The Sandpiper

My wife and I chose to stay at The Sandpiper to celebrate our Silver wedding anniversary based on all of the great reviews on here. While we had an enjoyable stay the service wasn???t quite at the level we expected and we have experienced far better service in other places we have stayed. There are lots of positives about the hotel. The location is great, just a short walk into a small town with a few bars and restaurants and a large (but very expensive) supermarket. The rooms are nice and spacious and very comfortable. I should point out that the only thing provided in the room is a jug of tap water, no minibar, no snacks or soft drinks, no tea or coffee and no TVs. We had a suite with a large balcony overlooking one of the swimming pools. The highlight for us was the food in the restaurant which was excellent and as good as if not better than anywhere else we visited on the island. One of the managers, Wayne I think, met us at reception on arrival, showed us to our room and arranged a welcome drink, which was a nice touch, but that was the last we saw of any management during our stay. We did get an invite to a cocktail reception but we are not big fans of these arranged ???meet and greet??? type events. I notified the hotel before we arrived that we were celebrating our 25th anniversary. Now, I was not expecting a red carpet but I did expect them to acknowledge our special occasion in some way. Maybe a card or some fresh flowers in the room. Not a single member of staff offered any congratulations or even bothered to ask us if we were celebrating anything special. Most of the staff were nice and polite but without being particularly outgoing. Some of the staff came across a bit distant and it felt like it was a bit an effort for them. I never got a feeling of genuine warmth and friendliness. I don???t think any of the staff new our names. The service around the pool area during the day was pretty poor. Most of the guests appear to spend their time at the beach so I guest the staff focus most of their attention there. There???s a large number of returning guests to the hotel, which is generally a good sign, but if you are not in that particular club then you can feel like a bit of an outsider! I don???t think we will be joining the ???club??? of returning guests.

Just finishing another visit to the wonderful Sandpiper Hotel in Holetown , Barbados. This hotel stands out for many reasons : It is on one of the best beaches with great swimming and water sports; The proximity to Holetown and surrounding restaurants is great; The accommodation is top notch; The food is top of the range; The facilities, including the gym, are great; The staff are very friendly and helpful with many having been here for ever , especially Harold who runs Harold???s Bar so well ; The beach staff are very attentive, looking after the sun beds, providing jugs of iced water etc.; Accommodation is kept spotless; Love seeing all the birds ,mongoose and occasionally monkeys in the gardens. We wouldn???t think of staying anywhere else in Barbados.