Sugar Bay Barbados

Just returned after a weeks stay, which wasnt long enough!! Had the best time in this lovely hotel. Got a free upgrade to a beautiful sea view room, but speaking to other couples all the rooms are good. Food was fab in all the restaurants. Small buffet but everything was fresh and tasty and so much better than the larger all inclusives. Staff were so nice, they are a credit to the hotel. There is a small minimart just down the road from the hotel . Buses are easy to get around on. Beautiful beach and pool, never packed and no need to 'reserve' beds, although September is a quiet month. This is our new favourite place and would love to return.

The positive points... The food is tasty, especially at the specialty restaurants. The hotel and grounds are very pretty. The negatives... The hotel staff is very polite but not at all friendly. They don't make you feel welcome at all but like you're an inconvenience to them. There are only two elevators on the grounds. Our room was on the 4th floor and the elevators only go to the 3rd. After that, it was like walking through a mouse maze just to get to our room. The alcohol is watered down. My husband physically saw them do it. The pool bar is only attended sometimes, even when it's open. The entertainment is terrible. There was live music on a couple of occasions as well as a show. They only lasted an hour each. The show was ok but it would have been nice had it lasted lounger. The live music was very boring and not at all lively. We definitely regret our decision to stay at Sugar Bay and definitely will never go back.

In short, if you want everything in one place for a lazy beach holiday look no further. A great place for family and couples. The all-inclusive saves a lot of money as you dont pay for drinks even. Its a family-owned company. We met the owners on the last day and told them what a charming venue they had! The Owner said my wife gave the best compliment ..."it was like we had the whole place to ourselves". Concierge and reception (2/5): This is the only complaint I had of the staff. Apart from 2/3 people most of the staff arent as helpful or friendly. We had a girl at the concierge who was clearly rude until I told her I wanted to speak to the Manager for just inquiring about the activities. Also another one tried to cheat me when I went to book a tour through them, they claimed they were the cheapest until I showed them on the same tour operators' own website the lower prices. They have alcoholic drinks to welcome people but no non-alcoholic drinks apart from water. The gift shop lady is the most unfriendliest person we met in Barbados, even worse than the security officials at the airport. How she got employed here is a mystery. Hotel (5/5): Just beautiful. In the front, you have an amazing array of plants and so well maintained. The back is lovely views of Barbados beaches. Rooms (5/5): Our room was on the third floor with the sea view. It was spacious and clean. Had all the amenities+iron+safe+small fridge (only water). They even have a rack to dry clothes. Tip: if you prefer quiet, ask to be put away from where the singing takes place. Food and drinks (5/5): Fresh quality food. They also do BBQ right in front of you. Yes the selection is limited but it will appeal to everyone. You can always let the chef know of your preference and they take customer requirements quite seriously even sometimes at short notice. They also have different restaraunt options to mix things up. You even have evening tea. I kept having to have Virgin mojito and chocolate milk shakes every hour. And its all inclusive. Only thing I think is that the fridge should be stocked with some snacks and light drinks. Just watch out for those pesky birds. My favts: ready to order eggs, fish steaks, banana cakes, pepper sauce, pesto spaghetti, fried chicken, coffee (from the machine), virgin mojito. Staff: Most of the staff are superb from the head chef to the security guards. A few mentions were Pedro (who apparently knows Lara and Gayle), Andrea who brightens up the day with the eggs, Aykeem the drinks and Darryll the bell boy. Waiters/Waitresses (5/5): Always nice and friendly. Nothing is an issue for them. They were alwasy smartly dressed too despite the heat. The guys at the bar are a funny bunch. Chef (5/5): These guys take pride in their work. We requested Halal, for Lunch they made friend chicken for us most days.The UMI chef clearly knew what the Halal concept was and advised the waiters accordingly! Water Sports Staff (3/5): Friendly but they dont actually organize any games as advertised. Children's room (5/5): They have a small clean and amazing room for younger children. Both the ladies there look after the kids during certain hours and even escprt them to lunch and back to the room. There is also a PS4. The older lady is much nicer. Sundries (4/5): - Wrist band for entry into rooms were great - Clean beach towels given everyday - Drinks are provided at the beach regulalry - Food and drink still avaliable even after you check out - 20 minutes drive from airport - Close to mall malls, race course, bars and food outlets - Free sun cream is available at the watersports shed - After check out they have this amazing room where you can take a shower and get ready. Activities and Entertainment (3/5) This is another area where they need to improve. Not much to do. - You can go snorkelling as its not too deep. BUT THERE IS A DESCENT! No life guards. - The water stuff look worn out and quite limited in number - Not much pool stuff for kids. Only an NFL ball for throwing. Bring your own stuff. - Movie night on the beach was epic! Book in advance. - The lady singers on weekends were out of this world especially the 3 member one! Tips for Muslims: - There is a mosque 5/7 minutes from the entrance. They have a women's area too. - They did offer chicken especially made for us seperately. But you need to tell them in advance which days you require it. Best to do it every night when you have dinner for the following day. - As we dont drink, the hotel didnt provide us anything special for our birthday/honeymoon trip apart from a small plate of cake. Others got a bottle of champagne and free spa treatments some have mentioned.