Crystal Cove by Elegant Hotels

This review is quite difficult to rate because there were some good elements but unfortunately a lot of bad, so in some aspects a 3 star rating seems really harsh but on the whole it seems too generous! As a lot of the reviews state the hotel is quite run down and in much need of the refurbishment due in the next few months. The price you pay for the holiday should reflect this - but it doesn’t - they still charge you luxury prices and it is far from luxurious! As my partner and I aren’t particularly fussy we could have overlooked the state of the hotel if the staff made up for it. But unfortunately we did not experience this which was truly disappointing from reading the reviews beforehand and talking to people who have been to Barbados who told us that it’s the people who make your holiday because they are so friendly, can’t do enough for you and are very happy. We feel we didn’t get the true Barbados experience (except for one day when we went on the boat cruise that is advertised in the hotel - highly recommend!) I don’t want to blame the staff because it generally felt like they had all received some really bad news - there is usually a reason that causes people to be so unhappy! The restaurant staff were awful on our first couple of days, it was chaos, the tables weren’t set properly, staff were rude and wouldn’t smile back when you smiled at them and everything just seemed really unorganised. We honestly thought we had done something wrong until we spoke to other people who felt the same. The restaurant staff did pick up a little and were a lot more attentive as the week went on, especially when Shantel was working - she was great and actually smiled and was very attentive and helpful! This greatly improved our impression of meal times! The bar staff remained unhappy throughout our stay and to be honest, a bit abrupt and rude. There was, what seemed like muttering under their breath on occasion to other guests and I could not tell that the guests had been rude to them first. In a small hotel like this, you would expect the bar staff to really vibe with you - banter, know your drinks and possibly even your name and certainly smile a lot and be welcoming. But we had none of that! On our last day they played some music for the first time which created a bit of a better vibe. The location of the hotel so close to the beautiful Barbados beach was a positive and the food was very good and we enjoyed lunch and dinner at drifters overlooking the beach very much (when we weren’t rained off!) Reflections restaurant leaks when it rains and although is classed as indoors it is open fronted and therefore there is no air conditioning so it is extremely hot and uncomfortable with the humidity. We stayed in a one bedroom suite so when we first arrived I was really impressed, however, it soon became annoying with the lack of plug sockets and the pathetic water pressure in the taps and shower but on the whole, I wouldn’t have complained about the room - especially if we had a better experience from the whole holiday. Room service was brilliant and we were happy to leave them a tip. The guy who showed us to our room when we first arrived was also great! I wish I had left him and Shantel a tip but due to disorganisation on our final day I forgot! Having said all of this, we still enjoyed our holiday but were left disappointed with our first Caribbean experience and felt that we paid too much for the holiday! You might be closing soon but you still have customers paying top price and they expect top service and facilities or a much reduced rate! Read less

First opinion was great but that was checking. Beach is nice. Sunbeds mostly comfortable. Room bed very comfortable and shower and bathroom excellent. Breakfast servers very helpful but food very average. Dinner had one excellent meal in 6 days Chefs can do it but something holding them back because other meals were poor. Some staff had really rude and arrogant Attitude inthe cave bar.bar by the beach Staff very nice and helpful. Coffee bar great and staff so nice sorry But management not in control of knowing Staff problem with a small minority of staff that need retraining or not in front of house Positions. Met Stefan very professional manager but He can't check everything the other managers are slacking talk the talk but that's all that happens.hope it improves after Refurb we won't be back though Read less

The hotel is due to have a refurbishment at the end of March 25 which I found out whilst there and I can see why! Dated, tired and not worth the 4 star rating at all. Only one inside restaurant with very limited food. They have an outside bar/restaurant by the sea but its exposed to the rain and birds, we were left in the rain one evening with our meal. The sunbeds/parasols are old and damaged and scattered all over the beach. We had a leak outside our room and other rooms had sandbags outside theirs. Several times our bookings for lunch at their Waves hotel were lost and not followed up. Housekeeping done daily but some days they left us without towels. The gym had broken machines in it leaving one running machine between all of the guests. Read less

The location of this hotel is on the west coast and is very good, close to some good restaurants. It is an all inclusive hotel so you have to pay to be all inclusive. The meals are ok but not brilliant. You can go to Waves which is 5 mins on the water taxi and the meals are also inclusive there but you need to book a day in advance. We went for lunch there once and once for dinner and we ate out independently a few times. We found the food to be better at Waves and the hotel is a bit more upmarket but there isn't much of a beach and the hotel is elevated, I'm glad we were staying at Crystal Cove. Crystal Cove is quite rustic but very clean. We did not have a problem with it but it is due for a refurb which is much needed. We had 2 rooms right on the beach, on top of each other. Our teenage children were in a deluxe room below ours. There are outdoor steps to reach our room. Both had balconies overlooking the beach/sea. I would definitely recommend this type of room as the others are not as good. The beach is very nice and you can enjoy spectacular daily sunsets. The bar staff take orders on the beach and come around with drinks and ice creams which is a nice touch. The watersports are very good, inclusive of sailing, wakeboarding, water skiing, paddle boarding etc. There is an area safe to swim but no lifeguards. Jet skiing is also available at a charge. We did not use the pools, good for kids but not for adults wanting to do lengths etc. There is plenty of parking for hire cars. Dress code is smart casual for dinner. The lobby area is nice and spacious with good views and there is a fab coffee shop which is part of the all inclusive. There is a cave bar which I thought would be amazing for our teenage children, it was ok but didn't have much atmosphere, is was a bit disappointing. The grounds in some areas are well kept but not in others, this could be improved. Overall we had a fabulous holiday but we did go out and about quite a lot and probably only ate lunch here 3 times out of 7 and dinner 3 times. Breakfast had a good selection and there is an omelette station. I would like to come back once the hotel has been refurbished. Thanks to all the staff for being helpful, nothing was a problem and the staff seemed happy. Read less

*A Complete Scam – Avoid at All Costs!* When it rained (which, of course, happens in Barbados), water leaked all over the bed and floor. Payed for the hotel shuttle to go to the cricket and it never came to pick us up so we ended up having to pay for a private taxi aswell. Some of the staff were very rude and everything was a chore for them. When you try to complain the managers are conveniently never around so no solutions are provided. So many more examples. Read less