The Sandpiper

In Depth

The Sandpiper sits in extremely pretty tropical gardens on the shorefront in St James. With 48 rooms and suites it is smaller and less formal than most of the famous hotels along the West Coast, including its sister hotel, the Coral Reef Club. Like Coral Reef, it is one of the few major hotels around the Caribbean that is still family owned and run, but it is important that The Sandpiper is intentionally lower key than the rest of the West Coast. It is by no means cheap, but it has a very special feel. Ultimately The Sandpiper is a very agreeable place to be, which is why you find so many returning visitors to Barbados making a home from home there.

The Sandpiper has always had a subdued but traditional Bajan theme to it. Recently though, the hotel has been restyled, and touches of the Orient have been introduced. It retains its West Indian graciousness, but it has a sleeker and more modern style that speaks more generally of the Tropics. You will notice this as you enter the foyer, which is breezier and more open than before. There are stretches of dark brown hardwood and sleek furniture to go with classic tropical prints. The new style of the hotel is encapsulated by a screen that you will find there. At first sight it would seem to be from Indonesia, but as you look closely at the carving and you will notice that as well as traditional patterns of the Orient there are Caribbean gingerbread themes inlaid into it too. The screen was in fact locally made of mahogany.

From the lobby you emerge into the seven acres of tropical gardens and a riot of colour. Bougainvillea is a major theme of the gardens and so all over the place there are huge fingers of pink, orange, white and purple petals – which look extremely attractive against the brown, black and cream colour of the accommodation wings. There are ponds with lilies, ranges of red feather grass and many trees, including a couple of immensely tall palms.

The rooms are scattered in blocks that range around the edges of the property left and right, enclosing the pool and dining room at the centre. One path, headed left, leads to rooms and eventually to the sea, the other meanders to the right, through the greenery, passing first the swimming pool, which is surrounded by sprays of golden palms, and then the open-sided breakfast room and the main dining room, which are set behind a wall of ginger lilies. This retains its traditional Caribbean feel more than other parts of the hotel, with wicker armchairs and a pitched, pickled pine ceiling. Beyond the dining room, past other cottages festooned in tropical growth, it is a skip to the beach.

The accommodation was also redone in the recent refurbishment. The chintz and the high pastel floral patterns have now disappeared in favour of calmer colour scheme – light blue, beige and green on a base of gold and mid and dark browns. Hardwood furniture has been brought in from the Far East. It is unfussy and elegant. Other features have been retained however, including the familiar embroidered cartoons of West Indian dancers. After the success of the Plantation Suites at the Coral Reef Club, there are also two impressive and extremely comfortable Tree Top Suites. These were styled on a traditional plantation theme by British interior designer Helen Green and they are subdued and elegant. They have private plunge pools and grand bathrooms with free-standing oval baths.

On the seafront you will find the white sand and calm waters of the West Coast, where watersports are available and of course there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy inactivity in the sun. During the day garden tables are set next to the thatch-roofed Harold’s Bar above the beach so you can take a leisurely lunch under parasols. There is also a large wooden deck right above the shorefront which is partly shaded and is good for sunbathing.

The Sandpiper is owned by the O’Hara family, which also owns the Coral Reef Club, a few hundred yards farther north on the West Coast. While the two brothers Patrick and Mark oversee the other hotel, sister Karen and her husband Wayne are the force behind The Sandpiper. Some of the facilities at Coral Reef Club are shared with the Sandpiper, including the Spa and a children’s playground.

The latest addition to The Sandpiper is The Beach House, a three-bedroom villa purchased and refurbished during summer 2010. Set on the southern corner of The Sandpiper’s beach, it consists of a master bedroom on the beach side and two garden view bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spacious living room, fully fitted kitchen and a large wrap around terrace. It can be rented as a 3-bedroom villa or the front part can be separated from the rest of the villa and sold as an ocean front One Bedroom Suite suitable for up to two persons. Guests of The Beach House are entitled to room service, complimentary water sports, tennis instruction, transportation into Bridgetown daily, weekly managers cocktail party, flowers and drinks on arrival and any other amenities enjoyed by The Sandpiper’s guests.

Beach & Swimming

The Sandpiper fronts onto the broad sweep of a curved bay on Barbados's excellent West Coast, and its section of sand is shaded by sea almonds and palms. Some of the frontage is covered with a deck and boardwalk and there are sunloungers both on it and below on the sand itself. The water is usually calm and the sand shelves gradually into the sea, which has good swimming. There is a beach bar, Harold's, right above the beach, where you can retreat for a drink.

The hotel's free-form swimming pool is set back in the grounds of the hotel, beyond the dining room, and it is surrounded by sprays of golden palms.

Sports & Recreation

The Sandpiper has a watersports facility on property, which offers complimentary snorkelling, waterskiing, kayaking and small boat sailing (Hobie Cats and Sunfish). There is a marine park not far off at Folkestone where the snorkelling is good. The watersports shop will lend you snorkelling equipment. Deep sea fishing and scuba diving can be arranged (at extra cost), through the Coral Reef Club.

There are two tennis courts at the Sandpiper, which can be lit for night play, and there are two other courts situated at the Coral Reef Club although each hotel has its own resident tennis pro each week. Guests at the Sandpiper are able to join the free clinics each afternoon between 4pm and 6pm. The Sandpiper also has a gym with equipment including treadmills, cycles and free weights. The services of a personal trainer are also available.

Guests are welcome to use the facilities of The Spa at the Coral Reef Club and complimentary luxury transfers are provided. It has four treatment rooms, a thermal suite, a hydro pool and a double pavilion for couples. See below for more details.

The Spa at Coral Reef Club

The Spa at the Coral Reef Club is set in a very attractive walled courtyard surrounded by greenery near the rear of the hotel gardens. The interior of the spa was designed by Helen Green (who also worked on the interiors of their Plantation Suites), the spa has a classic Caribbean look with a streamlined contemporary edge, in keeping with the rest of the resort. There are four treatment rooms, each of which has its own private garden area, and an open-sided pavilion for couples that also looks onto its own garden. Other facilities include a thermal suite and a hydro-pool, some shaded cabanas and two relaxation rooms for before and after your treatments - one is on an upper floor and so it has a view over the courtyard to the sea. Treatments include a number of different sorts of massage, body wraps and scrubs. Products are by Natura Bissé of Spain, with a second exclusive range of products created in Barbados from locally sourced fruits and other plants.

Staff

The Sandpiper is headed up by husband and wife Wayne and Karen Capaldi, who cast an artfully light hand over the intimacy that makes the hotel so pleasant to be in. Harold, of Harold's Bar, a past winner of the Caribbean Hotel Association's Employee of the year award for his bar work. His bar is a focal point between the beach and dining room.

The Rooms

Scattered around the garden, the accommodation blocks at Sandpiper come in two main styles. Some are built with Bajan coral rock, others with white stucco and wood, decorated to a theme of brown or black on white, with overhanging balconies. Both styles enable classic tropical living, with outside space onto which the bedroom or living rooms can be opened.

There is a variety of accommodation, some simple 'rooms', but also one and two-bedroom suites with larger amounts of space. All however, have recently undergone refurbishment. The chintz and the high pastel floral patterns have been removed in favour of sleeker and calmer colours. The colour schemes in the rooms are now light blue, beige and green, on a background of browns and golds. And in place of the traditional Caribbean wicker, there is now sleek and elegant dark hardwood furniture. Some traditional Barbadian themes are maintained however. The walls are still sandy-coloured coral render and white stucco and some of the tray ceilings pickled pine. On the walls you will find fine old prints of island plants, scenes of old Barbados. Also you will see The Sandpiper's familiar embroidered cartoons of Bajan dancers.

All the rooms have some outside space, a balcony or terrace, usually surrounded by greenery. Inside, all the bedrooms are air-conditioned and have bathrooms with combination showers and tubs. The one and two bedroom apartments have kitchens and living rooms. All rooms have fridges, toasters, hair dryers, CD player/clock radios and safes. The Tree Top Suites are the most sumptuous. They have been styled by English interior designer Helen Green and are larger and have their own plunge pools.

Dressing gowns and Molton Brown shampoos are provided in the bathrooms.

Dining

The dining room at the Sandpiper is set in a pretty, open-sided building with traditional West Indian features including a pickled pine ceiling and whirring fans, and of course set in copious tropical greenery. The Executive Chef is Christophe Poupardin who sets a daily changing menu to reflect the best of the ingredients of the day, including the local fish of course. The cuisine is eclectic and gathers tastes from around the world. Sandpiper can cope quite well with special dietary requirements. Let them know in advance so that they can arrange for any ingredients to be brought in. Tables are also set out in the open, next to Harold's Bar. There is nightly entertainment over dinner in season and three or four times a week in the summer.

Children

Children are welcome at the Sandpiper except at the height of the winter season during 15 January to 15 March, when children under twelve years old are not permitted. During the summer months however there is a special programme to keep them busy. There is an unsupervised playground at Coral Reef and attached to it a creche. Some child and baby equipment can be provided by the hotel. A special childrens' room service menu is available between 5.30pm and 7pm.

Practical Facts

Annual Closure Dates: 11 August to 10 October 2012

Dress Code: Elegantly informal. No shorts, faded or torn jeans, T-shirts or sandals in the restaurant in the evening. Smart jeans allowed. New Year's Eve - Black Tie or Jacket and Tie are requested for dinner.

Facilities: Swimming pool. Restaurant and bar. Fitness room. Two hard court, floodlit tennis courts. TV lounge/computer room with internet access. Unisex boutique, Full service Spa, Hairdresser and film processing all nearby at Coral Reef Club, the sister hotel

Complimentary: Welcome cocktail and flowers in room on arrival. Snorkelling, kayaking, Sunfish and Hobie Cat sailing and waterskiing. Entertainment nightly in winter; 3-4 evenings a week in summer; Weekly Manager's cocktail party on Wednesdays and barbecue on Sundays. Room service. Tennis coaching with resident pro from 4pm-6pm, Mon-Sat. Fruit sorbet on the beach every morning. Shuttle service to Bridgetown (Monday-Friday). WiFi throughout the property.

Other Services: Exchange dining with other luxury West Coast hotels for guests on half-board (subject to availability). Facilities for wheelchairs available on request. Television in room US$50/week

Accommodation: 48 air-conditioned rooms and suites, all of which have a private patio or balcony, fridge, toaster, CD player/clock radio, wall safe and hair dryer. King or twin beds (indicate which you require when booking). Bathroom en suite with tub and shower. Garden Rooms have a garden view and accommodate two adults only. One Bedroom suites have a separate living room with a sofa bed (will take either 3 adults or two adults and 2 children), kitchen, and give either an ocean or garden view. Two bedroom suites are larger but similar, have two bathrooms and will accommodate up to six people (with two on a sofa bed in the living room). Tree Top Suites both have sea views, a covered terrace and open sundeck with private pool (12ft x 9ft), a spacious living room with TV, DVD player and CD player (selection of DVDs and CDs), bedroom with dressing area and large bathroom with tub and a large separate walk-in shower (all air-conditioned). Suites accommodate two adults, both with a king bed one of which can convert to two twins. The Beach House consists of 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, spacious living room, fully fitted kitchen and large wrap around terrace. It can be rented as a 3-bedroom villa with the master bedroom on the ocean front and the other two bedrooms having garden views. The front part of the villa can also be separated from the back and sold as an ocean front One Bedroom Suite suitable for up to two persons.

Children: Welcome except U12yrs not accepted during 15 January to 15 March. Children U16yrs cannot occupy a room alone, except in communicating room. Complimentary cribs and high chairs are provided by the hotel, which also offers a weekday afternoon cr?�che (for ages 2-8) and small children's playground. Babysitting available

Weddings/Honeymoons: Honeymooners staying 7 nights or longer receive flowers and fruit in their room upon arrival. A Wedding Package for US$2,300 is available for stays of 5 nights or more - weddings limited to one per month.

Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express

Locality

The Sandpiper is just north of Holetown, where the English first landed in 1625 and came back in 1627 to settle. There are two shopping centres, the smaller Cave Shepherd Plaza close to Sandy Lane and the larger West Coast Mall in Holetown itself. Here you will find a large supermarket, bank, photo centre, duty free shops, video rental, and various shops and boutiques. Opposite here is 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. Next door 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. As a local community, it has all you would expect to find in a small community - police station, post office etc.

There are a number of restaurants within just a few minutes' drive. North of Speightstown are the Fish Pot, which has a lovely setting in Shermans Bay and to the south you will find Mangos By the Sea, the Lone Star, any number of restaurants in Holetown (Nishi, Tides), and further south, about fifteen minutes drive, The Cliff and Cin Cin By The Sea. 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.

Meet & Greet

If you are travelling independently, taxis are usually available at the airport and will cost around US$40 each way. The ride from the airport is around 45 minutes, depending on the traffic. 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, a Concierge Service is offered by St James Travel & Tours. (Click through to their page on our site)

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

Hiring a car to explore the island or go to a different beach for the day is easily arranged. Book via your tour operator or direct with Stoutes Car Rentals, who will deliver the vehicle to the property and issue you your local driving licence at the same time. Be aware that at the height of the winter season there is often a shortage of cars in Barbados, so you are advised to book yours in advance. If you want a car for a week or more the rates can also be better. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. Taxis are readily available through reception. It is also easy and quite fun to take buses along the West Coast main road.