Coral Reef Club — Hotel in Barbados

Although I have been visiting Barbados since January 1979 this has been my first ever stay at Coral Reef Club. ||||It might not be a club in the true sense of the word however if one of the great traditional gentleman's clubs (ladies usually allowed these days) were to open a Caribbean outpost, this would be it. While certainly not shabby it is all very traditional and certainly reminds me very much of my own club in London which was founded early in the 19th century. I love tradition and also the fact that so many of the ladies and gentlemen of the hotel have worked here for so long...which speaks volumes. ||||The co-founder, a lady now in her 90s deserves an OBE for her life's work. Not only is there no hotel anything like this in Barbados (I stayed at quite a few before settling on Sandy Lane for 15 years), I would be hard pushed to think of anywhere remotely similar, elsewhere in the Caribbean. There are some great hotels around such as the Rosewood in Saint Barths (which I'm looking forward to visiting later in the year)... but if what is on offer at Coral Reef is something you might appreciate, I can almost guarantee you will become a returning guest. This is an oasis of calm with a high standard of guests... looked after by warm, friendly, attentive and professional staff.||||My family and I spent around 15 years staying regularly at Sandy Lane ...because our children loved it. So many of their school friends used to go there. During this period, our friends, John and Rain Chandler (they used to own an operate Barbados's legendary Fisherpond Great House and now provide their world beating Sunday lunches at Lancaster Great House) recommended Coral Reef to my wife many years ago but we were committed to Sandy Lane in those days.||||What I like particularly about this hotel is that you are highly unlikely to encounter guests playing music out loud on their iPhones at breakfast with their feet up on the table and making a lot of noise, to say nothing of their other habits. Fortunately certain premiership footballers prefer flashier hotels, to see and be seen.||||This hotel excels at hospitality. There is a unique feel created by considerate guests, caring staff and excellent owners. ||||While I am writing this on my last day from their Warleigh suite, I have had a good look around and I'm in no doubt that all of the accommodation is delightful. This hotel offers extremely good value and provides one of the most relaxing atmospheres that I have encountered for quite some time. None of the other guests have been annoying, I feel quite at home and I'm writing this only a few hours before my departure. Excellent housekeeping and wonderful freshly made carrot juice.||||It is hardly surprising that most of the guests are regulars. The owners are excellent hosts who excel in making new guests feel a part of the club. ||||It is adults only in February and although we are now into late March there is only one other child in residence but I should imagine this is a terrific hotel for children during school holidays.||||I particularly rate the bar ...and when I mentioned a cocktail called a penicillin... (although I have yet to try one) when I last passed by the bar, the head barman greeted me and described all the ingredients and exactly how he would make it as this cocktail was new to him. ||||As my wife unfortunately had to return to England early we didn't get around to using the spa or the tennis facilities although they have particularly impressive visiting tennis professionals for coaching.||||The mature grounds are a delight and guests are invited for a full tour once weekly.||||I can wholeheartedly recommend this hotel and I look forward...

Our waiter said you know Hakuna Matata? It means No Worries. I put on my bathing suit and flip-flops and forgot about the upcoming income tax deadline and my grown children asking dad for money. When the 5-day forecast says overcast and rain, don't worry. That might happen overnight but you'll get a double rainbow out over the Caribbean Sea when you show up for breakfast and hot sun and blue skies every day. And speaking of breakfast (included in your hotel stay), get the optional meal plan for a spectacular supper every night on site. No worries if you choose Beef Tenderloin 3 nights and fill in the other meals with fresh Amber Jack fish fillets, all the prawns you can eat, Mahi Mahi and King Fish. Take as much smoked salmon as you can dream of at each breakfast buffet, tastes so good with their fresh warm buttery croissants. But fab food is only half of how Coral Reef excels. The other half is the mix of live music by talented local artists on trumpet, on sax, steel drums, guitars and all vocalists...plus the guided garden tour--name that palm, smell this flower, wrap your arms around this century-old mahogany tree, and maybe spot a monkey or a mongoose--all under the friendly and knowledgeable guidance of Alphonzo who has been the head gardener for 30 years. Mornings begin by phoning in to room service the same order of cappuccinos served on the private porch of our own little villa. I didn't hear any rules that prohibit sprinkling raw can sugar on the railing where the tropical birds swoop in to entertain us. Hummingbirds and green "parrots" are added to the wildlife list as well as chameleons which you see, and the rhythmic nighttime chorus of peeping tree frogs which you never see. It must have driven the earliest native inhabitants, the Carebs, crazy trying to find those little gods who chirp at them from the bushes! Speaking of island history you should "hire a car" for a day of self-guided follow your instincts exploring all over the island nation. Ruins and remnants of early windmills and smoke stacks where sugar cane was cut and refined or crushed and fermented into rum. My favourite discovery was the East Point aka Ragged Point Lighthouse where local partiers and picnickers were gathered on May 1, the national holiday for labourers, May Day. Bathsheba Beach is equally spectacular a bit farther north, then swing westward and upward into the jungle, the realm of the wild monkeys. I was lucky to find them at Welchman's Gully swinging through the trees. Back at the securely-gated and guarded resort, the first, second and third generations of the Coral Reef Club owners, the O'Hara family, welcome us to their exquisite home for drinks and socializing. After a day exploring the authentic side of Barbados, it's fun to feel a part of the British high society. The O'Haras are well respected by their employees and us guests who return year after year for the South Seas sun and the friendly community they have created. I want to acknowledge the truly delightful servers and housekeepers and the head chef who made our stay so enjoyable--Jonathan and David and Stephen and Kyle and Chef...

This hotel fitted our preference for a quiet, family run boutique hotel. ||It’s biggest asset is the owner and amazing staff. From our reservation right up to our departure, everyone was so welcoming, attentive and helpful. The O’Hara family live on site and regularly socialising with guests in the bar and restaurant, as well as hosting a weekly cocktail party in their home. There is a good range of accommodations scattered around the well-maintained tropical sea-front gardens. We stayed in a spacious and comfy Luxury Junior Suite with a large covered double balcony (one of the few with a full sea view). We asked for a tea tray, which was very handy. We ate in the hotel for all our meals with the exception of a few lunches. The menus were a bit basic and would get repetitive over a longer stay. The buffet breakfast included cold and hot selections, with a separate station for cooked to order eggs, crepes, and waffles. Each week, there are two sumptuous special buffets (BBQ and International-Bajan), featuring prawns, filleted fish, steaks, chicken breasts, chops, burgers, curries, stir-fries, and plenty of yummy desserts. While the Restaurant is not all pretentious, the dinner dress code may be too formal for some. There was a good variety of live evening entertainment. There were plenty of sunbeds, although we a bit surprised and disappointed that there was quite a bit of ‘bed-bagging’, beginning at 7am (if you want quiet and space, ask the beach butler to set you up on grass behind the main sunbathing area). Reception organised some customised excursions for us and our driver-guide Roger was absolutely brilliant (a very personable and careful driver with a spotless car, who happily accommodated some last-minute changes to our itinerary and offered lots of interesting insights into the places we passed). We also booked our own private boat with the awesome Captain Dwayne - Livity Cruises (see separate review). ||So why the less than perfect score? The beach is short and narrow at high tide, and the entry into the water shelves steeply, with shifting shingle and rocks. The outdoor pool was too chilly for me. The number of returning guests asking for their regular rooms reduces the availability of certain rooms for ‘newbies’, which is not ideal if you have walking difficulties or other requirements or special requests (advise the hotel in advance and hope...