Landmark House & Cottage

In Depth

The shady lawns of Landmark House lie partially hidden behind the world famous Sandy Lane beach, tucked away amongst a profusion of trees and palms, within an exclusive residential enclave right next door to Sandy Lane Hotel. Neighbouring villas include Bluff House and Mon Caprice.

Landmark House is a typical example of architect Ian Morrison’s earlier work, and is an enchanting, rambling, adobe style home with both natural coral stone and white painted stucco walls, with exposed bleached roofs, timber logs and woodwork. It has an earthy quality yet there is no doubt that this is a villa of quality which has been furnished with good taste, so if you are looking for barefoot charm with a touch of class, then this might be a good option. Although it is located right on the edge of Holetown, in the midst of the “Platinum Coast” and in close proximity to the best that the West Coast has to offer (beaches, sports and recreation, restaurants, shopping and night life), the leafy setting invokes a sense of seclusion and privacy.

You enter the house via a wooden bridge that spans the dense foliage surrounding Landmark House. Then a winding coral stone walkway leads past a pretty deck overlooking a courtyard garden. The open-sided deck, with its Adirondack loungers and hammock, offers a good spot to chill out, but it is the adjoining living room, which is rather like a rather chic pavilion, that is really the heart of Landmark House. Open on all sides, with an easy going, cool, calm and elegant feel, the living area has a very comfortable central sitting area, with white plump sofas and a couple of antique caned chairs. The cable TV with DVD and stereo system is housed in a suitable cabinet, and a nearby cosy nook with built-in seating provides yet another spot to lounge. Open-sided, the living area gives straight out onto the terrace where casual meals are served under the shade of umbrellas. The view over the lawns beyond give way to glimpses of the sea through the boundary planting, and the beach terrace.

For more formal meals, a dining gazebo is located in the gardens, next to the living area, and features a large circular, marble topped, stone table that can seat eight. The spacious gardens are laid to lawn, flanked by a variety of palms, shrubs and mature trees. Guests can sunbathe or relax in privacy on the lawns, which offer plenty of shade, or take to the small sun terrace at the bottom of the garden, where a roped off area of beach is set with sun beds. This is a marvellous section of the beach. It has golden sand and excellent swimming, with the full gentle curve of Sandy Lane beach in view to the south. The hotel itself just a short stroll away.

There are four air-conditioned bedrooms at Landmark House, all of which have ceiling fans and, in the three on the ground floor, outside showers.  All of the bathrooms were upgraded a few years ago and now have marble floors and tumbled travertine tiles. The bedrooms are located in a wing off the side of the living area, reached by a coral stone walled garden walkway. The three ground floor bedrooms, with a  master and two twin bedrooms (beds can be pushed together to make kings) have garden patios. The master bedroom has a king-size bed, pickle pine ceiling with frosted gable windows, a wall mounted plasma TV, cream marble floors and a large marble bathroom with a sunken bath and open shower area. Upstairs a second master bedroom, with king size-bed,  has a small garden-facing balcony and a cosy raised sitting area with built-in white plaster seating typical of adobe buildings and plasma TV. There is large en suite bathroom with a spacious open shower.

Landmark Cottage which is located across the drive offers two more bedrooms, and is a fully self-contained, tree house like cottage, now only available with the main house. 

Landmark Cottage

Landmark Cottage is a unique, two storey villa that resembles a tree-house, partially supported by bleached timber posts and tucked away amidst mahogany trees. Built almost entirely out of bleached pine (with a partial concrete frame) Landmark Cottage is painted all white, with latticework and traditional Demerara shutters.

The upper section is reached by a simple stairway that leads straight onto the wood decked gallery. Here you will find a sitting area furnished with rattan at one end. The wall is lined with shutters in one half of the room (the traditional type that push out on a hinge and are supported at an angle on poles) and with latticework at the rear. The gallery, which is wood decked, leads past a den with comfy sofa, past the compact kitchen and to a charming dining area which will seat four. This has the same shutters held out on pegs and looks onto the drive.

There are two air-conditioned bedrooms, both with ceiling fans and en suite bathrooms. One, a twin bedroom, is located upstairs, next to the dining area, and the other is downstairs, a queen bedroom accessed by an inner stairway, which has an en suite bathroom with shower. There is a third bathroom with a tub and separate shower. Outside the ground floor bedroom is a small sitting area with built-in tree bench.

Beach & Swimming

The garden at Landmark House has an opening directly onto a fine stretch of beach just north of Sandy Lane Hotel. A roped off area of beach just below shady casuarina trees has sun loungers for guests exclusive use and has splendid views of the bay. The swimming from Sandy Lane beach is some of the best on the island, however at certain times of the year there can be a swell with some undertow, so do make sure to look out for the red flags which warn against swimming. The beach, and even right in front of the hotel is lined by Manchineel Trees whose leaves produce a caustic sap and should never be used for shelter during rainfall or shortly after to avoid skin blistering. The yellow, apple-like fruit are also poisonous, so do be watchful around small children. If consumed seek medical treatment immediately. Most trees either carry signs or have a red painted ring around the base of the trunk.

Sports & Recreation

The Sandy Lane Golf Club, tennis courts, and dedicated spa are located within a few minutes drive from Landmark House, as are a range of water sports from Sandy Lane Hotel's beach which is a short stroll away. 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. The nearest polo field is at Holders Hill approximately 6 minutes by car.

Locality

Landmark House is situated within an exclusive residential enclave right on the world famous Sandy Lane beach, with the actual hotel right next door, and its golf course just around the corner. This is the heart of St James, and the Platinum Coast and conveniently close 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 within 15 minutes drive along the main West Coast Road in either direction of Landmark House. You might consider the famous The Cliff restaurant, about ten minutes away to the south - also look out for Scarlet, Daphne's and Cin Cin By The Sea in this direction. Heading north beyond Holetown you could try celeb favourite the Lone Star, about 15 minutes north, or the Fish Pot. 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, 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, 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 17.5% VAT and 15% Service Charge.

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.