Mango Bay Resort - Barbados

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Everything was excellent! We will return. Visited: February 2005 Posted by sheila_murray Mango Bay provided great food, great people, great rooms....what more can I say? We had a terrific time, and will definitely return sometime soon in the future. I don't think they could improve on anything except the taps leaking in the bathtub. And that was no big deal as they are closing for seven months in May 2005 for renovations, so this should be corrected. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is not for those who want to relax on holiday. Visited: March 2004 Posted by 13lindajohn The Mango Bay Hotel is small, the gardens are pretty, the food is well presented and tasty, and they have several standards of rooms. We know, we had to move three times during our stay! Why? Well it was the loud, pounding music from the neighbouring sports bar. Not that we heard it, so much as felt it, pounding its way though the bed! We complained to the owner and to the manager, and while they seemed sympathetic, they were unable or unwilling to solve the problem. We booked our trip in September 2003 and specifically asked for a quiet room. We were assigned a standard room at the back of the hotel, overlooking a grubby backstreet lined with a series of open-air drinking dens and a wasteland where men cooked up dubious meals on palm frond fires. We arrived on Monday, March 8th after a very long flight and really needed sleep, but the pounding noise kept us awake until after 4 a.m. It was the same on Friday night, when we saw one very distraught young mother insist that the night staff summon the local police to bring matters under control. This was around 1:00 a.m. The police arrived, but the noise persisted until after 4:00 a.m. Even they seem unable to curtail this obnoxious pulsing beat. Incredibly, the English woman who ran the sports bar claimed she was not aware that her music was disturbing anyone! She must be extremely deaf, or extremely stupid. The management's solution? Move the complainers. So, on Saturday they moved us to a room that had a broken A/C. At 11 p.m. on Saturday night, we moved to another room that was at least relatively cool. Verdict: We would have been satisfied if the owner, manager, police had dealt with the problem, or at least agreed that the noise would stop at a reasonable time, but they didn't. They preferred to deal with the symptoms rather than treat the underlying cause. Don't come here if you want a quiet, relaxing holiday, or at least until you can be sure they have resolved this problem. Don't accept any of the rooms numbered 401 to 419 unless you are profoundly deaf, or profoundly dead. 15 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Mango Bay - we will be back! Visited: January 2004 Posted by fruitlinkuk We arrived at Mango Bay on 20th January after our ten-day stay in St. Lucia. We decided to split our holiday and leave St.Lucia to return for our fifth visit to Barbados - can't stay away! We arrived just in time for lunch and were then shown our beach front room. We felt right at home from the minute we arrived. This hotel had a lovely, relaxed and laid back feel about it. The food was the best we have encountered at an all-inclusive, the room was very spacious if in need of a bit of an update, the staff was very professional and friendly. We also got to meet and chat with the manager which we have never experienced at any other place - a really nice guy! If you are looking for a relaxed, classy, laid back and reasonably priced hotel you have found it here. We made lots of new friends and we will be back very soon, if not before! 6 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Mango Bay was a friendly resort providing a superb location. Visited: January 2004 Posted by craig We arrived December 29, 2003 for New Year's based on a recommendation. It was a beautiful location. We stayed at Silver Rock on a previous visit, which was no where near these standards. We were met by Shireene, who was excellent throughout our stay. The food was good, although the menu was repeated too often. However, it was great for the kids becasue they lived on spaghetti for the holiday. New Year's Eve was a night to remember (formal attire was needed). In addition, the housemaids were great, the babysitters each night relieved most of the stress for us. Allow $15 (Barbados) per hour plus taxi fare. All in all, it was a great holiday, and we are already booking for next year. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A wonderful, friendly and warm experience. Visited: July 2003 Posted by music1 This was our first trip to Barbados and our experience at Mango Bay topped off our impression of the island as a whole. We found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. Even when our plane arrived too late for dinner, we found fruit and sandwiches in our room to tide us over to the next morning. The food was very good with nicely presented portions and the staff was always ready to serve our every need. The rooms were very clean with the beds made or straightened three times a day. Our beds were turned back every night and the staff always greeted us with a smile, joke, or question regarding our stay. We especially enjoyed the catamaran trip and the island tour. With the Chattel Village just up the street, we found many shopping opportunities close at hand rather than having to travel some distance to find souvenirs. Each evening's entertainment was delightful and gave us opportunities to mingle and interact with other guests. Since we visited Barbados primarily to experience the warm waters of the Caribbean, we were pleasantly pleased with the beach and the swimming area. At this time of the year rain was inevitable and the staff provided us with numerous suggestions of things to do in the area during the rainy times. We would return to Mango Bay in a heartbeat. Mango Bay was one of the highlights of our trip! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The best value in Barbados. Visited: December 2002 Posted by BRIANL123 This was our third great holiday at Mango Bay. Any minor negatives were swept away by all the upsides of this friendly all-inclusive resort. Marcus, Shereen, Leroy, Alvin, Antonio, Trisha, and the rest of the staff, all went to great lengths to ensure that everyone had a great time. Also, the food quality was excellent. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Almost five stars. Visited: October 2002 Posted by wayne2 Most, if not all, of the good and bad points of this hotel have been mentioned by the other reviewers. Nevertheless, here is my take on what is good and bad about Mango Bay. THE RESTAURANT BIRDS - Not a problem, in my opinion. Two or three usually make it around the netting, but so what? They steal scraps from plates waiting to be cleared. Big deal, this is the Caribbean y'know. THE RESTAURANT FOOD - Outstanding quality, far beyond what you might expect from an all inclusive. Full English brekkie, 3 courses for lunch, sarnies for tea, 4 courses for dinner. If that doesn't fill you, then you are one fat and greedy person. THE RESTAURANT DRESS CODE - Gents are required to wear long trousers (no jeans) and shirts for dinner. I wasn't prepared for this, and anyway it is TOO HOT for this kind of clothing. This was the only thing that really ticked me off about this hotel, I hope they will review this policy, it seems out of place for a such a friendly and easy-going hotel. THE SUN LOUNGERS - There aren't enough. To be sure of getting one, you need to go and drop a towel on one by 7am. Needs sorting out. THE SWAMP - It's a pool of water which stands at the side of the hotel and is surrounded by tall trees and plants. Quite charming, really. A family of small monkeys lives there which have become tame and will feed from your hand. WEDDINGS - We got married here and it was great. Marcus, the wedding co-ordinator, does a professional job. MANAGEMENT & STAFF - Shireen, Dorien & Marcus are all very nice without being false. Judy, the Thomson rep, is also very nice and also really knows her job. How refreshing. I couldn't fault any of the other staff, either. ACTIVITIES - Good. Lots to do if you want to do it. The catamaran cruise is great, you get to snorkel with some wild turtles. THE ROOMS - I agree they are getting ready for a refurb, but they were clean and pleasant. A refurb of the rooms & pool is planned Nov 2002. THE BEACH - Not huge, but nice enough. You have to get up REALLY early to get a sun lounger on here. There are lots of local traders hassle you, though. I preferred the pool ,which was really nice. OVERALL - Great, we had a really good holiday. The food and drink alone made it good value. Good mix of people from all walks of life. I would guess 95% of the guests were British during our stay. Just a shame about the restaurant dress code, but at least you will know what to pack now.. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a fantastic time. Visited: October 2002 Posted by michaelmane The food was great, and everyone was friendly. Although there was no hot water for the duration of our stay, it was still fabulous! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had an excellent experience at Mango Bay. Visited: July 2002 Posted by blairpeter We had never been to Barbados or anywhere in the Caribbean, so we did not know what to expect. The size of the hotel seemed to create a very friendly atmosphere from not only the efficient staff but also the guests. The additional trips were all good and the patient waterskiing tuition from Charlie created a skill that our children will never forget. The birds in the restaurant were adept at getting around the netting defenses, which will hopefully be strengthened, but they mostly tried to opportunistically "clear" plates left by departing guests, and were not allowed to invade fresh food by the staff. The food and the variety was excellent and the portions were more than enough for a UK appetite. It was a great place to relax, but had plenty on offer if you wanted trips, long walks along the beaches or watersports. It was also very convenient to the malls in Holetown. The rooms were spacious, clean and well air-conditioned. We can only recommend it by doing what several other guests we met had done. We have booked for next year, although we have had to hold back on a room upgrade because our travel company added far too much supplement this year, which was a shame. However, there was much more to this hotel than the view. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? What a brilliant holiday! Visited: June 2002 Posted by karenf It was with a little trepidation that we arrived at the Mango Bay after reading the previous reviews. We should not have worried. The hotel was very clean, the rooms were spacious and the food was of the highest standard that I have ever encountered and there was plenty of it - you will never be hungry. Yes, the beach was a little small, but our party of four never had a problem getting a sunbed and it just wasn't as far to walk to the sea. The swimming pool area was also lovely to laze around. All the staff was very friendly and could not do enough to help. As we were here during the World Cup and one of our matches was 4:00 a.m., and the bar was closed, the bar manager even arranged for a cool box full of beer and wine to be waiting for us all when we arrived in the hotel lounge. With regards to the karaoke night - don't lay in bed complaining the music is too loud - get out there and join in - we did and it was a brilliant night. All in all, it was a wonderful holiday. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Needs a refurb Visited: May 2002 Posted by lesley_donohue This was our 3rd visit to Mango Bay and although we had a warm welcome from all the staff, the hotel is looking very tired and needs improvement. The beach has now all but been washed away and does not look set to return. The food is fab and all the staff are great, but for the money and based on my experience this trip, I would not return again unless it has an overhaul. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was perfect. Visited: April 2002 Posted by royston_f_jeffryes My wife and I spent two perfect weeks at Mango Bay last April 2002. The rooms were spacious and clean, and the food quality was excellent. The entertainment was also good from the piano bar with artists ranging from jazz to classical and pop, and a range of cabaret bands to dance troupes, fire eaters and limbo dancers. The hotel's glass bottom boat and catamaran trips were also a good value. Overall, we found this was an excellent value for our money. We enjoyed it so much so that we have booked again for 2003. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is a great hotel - what do you Americans want? Visited: March 2002 Posted by moody_ki I can't agree with previous American reviewer. We were here at about the same time as they were and we had a fabulous time. Incidentally, so did a number of other American visitors we met at the hotel. The hotel was very clean inside and out and we did not notice any unduly unpleasant odors previously commented upon. The hotel was next to a mangrove swamp, but that was never a problem while we were there. We found the staff to be friendly and professional and always willing to help, particularly if you took the time to be polite and chatty with them. The birds at breakfast were a nuisance, but they did not detract from the good quality of food on offer at all mealtimes. Agreed, the beach was not very wide and, at times, non exisent due to the waves etc. But the pool area was great and we never had any problems getting a lounge chair. We booked a superior room and had no noise problems from the bars outside as we were on the other side of the hotel from them. I don't know what the previous reviewer was complaining about. We got married at the hotel and everything was top class. We will be looking to return next year. You can't find a better recommendation than that! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Not what we expected Visited: March 2002 Posted by dbgarden Prior to traveling to Barbados, I was told by my travel agent that Mango Bay was similar to another hotel we liked, but more laid back as far as dress code for dinner. Upon arriving, we were dismayed to find sewage treatment equipment for the area outside the hotel. The smell would travel from the tradewinds into the hotel. Further, there wasn't any beach at that time, and when the tides were right to use the 5 feet of beach, there were no beach chairs available to use, since guests scooped them up quickly. The hotel was much smaller than the brochure we were given. We had to make reservations for lunch and dinner and further, had to change from our bathing suits to dry clothing for lunch since they have only one dining room. The light in our bathroom did not work, and it took 2 days for the staff to repair it. Our rooms had a padlock gate on them, which was annoying to have to open 2 doors when making your way back to the room. The bartender never smiled and neither did the staff who took reservations for meals. In all, since I was staying in Barbados for one week, after 2 days, my husband and I decided to switch to the other hotel we knew we liked, for the remainder of our stay. We were not the only couples. It seems that Monday morning, there was an exodus from the hotel over to the other hotel. It was slightly more expensive, but we were very pleased with our accommodations. If you are like us, and vacation infrequently due to work schedules and want the best value for your money, Mango Bay is not the hotel for you. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Fab-a-dastic! Visited: August 2001 Posted by witchyhugs The hotel is excellent! The food is brilliant and is what you expect from somewhere like the Ritz. The entire staff was excellent and I recommend that you sit at one of Trudy’s tables in the restaurant! The bar staff was funny and were always up for a laugh. I recommend this hotel any day, as I want to come back next year. It made my holiday. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We loved it and will return! Visited: July 2001 Posted by bunch929 My daughter and grandson and I just returned from a week at this resort and have nothing but high praise for Mr. Odle and his staff. From the moment we arrived we felt welcome and the people at Mango Bay went out of their way to see that our needs were met. My daughter is a diabetic and, although we neglected to request one when we made our reservations, our inquiry about refrigerating her insulin resulted in a small refrigerator being delivered to our room within minutes of our arrival. The accommodations exceeded our expectations and our beachfront room was well maintained throughout our stay. The restaurant service and menu were excellent. (I'm a soup lover and I enjoyed several great soups during the week.) Although we had to make reservations for lunch and dinner, they were most accommodating if we were late getting back from an excursion. The activities offered were varied and they were scheduled well during a seven-day period so that we had time to do everything we were interested in. Special thanks to Chris the water ski instructor, who taught my grandson, Mike, how to ski in just a couple of lessons. Holetown is a great location, sleepy and quiet and just a cab ride or bus trip from Bridgetown or other locations. Our only real complaints during our stay were about the annoying black birds that seemed to have the run of the restaurant and one evening the band was really too loud for my liking. But these things will not keep us from returning to this lovely place again and again. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Two Weeks in Paradise Visited: July 2001 Posted by peter_lee Having spent our year 2000 holiday in the sister hotel in Antigua to our great enjoyment we decided on another dose of the same in Barbados. We were not disappointed. The food is of a standard that could easily grace the tables of any top restaurants in London or anywhere else for that matter. The Hotel staff was extremely courteous and went out of their way to please. We paid a supplement on our anniversary night dinner to have lobster—Heaven will not be better. Rooms were large and kept spotlessly clean. The beach was very nice. I do share the view that the beach furniture needed replacing. This was my only gripe. Do take time out to mix with the locals at the TLM bar, especially on Karaoke night! Everyone was very friendly and it’s an experience that should not be missed. Thank you Mango Bay. I will return. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Brilliant holiday, lovely hotel. Visited: June 2001 Posted by dave1 I just returned from the Mango Bay and had a wonderful time. The hotel is lovely. The bedrooms are large with huge beds and very clean. The food is great with three-course meals for lunch and dinner and a varying menu. The free catamaran trip and glass bottom boat trip are excellent. The staff is very friendly. I would recommend this hotel to my friends. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Good hotel with a couple of problems Visited: June 2001 Posted by kenmcguinness Firstly, the good points: the food is excellent with a good combination of European and Caribbean style of cooking. The portions were small, however as there were at least four courses for each meal, there was always plenty to eat. The bar, while limited in the choice of drinks, was generous in its measures and the staff were generally friendly and cheerful. The property was well maintained, the pool was cleaned each day, the gardens were very well maintained, and the room maintenance was scrupulously carried out. There is a good variety of water sports available and the staff are helpful. The reception staff were very good and were always willing to track us down when we got any urgent phone calls. The local vendors who are allowed on the hotel property are not intrusive, and do not hassle you to buy anything. Holetown is a nice town with some good restaurants and an excellent café (café Flindt), which are worth visiting even though the hotel is all-inclusive. Now for the bad points: there is karaoke which happens each Sunday night in a bar across the road from the hotel, and despite assurances from our tour company and a letter in our room from the hotel on arrival confirming that the karaoke would finish by 12:30 am and all music by 1:00 am, this goes on until 3:00 am and is VERY LOUD in the rooms in the old wing (after complaining to hotel management we were told that the next week it would be held on Friday and Sunday, and were offered rooms in the new wing, which is not effected by the noise, on these dates but we would have to change rooms each day). Next, there is a definite problem with birds in the dining room. On more than one occasion, we saw the birds walking on and eating food in the buffet, which people were subsequently left to eat, and if we left our plates for a few seconds they would be on them eating our food. Although there were nets around the dining room, these were poorly tied down so the birds just hop through, and the management attitude that there was nothing they could do was not particularly helpful. Overall we enjoyed our stay, but the problem of the karaoke at the local bar creates a problem for anyone who does not want to stay up until 3:00 am in the old wing, and the birds in the dining room spoiled an otherwise excellent holiday. These problems could be resolved by the hotel, which would make this a first class place to stay. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was superb! Visited: May 2001 Posted by terencejohn_higson My wife and I spent 14 nights at the Mango Bay in May. We had a great time. The staff, food and rooms were really good. Barbados was a fabulous place to spend a holiday. We had a superior room by the pool, it was room number 108. We will definitely been returning one day. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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