ericao

hi! my husband and i are planning a trip for 1st anniversary in june. we are thinking barbados. any suggestions on where to stay?? we want to be on or near a nice beach and like to go out to dinner...not stay in the hotel every night. also for the hotel, we don't like anything too boutiqy or small, we like a nice pool and good service. also a clean modern room. would appreciate all suggestions. also do we need a car to go to dinners, etc? or are we better off with taxis? thanks!

Knowing

We always stay at the Hilton and will be back there again in nine days. The pools are great and it's on a big beach, so easy to just chill out. The rooms are comfortable and they are clean. The staff is very friendly. There are so many excellent places to eat. We have a driver (taxi)that we really like and we just call him on his cell when we want to go to dinner or elsewhere. We prefer it. Some people enjoy having a car of their own. Either one works.

ericao

thanks knowing!! is the hilton beach better than the hotels on the west coast?

Lois

I would not say that the Hilton has a great beach. A better beach that is nearby is Carlisle Bay.

A few other places you might want to consider include (on the west coast): Coral Reef Club or The Sandpiper. Both are walkable into Holetown. The Coral Reef Club has a fabulous spa as well.

Also, in Holetown there is a brand new complex that should be more fully open (depending upon when you travel). It's called Limegrove Center (you can do a search on the web to see what will be there). Supposed to include restaurants and even a large cinema in addition to high-end shops.

In Holetown there are several restaurants, including The Mews, which gets good reviews, Nishi and others.

If you can afford Sandy Lane, that has a fabulous beach, spa and gorgeous pools.

If you do stay on the south coast, definitely consider eating at Champers (one of the best restaurants on the island). Also good is the new Naru (at the Savannah Hotel) -- they serve small plates and it's all delicious. A reknown chef opened it last fall.

You may want to look at my tips at: www.barbadostips.com as I have lots of personal pictures there and personal comments that may help you decide.

ericao

thanks so much! do you know if the coral reef club has tvs in the room? also how is the fairmont?

Lois

In the villas at Coral Reef Club there are televisions, but no where else.

The Fairmont Royal Pavilion is quite nice and does have flat screen tvs.

Knowing

The beaches on the west coast are a little calmer, but I think the Hilton has a prime location, a huge beach and it's located on a peninsula. Plus, we stay on the executive floor, which means our room has 2 bathrooms and a living room. You get two different views of water. There is also a TV in the living room for cuddling up and watching together and another one in the bedroom if you prefer to watch TV in bed!

TPAYT

We've stayed on the South and the West Coasts, and much prefer the West Coast beaches.

Many beautiful places mentioned in the above posts. You could also check out

http://www.colonyclubhotel.com/

They have a lagoon stlye pool with rooms that open right onto the pool. It's also on the calm, gorgeaous West Coast beach.

If it's in the budget, don't miss dinner at The Cliffs---outstanding, but pricy.

Good snorkel/sailboat tour with Cool Runnings.

http://www.coolrunningsbarbados.com/