travelenthusiast

We are planning a trip to Barbados. in November. I started planning this trip a litle late. We have another couple going with us and we don't exactly agree on the hotel choice. We looked at lots of hotels online to find one that has a nice beach, good service and rooms and is not too quiet and boring. Since we are planning this at the last minute, some places that look great are booked up. I have narrowed it down to 4 choices.

1. Bougainvillea - We all like the this one the best, but rooms aren't available now, even though I found some this morning on expedia.

2. Colony Court - It looks beautiful, but I'm worried that it might be a little stuffy. We saw a picture on trip advisor that looks like they have a rock sea wall that divides the beach from the hotel. Has anyone been there who can comment on the beach and the general vibe of the resort?

3. Amaryllis - I think the beach here looks nicer than at the Colony Court, but their rooms and grounds don't seem to be as impressive. There web site doesn't seem to have as many detailed pictures and I don't want to discount it just because Colony Court's website is better. Has anyone been here recently?

4. Coconut Court - This hotel seems to be a step or two lower than the others. The beach, however, looked wider and nicer. It also seemed like it was a fun place to stay. I am concerned about the showers and the bathrooms. I read somewhere that the showers may be a little small. Has anyone stayed there?

I would appreciate any opinions on these hotels that could help us make our decision. We are meeting with the travel agent on Tuesday the 23rd.

travelenthusiast

Is there anyone who has been to Barbados that could provide some input? We are going to the travel agent tomorrow.

greenie

We stayed at Boug last year. I liked the resort but I prefer Southern Palms both for location and beach.

The Boug is closer to Oistens than to the Gap. I would rent a car if I stayed there to avoid paying for so many cabs.

The rooms were good with a small kitchenette that was very convenient. The food in the restaurants was very good. The place is well run. The pool area is small and tends to be overrun with kids (was when we were there).

Peace, Greenie

xkenx

If you mean Colony Club, it is very nice, with very good rooms, and a string of pools. Some of the rooms spill into a pool. Nice beach, which is shared with Coral Reef Club. If Coral Reef Club is available, it is the class act on the island, with gorgeous grounds, family-owned for over 50 years, plantation-style low rise bldgs. and cottages. Migh be more expensive, but worth it. The beaches on the west coast (where Colony Club is) have the calmest water for snorkeling. See www.coralreefbarbados.com

bajangirl

Colony Club is a very well established hotel on the prestigious west coast of the island. The other three are all south coast hotels. Amaryllis and Coconut Court are in a similar location. The rooms in the new blocks at Amaryllis are much nicer but not on the beach. Good location for getting about. Coconut Court is the lesser of the 4 price-wise, but in a great location, decent beach, snorkeling, etc. Bougainvillea is good but the swimming is not the best, but beach is nice. Have you looked at Southern Palms - great beach, in The Gap so walk to restaurants, bars, shops, etc.

travelenthusiast

Thank you for your replies. We went to the travel agent today and now the Colony Club is all booked up. We decided to stay at the Tamarind Cove Hotel. I hope it wasn't a bad decision. The pictures look very nice on their website. They have a meal plan but we only asked to have breakfast included. Has anyone been to this hotel recently? I saw on Trip Advisor that the hotel is up for sale and there were some concerns about the quality of service. Any info would be appreciated.

xkenx

Tamarind Cove is okay. You can walk north on the beach all the way north to Sandy Lane. Meal plan not nec. with all the good restaurants in the area, including the one at Treasure Beach Hotel next door to the north (BTW Treasure Beach is a small (28or 29 rooms) choice boutique hotel--very nice). For the same ballbark money as Tamarind, you could have Coral Reef Club. Their U.S. rep is Ralph Locke Islands www.caribisles.com

TPAYT

Stayed at "Tamarind Cove" on our 16th trip tp Caribbean and it was one of our best. Room location is Key. Upgrade, it"s worth every penny. The breakfast buffets were very good, and sandwiches at the main pool. The "off the menu" dinners were also good--not so much the dinner buffets.

Had dinner at the "Colony Club" and it did seem rather stuffy, but the food wes good. Also try the "Cliff"---gorgeous!!

The staff at "Tamarind" were absolutely the best. We had a medical issue to deal with and they were there to help us every step of the way. Manager, Leroy Browne, was on site and talking to the guests more than expected.

travelenthusiast

Thanks for your replies. We are leaving this Thursday, November 1st. It's good to hear nice things about the Tamarind Cove.

Now I need to find some restaurants. We enjoy fine dining, but it's also fun to go to local places like the lolo's on St Martin. I'm going to look into the Cliff for dinner - thanks to TPAYT for the recommendation. We are planning on going to the Oistens (sp?) Fish Fry on Friday night. I also want to go on the Jolly Roger Pirate Ship. I'm really a kid at heart!

If anyone has any other restaurant suggestions, I would appreciate it. We love seafood and I have a weakness for escargo. I could eat it every night.

TPAYT recommended to upgrade our room. We booked an oceanview room. I figure that we will see what the room looks like when we get there and if we need to upgrade we'll ask there. I'm hoping the OVR will be fine.

One last question - Did anyone take a small catamarin trip and if so can you recommenend a company that you used.

ccason

i am thinking of going to barbados next year. i was looking at the boug and crane for accomodations. would appreciate any advice from your trip. (restaurants & accomodations). thanks for any advice.

chris

greenie

The crane is good if you rent a car. Otherwise, it's kind of off the beaten path. It's further south than the airport. We went for lunch one day and to play in the waves. They have a great beach and grounds. I'd stay there on my next trip to BDS.

The boug is a nice resort but it is difficult to walk to the Gap. Although you could probably walk to Oistens. We stayed at the boug last year and liked it enough. I prefer the Southern Palms. Better location and beach IMHO.

Peace, Greenie

travelenthusiast

Chris - I posted half of my trip report. If you click on my screen it should come up. After the holiday I'll finish it. If you have any specific questions, I'll try to answer them.