A Blue Sky Holiday Selling Barbados
By Melanie Reffes
Bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the west and south and framed by limestone cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Barbados marries European sophistication with Caribbean flair. Appealing to a diverse clientele who covet its natural beauty, spirited cricket games, gourmet dining and growing portfolio of accommodations, the easternmost island in the Caribbean is rolling out a regal welcome to American travelers.
Teaming with the National Basketball Association’s Miami Heat, Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) has inked in a partnership through the 2011-2012 seasons, which will feature internet and radio promotions, trip giveaways and in-arena visibility. “This is an opportunity to simultaneously build visibility for Barbados as well as bring a new level of excitement to our Miami community,” said Urban Cumberbatch, VP sales and marketing, BTA, “With daily direct flights from Miami, it’s never been easier to get here and we look forward to seeing HEAT fans on the island’s sandy shores.”
Suite Dreams & Actiities
Dating to the 1800’s, the Atlantis Hotel in Tent Bay (www.atlantishotelbarbados.com) is open with eight rooms in the main building and two suites next to the pool. With year round rates starting at $255, the boutique hotel is a good bet for clients wanting to get away from the busier west coast.
Tamarind Cove Hotel, one of five Elegant Hotels Group properties, will close in July for an extensive facelift. Anticipating a November re-opening, upgrades at the family-friendly property will include a new spa, Kids Club and a poolside tapas lounge. Without disruption to guests, renovations will also begin at EHG’s two all-inclusive resorts, Crystal Cove and Turtle Beach. “In the U.S., Barbados remains somewhat of an undiscovered gem and we feel that the Elegant Hotels collection now makes discovery possible by offering the ultimate ‘one stop shop’ with a hotel to match every desire,” said Howard Friedman, CEO. Visit www.eleganthotels.com.
In Bridgetown, Hilton Barbados (hiltoncaribbean.com) is selling ‘Fun in the Sun’ packages through September 30th (booking code P1) that include a $150 credit with a four-night stay. “Hilton Barbados recognizes the value the travel agent community has on our beachfront resort,” said Matthew Mullan, general manager. “We like to think of them as an extension of our hotel team.”
Three all-inclusive properties—Almond Beach Club & Spa, Almond Beach Village and Almond Casuarina Beach—cater to couples and multi-generational families. For golfers, the Village has the only course on the island with a par-three, nine-hole layout. Visit www.almondresorts.com.
Fairmont Royal Pavilion is selling a family-focus package through October 31st that includes activities from treasure hunts to kayaking and a fifty percent discount on the second room with guaranteed interconnecting rooms at the time of booking. Visit www.fairmont.com.
In Holetown, the 76-room Mango Bay is celebrating sixteen years in business with a ‘Sweet Sixteen’ incentive that includes a fifty percent discount on seven-night honeymoon stays. All-inclusive rates through Dec. 14 start at $425 per night with agent rates starting at $200. Visit www.MangoBayBarbados.com.
The first and only Zagat-rated Caribbean island, Barbados dishes up a mélange of cuisines from Bajan fare to British pub grub. New on the south coast boardwalk, Tapas sits where Aqua once did, and tempts with small plates at reasonable prices. When he’s not in the kitchen at Sandy Lane where his claim to fame was creating the dinner for Tiger Wood’s wedding, Connie de Grill Master can be found at his roadside stand in Payne’s Bay grilling his delectable ribs and chicken. Get there early, because once he runs out of food, that’s it.
Oistins Fish Fry sizzles with heaping platters of flying fish, cou cou (corn meal and okra) and jug-jug (guinea corn and green peas). Ballroom dancers sway to the classics at next-door Lexi’s while spectators enjoy the show with a frosty Banks beer. Champers is the reigning Zagat’s winner with guava daiquiris that pack a punch and sautéed scallops jazzed up with green curry. Visit www.champersbarbados.com.
Wide and wind-blown, beaches along the east coast are pounded by the Atlantic Ocean and coveted by surfers. On the calmer west coast, Mullins Beach, Church Point, and Paynes Bay invite sunbathers and swimmers. Unbroken stretches of white sand on Accra Beach, Casuarina Beach and Silver Sands on the south coast are popular with body surfers and people-watchers (note to celebrity spotters: Singer Rihanna likes Accra Beach) and in the north, coral cliffs rise straight out of the sea reaching up to a hundred feet in height.
A nod to its British heritage, the largest cricket ground is Kensington Oval where tourists are welcome to cheer on local teams. Festivals take place year-round including Sir Garfield Sobers International Tournament kicking off in July. The first public championship course, Barbados Golf Club is an eighteen-hole, par 72 course with two lakes and coral waste bunkers. Visit www.barbadosgolfclub.com. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., The Royal Westmoreland is part of a new development that includes condominiums and a racquet club.
Hunt’s Garden and Orchid World are popular wedding venues and at Barbados Wildlife Reserve, mongoose and peacocks cavort peacefully while tourists snap vacation photos. Windmill aficionados like the Parish of St. Andrew, which is home to Morgan Lewis Mill, one of only two intact sugar mills in the Caribbean. A short walk from the Barbados Museum, George Washington House is the only international locale visited by the first President who spent six weeks in the Georgian-style mansion with his ill brother. Visit www.georgewashingtonbarbados.org
The most visited attraction, Harrison’s Cave, is a wonderland of stalactites, stalagmites and waterfalls. The only cave of its kind in the Caribbean, electric-powered carts travel underground for a look at one of the islands natural wonders. Visit www.harrisonscave.com.
Getting There
Jet Blue, American Airlines and Delta fly into Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown (BGI).
For more information visit the Barbados Tourism Authority at www.visitbarbados.org or call (800) 221-9831.