Almond Beach Village

I thoroughly enjoyed my recent holiday. Food was good, rooms were clean and linen was kept fresh and changed every day. We found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. Ken Watson was particularly helpful and friendly always enquiring if we were happy with the service we were receiving. We were also pleased with the security around the hotel,
I visited the beauty salon and was delighted with the service they offer and the standard of their treatments was excellent,
I have recommended this hotel to my friends and family.
In conclussion the staff were attentive professional and provided an excellent service which is a reflection also on the good management

What a disappointment. Apart from reasonable food in the very busy 2 main restaurants each with about 4 sittings per evening and the same menu for 2 weeks this is a very tired and disappointing hotel much like a Spanish hotel circa 1970's. Get your towel on a lounger by 7am otherwise you wont get one and a beach umbrella?... about 20 shared between the 800/900 guests.
Very poor evening entertainment repeated about 3 times a week. Noisy children who although excluded from one pool area have access to the one main beach immediately adjoining. This is definitely a hotel to avoid. There are many better and probably cheaper on the island.

The standard of accommodation
PLEASE DO NOT UPGRADE YOUR ROOM - IT'S EXPENSIVE AND SO NOT WORTH IT!! We had upgraded to a superior, deluxe, beach front room. We've stayed in better standard rooms in other Caribbean resorts. We were given a room which was tired, shabby, very dirty and in the most appalling position being the last room next to a public road next to the hotel looking on to a mountain of sand and gravel, completely obscuring any view of the beach or the sea! After complaining to the hotel (no Virgin rep was available) they moved us to a room immediately above the one we were in. Apart from being one floor up, this room was no better! Please bear in mind that these rooms were meant to be superior deluxe – an upgrade for which we had paid a hefty premium.
The Virgin rep was of little or no use - she told us a much better room had been found for us - which never materialised! Evntually the hotel moved us to a room in the same block we were in (on the far extremities of the complex), but on the 4th floor. This room was clean and fresher but could in no way be described as superior nor deluxe!! It's worth noting that the 4th & 5th floors in this block have been added more recently and are in a better condition than the rooms on the first three floors.
Flight
But do upgrade the flight if you want to spoil yourself. We upgraded both ways to Premium Economy and that was great.
Kids Club
This hotel is trumpeted in the Virgin brochure as very family friendly with a top notch Kids Club which was a key factor in our decision to book this hotel. In reality however, the standard of care was lacking and as a consequence, my son attend only a few sessions during the entire fortnight.
The age group was also far too wide (aged 5 – 11) and with the exception of one session, during the few sessions my son attended, the age groups were lumped together meaning the smaller children were more or less ignored.
Free (or not) Ice cream Parlour
Free ice-cream is advertised in the Virgin brochure and on their website but the machine was out of action for approximately 50% of the time the ice-cream parlour was open. My son was understandably very disappointed.
Resort
On a more positive note, the (small 'ish) resort itself and the pools are very nice (but you can't get a sun lounger unless you're up before the lark). The beach, although perfectly nice, is I would say average for the Caribbean (there are definitley better ones elsewhere on the island). It also has lots of twiggy bits on it and you can't get a lounger with an umbrella unless again, you're up at the crack of dawn to tie some article of clothing to it - which seemed to be how you "bagged" a sun bed/umbrella.
Restaurants
The food was great and with one exception, all the restaurants were good, especially the Italian (sadly no kids allowed), the Reef (sea food mainly and in a lovely location on the beach front - also where you eat breakfast) and Enids (Caribbean food).The weekly outdoor BBQ is good too. You need to book for the restaurants (except for Enids) and you need to book early to get in. Unfortunatley the menus don't change so in the second week the food is a bit samey.
Excursions
The hotel runs a free bus to Bridegtown which is definitley worth visiting for the day. You can also walk into the local town from the resort (via the road or along the beach) which is small but quite pleasant with a few shops and cafes. It's well worth hiring a car to explore this wonderful island (all inclusive guests can request a packed lunch for the next day which is perfectly fine). Harrisons Cave is definitley worth a visit as is the Flower Forest, the Plantation Houses and Bathsheba on the East Coast which is stunningly beautiful but unsuitable for swimming due to the very strong currents & undertow.
All in all we did enjoy the holiday - but feeling ripped off over the room fiasco left a bad taste, hence the relatively low score. We would have scored the resort a bit higher (probably a 7) had the accomodation lived up to its billing. And its definitley not 4 star - more like a good 3 star.
Hope that helps!

Absolutely Fantastic.....The rooms are spacious with Queen size beds, The maids cleaned the room religiously everyday & to an excellent standard too! There was 12 of us holidaying in Almond Beach Village & every single one of us gave it 10/10 & would go back tomorrow & our ages ranged from 18-65. The Food was out of this world, top restaraunt quality, our favourites were La Samarita & Enids, but Reef & Horizon are faultless too...The staff were a joy to be around & we adopted their laidback 'No Problem' attitude! Nothing was too much trouble & they did everything with a smile. To be served evening meal by the same waitress that served us breakfast & she was still happy & singing along to Rhianna was just example of the outstanding customer service. My Husband and I got married in the Sugar Mill by Rev Ricky Orlando Kirton which was above and beyond my expectations, They made our day perfect!!!! If I had to write a fault it would be that the entertainment & bars closed too early & that 1am would be more appropriate than the 11pm that the stop serving but we did combat that by getting drinks from Rachel's Nightclub & carry on drinking in the outside bars! All in All the beach, the pools the food, the staff, the rooms & the overall holiday was 10/10...and if you're reading this because you're going there soon I'm so Jealous of You!!!

We visited the Almond Beach Village with two 7 year olds this July and had a very enjoyable time.

The room was spacious and very clean. The food was great with lots of fresh fish and various choices in different restaurants in the hotel complex. Ten pools including an adult only one. Kids club 9am-10pm if you wanted it with lots of activities going on.

The staff were very professional and friendly.

The hotel is situated beside the beach and has complementary water sports.

We paid locally to feed and swim with the Turtles which was excellent.

ABV what can I say, what an amazing place. We went there to get married and don’t regret anything at all. Everything went so smoothly with no problems.

The wedding coordinator and photographer were so helpful.

We picked La Smarriita for our wedding dinner, it was beautiful with a personalised menu and a decorated table.

The hotel supplied champagne in our room and at the wedding, also with our wedding package we went on a champagne sunset cruise for 4 hrs on the Sunday night. ( Def recommend couples to go on, v.romantic )

We also received a room upgrade to a deluxe ocean room on arrival (without asking!!!)
There was maid service everyday and the rooms were kept extremely clean.

Lots of people had requested to be moved from the Spa and Club to ABV as it is bigger with a better choice of restaurants and a better beach location. If you don’t know Barbados def go to the Village!! ABV has adult only pools anyway along with the boardwalk poolside bar which is also right on the beach.

The food was amazing we couldn’t believe these restaurants were all inclusive, La Smarrita would rival any top restaurant !

If you are going to Barbados go to Almond Beach Village. I know we will be going back!!

We travelled with Virgin Holidays to Barbados for our wedding and had the most amazing time of our lives. Obviously getting married made it so special; however, even taking the wedding out of the equation, Barbados and Almond Beach Village are both truly amazing.

The resort is very attractive and large so you never feel closed in. Although, it is not too big. We booked a standard room but were upgraded to a Superior Deluxe Pool View Room, which had a king size bed, fridge, nice bathroom, sofa and terrace. There is a TV with satellite channels and an alarm clock and telephone.

The All Inclusive package is exceptional and includes all meals, snacks and premium drinks, watersports including banana boats, waterskiing, kayaks, sunfish sailing and more, gym, sunbeds around the pool and on the beach etc.

The food is superb and not what I would usually expect from all inclusive. The breakfast items included sausages, hashbrowns, bacon, scrambled, poached, fried all boiled eggs, beans, cold meats, bagels, pastries, fresh fruit, yoghurts, different bread and rolls, fruit juices, speciality teas and coffee. The choice and quality is very good. For lunch there is a huge choice from a sit down 3 course lunch, to a buffet next to the beach to the usual burgers (good quality), pasta, freshly made pizzas etc. The evening meals are exceptional and are usually 4 courses.

The restaurants included La Smaritta (Italian) which I think is the best and serves things like King Prawn, lamb, steak. Gourmet food is served there so I would recommend booking in there as often as possible. Then there is the seafood restaurant (The Reef) which overlooks the beach (a really romantic setting) which has a good menu and the food was always to a high standard. The main restaurant gets very busy so the service is acceptable and pleasant but not exceptional like in the Italian restaurant, however the food is good. They serve a good variety of food from across the globe. The worst restaurant, in my opinion is Enids but it was still ok. They serve local food - some of it nice but there is no air conditioning so it is uncomfortable.

You can also eat at the sister resort Almond Beach Club and according to reports from other guests, the Enids restaurant there is excellent.

There is a weekly beach BBQ which serves amazing food and the entertainment is great. There is a live band and the young singer is really talented and engaging. Lots of drinking, eating and dancing.

The hotel staff are really lovely, especially in the Italian restaurant. Even security staff will take the time to get to know you.

The entertainment exceeds expectations as all singers are very talented. I am not so keen on some of the dance shows as they were not quite as good.

There are plenty of pools which do not feel too crowded. The adult only pool is the best and most attractive pool.

The beach is ok, but walk a hundred feet down the beach towards Port St Charles and the beach is gorgeous.

I would recommend Almond Beach Village to anyone as it is good for all ages and offers excellent quality food, entertainment and activities.

I would love to go back.

We went to almond beach to get married. The wedding, the wedding coordinator and everyone involved in arranging our wedding were excellent.

The wedding day was one of the happiest days ever and it all went well. I would recommend it to anyone.

I was however disappointed with the accommodation, the room was dull and a bit of a let down. We were Howe ever upgraded at no extra cost but would not recommend the basic room.

Don’t expect any great nightlife. The bars also close at 11pm.The pools and restaurants and the entertainment were all very good. I wish though they would keep children out of the adults only pool.

Finally I would like to say something about the staff. I think the Bayan people are the happiest folk I have ever come across, it was a pleasure to meet them. The staff in the hotel were the exception, they were great.

This was our honeymoon and our first ever all inclusive holiday. It was also our first trip to Barbados. We thought it was fantastic and plan to visit there again as soon as we can afford it!

We received a wonderful welcome to the resort from staff and got a few perks because it was a honeymoon booking - little extras which made it more special such as cocktails on arrival, fresh fruit basket in our room with champagne and a set of 2 champagne glasses as a keep sake! The first room we were given backed onto the kids pool which (being our honeymoon) we were not thrilled with. We asked to be moved and by the second day we had the most amazing garden room close to the biggest pool on the resort right near the gorgeous beach.

The village resort is massive with about 7 pools and 5 eateries, plus a few pool bars and BBQ. You also have full access to the sister resort by shuttle bus which has a wonderful health spa (we also received a free treatment through our honeymoon package).

The food was fantastic - I did not have one bad meal. The breakfasts consisted of a buffet with everything you could imagine - full cooked breakfast with a chef cooking fresh eggs to your liking or a gorgeous omelette. There were all local fruits, yoghurts, Danish pastries, warm freshly cooked pancakes with maple syrup - the list goes on and on - no wonder I put on 1/2 a stone whilst there. The lunches and evening meal were either al a carte or a buffet. Once a week the put on a splendid beach BBQ with fresh fish and meat grilled in front of you.

The drinks were very generous too - all the cocktails made with blended ice - I remember talking to my husband about a cocktail someone had just ordered across the other side of the bar - the bar staff must have over heard me - the next thing I have got one of these cocktails in front of me!! All the staff were really polite and friendly - true Barbados style.
We took a few trips all organised by the resort - again no complaints - all were well priced and organised - a great way to see Barbados.

We did not want to leave at the end of our trip and would recommend to anyone.

The simple fact that there are 395 rooms at this accommodation pales into significance in the wonderful choice of your sunbed around any one of the 7 adult pools. Suddenly you forget there are so many people staying there. The whole ambience and service offered within the reef restaurant was outstanding. If you are travelling to Barbados and take my advice and choose the village then it would be a good move to upgrade to the superior beachfront rooms in St Bernards block down by the reef restaurant. Oh and the 9 hole golf course is top class too for those budding Tiger Woods out there.

Upon arrival at our destination we were greeted with cold fruit juices or rum punches before booking in and taken to our rooms. Despite reading unfavorable reviews before we left the UK, we were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the room and the friendliness of the staff.

There was a good variety of food, drinks were not limited to local types only and yet nobody seemed to get drunk - perhaps we were lucky on the weeks we were there. There are ten swimming pools at this resort so children had there space and adults wanting peace and relaxation had theirs!

The resort is situated on the beach and although there are many vendors selling various souvenirs, they never took offence if you said no! We took the normal "tourist" excursions (packed lunches were supplied if you requested them) and found them to be of good value. The only thing I found to complain about was our children (teenagers) were allowed to go snorkeling without life jackets.

All in all, I would thoroughly recommend this resort and am looking forward to returning in the very near future.

We went to the Almond Beach Village last year and loved every minute of it! Don't believe any of the bad reviews before 2005, as it's all been refurbished now and looks wonderful. The rooms aren't amazingly lavish, but they are clean and functional - and anyway, you don't go to the Caribbean to sit in your room all day do you!? I'd say that was the only disappointment.

However, the rest of the hotel was marvellous. The grounds are lush, the beach is breathtaking, blue waters and gorgeous soft white sand - I would advise watching the sunrise one morning! It's never that busy even when we went in the midst of July, and lots of water sports to do like kayaking, windsurfing, waterskiing, banana boating, pedalos - and jet skiing was great too, although you had to pay for it and it’s not exactly cheap!

Very impressed with the service, especially from the girls in Enid's! Every one of the staff happy to do anything for you, nothing is too much trouble!

There are many pools to choose from but I'd say the adult over 16s pool is by far the best. But there's also loads to do for the kids - they have two pools for themselves and a kids club which I was told was brilliant!

Now to the food, there were 4 restaurants so there was a variety of cuisine to choose from which was nice! All the food was delicious and I never had any complaints. The buffet was covered from flies, lots of choices for breakfast, and there’s a mini buffet with pizza and chips etc. running throughout the day - so it's impossible to be hungry! (and very easy to put on weight - I'd watch that!)

The bars are open from early morning until late in the evening (and then if you still want a drink you can go to the nightclub) and the bartenders are a good laugh, they also knock up some brilliant cocktails, I recommend the Tequila Sunrise and Banana Daquiri. The beauty of it is that they're all free...

Anyway, if you want to get away from the hotel complex, the hotel is very good at organising excursions, the catamaran snorkelling trip is wonderful, you have a party on a catamaran with a dancing competition and lots of complimentary alcohol he he and then jumping in the waters to snorkel with the beautiful tropical fish along the reef. Also, there’s a very interesting 4x4 island tour, with an experienced tour guide who will show you the other side of the island including caves! He knows all the local info and it's well worth going on!

And if you need some pampering, you can hop on the free bus to the Spa (it’s over 16s only), it’s small but good to treat yourself a little.

Of course there's always golf if you fancy a game, it’s only a small 9-holer but its great fun, even if you have to use special balls!

The nightlife is pretty good too, the evening entertainment finishes at about 11, and then the nightclub is open from 11-2am, and all the fun party people go there, a lot of current music is played. However the noise doesn't seem to travel to any of the rooms as it is quite far away.

Overall I have to say I was very impressed with the Almond Beach Village, I seem to have addressed everything you can do there, so next year we are going to go there again, put our feet up and relax!

Flight to Barbados was with BMI - big mistake! Virgin also fly here and I would recommend you fly with them because the service on BMI wasn't very good, but I have heard such good reports from other holiday makers who went with virgin.

Anyway, resort was amazing. Although it was our honeymoon and the Village is a family resort, we decided not to go to the beach club and spa down the road, despite it being adults only, and what a good job we didn't! The beach club and spa is tiny compared to the Village. (For those who don't know, they are both Almond resorts but you can use the facilities at both regardless of which one you are staying at. there is a free bus that runs between the two).

The Village has everything you could possibly wish for. The adults only pools were fantastic, and the kids facilities were amazing. The food was wonderful, however my husband doesn't like what he calls 'posh' food, so we spend most of our time eating at the courtyard cafe which serves pizza, burgers and chips from 12pm until 8pm.

The only downside to the food is the fact you have to book in at the restaurant you want to go to. If you forget and ring late, you may not get in. That’s mainly why we ate at the courtyard cafe because you didn't need to book. You also don't need to book at Enid's which serves traditional Bajan cooking. The best bit was the breakfasts. Pretty much everything you could wish for, piping hot ready for you to help yourself. You don't need to book this, and its in both the courtyard cafe and the horizon restaurant.

The water sports that are provided by the hotel are amazing. The free snorkeling equipment was brilliant and well worth a go. We decided not to book the trips provided by Thomas Cook, instead we booked through the hotel and saved a fortune. We swam with turtles which was the most amazing thing i have ever done, and it was a bargain at US$ 30 each.

The currency is in either Barbados dollars or you can use American dollars, but if you do, your change is given in Barbados dollars - very confusing. The Barbados dollars works out at 2 Barbados dollars to 1 American dollar and the prices are usually listed in both currencies, but it’s easy to work out if it isn't.

The beach towels are provided and you can change them as often as you like at the water sports centre located on the beach, or the kids centre.

I would recommend the 4x4 island tour the hotel runs. The guide knows everything about the island and you get to see bits that you wouldn't normally - even if you hire a car. The daily bus to Bridgetown is free but needs to be booked a day in advance. Its a good chance to do some duty free shopping, but there isn't much there apart from jewelry shops. There is a big department store called Cave Sheppard that sells the usual perfumes and clothes, and is worth a look.

The golf course on site is great. There are no green fees to pay, you just pay to hire the clubs, which is US$ 5 a set. As they only do men’s clubs, we only hired one set at per round, and shared them. It not only halves the cost, it means that one of you can have a rest from pulling the trolley! You can take your own and not pay anything to play, but you have to use special balls that only they sell. They are quite expensive, but the golf pro usually has a few you can buy cheaper than in the shop. They don't go as far for safety reasons but are still playable.

I would highly recommend this place, as my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed ever minute of it. But be warned - the sun is very, very strong. Unless you never burn, cover up with a lot of sun cream. I was using factor 30 and still managed to burn my shoulders. You have been warned!

My rating is only 9 because of the fact that you had to book everything in advance. I was on holiday and wanting to relax, not plan every aspect of my day. Other than that, it was perfect.

We went to ABV to get married and loved every minute of it. There is absolutely nothing we could fault.

If I could afford to go every year I would!

The staff we great, were very friendly and made a point of remembering all of the people in our party.

The wedding meal was amazing and the personalised table was a great touch. Also the wedding planner was lovely.

I hope that we will go again soon, will be saving up!

Overall, a wonderfully friendly and relaxed atmosphere at the resort.

Good on-site security and you are not bothered too much by sellers on the beach.

Service is second to none, and the food in all the restaurants is superb.

Excellent family resort with plenty of activities to keep everyone amused.

The only thing I would say that could do with improving, is that some of the rooms would benefit from a bit of re-decorating.