The Best Luxury Hotels to Book in Barbados

Sandy Lane, set on the pristine sands of Holetown, has long been considered the most glamorous hotel in Barbados. Home to three golf courses and an extravagant spa with hydrotherapy pool, the hotel attracts rich and famous clientele. The multi-tiered pool is a highlight, and there are also a gym, watersport facilities and nine tennis courts. Plantation-style rooms have marble bathrooms and high-tech features, while the fine Bajan dining at L’Ajacou is some of the island’s best.

Stay in a tropical country house known for its 12-acre (4.9ha) gardens, which are filled with palm and mahogany trees. The garden is also home to a spa and two large pools, as well a tennis courts and a gym. Rooms come with white-tiled floors and classic Barbados art, and the most impressive suites even have their own plunge pools. Coral Reef Club lies near prestigious Holetown and has been family-run by the O’Haras since the 50s.

If you’re dreaming of a peaceful Barbados getaway, book a room at this adults-only resort. Set behind popular Paynes Bay, the House offers first-class service, including jet-lag massages, a classy afternoon tea and watersport options. Rooms boast terracotta floors and terraces with ocean views, while suites offer separate living areas. Most guests hang out on the stone deck, where you’ll find a bar and a split-level pool.

This pastel-pink hotel has a colonial feel and was built around a 1940s mansion that once belonged to a plantation owner. Set on the sophisticated West Coast, Cobblers Cove has a pool and a spa, plus a tennis court and watersport facilities. However, it’s the personalised service that guests keep coming back for, which includes an evening turndown complete with home-baked cookies. Don’t miss the night buffet at the Camelot Restaurant, and be sure to book the top-floor Colleton Suite for ultimate luxury with a rooftop terrace plunge pool.

Alleynes Bay is one of the most sought-after beaches on Barbados and home to the Fairmont Royal Pavilion. All the rooms, boasting spacious balconies and, in the ground-floor suites, large wooden decks, overlook the shimmering Caribbean Sea. As well as two restaurants, Fairmont Royal Pavilion has a grand lobby and a pool with a hot tub, plus tennis courts and a gym. Head to the beach for non-motorised watersports, and dine on fresh seafood at one of the beachfront restaurants.

The Sandpiper Hotel is loved for its extensive gardens bursting with pink bougainvillea, palm trees and fish ponds. Chill out by the bar on the decked sunbathing area, which lies behind Holetown Beach. The family-run hotel has two pools, one which has half-sunken loungers, as well as a gym, a kids’ club, tennis courts and watersport facilities. Guests can use the spa at Sandpiper’s partner hotel, Coral Reef Club. Top beach house suites have ocean-front terraces.

Come to Colony Club for sumptuous swim-up poolside rooms and ocean-view suites with furnished terraces. Relax in exotic grounds filled with swaying palms and lagoon-style waterfall pools, one of which has a swim-up bar. In the evening, enjoy live jazz and steelpan music, as well as fresh seafood at the beachside restaurant. Guests have access to a host of watersports, a gym and treatments at the on-site spa.

Crystal Cove is a member of the Elegant Hotels Group, and it shows. Rooms are set around a village complex with boutique stores and three pools. Guests can also head straight down to a private stretch of beach, where there are loungers and watersport options on offer. Rooms have terraces and wooden furnishings and overlook the gardens and sea. The complex also has a gym, a kids’ club and tennis courts, as well as colourful Caribbean buffets.

Set on exclusive Paynes Bay, Tamarind offers chic all-inclusive stays on the West Coast of Barbados. Contemporary rooms and ocean-front suites come with mosaic tiling and beachy prints, as well as balconies or terraces. The all-inclusive package features themed menus, seafood and West Indian dishes, and there’s also an Italian restaurant. Take advantage of the resort’s watersport facilities and banana boat rides, three pools, kids’ club and unlimited drinks at the bar.

Sandals Royal Barbados is a couples-only retreat set on Maxwell Beach on the South Coast. The most romantic rooms are the swim-up and ocean-front suites, although traditional African Rondavel cottages do have their own plunge pools. Features include patios with bathtubs for two and king-sized beds. Enjoy the landscaped gardens, on-land and watersports, as well as a sweeping rooftop pool with ocean views. There are even a spa, tennis courts and a bowling alley.