Amazing setting on Paynes beach . Made to feel very comfortable by the fantastic staff, Andrew, Wade , Shane on pool service, Dennis and Teddy on cocktails and the fantastic waiters (shout out especially to Shafique) Food is good but choice is a bit limited with menu changing once per week . Breakfast choice is excellent Downsides have been mentioned by many, namely renovations well over due and the sun bed situation is ridiculous ( people bagging their spot at 5.15 am) . Sorry but a sign is just going to be ignored and situation needs enforcing my hotel management . Hotel not full and every bed reserved by 7am …. But a very relaxing holiday had , and it’s the staff that make this place . Hopefully renovations happen soon then no hesitation on returning
We have just come back from 2 weeks at this lovely hotel. At first we were given a terrible room 363 over the kitchens noisy & very smelly!! After a word with Jason the manager we were moved to room 369. Yes bathrooms a bit dated but spotless with lovely soft towels & robes. Bed very comfortable. & plenty of wardrobe space. Well stocked fridge with water,beers juices etc. We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food having read recent reviews. Champagne breakfast with a good selection of food. Lunches & dinner were also very good. You also have the option to eat at the other hotels or Positanos the restaurant next door which was nice. The service a little slow but what’s the rush when your away? The real pull of this hotel is the staff.Andrew,Ward,Andy (2P) Shane,Kwesi,Sheena,Agnes Marjorie & all the others far to many to name as they were all amazing. Now the real downside is the Sunbed situation. Getting up at 6 am to get a Sunbed is not good!!!There are not enough for this small hotel which caused a lot of problems so not a relaxing feel. Even though the staff dealt with it well. Poor things as it’s not their fault it’s Marriott who really should be spending money to make this a superb hotel as it used to be!!! Plus the beach is half the size it was 10 years ago.Sadly that’s nature!! Luckily we are early risers but most do not come away to fight over a Sunbed !! Having said all this the Hotel is in a lovely position near some very nice Restaurants. Also there is no reception here but the Ambassador’s are around to ask things. Plus there is a lovely shop in the next Hotel The Tamarind where you can get all kinds of things from toiletries to dresses & bags etc Run by Elizabeth. All in all a good stay.…
From the outset on our arrival we noticed that the staff help would make “the House” a place to relax and revel in the Barbados sunshine. By this I mean ever single member of staff involved in the setup of this hotel. For that alone I say thank you and well done. I can easily say each day was a sunshine and a smile. Our room was spotless, with that stunningly comfy bed and that soundtrack from the nearby shore, trust me you’ll sleep like a baby every night. The location - amazing, the food – wonderful, the room – you’ll want for nothing. The guys and girls at the bar and waiting the tables, what a great team. Barbados is a truly wonderful place, with amazing people, I would advise anyone going there to experience life outside the Hotel also, I understand fly and flop but with 500 meters left or right from the house you see a little of how the locals live. A must is also booking into Positano positioned right next door, that food was next level. Sit on the decking for sundowners then move onto your table for an amazing night. Barbados and “the House” will forever be a truly incredible holiday for me and my partner …
Let's talk about reviews. They're a bit like Marmite, aren't they? You either love them or you hate them. But the truth is, reviews are always subjective. You never really know who's writing them, what their motivations are, or what their previous experiences have been. Maybe they're the type of person who complains if the sky is the wrong shade of blue, or maybe they've just won the lottery and everything is sunshine and rainbows to them. It's a tricky game, that's for sure. 'The House' in Paynes Bay, Barbados, is now under the watchful eye of Marriott after acquiring Elegant Resorts for a whopping $130 million in 2019. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing pandemic, significant investment in the property has been delayed, which has resulted in it looking a bit tired. Now, I don't want to be too harsh, because let's face it, most Caribbean hotels struggle to live up to their star ratings compared to other parts of the world. What they lack in glitz and glamour, they make up for in their unique cultural offerings and stunning natural beauty, it's all about the sun, sea, and sand. The staff at 'The House' are exceptional, from the cleaners to the duty managers. They go above and beyond to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. The fact that I can only remember the names of some of the crew is a testament not only to my age but also to how universally good they all were (Andrew, Nermal, Nadia, Kwesi, Wade, Shane, Agnes, Sheena…..). The 33 rooms are spacious and well-appointed, many with stunning sea views. The lack of a formal reception, a problem for some, did not cause us an issue, there was always an 'Ambassador' on hand to help with any queries. I can see that this would be frustrating if a crowd tried to check in at the same time, but so would it be at a formal reception desk. When it comes to food, there's the small hotel restaurant or the adjacent Positano restaurant, which used to be the high-end Daphne's. The quality and choice are satisfactory, but it's not going to compete with some of the finer dining options on the island. The lunch and dinner menus change every Tuesday and offer a reasonable selection. Coming from the UK it was refreshing to see an abundance of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes! What's really special about 'The House' is its aspect and flow. It's easy to step from breakfast onto the beach, and what a beach it is. However, this is where one of the few problems of 'The House' lurks - the sunbeds. Even with the small number of guests, there are simply not enough sunbeds of reasonable quality. This is a letdown and should be remedied as soon as possible. It caused frustration among the guests, as no one wants to play the 6 am towel game on their holiday. Look, Marriot, we get it, you don't want to close down and miss out on all that important income. But come on, you're a big player in the game, you can afford to invest in one of your crown jewels. The staff are the real draw here, closely followed by the great location. But it's crying out for a bit of love and attention, just like your guests are crying out for some decent sunbeds.…
Eight years ago we stayed at this wonderful boutique hotel and have very fond memories of it ,however we have just returned home from revisiting the house for ten days and sadly just does not live up to the full package it once was. The house is run by a fantastic team full of personality, charm and eagerness to please however they have not been equipped with the tools to deliver a wonderful holiday experience any more. The hotel is in dire need of a full makeover with the rooms and facilities all looking very tired and dated. Our room suffered from us having to run the water for five mins to get it to level of warmth for a shower, the doors all creaked and required lubricating , the plunge pool had sand in the bottom therefore making me feel this was not cleaned and ph levels checked before we took up residency for the ten days. The issue with sun beds is a major problem and when Marriott finally refurbish they need to look at the areas to accommodate more beds to eliminate the issue of having to rise at silly o clock to get a sun bed. The house has one main asset at present and that is the wonderful people who work there, Andrew, Wade, Shane , Agnes to name a few and the loyalty to the place is unfounded but unless serious investment is spent the house would not be rated amongst the best in Barbados for much longer . Stephen Dalton…
The hotel is a relaxed small Caribbean style boutique hotel with a friendly feel in an excellent position on St James Bay. Beautiful beach, exquisite sunsets and safe swimming. Excellent value with all inclusive meals, drinks and cocktails. Free water sports. Boat complimentary trips up and down the coast. Staff were friendly and responsive. We had excellent service from Manager Jason, Duty Manager Shane, Wade and Sheena among others. Would highly recommend. Only small issue was the early start to secure prime position beach sunbeds. Having said that staff sorted all issues as they arise … very flexible and friendly.
We used our Marriott rewards to stay here and the goal was to rest and relax (fly and flop LOL). Great value. Goal achieved. Staff are all wonderful and our special thanks go to Sheena, Jose, Shane, Kristy, Shenae, Kwasi, and Angela. Let me look past some imperfections and note the following : We were pleasantly surprised with the quality and choice of food at every meal. Our favourite experience was Monday night’s BBQ. We tried the Dine Around too. Positano was great on Sunday night. We dined at the Tapestry at the Teasure Beach on Wednesday night and there was decent buffet dinner on. A comfy bed and quiet AC contributed to restful slumber every night. The room looked a bit dated but it didn’t bother us too much. A complimentary jetlag massage was a nice touch and we both enjoyed it. Housekeeping was efficient and friendly. And we loved interacting with a resident cat called Panda. The Ambassador programme often worked and someone was at the front desk most mornings and another option was to dial 2008 and ask for assistance. The pool is small and the photos on the hotel’s website are rather misleading. It’s not an issue if the seas are calm. During our stay the red flag was on for 2 days and the waves were fierce. The hunt for sun loungers seemed to start around 6am. Nothing better than some healthy competition to kick off that lazy blood flow first thing in the morning! But it went against our goal to properly relax. Therefore only 4 stars this time. All in all we had fab five days and wouldn’t hesitate to come back. TIP: this is a beautiful island go and explore the north and the east parts.…
Whilst the staff are excellent, efficient, friendly and look after the guests with real care, the resort is badly let down by the beach experience. There are not enough sunbeds and guests abuse the system by reserving beds, then not using them, or rising in the middle of the night to place a book on a sunbed. The management do nothing to stop this and therefore I personally have left the hotel to find a spot on the beach elsewhere. A system as seen in other hotels in the area whereby beach attendants allocate sunbeds and ensure there is no poor behaviour by guests is more reflective of the price paid for a hotel such as this
Beautiful place with lovely staff, loved my sun bed sea view fantastic pool service, excellent food and drinks, champagne breakfast to evening cocktails, light entertainment in the restaurant some evenings, water taxi to other sister hotels and the bus out the front easy to use.
We have just arrived and What lovely hotel. the staff are fabulous, the food is great and the service exceptional. But having woken early due to time difference on first day, I witnessed a truly ridiculous scene… people going to the sun beds at 6am and placing towels down!! How can this be right in such a beautiful and exclusive hotel ??? Lack of beds?… Or reluctance of guests to abide by the rules??? We will see…
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