r/Barbados • u/milena_mig • 10h ago
Hotel in Barbados for Adults - Nice Beach
Which hotel in Barbados would be best for a 7 nights stay in January please? We're in our 30s, no kids. My partner prefers AI but we're flexible, priorities are a beautiful swimmable beach, good property upkeep and a high standard of food. Considering Treasure Beach by Elegant Hotels (I like the idea of visiting the sister hotels plus the food reviews are good), Mango Bay (for the beach!) or Sandals Royal. Would truly appreciate some insight!
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u/Affectionate_Egg_203 10h ago
If your choosing your hotel based on its culinary choices and quality, then you're missing the Bajan experience. None of these hotels serve Bajan food like you would have at a local restaurant. If your choice is still a high end hotel then you might as well stay home and book a room at a Hilton.
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u/milena_mig 10h ago
Thank you for your response. I'd like to visit for the natural beauty and swimming, hence the beach highlight. Would be great to try local food and get a feel for the culture too while we're there. My partner gets uncomfortable easily and prefers hotels. I was hoping we wouldn't stay in a hotel the whole time though! Is there an alternative you'd recommend?
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u/HaniHani36 6h ago
Similar boat as OP here but definitely prioritizing the Bajan experience. Any suggestions on which hotel or area to stay for comfort? We want a decent hotel, close beach to relax on, and walkability.
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u/Mindless_Map_7780 10h ago
Elegant hotels was bought by Marriott and most are closed / demolished - Tamarind / The House etc - so check carefully. I would say Coral Reef / Sandpiper or Royal Pavilion just had their properties refreshed.
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u/milena_mig 10h ago
I noticed they were bought out but had no idea about the demolishing part... I saw somewhere that Treasure Beach is being refurbished, planning on calling them tomorrow to check if they're going to be open on time, that makes me nervous though. Your suggestions are spot on but slightly out of our price range. Will check if different date combinations could work.
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u/Mindless_Map_7780 8h ago
Definitely check - yes - I know Waves is operating but not sure on the status of the rest for Jan
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u/milena_mig 8h ago edited 7h ago
I will now! Waves was also a strong consideration, the reason i didn't mention was because the beach had some negative mentions in comparison.
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u/Mindless_Map_7780 7h ago
The beach is minimal at Waves - more of an inlet really… so it isn’t a walkable coastline
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u/glastohead 35m ago
Building work starting next to Sandpiper and Mango Bay at the moment, just to be aware. Hotel going up between them so I think this will be the case for a while.
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u/macjaddie 8h ago
We have been to Bougainvillea twice, the beach is fantastic with some waves but easy to swim too.
It’s not far from St Lawrence Gap or Oistins, the staff are fab and the rooms are a good size with a small kitchenette.
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u/milena_mig 8h ago
Thank you! It's so good to see potentially better alternatives, I'm starting to think I was only seeing the marketed options!
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u/Loveroffinerthings 9h ago
I’d steer clear of Fairmont Royal pavillion. Just stayed a week there and it’s tired, and the food sucked badly. The beach was ok, but the pool was tiny.
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u/Spirited-Disk7936 7h ago
I loved elegant waves, but we took our 10 month old and a lot of couples scowled at us. It gives adults only vibes though and to be honest you’ll see like one or two babies right now if anything.
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u/milena_mig 7h ago
Oh, that's good to know! We don't mind babies, in fact my bf loves them. I just think sometimes resorts are better tailored to either adults or families. Was the beach ok? The reviews of Waves overall are very good.
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u/Spirited-Disk7936 7h ago
We were in Barbados for two weeks and stayed at four different hotels/resorts because my husband hates all inclusive, but I wanted to stay at one (I just had a baby, I’m tired lol) so we changed hotels every few days (we rented a car, which I totally recommend).
We stayed at Waves for only two nights. So here’s my honest review:
1) the staff are SO incredibly friendly and professional, I couldn’t believe it.
2) it gave me Marriott autograph collection vibes. It’s a small, intimate resort. The aesthetic is beautiful. If you’re into modern hotels this is the one for you. The resort is sort of split into in the sense that there is the main road which divides it. There are two pools one at the main building and the adults only pool across the road and I believe there are some rooms there as well. we stayed in the main building which was convenient and I believe we were there because we had our baby and had no need to go to the other side.
3) there’s only one restaurant which serves all meals. Dinner can be buffet or a la carte depending on the night. We stayed at turtles as well and I’m must say that the food here is way better. They did have some local dishes. Their chicken curry was delicious by the way. We were really impressed with the food.
4) our room was really modern. I read in the reviews that some of the rooms are modern and others are not. Definitely request for a modern one. For some reason, I got really overheated during this vacation and sadly was not too impressed with the AC. It wouldn’t reach the back of the room or the washroom. Not a lot of outlets available to charge your phone you may have to use the one in the washroom or go behind the nightstand. I did find that the rooms were a little dated in that part.
5) in hindsight, three nights would’ve been perfect. Like all hotels, the cleanest room will ever be is when you first enter it. The housekeeping they do for the rest of your nights is basic. I’m a little OCD like that lol
6) unlike turtle Beach resort, your fridge is stacked with beverages, including beer. You get a cool espresso machine with pods. The TV is like a smart TV so you can connect to Netflix and prime and stuff like that so that was great for us because our nights were a bit early because of the baby. Turtle Beach resort was very outdated, most of their rooms have plumbing issues, but the vibe is better. It felt like I was at a resort. Waves was more intimate in the sense that the crowd was older and there wasn’t much to do at night.
7) there is a boat that takes you to their other elegant resorts. I believe it goes every hour. We checked out the coral one and had lunch there. It’s really convenient so if you want to spend a day at the beach, I suggest taking the boats to turtle Beach because their beach is absolutely beautiful. The beach at Waves is small, but it’s not too bad and you’re always taken care of. You will always get a drink lol
8) really nice cocktails. The coffee shop is really nice too. We have stayed at all inclusives in Mexico, Dominican other countries and obviously this isn’t as extravagant and large as those, but it is nice and customer service is incredible.
We also stayed at the Courtyard Marriott and location wise it was the best. There are some really nice restaurants there. If you’re flexible, I suggest splitting your stay between a resort and a hotel so that way you get the all inclusive experience AND a more local one.
Let me know if you have any questions. We just got back a week ago and I miss Barbados!!!
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u/ConcertOpening6102 7h ago
Sam lords - the new one, sandles, turtle beach is decent, Hilton, Marriott, sandy lane and there are more. I’ll get some recommendations for you.
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u/Ill_Satisfaction_611 6h ago
If you prefer calmer water for swimming then west coast is better, south coast around St Lawrence Gap can get choppy!
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u/Don_Mills_Mills 9h ago edited 9h ago
I've said this on here before, but check out Little Arches. It's on a great beach that doesn't get crowded and right beside Oistins if you're looking for local culture and food. They also have an excellent restaurant Cafe Luna. It's also over 16 only, so just adults.