Turtle Beach by Elegant Hotels

From the moment we arrived, we were treated well. The food was excellent and the staff very freindly. They had a laid back attitude that made us feel relaxed. They didn't get in a hurry but were always there to help in any way.

General: My wife and I had read a lot of the reviews posted here (especially the negative ones) so much so we even rang Virgin a week before departure to express our concern. We even tried to exchange our holiday. Thankfully Virgin would not allow us to change and having visited this Hotel we have come to the conclusion that these negative reviews must have been written by uptight obnoxious losers (who appear to be mainly yanks) and quite frankly will never be happy. At no time at all did we witness surly or rude staff indeed quite the opposite they could not do enough for us. The presentation of the food in the Chelonia Restaurant was excellent so for all you other moaners what were you expecting – 24oz t-bone stakes or a dozen ribs to munch on I guess!!!!!. This Hotel is well worthy of its official rating and provides good value for money. Admittedly it’s not the Ritz or Hilton but then again we were never expecting this. If this is what you are expecting then you should pay for such comforts and book into the Sandy Lane. On this Island you get what you pay for. Rooms: I can’t comment on the standard rooms as we upgraded to the Ocean View. For an extra £300 it was well worth it. Every morning we woke up looking out at the beach and listening to the ocean waves. We stayed in room 310 and it was spacious (not a suite mind) clean and very comfortable. Admittedly it could do with a lick of paint but to be honest had we not read previous reviews we would have not really noticed so don’t worry. I would say the best rooms to be had are 412 – 406, 312 to 306 and 209-206 Entertainment: Not great but in way it was nice just too simply relax over dinner and listen to live soft music and let the world go by. After such an enjoyable meal and a glass of red wine and a glass of port with your cheese we were almost ready for bed. Ask your selves this if you go out for a special meal at home do you expect an entertainment floor show during or after your meal every night? Beach: Yes admittedly probably the biggest bug bear in terms of location. Virgin need to be more honest in their brochure as the sea is can be rough and I would not trust Children under 12 to venture out alone. Even above the age I would still be inclined to have my eye on them. I have a daughter of 10although she loved it because you can have a good laugh on the boogie boards and its fun going out on the Hobbie Cat. Look for the man in the funny coloured Hat. It can be a bit scary at first but rest assured you are in safe hands with him. He will only take children out if it’s safe enough for his own kids. If your luck like we were he will point out to you the flying fish. The Beach itself is quite long and sandy with no stones or shingle – makes a pleasant walk. Personally this sandy beach is a lot better than Crystal Cove even with this Hotel being situated on the calm West Coast. Peddlers can be a pain but if your not interested a polite no thank you suffices the situation. Watch out for the man than makes Hat’s, fruit bowls out of palm leaves – his prices are reasonable and you really have to admire his skill. Restaurants: 3 restaurants in all. We did not try the Italian which is supposedly the best of all because its adults only and we had a child of ten. As I said earlier the Chelonia served some excellent food and the presentation on a la carte nights was superb. Not a restaurant to be rushed so sit back relax enjoy the food and wine and expect to spend between 1.5 and 2 hours eating here. Oh one tip – you can’t over dress yourself here so make the most of it. The menu also changes every night which makes you want to come back. The Waterfront restaurant is ok nothing fancy but if you don’t fancy dressing up to much and want a quick in and out you are probably best with this one. One final tip as this was my other bug bear. You have to book a time for eating in any of the restaurants. We assumed you did this on a daily basis but quickly caught on that others were booking time slots for the duration of their stay. It should not be allowed but if don’t want to eat late you simply have do the same otherwise you’ll find the only times left are between 9.00pm and 9.30pm. Trips: Book the Tiami cruise it’s a must. Professional organisation that takes a catamaran up the west cost for 5 hours. You are greeted with drinks and canopies before boarding a very spacious craft. After an hour or so you pull up anchor a spend 25 min snorkelling and gets to see loads of fish (buy the under water camera on board – a must) sail again a then spend another 25mins snorkelling with the Turtles. My daughter loved it and it was a pleasure to see. Great lunch (no paper plates) and a final stop off at a quite beach on the west Coat to relax on board or take a swim. We also hire a car for the day. Can work out expensive but it was still worth it. We travelled to Harrison’s gave and had a great time. The best caves I’ve seen so far – well worth a visit. Travelled west and spent a few hours on the beach at Mullins Bay. Had a great lunch and did some water sports which were fun. Although you can get these free at Crystal Cove you don’t get long and have to book well in advance so it’s worth paying else where as you get a long time for your money. Overall: A great holiday, excellent hotel for the money and well worthy of its rating. Would I go back again, for sure but before I do I would like to spend my next visit (booking into Almond Beach Village) further up the West Coast simply because the water is a lot calmer. Regrets: None what so ever PS: Have agreat Holiday and I only wish it was us going again but 12 mths will soon come round again.

Just returned from Turtle Beach Hotel, we had a great time, it was lovely, nicely decorated, friendly staff, food was gorgeous. We got married out there and the day was perfect, the wedding co-ordinators did a brilliant job, the photos were great, the setting, everything. It was strange having to book evening meals in advance, but we just booked each week in advance, it was not a problem. We will definitely be going back there, and would recommend it to anyone. Lovely holiday!

Went here in a party of 9, and had a fantastic time n barbados, despite this hotel Rooms were shabby, balconies had slots missing, food awful, couldn't get into restaurants we wanted at an appropriate time. Kids food was awful with limited choice. THe restaurant tables were absolutely filthy. The food was luke warm, the staff were rude and couldn't be bothered to serve us. They ran out of malibu and couldn't be bothered to go to the store for more. The manager hid from us. The rep was at the end of her tether. The manager eventually met with us and when I walked him round the restaurant with a pack of baby wipes and showed him the filth on the baby seats, tables and restaurant serving areas, he agreed that it was unacceptable and signed a long list of my complaints. the holiday had cost £30k and we got £10k back from BA holidays, went to the bahamas and stayed at royal towers, paradise island- which I would definitely recommend. Have stayed at Crystal Cove - fabulous- at coral reef - out of this world - both in barbados. Lovely island - recommend plantation night, submarine trip, catamaran cruise, jeep safari, swimming with turtles, the beaches are like paradise on earth - although the sea at turtle beach is too rough! All in all - didn't put me off the caribbean - but would never go back here again! Shouldn't have one star - never mind 4+! Shabby - dirty - rude or lazy staff or both! Cold tea for breakfast and sick as dogs after a meal at Asiagos!

I have just returned from 2 weeks at this resort. Like many others I viewed comments about the resort beforehand and I had some concern due to a number of adverse reviews. The initial impression on arrival is not that impressive due to the external paintwork of the property in a faded pink colour. However after this our attitude improved and I have to say that overall this is a very good resort and excellent value for money. A 4 rating in Carribean does not mean luxury as I have stayed in other similar quality hotels in Barbados and Jamaica but it does mean a good standard of comfort and facilities which Turtle Beach certainly has. The quality and selection of food means you should always be able to get something to suit in the 2 main restaurants - sometimes buffet and others waiter service which they call a la carte but is really table d`hote. The italian restaurant is top class and well worth a visit at least once - the table d`hote menu seems to remain unchanged however. Service was very good in all places except on Sundays at dinner in the Chelonia which seemed to be due to a shortage of staff then. The system of booking for evening meals has to be mastered early to ensure a time of your choice but usually the day before is enough otherwise you end up eating late as most people want to eat early. Reviewers have criticised the staff but I found most to be very friendly and when you conversed with them they were more than courteous and helpful. In any group of people some will not be as nice as others but at worst I would say a few staff were a bit offhand. Staff at all levels from cleaners and gardeners to management would say hello when passing around the hotel. I would agree with one criticism that there is a lack of shaded seating around the pool and in open communal areas. The sea is quite rough and not ideal for swimming but there is a good long beach with lots of beds fitted with canopies. Some have mattresses but these are left on the beds at all times and following rain are so wet they cannot comfortably be used - beds are comfortable without them anyway. It is always possible to find faults and there are at Turtle Beach but most are minor and have not affected my overall opinion of the resort which I think is a good quality hotel providing very good value for money. I would have no hesitation in returning or indeed recommending the resort.

We are surprised to read so many positive reviews of this hotel. We have just returned from a one week stay at Turtle Beach (17-24 May) and were very disappointed. The holiday was sold to us as a 4.5 star luxury resort with a choice of 3 restaurants. In reality we arrived to find a room with paint peeling, a layer of dirt on every surface, a shower curtain held together with rusty staples, a thick layer of mould around the bath and on the shower head and the shower and tap fixings hanging off the wall. We managed to eventually change rooms to one which was cleaner, however the fixings in the bathroom were still very loose and the tap & shower head were adjustable due to the plaster being so lose. In addition, we were surprised to find that we could not choose the restaurants we wanted. The first night in Barbados we had been booked into the Chelonia where the only food was a Chinese buffet, which was disappointing as we were hoping to try the local cuisine. Also, the restaurants had to booked between 1-3 days in advance if we wanted to eat before 9pm (bearing in mind that the restaurants closed at 9.30pm). On one ocassion we were unable to book into any of the 3 restaurants for dinner and one morning the Waterfront was closed for breakfast and the Chelonia could not seat us. On the other hand, the one night we manaed to book at the Asiagos we had a wonderful meal with great service. The only thing which kept us at the hotel was the beautiful beach (although the sea was always too rough for swimming). We also found that there was a lack of seating in the shade and in fact the only shaded places to sit were in the bars and restaurants. We were not allowed to sit in the restaurants unless we were eating there and the few chairs available at the bars were usually wet or covered in bird mess. Our general opinion is that if all you want from a holiday is a nice beach with a constant flow of free drinks, then you will probably love this resort. If you want a bit more out of your holiday, then you may be disappointed.

We returned from Turtle Beach last week and we had a lovely holiday. I had read the reviews before we left and was a little nervous! We have been to the Caribbean and Barbados before but we still were a little worried about what to expect. No need, we were greeted with a friendly smile and a rum punch. Our room had been recently decorated and was huge, as was our balcony. It was a garden/pool view junior suite, but was on the corner, so we seemed to have more room because of this. Many a night we sat on our balcony sipping cocktails and listening to the singer in the courtyard below. The food was also better than we had expected. Asiagos was absolutely gorgeous and we managed to get a table four times in our fortnight, so we were happy. We liked to eat in the Waterfront some nights when Chelonia was doing buffet, as we are not lovers of buffet dinners. The service in Waterfront was better than Chelonia, where sometimes on a la carte evenings you could take two hours plus for dinner but hey you’re on holiday who cares!! The fish and seafood especially, were beautiful in all the restaurants and as for the cheesecake - yummy!! Breakfast and lunch were fine. We enjoyed eating in Chelonia at lunchtimes as they had a salad/sandwich buffet which in our opinion was a lot quieter and much nicer than the hot buffet at the Waterfront. We received very good and friendly service from all the staff at Turtle Beach and nobody was ever rude to us. If you made an effort with them they were happy to chat a way to you. We were never without a sun bed and always got our beach towels everyday from the beach hut. The staff came round with drinks and cold towels on the beach and at the pools and a simple no “thank you” got rid of any vendors. Our only real complaint about our holiday was the large party of approx. 60 that arrived on the Saturday before we left. They did take over the hotel a bit and we were not allowed to breakfast in the Waterfront, where we had gone every day before they had arrived because it was then only open to them!! Also the Italian was taken over by them one night and some nights you had to push pass them at the Waterfront bar, as they all had to stand together at the bar, leaving everyone else unable to get to the bar or passed to the restaurant. Then the final insult – we were asked to move from the beach until they erected a large marquee for this party’s final night – which was not that night but the next night!! Half of the sun bed space on the beach was then lost for three days because of their marquee. I think that if hotels want to take corporate groups like these they should at least inform the other guests. Maybe if we had been informed before they arrived that some restaurants etc. would be closed on some days we might not have felt so “put out” by their presence. Apart from that we had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our time at Turtle Beach. It was very good value for money considering we did get a good deal on our holiday and also considering the standard of food and the fact that the liquor was all top shelf.

We were at Turtle Beach from May 15 to May 22. After reading the reviews on this site, my husband and I set out rather nervously for our trip. But, from the moment our airport shuttle arrived at Turtle Beach to the moment it came to take us back the the airport, I felt as though I was in paradise. We spent the week wondering what all those people with the negative comments were talking about!! The food was outstading. If you do not like you meat well done, however, that you may want to stick to other entrees - I don't know if that is standard for Bajans in general or just Turtle Beach, but the meat is well done (which I prefer, but I know a lot of people don't). The seafood was outsatnding - if you like seafood, you will be in for a treat. The service was excellent - I never experienced anything that I would characterize as rude!! In fact I never heard the word "no" while I was there - any request was accomodated. They even brewed iced tea for my husband and I for breakfast every morning, even though they usually don't serve it until lunch. Service could be slightly slow, but not ridiculous, and water and wine glasses never reached the bottom. The bartenders were great and were always joking around with us. I thought the drinks were plenty string and we always had plenty of ice. Be sure to ask for the drink menu at the bar - they have some excellent drinks on there. The rooms were very clean (the maid even put our shoes in neat rows everyday), there was a nice balcony with a table, and we just the standard room with garden view - which was still a very pretty view of the pool area. I found the bed to be perfectly comfortable. There were even fresh flowers left on the bed and in the bathroom upon our arrival. The bellmen are great - everytime we went on an excursion, we were greeted so nicely upon our return. The Bajans in general are just wonderful people. This trip was one of the nicest, most relaxing vacations I have ever been on. I could have easily stayed another week or two. I could go on and on. One final note: in talking to other people staying at Turtle Beach, we asked them if they had read any of these negative reviews, a few had, a few hadn't, but they all could not understand the basis for the complaints - we all loved Turtle Beach!

My wife and I were very nervous after reading some previous reviews. We went for a week from May 15-May22 and had a wonderful time. The staff is extemely helpful and friendly. I do not know what people were talking about when they say the staff is rude. If you treat them with respect, they will do anything for you. The food was wonderful, especially Asiagos. We usually ate at the A LA Carte restaurants, but we did eat that the International Buffet on Wednesday night and it was the buffet that we have ever eaten at and we have been all over. The water is a little rough, but if you like waves, it is great. The staff was very helpful with planning excursions. The rooms are very clean and the maid service was wonderful. The bartenders can make just about anything and we never found it too crowded. No one expected a tip and that is not something that you will find in most Carribean Resorts or Islands. My wife and I would definitely go back. We really enjoyed everything about our trip.

We returned yesterday and enjoyed our 2 week stay. We can only compare this hotel to 3 we have stayed at in Mexico and 1 hotel in Cuba so we are maybe not that experienced at caribbean hotels but we felt it was ok. The hotel is on a small scale and if I were to start with the negatives I would say the lack of evening entertainment was our biggest disappointment. A lady sings most evenings but after a couple of nights you know all her songs! On a Wednesday they have a 1 hour show including some limbo and Saturday is BBQ night. No daytime activities except a hobby cat or boogie board. The sea is rough and not many go in, except our 6 year old he loved it but we had to be so careful and stay very near the edge. The beach area is long but narrow, this is due to the sea coming way up on the beach but providing lots of walking space but the beds kept to the back making it seem crowded. My biggest complaint was on the Saturday before we left a large group of 64 arrived and took over the hotel. They had a restaurant provided for private breakfast etc and massages were set up around the pool saying this group only! I spoke to a lot of guests who were very put out by this and I did speak to reception and ask why they were having 'special treatment' but got knowwhere. On a positive note the staff were the nicest we have had anywhere, they do not expect a tip unlike everywhere else and all the staff spoke and were smiling and friendly. We did travel with a child and I do think this makes a difference as most staff make a fuss of the children but no way was anyone rude. I agree the evening meal was a little slow but 4 course meal taking 1.5 to 2 hours is average. You are on holiday relax and enjoy the wine, the red was very good. Due to the lack of evening entertainment what was the rush. Our child did fall a asleep a few nights but that made it easier for us to enjoy the evening. The waterfront was much quicker but the menu only changes weekly, in Chelonia the menu was daily and in 2 weeks we never ate the same meal twice. I thought the meals were very nice and even my very fussy husband commented how good they were. We always ate at 7.15 and maybe the service slowed as the evening progressed due to numbers. We had read before that reservations were required so I emailed and asked if we could prebook a table as we had a child. They did this with no problem and when we wanted to try the waterfront we changed on the day. My grumble was families could not use the Italian, I feel they should have maybe only offered families 1 evening a week but at least let them use the restaurant, after all we had paid the same as everyone else! Our child did not use the kids club but each evening we went to the club around 6pm and ordered his dinner, they then made sure as we arrived in the dinning room the food was served immediately. The kids club also said our son could have anything to eat within reason, one evening he had just beans on toast but it is what he wanted. Not many families were aware of this service and we only found out by chatting to a lady on reception. She had asked if everything was ok and I just mentioned our son was struggling eating late and she suggested preordering. As with most things if you approach things in the correct way or just ask you will receive. Some guests did complain to us about the service and we were suprised it was the older guests and not the familes? As for Barbados, hire a car and get about it is great fun, we enjoyed Bridgetown and swimming with the turtles. My last tip would be on arival at the airport jump in a taxi and do not mess about with the transfer. The airport was unorganised due to building work, for 12US Dollars we arrived at the hotel way ahead of everyone else and it was worth it. E-mail me if you have any questions I would be happy to help.