Crystal Cove by Elegant Hotels

Barbados, Caribbean

Virgin rating

Cave Bar
Swim-Up Cave Bar
Vista Coffee & Wine Bar
Vista Bar
Sunset deck
A video preview image
Cave Bar
Swim-Up Cave Bar
Vista Coffee & Wine Bar
Vista Bar
Sunset deck

The hotel

Crystal Cove is an all-inclusive hotel located right on the beachfront on the platinum west coast of Barbados. This beautiful resort features lush gardens and three impressive freshwater swimming pools, complete with a spectacular waterfall and swim-up cave bar. Flowers cascade over walls and balconies, and everything leads down to a glorious beach with a generous array of water sports, including water-skiing, sailing and more, all complimentary of course! There is a fabulous kids’ club to keep the little ones out of your hair, allowing you to relax and enjoy the full range of facilities and entertainment (of which there are plenty!).

Amenities

  • Kayaking
  • Sailing
  • Snorkelling
  • Tennis
  • Water Skiing
  • Windsurfing
  • Babysitting service
  • Kids Club
  • Families
  • Honeymoon
  • Wedding
  • Bar

Where is it

In St James, on a delightful west coast beach. 15-minutes to Bridgetown. Transfer time from airport: 30 minutes.

Hotel information

88 rooms on 2 floors in various buildings with no lifts. All with a balcony or terrace, air-conditioning, satellite TV, mini fridge, complimentary WiFi access, safe, bathrobe, slippers, and hairdryer. 

Pool/Garden View Rooms with 1 king-size bed or twin beds, sleep maximum 2 adults and 1 infant (up to age 2 years).

Please note: the majority of the Pool Garden View Rooms have a garden view and the pool views are limited. All rooms are non-smoking.

All Inclusive of: all meals including afternoon tea and all-day dining. Local and premium-brand drinks and house wine (fine wine and Champagne at extra charge). All activities and entertainment unless otherwise stated. Water taxi to select west coast sister properties. Dine Around programme with other select Elegant Hotels properties (drink and meal supplements may apply).

Oceanview Rooms - with beautiful sea views and 1 king-size bed or twin beds, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Junior Suite Pool/Garden View - with a separate sitting area and sofa bed, lovely views of the pool or garden, and 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 3 people.

Junior Suite Oceanview - as Junior Suite Pool/Garden View but with beautiful sea views, sleeping maximum 3 people.

1-Bedroom Suite Pool/Garden View - bedroom with separate living room or loft suite with upstairs bedroom overlooking living room, living room includes sofa bed and second full bathroom, 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults, 2 children and 1 infant (up to 2 years of age).

1-Bedroom Suite Oceanview - bedroom with separate living room or loft suite with upstairs bedroom overlooking living room, living room includes sofa bed and second full bathroom. 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults, 2 children and 1 infant (up to 2 years of age).

Reflections (all day dining with buffet breakfast and a la carte dinner, as well as international buffet evening on Wednesdays). Drifters Restaurant and Bar (beachfront Caribbean restaurant, serving casual buffet lunch, afternoon tea, and a la carte dinner, as well as beach BBQ on Saturdays). Cave Bar (swim-up pool bar). Vista Coffee & Wine Bar (serving drinks and light bites). The Beach Bar. Taste of Elegance Dine Around Programme offers exchange dining with select sister hotels' restaurants* (meal and drinks supplements may apply).

Regular evening entertainment and weekly manager's cocktail party. Events hosted at Vista Coffee & Wine bar to include wine pairings and tapas nights.

3-tiered freshwater swimming pool. Spa services available*. Fitness centre. Wellness classes including yoga, pilates, and water aerobics. 2 floodlit tennis courts. Complimentary motorised and non-motorised water sports including snorkelling, stand up paddle boarding, tubing, sailing, kayaking, and water-skiing. Beach Olympics. Freddie's Island & Adventure tour*. Apes Hill Golf Club*. Complimentary Flying Fish Kids' Club for ages 3-12 years with latest game consoles, pool table, electric race track and more. Swimming with the turtles snorkel tour*. Mixology demos.

Room service* (meal times only). Complimentary WiFi available in the rooms and throughout the resort. Laundry service*. Complimentary daytime water taxi (subject to availability and weather conditions) to select West Coast Elegant Hotels. Gift shop*. Babysitting available*. Green Globe certified. Beach Ambassador service. Concierge services to assist with island excursions.

A Tourism Fee will be charged per bedroom, per night and will be collected at check out. The rate is subject to change by the Government, and varies by hotel room. Fees currently range from 8.75 Barbadian dollar (approximately £3.90) to 35 Barbadian dollar (approximately £16.00) per bedroom, per night.  

1 night between 5 Jan—31 Jan, and 1 Mar—21 Dec.

5 nights between 1 Feb—28 Feb.

7 nights between 22 Dec—2 Jan.

* Denotes local charge.

Please note: child ages are up to and including 16 years.

Please note: Drifters restaurant and bar is open subject to occupancy numbers.

Dress code: dining is elegantly casual after 6:00pm.

Please note: the Dine Around programme is only available at select properties and may be subject to an additional cost dependant on the board basis booked. A complimentary water taxi to select west coast Elegant properties is available during daytime only and subject to availability and weather conditions.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (1587)
  • Very good (662)
  • Average (215)
  • Poor (107)
  • Terrible (99)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Amazing

Dec 20, 2024 Lesley M

Please ignore the negative comments, yes the decor and a few other things are tired and need updating hence the reason they are closing in February for a year's renovation. I don't know where to start from the moment you walk in you are made to feel welcome your greeted with rum cocktails and a warm welcoming smile, infacr that goes for all the… Read more
Please ignore the negative comments, yes the decor and a few other things are tired and need updating hence the reason they are closing in February for a year's renovation. I don't know where to start from the moment you walk in you are made to feel welcome your greeted with rum cocktails and a warm welcoming smile, infacr that goes for all the staff, they are amazing, friendly happy and helpful. The restaurants are kept clean at all times and the food is amazing, I can't say we had a bad meal, the drinks are all premium brands. The beach is raked clear and sunbeds wash daily. Twice a day there is a bar service, ice lolly and ice Creams serviced at your sunbed. If your looking for a glass boat trip see Dwayne on the beach, lovely friendly chap with local knowledge. Hiring a car is a must if you want to see the island at leisure, its a easy drive and locals are happy to help you. Oistins is another must on a Friday night, average for cost 40bbd. So once again another amazing holiday at Crystal Cove we will be back once you reopen. Thank you to all the staff that work so hard to make this happen for us 5* plus Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating 10 Days at Crystal Cove Resort

Dec 17, 2024 HalifaxBrad

Stayed at Crystal Cove for 10 days in November. We are a couple in our early sixties and have traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean for 20 years. We had originally booked "The House" but the renovations were not complete so they moved us to Crystal Cove. The hotel is definitely in need of an extensive renovation, which I understand is… Read more
Stayed at Crystal Cove for 10 days in November. We are a couple in our early sixties and have traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean for 20 years. We had originally booked "The House" but the renovations were not complete so they moved us to Crystal Cove. The hotel is definitely in need of an extensive renovation, which I understand is due to start in March of 2025. We were in a two story room that was pretty unique, with the bedroom upstairs and the main living area on the ground floor. The room suited our needs but had a few issues that we overcame ourselves. Note that the rooms closest to the road (as ours was) start getting loud road noise at around 4am. Our room had three closets with 4 closet rods to hang clothes on, but a grand total of only 4 coat hangers. It's hard to believe they couldn't get hangers from some of the sister resorts that were being renovated. The mini-bar was stocked daily and everything in the room worked properly. Being a very small resort the buffet selection is limited, but there was always a decent selection and the food quality was great. The dinner reservation system is brilliant. The menus for the evening meals are there when you show up for breakfast, and you simply review the menu and let the person at the breakfast buffet know where and when you want dinner, simple and easy. If it rains only one restaurant will be open (the other is an outdoor restaurant). Dinners were exceptionally good. The big downfall for this resort for me is the beach. With the exception of one small area that has been cleared for wading, the beach is downright dangerous. Below the surface of that beautiful looking ocean is nothing but large boulders and coral. It's very difficult to enter and exit the water without a lot of painful drama. The chairs on the beach look pretty bad, but once you throw towel on them they look new again. We did several excursions; shopping in Bridgetown, a tour of Harrison's Cave, snorkeling, and the Friday night Oistin's fish fry. These were all arranged for us by Celeste at the tour desk, who did a fantastic job. Definitely take a trip to Harrison's Cave, it's incredible. But I can't emphasize strongly enough just how bad the Oistin's fish fry is. Skip it, it's terrible. Finally, as many other reviews have stated, it's the staff at this resort who make it a great place to stay. If an improvement to the beach is included in the renovations we would consider returning. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Great stay at crystal cove, ignore all the bad reviews

Dec 15, 2024 Odyssey95823 Horsham District, United Kingdom

Thanks for a great stay at Crystal Cove, was worried reading other reviews but everything was great. Food and drink choices are excellent and varied and good quality. The bed is one of best hotel beds I have slept in and the room was large airy and bright with great view overlooking beach. The fitness center is huge and one of best hotel gyms I… Read more
Thanks for a great stay at Crystal Cove, was worried reading other reviews but everything was great. Food and drink choices are excellent and varied and good quality. The bed is one of best hotel beds I have slept in and the room was large airy and bright with great view overlooking beach. The fitness center is huge and one of best hotel gyms I have been in. Shout out to coffee shop and drifters staff , great options on beach and lobby. Drifters is great for dinner too and your glass is never empty. Gripes if I try hard, why only wine and not cocktails/beer in coffee shop, the lobby area could use a bar. Maybe beer/wine in minibar would be good addition and towel service is a bit inconsistent. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Beautiful property with excellent service

Dec 15, 2024 T4322OWrichm

The property is closing soon in order to refurbish so we overlooked very small issues that were in need of repair. We stayed in a beach front junior suite with a wonderful balcony. Our room was in very good condition. The entire staff was amazing! We were treated with curtesy, friendly service and smiles. The two restaurants on the property were… Read more
The property is closing soon in order to refurbish so we overlooked very small issues that were in need of repair. We stayed in a beach front junior suite with a wonderful balcony. Our room was in very good condition. The entire staff was amazing! We were treated with curtesy, friendly service and smiles. The two restaurants on the property were outstanding. We always were able to find something to our taste and the food quality was top notch. The bartenders were great and the rum punch was excellent! We would definitely recommend this establishment. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Shut up Matthew

Dec 14, 2024 jkt853 Llandudno, United Kingdom

Ignore the moaners on here,yes it could do with refresh but it seems one is on the way.The staff are great and so happy especially "shut up Mathew " ( private joke with one of the girls.) the food is good and plenty full The hotel is full of laughter so don't hold back just go!!