Mango Bay

Just back from 10 days at Mango Bay, and having just read Happyhammer10’s review I could almost do a cut and paste with a few additions. We stayed last year at The Club just down the road, so invariably comparison were made. We started the holiday in room 111 which was great, straight out of the varandah onto the beach. It was very clean, had a comfortable bed and had a modern shower. The were some odd bits, a single Uk pattern electric socket next to where the kettle was (with a us pattern plug)! So the only option to boil the kettle was to put it on the floor and plug into a low us socket. There were also a couple of spurious light switches which we never found out what they were for. Then just over half way through the holiday we woke up to water gushing through the bathroom ceiling (same issue as someone else commented on for room 106 a few days before), so seems that preventive maintenance of the rooms is lacking. It took until nearly 5pm that day to get a resolution and a move to room 314 and this was only achieved by us constantly badgering people on reception to get something done. This was supposed to be the same grade (ocean view) that we had booked, but the shower in the new room was more dated with a shower curtain and a low bath as the tray. But overall the rooms were satisfactory. The biggest issue we had was, as in the previous review the food and drink service. The food was variable with some days being ok ish, but other days being woeful. The low point was arriving for lunch one day and being told the “theme” for that day was build your own sandwich 🤯. I actually have that same theme everyday at home while I am working, so expected something much better from a 3/4 star hotel. Drinks were the same, on our first day I asked the barman for one of their signature rum cocktails and was told they did not have one but that we could do me a rum and coke (well thanks!!!). I subsequently found they did actually have a Mango Bay special, which was contained in a single copy of a cocktail menu that was always kept behind the bar. In comparison to The Club where they have extensive cocktail menus always shown in multiple places on each of their bars, and were happy to give you something different if you couldn’t find something you wanted, and premium spirits were always used. The staff in general just seemed completely disinterested in engaging with the guests at any level. On arrival we were only provided with information about trips we could purchase, and nothing about what the hotel was offering. It really just feels like everyone is completely unmotivated now that the Royalton has opened next door (although it seems the Royalton also has it’s issues). I am sure in years past, this has been a great place to visit, it certainly has a beautiful location. It needs investment in the infrastructure to bring it up to 3/4 star, and staff training to remind them what the hospitality industry is all about. I know there are many people that return here year after year, but I wonder if the management strategy going forward is to wait for a big offer from one of the large brands to buy the plot and completely redevelop. Sadly I don’t think we will be revisiting. Read less

Ok, so visited Sugar Bay last year which is a similar comparable hotel on a similar budget so during my stay was mentally comparing Mango Bay to the Sugar Bay. Firstly, the location of Mango Bay is absolutely stunning, the beach, the sea, the proximity to Holetown are all head and shoulders above Sugar Bay and is a major attraction. But that’s pretty much the only factor where Mango Bay rates higher than Sugar Bay. Room: We paid for a superior pool view room and I have to say, we have no complaints with the room. The bed was big and comfy, the pillows really suited, the A/C was excellent and there is loads of storage which is refreshing. There is also a fridge in the room with soft drinks & water in. There is a kettle, with tea and coffee etc supplied, an iron and ironing board and dressing gowns ( but no slippers?) The shower, despite being a dated over the bath type with an old school shower curtain, had really good water pressure and was always piping hot, with shower gel, shampoo etc all supplied. Food/Restaurant: Very hit or miss, some nights good, some night not so. Choice limited to 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 desserts. Buffet nights were pretty uninspiring. Breakfast was probably the best meal of the day. Service at the restaurant wasn’t particularly friendly from most of the staff with the exception of 1 or 2, the majority looked like they really didn’t want to be there and there was very little engagement from most of the staff. Completely the opposite to Sugar Bay where the food, choice and service was excellent. Apparently there was snack food like burgers, hot dogs etc which could be ordered from the bar but we only found that out in the last day as we were not told this at check in, nothing about it in the ‘pack’ given to us at check in and nothing on or around the bar to advertise this? Almost as if they don’t really want you to know about it! No Ice cream provided or offered other than at meal times and a minimal afternoon tea served at 16:00 which really was basic. Bar/Drinks: Once again, majority of bar staff lacked enthusiasm and engagement, cocktail quality quite poor, often over sweet, pre mixed cocktails, cheap spirits used even when guests asked for branded spirits, often without the guests knowing, I saw somebody order a branded spirit and saw the barman pouring cheaper spirit under the counter. Never had to wait too long to get served to be honest though. One major issue for me was no beach waiter service! Apparently Mango Bay have done away with this as part of cut backs it seems. So you have to traipse in to the bar from the beach after drying yourself thoroughly as you cannot go into the bar wet. Also, no coffee machine by the bar, only a jug of black coffee like you get on a work place lunch buffet. Not great. Sports/Entertainment/Pool: Nothing explained to you about the water sports that are available at check in and nothing on information in the ‘pack’ Once again, seems like the hotel wants to keep it a secret that you get free water skiing etc. Catamaran trip was good, found out this was a free to book experience by reading previous trip advisor reviews, certainly wasn’t offered at check in. Majority of the Beach guys were pretty unapproachable bar one who was quite friendly to be fair. Staff didn’t like changing towels late in the day, was point blank refused to have fresh towels at the end of the day 3 times so we could be all ready for the next day, when I asked why, the guy just said you can have them in the morning, I asked is it because you have run out and all I got back was you can have them in the morning not now! Only 1 day out of 7 was Padding put on the sun beds by the beach staff, 6 days out of the 7 we had to go and get our own from the hut and lug them to the beds in full view of the staff and nobody offered to do it for us. Entertainment: Didn’t see any during the day, no organised sports or games and a singer in the evenings until 22:30, some better than others but all very similar. All in all for an All Inclusive hotel, you really are getting bare minimum offerings. Now that The Royalton next door is open, I can imagine Mango Bay may take a bit of a hit unless they up their game. The Royalton was only about 40% full but seems quite noisy and attracts a lot of beach sellers, Jet ski & boat operators which does spoil the tranquility of the fantastic beach, I can’t begin to imagine what the noise will be when The Royalton is full. All in all, we did enjoy our stay but that was mainly due to the hotel location and the social side of regular engagement with other guests in the hotel, which is one nice thing about saying in a smaller hotel. Mango Bay could be an absolute brilliant hotel with a few tweaks and improvements but they seem to have cut back on a fair few things and with competition on their doorstep, I feel they could start to lose custom. Read less

Second visit to Mango Bay. Paid for a superior upgrade due to the One Love bar next door and their noise, and we got our same room, 106, adjacent to the pool so that was great! The room itself was good, with a great couple of electronic additions. An English plug, which I plugged my 4 port extension in, and a multi plug adapter with 4 usb connectors on which was fantastic, no problems with charging devices etc. the WiFi has also improved massively. Last visit I had to sit at end of patio to get signal from the bar, now it's great in every room. My only criticism of room was the bathroom. Dated and had a shower curtain and the shower wasn't great. Food was good but was a bit repetitive. Id probably say it was a slight downgrade from our last visit, though was still ok. The drinks were the same, good and as many as you want!. Best feature of the hotel is the beach. Amazing. Great snorkeling, beautiful scenery. The pool is ok too. Staff are on the whole great, with the odd miserable one here and there! We loved Kyle, Kevin, Dale, Riannah, the lovely funny Maria, Keeland. Didn't catch their names but the girls on the egg station were great. Poached eggs and omelettes were amazing every day. Watersports facilities were good. Free water skiing and kayaks/paddle boards. Staff were a bit miserable but nothing new there! Overall a good holiday, but i think mango bay owners need to start upgrading the rooms to keep up with the surrounding competition! On our last day our bathroom roof partly collapsed due to a leak in the bathroom above. Luckily I'd didn't affect us that much though thankfully if happened on our last day! Read less

I really wish you could give 4½ stars, as I think Mango Bay is better than a 4-star rating, but I wouldn’t quite give it 5 stars. Overall, though, we had a fantastic holiday and really enjoyed our stay. We had a Deluxe Room on the 4th floor, which was really nice and comfortable. A few days before the end of our trip, we did notice a small sewage smell that seemed to linger in the room. It wasn’t particularly bad and didn’t have a major impact on our stay. We did hear other guests mention issues with their rooms, mainly relating to mould, but thankfully we experienced none of this ourselves. The beds were extremely comfortable, including the single beds, which was a real bonus. The food was good overall, although our 7-year-old struggled a little with the choice. To be fair, that’s more down to him being a fussy eater than anything the hotel did wrong! There isn’t a huge amount of variety, but what was available was good quality. Breakfast was amazing — probably the best bacon I think I’ve ever had! Before leaving the UK, I was quite concerned about the new hotel being built next door, but I’m very happy to say that it really wasn’t an issue at all. The beach never felt overcrowded, and the new hotel had absolutely no negative effect on our holiday. We were also concerned about noise from the bar at the entrance, but again, this wasn’t a problem for us. There is some noise from the hotel singers in the evening, usually finishing around 10:30pm, but you quickly get used to it. And let’s face it, most people are going to be at the bar enjoying the entertainment rather than sitting in their rooms! We had also read reviews saying that the hotel was very run down, but this simply wasn’t our experience. Yes, there are areas that could probably do with a little updating, but overall we found the hotel perfectly pleasant and well maintained. The pool can feel a little overcrowded in the afternoon, but again, it never became a real issue for us. We always managed to get a sun lounger, both around the pool and on the beach. All in all, we had a great holiday at Mango Bay. There are a few little things that could be improved, but nothing that spoiled our stay. The location, beach, food, comfortable rooms and overall atmosphere made for a really enjoyable holiday. Thank you, Mango Bay — we had a fantastic time! Read less

Another fantastic stay at Mango Bay! This beautiful hotel is mine and my Husband’s second home and favourite place in Barbados. From the minute we arrived Cara and the reception team welcomed us back. We were so pleased to be staying in our favourite room again which was lovely and clean and just perfect for our 14 night’s stay. The food was excellent, breakfast has a great variety to choose from and lunch and dinner was always good. We could not fault any of it. The wonderful staff in the restaurant were as friendly as always and nothing was too much trouble. Special thanks to Annette on meal check-in, Cylann, Keeland, Maxine and the rest of the lovely staff who always work so hard. So lovely to see Isabelle, Ronald and Damien who always make your stay feel very special. Thanks to Dale and the rest of the bar staff. The beach is as beautiful as ever with plenty of sun beds. There were always clean beach towels to use each day. A special part of the day is to watch the amazing sunset, just beautiful. Evening entertainment was great with some very talented singers. If you want to totally relax and unwind, Mango Bay is the place to go! In all we had no complaints during our stay and look forward to going back home again in 2027! Thanks to everyone at the Hotel. Read less