Sugar Bay Barbados - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

2258 reviews

• 

  14 night stay, Wedding and Reception- amazing staff!

  14 night stay, Wedding and Reception- amazing staff! A group of us stayed here for 14 nights in October (in school term) with our wedding and reception on site.For the ease of those reading this review, I will review in two parts- Part 1. Our stay at the hotel. Part 2. The wedding and reception. Part 1 Our stay, Being that this was after all, going to be our wedding venue and guests were going to stay here and we hadn’t been here beforehand, there was some trepidation that the hotel would live up to our expectations. We shouldn’t have worried. The Hotel- The hotel is small (boutique) but well laid out, where you don’t feel on top of each other. The decor is simple, yet elegant, with splashes of character and this reflected in the whole hotel. It was well looked after, clean and well maintained. The beach was also well maintained and we had no issues with seaweed on our stay. The protected lagoon and shallow bay meant it was never too rough for a swim. It also never felt too crowded either by the beach or swimming pool and we alway got a sun-lounger. For night entertainment it was mostly singers doing covers but they were very good. They did other things during the day too, such as afternoon tea. Small but serviceable gym with two treadmills and a couple of machines. Our room was a family suite. It was spacious and clean and the beds were super comfy. Plenty of TV channels although the sound was a bit distorted on one of the TVs (TV in lounge and one in bedroom). Air con worked perfectly fine in our room, no issues. We could hear the nightly singers from our room but this finished at 10pm. Housekeeping was daily. Food and drinks were great, with lots of variety and all very tasty. The burgers at Collins Bar are probably some of the tastiest burgers I have had! We also had no issue booking the two speciality restaurants, Reef and Umi, with Reef being our preferred of the two. The starters for Umi were better than the main ones. Do try one of the drinks in Blush Cafe, they are yummy. Staff attentiveness- This has to be the hotel’s strongest point was the staff- they were wonderful! The staff were warm, friendly and attentive but not in an overly way that seems false and forced (a bug bear of any Brit)- the exchanges felt natural. Orders and meals were served promptly. But it was going above and beyond that impressed us. One of our party’s luggage hadn’t arrived and they were without fresh clothing. The next day, she went out, came back to a clean room, and the hotel had gifted her a t-shirt. When my wife asked if they had any soursop and they didn't, the next day one of the chefs at breakfast bought some for her to have. It is the little details that absolutely made our stay. I tried to get to know all the names of the staff as they were amazing, I can’t praise them, enough. In all the hotels we’ve been to, this has been by far the best for staff attentiveness. Part 2. The Wedding. There were 50 guests in total for our wedding and reception, lasting from 3pm-10pm. First of all Janelle, our wedding coordinator, was (and is) amazing! Prior to our stay, we had an exchange over Zoom, where she addressed all our wishes for the event and addressed our worries too. Then on the day, she sprung into action! Needless to say Janelle was warm and friendly and easy to communicate with. Janelle and Sugar Bay made sure the day went smoothly. I don't think it interfered with the guests. The decor was beautiful and Janelle was able to meet any personal touches we had. We had a singer and DJ and Sugar Bay was able to accommodate this. The transition from ceremony to reception was seamless. And the place where we had the wedding (cordoned off for us for the ceremony), with the arch and the overhanging palm tree- so picture-esque! Again it's the custom service- it rained briefly at our reception (10 minutes max) and as everyone is running to the bar for shelter, who do I see in the rain- Janelle, turning over seat cushions to ensure when we return our seats our dry! Bless you, Janelle! And so we got married and got merry! Conclusion- Out of 50 guests, about half stayed at the hotel and absolutely loved it. My wife and I had THE BEST time and we were absolutely gutted to leave. We noticed that repeat guests have got different colour bands (with gold band being the highest prestige). After our wonderful stay, I can tell you our goal will be to get one of those bands.

  Dec 22, 2024
• 

  A resort that is in desperate need of a major upgrade in several areas. Resting on its laurels and isn' premium anymore

  A lovely resort that has slowly grown tired and dilapidated with in major need of a refresh Certain staff members are very good, notable mentions to Akiel and Nicoli who are a joy. Others seem a little miserable and unable to comprehend relatively simple and straight forward request. Namely relating to drink orders The food options become very ‘samey’ after a few days. Yes there a few options however the lack of grilled chicken that isn’t slathered in pre packed bbq sauce that seems it’s come from a mass packet is disappointing The fish options are better; however it’s disappointing however that for being located on an island the lack of not having an option where you can solely obtain King Prawns/Shrimp. They’re always thrown in amongst noodle options as a stir fry for example Far far too many pork and beef options. In other words if you like leaner cuts of fish/chicken you’ll be disappointed visiting here The fruit seem like an after thought. Little things also like not having sweeteners in rooms make such a difference. The beds are comfortable however the televisions are not ‘smart’ and lack streaming options. Many of the channels also lack signal The gym doesn’t seem like it’s been updated in 10 + years. The machines are incredibly old and need a major major upgrade. For a resort that is meant to be ‘premium’ it’s not good enough The beach front is a plus point and the views are lovely The whole place needs a refresh. Paint work needs to done everywhere and upgrades such as moving a bar area isn’t good enough The evening ‘entertainment’ is interesting, it exists but I can’t really say the singers are very good

  Dec 18, 2024
• 

  Looking tired but still a lovely hotel

  I was hesitating between a 3/4 rating this time. The food offers enough choice including for vegetarians and the seating managers do accommodate your requests and preferences. The table staff although not rude are not as friendly as Akiel who deserves a special mention for going over and beyond. Nicoli deserves a mention too. Tiffini in housekeeping was also super smiley. The hotel is still lovely, however looks a little tired. The rooms have been the same for many years and the bathrooms certainly could do with a refurbishment. The shower cubicles had mould and the toilets had brown stains which were obviously build up over time. Not pleasant at all. The pool was well maintained and the general public areas clean and still nice. The spa has good number of treatments and is well worth a visit. The bars have a variety of drinks and generally not too long a wait to get served. The library and little shop also add to the extra rating for the hotel.

  Dec 18, 2024
• 

  Lovely family friendly hotel with activities for everyone.

  A beautiful hotel set on a stunning photogenic beach. The staff are friendly and helpful and keep everything spotless. The concierge was really helpful organising two trips out for us. The hotel also laid on free walking tours of the area and to see the racehorses being exercised at dawn on the beach.

  Dec 18, 2024
• 

  Sugar Bay Resort — Outstanding

  We so enjoyed our second visit to Sugar Bay Resort Dec 1-15. It is hard to say what is the best part of this resort because it is all outstanding. Accommodations are lovely, clean and well appointed. I am not normally a fan of buffet restaurants but this is no ordinary buffet .. the menu is constantly changing and the food is both plentiful and oh so tasty. But I think the exceptional staff is what truly makes a Sugar Bay Resort special.

  Dec 17, 2024