The House by Elegant Hotels

We love Barbados and were really looking forward to staying at The House for the first time, it did not disappoint! It's the little touches that made the biggest impact - champagne breakfasts (as much as you like), ice cream and fruit brought to you by the pool or beach, glasses cleaning etc. The breakfasts and afternoon tea were very tasty. The staff members there became like friends and would go out of their way to make your stay as enjoyable as possible - nothing was too much trouble. On my partners birthday they also made him feel very special by putting wine, fruit and chocolates in our room. Thank you to everyone at The House!

Here's kind of an all encompassing review of the island/hotel. Sorry guys, this is a really long one! Let's start with the airport: live steel drum music playing as we disembarked the plane - so nice. But then reality - which for us meant almost an hour waiting in customs. Luckily our shuttle waited for us (booked via Viator with Glory Tours for USD $37/person round trip - a really great deal as we were the only couple in it). Oh BTW, there is also duty free at the airport in the event that you didn't have time to get it in your home airport. Same prices as in the US. Yippee! On a late Sunday afternoon, it's about a 30 min drive to The House. They drive on the left here, in case you rent a car. They also happily take USD as currency- so you don't actually have to exchange if you don't want to. When you arrive at The House, there is no reception; it's very informal. This environment is what allows you to feel like you’re home – only better. You get a complimentary drink and time to sit and relax before they show you to your room. The property is small and intimate. And contrary to people saying it's tired; I found it rather lovely and endearing. (And I typically go for Asian minimalist). The pool is VERY small, so if you're a pool person, this may not be the property for you. The beach is steps beyond the pool. Amazing! The atmosphere is laid back and generally quiet. Music playing – Chill R&B - but quiet enough to be background vs. foreground music. Cold towels during the day, a piece of fruit in the late AM, free ice cream at 2:30 (in a bowl no less), tea time at 4pm (with the works – scones, mini sandwiches, cookies) and evening canapés with port wine at 6:30 – all included. As I said above, The House makes you feel like you’re at home. So much so that you easily make fast friends on the property. My husband and I don’t normally go on vacation and talk to people. Most of our time is spent apart, working separate schedules – so vacation is time to be together. But here, there is something special that invites you to gather and enjoy everyone’s company. Just so lovely! The Beach: The water here is absolutely beautiful and completely calm and is lovely blue/blue-green. It’s clear – you can see all the way to the bottom – a must have IMO. Small waves lap against the beach. It’s amazing! Sunsets on the west coast are equally beautiful. We brought floaties, so we could just hang out. The gym: Well, there is barely a gym. It’s so small and dark. As someone who works out a lot – I had no desire to go into this room. Though I will say, it has an arc trainer – which would’ve been otherwise amazing. There are free weights, a treadmill and a recumbent bike as well. It’s just so small. The sister property (right next door), The Taramind, has a slightly bigger version of this. You can walk on the beach but there is not much of a place to do any real (safe) fitness walks outside. The Staff: In general, the staff is amazing! They all go above and beyond to help you with whatever you need and always with a smile. We never had a problem. Service at the pool/beach was hit or miss though. Some were more on top of it than others. Breakfast: Breakfast is complementary and has a decent variety. You can get champagne (as much as you want apparently – the record is 3 bottles by one person – YIKES!) And truly, you could spend the entire 3 hours of breakfast there – no one would say anything. In fact, I believe you can go early and then come back if you want – it’s all very casual. There is an egg station, meats, breads, cereal, yogurt (Yoplait) and fruit. Rooms: Our room is on the 3rd floor - 375, a junior suite, ocean view (end unit). A large enough balcony to fit a table and chairs AND to do yoga. The bed directly faces the glass doors, which is such a nice touch. The property really goes above and beyond to give you everything you need. Complete toiletries, Nespresso machine in room, bottles of water in room, small fridge to store things etc. Housekeeping: In general, the housekeeping staff was great. Our room was always clean in a timely fashion. The towels were replenished 2x/day – in the AM and during turn down service in the PM. What they have troubles with though, is replenishing toiletries. Our bar of soap wasn’t replenished, even when we put the empty soap dish up front and center. (Thank God I brought my own!) And they didn’t replenish shower caps; I had to ask. And when those were gone, they still didn’t replenish. I just stopped asking. Wifi: The free wifi is great - just not in your room. The wifi is excellent on your balcony and in the public areas, but not in your bed :( So don't plan on reading reviews of something while relaxing in the room. The outlets in the room, BTW, are compatible with US appliances. I was surprised because I thought they would cater more to people from the UK. But I haven't seen anything other than those types in the room. In House MD: My poor husband got sick from something and required an MD. It was nothing serious, but The House arranged for an MD to come to our room. Mind you, it’s not cheap ($120 US - cash) but it is a “house call�. There are clinics that are close though, so that would be an option too. Getting around: We took the bus; always the Reggae bus (though there is a blue city bus as well – same price). Like I said, they happily take USD. So if you're from the states and want to take the bus, bring $1's! It costs USD $1/person or BDS $2/person on the bus - no matter where you go. It's definitely an experience- my husband likened it to the Night Bus in Harry Potter :) So fun! And truly safe; everyone is quite helpful. The bus runs until midnight or 1am and there is a stop a few steps from the property. It takes about 7-10 min to get to Holetown on the bus. Obviously cabs are available at any time but man do they get expensive ($10 US into Holetown)! Walking is tough as there isn't much by way of sidewalks. This goes for walking into town or going for a fitness walk – not your best bet. There is a gas station just off the property as well, which I mention because it's also a mini mart for drinks, snacks and such. What they also sell is distilled water. My husband uses a CPAP machine, which requires distilled water. The House staff didn’t know what distilled water was but we found it in the automotive section of the gas station. Also, directly off property is an ice cream shop. It's small but the portions are quite large. The ice cream is fair - nice when you're feeling warm. But nothing outstanding. Here’s the bummer: The beaches are public, which means that anyone can come around. Which translates into people soliciting you throughout the day for just about anything. It gets old quickly, especially when you just want quiet and relaxation. If you sit by the pool (and sacrifice sitting on the beach), you will limit the amount of solicitation. A suggestion for The House: Perhaps amend your room service menu to include some simpler food like salads and sandwiches. The House if closing soon for renovations, to reopen at the very end of September. I honestly can’t recommend this place enough. We absolutely loved it. You will not go wrong staying here. Don’t hesitate! Book now!

We've stayed here a couple times over the last few years and The House is by far the best resort hotel in St. James Parish, west coast of Barbados, and beyond. The location and hotel are great, but the staff are absolutely wonderful, beautiful people; they are the secret ingredient for the incredible memories you will make at The House. They're #1 in St. James Parish, disregard TripAdvisor for this parish as non-hotels (i.e., level of service) are being compared. Miss you guys already!

This is a favourite place of ours. It's a special experience to stay here. Tranquil sophisticated spot on the West Coast.comfortable suites in a small hotel with exceptional service from the hotel ambassadors. Champagne breakfast is divine, chilling out on the deck or beach and everything taken care of, cold water, fruit and ice cream delivered to you while you relax. Plenty of great restaurants nearby, perfect and about to get better once they upgrade the deck this year.

Loved everything about The House and would definitely go back in the future. Amazing staff and excellent service. Being met by Andrew and fast tracked thru customs was a nice touch, then on arrival at the hotel being offered a drink and chance to relax before being shown to our suite - no standing around in queues after a long flight. All this gives a great first and lasting impression. Everyone was so friendly including Wade, Kerrie, Shane and too many others to name. Plenty of sun loungers on the beach - never a problem getting a bed. Another nice touch was the constant supply of cold water, cocktails, ice cream & fruit - all brought to us everyday whilst we lay on the comfy loungers. Our suite which overlooked the beach was spacious with the added bonus of 2 bathrooms. Great choice of food at breakfast, including champagne. The lounge/bar area is a little tired but looking forward to seeing it after the refurb. We had an amazing relaxing holiday - thank you to all the staff and we hope to meet you all again xx