The Club Barbados Resort & Spa

For starters, I am not a newcomer to Barbados. I have family here, and I have been to the island many times; it is a very beautiful place, and I do plan on continuing to come here. With that being said, though, The Club Barbados genuinely has to be one of the worst experiences I've ever had with a resort here, and it's actually unfathomable- almost criminal, really that this place manages to get away with being a 4-star hotel. I will give the place its props for location, the drinks, and the view, but that's really where the pros end. The rooms were acceptable for what they were, but the furniture felt outdated, and the bathroom and its layout were small and awkward. The toilet was directly across from the sink and the mirror, and the shower did not have the best drainage, as water pooled by our feet. The position of the door was also quite odd, as it would essentially act as a barrier between the two halves of the bathroom because of how small it was. The food scene was deplorable, and frankly this alone should've been enough to give the place a 1-star review. When we came, we only had 2 places to eat: the Sunset restaurant and the food truck. The other restaurant was undergoing renovations, which I felt impeded a bit of my experience here, considering I'm essentially paying for something I couldn't even get to enjoy. There is absolutely no reason why every single day I sit down to eat in the one restaurant I'm even allowed to go to, I have to do kung-fu against the flies that swarm around me and my plate. Not to mention, the flies also loved buzzing around the actual buffet area where we get the food, and the staff just don't seem to really do anything about this. Sometimes a few birds would also fly into the restaurant, and you could see them picking at scraps left on plates. The food itself was good, and the menu as well, but it did feel very generic, and I feel it could've benefited from more actual Bajan/carribbean options. Which I guess was supposed to be satisfied by the other restaurant, but too bad I couldn't even go to the place! The service was some of the poorest I've experienced at a hotel, ever, really. The staff made sure to make you feel as if you were a burden just for asking questions. Honestly beyond me why so many of them felt the need like I'm the reason they had to come into work today. The front desk staff were some of the most off-putting people I've encountered, and they seemed to be very selective about who they were actually taking care of (I will return to this). Incredibly questionable choices of music they played, as I commonly heard songs featuring the n-word and other profanities. I've no qualms with the choice of music, but where's the professionalism? The decorum for the guests? It just wasn't at all appropriate for the setting. Also, overall very unprofessional, because who in their right mind comes to work wearing Crocs and socks? The bar staff and servers in the restaurant were hit or miss. Almost equal parts helpful and polite, and that same vibe of them making you feel like you were a burden for making them do their job that they decided to clock in for that day. The lady who makes the eggs and French toast in the morning was the best, as a lot of reviews here might also say. The housekeeping staff were also quite nice. Coming back around to the front desk staff handing out selective service to people, I hate to throw the accusation around, but it seemed to me that we were being profiled while we stayed here. When we first came here, hospitality was not there, not a greeting no nothing. But noticeably, other guests who had come in after us were greeted and even offered things like water and juice. A key difference was that these guests were European, likely British, while we were black. I don't feel crazy saying this either, as reading some of the other reviews corroborates what I'm saying as well. It's odd to me because who do they think they're helping by doing this? It's not like you're getting any extra pay or tips by cozying up to specific people, so why am I getting a different form of treatment from other guests? All this really does is harm the reputation of the resort, and I really do implore management or the owner(s) to retrain their staff and to actually make things equitable for *all* guests. Overall, a very subpar experience for the price. I really do urge anyone planning to come here to read the negative reviews before any of the positives, because you'd definitely be saving yourself the time, money, and LOSS of enjoyment. Do better; you're making my island look bad. Read less

Beautiful adults only resort! Small and quiet (aside from a few guests who felt the need to be the center of attention). What makes this place a stand out is the hospitality. Employees were genuinely kind and seemed happy to serve you. Concierge was efficient and helpful. Housekeeping staff were excellent and the rooms were very nice, with colonial style furniture (not modern but very tasteful). We had a room that had a separate bedroom which was great for space. The room was on the second floor and faced the pool and gardens. The balcony was really spacious and I enjoyed sitting there having a morning coffee to start the day. Note: there are no elevators at this resort and the buildings have 3-5 levels so if you have mobility issues you should request a ground floor or second floor. Also note that the ground floor patios are not very private. The food was the best I’ve had at a resort. The Bajan food was delicious! There are only 2 restaurants on the resort and one of them was closed for renovations when we were there. It was not an issue as you just signed up for a dinner time slot in the main restaurant in the morning. Some long lines at the breakfast buffet for eggs cooked your way but there was always good alternative options if you didn’t want to wait for a personalized breakfast. Dinners were delicious with a different menu each night. The food truck was also great. Also shout out to the bar attendants. They were always busy but made your drinks with friendliness and a smile. Nightly entertainment was good! No big, silly shows, usually just one or two performers. On our last day a pair of musicians played the steel drums giving us a nice Calypso send off! Wish they played more of that type of music throughout the day! There is no beach but there are 3 sets of stairs at various spots by the ocean that you use to get into the water. I have mobility issues so I was only able to use one of the sets of stairs. The others were challenging for me. I would suggest that ramps are built to replace the stairs, for easier and safer entry and exit. It was explained to me that the reason there is no longer a beach has to do with rising sea levels. There is a beautiful beach just south of the resort. It’s just a short walk through the water once you get down the stairs. The water is the clearest that I have seen so far in the Caribbean. There are a lot of rocks and coral so bring water shoes. This makes for great snorkelling! You don’t need to pay for a snorkelling excursion, it felt like I was swimming in an aquarium at times 🐠 There are a few resident monkeys on the resort. They usually appear on the resort paths early in the morning. I saw them twice! We were sad to leave The Club Barbados and would love to return in the future. Read less

After reading some reviews im compelled to write an in Situ review 4 days in for future guests. Enid’s restaurant is closed for refurbishment as requested by numerous of comments on this board as is for the hotel. There is no noise or works visible is all internal and the frogs make more noise. The sunbed cushions are all new, if one deteriorates it’s replaced. The flies are a pest during the day in the heat but deal with it as the locals have to(there’s more back home) We have no problem what’s so ever with house keeping, they are great The rest of negative comments are trivial and a poor excuse to moan,everybody has a bad day. Caroline (GM) and her team are visible and always there to help. For the avoidance of doubt I have no affiliation with this hotel just an honest opinion for what it’s worth . Alistair Read less

Had a fabulous 10 days at the Club Barbados resort with my wife. This is one of the older resorts on the island but has a real relaxed atmosphere. The staff are very friendly if you engage with them. They are busy at times especially in the Restaurant but are courteous and efficient. As this trip was our first to Barbados we were very pleased with it. Our trip was obviously during the off season/wet season but still plenty of fabulous sun. Being their quiet season the resort had some building work going on with 1 restaurant being refurbished and 1 of the 7 blocks being refurbished that did make some occasional banging noise but it wasn't bad. The food was very good and lots of variety on offer. A special shout out to the lovely lady who cooked my omelettes each morning, always a smiling face and a laugh. Also to Kereen and Sophia who make the best cocktails and were great fun. The resort lost its sandy beach a few years ago to a storm but this has created a wonderful snorkelling area between the resort and Sandy Lane beach. We spent hours each day swimming with pretty fish. Sandy Lane beach is literally 300 yards along from the resort and is the best beach on the island. Our room was ground floor overlooking the pool area and was very clean, air con worked very well and maid service daily was good. Evening entertainment was good and varied. Reception were very helpful with which trips to take. I recomend the half day jeep safari which takes you around the plantarions and gives a glimpse of the real Barbados history. We had such a good time at the resort that we are already looking to book for next year. Read less

In two weeks, the following issues managed to destroy years and years of happy experiences and memories from previous visits. 1, The photos are proof of poor quality. 2, My wife requested a hair dryer on Day 2. On Day 3 we had to request again and eventually it turned up. 3, Advertised menu items either weren't available, and no one told you, or they were substituted and no one told you. 4, Simple drink requests were not always available. 5, Guests we spoke to either had no hot water for a couple of days, or were put in the wrong room and eventually were moved. 6, The Sunset Bar once played music with the lyrics of a song including "Pu**y" and "F**king". 7, In the second week there was someone with a leaf blower from 07:00am till 13:00pm. The resort is not so big that it takes 6hrs to clear. 8, Huge groups of American guests virtually took over the resort with their noise, loud music and racial profanity to which none of the staff intervened. 9, Worst of all was a section of the staff. There were either rude or extremely rude. If you asked for a drink and they didn't have an ingredient, you would just get "NO MINT", "NO TEA", etc etc. No polite apology, just "NO!" Conveniently all these staff members failed to wear their name badges. One was so rude to my wife about the placing of a cocktail menu, I had to ask her to calm down. Why didn't I report any of this? How can you report something to staff who either don't care or have an extremely poor attitude in the first place. I had no faith in anything being addressed. We could have stayed anywhere else but we chose The club because of the wonderful times we've previously had. We will never stay at this resort again and warn anyone else if needed. As I wrote, in two weeks the above issues managed to destroy years and years of happy experiences and memories from previous visits. Read less