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[wisconsin_fan81]

Hey Everyone!

My wife and I are going to be traveling to Barbados arouond May of 2010, and we were wondering if anyone knew what the best all-inclusive resorts were?

[starlagurl]

Hi wisonsin fan:

I'm going to be completely honest and advise that you stay away from all-inclusive resorts because of the lack of contact you will have with local culture and the impact you will have on the environment while you are there.

You can find one of many discussions we've had on this topic here:

http://www.travelpod.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12948

I just did a quick search in the TravelPod search box you can find at the top right hand side of your screen and found a bunch of reviewed all-inclusives and blogs about them too:

http://www.travelpod.com/s/barbados+all+inclusive

Let us know what you decide to do.

[wisconsin_fan81]

I know I know, taking the easy way out by staying at an all-inclusive...lol. But we really hit the pavement hard when we travel- we even went to Budapest, Prague, and Vienna for our honeymoon- anyone whose been there knows how much endless walking is involved. We just want a relaxing trip to the islands. We are definitely going to visit every nook and cranny we can, but we just kind of wanted a uber-base of operations. I'll check around though. Thanks!

[starlagurl]

Yeah, OK. Never know where people are coming from when they find themselves here. You sound like you know what you're doing already anyway! Welcome to the forums.

Let me know if you like the search function, it's pretty new.

[kris]

i think the ones along the western side are more expensive and less atmosphere but smoother and picturesque sea.. the ones along the south at dover beach and st. lawrence gap including the regular hotels would be more fun if you needed that.. there's quite a few restaurants lining the 'gap' (st. lawrence gap) so food wouldn't be a problem.. nor would you need to do much walking as its quite compact..

[wisconsin_fan81]

We're still considering our options on Barbados. We have a while, and that'll probably be our next international trip, as we just got back from Iceland. We are excited and so far it looks to be very relaxing and very, well...tropical!

[nealbrown]

Hey Everyone!

My wife and I are going to be traveling to Barbados arouond May of 2010, and we were wondering if anyone knew what the best all-inclusive resorts were?

I can offer you a villa with free car ,close to beach ,jacuzzi, on the prestigeous west coast
at a very low price. neal_abbey@hotmail.com

[kilgiraffe]

I know this post was made a while ago but since your trip isn't until next year, figured I'd throw in some advice..

I've found that hotels here in Barbados aren't really prominently advertised as all-inclusive. The government, wanting to keep local culture alive and not make a "tourist-only zone" per se, has put a number of measures in place to try and keep the balance, most notably that there is not a single private beach on the island! Hotels are not legally allowed to prevent access to a beach, so don't be surprised if you see quite a few locals on the beaches right outside the resorts. Virtually all the hotels here have very good relations with various locals companies

Kris up there is correct though - West Coast is home to the fancy expensive hotels and South Coast is where the more cheaply priced hotels are. South Coast however is also the big party zone so if you just want peace and quiet with cost not being an issue, West Coast would be your better bet. There's the ever-popular celebrity infested Sandy Lane, but there are numerous other hotels on the West that are willing to offer similar type services. Escape Hotel is one, the names of the rest escape me right now though [pun not intentional].

The best option on a more modest budget however is the Hilton - surprisingly picturesque hotel given its close proximity to the capital Bridgetown [about 1km away from the centre] and would be my best recommendation. It's smack-bang between the two popular coasts and it's really easy to get to the picturesque East Coast from there too, and the staff are all very friendly and helpful also.

Hope this helps

[sunniebgi]

Barbados has very few true all inclusive resorts, if any.. ok a few.. The Almond Beach Resorts - 2 on the west coast, one on the south. There are several resorts that have meal plans, but again not all-inclusive (ie - no free drinks eats all day long, watersports etc).

The Hilton Hotel at Needhams Point is a good central place to stay. Accra Beach Hotel on the south coast is also good. Great beach, nice pool area. Check out Gems of Barbados which are a collection of hotels that you can choose from. Also Elegant Resorts, which have several hotels that have combined meals plans where you can jump to sister resorts for meals and relaxing.

The west coast is for sure going to be more expensive, but also likely to provide more luxury. South coast is going to be less expensive and more laid back.

You could also choose The Crane, in St. Philip on the lower east coast. The beach is rated one of the most beautiful in the world but the sea can be a bit on the wild side. But the pools, the resort and the surroundings are wonderful. You would need a rental car to explore the island but it might be a great place to base yourself.

Good luck and enjoy.