The Bolt Hole - Old Trees

In Depth

The Bolt Hole is one of fourteen individually furnished, luxury apartments in the exclusive Old Trees Bay beachfront residence at Paynes Bay, which is situated right at the heart of the West Coast. Just a handful of the apartments are available for rent at Old Trees Bay, which stands four storeys high and looks over a meandering, lagoon-like swimming pool set in its gardens (the pool is for the use of all the residents, though all the apartments also have their own plunge pools) and through a line of tall casuarinas pines to the beach. Accessed through gates that lead directly onto the sand, Paynes Bay is a glorious white sand beach with excellent swimming directly in front of the property. Beach chairs, umbrellas and showers for rinsing off in the gardens are provided, as well as paved areas for sunbathing. The setting at Old Trees Bay suits discerning couples in search of a comfortable beachfront environment within a short distance of all the best that the West Coast has to offer. There is on-site security, an electric gated entrance on the main road and adequate parking bays in the forecourt.

All of the apartments at Old Trees have a similar floor plan and a uniform finish, with natural marble floors, pickled pine tray ceilings, coral stone clad walls and detailing to doorways, but they are all are individually furnished and decorated. The Bolt Hole is on the second floor, in the mid section of the building, and is reached via stairs or the lift. The elegant entrance hall leads around to an extremely spacious open-plan living and dining room, which has been tastefully furnished in a contemporary, colonial style. The room is light and airy with a polished hardwood dining table and woven, natural fibre seating for six. There is a comfortable sitting area with both upholstered and woven-fibre seating and soft furnishings in neutral and earthy tones. A striking trio of original oil paintings, portraying Caribbean characters, adds a dash of colour and flair. A cable TV and VCR are housed in an attractive antique-style cabinet, in keeping with the general style of the room’s colonial look.

Two fanlight French doors lead out onto a covered balcony, which is furnished with wicker patio furniture so that guests can dine casually, or simply relax and enjoy the views through the casuarinas pine trees. An adjacent plunge pool, set into the corner of the balcony and providing a cooling spot to loll in, has two sides overhanging the gardens below. A door off the side of the balcony opens onto a stairway that leads from the apartment down to the gardens and beach below. A gas barbecue is provided for the balcony.

There are three bedrooms at the Bolt Hole. The master is located off the sitting area and has French doors leading out to a small balcony with sea views. It has been furnished elegantly, with traditional mahogany pieces including two cane-backed reading chairs, and an attractive, king-size sleigh bed of dark stained wicker. A walk-in dressing area leads into a wonderful en suite marble tiled bathroom that features a raised whirlpool tub at its centre, and a separate shower. The other two bedrooms are located to the rear of the apartment facing the drive. Both have two twin beds and en suite bathrooms, one room with tub/shower and the second with a small balcony and slightly larger, attractively tiled en suite bathroom with separate tub and shower.

A very stylish, well equipped kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a wide breakfast counter of polished dark green granite faces the dining area and is very much part of the living experience within the Bolt Hole. The apartment is centrally air-conditioned and all rooms have ceiling fans.

Beach & Swimming

The Old Trees Bay property is located directly on a glorious white sand beach which stretches along the gently curving Paynes Bay, past Tamarind Cove Hotel and Treasure Beach, with Sandy Lane's famous beach within walking distance to the north. The property has a communal freeform swimming pool (5ft deep) which runs lagoon like along the gardens, just below the plunge pools of the lower level units which are raised slightly above ground level. The private plunge pool at The Bolt Hole is set into the floor and on the corner of the covered balcony, and has entry steps to one side, with the corner sides having low, clear splash boards to avoid water ending up in the gardens below. The pool is 3.6ft deep and is fully open to the balcony. A door off the side of the balcony opens to a stairway leading from the apartment down to the gardens and beach below.

Sports & Recreation

The Sandy Lane Golf Club, Tennis Courts, and dedicated spa are located within approximately 5 minutes drive from Old Trees Bay, as are a range of water sports from Sandy Lane Hotel's beach. The Royal Westmoreland golf course is about 10 minutes drive away, which has some tee times open to outsiders in the mid morning. There is a fitness club at Warren's approximately 10 minutes away.

Locality

The Bolt Hole at Old Trees Bay is located just north of Treasure Beach Hotel which is followed by Tamarind hotel and Daphne's restaurant to the south. This strip of coast is known as the "Platinum Coast" and it's where all the hustle and bustle really starts, with Sandy Lane only a few (depending on traffic) minutes drive away to the north, and within walking distance along the beach. Just down the road you will find a Texaco service station which also sells snacks and groceries, and freshly caught fish can be purchased from the seafront further along. A short drive up Holders Hill nearby will take you up to the Barbados Polo Club. An approximate (depends on traffic) 8 minute drive will get you to the heart of St James, and the nearest shopping district which is Holetown. Here you will find the Cave Shepherd Plaza and the larger West Coast Mall. These contain a supermarket, bank, photo centre, duty free shops, video rental, and various shops and boutiques. The Limegrove Lifestyle Centre is a recent addition with a range of designer shops, an art gallery, bars, cafes and restaurants. Also close by is the Chattel House Village, a series of traditional looking Caribbean cabins selling souvenirs, the 24 hour Sandy Crest Medical Centre, and a market stall where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. The town also has a gas station (as petrol stations are known locally) which has an in store mini-mart and an outlet of KFC, both open until late evening.

Holetown, the place where the English first landed in 1625, later settling it in 1627, is also a local Barbadian community, with police station, post office, parish church, bank, pharmacy, clinic, fitness centre, school and so on.

There is a host of restaurants ranging from posh to pizzas within 15 minutes' drive in either direction of The Bolt Hole, from the celeb favourite the Lone Star, about 15 minutes north, to the famous The Cliff restaurant, which will take about 5 minutes heading south - also look out for Scarlet and CIn Cin By The Sea in this direction. There are any number of restaurants in Holetown itself, including The Mews, Café Indigo, Nishi and The Tides as well as an excellent patisserie, Flindt's and several pizza parlours, cafés, a beach bar and some fast food outlets. There is also good nightlife in Holetown with lively weekend gatherings in 1st and 2nd Street, where the restaurants and bars stand shoulder to shoulder, with some providing live music. Drinkers tend to spill out into the street to mingle, creating an easy-going 'street party' type of atmosphere. The current 'hot spots' are The Mews, Elbow Room, Spago and Lexy Piano Bar.

Useful Hints

Ask your travel organiser or the management company (if booking direct) for initial food and drink supplies to be laid in for your arrival. The cook will then prepare a welcome meal. Thereafter, staff will shop for you during your stay if you wish to delegate this chore, however it is up to the guest to provide transportation and funds for the staff to do so. Rental rates for villas in Barbados do not include 'tips', about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa.

Initial groceries and additional shopping, transfers, and any other incidentals such as crib, high chair, TV rental are subject to a 15% VAT and 15% Service Charge.

Not suitable for young children who would need to be very well supervised with the plunge pool situated directly off the living area within an adjacent terrace, which cannot be enclosed.

As with many coastal properties, do expect to hear some road noise due to the close proximity of the main route along the West Coast.

Airport Meet & Greet

If you are booking direct ask the villa management company Altman Villa Rentals to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. Once you request their transfer service, they will have a representative at the airport outside the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name on it, who will direct you to your awaiting taxi. Your airport transfers are paid for locally and take approximately 40 minutes.

Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include limousine transfers and a Concierge Service is offered by St James Travel & Tours.

If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking.

Getting Around

Although most things are relatively close at hand and Holetown can easily be reached by public transport, a hired car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays, unless you prefer staff to call taxis for you as required. A car will be useful if you want to dine out at night or do lots of sightseeing and particularly when it comes to shopping for groceries. Book car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Stoutes Car Rentals and ask for your vehicle(s) to be delivered to the property approximately 3 hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Barbados or, if preferred, the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day.