Barbados Beach Club

Writing this on the way to the airport after a wonderful 10 night stay at Barbados Beach Club with our young son and baby boy. We read all the extreme reviews on here and were really worried about the hotel before arriving. We lowered our expectations and were expecting a really bad place that we would have to grin and bear. We were so happily surprised to arrive and find a really lovely and simple hotel on the most incredible beach. For context - we have stayed in a number of beautiful 5* star hotels around the world (Soho House, Claridges, Sofitel etc) so we have experienced wonderful places - and we were really happy at BBC. Our room was clean and well maintained, with a great balcony overlooking the turquoise ocean. We had a flat screen TV with lots of channels, and the beds were very comfortable. The AC was strong and it was great to have a fridge and a kettle. The hotel shares the beach with a number of 4/5* hotels - and it’s the best beach I’ve experienced in Barbados so far. The waves are strong but great fun for kids (as long as you keep a close eye on them) and for a strong workout. I really enjoyed my daily walks along the beach. We also really liked the food - lots of choice each day, and an emphasis on home cooking style dishes. Fresh juice at breakfast would have been nice, but probably not possible for a hotel of this range. The cocktails and drinks at the pool bar were great too, with the most wonderful ocean backdrop. The rum punch is powerful! Later on in the stay we got chatting to some older guests who were incredibly critical of the hotel, and we were perplexed. They had just arrived from a cruise and were annoyed that the hotel couldn’t match the 24/7 ice creams etc that they had on the cruise. They also complained about there being “too many birds”, which made us laugh a lot. I guess the beach is too sandy too? I can only assume that these are the type of people who are writing such negative reviews on here - people who love to moan about everything and drink heavily from 10am and talk to the staff like they’re servants. This is a budget hotel and from my perspective offered terrific value to spend almost 2 weeks at Christmastime on a stunning beach without having to take out a 2nd mortgage to pay for it! I do really think some Brits just love to find things to complain about… and then enjoy posting about it online. People moaning about the shower being cold… just leave it to run for a couple of minutes and the heat kicks in? You’re on a tropical island, not in a UK city centre. Things are a little slower and rustic here - just lean in to it and enjoy it. My son loved the nature - including the tortoises, hummingbirds, parrots and of course the crabs on the rocks. It’s truly a beautiful paradise. I was wary of the pool at first as I’d read a review on TripAdvisor that it was “filthy”. Within a few days I’d gotten over that bias and was happily swimming in the lovely clean pool with my baby. It’s a great temperature too. The hotel is also very well located to get to Oistins or St Lawrence’s Gap. There is a shop onsite shop too if you want to buy any small essentials and snacks etc. The hotel isn’t beautiful to look at as a building, especially when you compare it to some of the more chic hotels on the same beach, but who’s looking at the building? Look at the jaw dropping ocean and relax! You’re in paradise. I want to give a special shoutout to a few staff that really made our stay special - particularly Samantha, Asha, Rhiann, Dale. And a few others whose names I didn’t catch! The staff really helped us with our little baby Frank and just made us feel so welcome and looked after. Positives - Clean room with crisp white bedding and nice towels. Impeccable daily cleaning - Beach is to beautiful - crystal blue waters and white sand, long stretches to walk along - Very kind staff - Family like atmosphere - we’ve never chatted to so many guests on a holiday before - Food was lovely, felt like home cooking - Great to have a chilled and boiling water dispenser that we could access 24/7 - Beautiful setting with the bar overlooking the ocean. I could sit there first thing in the morning with my book and a cup of tea, or in the evening with a banana daiquiri watching the vivid purple and pink sunsets. Heaven! - Everything flowed nicely and we didn’t have to struggle to do things each day. For example - it’s very easy to find sunbeds everyday, and it’s easy to find fresh filtered water. I’ve been in much posher hotels where these two basic things are a mission every day. - very happy to find an air conditioned gym on the 2nd floor with lots of equipment and weights Feedback - I think a few more eco friendly changes would be great - ie no plastic straws or bottles, less plastic in general - WiFi was poor and very hit and miss - Better use of the grassy area near the tortoises - this is a big space that could probably fit a baby pool, or maybe some more swings for kids. - Fresh juice at breakfast would be amazing - Ice cream or ice lollies would be great occasionally - The big wicker armchairs around the bar area are great - but I wished there was more of them, as they were always in short supply. Conclusion - I would definitely recommend the BBC to anybody who would like to go to Barbados but who is budget conscious and can’t quite stretch to one of the more expensive resorts. The beach is wonderful, the rooms and food are great, and the staff are like a family. It was great value and we had a fantastic time. Read less

The hotel is very tired and run down and needs attention. Trying to do an honest realistic review. Food - served in the canteen - breakfast was ok. A range of fruit, warm buffet style breakfast items and omelettes made to order. Lunch - you wouldn’t starve but nothing to blow you away Dinner - only ate in the first night ate out every night after. Rooms were spacious and clean. Air con worked well and we had a nice ocean view from the balcony. Bathrooms also tired and needs updating. Hot water was on and off. If you didn’t get a shower early it needed up being a cold one. Staff - some staff were ok some were miserable. Not giving welcoming holiday vibes which is something I have never experienced on a holiday. The beach front location is lovely and it is such a shame that the hotel needs so much improvement. We were disappointed in the hotel and for what we paid we would not go back to this hotel. If you get a very cheap deal then you might get what you paid for. Otherwise I would look elsewhere Read less

I’ve recently just come back from staying at Barbados beach club and what an amazing experience that was! I honestly don’t have 1 complaint other than I’m gutted I’ve had to leave. the staff are all amazing from Douglas helping me when I was sick, to getting me on a night out safely, to all the kitchen & restaurant staff checking in on my hangover every morning, also the bar staff were great to:) comfortable stay bed was very comfortable and shower was also fine l, the view was AMAZING! hotel smells & looks nothing but CLEAN! The food was great plenty to choose from. I’ve met some many nice people I will be definitely returning in 2025! please do not take on board the bad reviews I was very worried first reading them but you seriously have nothing to worry about other than how strong the fruit punch is! ❤️ Thank you for a wonderful stay until next time xx Read less

There is a litany of horrors regarding the hotel. We got to the hotel under our own steam from a TUi cruise at 13:00 aware that check in was 15:00. The staff were dismissive and told us they would come and get us when the room was ready. We requested the all inclusive wrist bands and were told not until 15:00.... fair enough but really?!? At 15:00 or room was still not available nor was the wrist band and we are still waiting on our welcome drink. The transfer then arrived from the vessel and the staff attended to those folk, we finally got to out room at 17:00. We paid for a superior room but found a ground floor room overlooking the pool and entertainment area inc bar and discovered that our curtains did not close by about 15 inches. The floor tiles were cracked and the bathroom sink was pitted with little black chips. The internet didn't work in the room (I'm trying to run a business). We asked to move but were told no rooms available but maybe tomorrow. Off to the bar for a quick drink then into the buffet 19:00 - 21:00. We got there at around 19:45 to find some dishes empty and they would be replenished! The wine station had [temporarily] run out of red wine so the matre di told me to go to the bar.... easy enough and I explained to the bar man what had happened so he gave me that bottle. Less than one minute later the matre di told me I wasn't allowed a bottle on the table and viciously it off the table. We can only describe the food as average, an experience not improved the following morning at breakfast. So the following day we asked about the change of room but this came as a surprise to them, the staff from Sunday and hadn't told the Monday crew. That was the final straw..... we advised your agent and found an AirBnB at £260 per night for three nights. This hotel should simply not be on TUi's list it was a shameful example of rubbishness. Read less

This hotel could be amazing with a bit of work. The rooms are a good size with lots of storage space. The beds were comfy and it was so quiet I slept really well which is always a bonus. Our shower worked fine and we had clean towels every day. The hotel is on a beautiful little beach. The sunbed situation on the beach was fine but there were hardly any around the pool and all the sunbeds and outdoor seating is past its best. The food was quite poor. Breakfast being the best meal. I didn't starve but some days I ate very little. Some of the staff are very nice. There was a lovely lady I think called Natalie who worked in the a la carte. The a la carte was very poor unfortunately. The dining area was like something from the 1970s with no ambience whatsoever. I agree with the review regarding the tortoise situation they should be taken away to a place of safety. On the whole we had a nice time and for the price we paid it was OK. Read less