Colony Club

We returned recently from an 8 night stay at Colony Club, our favourite hotel on the west coast. We first went there in 2007 and have returned many times since. First I feel I must mention the lovely staff. After the long closure for renovation, we were so pleased to see so many again who we remembered and who remembered us. We had such a warm welcome. We were afraid that many might have moved on. The extensive renovation is, we think, fantastic. The guest rooms - we had a garden view junior suite - are really beautiful, a lovely fresh new look, even down to the pretty china and kettles. Nice new re-designed bathrooms too. The Laguna restaurant and reception area look particularly good with the black and white tiled flooring and large pot plants around. The staff were pleased that we loved it, which was nice, they are obviously proud of it. Food is good - it always has been - and it's nice to know that they use their own 'home grown' produce. We actually dined in every evening, we have been out to so many restaurants in the past and couldn't be bothered booking restaurants and getting taxis as we were unfortunately only there 8 days and no hire car this time. There was entertainment every evening too, a singer or saxophonist - who was excellent. Happy hour between 4 pm and 6 pm has finished. Now it's 2 drinks for the price of one between 5 pm and 6 pm., although of course that could change. As far as I know that would be beer and cocktails, not wine. Colony Club is one of the few remaining hotels which is not all inclusive on the west coast. It is also the most reasonably priced, except perhaps for high season (Christmas to Easter), when prices everywhere go through the roof. We think it's the prettiest, with the beautifully landscaped gardens, freeform pools and lovely casuarina tree lined beach. The Sunset Deck beside the beach is great for watching the sunsets, drinking and dining. But it was a shame that the torches are no longer lit in the evening, maybe a safety issue with the parasols and trees. We would highly recommend this lovely and friendly hotel.

Having stayed many times in Barbados, I found this hotel by far the best, over the years,  I paid a brief visit this time to the other 5star hotels, none of them lived up to the overall quality of the colony. The manager, Alex, is especially good, and it shows from the very first meeting.  The staff all excellent throughout, including Wayne the head chef Overall, the refurbishment is great, with a few minor issues that will undoubtedly be fixed as soon as possible.

Overall it’s a nice hotel but there are issues. We really enjoyed our stay but doubt we would return. Firstly the good stuff. The gardens are stunning and beautifully maintained. There are several pools with planting around them. If you’re lucky you may get to see a monkey or two. The beach is decent and the reef just off the beach is amazing with a wide variety of reef fish, including a shoal of about 1,000 blue tangs. Take your snorkels! The free water sports are good - sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding. We also did a fantastic boat trip on the Calabaza. The hotel is only a 10 minute walk to Holetown with a big supermarket, gift shops and restaurants. On the whole the staff were very friendly but some of them lacked much knowledge about the hotel and activities, notably at Reception. I only saw someone at the Concierge desk twice in 12 days. The Rum Vault may be pricey but combines a rum education (by the excellent Corey) with 4 delicious cocktails and a gourmet meal. We also did the mixology class (with the fabulous Sherfilia) - US$40 each to make, and of course drink, a lot of cocktails. Much cheaper than the bar!! Now for the not so good. Our room was near tall trees at the back of the resort so was quite dark and the balcony was swarming with mosquitoes. Take bug spray. There is only one restaurant even though the website gives the impression that there are several. It’s expensive, on a par with the high end local restaurants, but not great quality (either in terms of food or service). Book outside - The Tides was our favourite but Lonestar, QP Bistro and Paul Owens were all good. In case you aren’t familiar with Barbados it is very expensive especially when the GBP is weak against the USD. Breakfast is ok but the servery area is half the size it needs to be so it’s always a scrum. They also charge for “speciality coffees”, so despite paying £40 for breakfast you have to pay another £6 for a machine made cappuccino. They offer activities but we only found out by accident after a few days as they don’t market them at all. The gym is small but thankfully I managed to get on a running machine every time I went. So all in all, a great venue but a few tweaks would make it better.

Here’s a tidied-up version of your review: --- I visited the Colony Club over 15 years ago for dinner and enjoyed the best mojito. More recently, we stayed for a week after the refurbishment and absolutely loved our experience! The staff were helpful and friendly, particularly attentive to young families. One guest in a wheelchair struggled with mobility, but the staff treated them with dignity and support, assisting them to the beach and restaurant. Our room was beautiful, and the gardens and pool were well-maintained. My only minor concern was that you need to get up early (around 6:30 AM) to secure a lounger on the beach, and there was a bit of hassle from individuals offering trips. Breakfast was good, but the buffet area was relatively small and could get chaotic when busy, especially near the omelette and hot food stations. Nevertheless, the restaurant staff were super attentive. I also found the all-day menu could use more creativity. As a Bonvoy member, I didn’t feel we were treated any differently or offered an upgrade (which we would have paid for), but we were satisfied with our garden view room. We were fortunate to be there on Independence Day and enjoyed Bajan-inspired options and an incredible steel band. Thank you to the amazing staff; we look forward to visiting again! --- Feel free to let me know if you would like any more

Visited Colony Club for drinks and a day stay. Very attentive staff,very comfortable sun loungers and good selection of drinks and food. As we discovered it’s not adults only, so be aware