Island Inn

This was our second time staying at the Island Inn, the first time was just before the covid lockdown. If you like large complexes with lots to do then this isn't for you. to be honest, its certainly not luxury but there is something about it that draws you back. Our room was very tired, but big and functionable. The food is excellent and freshly cooked. More traditional Barbadian . The bar offers premium brands and lovely cocktails. The staff are friendly and some are fun, and enjoy the evenings where they can join in for a dance or two. Entertainment is only three nights a week but we have always found that the other guest all sit together of an evening and become friends. No one is left out, especially solo travellers. The lovely pebbles beach is just at the end of the road, Bridgetown and the horse racing track are within walking distance. We had a great holiday, we meet some lovely people and were sad to leave. In fact we have all booked to go and meet up again next year. Read less

The Island Inn is not a clinical 5-star luxury spa hotel with sea views – instead it is a small, quirky, historic hotel located just 200m from Pebbles Beach, with friendly and accommodating staff. We prefer smaller, more intimate hotels with character, and The Island Inn did not disappoint. We had a premium poolside room which was large and very comfortable. The bathroom was big too! Aircon worked a treat and was essential. The only minor comment would be less furniture (although some drawers would be helpful), and more accessible power outlets for phone chargers etc. The room was cleaned daily, wi-fi worked well and toiletries replaced as required, along with beach towels if needed. A special effort was made by everyone for my big birthday, which was truly appreciated. We didn’t use the pool area as we prefer the beach. Pebbles Beach and Carlisle Bay are a 2 minute walk away and race horses can be seen swimming every morning (early). The bar staff were fun and welcoming. Terry, Akil and Trey all make superb cocktails, and have a laugh with you as they do this. All drinks were excellent quality, which is not always the case with an all-inclusive deal. The all-inclusive restaurant is not the usual buffet style, rather you get a table d’hote menu for lunch and dinner, with a buffet breakfast with cooked extras (omelettes, poached eggs etc) on request. Good quality packed lunches are available for day trips out. The restaurant staff are excellent, particularly Elsie who’s dry sense of humour and singing and dancing while working made us giggle, while remaining well organised and efficient. Evening entertainment was laid on for several of our 7 nights. This was relaxed, easy listening and was suitable for dining as well as after. All the singers were talented artistes, and the disco that followed one night was fun. We got on well with other guests, but you can choose to mix, or not. There didn’t seem to be any undesirable loud mouths, thank goodness. All in all we would highly recommend – though would not want to shout too loud as this hotel IS A DEFINITE FIND!!! Read less

We have just returned from 10 days at Island Inn Hotel, We chose this hotel because we prefer smaller hotels and the reviews were good. It did not dissapoint, the staff are lovely (especially Elsie) and the food was great, plenty of choice for breakfast, lunch & dinner served most days, we had a premium room near the pool, it was huge with a very comfy bed, TV, great air-conditioning and a fridge. The bathroom/dressing room was also huge. The location is around 25 mins from the airport and 200m from Carlisle Bay, which is beautiful. Local buses run along the main road so visiting the rest of the island is cheap and easy to do. Island Inn is one of 3 hotels in a group so you can visit the other two hotels for the day with no extra cost, Mango Bay & The Sands, a great idea. We would highly recommend this hotel. Read less

Not for us. Hotel and rooms are tired and whilst I accept that the hotel only has 3 star rating, facilities could and should be better. Overall the hotel has a tired feel and is in need of some TLC. Food at this all inclusive hotel is bland and repetitive e.g. grilled or fried fish most nights, usually without a name or description. The menu lacks creativity or quality in my view. Whilst some staff were excellent - such as young Akil behind the bar, too many were simply lacking warmth and some were downright rude. Whilst Barbados has beautiful beaches and gorgeous seas, my overall imagine of the island was one of decay and dilapidation. One guest said to me “I thought it would have been more idyllic” and I couldn’t agree more. I’m sure many will live the island but not one for me. Read less

This was our second stay at the Island Inn & we have already booked to go again next year. This is not a 5 star, luxury all inclusive hotel but it is comfortable, the food is good & the location is excellent. We had a junior suite – the room was spacious, the bed was very comfortable, the bathroom was huge with a bath with shower plus a separate rain shower & plenty of toiletries (replenished as we used them). The air con worked really well – in fact we had to raise the temperature as it was a bit too cool to start with. There’s wifi in the room & it worked just fine. There is small fridge, which was handy for cooling water to take out with us. The cleaners did an excellent job. There are sunbeds near the pool – not sure there would be enough if everyone wanted one but Pebbles beach is only a couple of minutes walk away & the view is better! The pool is only small – enough for a dip to cool off or for kids to splash around in. The hotel provides pool towels – we didn’t use ours much so didn’t need to change them, so I don’t know if you can. Breakfast is a buffet -the choice is a bit limited but there are only 24 rooms so they can’t do the same kind of spread that you get in a much bigger hotel. However, there was enough choice for us to vary what we had so we didn’t get bored with it. Lunch & the evening meal are mostly served from a menu but some days they were buffets. Afternoon tea is usually 2 kinds sandwich plus cakes & biscuits. All the food was good quality & if it was supposed to be hot, then it was. Our only complaint was that the vegetable portions were tiny. They had changed the layout in the bar since our last visit (2 years ago) & sometimes it was difficult to get past the chairs & people standing around to get to the restaurant. Also, as someone else has mentioned, one person on the bar is not enough. In particular, if they go for break then no-one else stands in so you can’t get a drink until they get back. The rum tasting was fun & informative – I’m not a big fan of rum but even I found one that I liked. The staff were polite & helpful. If you want a good hotel without paying 5 star prices then I would recommend the Island Inn. Read less