Crystal Cove by Elegant Hotels

Shockingly bad hotel. Very cheap and run down, decoration and furniture. Plastic. Staff (most) not helpful or friendly. Had to move hotel after a couple of days and thank god we did. The food was not good. The only thing that was nice was the beach, but the sun loungers were old.

Clearly Crystal Cove is 'marmite' for many! However, that doesn't matter now as is closed for a refurb; something it definitely needed in several places like the bedrooms. My wife and I had a great time and enjoyed many aspects. Every meal was good, 99% of the people were lovely, great little beach, good West coast location, and good drinks. The place has a traditional design and style to it, and we like that over something more modern. No point mentioning the rooms as they are (and needed to be) gutted; but I knew this when we booked in late December. However, everything was clean - even if the chest of draws were falling apart, it was spotless. So, I would definitely return as it is likely to be lovely when it reopens, and is far superior to Waves where we stayed a year ago.

Avoid at all cost! Trust the reviews the hotel really schitt’s creek! Previously stayed at the Tamarind and Waves prior so a regular at the hotel chain and this has let the chain down! From being served undercooked foods, having food poisoning. Disgusting rooms, food service being provided with leaks above your head. There is absolutely no excuse ! This ain’t a hotel with “Caribbean Charm” this hotel is horrendous. Stayed in the Tamarind 3 months before it closed for refurbishment and service was excellent so staying here a few months before refurbishment and having such a poor experience the “due for refurbishment” is no excuse for the dive we paid ££££ to stay in. Sadly the experience was so bad that I’d never return to Crystal cove ! Don’t waste your money, trust the reviews and book elsewhere ! Plenty on the island !

We’ve just returned from a wonderful stay at Crystal Cove just before they closed for refurbishment. We were fully aware of the imminent closure when we booked last August and read very variable reviews. We were sceptical, but we’re glad that we went. Yes, it needs some updating, but we hope they don’t change the general feel of the place too much. It’s different to many of the hotels as it’s small, low rise buildings set around pretty gardens leading down to a beautiful west coast beach. The staff were all so friendly and helpful. Many of them had been there for many years, and many of them remembered us from our previous 3 visits. We saw no evidence that they were concerned for their future after the closure. Nothing seemed too much trouble. Our room was an ocean front suite, beautiful views from the room and the balcony. It was very clean, comfortable bed, and serviced daily. Everything worked well, but they could do with more power points. I’m sure this is being addressed. The sunset views are amazing from the whole hotel. The food was very good on the whole, and plenty of it. The service was usually excellent, with an informal feed. There are 2 restaurants, one by the beach and the other by the pools, the latter has netting to help prevent the otherwise inevitable birds. We weren’t pestered at all. The drinks flowed, with good variety. And there were plenty of non-alcoholic alternatives, except no alcohol free Banks. We didn’t use the water sports except the water taxi to neighbouring Marriot hotels. We’re very glad we chose Crystal Cove! We stopped for a while at Treasure Beach where we had amazing virgin cocktails! As with the whole island there was an unusual swell while we were there, meaning larger than usual waves, some beach erosion, and red/yellow flags. It’s worth taking beach shoes, as there are pebbles as a result on the shoreline. We hired a car for the duration of our stay, and parking was generally ok. But there are buses to Bridgetown, Holetown, Speightstown and the airport just outside. Many people used these, or local taxis to explore the beautiful island. There’s so much to do and see. Just watch out for potholes. There are slopes and steps around the gardens, so it probably isn’t very convenient for those with serious mobility issues. But for everyone else it adds to the charm of the place. I don’t know if they’re planning to put in any lifts with the refurb, but it could prove awkward. We loved our holiday, and would certainly think about returning when they reopen next January. We just hope they preserve the special feel of the place, and not make it like every other modern hotel. This is Barbados after all. We

We were not told that this hotel was closing down the week after we left. It should have closed before we arrived. Everything was in a terrible state of disrepair. The staff didn’t care. It was all inclusive but the food was underwhelming. The booze though free was weak. Hard to believe this is a Marriott hotel. Hole in the bath. Leaking cistern. Cracked glass table tops. Broken parasols and beds. Filthy doors. Gross smell of vomit in the bar area which you had to walk through to get to the restaurant. Pigeons all over the lunch food which is served in horrid plastic containers. The only redeeming feature was the guy who cooked the eggs. We had hoped to book next year with 9 family members. Will definitely look elsewhere