The Sandpiper

We were staying on the South Coast and came up to the Folkestone Marine Park a couple of times. A short stroll along the beach (south) brings you to the Sandpiper where they are very happy to serve you lunch. Arrive by 2.30pm for full lunch menu or a bit later for snacks like tomato pasta or club sandwiches (or even a full afternoon tea). Great service in a lovely setting overlooking the sea. Chicken roti, pasta and chicken leg roast all very good. Be a little careful on the extras....our USD120 bill for two was half mains but as much again on 2 x SAN Pelligrino, 2 small ice creams (25USD), 1 glass of wine, 2 coffees.

This is the 6th time we have stayed at the Sandpiper simply because, in our view, it is the best hotel we have ever visited anywhere in the world. The management and staff are professional, friendly and go out of their way to anticipate your every need. They find the perfect balance between service, style, genuine friendliness, ease, luxury and informality. The gardens and grounds are beautiful, peaceful and very well-tended, the rooms are stylish and tastefully decorated, the facilities are brilliant, the food is excellent, especially the breakfasts, and the catering, reception and housekeeping staff are truly exceptional. This atmosphere rubs off on the guests who are uniquely friendly with each other. Many of the ???return??? guests are literally old friends. All of which contributes to the perfect holiday. But on our visit this February, Sandpiper management went beyond anything we could have expected of a hotel. Two weeks into a three week holiday I had an emergency operation for peritonitis and spent 9 days in Queen Elizabeth Hospital Bridgetown. That is another story but, in case other visitors to Barbados need medical care, I can assure them that the medical and nursing care was wonderful. The Sandpiper management arranged for my husband to stay beyond 24 February, the date we should have flown back to the UK - not an easy task at the busiest time of year with the hotel completely full. They also arranged for a wonderful driver, Don, to take him daily to the hospital. My husband is deaf and has difficulty walking far so Don dropped him near the entrance, helped him find the ward and provided company and friendship. The hotel manager, Russell went further and kept in regular touch with our family in the UK, keeping them informed on my progress and reassuring them that my husband was coping well. I was discharged on 26 February but not allowed to fly until 9 days later and I could not manage stairs. So again, the management went beyond what we could possibly have expected and moved us to a ground level suite. Russell himself collected me from the hospital and drove me back to the hotel, thoughtfully missing the potholes and driving very gently. Natalie, one of the reception staff, had medical training and visited frequently in the next few days to change my bandage and check my general health, giving me lots of useful advice. The staff also made a special bed so my feet were elevated. We cannot praise the Sandpiper highly enough. It is a luxury hotel but it delivers service and value far above what it costs. It really is the very best hotel in the world.

We have been going to Sandpiper every year for 2 weeks or more in January /February since 2000 - that's 18 years and we love the place. We have been in many of the rooms but now have settled on the same one each year in the newer block and quite near the restaurant. In the last 2 years there has been more rain than previously but it is warm and really not that unpleasant. The beds are comfortable and rooms spacious. Food is good but we feel that there could be some more new dishes to excite our palates - perhaps we are too used to the menu. The manager Russell Corney and staff are very attentive. We suggested that sough dough bread would be welcomed at lunch by Harold's bar and lo and behold it had been made and it was offered 2 days later. This is a special small and very friendly hotel.