A recent survey of more than 70,000 travelers from around the world ranked Barbados as the #1 destination in terms of overall satisfaction. That is high praise indeed, given that the poll included more than 140 popular vacation spots, from the Caribbean to Africa, Asia and more. And yet, despite the fact that it’s right our in our own backyard, Barbados generally isn’t top of mind for Americans. Perhaps, after reading Carissa’s trip report, that will change đ
Carissa and Travis came to me for some help with a last-minute honeymoon. They wanted low-key, low-fuss, easy-to-reach, adults-only, all-inclusive, and good food. I think that the beautiful new Waves Hotel and Spa in Barbados delivered on all counts!
Waves Hotel and Spa was spectacular, exactly what we needed! I don’t know where to start. The place was VERY relaxing, clean, and well run. The staff was friendly and got to know us by name. They would ask what we did that day and seemed to make sure we had a relaxing time. The staff kept the grounds very well maintained and cleaned. Waitstaff were quick to clear away empty plates, glasses, etc. which added to the cleanliness factor. There was a smoking section under the umbrellas and although I saw people smoking there,we never saw cigarette butts or dirty ashtrays. Nor did we see any drink toothpicks or straws on the floor or littered about. Our room was cleaned daily and always felt welcoming and refreshing thanks to the quiet AC.
Being in a smaller resort, we got to know other guests by sight and would chat in the common areas or in passing. Vacation friends! We didn’t talk about work or even get last names, it was great. Older crowd, mainly British but a few younger couples. Not the place for late night parties. At about 8 pm there was live music (a musician or 2) and people sat around in the common living area (very open floor plan which was great) and had a drink and mingled. On Monday nights there was a limbo show but we went to bed before she started.
We visited Crystal Cove for lunch one day and decided that Waves was more our style. It was nice but I appreciate the spa feel of the open layout of Waves, the primary color palette of blue, sand, light grey, with pops of coral. Side by side example of the service: While at the beach at Crystal Cove, a waitress came around offering little plastic cups of grapes. Later she came by with a tray of assorted mixed drinks and juices. At Waves, we were offered frozen grapes on a bamboo skewer served with tongs. A few minutes later our specific drink orders were taken. But in the meantime, would we like a cool towel?
With our fancy room we each got 4 spa vouchers! The vouchers could be used for complimentary treatments or could go towards an upgraded service. We did both. The spa was great and the ladies working there were nice. We had pedicures, facials, massages, and Travis got a body scrub. I chose to forgo the scrub, I had one recently. The spa, Asian fusion restaurant, and the big adult pool was located across the street from the main building on the ocean. It was easy to go back and forth.
The food was good although nothing to write home about. We liked the elegant casual dinner attire requirement. It got people out of their beachwear. In addition to the 2 restaurants, there is a coffee shop (air conditioned if you want) which we wish was open after dinner. We did get sandwiches from there they day we left.
Unfortunately due to high surf conditions all water sports (and turtle adventure) were cancelled during our stay. Management kept hoping that “tomorrow” will be better but they never gave us false hope. The waves were so epic that staff was out there taking pictures. They lost a lot of sand/beach. We were able to walk to Crystal Cove along the beach at low tide one day and only had to navigate a few high water areas. I think as more sand went out, it got more treacherous. Surfers on the West coast of Barbados was a novel sight, we enjoyed watching them every day.
One morning we took the yellow reggae bus to Bridgetown. Meh. It was OK. Interesting architecture but nothing I really needed to buy. While walking around we were asked by taxi drivers if we wanted a ride back to the boat. hahaha. When we said we weren’t on the boat, they offered tours of the island.
The FunJet rep met us Tuesday morning and offered up a variety of activities but we declined. They were however very good with their shuttle service to and from the airport.
This was the perfect place for reading, catching up on naps, and doing a whole lot of nothing. If we had stayed longer we may have ventured more into the rest of the country. Eating and resting takes up a lot of energy.
Thanks again for figuring out exactly what we needed. We would love to go back to Barbados and I certainly got accustomed to the luxury all-inclusive lifestyle.
Any questions? Have I missed anything??
Best regards,
Carissa
