Sugar Bay Barbados

We are just coming to the end of a lovely week of winter sun here at Sugar Bay. I’ll deal with the (very few) negatives first, then move onto the many, many positives of this resort!||Whilst the hotel is beautiful and kept spotlessly clean by the hardworking staff team, our room (107) was much more basic than we had been expecting. It was lovely to have a room which is only yards from the beach, but there were several things which detracted from the positive impression, such as the missing panel on the door lock inside the room, chipped paint on the bathroom door frame, a very noisy (albeit effective!) air conditioning unit and poor ventilation in the bathroom. The room also felt small. I understand that the rooms throughout the resort differ, so our experience may well not be the same as other guests in this respect. In every other respect, the room was fine - serviced every day, and the bed and pillows were comfy. It was also lovely to wake up and hear the sound of the sea so close by. There was lots of storage space for our possessions and a full size fridge, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities (although a coffee station in the resort providing good quality coffee would be a welcome addition, according to some guests we’ve overheard!).||The food here is great, a good choice, all freshly cooked and no issues with dietary needs, (I’m gluten free and this has not been an issue at all). We ate twice at Sizzle and loved it - great quality steaks and cocktails, but the food at the main buffet and at Colin’s Grill is just as good, and we’ve eaten really well all week. The beach is gorgeous, and it’s a lovely place to spend a morning chilling, stepping into the lagoon for a dip every now and then. Weather-wise, the temperatures in this last week of November have been great - in the high 20s Celsius, with the odd, quick shower, but mainly sunshine.||As many other reviewers have commented, the staff team here is really what makes this such a fantastic place to spend your holiday! We have been looked after by so many truly kind, helpful, hardworking people, who take a real pride in doing their jobs well. From Reception, Housekeeping, to the Bar Staff and Waiting Team, they have delivered consistently faultless service and helped make our holiday truly memorable.||If you’re looking for a relaxing holiday on Barbados, this resort may well tick as many boxes for you as it has for us!

We had a mixed experience during our stay. The kids club was truly a highlight - warm, attentive staff, thoughtful activities, and a genuinely positive experience for our children. Our kids absolutely loved it and looked forward to going each day, which made a big difference for our family. However, we were disappointed with how a safety concern was handled. When we calmly raised an issue regarding an interaction with security and clearly expressed that we did not feel safe, the response from management felt defensive rather than reassuring. Responsibility was deflected, and a request for a refund so we could relocate elsewhere, as well as a personal apology, was declined. The response was that we were free to stay somewhere else, but without a refund or apology. The conversation took place in a public area, and another hotel guest overheard the exchange and felt compelled to interrupt, expressing surprise at how the situation was being handled. This further underscored how uncomfortable and dismissive the interaction felt. I later noticed other reviews describing similar experiences with management, and based on my own experience, I can unfortunately relate. I’m sharing this feedback so future guests can make informed decisions and so the property has the opportunity to improve how guest concerns - especially those related to safety - are addressed.

We had a fantastic 10 night stay at Sugar Bay in August\September 2025. The weather was great and the entertainment was superb. The rum punch was deadly but in a good way. It was a very relaxing time, just what we needed as this was our first beach holiday in many years. The food was great with a eclectic mix of local and international cuisines. Great choices for everyone no matter how adventurous a palate you may have. We would like to especially thank the staff at Sugar Bay for making our stay special in particular Sophia, Samantha E., Cherese, Andre, Kimberly and Justin. Thank you so much!!! We can't wait to go back there again!

This was a dream resort! Great location, amazing breach, awesome pool, incredible buffet, fun night entertainment! Would go back for sure!! There are other restaurants on property for a fee but we did not have a chance to go. There is also a proper cafe at the top of the resort and I would have tried to for a better cappuccino but I can not complain about anything! Very pleased and absolutely loved this experience! The photo is from my balcony of the room- you are so beach front it’s amazing!

Third time at Sugar Bay and the hotel just keeps getting better. The hotel is fabulous and the staff are all outstanding. We stayed in room 134 (again - thanks for accommodating this request) and was excellent, recently renovated and absolutely no issues at all. As soon as we arrived we were offered a nice cold drink and swiftly shown to our room. We stayed for 7 nights and could book 2 visits to the speciality restaurants “Sumi” and “Sizzle both were excellent - you could pay a small charge to upgrade your meal. The beach is superb, soft white sand and you can walk along the boardwalk. The sea is shallow, warm and protected from the waves - i do think the beach staff could possibly rake the beach area first thing in the morning to make it that bit more perfect. The entertainment was very good - starting 7.30 until 10pm. The “Reef” buffet restaurant was excellent both at lunch time and evening meal. The lazy mongoose pub opened at around 9pm and there’s a pool table, dart board and a large TV - you do need to get in early if you want a seat though. The Beach bar was also very good and the staff worked tirelessly to provide a very good service. Colin’s bar and restaurant was also great for lunch and a nice cold beer. The pool is not very deep and not really big enough for dedicated swimmers wanting to do lengths - however very nice for a cooling dip and the sun loungers are very comfy and relaxing. There is also large library by the concierge desk. Afternoon tea and sandwiches were available at 3pm at the “Driftwood Cafe”. There is a fridge in the room but you only get 2 bottles of water - water can be collected at reception.||Don’t hesitate to book this hotel you won’t be disappointed. Already booked for 11 nights next year.

I’m leaving a 3-star review primarily because we feel the volume of 5-star reviews is misleading. Had we seen more honest, balanced feedback, we would have managed our expectations very differently especially given the price. Pros: The beach is genuinely beautiful and gets sun all day. Breakfast was the standout meal with lots of choice. Our bedroom was large, clean, and comfortable, and many members of staff were friendly. It was also helpful to have access to a room where guests can shower and change after check-out before an evening flight. Cons: Overall communication and service fell below expectations. We weren’t told basic things like how to get beach towels, and the general approach often felt more rigid than welcoming eg a staff member seemed very annoyed that we arrived at breakfast 2 minutes before the official start time. Food was particularly disappointing for me as a vegetarian, with the exception of breakfast, which had plenty of choice. Dining options outside of the buffet are very limited and need to be booked well in advance, meaning guests are largely reliant on the buffet for most meals. During our short stay, I found the buffet repetitive and lacking in vegetarian variety. At lunch, the à la carte restaurant had no vegetarian main options, leaving me with only rice and beans. Given how limited the vegetarian food was, it was also frustrating to discover that smoothies advertised on the hotel’s website were only available at breakfast — and even then, we were not told they were available when we were there. We went to the Cliff one evening for dinner and the food was incredible so highly recommend that. The hotel also lacks some of the small details you would expect at this price point. Despite being all-inclusive, there were no drinks in the fridge in our room, which felt surprising. Guests also get up early to reserve sun loungers with towels, and there were some odd choices that affected the atmosphere such as a staff member walking around the bar area with a leaf blower at sunset. Overall the hotel is nice but it does not feel luxurious and the price point feels high for what you get.

Enjoyed our stay and staff very attentive. Impressed with the food and pleased that the buffet is protected from outdoors with automatic doors. Room design was not the best but it was clean, think we were just unlucky with the one given as others were fine.|Favourite aspect of this hotel was the sheltered sea area to allow calm bathing in shallow warm waters. Reservation happening but always able to obtain a bed. Didn’t use the pool, it looked nice with comfy sunbeds & lots of toy floats for children.|Very grateful for the complimentary late check out room. Although shared there is privacy for shower / changing. Use of hair dryer.|Spa treatment was excellent and very professional.|On site shop but sadly overpriced.|Easy to arrange a reliable taxi with staff.|Very tasteful decor throughout the hotel. Beautiful Christmas decorations !

Excellent value for money hotel. Fantastic food everyday. Lovely rooms cleaned daily with fresh towels. Super friendly and helpful staff. Never have I been to a hotel before with so many repeat guests, with some returning for the 10th time which speaks for itself. Would definitely recommend and would definitely return in the future. The entrance to our room looked over a piece of green land with coconut trees amongst others which is home to a family of monkeys. Lovely to see them outside the room door most days.