We were booked into The Crane for a couple of nights following a sailing trip around the Caribbean by our travel agent who had recommended it as it was near the airport. We arrived from a LIAT flight at around 730pm and immediately the place didnt feel right , it was unusually quiet for such a big hotel however we checked in to a very large 2 bed suite with a plunge pool and dumped our bags and went to eat at the restaurant which was "ok" , afterwards the one bar available had really poor live music and there were small children sat on the bar stools. I asked if threre was an adult bar and they said no just this one ( Im not against children but at 10pm I prefer a bit of adult conversation rather than a mini disco !) . I went to bed. Well tried to go to bed but the room was full of mosquitos , we had to get a can of spray from reception and do the room before we slept it was so full of them , the reception were quite prepared for that as the resort does have a mosquito issue after rain - in fact they fumigate the whole hotel twice a week ! In the morning we woke and saw the state of the room in the morning light it was filthy , and all the light fittings and door locks etc appeared to be corroded and some very broken. The ceiling lights were tied up out of the way which suggested they wee live and there were water marks on the ceilings near fittings. Rat traps all over the place and the windows were so dirty you couldnt see outside at all.
We decided to check out after just one night and the response from the Manager was pitiful - he wouldnt refund our pre payment for the next night nor did he offer any compensation but asked that we pay our dinner bill and extras. I showed him our photos from the room and he asked me to email them to him ! I respectfully suggested he went up to the room and had a good look himself. The Crane does have a beautiful beach thats for sure but the hotel is tired , dirty and poorly maintained - needs a full closure and refurb.

This was our ninth visit to The Crane and it did not disappoint. We were in a lovely plunge pool unit in Building 5, which we had not been in before. The views were spectacular. Sabrina and Diana, our housekeepers are simply the best. They each did their best to make us feel comfortable and welcome. I must say that I sleep better there than I do at home. We leave the doors to the terrace open and fall aslep to the sound of the ocean.

We ate at each of the restaurants during this stay. We always enjoy our meals at Zen and this was no exception. While the food at L'Azure has improved (I had a wonderful sea bass with lentils), the service is still slow and uninspired. At Donofrio's the risotto with smoked salmon was simply wonderful, the pizza just okay. Waiple is a very effecient hostess and Cloethe attended to our every need and made us feel at home (they should have her train some of the wait staff at L'Azure). The Carriage House for lunch was great. Erroll and Susan always make us feel welcome. If I could have one additional service, it would be to have consistent food and beverage service at the pools. You tend to get so lazy lying by the pools that getting up just seems like too much effort! I do realize that we were not there during high season and they will likely change this when I visit again in February. Each morning my husband would go to the front desk to get the local paper and stop at the pasty/ice cream shop to bring me a croissant. The shop is a great addition.

Stephen at the front desk was very helpful. The paperwork process for checkout is rather lengthy and he did his best to make it as quick as possible and did it with a smile. James, who used to be at the front desk, now has a new job and could not have been more helpful when I asked for something. He went out of his way to find me at the pool to give me the answer. Overall, all of the staff are friendly and helpful. It is rare that you will pass a staff member walking along one of the many paths, who will not say hello.

Can't wait to go again.

I just read a few poor ratings for the Crane and can't believe that it is the same resort that my wife and I have been visiting for fifteen years. In general, people need to do more research before they book a resort. Yes, the Crane is isolated from the hustle and bustle, but that is its lure to many of us. As to the level of service, we cannot agree at all with the negative comments here. We have travelled throughout the Caribbean region for the same number of years and have found the Crane and Barbados itself to be far superior to many resorts and islands as far as the willingness to please guests is concerned. Having read some of these reviews, I have to wonder how familiar some of these reviewers are of the southeastern Caribbean region in general.

In all honesty, we were disappointed on this trip with the quality of L'Azure in comparsison to its prices, which have increased substantially over the years, and we found better value at Carriage House for lunch and Donofrio's for dinner. Guests should also know that the Emerald City supermarket is only a 10 minute drive as the Crane general store is somewhat limited and beyond our budget. Our overall experience at the Crane, which is so very unique in location and atmosphere, was very pleasurable, and we will certainly return this year.

The Crane Barbados.

It was our first time staying in Barbados, and the Crane did not Disappoint. Grounds were immaculate,
Beach pink sugar Sand, very clean.. the beauty is that the hotel is on a cliff, and 50 feet below, by Glass Elevator is the Beach.

We ventured off to explore Barbados, and for the shoppers, a must visit is Lime Grove in Holetown, (Cartier, Ralph lauren, Luis Vuitton,
etc, are all here.. You can have lunch, watch a movie, a spectacular spot.

Dinner Recommendations:

For the Italian Lovers (home made pasta, pizza , etc:
Visit: Il Tempio -- (we actually visited this place, as there was a write up about how Luciano pavarotti enjoyed this place.
Believe me, this place does not disappoint. We met the owners Anna & leo, from Bari, Italy, and amazing people. they
will make anything you want, even if its not on the Menu.

Caribbean:

Cliff Restaraunt.
it is a beautiful restaraunt, perched on a cliff, the food, the ambiance, its a spot, not to be missed.

Contempary Modern italian

Cin Cin

Contempary,elegant waterside dining,west coast at its best. Very romantic.


Excursions:
shopping Tour of Bridgetown, was not impressed, very crowded, and not much variety. I still recommend Lime Grove Complex in Holetown.

A must See:

We were recommended by Anna, at Il Tempio Restaraunt, not to leave barbados without visiting Sandy Lane Hotel & Golf Resort.
This place conjures up images of Serene style in an idyllic resort setting. a perfect location in Barbados overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
You can visit the place for drinks, or have dinner, we decided to have dinner, and were not disappointed.


Again a visit to Barbados is a different experience, Barbados, has a bit of everything, very different island.