I stayed at The Crane, which is mostly apartment-like rentals, than it is a hotel. However, my friends and I rented a 4-bedroom suite and it was immaculate! From the restaurant, to the beach, to the location - it was serene! I'm not sure about many other places in Barbados, but this would be the one others would need to beat, in my eyes...my standard has been set with this great place

We have just spent the past three days visiting friends with a timeshare at, as they call it, "the Crane". The Crane is a self-contained resort built on a hill-side along the southeast coast of Barbados. While it abounds in the most modern of amenities, it is, in fact, the oldest continually operating hotel on the island. The complex consists of a group of five story buildings surrounding the "town center". The "town center" is the heart of the complex where you will find the registration area, the fitness facility, a small grocery, bakery and so forth. All of this is a part of the original hotel structure, a coral stone building dating from 1887. The unit we stayed in consisted of approximately 4,000 square feet with three large bedrooms, three and one half baths, a very generous kitchen, a large living and dining area and a beautiful balcony overlooking the beaches and ocean. Our unit also had a roof deck with a wet bar and grill. Adjacent to our balcony was a lovely little pool, large enough for four people to soak in listening to the waves and the winds. Many of the units also have small pools as a part of their units. Within the property there are a number of very large, lovely asymmetrical pools with lots of seating areas, both with and without shade. The property is beautifully maintained. The feeling is of being within a botanical garden. The Crane also has four or five restaurants within the grounds catering to tastes ranging from fresh fish and burgers, to Italian, to Thai and Japanese. The resort is also very child friendly. This is a lovely place to stay with one caveat. It is a bit of a drive to get from here to there and one will need a car with which to see the sights of Barbados. That will entail, for American tourists, the challenge of driving on the left side of the road. If that is not a hardship nor a constraint, I would highly recommend the Crane.

We enjoyed a beautiful room on a high floor overlooking the gardens, pools and the Atlantic Ocean beach. The staff at The Crane are excellent in all aspects.. from greeting and room registrations... to service... and in the restaurants. Their scrupulous attention to detail and was very nice. The room was quite comfortable. The grounds and pools are beautiful extensive and very enjoyable. We enjoyed the beach and ocean a lot. We did not rent a car and spent most of our time on the property. We did take the catamaran "Cool Running" on a day sail with snorkeling .. very enjoyable..saw quite a bit of the island traveling on roads to Bridgetown on the bus to the dock. The catamaran enabled us to see more from the ocean as well.

I loved the crane for brunch including the crane beach afterwards. However i think that the main attraction is not the breakfast brunch but the bajan gospel singers. Delightful. Spectacular views from the restaurant and the grounds,including a view of prince andrew's house!