Almond Beach Village - Barbados

Home » Caribbean » Barbados

Know Before You Go!

Have you visited Almond Beach Village? We'd love to know what you think...
Please write a review with as much detail as possible. Tell us about the amenities, facilities and staff.

Click Here to post your review for Almond Beach Village.

It was excellent. Visited: October 2004 Posted by splodge_73 I'm a 12-year-old boy, and I went to Barbados in 2004 and I loved it. I got off the plane thinking the accommodation wasn't good, but then we got a cab over to the Almond Beach Village. When we arrived, they helped us out of the cab and gave us cold towels and fruit punch. During the night, we had lovely meals, and I had a beautiful burger. Anyone who would give bad comments must not have had any idea of what was going on. I mean, I saw mongoose, turtles, and barracudas! 6 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was great. Visited: October 2004 Posted by jasmineteague This was my third time visiting Almond Beach Village. I came here with my friends, and we never wanted to go home. We always have such a great time here, and are coming back at the end of month. I cannot wait. 3 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a fantastic time! Visited: April 2004 Posted by hannah_blair10 My sister and I graduated from college a few years ago and were badly in need of "spring break". We chose ABV and loved every minute of it. From the moment we checked in when they offered us rum punch in the open air reception, we knew we were in for a good time. The room was fine, no complaints there, but we really were not in it - except to sleep. The food was good, the beach was great, and the watersports were really fun. Captain Rumpy Pumpy (who was not part of the resort, but sold watersports on the beach at ABV) was a real piece of work. He kept things lively on the beach. Overall, we had a wonderful spring break. Our trip to Barbados was not like the spring breaks of our college days - it was much better. 4 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We spent another week in paradise. Visited: April 2004 Posted by malston We have just returned from our third wonderful vacation at the Almond Beach Village Resort. I have to say that all the negative reviews on this website had me more than a little concerned that perhaps things had gone downhill since our 2003 visit. Not so. Everything was wonderful. In fact, they were working around the resort daily – painting, grooming, replacing furniture, etc. The food was excellent with much variety – four different restaurants to choose from, plus one barbeque on the beach and one Caribbean night in the courtyard each week. Pizza and ice cream was available throughout the day for between meal snacks. I can only assume the people who were disappointed with this resort were looking for the equivalent of a North American five-star facility. If that is the case, I suggest you stay somewhere in North America. You are paying a lot of money to fly all the way to the Caribbean – why would you not go anticipating the Caribbean lifestyle? We have every intention of returning to the Almond Village in 2005 for yet another week in paradise. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Almond Beach Village is a great place! Visited: April 2004 Posted by jimwicks We just got back from a fantastic relaxing time at the ABV. Like other reviewers here, I simply cannot understand the dodgy reviews on this site. The ABV was brilliant! The staff was perfectly friendly and coundn't have been more helpful. The food was outstanding. As for the people complaining they only ate chips (french fries) all week, I can only assume they failed to realize there were four excellent restaraunts at the resort that are all-included. The chips were just snacks to keep the kids happy during the day. I didn't think the place needed a lick of paint. The resort was built on an old sugar plantation and the architecture was therefore a traditional Caribbean one. It was lovely. The beach was amazing. There was plenty of sandy bits, but the "rocks" people complained about here were pristine coral reef! Snorkeling - especially early morning - was outstanding. I heard people complaining about really petty stuff whilst we were here. I just didn't understand. You are here to enjoy yourself. If you are a whiner, stay at home! 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? There is good news and bad news. Visited: February 2004 Posted by gerry_and_june A quick summary: this property was 50% more expensive than the Mayan Riviera and Puerto Vallarta resorts we stayed at previously, and considerably lower in quality. That being said, the room was adequate, bathroom less so, furniture was new, and the bed was comfortable. The food was excellent, with some effort at reservations. And for lunch one had to get off the beach to avoid the steady diet of burgers, etc. The serving and housekeeping staff were invariably friendly, but the reception and guest services staff had "attitude." The beaches and pools were up to standard; one cannot expect a smooth, white sandy beach on this coast; there was a reef just off-shore, and coral fragments were a fact. If one snorkels, this is a bonus. If that was all there was, we would give this property a four-, even a five-star rating. The bad news: On our second last night here, walking back from the Reef Restaurant at 10:20 p.m., on a dark path with close by bushes, we were robbed right on the property. A man grabbed my wife's hand, and ripped a small bag she was carrying out of her hand, and ran off. I chased, and we both made plenty of noise, with no response (speaking to the sound-proofing of the near-by rooms). We called security from our room, and after 20 minutes wait, two gentlemen showed up. We had to supply our own flashlight to show them the scene, as they had brought none, not did they have walkie-talkies. We were asked to the reception area, where we were asked to give details for a report to a secruity man who did not seem to know how to fill out the form. Another finally took over, we filled out the form, then we had to wait for the police, who came more than 2 hours after we had first contacted security. It was 2 a.m. before we got to bed, and we had to take another 2 hours the next day giving a statement to another police officer, who had none of the details from the night before. In conversations with the security staff the night before, we discovered that this entire 35 acre property, with a mile of beach, has exactly 2 security personel on at night! The police told us that they felt that security at ABV is not adequate. Worse, there was NO management response. Other than the two security men expressing regret for the "incident", during the remaining 36 hours of our stay there was no contact from anyone; no phone call or visit, no apology, no offer of compensation of any kind. The message seemed to be that management did not care! So, would we go back? Probably not, unless the security issues were addressed. Would we recommend this resort? No, ditto. If you have the slightest concerns about safety, give this one a miss! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We received wonderful treatment for the whole family. Visited: February 2004 Posted by dneedles We are just back from our first visit to Almond Beach Village (seven days, five kids ages 19 to 6). I thought I should write in because I just don't understand all the crabbiness I read on this site about this lovely place. If you want to go someplace that is safe, comfortable, relaxed, affordable and, above all, interesting, you will love the Village. On the other hand, if the idea of a mongoose running through the garden startles you or if you are bothered when a green finch comes to your finger to beg a crumb of tea biscuit, maybe you should go stay somewhere behind triple-glazed glass. The grounds are beautifully laid out, heavily planted with large trees, lots of shrubbery and well kept gardens around the residences and the pools. Well-lit patio stone pathways wind through the grounds to connect all the buildings. The rooms are not luxurious, but spacious and comfortable. Specify a ground floor ocean front room if you plan to be back and forth a lot to the beach with kids. Otherwise, you may be climbing stairs to the upper floors. (Some people like the view). How anybody could complain about the variety of the food at this resort, simply, is beyond me. There are four full service restaurants and a selection of four or five entrees, appetizers and desserts on each menu - flying fish, local vegetables, lots of fruit. I didn't eat a single burger or french fry all week. We had no meals outside apart from the sandwich picnics they packed for us. To say that we found the staff friendly is a huge understatement. They were so kind, so much fun, so gentle and patient with the kids, so interested in Canada, and anxious to make a connection with relatives in Toronto. Again maybe it's just us. In the meantime, the kids swam with sea turtles, snorkeled on the reef, played tennis, went on outside trips to the animal reserve, the caves and the flower gardens and stuffed themselves with exotic Bajan food. It was a restorative week and we can't wait to go back. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The staff was very attentive. Visited: January 2004 Posted by divi_aruba We stayed at this resort from 1/17-1/24/04. I was apprehensive after reading reviews, but I absolutely loved it. The staff was great and always available. The rooms were not the best, but when only sleeping there - who cares. I think they could have been more sanitary washing the glasses at the bar, or by using throw away glasses. This was a very friendly island. We did not like that you had to dress up to eat, so we never made lunch at the restaurant, we always had the pizza or buffet by the adult pool. We did not enjoy the meals at night. I'm not sure if it was due to being American and food was geared toward Europeans. The beach was not the best, but it got the job done. This was the hottest island I have ever been to. There was no breeze at all which made it very hot. They were working on the adult pool, but there was another pool right by our room that my husband used every night. Another thing, they gave us transportation back to the airport, but they made us arrive three hours before take-off, totally unnecessary. Next time I will give them another flight # that leaves at least an hour later than my flight. That should do the trick. I really loved the place and hope to go back. I should also say that I got an unbelievable deal which is why we went. If I had paid full price, I would not have been as happy, but the staff was still exceptional. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Our stay was fantastic. Visited: January 2004 Posted by anngr We were very apprehensive after reading some of the review, but we had a fantastic 14-day holiday. The staff was very friendly and helpful. And I don't understand why people have said the food was only pizza and things like that. Even the buffet lunch at The Reef was different every day. There were always fruit and vegetables available. We also found the traders on the beach to be very nice. They shook our hands the first day and if we didn't want to buy, they still had a chat every day, but never tried to get us to buy again. We are keen gardeners and found the grounds immaculate, gardeners were always working. Everything was spotlessly clean. Also, the pools were beautiful. The only fault we could find was that the bathrooms were very small. We have stayed in four- and five-star hotels in America and Canada, but this one beat them all in our opinion. It was so friendly. We would definitely return again. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? What a gorgeous resort! Visited: January 2004 Posted by saires14 I recently returned from five fabulous days at the Almond Beach Village. I have to strongly disagree with most of the reviews about this resort. The staff at this resort was very friendly and ready to do anything to help us. The food at this resort was amazing. I didn't get sick once unlike my many other resort trips in the Caribbean. There was always a wonderful variety at the Horizon's restaurant. The Italian restaurant was amazing! We went there on our last night and we now wished we had gone there more times. The grounds of the resort were gorgeous and very well kept. There were nine gorgeous pools, the best one being the adults-only pool. When we left, the adults pool was being closed down and renovated so it should be looking even more fabulous once they're done. The rooms at this resort were very nice. While we were here many rooms were getting beautiful new furniture. However, I think that if someone complains about what a room looks like, they shouldn't be traveling. The room should be the place you spend the least amount of time. The only complaint I had about this resort was the lack of activity. This resort was mainly geared to an older crowd and we're in our early twenties. We found there wasn't much to do during the day - and especially during the night. Otherwise, it was a great hotel to relax, eat great food, meet wonderful Bajan people and get a great tan! I would definitely recommend this resort. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A great hotel but for families only, don't expect luxury. Visited: December 2003 Posted by simon2 I stayed at the Almond Beach Village for the first time over the Christmas and New Year period with my wife and eight-year-old son. If you are expecting glorious beaches, beautiful rooms and manicured grounds, you will be disappointed. If you want your children to be well cared for and entertained (meaning you get a relaxing holiday), and if you want to eat and drink well and (if you are lucky) wake up to a lovely view of the Caribbean, you will love it. The facilities offered golf, tennis and spa, which were good if you want this sort of thing. We found the vast majority of the staff to be very helpful, especially Lucille at the beach bar, (if guests were polite to them, they were equally polite). The restaurants offered good variety with the Reef being our favorite if only for the setting. The idea of having pizzas, burgers and chips being available from 2-8 was great for the kids, and once we got used to booking the restaurants a day or so in advance, there were no problems in getting the time we wanted. The evening entertainment was excellent, especially the resident band. Our son even played on the drums with them, and New Year's Eve was wonderful as were the two barbecue nights on the beach. On several days, there were even steel bands performing at lunchtimes. As for the negatives, the hotel does need to improves on its general appearance. There were a few occasions when rubbish was allowed to build up, especially around the pools and on the beach. In the future, this could affect its four star rating. Also, some of the rooms appeared to be on the shabby side with very small bathrooms not suitable for a family sharing one room. There did appear at times to be a shortage of staff. You should also be aware that the beach was a public one and sometimes the guys offering jet skis, boating trips, etc. could be a little pushy - but on the whole, they were good fun. We will be going back, which is the best recommendation of all, and we are already looking forward to returning later this year. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Give it a miss. Visited: December 2003 Posted by lucyronson If you're looking for a relaxing, luxury holiday, I wouldn't recommend staying at the Almond Beach Village. Our food was terrible. It seemed to cater for the masses with chips, pasta, sausages, burgers - hardly any fresh fruit and vegetables and the same lunch was repeated every day! The service in the restaurants and bars came without a smile and was sloppy. And in most cases, we shared our meals with cats and birds (who regularly dipped into the food on the table). God help you if you complain. We also queued for breakfast and - in some cases - dinner. The rooms were basic and small, and the reception on the TV was poor. All in all, it was not the luxury break my friend and I were expecting. I won't be going back or recommending it to anyone! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We encountered rude staff and horrible food. Visited: December 2003 Posted by psju We loved Barbados, but we would not stay in the Almond Beach Village again! The staff we encountered were rude - I have never been treated so badly at a hotel before! It was stunning how bad their service was. We complained to the Director of Human Rersources - and were dealt with sympathetically, but recieved nothing as compensation (not even a bottle of fizzy stuff as an apology). There were five staff members who were actually blatantly rude. The rest just ignored us and looked like they didn't want to be there - or resented the fact that we were. Our food was horrible - even by all-inclusive standards. The fruit juice was made from powder! I actually saw them make it! That was unbelievable. There was a lack of fresh vegetables and fruit, too. They mainly served chips, burgers, chicken and pizza. It was a junk food holiday! We ate out a lot and found other non-ABV Bajan people to be really friendly and warm - and they provided great service. I'd recommend going to the Lone Star and the Blue Rare restaurants - very good. Our room was small and old, and the bathroom was shabby. Building work was going on at the pool outside our balcony, so we didn't spend much time in the room due to the noise. The beaches were okay - but hardly what I'd call white sandy beaches. Sunbeds were basic, not that comfy. Pools were dull, so our best option was the beach - get there early to get a bed, though. We also visited the Spa for a massage, which was okay. The Club and Spa were a lot smaller and I'm glad we didn't stay there. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was a fantastic holiday in the end! Visited: September 2003 Posted by emma My husband and I have visited Barbados six times in as many years, although this was our first stay at Almond Beach Village. As my heading suggests, we got off to a very shaky start. We were allocated a standard room for two adults and a three-year-old, our son's sleeping arrangements being a cot! As we had checked in late at night after a six-hour delay from Manchester, our chance to upgrade from such a grotty room above Enid's had to wait until the morning. After plenty of arguing and pointing out to the manager the obvious safety issues of a second floor standard room for a three-year-old to occupy, we were offered a Superior-Deluxe room at a "reduced rate" - lthough we did manage to claim this back from our tour operator. So our holiday really began on our second day, and once we had mastered restaurant reservations and found our way around, we knew we would have a fabulous time, and we did! I do agree with some of the staff being a bit miserable. The food was great, but fantastic in the La Smarrita. So what if the kids couldn't go? Hire a babysitter! Try Karen Walcott, she was great. So what if you have to pay? You've traveled half way around the world, enjoy yourself! Remember, the hardest part of enjoying Barbados is learning to be as relaxed and laid-back as the Bajan's! This does take a couple of days, compared to the rush of daily life back home. I would recommend Almond Beach Village to anybody with children, the setting was gorgeous,and very safe with a fantastic beach. Get the right room and a very good deal from your travel agent, and you can't fail to love it. We can't wait to go back, and hopefully drag our best friends and their children with us this year. Book it now! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Nice property, but rooms needed a thorough cleaning Visited: September 2003 Posted by bernie_maclennan We just returned from a week's holidays at Almond Beach Club. The property and beach were wonderful, as was the food and service. We were very disappointed with the cleanliness and decor of the rooms. It was obvious to us that this property was in need of a thorough refurbishment, or at the very least a cleaning from top to bottom. Despite this, we enjoyed our visit, but would recommend potential travellers to check with the hotel to see if improvements have been completed before visiting here. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We're back again! Visited: August 2003 Posted by lucineale I cannot wait for my fifth visit to Almond Beach Village in August 2004. Each time just gets better and better. I just hope that after my fifth visit later this year we will be able to go again for a sixth visit next year. I would go as often as possible for the rest of my life - I love it that much. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Just Like Arnie, "I ll be back!". Visited: August 2003 Posted by adrianneale I regularly keep up-to-date with reviews about my favorite place in the world. I have to comment on "A Traveler from London" and Simon Stern. Firstly to the former - If you are rude to the staff they will reciprocate and if you only had pizza, burgers etc you were probably too inebriated to get out of the area set aside for kids. I do not remember this type of food as an option at any of the Horizon, Reef, Enids or La Smaritta restaurants on any of my previous four visits. As for Simon Stern All beaches in Barbados are Public and having stayed in a one bedroomed suite with a wife and three teenage daughters I had no problem with the size of my bathroom - I just spent an extra hour sampling the local beverages. Highly satisfying. My opinion of anyone who goes to the Caribbean and complains about the rooms is that they have gone to the wrong place. The room is somewhere to wash change and sleep and the rooms at the Almond Beach Village are more than adequate for this purpose. Activity at Almond is as varied as you can want with something for all ages - I should know I'm 50 and could go to bed safe in the knowledge that my ladies were having a safe time at Rachels until the early hours. Even got back on the waterskis again last year. Food excellent - just had a problem not to eat too much. Staff always had a smile for us. Even when it rained the locals just smile and give thanks for the liquid sunshine. I agree with that one. August cannot come fast enough. Hasta La Vista 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We were very pleased. Visited: August 2003 Posted by star_light_shine You could not ask for a better place than Almond Beach. But I thought the food was a bit of a let down - as well as the pools. But we spent every day on the beach. I have never ever been on a nicer beach than at Almond Beach. The people were so nice, and the lifeguards were very sweet. If you needed help, they were always welcome to help. Also, in the hotel, the staff was more than welcome to help if you experienced any troubles. I would definitely recommend Almond Beach to any family, honeymooners, or people wanting to get married there. It would be a beautiful place at which to wed. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was perfect. Visited: August 2003 Posted by lucineale This was our fourth visit to Almond Beach Village, what more can we say? We love it! The people are lovely, and extremely friendly. The food is very good, with a very wide range to cover everyone's tastes. The beach is nice, and the lifeguards are always in top form. There could be some minor adjustments, like removing some rocks, but this is not a big issue. Evening entertainment is very good, the bands are extremely talented. Rachael's nightclub is good, especially the karaoke night run by 'Adrian'. It is difficlut to find fault with the Almond Beach Village. I would recommend it to everyone,. But don't all go at once, as it's nice when it's calm and the beaches are not busy! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is the place in Barbados for families. Visited: July 2003 Posted by acbirley We have stayed here three times with two young children and have always loved it! Barbados is a fascinating island and the staff encourages you get out and see the place with organized vists and picnics to other areas of the island. And they give you loads of help and information if you want to head off yourself. The Kids Club is exceptional. The staff is very friendly, put on a wide range of activities and most importantly are very diligent. Sometimes we'd be almost pleading with the kids to stay with us, but they preferred to go to the Kids Club and see who else was there today and what was going on. The entire staff is very good. On occasion I've seen guests being unpleasant to the staff, so if anyone has had a bad experience with staff I'd guess the guest wasn't behaving themselves too well. There are more than enough restaurants to cater for most tastes. There is no problem either with the rooms, the beds are very comfy, which is the main thing - how much time do you want to stay in a room when you're on holiday? Others have criticized the food and rooms, all I can say if you want things exactly like they are at home - stay at home. Almond Beach Village is a large resort (although it doesn't really feel like that once you're there) and I think the staff and manangement do a great job in trying to cater for all their guests. If you want to visit Barbados for the first time, I would say ABV is a good place to start. If you have pre-teen children with you, then it's definitely the place to go. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

Other Popular Properties

	Barbados Beach Club - Barbados Barbados Beach Club is a 2.5-star hotel that sits on a quarter-mile of white-sand beach on Barbados' scenic south coast, 6 miles from the shopping and nightlife of Bridgetown. ...		Legend Garden Condos - Barbados The Legend Garden Condos are nestled at Mullins Bay, St. Peter, a short hundred feet away from Barbados most beguiling shoreline, the West Coast, with its warm, calm, sparkling Caribbean...
	South Gap Hotel - Barbados Welcome to South Gap Hotel, Barbados Centrally located in the St Lawrence Gap and within walking distance to the spectacular Dover Beach, this unique boutique property is...		Amaryllis Beach Resort - Barbados Amaryllis Beach Resort is a tranquil 3 star beachside resort with dining/entertainment village. Facing a Caribbean beach with light-colored sand, this South Coast resort includes a lush botanical garden...