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Tourism is the major industry on Barbados and so there is a wide selection of hotels, guesthouses, apartments and villas, all providing some 6,000 guest rooms. Barbados is not for the impecunious. It is an upmarket destination. Visitors come here for a treat and expect – and receive – excellent service and value for money. Unusually for the Caribbean, most of the hotels are independently run. None of big name chain hotels such as Ritz Carlton or Hyatt are found here. Generally, the top hotels in the super luxury category, costing well over US$300 a night, are on the west coast. Places such as Sandy Lane are among the world’s top resorts, while, inland, Vila Nova is popular with royalty and rock stars. Cheap and cheerful places can be found on the south coast, but many of these are concrete block, characterless hotels in varying shades of garish colours, usually booked from abroad as package holidays. The best ’getaways’ are on the rugged, breezy east coast at Bathsheba, where air conditioning is rarely needed and there’s little in the way of nocturnal entertainment.
Self-catering is popular on Barbados, partly because restaurants are not cheap, and if there is a group of you, you can find good value places to stay. Despite the reputation of the west coast as expensive – it is nicknamed the ’Platinum Coast’ – you can find an apartment to rent for as little as US$25 a night per person if you are not too demanding and don’t mind walking a few minutes to the beach.
To get a really Bajan feel, look out for renovated chattel houses for rent. These are becoming more popular and are charming places to stay for a couple or small group. A two- bedroomed chattel house rents for around US$75-100 a night, depending on the season, length of stay and proximity to the sea. The decor may not have that ’interior designer’ look, but will be of a good standard with all the amenities and equipment you need. Guesthouses are another budget option, some of which are like small hotels but others are more in the line of bed and breakfast in a family house. If meals are available, you can rely on being able to sample local ingredients and recipes.
All-inclusives are to be avoided as the food quickly becomes boring and you will miss out on the fun of selecting from the huge choice of places to eat.
If money’s no object, then villa rental is an option. You can have a villa on the beach complete with cook. Alleyne, Aguillar and Altman, Derricks, St James, T 4320840, F 4322147, http://www.aaaltman.com, are the most upmarket agents and property managers and a Christie’s affiliate. Also at the posh end, Elegant Villas of Barbados, http://www.elegantvillasbarbados.com, has 400 short-term properties at US$300-400 a night range for beach cottage and up to US$10,000 a night for an eight-bedroom villa. Rival Enterprises Ltd, Flamboyant Av, Sunset Crest, St James, T 4326457, F 4322422, rival@caribsurf.com, have one-bedroom apartments to three-bedroom villas in gardens, LL-B in season, cheaper in summer, which are well located near restaurants, shops and the beach.
The Barbados Tourist Authority, http://www.barbados.org, has a range of brochures, including one on rates for hotels, guesthouses and apartments and a supplementary brochure on lodging with families and family apartments around the island.
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