Every year or two for many years my wife and I have spent a week or so at a beach-type resort hotel during the first half of December. Our usual destination has been one of the Hawaiian Islands, and...
Every year or two for many years my wife and I have spent a week or so at a beach-type resort hotel during the first half of December. Our usual destination has been one of the Hawaiian Islands, and often the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island. That resort has been in steady decline over the last decade, so this year we thought we might try the Caribbean, and Barbados seemed like a good destination. Early December is a great time to go to places like Barbados, because it isn't too crowded and the rates are a little lower than after December 15. Note, however, that everything is expensive in Barbados (including the Fairmont).
We chose the Barbados Fairmont for three primary reasons, each gleaned from the Internet. First, it is right on the beach (just a few steps from our room). Second, the beach and water are spectacular (calmer, clearer, and slightly warmer waters than Hawaii). Third, the hotel is small (maybe 15% the size of the Orchid). All of these expectations turned out to be spot on. An additional fact is that most of the other guests at the hotel were from the UK and hence a bit more civilized than the average tourist we would meet in Hawaii.
Arrival. Our flight on American Airlines arrived from Miami on time just before 11 pm. We thought about renting a car at the airport, but the on-airport rental places all close around 11 pm so that was not an option. Instead, we arranged with the Fairmont for round-trip car service and expedited service clearing passport control ($150, all amounts in USD, but my understanding is that this service is now included with all rooms). This turned out to be a really good idea, because we were tired after the long flight and not ready to face driving through roundabouts on left side of the road at night. Instead, we were met just as we deplaned by a Fairmont representative. He had us through the entry formalities within 5 minutes, and than handed us off to a very pleasant driver who delivered us to the Fairmont within 30 or 40 minutes. There, the night clerk met us, check us in very quickly, and escorted us to our room. Only very limited room service is available after about 10:30 (and no alcohol after 11:45), so we had to settle for sandwiches. They were OK but not great.
The room. There are (I think) three buildings at the Fairmont that comprise the guest rooms. We were in Rm. 336, which is on the third floor in the building furthest from reception. This location was per our request when I made the reservation, and it turned out to be a good decision. The closer buildings are too near the bar area, and with live music each night I think the noise could get old fast. The ground floor rooms are more expensive than those on the upper two floors, and they have smallish enclosed patios. You can't see the ocean very well from these rooms and they are not worth the extra money. The third floor provides the best views, and of course one doesn't have to listen to people clomping around on upper floors. The room itself was excellent on all counts but two (both fairly minor). First, there was no refrigerator in our room. I asked if one was available on our second day, and after some push-back and no promises one appeared that evening. Second, the ceiling fans on the balcony and in the room were super-cheapo models and too noisy and squeaky to even think about using. The hotel really need to address this issue (they would save quite a bit on the cost of air conditioning if they did). The air conditioning worked exceedingly well and was very quiet. The bathroom was great (really nice shower), the bed was large and comfortable, and the general layout of the room was intelligently designed. I'm not a TV watcher, but the TV had an easy to use HDMI input, so it was possible to stream Netflix. The Internet was very fast, free, and easy to use. There was a really good espresso machine in the room. The balcony was the highlight: spacious and comfortable. Plenty of room for the small table and two chairs plus the large couch pictured on the hotel website (note, this couch was great but not all the rooms have them so you might have to specify you want one). Another annoying problem is that apparently smoking is allowed on the balconies, so if anyone in a nearby room is smoking you'll know it due to the on-shore breeze. Anyway, the problems with the room were minor: they just lower my rating from "perfect" to "exceptional".
Room service. Having room service on the balcony was a highlight of our stay at the Fairmont. We had pizza one night, which was excellent. The waiter even brings a table cloth and flower for the table on the balcony. They also provided an ice bucket for a bottle of wine, so as long as no one was smoking nearby it was pure paradise after a day on the beach. Note: food and alcohol at the Fairmont are ridiculously expensive. I suggest a run into Holetown early in your visit to pick up wine and light breakfast fixings. There is a wine store, a small gourmet grocery store, and a large supermarket <10 minutes from hotel (taxi = $15). The same bottle of Chablis we had at the Fairmont was 1/3 the cost at the grocery store.
Restaurants. The restaurants are the weak point of the Fairmont. The food in the main restaurant is bad and expensive, and the service is also bad. We ate there one night and I ordered fish. The piece I was given was the size of a large fish stick (say 3 oz. max) and overcooked. Just this really nasty looking thing in the middle of a large plate (no sides) and I think it cost something like $60. There are lots of other good places to eat near the hotel. For example, for fine dining, the Mews, the Fish Pot, and the Tides. Smaller, less expensive lunch places are also close (there is a great lunch place next to the gourmet grocery store in Holetown, but I can't remember the name of it). The concierge at the Fairmont that I dealt with (Charlene) is truly the best concierge ever, and you can trust any advice she gives you. It is true that taxis are kind of expensive, but even with that additional cost it will still be less expensive to eat at an off-property restaurant than at the Fairmont and the food will be much, much better. In summary, I would just skip the restaurant where lunch and dinner are served. There is another restaurant where breakfast is served. The food here is just fine (though expensive), and unless you are a big breakfast eater I would just buy some fruit and yogurt at a grocery store and eat on your balcony.
The Beach. The beach is perfect. If you take my advice and stay in the building furthest from reception you will be just a few steps away from the best part of it, which is just to the side of that building (under some palm trees). The beach is extensive, very clean, and well-attended too. The loungers are comfortable (they all have umbrellas) and staff comes by to take drinks orders periodically. The water is clear (and by all appearances clean). The swimming area is marked off by buoys so you (probably) won't be runover by a jet ski. The sand on the beach and in the swimming area is free of rocks and trash. I never thought I live to see a beach better than the ones in Hawaii, but this was it. Clearly, this is the main attraction of the Fairmont. If you want to see a reef and fish, however, you'll need to book a day (or half-day) trip with the concierge. Note that locals come by offering activities like 30 minutes on their jet ski, water skiing, and boat rides. They are subtle and not at all annoying.
Things to do. We wanted to see a bit of the island but didn't want to go through the hassle of going back down to the airport and renting a car. Fortunately, the concierge was able to set us up with a two-day car rental right at the hotel. The folks from the agency were right on time, the paperwork was minimal, and we were all set (though of course this is a more expensive way to access a car than renting at the airport). My wife and I like botanical gardens and Barbados is rife with them. One day we drove to Welshman's Gully and Hunte's Gardens, both were great but totally different in character: the former is 100% natural and the latter is a cleverly designed flower garden. You can read about them on Trip Advisor. The next day we went to Andromeda Garden, which is different still from the first two and perhaps to our taste slightly superior (though it all depends on what you like). One thing is for sure, all the people we met at these gardens were wonderful. The roads, on the other hand, were basically potholes spaced out by a few feet (imagine driving on Swiss cheese and you'll have the idea). Some looked like they could have swallowed our little Suzuki rental car. The other thing I would recommend is the free Yoga, which is offered a couple mornings per week by the Fairmont. The instructor is excellent. I'm a beginner and my wife is very experienced, and we both enjoyed it. Anyway, there are lots of other things to do on Barbados, and it's a good idea to at least think about your plans before leaving home.
Would we go back to the Fairmont Pavillion? Yes, absolutely, but we would definitely minimize the use of the restaurants (except the pizza is good).
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85% of travellers recommended this hotel
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Dec 17 2018
Dec 13 2018
