Buttsbury House

In Depth

Tucked away in a quiet corner beyond the top end of Barbados’ original Polo Club at Holders, Buttsbury House sits in more than an acre of lush tropical gardens and has a prime position on the edge of a coral stone ridge, where mature trees give way to views of the Caribbean Sea - a mere 5 minutes down the road. Buttsbury House is one of a number of holiday and residential homes which are built around the edges of the polo field with the club house just a few minutes walk down the road. These include the historic Holders House, home to the Kidd family and birthplace of the ‘Holders Season’. During the ‘season’ Holders Hill busies itself with all kinds of musical, theatrical and cultural events including international and local polo matches, which attract a good following.

Designed in the 1980s by Ian Morrison, Buttsbury House bears the hallmarks of his work during that period which was very Mediterranean in style. The villa is low lying and on one level, apart from the Master bedroom, and has red clay tile roofs, whitewashed walls and moulded columns with lots of exposed log beams, all painted white.

The focal point of Buttsbury House is the inviting pool courtyard which is the first thing that you notice on entering the villa, for the entire villa is built around it. The courtyard is open-air of course and is a fabulous sun trap. It has a good sized mosaic tiled swimming pool with a set of steps on each side that serve as a nice area to sit and sip cocktails. Pool furniture includes a couple of tables with umbrellas, so that you can enjoy an alfresco breakfast or lunch. A covered walkway encircles the pool with a low wall with two sets of gates enclosing the pool area, and making it safer for small children.

A delightful breeze blows from the east, straight through the middle of the villa, but should this natural air-conditioning prove too much, a series of glass sliding doors to the west of the pool courtyard will shut off the villa’s main living areas.

The west wing of Buttsbury House contains a well equipped kitchen and a laundry room, which are located next to the two dining areas which can seat up to twelve each. There is the choice of a formal inner dining room, or the lovely dining gazebo (both fan cooled). This in turn juts out into the gardens and catches glimpses of the sea through the trees. Next is the air-conditioned study with fax machine, which can serve as an additional sixth bedroom as it has a sofa bed. An almost circular, and very cosy den-like TV room has been built back into the wall, between the study and sitting room, and has cable TV and VCR. A comfortable sitting area with a couple of sofas, chairs and low coffee table is located opposite the pool terrace (this is where the glass sliding doors can be drawn across), and has a huge picture window facing the gardens and Caribbean sea in the distance. Although the room is enclosed to a degree, there is certainly a very open-air ambiance which is one of the main attractions of Buttsbury House.

The adjoining west terrace is partially covered and provides an additional casual sitting area with padded rattan furniture, and opens to a small side sun terrace, and out onto the lawns. With such lovely views of the Caribbean Sea, the gardens have planting around the borders only. Buttsbury’s large expanse of lawned garden, dotted occasionally by mature mahogany trees, provides a feeling of space and makes the best of the excellent views of the coast.

The five bedrooms with en suite bath/shower rooms are located on two sides of the pool courtyard, with two on the north side and three on the east. All bedrooms are on the ground floor apart from the master bedroom, which has a king-size bed and two private balconies - a small standing balcony over the pool and a larger sea view balcony with a couple of lounge chairs. It has a walk-in dressing room and en suite bathroom with separate tub and shower. Beneath it is a secondary Master bedroom with a king-size bed and a small private patio adjoining the west terrace, a walk-in dressing room and en suite bathroom with tub/shower.

All bedrooms are air-conditioned, and have ceiling fans and safes, all bathrooms have marble vanities. The three twin bedrooms are located in the east wing and have shuttered windows which when left open attract a really nice breeze. All have en suite bathrooms, with one with shower only. The central bedroom features an enclosed atrium, whilst the bedroom to the north corner has an adjoining single bedroom which is suitable for a nanny or for a child.

Special Offers

WINTER SPECIAL 2011/12 - Free Night!

Stay 7 nights between December 15th 2011 and April 15th 2012 and only pay for 6 (excluding the christmas period)

SUMMER SPECIAL - Free Nights
Stay 7 nights and only pay for 5. Offer valid for stays from 16 Apr-14 Dec 2012.

All offers are subject to change without notice.

Beach & Swimming

There are some excellent swimming beaches within a ten to fifteen minute drive, running from Fitts Village to Sandy Lane and up towards Colony Club. There is a public footpath giving access to Sandy Lane beach located south of the hotel, with parking along the side of Highway 1, the road which runs along the West Coast.

Buttsbury House has a very nice mosaic tiled heated pool, which is 15ft by 15ft and 4ft to 6ft in depth, with sets of steps on each side.

Sports & Recreation

The Sandy Lane Golf Club, tennis courts, and dedicated spa are located within approximately seven minutes drive of Buttsbury House, as are a range of water sports from Sandy Lane Hotel's beach. There is a fitness club at Warren's approximately ten minutes away. Tennis is also available at Sugar Hill approximately twelve minutes drive.

Locality

Buttsbury House is located up the hill from Tamarind Cove Hotel and Daphne's and Scarlet restaurants, on a ridge overlooking the Paynes Bay area. It sits beyond the north end of Holder's polo field, not far from Holders House, home of the Holders Season. Ten minutes drive to the north you will come to the heart of St James, and the nearest shopping district, 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 within 15 minutes drive in either direction of Buttsbury House. The celeb favourite, the Lone Star, is about 15 minutes north and the famous The Cliff restaurant is about 10 minutes away to the south, followed by Cin Cin By The Sea. Also look out for Scarlet and Daphne's, both at the bottom of the hill. There are any number of restaurants in Holetown itself, including The Mews, Café Indigo, Nishi and The Tides, but you will also find pizza parlours, cafés, beach bars, fast food outlets and an excellent patisserie, Flindt. 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, The 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, but a 10% service charge plus VAT will be added to all shopping bills. Rental rates for villas in Barbados do not include 'tips', about which you will find advice in the guest information book at the villa.

Airport Meet & Greet

If you are booking direct ask the villa management company to send a taxi to meet you at the airport. Your airport transfers are paid for locally and take approximately 45 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, 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 everything is relatively close at hand, a hire car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays. A car is especially useful if you want to dine out at night or go sightseeing, unless you prefer staff to call taxis for you as required.

Book car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Stoutes Car Rentals and ask for your vehicle to be delivered to the property approximately three hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Barbados or 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.