Colony Club by Elegant Hotels

Firstly, after reading some reviews I was a little shocked and our experience doesn’t compare to some. We had a suite and apart from the bathroom been very dated and the bath been dangerous to get in/out for a shower (we had no separate shower) bath also looked like it...

Firstly, after reading some reviews I was a little shocked and our experience doesn’t compare to some. We had a suite and apart from the bathroom been very dated and the bath been dangerous to get in/out for a shower (we had no separate shower) bath also looked like it was about to fall through 🙈(room 216) the room was lovely and always cleaned well by a lovely friendly lady. 2 bottles of water provided each evening was also an added bonus. Air conditioning was good and the room nice and cool. Breakfast was really nice and always hot. The birds are something else! Whilst eating you have birds flying everywhere and landing on your table. You can’t leave your food unattended or the birds will be on it in seconds. Bird droppings also on tables. I think this is something that should be looked into during the refurb. We would have given 4 stars but the hotel is let down by this. Barring one member of staff all are friendly and happy to help, We found Heather very rude! The pools are lovely, although the back pool could do with a good clean. We used the pool at the front which was ok. The gardens are kept lovely also. Pool towels provided and plenty of fresh ones available. The beach is really nice and free water sports as an added bonus. The pool bar is way overpriced and such a shame as we only purchased drinks during happy hour after getting stung by a huge bar bill on our first evening! 2 bottles of beer, 2 double baileys and 2 Jack Daniel’s £130. This was British pounds not Dollars or Barbados dollars! Hence another reason why we never give 4 stars. Although we wouldn’t return, but this is mainly down to the choice of not holidaying in Barbados again I do think some reviews are a bit harsh given our experience. Oh and get that poor budgie some toys bless her.

This hotel has a wonderful location and character which we very much appreciated. Our room was well furnished, spacious and comfortable. There is an intimate feel to the hotel even though it is spacious and it is visually very attractive. We particularly liked the gardens and grounds which are kept...

This hotel has a wonderful location and character which we very much appreciated. Our room was well furnished, spacious and comfortable. There is an intimate feel to the hotel even though it is spacious and it is visually very attractive. We particularly liked the gardens and grounds which are kept in very good condition and contribute to a feeling of tranquility. We found the staff to be friendly and usually keen to be helpful. The beach is a feature of the hotel. The sun-loungers were comfortable and the hotel security staff provide a reassuring presence. The quality of food was very good, both at breakfast and dinner but we found the menu range much more limited than on previous visits. Arriving for dinner in the evening we experienced groups of people still eating the all day menu and dressed in beachwear which detracted from the evening dining experience. We intend to visit after the refurbishment and very much hope that Marriott can retain the traditional character and charm of this hotel whilst upgrading the physical environment. We have great affection for this hotel and we know many other do too. We hope any changes are introduced with careful regard to the hotels existing reputation.

We stayed here for six days in December 2023. We had a swim up room which really amazing. We were right in front of the waterfall. The accommodation was to a very high standard and the staff were really friendly. In our opinion the swim up rooms are the best...

We stayed here for six days in December 2023. We had a swim up room which really amazing. We were right in front of the waterfall. The accommodation was to a very high standard and the staff were really friendly. In our opinion the swim up rooms are the best rooms in the hotel. Parts of the hotel could do with a lick of paint I believe the hotel is going to be refurbished at some point this year. Our room came with breakfast, which was nice, but the service in the restaurant was very slow and sometimes we had to wait quite awhile to be seated. Slow service was also the case with lunch and dinner when we did dine at the hotel but the staff are friendly and did apologise. The hotel is situated on the platinum West Coast of Barbados, we couldn’t fault it. We did walk along the boardwalk a couple of times into Holetown. We would stay here again and book a swim up room.

Like most I was concerned what I was going to find when I arrived given the recent reviews. In a word, I just don’t get it!! From the moment we arrived all the staff we encountered were very pleasant and helpful. Like others have said, it’s being refurbished for a...

Like most I was concerned what I was going to find when I arrived given the recent reviews. In a word, I just don’t get it!! From the moment we arrived all the staff we encountered were very pleasant and helpful. Like others have said, it’s being refurbished for a reason. That said the beach is amazing, room a good size, super clean, fantastic AC, massive comfortable bed, great shower and quiet and the included buffet breakfast has a very good choice and all was extremely tasty. Not sure what else you could ask for. The WiFi was good when it worked but did disconnect frequently but other than that I have no complaints. I would say, sunbeds on the beach you need to be up before 7am or 6am for front row and yes there are birds around the tables but this is effectively outdoor dinning so just cover your food and drink with a napkin if you leave your table. Not sure what people expect the hotel to do about nature?!??? All in all, we had an amazing 10 days and would love to return after the refurb to see what improvements have been made. If you are heading to the Colony Club, don’t look for problems just kickback and enjoy yourself. Thank you team Colony Club and I hope Marriott look after you all when the hotel re-opens.

Definitely one to avoid we are sorry to say. We have stayed here previously (2017) and enjoyed it. The setting by a nice beach and location close to Holetown are good and whilst in 2017 it was not the most luxurious hotel in that area it was comfortable and friendly....

Definitely one to avoid we are sorry to say. We have stayed here previously (2017) and enjoyed it. The setting by a nice beach and location close to Holetown are good and whilst in 2017 it was not the most luxurious hotel in that area it was comfortable and friendly. However, Marriott acquired the hotel in 2019 and it looks as if they have done zero investment since. It is closing for a refurb this summer but it is long overdue. The rooms are very shabby, stuff doesn’t work (our aircon was useless), the Wi-Fi went off totally for a day and rarely worked outside the room. To top it all, for 2 evenings we had no running water so it was impossible to shower etc. It is just not an acceptable level of accommodation for the price they are charging.

We are leaving the Colony club today celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We don’t understand the bad reviews. The staff are welcoming and helpful. The beach and pools are beautiful. We were upgraded to an ocean view luxury room which was clean and spacious- they even gave us complimentary champagne...

We are leaving the Colony club today celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We don’t understand the bad reviews. The staff are welcoming and helpful. The beach and pools are beautiful. We were upgraded to an ocean view luxury room which was clean and spacious- they even gave us complimentary champagne flowers and treats for our anniversary. Yes some parts of the property needs upgrading (paint jobs here and there) but this is a lovely resort with wonderful staff. Oh and they come around with treats on the beach. We would stay here again when we visit Barbados!

I have been to many hotels. I have never experienced such a lot of unhappy staff. There has to be a reason for this. The hotel is in a poor state in places, which is a shame because the position on the beach is amazing. I read a previous report...

I have been to many hotels. I have never experienced such a lot of unhappy staff. There has to be a reason for this. The hotel is in a poor state in places, which is a shame because the position on the beach is amazing. I read a previous report that they had to bring their cases into the hotel, so did we. Overall the hotel and staff are not in a happy place. I hope when the refurbishment is complete, it becomes the hotel it could be.

Overall disappointing and would not go back. The room and resort were shabby and in need of a refurb, the photos on the website in comparison to what you see when you are there are misleading. The garden view pools and some of the swim ups you would not want...

Overall disappointing and would not go back. The room and resort were shabby and in need of a refurb, the photos on the website in comparison to what you see when you are there are misleading. The garden view pools and some of the swim ups you would not want to use. Very poor service from some of the staff, in particular the reception- wow what a bad attitude, and they lie. Had to get the Virgin rep involved in the end and even she had trouble with them. They (at first) wouldn’t give us a changing room on the last day- said they would come and see me when the manager came in, no messages left with the manager, 4 times I went back to reception and they fobbed me off. Queue of people complaining at reception at same time. Eventually got the changing room for 30 minutes but not the time we needed, others already booked in to this room ‘they didn’t have’. Charges for drinks we didn’t have on our bill, resolved by the rep. We originally booked The House but Virgin transferred us here because they were having a refurb. Big mistake to accept it, treated like a second class citizen throughout because we were on an all inclusive package. Supposed to have exactly same features as we booked for The House but didn’t. Champagne breakfast was a joke, lukewarm cava served towards the end, didn’t bother again. Ignored at dinner once we said all inclusive and had to go to bar to get our own drinks and bring back to the table. Forgot our starter one night and offered it to us after the main course. Tried the afternoon tea, May have been nice if we hadn’t had to call up twice to see where it was, half an hour later it was delivered minus plates, cutlery and tea. Positives, food was excellent quality with good choice, spa experience was great and housekeeping good. Shoutout to Agnes who restored our faith in the hospitality staff, shame it was the last day,

We had pledged our lifelong commitment & arranged our marriage here at the Colony Club on Saturday 17th February. Karene Roach, the Wedding Co-Ordinator & Guest Relations Manager was a wonderful host and source of support to us. Karene undertook all the essential pre-ceremony arrangements following our arrival on the...

We had pledged our lifelong commitment & arranged our marriage here at the Colony Club on Saturday 17th February. Karene Roach, the Wedding Co-Ordinator & Guest Relations Manager was a wonderful host and source of support to us. Karene undertook all the essential pre-ceremony arrangements following our arrival on the island and in the days leading up to our wedding. We had chosen for our ceremony to be conducted in the tropical gardens at the hotel - which were simply perfect - with an Anglican Priest and a steel drum band accompanying. The whole occasion was like a dream. Steven Cumberbatch our photographer was amazing. He put us at ease throughout and achieved for us a wonderful portfolio of pictures, both in the garden and on the beach at sunset. We could not have imagined or hoped for more from our special day. Such special memories that will live with us forever. The Hotel itself is delightful. Our room was sea facing, spacious and super comfortable. The Breakfasts were plentiful with so much choice while the a la carte dinner menu changed daily and always included a selection of fresh local produce. The staff and without exception were polite, cheerful, friendly and extremely helpful. We are very much looking forward to returning to the Colony Club (in it's new and updated form) to celebrate our anniversary very soon. Roger and Louise xx

We arrived for a holiday of a lifetime in December 23 for 30 year wedding anniversary over Christmas and the most expensive holiday we have ever been on. We booked as we had a great holiday in July 2023 in the colony club. We had a terrible experience and it...

We arrived for a holiday of a lifetime in December 23 for 30 year wedding anniversary over Christmas and the most expensive holiday we have ever been on. We booked as we had a great holiday in July 2023 in the colony club. We had a terrible experience and it had taken until now to process what should have been a holiday of a lifetime. The room we were allocated was filthy. When we arrived after 16 hrs of travel we thought there blood on the walls just inside the door but afterwards reconciled it was probably red wine. There were huge dead insects in the room. Poop from insects. Build up dirt on the bath area and ceiling fans. Brown water in the fridge. We were offered an upgrade for the next day after lots of eye rolling. Noting that rooms are €800 plus a night. The upgrade was on the surface great. When we went to bed the sheets were filthy. We rallied and said make the best of it. Staff in the restaurant and bar were a mix of lovely helpful people and a bunch of others who gathered around the service areas and seen residents as a problem. Real attitude issues not in line with the cost of the place. Insects and birds a real issue in the restaurant. I could go on about room key issues and other things but bottom line is this hotel is falling far below par for what is being charged.

Just back from an excellent twelve night stay at the Colony Club. The beach and grounds are both magnificent (and very well maintained) and provide an engaging contrast of holiday environment. Good swimming and plenty of walking locally (about 12 minutes into Holetown.) And tennis for the more energetic. There...

Just back from an excellent twelve night stay at the Colony Club. The beach and grounds are both magnificent (and very well maintained) and provide an engaging contrast of holiday environment. Good swimming and plenty of walking locally (about 12 minutes into Holetown.) And tennis for the more energetic. There were even takers for the Gym which is effectively air conditioned. But I managed to resist. We had a superb ground floor room right at the rear of the estate with a large patio right in the middle of the densest vegetation. Staff are friendly, well trained and very good. And supportive at critical moments eg when suitcase locks won't open. The security on the site is low profile but reassuring nonetheless. The breakfast is top notch with a huge choice: well cooked, fresh ingredients and always presented the temptation to over indulge. Lunch (and when available) Dinner on the terrace are atmospheric and sociable. Less so in the main dining room in which the food might be a fraction more imaginative at times. But there is a plethora of great eating places in Holetown and even more locally than that. So thanks for a great time. And Marriott Hotels: please don't make this place all inclusive: it is fine exactly as it is!

We had booked an ocean view room 7 months in advance.. What we got was a pool side view room! On checking in we were asked what room we had booked and were then told that we had probably been upgraded - not sure what that meant - but when...

We had booked an ocean view room 7 months in advance.. What we got was a pool side view room! On checking in we were asked what room we had booked and were then told that we had probably been upgraded - not sure what that meant - but when we got to the room it was quite spacious and nicely furnished so we didn't make a fuss. Overall the room was clean but housekeeping was a bit hit and miss. One day when we had been out all day and returned at 3,30 the room hadn't been cleaned. We left to go out again at 5 and the room still hadn't been done so I found someone cleaning in another room on our landing and it was done by the time we got back after dinner. There was sand on the floor the first afternoon that never got swept up and was still there when we left. The bathroom was okay although there is a huge step down into the bath to have a shower and bathrobes were pretty old and grey so we didn't use them. The beach is not particularly clean and although the pools are cleaned each morning it look as though the bottoms could all do with a good power wash. The gardens are the best part of this hotel, they are really well kept. Breakfast was grim and the staff were surly and clearly not wanting to be there. One morning two members of staff were having a disagreement right behind us and on another occasion we had a chipped cup served to us without any hesitation which was not particularly hygienic. We saw it straight away so I don't know how the server didn't see it. The choice of hot food was not always hot even though we were there for the first sitting starting at 7.30am. The cold buffet was nothing special. There were some tiny weird tasting croissants and some pastries and as for fruit there was a bowl of cut up melon cubes and a bowl of grapes. There were also some well ripe bananas. That was it! We had dinner the first night on the Laguna Restaurant terrace which was good - crab cake starter and snapper main course. They were nicely cooked and well seasoned but the staff were unfriendly and surly. We had a lunch on the sundeck. Food took a long time to come but it was good when it came. Staff were a little more friendly there. Overall the place has an unfriendly unwelcoming atmosphere. The staff ,apart from the guys in the front dealing with taxi arrivals, are clearly not happy. Not sure what is happening there but we won't be going back.

The Colony Club is in a fantastic spot but unfortunately well past its sell by date. The bathrooms in the rooms in particularly are not up to international standards. The people on the front desk are top notch, however their efficiency and courtesy does not extend to the breakfast/dinner area...

The Colony Club is in a fantastic spot but unfortunately well past its sell by date. The bathrooms in the rooms in particularly are not up to international standards. The people on the front desk are top notch, however their efficiency and courtesy does not extend to the breakfast/dinner area where it’s more like a scene from Fawlty Towers. Apparently the place is closing in May for 9 months and hopefully that will give Marriot some time for staff coaching. Suggest you give this place a miss until 2025 when I expect it will be Fabulous.

Seriously don’t waste you cash and memories. The place is due for a refurb in May and will be shut for a year. Rightly so. Biggest gripe is the staff. Yes the good ones have gone and yes the existing ones are temporary or loosing their jobs in May HOWEVER...

Seriously don’t waste you cash and memories. The place is due for a refurb in May and will be shut for a year. Rightly so. Biggest gripe is the staff. Yes the good ones have gone and yes the existing ones are temporary or loosing their jobs in May HOWEVER that’s no excuse for the lack of service and attitude of the staff team. Grump, rude and arrogant. Place is dirty and tired all points to not being good enough for £800 a night. Position is amazing. A real let down. Glad it was two days or we would have moved…

This is the very first time EVER; I’ve given a bad review. I’ve always given fantastic reviews, to all the people that have given me a brilliant service and deserve the commendation because they’re genuinely outstanding..!! However: The thought of other people, paying for what they think is going to...

This is the very first time EVER; I’ve given a bad review. I’ve always given fantastic reviews, to all the people that have given me a brilliant service and deserve the commendation because they’re genuinely outstanding..!! However: The thought of other people, paying for what they think is going to be an expensive beautiful luxury holiday, for some - a lifetime holiday, that they’ve worked really hard for years for - Fills me with absolute horror. They’re going into a situation that’s been/being created, for reasons unknown to them. 1) Meet and Greet non existent - carried my own luggage in. 2) Get to the room, a little late for dinner. My partner continuously tries to call room service and reception: No answer. In the end bless; she had to go to reception and do it(last thing yo want to do when you’ve just arrived). The eye rolling, sharp intakes of breath started at this point. 3) How this place is marketed and sold to people, is a lie. It’s not fit for purpose. It doesn’t need renovating, it needs knocking down. 4)Under staffed. So badly, every member of staff is miserable or rude. Why you might ask? Well if everyone/guests are constantly moaning at them, and for good reasons, the whole atmosphere and vibe is just horrible. 5) Breakfast 07:30am. No chance. Staff are just turning up, and the vibe is horrible; it’s like watching a sponsored go slow. 6) People queueing for 30-40 minutes, all looking at a completely empty restaurant. Actually that’s not true. There are about 30-40 birds all sitting around the building waiting to pounce. There’s even a birds nest in the ceiling. It was like eating in a great big bird cage. 7) Everything in the place is bent/wonky/not straight/bodged up, honestly it is ridiculous. 8) Drain pipes and guttering broken, all wonky. Plumbing everywhere is failing or bodged. Pipes to toilets were so poorly fitted because nothing is level, you just know it’s only a matter of time. 9) Beach closed for a day because of raw sewage being pumped into it. Red flags were up, the smell was horrendous 10) Sandbags outside hotel rooms in case of flooding; even the newly renovated one. 11) Black mould on most of the outside paintwork. 12) The roof on the building is seriously dangerous. As you look up, or over a balcony, nothing is in situ; it’s all just falling. 13) pool bar never opened on time; the time it took for people to get served or worst still look at their drink made and sitting on the side for 15 minutes definitely made frayed tensions, turn up and say hello on more than one occasion. 14) Food was rubbish and cold, dangerous really when none of the breakfast buffet pans had heat working properly so the food could be a correct temperature. Even when you got back to your wonky table with bird crap on it, the birds wouldn’t chance it. 15) The pool…!! Looks fabulous in photographs; in reality it’s diabolical, it should never have been reopened. The paint around the edges has never been done properly; even a newby DIYer would know, that a bit of masking tape would have avoided hundreds and hundreds of paint runs, I’ve got to be honest I don’t know how it’s even happened. All the pool bottoms are worn with great big worn out patches all around it 16) There’s only one men’s and ladies loo. And it’s not near the pool. When you read the reviews properly, this has been going on for a long time. I asked from day 1 to be relocated, messaged the Rep, and asked continuously/daily..!! It’s not worth anything like the cleverly worded brochures. I was fuming, totally ripped off. I just can’t believe these huge companies, that know we put faith in them; are doing it to people. I heard the phrase "it’s just not acceptable" about a million times from nearly every guest; this is really really serious. PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE IT’S MISERABLE..!!

We arrived to a warm welcoming had a nice complimentary drink, we then received our key the room was open so didn’t need to use the key, the room smelt damp, power sockets not attached to wall so wires exposed, we had an old rusty fridge that saw it’s day....

We arrived to a warm welcoming had a nice complimentary drink, we then received our key the room was open so didn’t need to use the key, the room smelt damp, power sockets not attached to wall so wires exposed, we had an old rusty fridge that saw it’s day. We then went to breakfast that was very basic and not good we returned to the room to use the key to find out it didn’t fit we had two attempts with various trips to reception for different keys eventually got one that fitted, I wouldn’t stay here nor suggest to friends it’s a Marriott group hotel which isn’t the best

Truly outstanding in every way (check out my previous reviews and I do not say that regularly). Location perfect with a great beach in front of the Caribbean Sea. Food excellent but the piece de resistance are the staff. Attentive, funny, interested and above all very professional. There have been...

Truly outstanding in every way (check out my previous reviews and I do not say that regularly). Location perfect with a great beach in front of the Caribbean Sea. Food excellent but the piece de resistance are the staff. Attentive, funny, interested and above all very professional. There have been some strange bad reviews about this hotel and I can only imagine that competitors are trying to affect their ratings. Trust me, this is a great hotel.