We stayed here between 3rd and 13th November 2012. On arrival we were slightly disappointed with the reception area and then the walk way to our room (202). It looks quite tatty and would benefit from some maintenance work. However, the room itself was very nice. Although we had paid for a garden/pool view room we also had a lovely sea view! Bonus. There is a large bathroom with twin basins and the shower is very powerful and hot! The bed was really comfortable. The hotel is quite small which we liked. The beach is gorgeous and there is a good range of watersports to be had which were all included in the All Inclusive package that we had. There are two restaurants, Reflections and Drifters. We ate mostly in Reflections (which is where breakfast is served) You must reserve a table in here for the evenings and the same goes for Drifters which is open air. The food in both restaurants is excellent with great service. However, we preferred the atmosphere in Reflections. Nightly entertainment is good. We enjoyed some good singers and also a limbo show and a fashion show. There is no evening entertainment on Sunday. The service from all staff is excellent. We had no tea/coffee making facilities in our room when we arrived (although it stated that this was in the room). I asked i reception for a kettle etc and it was delivered within 30 minutes. The same applied when I asked for a bathrobe. It was delivered very quickly. Also our air conditioning stopped working and a maintenance man appeared within minutes and quickly resolved the problem.

On the downside, this hotel is not appropriate for any body with a disability/ or problems with walking as there are lots of stairs everywhere some of which are quite steep. There is only one ramp which goes to the Drifter Bar but you have to negotiate stairs to get to it!!

Overall, this is a very nice hotel, with friendly and helpful staff. As it is small its very easy to make friends with other guests too.

I would recommend a trip out on the turtle watching boat. A guy on the beach will sell you this and it is well worth the money. He charges $50 US per person but we negotiated a price with him so it can be done!! However, I think it is worth $50 US!! We went twice we enjoyed it so much. If you need anything from the supermarket there is one just down the road from the hotel which we walked to. However there is not much pavement and the road is busy! We walked back along the beach!

A trip to Holetown is worth a morning as there are lots of quaint shops and also bigger designer stores. We went to Bridgetown but if I went to Barbados again I wouldnt bother especially if there is a cruise ship in dock because you will be pestered by taxi drivers etc.

All in all I really enjoyed my stay in this friendly hotel.

We returned from another great holiday at Crystal Cove at the end of October. After having a great holiday last year with our youngest daughter, our two eldest daughters plus one boyfriend decided to join us this year and Crystal Cove lived up to all their expectations.
We were greeted like long lost relatives on arrival, the staff are so friendly and accommodating the food excellent. The boys went on a fishing trip one day, and the chief was more than happy to cook the barracuda they had caught, it was amazing.
The water sports are great, we skied and weight-boarded every day, sometimes twice. There are people on the beach selling trips to see the turtles, which we went on and was worth every penny. They will keep asking you, but are always polite and friendly.
The hotel does need a few up dates, the patio doors and balconies need changing and also the baths are a bit past their sell by date. but not a problem.
There are some fantastic restaurants nearby, but beware Barbados is very expensive.
So if your looking for a lovely holiday in Barbados you wont go wrong with Crystal Cove.

Third time to Barbados and third time lucky. Last trip we had gone and had a look around Crystal Cove and loved it so booked it for this year. We were the only guests checking in so didn't feel rushed. Our room overlooked Drifters outdoor restaurant with lovely views to the sea. The room was quite small but very comfortable. The furniture on the balcony was nice wicker chairs which makes a lovely change from the normal white plastic stuff you sometimes get. Air conditioning was excellent and at night we could hear the waves which was very restful. Had a slight problem with the toilet which refused to stop flushing but reported it the next morning and it was quickly dealt with. All the staff are lovely and forever smiling and will have a laugh and joke with you over meals. The food was nice except for a couple of nights when it was not but hey ho it happens. One night they only had spicy food which I do not eat but the kitchen were brilliant and coked me a lovely pizza instead. Nothing is too much trouble.
The sea is a beautiful blue but beware there are rocks underneath and there are only a couple of places where you can go in and it is sandy.
Pools are small but refreshing.
We took the water taxi to Colony Club and had the pool all to ourselves. it was gorgeous. However they have a problem with rocks so we couldn't go into the sea there.
Disappointed that the water taxi does not go to Turtle Beach. Although they said we could eat there the taxi to get there was a bit expensive so didn't bother.
Entertainment is low key but that is the same wherever we have stayed. Did have a slight problem with loud and rude Americans but only a few and the rest we met were very nice. Not the hotel's fault.
Spent a nice relaxing week there. Had we gone for 2 weeks probably would have hired a car as I might have got a bit bored but that is only me.
One member of staff stood out for us and that was Shauna. She is such a sweet girl who 150% customer service skills. Always happy and wanting to make your stay perfect. Will be a great manager one day I suspect. One day while we were there the chef was doing cake decorating. No one was coming to have a go. Off went Shauna and came back like the Pied Piper with children and guests eager to do the cakes. That is service!!
Only slight thing is that there are no tea or coffee making facilities in the room. You could get early bird coffee in the cave bar from 6am but it is nice to make it in your room and watch the sun rise!
Thumbs up to staff and facilities at Crystal Cove. Will certainly return. Can't wait. Thank you all

This is a lovely hotel set in beautiful grounds. We had a very good welcome greeting complete with a rum punch. The staff couldn't do enough for us.
I was concerned about drinking the water as I usually have a problem and drink bottled water. However, after a couple of days I found myself drinking the tap water, having iced drinks and eating ice lollies and ice cream and had no problem at all. Neither did the children, including the toddler. She didn't like the taste of the milk but we found it tasted just like it does at home. We did find that we had to carry the pushchair up and down the steps but there was always a member of staff around to help.
We all loved the trip to swim with the turtles and see the wreck. We booked this through Dwayne (on the beach) and would definitely recommend it. It was very reasonably priced and the children went free. Dwayne and staff were so helpful with the children and helped them in the water and encouraged them all of the time.
We went on the submarine and found it a very interesting visit. Quite amazing. It was quite pricey for the whole family but worth the experience.
We used the Kid's Club for a couple of hours most days and they were very friendly and welcoming to the children. We paid for the 18month old to be looked after there by a nanny they brought in specially and this gave us the opportunity to go on a couple of trips she would not have been able to go on and attend a wedding on the beach. She was better off in the air conditioned room than she would have been in the heat and she seemed to enjoy being able to rush around and play in the cool for a couple of hours. The costs for this were quite reasonable considering it was 1:1. Children over 3 were free.
The sea was rough while we were there and the red flags were flying most days, so swimming was limited to a small area. The current was very strong so we never went out of our depth. Because of the rough sea the water sports were off for a few days and the sailing.
We all enjoyed the hotel very much and would return again.