The Club Barbados Resort and Spa

Regarding the Review “Cleanliness” you are not staying in a Five Star Resort, if you want than go and pay Sandy Lane Prices. The Bar is frequently used and is only a beach bar, there is the Sunset Bar that you could go and use. The staff try very hard with sometimes limited facilities, though they are improving The Club all the time. I have been going for many years even when it was The Almond Beach, I have found Durwin (not Darwin) to be very professional, kind and friendly when having to deal with clients at the hotel, some nice and others more demanding. Keep doing the wonderful job you do, you are very much appreciated by many Durwin and the other staff are. They work very hard to make everyone’s holiday enjoyable.

Check in quick rooms clean and comfy, lovely balcony overlooking the pool. Your first night the hotel makes your meal reservation for you after this you chose. Two restaurants different choice menus I enjoyed Enid's restaurant in the evening for a change from the day restaurant. The main restaurant does your buffet breakfast, buffet lunch then set menu for evening, there is also the beach bar where you can order snacks. I could not fault the food or choice, excellent service. Good cocktails and spirits if your a beer drinker you may struggle the hotel only has Banks on draft. Lots of sunbeds sand & pool one negative trying to find a clean one was a struggle and we did witness staff reserving some sunbeds for guests at 7:00am every morning at the pool!! Entertainment in the evening was really good, staff work very hard at this hotel. Peaceful during the day but if you enjoy water activities you can hire canoes, paddle boards or take a speed boat trip. Outside the hotel across the road you will find a few shops and if you turn left about 20 minuets walk will take you into the centre with a good selection of designer shops, bars and restaurants. I would defiantly recommend this hotel a special thanks to the hotel manager who takes an interest in his guests & all the staff including the Caribbean version of Father Christmas & young girls who put on a fabulous dance and music show for us on Christmas day.

We have seen The Club improve over the years since it was bought from Almond Resorts, but with the renovations earlier this year it is now fast approaching a first class resort. I would to review 1) why we do keep coming back to here, 2) some aspects to be aware of, 3) some tips within or close by to the resort, and 4) a contact email address regarding room and other enquiries 1.We come back as : We love the intimate, yet spacious, manicure gardened, well cared for resort where everything is close to hand. We have known many of the staff for years, so it is like coming to a second home to welcoming friends The hotel has an old Barbadian, colonial-style, no more so than in the main dining restaurant that is delight to dine in, especially by candlelight in the evening. There is a spacious sand terrace above the sea, with its lovely trees giving welcome shade, which other parts are fine for open sun bathing. Also, many guests like to rest/ sunbath around the pools or gardens – so no one area seems crowded, even in the peak season. We love the location offering fabulous walks north or south by the sea, with the beach just to the north having very good snorkelling opportunities as well…. and a new beach just a few steps to on the south ( Sandy Lane Bay ) side – this beach is ideal for safe swimming, easy boarding and getting off the Club’s speedboat – and it is a fantastic setting for weddings. The guests age now ranges widely – so not just for retirees ! The recent and significant improvements add style and elegance to the dining, buffet, entertainment and outside leisure areas with better seating and superb new sun beds . The is an additional raised, covered verandah for all day dining and superb evening dining close to the sea by night. Also in the main bar area there is a high quality coffee , cakes and fruit staff served station and you can get smoothies there as well. The standard of the food and house wine has really improved with long time returnees praising the steaks and other meals – evening served meals are really fine dining. Breakfast buffet has an abundance of fresh fruit, cheeses and smoked salmon as well as English Breakfast type items as well as Bajan specialities like plantain and of course…. eggs cooked to order ! There is lots of entertainment to do or not – eg guided walks, very popular aqua aerobics, pool volley ball, snooker, table tennis and tennis etc Entertainment this Christmas/New Year was great with great bands, especially a steel band, great singers and pre Christmas carols and other Christmas music as performed by a full police brass band. Gym : Small, but well equipped, aircon and TV 2) Some aspects to be aware of… There are not lifts, so if climbing stairs to your room is not for you, ask for a ground floor room. Sometimes the band noise can penetrate into bed rooms, but ends 11 pm sharp. The dress code has been relaxed so shorts and flip flops are OK everywhere for evening as well as day time dining – not to the liking of ourselves or many repeat guests we have spoken to. Enid’s, one of the two restaurants, used to require men to wear long trousers in the evening. And that restaurant or the other main one, Sunset, used not to allow guests in, in the evening wearing flip flops. Beach front rooms are great for the immediate sounds and sights of the sea. However, in front of the ground floor rooms on the south ( Sandy Lane Bay ) side, there is a path occupied by day by sun worshipers and their sun beds, which may give such rooms a closed in effect. We had one of these rooms and put our own sun beds in front of our patio to try and mitigate this effect ! First floor and higher rooms here would be lovely. 3. Some tips : Hotel Shop : sells beach ware, sun creams and the like Also water shoes and UK to Caribbean adaptors Room: Safe : large enough for a lap top and plenty more Alarm Clock : not radio – we bring our own Tide and weather forecasts : tune into FM, Y Radio, 103.3 around 20 mins past hour, eg 6.20am,7,20 am Room has fridge : we get the bar to fill up a used very large gin bottle with cold water and keep in fridge. Iron and Ironing Board If you want to beat the mosquitoes, then put on air con before going to dinner ( with closed windows/doors ) and add the use of these fan over bed at night at high speed. Nights when we did not have a fast fan in use we got bitten ! Blankets : you can ask for an extra blanket for the bed if air con makes you feel cold. Nearby : Anti mosquito spray : “ Off”, liked by locals, in shop across the road called “ PJ Health and Beauty “ for 28 BB dollars. Shop also sells water shoes. Exchanging £ for BB dollars : The hotel will do it for you but you get a better rate across the road at the First Caribbean Bank. Be early ( opens 8 am Mon – Sat ) or be prepared for a ticketed wait – at least the bank is air conditioned ! 4. Hotel E Mail Contact : reservations@theclubbds.com, Jeanette Myers is the Room Reservations Manager – very helpful ! Enjoy – we plan to do so for many a year to come.