I've just spent a week at the Crane Resort with my mother (80) and aunt (62). I was looking for a place where I could take these two wonderful women; a safe, stress-free, guaranteed good-weather place, a place to decompress after what had been an emotionally stressful year.

I was directed to the Crane by a trusted source, and I wasn't disappointed.

Our first night was in a simple one bedroom suite in the Park residences. The suite was beautiful, but our move on the second night to a one-bedroom, ocean-view with plunge pool was a very, very good move. (#515)

I cannot stress this highly enough. I wouldn't go back to the Crane if it was just to one of the Park residences. They were "fine", but ... it was utterly fantastic to be able to walk straight into our unit (without having to use an elevator) and enjoy the sound of the surf crashing below us, and dips throughout the day into our private pool, with an unimpeded view of the Atlantic ocean.

N.B. The next time I go - and I WILL go again - I wouldn't book a transfer through Expedia, I would just walk right out of the airport and hail a cab. Faster, and cheaper. You can trust the cabs.

The General Store in the "the village" was fine for wine, bread, peanut butter, orange juice, milk, etc. - i.e. "essentials" - that sustained us through the morning and lunch meals. We loved having our own kitchen, and our white wine conversations on the patio at cocktail hour. I know that other guests use a grocery store off-site (an easy $20 cab ride if you negotiate with a driver who will drive you there and wait while you shop and then bring you home), but I was happy to pay the "premium" at the village store, and not have to worry about ferrying around aging passengers. They have a good assortment of crackers and cheese, and will order meat if you want to do more engaged cooking.

I thought the food at the restaurants - especially D'Onofrio's - was fantastic, and the staff were wonderful. Very accommodating, very patient, and knowledgeable. I'm a foodie - and the meals there were wonderful, especially their thin-crust pizzas and the arugula salad.

The beach is spectacular. REALLY spectacular. Clean. Stress-free. The beach chairs are comfortable, and there is shade under every umbrella. Talk to the staff, secure a beach chair, and lie back and enjoy an unparallelled view.

Our suite was beautiful. SO much storage room. Marble counter tops. Beautiful showers. Comfortable beds. Great linens. And our view from the "oceanview suite" was unparallelled.

My previous "hot-weather" trips have been to Bonaire, Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua, Argentina, etc. Because my "aging coterie" was so happy in our suite at the Crane, we didn't explore any of the many options available (aside from my one day off, snorkeling), so I'm embarrassed to say that we didn't "learn" anything about this fascinating country. However, my experience with my mother and aunt was unabashedly wonderful.

Mission accomplished.

We will return. And I can hardly wait.

We recently had our wedding at the crane and also spent 5nights there. We must say it was a fantastic day, the hotel was the perfect setting and the crane out on a brilliant service. Canapés, drinks and the food were just faultless, well some comments from guests were that the rum punches during our cocktail hour were too strong!! But that's certainly not a negative point in my view! Keisha Yearwood the wedding coordinator was just superb on the day, she worked her socks off to ensure everything went as we wanted and that it ran smoothly, which it did considering we had quite a big wedding of 70 people (well big considering we live in the UK).We also used the services of colorbox for our wedding video, which Kemar did superbly!! We absolutely loved the video. Our stay at the crane after the wedding was also just so special. The room was wonderful, with our own pool. Staff made us feel extra special being the newlyweds and we must say dinner at the Zen restaurant was the best Thai food we have eaten! We would most certainly return to the crane again and recommend it to anyone who wants that extra special trip or added luxury for their stay in Barbados

We just returned from a wonderful vacation at The Crane. There are so many things that I could tell you about this property. We stayed as a family in the Penthouse suite of building 9. It was absolutely amazing and the views were breathtaking. A gorgeous sunrise every morning. More than enough space and bathrooms for a family of 5.

The grounds were beautiful and very expansive. You could walk around the grounds for over an hour, discovering all the pools and pathways that The Crane has to offer and taking some pretty amazing pictures.

I love the history of the Crane as well. It was a port for the ships from Europe and because it is situated so high on a cliff, there was an actual Crane that would raise and lower the merchandise. There was a hotel built on the top of this cliff and it is still there today. You can rent the rooms in the original hotel. And the restaurant The Carriage House, was the original carriage house where the horses and carriage were kept. One more tidbit of history. Back in the day when the women weren't allowed to be seen by men while in the ocean, there was a stairway that was built for the women to reach Crane beach. Parts of it are still there today! Really neat.

Aside from the cool history, The Crane has everything going for it. Private pools where you have no problem finding a chair, restaurants that are really great, a village where you can buy almost everything you would need and 1 of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. Crane beach does have some pretty powerful waves, so it's a little nerve wracking for parents of younger kids. But the older kids and adults really loved the body surfing and boogie boarding that can be enjoyed here.

The Crane really had everything you could possibly want on a holiday. And the staff at the Crane were very accommodating, helpful and friendly. Especially Cory at the beach hut. He was there every morning with a smile and a helping hand. And whenever you needed a drink or some food, he was there for you all day. The guy was amazing. He even gave my hubby fishing advice on the days when my husband would throw a line in off the rocks. He added a lot to the ease of being on the beach.

And a final shout out to Sandra and her cleaning crew for keeping our place clean and tidy and for helping us out on our last day.

All in all it was a great vacation for the family and we will definitely go back if the opportunity arises.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon at the Crane and it was the most amazing resort I have ever visited. I have been to numerous Caribbean island resorts and this one surpasses every expectation. We plan on returning again and loved it so much that we are considering a time share here! The rooms are gorgeous and from he second you arrive the staff goes above and beyond to accommodate your every need.

The restaurants at this resort are the best! The seafood is amazing and the vegetables are locally grown, so you can tell you are eating fresh, delicious food every single meal.

Everything you need from activities to shopping to dining are at this resort so there is really no reason to leave. Oh yes, allow me to mention that the crane beach is one if the best in the world!!!!!