The Best Holiday Apartments in Barbados

| Courtesy of South Gap Hotel / Expedia
Jo Fernandez-Corugedo

The best apartments in Barbados can be found in the heart of things, or on the sandy beaches of the coast and away from the crowds, or in rural peace. Some are self catering, and others come with beachfront restaurants or great places to eat within easy striking distance. Come to this fun-filled Caribbean island and feel utterly at home.

The Crane Resort – Contemporary Suites

Apartment

The Crane Resort - Contemporary Suites
Courtesy of The Crane Resort - Contemporary Suites / Expedia

On a cliff in the southeast is this 1887-built hotel. One of the oldest on the island, it’s now bang-up-to-date, with photograph-worthy pools, a village square with shops and a kids club. Rooms have hand-tooled four-poster beds, kitchens and views of the pool, gardens or the breaker-topped Atlantic. Upgrade and snag a room with a pool. Pink-sand beaches close by beckon for boogie boarding. Oistins Fish Fry has seafood stalls and a booming bassline.

Little Good Harbour

Hotel, Cottages

An ocean-facing terrace with a dining set and loungers, part of a two-bedroom suite at the Little Good Harbour
Courtesy of Little Good Harbour / Booking.com
Need a laid-back family-run boutique hotel on a secluded stretch of coast? Stay here, in the fishing community of Shermans. Cottage-style suites in coral-stone buildings are essays in Caribbean decor and colonial style: plantation doors and shutters, rattan chairs and floral- or tropical-print textiles. There are one- and two-bedroom suites. Or pick the three-bedroom Vineyard Suite for an open-plan kitchen, a reading balcony and clawfoot tub. Swim in the two pools, then dine beachside at the Fish Pot, near where the swordfish were caught earlier in the day.

Beach View

Apartment

Beach View, Barbados
Courtesy of Beach View / Expedia

Like your Caribbean pristine? Book in at this family-run aparthotel on the west coast, among manicured grounds. Rooms, suites and villas – all with kitchenettes – combine neutral tones and tropical-themed art. How to spend the day? There are pools and a small spa, a gym and a salon. You’re also across the road from the beach. Paynes Bay is half a mile away (0.8km), stretching south from Sandy Lane to the fish market at Derricks, by the famous Cliff restaurant. Or order a grocery-stocked room and top up your fridge at the Hut – the handy on-site minimart.

White Sands Beach Condos

Apartment

White Sands Beach Condos
Courtesy of White Sands Beach Condos / Expedia

The happening St. Lawrence Gap area of Christ Church spells party time. But you can chill afterwards in your smart apartment – with a kitchenette and balcony – at this remarkable Italianate building. The small outdoor pool area is where early-bird guests bronze. Too late? The quiet beach is steps away, if you want to lime (chill) like a Bajan. When you’re ready, you’re a short walk from a handy grocery store, restaurants and bars along the Gap.

Ocean Two Resort and Residences by Ocean Hotels

Apartment

Ocean Two Resort and Residences by Ocean Hotels
Courtesy of Ocean Two Resort and Residences by Ocean Hotels / Expedia

Close to the buzz of St. Lawrence Gap, on the south coast, is this seven-story luxury beachfront hotel. Suites shine with marble accents and dark wood furniture; living areas extend onto private terraces with sea or bay views. Kitchens have stainless-steel fridges, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. The main pool is a beauty, flanked by fruity parasols. Guests listen for the blowing of a conch shell: the signal that thrice-daily happy hour is starting.

Saint Peter's Bay

Apartment

Saint Peters Bay
Courtesy of Saint Peter's Bay / Expedia

This place delivers with bells on. Book luxurious residences – too posh to be called apartments – or luxury penthouses. You’ll get oversized bathtubs, walk-in showers and a kitchen you can cook your heart out in. From your vast terrace you can gaze at the ocean in your tub. Centered around a free-form swimming pool, the resort is hugged by landscaped gardens and a Pilates and yoga studio. And don’t forget – you get a lounger at funky day-club Nikki Beach Barbados.

Tropical Sunset Beach Apartment Hotel

Apartment

Tropical Sunset Beach Apartment Hotel
Courtesy of Tropical Sunset Beach Apartment Hotel / Expedia

Who’d have thought you could self-cater so close to Sandy Lane resort in Holetown, where all the celebrities stay, on the exclusive west coast? They’re all missing a trick: these 23 rooms work a treat. You can cook in the kitchenettes, decorated with wicker and tiles, then laze on their beach-facing balconies (or terraces), viewing the ocean. There’s a pool to cool off in, steps from the sandy beach. Here you’ll find Zaccios Beach Bar and Restaurant. Make ours a rum punch.

South Gap Hotel

Budget Hotel, Apartment

South Gap Hotel, Barbados
Courtesy of South Gap Hotel / Expedia

Laid-back and friendly: that sums up the South Gap Hotel. Its boutique-style self-catering studios and suites take design cues from the blue sky above and the sea beyond. One-bedroom suites go big on space, with separate sleeping and living areas. Beside the pool, tiki lamps and tropical plants set a serene scene. The soundtrack of crashing waves adds the vital soundtrack. Next stop: St Lawrence Gap, for beachy bars and appetizing foodie-spots.

Ocean Spray Apartments

Apartment, Budget Hotel

Lawn with curved reclining chairs and palm trees outside Ocean Spray Apartments, Barbados
Courtesy of Ocean Spray Apartments / Expedia

We love laid-back, fuss-free living by the beach. And these boxy whitewashed apartments are the business: choose one-, two- or three-bedroom. They combine pared-back decor with cooling tiled floors and ocean views. And the setting? Lovely – on a rural patch of the south coast. Don’t fancy cooking in the kitchenette? The simple al fresco restaurant does a great smoked marlin. After downward dogs at the yoga pavilion at dawn, catch a wave nearby, at Surfer’s Point.

Legend Garden Condos

Apartment

Legend Garden Condos, Barbados
Courtesy of Legend Garden Condos / Booking.com

These quirky, rustic condos bask in totally tropical grounds of palm and bearded fig trees. Interiors mimic this, awash with palm fronds and foliage-patterned fabric. There’s no restaurant here – you’ll have to taxi to atmospheric Speighstown’s supermarket along the coast for supplies. Cool off in the inviting pool, recline in shaded comfort in the two gazebos and – for the real deal – grab beers at Mullins Bay, a sandy stretch of coast just across the road, after you’ve hit the waves.

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