I am not sure that I really want to share how good the Sandpiper Hotel is!

My wife and I have now been back three times, most recently in October 2012, and each stay has been utterly wonderful. As such, the Sandpiper (and its lovely team) really deserves to be more widely recognized as outstanding.

The top floor suite we have stayed in on the last two occasions has been first class, with a really comfortable ambiance, plenty of room in both the bedroom and the lounge area and air conditioning that really works well. There is also plenty of storage/hanging space (and hangers), something that is often overlooked elsewhere.

The Bathroom has recently been renovated and is up to the highest quality I have seen - meticulously cleaned and towels changed at least once (if not twice) a day - with fresh beach towels provided as well.

The terrace on the suite is expansive and well equipped.Super to sit on at the end of the day watching the sun go down. The kitchenette means that you can make your own tea/coffee if you do not want use the hotel room service and the full size fridge means that milk can be kept fresh/drinks kept cold.

In our first year, we stayed in a top floor garden room and this was also wonderful.

Indeed, the gardens are something that really makes the Sandpiper. It is easy to try to scrimp and save on this type of area, but the gardens are beautifully laid-out and maintained to the highest standards.

We were on the meal plan which provides for breakfast and dinner. We have to admit that after three years, we still have not used the exchange dining on offer. The food at the Sandpiper is first rate. The breakfast buffet is very extensive and there is also a range of breakfast items that can be cooked to order. The provision of the Barbados Advocate to read for each breakfast table is also a nice touch!

Dinners are of the highest quality - with a daily selection of "specials" - two starters, mains and a dessert - as well as an extensive weekly menu. Enough selection to make choices tricky - but enough choice not to leave one bored of yet another "starred" dinner! The highlight on the food side this week was the Mango Souffle with freshly made Mango sorbet - outstanding!

Lunch (not included in the meal plan) is available from the beach bar and also has a range of daily specials and a regular menu. Always beautifully prepared. We also had the opportunity to take "afternoon tea"! The tea platter of sandwiches, scone, cream, jam and cakes was exquisite - another culinary highlight of the week.

All the staff are very friendly - knowing which room you are staying in without having to be reminded. The beach staff will prepare your beach chairs for you and provide you with water through the day. The highlight on the beach is the 11am sorbet...uddenly the swimming area clears!

We tend to be fairly active, so the Tennis courts and the gym are an important part of the overall package for us. This year the courts - two astro/carpet courts - were in excellent condition. The Hotel provides "group" coaching from 4-6 with a "pro" - they also provide a wide choice of rackets and balls, if you need them. We tended to play after the coach finished as a family group. The floodlights are great and there are iced towels and water - another nice touch.

The same level of consideration is found in the well equipped gym. It is not the largest area - but has everything that one needs, running machines, cross trainers, rowing machine, free weights, weights machines and floor mats and good aircon!

We were also very grateful for the watersports team. Most guests were more interested in the Water-skiing. This appeared to be excellently managed. We were more interested in the sailing. We sailed the Hobie wave pretty much every day (until the water was too choppy) - this was in great condition and had a new sail. We also sailed the Laser that the team got across from the Coral Reef Club for us - a real plus for anyone who enjoys their single-hander sailing!

This last point really exemplifies the attitude of the management and staff at the Sandpiper. At least one of the Senior Management, Wayne or Russell, is on hand every day. They make a point of getting to know their clients at a personal level and speak with people daily. They also made a point of eating dinner in the restaurant at least once in the week. When we asked on the fist evening about getting the Laser across, it was sorted by 11am the following morning!

Would we go back again? We have done - and we will do again (booked already). In fact, on "only" our third trip to the Hotel we are definitely unusual. One family we spoke to were on their 19th trip and one guest had been going for over 20 years! Such customer loyalty speaks for itself.

If you want a place to get away from everything and really relax (did I mention the fact that there is a blissful absence of TVs in the rooms)...then the Sandpiper is just the spot.

My wife and I stayed here for our honeymoon this year, and were not disappointed. The Taff here are very friendly, and help out whenever they can. Upon arrival there was cocktails and chocolate dipped strawberries waiting for us in our room. We had a suite whilst we were there that had its own kitchen, balcony, living room and bedroom, all of which were presented well and very clean. The whole hotel is very well kept and the gardens and beach are clean and tidy. The food here was very nice, with the buffet night having a lot of choice, all very well cooked. There are no tv's in the rooms here which you do not miss to be honest, and I have to say that the cocktails at the beach bar were wonderful. The private beach is rather small unless you sit down near the water, however we always got a lounger. The only thing at this hotel I could complain about are the other guests. They all seem to have an air of ignorance to them. Maybe it was just the guests here whilst we were there, but it was almost as if they were the only people staying at he hotel. This is by no means the fault of the hotel I have to state, but I think that we were ignored by all other guests as we were younger than them. We stayed at sandy lane down the road from here and mixed with rich and famous people who were far more friendly than these idiots. Saying that this is not the fault of the hotel, so do not let this put you off booking, what is a wonderful hotel.

We stayed at the Sandpiper for a week in October 2012. Everything about the hotel was excellent.
Location - very near to Holetown (a 3 minute stroll away) with it's bars, restaurants, supermarkets and shops
Rooms - luxurious, clean, comfy beds, modern bathrooms, well fitted kitchenette, serviced daily with evening turndown
Room Terrace - large with 2 loungers and a large table
Pool - small, but perfect for the size of the hotel (44 rooms)
Beach - crystal clear water, white sands, warm water
Restaurant - breakfasts with large choice of fruit, cereals, savoury cheese / hams / smoked fish, plus a selection of cooked dishes under cover or to order. Dinners extremely well prepared meals I would say Michelin star standard
Prices - drinks very reasonable, especially rum cocktails and beers. Food prices comparable with other top class restaurants in the area,
Eating out - We tried a number of food places in the area, Tides Restaurant was superb - well worth a visit, we also tried a couple of local cafes, but for the prices charged not really up to scratch, next visit we will try some other recommended local restaurants
Staff - from the initial introduction to the hotel facilities by the duty manager, the General Manager and Director to Harold (who runs the beach bar) who is a font of knowledge on where to go or what to do, to the friendly cleaning ladies, the restaurant staff, receptionists, all were so friendly, helpful and always willing to have a word or two and answer any questions we had

Towards the end our stay in Barbados we had dinner at the Sandpiper restaurant.
The meal was very good and the souffle was excellent, equalling the Reclaimer in Paris which specializes.
The service was efficient and the menu, similar to the other restaurants on the Island.
Most of the fare being imported.
However it was the most expensive wine list that is almost double anywhere else we visited and that includes The Cliff, Cin Cin and Tides. Reminds me a little of the criminal prices they charge in Mauritius. But apart from that at least they are open on a Sunday night.