Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The SoCo Hotel, located in the heart of Barbados’ south coast, offers an adult all-inclusive holiday in a boutique environment. Ideal for the discerning traveller looking for a modern, high quality hotel facility, The SoCo Hotel provides an uncluttered, chic holiday. Great food and drinks, friendly service, and one of the best views in Barbados are all part of The SoCo Hotel experience.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Romantic
Location
Hastings Main Road End of Richard Haynes Boardwalk, Bridgetown Barbados
The Soco Hotel
1,507 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Soco Hotel boasts a lively atmosphere and a prime location beloved by guests for its easy access to the beach and local attractions. While many appreciate the friendly staff and clean, spacious rooms with stunning sea views, some visitors raise concerns about the value, pointing to occasional service lapses and the need for room upgrades.
Despite the praise for its amenities and cleanliness, the hotel's noise levels and limited sunbeds are drawbacks for some travelers.
Location
Beachfront
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Noise level
Noisy
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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We stayed for 5 nights in March (one couple and a single friend). There are only king bed rooms so great for couples or a single traveler that wants to splurge on space, but not great for most solo travelers (expensive).
The restaurant and location were the best parts. Menus rotated every other day and always had a fish dish, chicken dish and pasta dish at a minimum (usually about 5-6 entree choices per meal) so everyone could usually find something they looked forward to trying. Loved that everything was cooked to order. Do allow enough time to eat. We had 1 hour between checking out and when a taxi was coming on our last day and even though we got to the restaurant right after lunch seating time we only got our food 2 minutes before taxi arrived (so 58 minutes to get a lunch entree seems excessive). Drinks were good as well. Did love that the hotel/restaurant is small (24 rooms) so you get to know servers/staff. Great personalities.
Rooms were spacious and had everything we needed, but would not rate them as "upscale." The road noise from the street that is right next to the building is very loud even with windows and doors closed and AC on. It was like not even having doors/windows. Thankfully the road noise gets better fro,m 10 pm - 6:00 am. The location and the view almost make up for the road noise. I loved being at the end of the boardwalk so that you got a little more seclusion, but still had access to a quick walk to other restaurants/bars/shops/etc. Can't really beat the location, view from balcony, and the beach. All rooms face the ocean and pool. The noise from pool bar cold be annoying, but they do shut it down by 11 pm.
Overall we were very happy with our trip and were sad to leave. It was a great place to stay and would recommend, but they do need to make a little investment in windows/doors on the street side to be an "upscale" hotel.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Higher floors have better views and less noise from pool bar.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 19, 2023
Thank you!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
As the title says one of the best things about this hotel is it's wonderful location right on a stunning beach with the start of the boardwalk to the left and a small bay to the right. Unfortunately our stay got off to a bad start as the hotel was overbooked and we were put in an apartment next door for our first night. There were no towels, no hot water and no internet. We had to fetch the towels, someone came to try to fix the internet but failed and nobody had any idea about the hot water but we found the switch later that evening. In these circumstances you would expect a special effort to have our room ready the next day. Checkout is at 12pm so it would be reasonable to expect the room to be ready by 1pm but we were told we couldn't have it until normal check in time of 3pm. In the event we got it 3.40pm. When we did get our room we were very pleased with it. There was plenty of room, pleasant light wood furniture, excellent air conditioning and all rooms have a sea facing balcony. The restaurant is open plan with some outside seating and the food was generally of good quality with a change of menu every two days. Staff throughout the hotel are friendly and helpful in the special Caribbean way. There are plenty of sun beds on the beach but some of the sun umberellas had seen better days! As the hotel only has 24 rooms it has a friendly atmosphere. Overall a great holiday and we would go again but would email the hotel so we could be certain to get our room!
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 19, 2023
Thank you so much!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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This small hotel is located on the south west coast of Barbados. We booked less than a week before. Barbados is currently on the green list for the UK, the costly part of the trip is all the Covid tests, working out at about £250 per person, but all were easy enough. Our results from the test taken at the airport in Bridgetown were returned within 6 hours which meant we were able to start the first full day of our holiday straight away. For double vaccinated people, until your tests are returned you isolate within the hotel using everything as normal apart from the beach or pool, this didn't affect us as our results were so quick. The rooms are on four floors with no lift. The rooms all overlook the pool which leads directly into the beach. There is a king sized bed, mini fridge, coffee machine, hairdryer, iron and board provided in the room. The rooms are bright and clean with good air conditioning. The bathroom has a walk-in shower, basin and toilet. The pool is only small but warm from the sun. Sun Ed's and towels are provided, although a few more beds around the pool would be good. The bar adjoins the pool and most drinks are available from around 10am, due to the 11pm curfew the bar closed at 9.30pm to enable the staff to get home in time. The restaurant again is small but the jewel of the hotel. All food is cooked fresh and everything was delicious. The chefs work really hard and will adapt food on the menu to your liking. The beach was the only small let down, it's quite rocky so watch your feet, Rockley beach is a 10 minute walk and is beautiful so it's not too much of a let down. A 30 minute walk is Carlisle beach which is stunning. The unfortunate part of the beach is the sargassum seaweed arrived, it's ugly and washes up on to the beach, the hotel didn't clear the small part of the beach directly by the hotel so it was unsightly and didn't make entering the sea pleasant. Rockley beach and Carlisle beach either side of the hotel didn't have the seaweed. The crown of the hotel are the staff, so kind and friendly, a few to mention are Abby, Shane, Raheen, Brian and lots of others who did their upmost to ensure holiday was perfect.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Taxis are expensive in Barbados. Go to see the race horses swimming in the sea on Pebbles beach...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 8, 2023
Thank you very much!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I’ve read many of the reviews and can confirm this was a frustrating hotel to stay in.
First impression wasn't great. Arrived at front desk only to be greeted by a miserable receptionist who I never saw smile once. We were shown to our room which was adequate and certainly not upscale. The bed was very comfortable the cream sofa was dirty on the arms and the en-suite needed some work to present itself as clean. We had clean towels in the bathroom each day although we did not request them. The noise from the main coastal road was unbearable most nights and this isn’t noted on their website. Accepted this impacted some rooms more than others.
Beach towels were not available and when we asked the receptionist she said she didn’t know when or where we could get one. At the induction meeting we told Michelle about the lack of beach towels and branded gin. Thankfully within an hour both were supplied.
Most of the staff were helpful and polite. What I find interesting was whilst speaking to the manager she had no idea about the lack of beach towels. Surely a manager should do spot checks in all aspects of the hotel they manage.
The restaurant has an open aspect. The food was either disappointing or outstanding.
I liked the idea of a boutique hotel and realise people book this hotel for that experience but a lack of investment and poor management let this hotel down. We met several people who had stayed at this hotel before and said how bad it was this time.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 19, 2023
Thank you!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Having stayed at this hotel the rooms was nice and spacious. Most staff really good not excellent. Reception staff really good if you would like to book anywhere well knowledge of many places
If you want a quite stay away this could be a place for you.
Hopefully you get the green wrist band when you land or your bugged.
The bad points
Don’t risk going when Covid restrictions are on as you have to take a test when you land which is ok the bad part. The tests can get lost and guests have to stay on site till they find them 5 days for some and then retest can take another 24 to 48hrs If your crazy enough to go unvaccinated then 5 days in your room and then a 24/48 hr test so 7 days in your room. Also if someone tests positive on the plane 5 days in the room then a 24/48hr before release. Bad points of hotel
Missing towels regular 8 day beds around pool they bought two more so 10 guests can enjoy around the pool.
Regular ran out of drinks (ask the sercicrty guard when they close and he can get you a beer.
Night rats Bar closing at 9pm/9.15pm due to Covid shut really early even with the staff they have a pass so can stay out later than the 11pm curfew.
The afternoon tea they don’t like making it if u ask at 4.10pm so if u stay at this hotel ask around this time.
There’s around two staff one older lady server and one who takes you to the table that’s in the wrong job but most are very good. The choice of food is very minimum.
Has lovely flavours the chef is very good but sadly Spain 4 star plus gives you a better choice. Hotel food menu same over two days and straight away changes to the menu every day due to missing items. Local shops supply things this hotel runs out of.
If you want sit down meal 3 times a day this is for you. With very little choices and up to 2 hrs to have a breakfast or lunch or dinner.
Turkey hospitality is sadly a little better. Usa where we normally go hospitality is a lot better.
Things hopefully the owner looks at. The two staff Get products in stock for the staff to use and not blame it’s the staffs fault for not letting them know. Towels order more for the guests sun beds needed. And food choices need a lot more. Drinks I have a better stocked mini bar that the bar here. Would be nice for a few cold drinks in the fridge when arrivals. Water is perfectly fine to drink from the taps (but guests need an empty bottle to put it in the fridge to cool it down ) no need for bottled water on this island.
Owner with daughters sadly don’t want to talk to guests if you have a point to make.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 8, 2023
Thank you.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We really enjoyed the island of Barbados. The locals are probably the most friendly out of every Caribbean island we have been to.
The hotel overall is good, but there are a few things they need to work on.
The beachfront property is at a great location. The water is very blue, no debris, nice white sand. The pool area is a fun place to have a few drinks at. Although there is only one restaurant, the food is very good.
However, we did have a few problems during our stay. It bugs me because these are such simple fixes and would have brought this place to five stars like it deserves. They are very stingy with bottled water. I even left a large tip for the cleaning crew and left a note asking for extra bottled water - we only got one extra. We also had difficulty getting beach towels. They are supposed to be left in the room and changed by the cleaning crew. However, we used the same beach towel for three days! I went to reception everyday asking for a new towel and one time she looked annoyed and told me “I don’t know what’s going on with the towels”. That’s an unacceptable way to answer a guest. You need to tell me you will find out when I will get a fresh towel if I am a paying guest! I used the same beach towel for three days which is unhygienic because of all the sweat/sand/ocean water. I don’t mind re using bath towels but beach towels?
Aside from those issues, we had a lot of fun hanging out with the other guests. It is a small hotel so we met a lot of great people on this trip and enjoyed our stay with them. Thank you to Shane at the bar, Shawna, and Shanna, Margarita, and Raheem at the restaurant, and Gail at the front.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 19, 2023
Thank you so much!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
So this was our first trip to Barbados and we were looking to stay somewhere small but still on the south coast. SoCo looked to be a good choice with its fantastic location right on the beach in Hastings.
The BA flight from London was uneventful and the arrival process with all of the Covid protocols surprisingly smooth. We were at the hotel just 90 minutes after landing.
SoCo is a rather small and intimate 4* property with just 26 rooms the majority of which have sea facing balconies. Our room was reasonably well equipped and clean with a very comfy bed, but looking a little bit tired around the edges. Not really surprising after almost 2 years without much business but it does need a soft refurb.
The staff are wonderful, especially Lu, Venice, both Michelles, Shane and Tray. Food and drink on this all inclusive trip were good with a fair selection of menu options and drinks. The hotel is right on the beach which tends to be quiet due to its location away from the much bigger Accra and Coconut Beach hotels. Like the rooms the beach loungers and umbrellas could do with replacing,
There are great bars and restaurants within easy walking distance of the hotel and the Richard Haynes boardwalk starts right at SoCo which is much nicer than walking along Highway 7.
Although a lazy week we visited Bridgetown, Bathsheba and Ocean Echoes riding stables. Lunch at the Atlantis Hotel in Tent Bay was well worth the walk up the hill from Bathsheba.
The only real grumble was the BA check-in process on the return which took 1.5 hours due to yet another BA computer glitch.
All in all a really nice but short break in the sunshine.
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Date of stay: February 2022
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Ask for a 3rd or 4th floor room at either end of the building as these have better views and more...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 8, 2023
Thank you for this very detailed review. We appreciate it.
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My husband and I just spent 7 nights at the hotel. We arrived to a welcoming staff who were ready to make us feel well cared for. Big shout out to super bartenders Shane and Kadeem. Shane is also a wonderful entertainer! T’shawna, Akira, Chanel, Angel, and I’teresa (spelling) made us feel like family. Sharene took amazing care of our room and needs such as beach and bath towels. The chefs are amazing - I’did not have a bad meal. The drinks flow and all the guests are having such.a good time that it is a lovely setting. Beach and pool are lovely and there are plenty of chairs. Umbrellas at the beach are limited so get there early. Bathrooms located right off beach are always clean, which is shocking only because of the traffic and sand. Again, kudos to housekeeping. Located at one end of the Richard Haynes Boardwalk makes exercise easy as well as the walk to great beach bars with music, entertainment and spirit!
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Date of stay: March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 19, 2023
Thank you!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chose Barbados because it was in the Green zone and the SoCo hotel was adults only and only 23 rooms,on the beach,local tavernas and restaurants nearby and the hotel was all inclusive. Good choice very friendly,rooms spacious,a/c very good,fridge and telly available and all balconies overlooked the ocean.Food in the restaurant served fresh a la carte and changed every 2 days.If you are a fish lover you can have for 3 meals a day other options available and to a high standard. Staff very friendly and thanks to the bar staff Shane, Abby and co who coped with all my moaning. We had a bit of rain while there and we found there was nowhere to drink under cover to enjoy a drink befor dinner or at any other time. No showers by the pool resulted in sand coming of the beach into the pool and more sun beds I think are required. Overall a good time was had and I hope Mr So Co rectifies some of the matters mentioned
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Do what you are requested to do regarding travelling and your trip will go smoothly
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 8, 2023
Thank you!
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Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We travelled here at the height of the COVID-19 in the UK, and despite several changes with flights and dates etc we still made it here, and it was certainly worth it. We flew out on 7th December and all the staff here and management are amazing. They had a tough job to do with all the restrictions of COVID, and they all excelled themselves, and the food was 5 star quality with a great choice of meals, the service was excellent, and there was always someone there to help and advise if you needed them. Before we even arrived, Chantel had been brilliant in dealing with our queries, and the hotel manager also replied to my emails with information as to what to expect at the hotel when we arrived as we were a bit unsure what restrictions to expect. This hotel has a superb location, one of the best spots on the island, right on the beach, and in close vicinity of shops, bars, beaches and lots of the tourist attractions. The views are stunning with excellent views of the ocean, and even if you have been to other Caribbean islands as we have, this is as good as it gets. We would not hesitate in going back there to this same hotel. We can't fault it, give a go and you won't be disappointed. It has the tranquility that we wanted with all the facilities included, and they make superb cocktails!
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Date of stay: December 2020
Room Tip:Rooms are all ocean facing so it just depends on whether you want a high or low floor. There are...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Vandra Alleyne, Guest Services / Front Office at The Soco Hotel
Responded Apr 8, 2023
Thank you for this lovely review. Come back soon!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No hairdressers in the hotel...but there is a kettle with coffee and tea and milk....I'm sure there is hairdressers at lanters which is a shopping area just a few minutes down the road...hope this helps
There are more places to choose from in the Bridgetown area.
PRICE RANGE
$341 - $653 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
CaribbeanBarbadosSaint Michael ParishBridgetown
NUMBER OF ROOMS
24
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Which popular attractions are close to The Soco Hotel?
Nearby attractions include Chill Cafe Bar & Grill (0.3 miles), Chamberlain Bridge (0.2 miles), and Mallalieu Motor Collection & Car Museum (0.1 miles).
Are there any historical sites close to The Soco Hotel?
Many travelers enjoy visiting George Washington House (0.7 miles), Garrison Savannah - Barbados Turf Club (0.5 miles), and Barbados Garrison (0.6 miles).
