barbados but maybe try a more central hotel next time.

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Silver Sands Hotel - Christ Church

Operator and Date: Tradewinds - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Jon Nicholas - Essex (46,46,22,20)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We found the staff helpful and all the locals very friendly. Booked through Tradewinds who were very good and flew with BMI, also v.good, from Manchester. 

The hotel was nice and comfortable and we found it quiet and relaxing. There were 4 adults in our party and we booked 2 x Garden view studios which Tradewinds kindly upgraded for us to Ocean view on their suggestion, at no extra charge. 

The sea at this part of the island is not suitable for swimming as it is too rough however this hotel has 2 good sized pools which are kept clean. Upon arrival at reception we were asked for BD$500 to put on a card which you have to use when purchasing from the bar/restaurant as they do not take cash.This "threw" us a bit as we were tired form the flight and initialy confused at being asked to hand over approx £170 as soon as we booked-in but once explained it worked out to be a good system for us to use. At the end of your stay you get a refund on what you havn't spent from the card. The rooms are basic but clean and comfortable with aircon and sliding door to either balcony or small patio area. The rooms are cleaned and towels changed daily. 

The hotel food and drink are not cheap but have reasonable taste and portion sizes and unless you just want to laze around the hotel all holiday then I would recommend you hire a car for your stay - there's lots to see and do and its expensive doing all the organised tours - be warned though that road direction signs are rare and stay clear of the public transport (mini-buses) - their driving is eratic and fast - about the only thing that moves at speed in the entire country! We would definately book with Tradewinds again, definately fly with BMI again and definately stay at Silver Sands Hotel again. 

The only thing thing we would not do again is stay at the Moat House Hotel, Manchester. We stayed there overnight before our flight to Barbados and left the car in their car park. Although they state that continental breakfast is available from 0400hr when we went to get something to keep us going at 0630hr the one member of staff in the restaurant was very anoyed that we disturbed him and  extremely rude to the point that we didn't eat anything however, as we each had a glass of fruit juice we were charged £22! If you value your money and expect good service then don't stay at the Moat House, Manchester but do go with Tradewinds, BMI and Silver Sands.

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Silver Sands Hotel - Christ Church

Operator and Date: (Virgin Discounts) Virgin - Aug 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : D Rose - Hull (34, 26, 65, 62)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I went to Barbados with my mate (2 females) and my parents in August 2004.  I had wanted to go for a few years as I have a penpal living there (local lass) so we decided to go and check it out. 

Before going someone mentioned this site and after reading certain comments I have to admit I was a bit worried about going (not really for me and my mate as we are both well travelled and pretty unshockable) but more so about the fact that my elderly parents were going too.

On arriving in Barbados we were met by my penpal who took us to Silver Sands Hotel (about a 20 mins drive from the airport).

We were greeted to a very friendly reception and promptly shown to your rooms (beachside studio).  The room was very clean, albeit basic, but with ample facilities (TV, shower, telephone, cooker, fridge and ALL working!).  All local and mobiles on the island from the phone in your room are free.

Anyway, once we had got into the place I realised that the bad comments I have read on here regarding this Hotel/Resort/mugging/attacks and beggers must have been for the very unfortunate few people. 

The people were lovely, and so friendly.  The hotel was excellent (apart from the crabs in your room actually walking up the walls but then again we was situated right on the beach) But dont worry they are tiny.

A definate MUST is Oystins Fish Fry on a Friday nights, music (reggae), vans serving alcohol (mount gay rum 'n coke it's a killer or Banks beer etc..) also seating areas where you can eat fresh fish cooked while you wait, I would definately recommend the Blue Marlin with rice it tastes like pork.   If you are not intimidated when surrounded with locals (I only came across one rude person there all night and she was a brit) then it's a good family night altho...  After midnight the air is thick with 'wacky backy' smoke, (I don't go there myself but the atmosphere, music, layed back people it was awesome).  We all left at 5am (not the parents of course) and it was still going strong . 

Bridgetown is great for shopping (clothes are about the same price as here) but such a busy town and so many colourful people with dreadlocks everywhere!!  We had lunch there and watched the hussle n' bussle from a rooftop restaurant.

The Weather was VERY hot (as I said earlier I am well travelled but this was HOT!!) however don't be suprised if your topping up the tan by the pool and the heavens open it happened to us a few times, but 30 mins later your tanning again, we went to Holetown beach one day and people were still swimming in the sea even though it was raining as its still very humid.  I'm usually very warey of swimming in the sea, scared of anything swimming about with me but the sea was so turquoise and clear I was lovely.

You will see rum shacks dotted about everywhere, little wooden huts serving rum (of course) and anything else you would like to drink, usually run by very friendly, comical people, but don't use the toilet unless you DEFINATE have to!!

Silver Sands Hotel has a free rum punch night also doing soft drinks (its a rum shack on the beach), its worth going, i think it was every tuesday 7 til 8.  Everyone stands/sits about on the beach listening to steel drums while a few locals are selling hand crafted sarongs etc).
 
The food at the poolside bar it lovely but plenitful, one portion would easily feed two and don't be suprised if, when you are done eating birds (the feathered type) sit on your plate and finish it off!! 

Entertainment at SS Hotel was good (cropover dancers, fire eaters, limbo dancers) but not on everynight.  Sticky Wicket Pub is just outside the gate and up the hill, but bear in mind the hotel to the gates was a taxi ride in itself.

You will probably get hassled by beach traders on the SS beach, they are persistant but will go if you are firm and tell them no thank you.   I, however wasn't so lucky so if you come across one called Trevor tell him he still owes me 5 bajan dollars!!!

The Best place to go in the evenings is St. Lawrence Gap, it's a street lined with kareoke bars, restaurants etc. (it's not Falaraki type bars but its a good night out for couples/families).

Also if you like a party go out on the Harbour Lights Cruise, it's a floating disco with free drinks sails from 11pm and back in at 3am.  Mostly Bajans when we went.  Lower deck is the bar area, middle deck the disco top deck just open air to watch the island sail by, you can see loads of flying fish leaping from the sea.  The Boatyard club is good too!!

Taxi's are outside the hotel lobby so its easy to get about but agree the fare before setting off.  If you are more adventurous walk up to the gate and the local bus will pick you up (its a white transit van and he will stop anywhere and shout out where he is going) its worth getting in just for the experience, you wont believe how many people can get in them vans (legs and arms out of the window) locals (bajans) almost sat on your knee etc.

If your prepared to adapt to the bajan way of life (no rush, no worries) then this is the place for you.  Absolute Paradise!!

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Dover - Barbados

Rainbow Reef - Dover (ChristChurch)

Operator and Date: (Going Places) Going Places - June 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : John Bradley & Sarah Green (19)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Rainbow Reef Hotel, well what can I saw, totally different to what i was expecting. I had heard reports that the hotel had unhelpful staff and unclean rooms. What a load of rubbish. The staff where some of the most helpful I have ever come across, and the cleanliness was excellent, cleaned every day, new towels on request and they even done the dishes!!

The hotel is just off St Lawrence Gap, this is the main place on the island for good food and lively nightlife (5 mins walk)

The hotel pool was a reasonable size, good for cooling off after being in the humidity all day. The pool was 9ft deep at one end and about 1ft at the other.

The room was lovely, all self catering rooms are on 2 floors, kitchen/lounge/dining room downstairs, and the bedroom and toilet upstairs. The bedroom had a air conditioning unit, which was a must in the barbados heat, 2 double beds, plenty of storage space and all the normal things you'd expect.

The hotel is set in some nice flower gardens, and there are also some birds and animals on site which the owners keep as pets. The hotel has a seating area that looks out to sea, be there at about 4pm and you'll see the turtles feeding out at sea.

Food:
The hotel has a restuarant (Woodies) we never ate there, but just down to the fact that other people had said it was expensive.

We tried to eat at a different place every night and only failed once. Good places to eat are;

JUNGLE TREE HOUSE, just opposite the hotel, fantastic food, brilliant atmosphere and reasonably cheap.

THE SHIP INN, very good cheap food, almost seems english. Try the bajan flying fish, lovely.

BELLINIES, Italian restaurant at the end of the gap, bit more pricey but fantastic food.

CAFE SOL, Mexican food, has a happy hour between 6-7, good cocktails, and cheap aswell.

We went on two trips
MALIBU DISTILLERY TOUR; Bit disapointing the tour itself lasted about 30mins and the ret of the day was spent on the beach and drinking malibu, hicup!

ISLAND ADVENTURES; This trip cost us $452 barbados dollars (BDS) which worked out at £128 for both of us. They pick you up from the hotel and take you round the island in the back of a landrover showing you all the best bits of the island that you normally wouldn't see. At lunchtime you then change and get on a catamaran, you then have a buffet lunch of flying fish, chicken, salads and plenty of cake. Unlimited bar all day. Hicup! The catamaran takes you round the coast. You have two stops at sea, one to swim with the turtles and the second to swim over 2 ship wrecks (snorkel gear provided) take a underwater camera with you!!

If your only going to do one trip do the Island adventure its well worth the money.

Hope thats of some help to you.

I throughly recommend the hotel and resort.

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Turtle Beach Resort - Dover

Operator and Date: first choice - august 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : louise hartley - co Durham 30,26

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We travelled to Barbados for our Honeymoon. The hotel itself was really lovely and relaxed. I didnt think it was  worth the amount we had paid for it though. The food is excellent in all three resturants and plentiful. The only one we got a bit fed up of was the buffet resturant at lunchtimes,towards the end of our second week it became really repetitive. The entertainment was fine but didnt last long each night finishing at 10pm, apparantly this was due to the hotel being a family one! The staff at reception and in resturants were really friendly, but the ones behind the bar were really miserable and sometimes I thought they couldnt be bothered to serve us and were quite rude. The only bar man that was friendly and full of fun was maradona, bringing drinks and fresh fruit down to the beach each day.

All in all we did enjoy it but we would go to a livelier hotel if we did return to Barbados.

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Turtle Beach Resort - Dover

Operator and Date: Thomascook Signiture - 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Harry Cunningham - Luton (55 49 22 18 15 68 62)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

It was most of our holiday parties first time in Barbados. We had come out as we were getting married. The hotel Turtle Beach is the best hotel I have every stayed in. The welcome we got on arrival was excellent, just like we were all friends arriving. The staff could not do enough for you and our wedding was fab.
Food was very good and all facilities great. Hotel was very clean and there was nothing you could find fault with. We will be returning in the near future.

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Turtle Beach Resort - Dover

Operator and Date: Prestbury Travel, Cheshire - October 2005

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : 27, 28

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went to Turtle Beach for a 2 week holiday all Inclusive.  This was the first time for both of us in the Carribean, I won the holiday in a competition draw.  We flew BMI who were great and then we were met in Barbados by a taxi company who took us straight to the Hotel.  The Transfers too and from the airport were included as well as the flights and 2 weeks accomodation.

We thought the staff were great at the Hotel, they would offer you fruit while sunbathing and ask if you would like your drink/juice topped up.  The three eating venues were fine as well.  The only thing you had to watch was, when going for breakfast in the Chelonia the birds would fly to your plate if you left if for a second.

We ate more times in the Chelonia Restaurant at night instead of the other two restaurants.  We had no problems booking where we wanted to eat if done in advance.

We decided to do a few trips while we were there, and the Reception Ladies were really helpfull making a few phone calls for us.
We went to Bridgetown twice as well as the Rum Tour and also the Deep Sea World trip.

We had no problem jumping in and out of taxis we felt that it was quite safe.

Our room was cleaned every day and could not really fault it apart from the bathroom we felt that it could of been decorated a bit more.

We were located on the bottom floor which was great to get quick access to the pool and the bars, all though we did not have any children.  It also came in handy with the downpours as when it rains it really does rain and having a balcony on the bottom floor made a difference making a run for it.

In all we would love to go back there but this time we would have to pay for it!

We alse saw two weddings take place over there which was nice to watch.

Gill - Scotland

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Turtle Beach Resort - Dover

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook May 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Lynn Archer - Newcastle upon Tyne 54, 59

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Wonderful hotel, can't praise the staff enough.  Beach was great, food absolutely fabulous.  Rooms excellent.  Getting around the island with various tours is a pleasure.  Locals so polite they could give us a lesson or two!!!.  Flew with BWIA and will never do so again (apparently locally it stands for but will it arrive!!).  Thomas Cook were no help at all with the problems we had in both directions with flights, will never use them again.

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Turtle Beach Resort - Dover

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook Signature Holidays - 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Peter Hill - Ipswich (47, 46, 45, 40, 16, 13, 13, 13)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel (15-20 minutes from the airport)was rated as 4 1/2 'ticks' but at best it is no more than 3 stars (using int'l rather than brochure ratings). Rooms (we had all standard double rooms) were spacious and clean but in need of renovation (as was the hotel overall), especially the bathrooms.

Be warned however - the hotel, although not marketed/sold as such, has many families with young children (i.e. under 10's) so be prepared for lots of running/noisy kids, so if like us you have teenagers this may not be what you are looking for, although it is close to St Lawrence Gap where most of the nightlife is. 

There are 3 restaurants (1) Asiagos (Italian & child-free) is good rather than spectacular and the staff by comparison are friendly, (2) Chelonia, the main restuarant, has a nice look & feel about it, however, staff are indifferent. The food overall is good if you can put up with the birds flying about (especially at b/fast & lunch although staff do clear up any bird-droppings). One observation that did concern me was during the b-b-q night when i pointed out to the (one) chef on duty he was using the same tongs for raw as well as cooked meat - he seemed to laugh this off but did use two sets of tongs therafter. We were all-inclusive but it was against hotel rules to leave the bottle of wine on the table (!) which meant we had to continually catch the attention of staff for refills - we had to go to the bar now and then to get our own drinks. (3) Waterfront Restaurant (dress code allows shorts) - suggest avoid b/fast which is a disaster but evening meals are okay without being truly great. However, the staff are not attentive at all and lack any personality which is a shame as the setting is nice.

Bar staff everywhere have had personality by-pass operations and if someone in front of you orders 2/3 cocktails be prepared for a long wait. This issue reflects one of the key problems for the hotel - there just isn't enough staff to cater for the number of guests.

The beach is great and the breeze keeps you cool although the water can get a bit rough at times (we went during Easter) but there is a flag system in place so need to be careful if you have young children. The beach staff (Sam , Duane, Leo) are brilliant as is Maradona the little guy who comes round with trays of cold drinks every hour or so.

The Adventureland 4x4 tour of the island  was good fun especially if you get Cassius as your driver/guide (well known island celeb) and the lunch was taken at a fab location in Bathsheba.

Would recommend taking a catamaran sailing trip for a day (we chose 'Silver Moon') which included lunch [v.good standard], swimming with turtles and snorkelling over wrecks - great day out with Capt. Nick and Tony.

Oistin's on a Friday night is good fun - best b-b-q fish we have ever had, all washed down by a cold beer or two. Music is loud and in your face and there is a variety of places to eat as well as buy any gifts from the numerous stalls.

We flew Virgin economy which was a little cramped (if you are 6ft plus with seat pitch of 31") but overall service was what you expected - very good. Returning to the UK overnight was always going to be difficult due shorter flight (7 hrs) but the seat-back screens do make it better than the competition.

In summary, great holiday, perfect weather but the hotel needs to reassess its market and sell it to the right audience - i.e. families with young children.

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Turtle Beach Resort - Dover

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - September 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Janette, 47 - David 33

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from 14 days at the turtle beach resort in Barbados.  We had a fantastic time and will be returning to Barbados in the future.

The hotel room was clean and well furnished.  The bathroom was a bit shabby, cracked tiles and the grott a bit grubby.  Towels and bed linen were changed every day.  Fresh beach towels were supplied at the beach hut, daily, so no need to pack any.

The food was excellent and varied.  The Itailian restaurant was great, especially if you want a more grown up enviroment, as no kids under 12 allowed.  The children are allowed to run riot at times in the other 2 restaurant, allowed to climb up the pillars as their parents take photos!!

The staff varied from superb to sullen.  They tend to speak to each other without making eye contact, so it is difficult to know to whom they are speaking.  Most of the staff were excellent and extremely helpful.

If you want a really quiet, laid back holiday, Turtle Beach may not be for you.  There was a wedding every day sometimes 2 and they all came with their families and assorted children.  Usually groups of 10 to 14 and they take over the pool area, I realise it is their holiday, but it is my holiday as well. 

There is only ever 1 member of staff working the bar and if a group order cocktails a wait of 10 to 15 mins to be served is not unusual.  When I complained, shoulders were shrugged and nothing changed. They are truly the most laid back nation I have ever met.

The beach is fabulous and the watersport staff terrific.  Sam is good fun.  People do try to sell things but are'nt pushy.
The water is very rough and unsuitable for swimming, current really strong.  There was a hatching on the beach one night and the sight of all those baby turtles heading for the sea will live with me for a long time, fantastic!!!

Entertainment was'nt bad, the jazz duo were terrific and nice guys to chat to.

The Tiami catamaran cruises are excellent and such good value for money.  If you fancy a different island tour try Ted's Island Tour.  He is very different from any tour guide I have met.  He goes around bare foot and is very knowledgeable.  You never know when he will bring you back!!  Good fun.

We went to the Cliff Restaurant for dinner.  Not cheap, but needs to be experienced.  The surroundings and the food are fabulous and the staff delightful.  It was our anniversay and they made a great fuss of us.

We flew with Virgin Airlines and they were excellent, they even come to the hotel on the day of your departure and you do the airport check in there and your luggage is taken for you.  All you do is get to the airport and go straight into the departure lounge, best hassle free check in I have ever had!

We were unfortunate to have Hurrican Ivan heading toward us.  Very scary, but the staff were fantastic and looked after us all so well, even managed to cook a meal for us when all the power had failed.  Outstanding. Other than that the weather was really good.  Showers only lasted a few minutes.

All in all a fantastic holiday and I can not wait to go back. 

Janette - Scotland

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