The House by Elegant Hotels

“The House - Elegant with a twist� ..That’s their advertising strapline which if you take ‘twist’ as meaning variation, surprising or change then it is pretty accurate. The basic offer is bed and breakfast in a small hotel of about thirty rooms. But this is embedded in an atmosphere of informality and personal service (almost one to one) that sets out to answer most of your personal requirements at any time of the day. As an example, the beach bar is open 24 hours a day so insomniacs looking for a small hours cup of tea at three o’clock in the morning can sit on the beach in 24degrees, perhaps watching a turtle come by looking to lay her 300 eggs are well catered for. The personal service is managed by The Ambassadors, who form the support team that make things happen for the guests; a great bunch of individuals who delivered on every count for us. They really are the glue that holds The House together. If you are still trying to get your mind around the concept then join the club. It is a genuine one-off. It is not for those who want an ordered set holiday. Breakfast and afternoon tea are the only scheduled daily events but you don’t have to go for either. The rest of the day and evening is yours. Stay on the beach and you will have your sun glasses cleaned, be offered bottles of water, given fruit and ice cream. In the evening there are plenty of restaurants to choose from for an evening meal. You don’t have pay sill prices at the Cliff or Tides,( unless you want to watch the branded accessory fashion show walk by your table), take advice from the Ambassadors and go to the smaller genuinely local restaurants. If you want to have a special eating experience then go to Cin Cin first class and little bull. Or walk through to the Tamarind (go early) and enjoy good food, reasonable prices, quiet, excellent position on the beach (better than Tides) and very good service. The House is far from perfect and probably overpriced but the imperfections you can live with especially if the end result is a truly relaxing holiday which ours most definitely was. A couple of disappointments viz., the outstanding help we experienced didn’t carry over once we left. I mislaid two key addresses and asked the hotel for help in retrieving them but that request has seemingly fallen on deaf ears. Perhaps we were just a room number after all. The other disappointment was Barbados itself. The ten years since we were last there has seen no improvement to their infrastructure. Pavements and roads are a disgrace. And I think they are pricing themselves out of the market. When shopping or eating out your bill takes an extra 17.5% hit comprising VAT and Gratuity(!). One suspects the latter rarely goes to the staff. In fact Tides actually leaves a space for a “tip� despite showing a fixed 10% gratuity charged on top of the 7.5% VAT. So…a great relaxing holiday in a wholly different hotel environment – no reception and the Ambassadors act as mini managers -somehow or other this formula actually works. Judge that comment by the clients ; three couples aged 75 plus, one lady was 76 and her visit was her third in a year. The age range of the rest was a spread between 35 to 65 and many were returners. Finally, our thanks in particular to Andrew and his fellow Ambassadorial team for making it happen. Well done guys.

This was our 10th year of returning to The House and as per usual it didn't disappoint...I just wanted to acknowledge and thank all the staff, from the Ambassadors right through to the maintenance, security, maid services and caterers who help to make our holiday so enjoyable every year. All the staff are only too happy to help and go way and beyond to cater to your needs and are always cheerful with a ready smile. Unfortunately sometimes the beach isn't the easiest to walk on or to get into the sea but that is beyond the hotels control as are the kites that fly above the hotel, sensible option is to perhaps invest in some beach shoes which make it so much easier to get in and out of the water. I would also like to make a special mention about Connie in housekeeping who made sure our room was always clean and spotless and went out of her way to make my bed exactly how I like it (she knows what I mean) special thanks also have to go to Christopher, Kerrie, Anthony, Damon, Alana, Shane, Wade, Ricardo and Agnes to name but a few, sorry if I left any names off but ALL OF THE STAFF are exceptional...It isn't the hotel that brings people back again and again, its THE STAFF these people MAKE this hotel and long may it continue, can't wait to come back !!

Everything is just lovely about this hotel. Wonderful surroundings, great food and excellent service. From the moment we arrived we were looked after to the highest of standards. Perfect beach location, so relaxing. I'll definitely be back!

The House is a place where most of the guests return, year after year Some more than once a year, which says all you need to know about this special place. We stayed for two weeks It was our first time, but it won't be our last. The concept is simple you are welcomed as if you were coming home, and the staff truly go out of their way to ensure you have a great time. The staff are called Ambassadors, and nothing is too much trouble From sorting out Dinner reservations, transport, and general guidance and advice The majority of the guests are lovely people, who also make you feel welcome. You can be as active as you want, or chilled out and relaxed in the sun My wife and I played golf, had a private tour of the island and a most enjoyable day on a Catamaran: five hour trip, snorkelling with turtles, over a ship wreck and seeing colourful fish on the reef, tip book a cruise with a maximum number of people around the 12, or 16 Mark. That way you feel you are on an exclusive trip. The staff at the house were all very helpful and too many to name individually, that said I have to mention Agnes, Ricardo, Andrew, Richard, Kerrie all were excellent Michelle who ran the egg station was also very pleasant and I must mention Paul on Security who was so enthusiastic about Cooking in Barbados, I am sure there is another job waiting for him! We stayed for two weeks, and we wished it was longer!

My wife and I really enjoyed staying at the House Barbados. This is a hotel where you really can relax. The staff were very friendly and attentive. We were made to feel very welcome from the 1st day to the last. The champagne breakfasts were really nice as were the afternoon teas. We booked half board, our dinner each night was at Daphne’s restaurant. My wife and I really enjoyed the food, what a great restaurant and a great chef Michale Blasi, each night he came out to talk with the clientele. Michale talked about food with a passion he also cooked with a passion, a wonderful chef!! Rinaldo and Trish Marcella