Sugar Bay Barbados

I've only just come back to earth from this beautiful place. My husband and I returned to Barbados for our 25th anniversary, 2nd time to the Island, 1st time to Sugar Bay. Everything about the place was just amazing. From the moment we walked in, we felt at home. Greeted with a very strong rum punch and breath-taking views of the ocean. The rooms were spacious and immaculately clean, with plush beds, I've never slept so well away from home. The food was truly exceptional—some of the best we’ve ever experienced. First impressions to a usual all inclusive was not so much choice until you realised the standard and quality of food. As for drinks, fantastic standard and they will make any cocktail you desire. Don’t miss their daily special “mimosa” my favourite was cranberry and ginger. At least one visit to the Mongoose Pub is required (opens at 9pm till late), a clever idea keeping the evening buzz and laughter tucked away from the rooms. Staff were attentive, friendly, and made us feel truly welcome, we were greeted by name most morning. Location was perfect, so relaxing whether you decide to lie by the ocean or by the pool, plenty of beds & superb relaxing entertainment throughout the day and night. In summary, this is one of those rare gems where comfort, cuisine, and character come together so seamlessly. My mission is to get the pink bracelet and return for my 50th birthday in 2027! Things not to miss! Carlisle Bay - The Boat Yard Catamaran Trip - Cool Runnings Horses on Pebbles Beach Sunday Dinner on a Sunday Evening (at SB) Singers on the Sunday night (at SB) PS not many plugs in the room bring an adapter! Read less

Great hotel with boutique vibe. Check in was very welcoming with the rum-punch and fruit punch for the children. We booked a family ocean view suite which only had 1 bedroom but it was plenty big enough for myself, my husband and our 2 girls (10 and 4yo). The pool was small but not over crowded. We managed to get sunbeds even mid morning. The beach is nice to look at but the sand is rough and the sea isn't as crystal clear as the west coast so we popped round to Carlisle Bay which was beautiful (the boatyard is a great day out!). We went to Oistins on Friday which was crazy busy and a little overwhelming for the children so we grabbed something to eat, listened to a bit of the music, bought some pressies for friends back at home and left @ 8.30pm....before the party really started. We book a luxury catamaran trip with Silver Moon which was a huge highlight on the holiday and well worth it! The food at SB was unreal - the best buffet we've ever had. It even knocks the socks off the Jumeirah hotels we've stayed in in Dubai. Infact all the food was amazing and plentiful. A huge shout out to Justin in Reef who was super friendly and always made an effort to come over to see how our day had been every evening. A real credit to the team! As annual visitors to Dubai we were a little apprehensive about our trip to SB as we'd read reviews which said holidaymakers wouldn't receive the same level of luxury, which is true to a certain extent (no artificial bling!) BUT as a family, we would take the authentic, warm and friendliness of Barbados over any 5* hotel in Dubai! Read less

My wife and I traveled to Sugar Bay in Barbados with another couple the last week of July. This was our first time to this beautiful country. Barbados has wonderful people and everyone we encountered were overly friendly inside and outside the resort. We have been to 11 different all-inclusive resorts in 6 different countries. This is the smallest we've been to so far. The airport is fairly small. It took maybe an hour to get through immigration and customs. I will say we felt almost punished for completing the online immigration form. They had multiple immigration officers to screen passengers after they completed their form at a kiosk. Meanwhile we had our forms completed prior to arrival yet we were standing in a longer line with less agents assisting us through immigration. The ride to the resort is probably 20 minutes or so. It wasn't too bad after a long travel day. Check-in was smooth and fast. There is a $9 or so tax per day per person you have to pay the resort. The room key is a bracelet that I love because you don't have to keep up with a card or worry about deactivating it with your phone. The room We booked an oceanfront king. This was a very small room but adequate. I will say the ac could be better but we didn't mention ours didn't work well so I can't complain. There aren't washcloths here, so if you like using them, you should pack a couple. Our fridge had a bottled water or 2 but nothing else. Water is abundant around the resort but if you just like bottled you might struggle. Their tap water is drinkable. The rooms have US outlets so no need to bring adapters. Beach towels are in the room upon arrival. We swapped ours out daily before we went up to the room. Upon checkout, you apparently have to take towels to the desk or have towel cards from the watersports shack or you get charged $25 or so per towel that is missing. The grounds This resort is quite compact, but the grounds are well manicured and maintained. Lots of variety of plants. Wifi seems to be good everywhere on the property. If you're prone to mosquitoes and bug bites, take spray. I am but my wife isn't. Each night I'd apply bug spray and I'm not sure how much it helped. I still got quite a few bites. Even though she didn't apply spray she left with less bites. The restaurants They have 4 restaurants in total. Colin's bar that is open from 10-6 for drinks and noon to 4 for food. The Reef buffet which is open breakfast, lunch, & dinner everyday. Umi and Sizzle that are reservation only. You can book these right at check-in for best available time slots. The Reef buffet has themed nights so check what those are before making reservations at Umi or Sizzle. We ended up doing Umi on Wednesday and then the buffet was Asian on Thursday. It wasn't the best back to back we could've done. All the restaurants are open air so be prepared to sweat. I feel like most are OK like this but Sizzle is small and not on the water. This restaurant should have some window units installed. It was hot enough to where we re-showered when we got back to our room. Another note is they limit you to 1 starter, 1 entrees, and 1 side per person. Additional is a charge! Not that I need more, but I have NEVER been told I would be charged for additional items at any all-inclusive resorts we've ever visited in the past. They have a coffee bar, but also a for pay coffee shop on premises. It would be nice if the coffee shop was included. It wouldn't cost them much and would be a wonderful addition seems how most all-inclusive resorts now include a coffee shop. It could also give a different option for breakfast with pastries and small bites instead of a buffet. The Reef buffet The service here was wonderful. We ate here for breakfast daily. They had the basics such as an omelette station, scrambled eggs, baked beans (I appreciate this even though I'm American), an assortment of breads and croissants, cheeses, and waffles. The fruits were better than our other all-inclusive resorts. They typically had blackberries, raspberries, honeydew, and kiwi. We found this wonderful along with the typical watermelon, cantaloupe, and pineapple. We also had lunch here twice. It was decent. We definitely didn't leave hungry. Both lunches we had mashed potatoes, fried Bajan chicken, and an assortment or desserts. Dinner we visited 3 times, the first night here was Mexican themed. The pulled pork on nachos was delicious. They always had cheese and fruit trays that hit the spot. We all found good entree dishes to enjoy. I will say during the themed nights there wasn't much besides the theme. That being said, if you're traveling with picky kids or adults they might struggle. If would be nice to have something simple such as chicken or pizza to hold them over but there wasn't. The selection of ice cream each night is great. Ask your server. Typically they have pistachio, rum & raisins, cookies & cream, & strawberry cheesecake. The service at this restaurant was normally top-notch. It was difficult to empty a drink, water, or plate without a refill or empty plate removed. Wonderful. We met Nicholi here. What a great server. He knew the whole buffet menu and would make each a surprise cocktail. My wife put it best by stating he made the buffet feel like a nice sit down dinner. He's definitely a standout among a great staff. Colin's bar Located close to the beach and very laid back. We ate here most days for lunch seems how i could just be in my swim trunks with no shoes etc. The burgers and coleslaw were delicious. They also had decent fries. I had a ham and cheese wrap one day which was fair at best. No one tried the hotdogs but they were available. This spot also had a selection of ice cream too. Sizzle We ate here once. We were supposed to have another night but due to a natural gas leak somewhere on the island everyone had to eat at the buffet our last night. The night we did eat here, one had the NY strip and the others had the filet mignon. All cooked to desired temps and delicious. The lobster mac, baked potatoes, lava cake, apple crisp pie with ice cream all enjoyable. We liked this place for dinner the best besides the heat. It was hot. Umi Meh, the food was so, so. Our friend enjoyed the sticky ribs. I got the beef teriyaki that was soaked in soy sauce. The beef and veggies would shine alone without being drown in soy. My wife got the General Tsos that tasted nothing like it. I have no idea what it tasted like but it wasn't that. We have an Asian with us and she agreed! The sushi was good. We had the dynamite, crazy, & dragon roll. They were cut thick and a lot of pieces. I wish they would cut them thinner and not limit the starters to where everyone could try more. This isn't a difficult fix. My wife got the spring rolls and they were fair. The pools So the main pool has nice cushions on the loungers and it's a nice sized. You can't see the ocean laying here so that was a downfall. I also got blasted in the face with a dodgeball by a kid while I was enjoying a drink. The swim up bar where i was at is supposed to be adults only but it isn't enforced. I'm not sure why or how the kid hit the ball as hard as he did, but I'm glad it was me instead of an elderly person. It was hard enough to bend the nose pieces on my Ray Bans. That pool is too small for the amount of balls/toys allowed. After the first day, we decided to sit at the very small pool close to Colin's bar. It was very quiet and perfect for us. Closer to the beach too. These pools were cleaned daily by Cody. He was fantastic and a very hard worker. The beach Wonderful views and nice water. Sargassum wasn't as abundant here like others we have been to. The water colors were some of the best we've seen anywhere in the Caribbean. Watersports are free and our friends rode the high back kayak one day and said it was nice. They also have plastic tables there you can get to use by your beach loungers if you'd like. These are at the watersports hut. Bars Damien, Aykeem, and many others served up delicious cocktails and ice cold Banks beer each day. I love they have their own menu at each bar to choose from or they can create whatever you prefer. I will say we went to the Lazy Mongoose and it had a terrible smell. One pool table and a few broken darts and a limited drink selection. This just isn't even worth having to be honest. Evening entertainment Each night they had singers or performers of some sort near the main bar. This was enjoyable but don't expect over the top action filled shows. Very nice and we all enjoyed them. Excursions etc We did 2 excursions. One was free with the resort, which is the 'swim with horses'. We got up at 6 am and walked with a group down to the water probably a half mile away. This was a total money grab and I wouldn't recommend it unless you want to get a photo with a horse for $10 or be guided around on one for a few minutes to be charged $20-$30. I would recommend walking to the horse track. It's literally out the front of the resort and to the left. Really pretty in the morning when they're practicing. The other was the Ocean Lux two story pontoon. This was a fun time. 4 hours long. They allow you to snorkel if you'd like, jump off the pontoon, get on a large raft to just enjoy the water, or enjoy the ride. Oh did I mention they serve you lunch and all you can drink?!? Well, you get that too. It's a great time. I believe it was $125 per person and can be booked on here or on sites like Expedia. Overall, we enjoyed our stay here at Sugar Bay Barbados. I wouldn't steer anyone from booking a stay here but we wouldn't return. There are just too many places to see. If you do decide to go, please bring plenty of tip money. The service here deserves it. Read less

I have written a long review, which I had hoped might help both fellow travellers and the resort. Sadly I note that the resort don’t respond to such reviews. Hopefully that’s not complacency. Overall The resort is excellent overall. Food and service were generally very good indeed. It is small which generally was beneficial, but had what some (not us) would consider drawbacks as a result. For example there were no spectacular themed evenings, few competitions, classes and events, and only 2 speciality restaurants. However what you did get was a relaxed atmosphere throughout, no highfalutin management strutting around the place with clipboards, no intrusive security protecting the beach and my personal favourite - no “Preferred Customer” concept. I hate turning up having already spent a fortune to be told I am a second class citizen, then to be relentlessly upsold. None of that here which was great. There were very few hawkers around the resort or beach which I liked. Wifi was excellent throughout the resort. Fast and reliable. Going back to security the resort felt safe, with security staff discreetly present. I also liked the fact that there was a large police station opposite the entrance to the resort! There were unfortunately however a number of niggles, some significant. These are what prevented this being a 5 star review. These are detailed below within the general review points. Pre Trip I received quick replies to emails from the concierge (Natalie). These were clearly answered (although one that turned out to be not so clear concerned dress code - see below). Check In Very quick. We had to fill out and sign paperwork for what seemed like forever and pay a hefty $200 security deposit, plus local taxes. Just be aware for a 10 day stay on arrival you will be looking to pay around $300 additional to what you have already paid (although obviously you should expect to get your deposit back). What I really liked was the overall speed of check in. It had been a long journey and a long day. I can’t be bothered with a welcome drink or chat. Just get me to that room! The resort did this really well. Note that welcome drinks were available if you wanted one. Our Room The room was spacious and airy and had a large, comfortable and high bed, making it easy to get in and out of and we generally enjoyed very good sleep. Our furniture was great. Inside there were 3 chairs and 2 tables. Outside had 2 cushioned loungers, 2 chairs and a table, plus wall fittings to hang wet clothes etc. (see picture). In room storage was excellent. Around 20 hangers for clothes were provided, plus loads of other storage space, all arranged so as not to take away from main bedroom area space. The bathroom was very well fitted out. It had a high quality shower with both a freely moveable hand shower, a large overhead shower and a tap. Water pressure was good. This was contained in a wet room type arrangement. The only weakness was the sink. It was very slow draining (this was fixed very quickly when brought to the attention of reception), and the drainage plug didn’t really work (in other words it drained when it shouldn’t have). Towels were plentiful and of high quality. The room was pretty quiet. Some evenings loud music was played in the centre of the resort, but this always ended at 10.00 which is reasonable. The usual tea and coffee facilities that you would expect at a hotel were provided and were fine, the only issue being UHT Coffeemate was provided rather than milk. I really don’t like tea made with anything other than milk, but maybe that’s just an English thing. A really good (very cold) fridge and separate freezer were also provided. The AC was wall mounted rather than ducted, so a little noisier but it worked very well throughout our stay. Pool The main pool was small and pretty shallow, even in the ‘deep end’. There were strange and slightly awkward steps between depth levels. Signage states it opens from 7 (see photo), but it was actually more like 8.30-9.00. Not a problem for us but you could see young kids getting frustrated. Pool and deck areas were kept in very good condition throughout the day. Loungers were all high quality with comfortable and well fitted cushions. Provision of pool toys was a nice touch and these were well used by customers. The beer tap in the swim up bar was not working from when we got there until the day we left (11 days), and maybe still isn’t. The helpful staff were happy to go to the main bar for beer, but this naturally slowed service down. An excellent facility was that iced water was available at the pool (and the beach) with clean glasses all of the time. Drinks service at your lounger was occasionally available but was very patchy. I saw it 4 times in 11 days. The pool needs rules on loud music. People brought speakers to the pool to play from their phones. It wasn’t a massive problem but at one point I had one on either side of me. One was playing loud music with racially aggravating lyrics (including the N word). This is generally unacceptable in today’s world. Indeed it is illegal in many countries. In general it’s not the rules of the resort that are the problem but the policing of them. It would be nice if rules weren’t needed, but given they were there then they should be enforced. Reef Restaurant Superb for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Buffet was superb at all services. All good quality and lots of variety. All freshly carved meats served at dinner were excellent. Service was top notch pretty much at all times, including drinks on arrival and top ups. There was the occasional blip e.g. asking for ice cream and it never showing up, but overall very good. At breakfast there was a great omelette/fried egg station. Poached eggs however were not so great. Fresh pancakes and waffles were available at all breakfast services. Cooked breakfast was very much to the US style (well done streaky bacon, sweet baked beans and sweet bread for toasting). I quite like that but perhaps not everyone would. Colin’s Beach Bar Great food. Burgers were freshly cooked to order and not just a great big warm dish of them as in most resorts. Quality was high. One minor gripe is that I couldn’t work out how to get a table on arrival. This is fine in other Sugar Bay restaurants but here what do you do? Sit down and wait to be served? Ask at the bar? Not clear. A note on their clothing policy. The first time I visited Colin’s Beach Bar I wasn’t wearing a shirt. So I was sent away to get one. Fair enough I thought - that’s the rules. Then a few days later I showed up and (you’re ahead of me here), there was some bare chested bloke tucking in to his burger and fries. Another day I saw 4 such people. I am a qualified sports official, and one thing I understand is that above all else players demand consistency and fairness. This policy has neither. I did gently ask a server about this but she just referred me to the front desk. If you are challenged on their clothing policy I suggest that you tough it out. You’ll see many examples of this policy being ignored. The dress policy is however well adhered to in other restaurants. As mentioned earlier policies aren’t well monitored but this inconsistency wound me up. Umi Restaurant Good if not spectacular. Decent quality and very good portion sizes. Sizzling Steakhouse The steaks here are superb. Top quality meat cooked to perfection. Unsurprisingly there isn’t much here for non beef eaters, but the problem with that is if one of you is and one of you isn’t then it puts you both off. Very good steaks though. Note that in regards to specialty restaurants (Umi and Sizzling Steakhouse), for every 3 nights of your stay, you are entitled to 1 complimentary specialty restaurant dinner. Therefore, during our 11 night stay we were entitled to 3 specialty dining nights in total. So to maximise this benefit then book 8, 12, 16 etc. nights. Bars As mentioned above the Pool bar had its only beer tap not working for the duration of our stay. The main bar was very good. It did get very busy from about 6.30. It was at this point the only bar open and as well as serving at the bar the staff had to deal with restaurant orders, which appeared to take priority. Certainly when trying to get service they often seemed distracted. But overall very good and in a lovely setting. Staff were excellent. The bar at Colin’s Beach Bar was relaxed, friendly and never busy. However it has limited opening hours. In general the opening hours on the resort website don’t match the reality, although they are a decent guide. Driftwood Cafe This area provides a pleasant 24 hour coffee area with a high quality machine that always worked. Afternoon tea here was also good if you fancied a snack. Beach This was OK but there is a bit of a seaweed problem (this varied day by day), and uncomfortable boulders under foot in the sand. Seaweed at worst was a proper nuisance. You could see it piled up in banks back from the shoreline. Water sports are not a big thing. I saw a couple of kayaks. Not a lot happening when we were there. Other There is a small Gift shop with gifts, medicines and a small range of groceries. We wanted to buy a resort T shirt but the largest size was XL. Have they seen the size of half of their customers?! I suspect this is an opportunity missed. It is a small resort but nevertheless a map would have been useful. No site map was available, either on paper or posted on boards around the resort. Staff Overall staffing was very good but some staff were extra special. I thought I would mention a few (with apologies for any poor spelling). The two that stood out the most were Keyshawna in the restaurant and Jonathan. Keyshawna was exceptional. She learned our names on day one and greeted us by them from then on. She always checked we were OK, including when we weren’t on one of her tables and even in the pool, and was an absolute delight. Jonathan was I think a cleaner. Well that might have been his official role, but be was actually a hotel front man. He was always super helpful, charming and seeing him brightened your day. A lovely guy. Both are huge assets to the resort and I hope that they are well looked after by it. Other special mentions: Helen and Damien (bar tenders) - both excellent technically and from a customer handling perspective. Akeil the Trainee receptionist - surely not a trainee for much longer! Always super helpful and a lovely smile. Zaren the water sport guy who ran the UNESCO tour. What he didn’t know about the history of the area he made up for in bouncy charm. Read less