LOCATION
The adults-only, ~36 room Elegant by Marriott is a boutique hotel on the southwest side of Barbados thus calmer water. There are several other Elegant hotels by Marriott on Barbados. A couple are under renovation. Colony Club with 90+ rooms is very nice; we stayed there before. Treasure Beach and Waves are nearby, but we preferred the atmosphere and food at The House. The hotel is about 30-45 minutes from the airport depending on your route and day/time. A rental car is about $550 for the week with Go Rentals, an efficient no-wait company.
ENTRANCE
Across from the Roti Den, there is a security house and about 5 parking spaces due to the beach bar construction. Designed with hibiscus and palm trees, the entrance is very pretty and nicely lit at night.
TIP - Beware of the LARGE hole in the grate when driving and exiting the property.
CHECK IN
Anthony and Kaitlyn made the process effortless with a refreshing ginger drink and cool towel. Housekeeping works efficiently to get the check outs cleaned for the check ins to avoid a wait to get in the room.
TIP - Ask for the wifi password
ROOM
Positives: beautiful second and third floor room views of ocean, spacious bedroom, balcony: table, 2 chairs, sofa, comfortable seating and bed, large, pivotable ~20-channel flat screen TV, consistent A/C, storage: 7 drawers, many closet hangars, robes, slippers, safe, umbrella (pop-up rains here), iron/board, turndown almost every night, 95% clean, coffee, tea kettle upon request, stocked fridge with water, beer and beverages. For your electronics, there are 2 USB-A and 2 USB-C charging ports and 110 outlets. Otherwise, bring and adaptor.
TIP - If you have a standard schedule, consider arranging a daily room-service time with housekeeping.
TIP - Wedge the Service/Privacy sign in the exterior door jamb as it tends to fly off with the winds
BATHROOM
Positives: water pressure, water temperature, shower and wand, automatic night light for motion, large mirror, smaller make up mirror, hairdryer, amenities: Apotheke shampoo, conditioner, and body wash
Know: There was quite a bit of mold in the shower edges and corners. The Apotheke product line has an undesirable smell.
RESTAURANT/BAR
Positives: Andrew, Nadia, Chantal, and Devere were among the staff members who made our stay most enjoyable. Their conversations and personal touch to service and attention to detail were delightful. The bar is well-stocked and has 8 stools. The staff does recommend that you set a dinner reservation for each night even if you decide to dine elsewhere on occasion. The restaurant offers a daily breakfast buffet with a made-to-order egg station. The lunch and dinner menus provide varied fish, beef, and poultry preparations every day. We loved every meal. Our favorites: rib eye, tuna poke, and marlin. We did miss the weekly Thursday Caribbean buffet.
Know: Despite the staff's efforts, there can be black flies in the morning. And check the chairs before sitting, many have stains and need cleaning.
TIP - Bug lotion and After Bite came in handy at times.
TIP - Sister hotel recommendation: Colony Club is very good for food; however, Colony Club meals are NOT included in The Hotel's all-inclusive program. Yet, there is a 30% discount off menu and bar items at the Colony Club. Nearby Waves and Treasure Beach sister hotels ARE included with the all-inclusive program. The food selections do not compare to The Hotel.
PUBLIC AREAS - POOL & BEACH
The areas are cozy, well-manicured. There are courtyard gardens and a coy pond. As for the pool and beach, this would be the reason that we would NOT return to this hotel. With ~30 pool lounge chairs, the pool area is usually 'towel-reserved' by guests by 7 am. Many chairs sit empty and remain vacant for hours despite the management's 30-minute towel removal policy/notice. The pool staff does not enforce this policy. However, we were able to find chairs near the two small round attached pools on 2 of our 7 day stay here. If all else fails, there are several chairs on the beach.
The beach has about 20 beach lounge chairs. The chairs are on a strange slope. These chairs ALSO fill up quickly. There will probably be more chairs once the beach bar is complete. The beach is short with coral and a drop off upon entering. We did not feel comfortable entering the water based on the coral and rock. The walk along the beach is quite quick as well.
TIP - Take the free northbound water taxi from The Hotel's beach and go to the sister hotel Colony Club. The water taxi goes between the sister hotels most of the day. The beach is longer, has less of a drop off, less coral, good snorkeling and a picturesque pool are with MANY unreserved lounge chairs.
SPA
Closed Sundays, the spa appears to have 2 employees: Stacy and Shakiria. The spa offers a free 30-minute jet-lag massage. Nice facials, relaxing massages, and energizing body scrubs
TIP - Reserve EARLY with the front desk concierge during your stay in order to get time slots