The Sandpiper

We have just returned home after a winter break without the kids last week. From the moment we arrived to the moment we departed, we felt like we were at the best place on earth! The hotel is boutique in size but has exactly everything you could need for a perfect stay. The rooms are dotted throughout the grounds in cottage-style 2-storey blocks. The gardens themselves are lush and expertly mainainted and the layout of the resort is such that every area is a delight. We booked a garden room and were taken to a ground floor room with a large, front patio garden and a great, modern new bathroom with separate shower, bath and 2 sinks. All the amenities are White Company toileteries, which we loved and we were thrilled with the welcome drinks and fruit plate. We didn't have any great expectations about the room before our arrival, but it was thoughtfully laid out, spacious and perfect for our stay. There is no TV in the room and that was fine with us. We ate in the hotel restaurant on our first night, and were completely bowled over. During our stay, we ate at numerous top restaurants including The Cliff, Lonestar, Tides, Fusion Rooftop and have to say that the food, ambience and service in The Sandpiper was perhaps the best we had during the holdiay. The breakfast buffet is excellent, with amazing fresh fruit, juices, homemade yoghurt and granola pots etc and a full cooked menu to order. and the restaurant building itself is a stunning open-sided wooden structure overlooking fish ponds, the music pavilion or the pool depending on where you are seated. Lunch and daytime drinks were at Harold's Bar. I am not going to say too much about this as it is basically perfect; Amazing views of the sea from every position, lovely, friendly and funny staff and fabulous cocktails. The lunch menu is exactly what you want - great salads, wraps, fish but all cooked with great care and attention. The beach is beautiful and thoughtfully laid out with numerous options on where to sit including a clever decked area with uninterrupted sea views. It is never crowded and doesn't feel regimeneted and uniform like some other hotels. The watersports were a real highlight and the team was helpful, accommodating and relaxed at the same time! in 6 days, we went waterskiing twice, snorkelling, swam with Turtles and even got pulled along on an inflatable sofa by the speedboat - great fun despite Mrs J's reservations beforehand. The highlight of the holiday for us was our daily dose of tennis tuition with Steve! We did not know that the hotel had tennis courts before we arrived, or indeed that they provided 2 hours of tuition daily between 4-6pm but we ambled along 'for a laugh' bearing in mind we had not picked up a tennis raquet since we were 9 years old. Steve and his wife Barbara are truly fantastic people and we had a blast learning how to play along with other guests we met, who welcomed us to the court! The hotel is located on the edge of Holetown, a short walk to the upmarket Limegrove centre and walking distance to many of the best restaurants on the west coast. In fact, for people like us who enjoy walking, this is perhaps the best location on the coast. We cannot wait to return and hope to become 'regulars' in the future.

Context We've stayed in six different hotels on the West coast and have never been able to get into the Sandpiper, so we had high expectations. Overall impression If you are reading this it means you haven't been to the Sandpiper before, which puts you in a minority. Return guests are a good sign though right? Well, my overwhelming takeaway is of many guests wandering around like they own the place. It was actually quite amusing at first, but does begin to grate after a while. And it isn't helped by the management team. At the managers cocktail party on our first night, he broke off a discussion with us, excused himself to say hello to a returning guest, which is fine, but he never came aback to finish what he was saying. Rather rude I thought. Staff The rest of the staff are fantastic. They understand who wants to be spoken to informally and when asked to call you by your first name they remember and do so. The bar and restaurant staff are all great and will chat with you if you like and it is not a chore. Everyone is genuine. Outside areas The gardens are lovely, but as with many places on the West coast, the beach is quite eroded. There is a battle for the best beds at the crack of dawn, which is encouraged by the beach guys who save beds for the cliquey set. Room We booked the cheapest room - garden view. It was by the old pool, which others here have commented on, suggesting they are tired (need renovating) and noisy. Both true, although the annoying noise for me was not the bar at night (we were in it) but the cliquey set and staff early morning. The room had traditional slat type windows so noise travels easily. Presumably it also travels out easily so beware that people walking past will hear you. Food Food good at lunchtime. We ate once at night as it was raining so we decided not to go out. The restaurant took a 9:00 pm booking and then rushed us massively. Amuse bouche, starter and main came and went in about 20 minutes. They really did clear the starter plate and drop the main down in one movement. My wife's was lovely, my duck not so. Not good enough for Michelin star prices. So, in summary, the acid test, would I go back? Only if you take all the returning guests away.

We have stayed in many hotels around the world in our travels and The Sandpiper in Barbados is one of the best, if not the best. It's location, facilities and rooms make it hard to beat. The restaurant, whether it's for breakfast, lunch or dinner is superb and the friendliness of all the staff ensures a relaxing and welcoming stay. A number of the people staying there were clearly returning guests - we shall be joining them!