Treasure Beach Art Hotel, Barbados, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort

We have just returned from Treasure Beach where we had a wonderful relaxing holiday. The staff here are absolutely superb - well done Marriott for picking the best of the best from your hotels which are currently closed. We had our favourites, but to be fair every member of staff we encountered was friendly and welcoming. Refurbishment is very nice, in keeping with the style of the building and the rooms are nicely appointed in soft greys and taupe colours with white. Bed was super comfy and the mix of aircon with ceiling fan kept us at a perfect temperature for sleeping. Bathroom too, nicely appointed with shower cubicle and a bath kept beautifully clean by housekeepers daily. Our shower did have a few marks on its ceiling which looked like mould (possibly from a leak above) which we did highlight to them and shouldn’t have been there after only two months being open. Pool area small but plenty of Sun loungers for everyone and once the early morning bed baggers had gone home after our first few days, there was no rush to reserve sun beds. Sun beds were new and a bit different from the usual padded ones, but the advantage was that they dried very quickly after the inevitable Caribbean showers and you weren’t sitting in a soggy lounger for long. Towels were plentiful throughout the day for you to help yourself. Beach was easily accessible right by the hotel or further along towards Sandy Lane too. Food was really good indeed for an all inclusive. Breakfast was a buffet plus some a la carte items to order. Lunch changed halfway through our stay from buffet to an a la carte menu, some items changing daily, which was lovely. Dinner was a la carte for 5 nights and two nights buffet but they are looking to reduce the buffet to one night only. A la carte dinners were 4 courses and beautifully presented - we didn’t have a meal we didn’t like. There were just a few things for us that would have made it perfect: 1) a mirror in the room other than the only one in the bathroom 2) not running out of Sauvignon Blanc! 3) not allowing smokers to smoke so close to the outside dining area and the bar We would love to return and can definitely recommend if you like a small low key resort where everyone is friendly and the service is exceptional.

Overall, an excellent holiday. Well done to the team working at the hotel who have created a lovely relaxing environment. The one Moan We will start with our one major gripe. Many tour operators and the Marriott website boast about the multiple hotel dine-around programme (with sister Marriott hotels). When we were in Barbados (Feb/Mar 25), all but one other hotel was shut for renovation! So much for the 15 restaurant dine around option! We had the one at Treasure Beach and the pair at Waves. As for websites, Virgin Holidays, TUI, Marriott, SHAME ON YOU for mis-leading customers. [Well done to SAGA holidays (who we didn’t use) who clearly pointed out the renovation programmes and what would be available.] The Room The room was newly renovated and comfortable with good aircon and comfortable beds. The turndown service was odd as it happened a couple of times only. Plenty of storage space and a good hot bath and shower. Would be nice if the bath had a shower attachment, so you could sit in the bath and wash your hair, rather than having to use the shower. But only a minor comment. The Food Breakfast is a buffet but is supplemented with a small but good a la carte menu. Typically, we ordered something off the menu and if we were peckish, grabbed something from the buffet. Lunch was from the menu which had about 10 items to chose from, four items changed daily so plenty of choice. Evening meal was five nights a la carte (changing options every night) and two nights buffet (Weds and Sat). Guests aware of this could then arrange which nights to dine elsewhere. The buffet was OK, a la carte more interesting. There were only three choices for the evening meal (Meat/Fish/Vegetarian) I would like to see a few more choices added which would give more variety, and stop that feeling of having to choose something because there is nothing else on offer. However, overall we were very pleased with the food which was excellently cooked and presented. There were sometimes waits for food as it is prepared fresh in the kitchen. The serving team are attentive and fun, but some do rely on memorising your choices (and any variations e.g. “no cheese please”) which we found were occasionally forgotten. The Clientelle I guess it changes, but we had around 70% Brits, 15% USA, 15% Europe. Age demographic is definitely towards the retirement end! Its is, after all, an adults only hotel, so no families. The Pool/Sea Wall As mentioned by a few others, we had the problem of people getting up before dawn and reserving bed-chairs from the pool/on the sea front. And the nationality of these people was…..English! (So, time to stop blaming other nationalities!!). The pool itself was small but was cleaned every day and was a nice temperature. The sea front chairs do get the odd splash from the waves on the other side, so be aware! The Bar and Evening Entertainment The Bar was open pretty much all the time, with a good selection of cocktails. Beer was from a

All hotels have become ridiculously overpriced in Barbados, and that might be partly due to Marriott buying up so many. And I hate that so many are All Inclusive which stops you exploring the restaurant scene. Certainly Treasure Beach was better than expected, but Paynes Bay has become really rundown. Hotels each side of it are now rubble. There's a house next door with drilling going on. And it's all going to take years to return to normal, if at all. The beaches really aren't that great. Food was quite pleasant at Treasure Beach and the staff friendly. But a few days is more than enough at such a small hotel in a basic area. And we really could have done without the constant music. To listen to Bob Marley's Greatest Hits over and over from breakfast to late afternoon is ridiculous. The next day it was a repeat of something else. Does no one realise that luxury = peace and the sound of the sea?