All Inclusive Barbados Hotel Review : Crystal Cove Hotel & Turtle Beach Hotel

This hotel review covers the luxury 4 star Barbados Crystal Cove Hotel, Tamarind Cove and Colony Club Hotel. These hotels located on the west coast of the island, whilst the all inclusive Turtle Beach Hotel is located on the south coast near St. Lawrence Gap.

Read comprehensive Barbados hotel reviews on these Elegant Hotels by clicking here.

Cheap Barbados hotels

Book a cheap Barbados hotel through Lastminute.com. Click the link (left) for big savings on rack rates.

Many Barbados hotel rates are between $400 - $500 a night, so booking a luxury Barbados hotel or family holiday through British Airways Holidays makes sense especially for Christmas and New Year 2008, which are peak season for Barbados holidays.

Elegant Hotels offer some of the best all inclusive Barbados hotel resorts. In our opinion, the Crystal Cove Hotel or Turtle Beach Hotel are ideal Barbados hotels for family holidays with a kids club for 3 - 11 years and good beaches. In addition, West coast Barbados hotels like the Crystal Cove Hotel, Tamarind Cove and Colony Club also offer calmer seas for safer swimming.

Barbados Luxury Hotels

The Colony Club Hotel and Tamarind Cove Hotel are not all inclusive Barbados hotels, but are available on either half or full board terms from British Airways Holidays. The Colony Club Hotel has a excellent beach and a reputation as a luxury Barbados hotel. However, neither property can match the finest Barbados hotels such as the sophisticated Sandy Lane Hotel.

Each west coast luxury Barbados hotel run by the Elegant hotels group offers a water taxi service (weather permitting) allowing guests to visit and exchange dine at their other resort hotels. We particularly enjoyed visiting the Colony Club and Tamarind Cove Hotel which had some of the best beaches on Barbados west coast and lots of pool seating.

The all inclusive Barbados hotels from the Elegant Hotel Group generally offer good food, although standards vary and the buffet style food can become rather repetitive. Food at the Crystal Cove Hotel, Barbados came in for considerable criticism with many guests feeling the need to dine out at the best west coast restaurants like "The Cliff" just to avoid the same buffet food night after night.

Elegant Hotels, Barbados

A luxury 4 and 5 star Barbados hotel may not quite live up to the standards of similar rated hotels in Europe and the USA and it's worth noting this to avoid disappointment! Rooms at the Crystal Cove hotel Barbados in particular were more like a 3 star hotel in terms of decor and facilities and not particularly clean. Room maintenance was also a problem at times.

The Barbados hotel review (below) is based on our own opinions, having stayed at most of the luxury hotels owned by Elegant hotels several times over the last few years:-

Barbados Crystal Cove Hotel Review (All Inclusive)

Crystal Cove Hotel Facilities

4 star luxury all inclusive Barbados hotel
Kids Club (3 - 11 years) runs 9am - 9pm
88 Rooms, air conditioning, cable TV, fridge, safety deposit box, hairdryer. Balcony or terrace
Room service
Ocean view rooms and Junior Suites available
2 restaurants and cave bar
3 tiered swimming pool complex with waterfall
Free water sports, including water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, kayaks and snorkelling
Tennis courts
Air conditioned gym
Good size beach
Free Water Taxi to other Elegant Hotels (weather permitting)
Exchange dining with other Elegant hotels
Nightly entertainment
Weekly Manager's cocktail party

Good Points

The Crystal Cove Hotel is great for family holidays
Friendly kids club with daily children's activity programmes. Excellent staff bonded well with children.
Preferred west coast Barbados hotel location
All inclusive hotel terms
Crystal Cove hotel service was generally good
Hotel offers great Barbados sunsets
Good quality nightly entertainment

Bad Points

All inclusive buffet food lacked variety and was often inadequately covered to prevent flies and birds
Restaurant service variable. Speed of service slow
Bird problems at breakfast and lunch
The Crystal Cove hotel was busy during peak Barbados holiday season (Christmas and New Year). Pool areas and beach crowded. Difficult to get pool seating
Pool decks were small and towels all out by 7am!
Night-time entertainment can keep the kids up. Ask for a quiet room before arrival
Poor room maintenance. Problems were experienced with the air conditioning and a leaking roof in our room!

Click here for reviews on the Crystal Cove Hotel, Barbados from Wheretostay.com

Barbados Colony Club Hotel Review

Colony Club Hotel Facilities

Beachfront 4 star luxury Barbados hotel set in 7 acres of tropical landscaped gardens
Half board is available at the Colony Club
96 Rooms over 3 floors (no lifts) all with air conditioning, satellite TV, fridge, safety deposit box, hairdryer. Balcony / terrace
Ocean view rooms at extra cost
2 restaurants and 2 bars (one fine dining restaurant)
4 swimming pools
Floodlit tennis courts
Fitness centre
Excellent west coast beach
Free Water Taxi to other Elegant Hotels (weather permitting)
Exchange dining and share facilities with other west coast Barbados hotels run by the Elegant hotel group
Live entertainment nightly

Good Points

Excellent food and service
Relaxing sophisticated atmosphere (no children part-season)
Wide beach with extensive seating
Swimming pools with large decks, plenty of seating
Nice rooms with quality furnishings
Superb location close to Sandy Lane Hotel
Nightly entertainment

Bad Points

Restrained often ex-military clientele
Expensive food and drinks
Lack of atmosphere
Not available as an all inclusive hotel

Click here for reviews on the Colony Club Hotel, Barbados from Wheretostay.com

Barbados Turtle Beach Hotel Review (All Inclusive)

Turtle Beach Hotel Facilities

4 star all inclusive Barbados luxury hotel set on Dover Beach
164 Rooms over 3 floors (2 lifts), air conditioning, satellite TV, fridge, safe, hairdryer. Balcony / terrace
Kids Club (3 - 11 years) runs 9am - 9pm
Enclosed outdoor children's play area
Ocean view rooms and Junior Suites (extra cost)
3 restaurants and 2 bars (one fine dining restaurant)
3 swimming pools, children's pool
Windsurfing, Hobie Cat sailing, water skiing at Crystal Cove hotel
2 floodlit tennis courts
Fitness centre
Large beach
Exchange dining with other Elegant hotels
Nightly live entertainment

Good Points

Excellent 500 metre beach
Children friendly with excellent facilities for kids
Spacious restaurants and bars
Large swimming pools
Attractive rooms with quality furnishings

Bad Points

Variable restaurant food service
Frequent strong winds whipped up sand on beach
Inconvenient location for west coast restaurants
Rough seas for swimming

Click here for reviews on the Turtle Beach Hotel, Barbados from Wheretostay.com

Barbados Tamarind Cove Hotel Review

Tamarind Cove Hotel Facilities

4 star luxury Barbados hotel set at Paynes Bay
Tropical landscaped gardens
Full board available
110 Rooms over 3 floors (no lifts), air conditioning, cable TV, CD player, fridge, safe and hairdryer
Kids Club (Easter and Christmas only)
Enclosed outdoor children's play area
Ocean view rooms with balcony or patio
Junior suites
2 restaurants (one gourmet) and 2 cocktail bars
Room service
3 large swimming pools
Free water skiing and windsurfing
2 floodlit tennis courts
Fitness room
Large sandy beach
3 shops on site
Exchange dining with other Elegant hotels
Evening entertainment

Good Points

Excellent 240 metre beach
Excellent fine dining Sasso restaurant
Friendly atmosphere
Good size well equipped rooms
Large swimming pools with extensive seating

Bad Points

Poor housekeeping and room service
Room maintenance issues experienced
Slow Tangiers restaurant service
Crowded at Christmas (Barbados peak season)

Click here for reviews on the Tamarind Cove Hotel, Barbados from Wheretostay.com

Cheap Barbados Hotel

A cheap Barbados hotel is often referred to as a "Barbados Apartment Hotel." There are quite a few cheap hotels on Barbados south coast. Some recommended Barbados apartment hotels can be viewed by clicking here. Many cheap hotels have air conditioning, a restaurant and swimming pool and some have direct beach access to the wide sandy beaches of the south coast.

The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association can also help you to find both a cheap Barbados hotel or luxury accommodation. They can be reached on +1 (246) 426 5041 or to e-mail them click here.

The Worthing area of Barbados south coast has many cheap hotels, and it's close to St. Lawrence Gap night life and restaurants. A typical apartment style cheap Barbados hotel offers room rates of around US $130 - 200 per night.

Disclaimer

Please note that this luxury Barbados hotel review constitutes the personal opinions of the authors and was correct at the time of our visiting or staying at Elegant all inclusive hotels between 2000 to 2004. Hotel improvements may have been made since that time.