Fuddy Duddy
Dec 16, 2024 Jaye_Bird71 Toronto, Canada
Butterfly Beach Hotel
Lots to say about this spot! The location is in point—absolutely perfect! I’m an avid solo traveller however on this trip I came with my 22 year old son.
The beach is stunning—never have I ever in my 22 years of beach hopping have I enjoyed the ocean as much as I did this trip! There were waves but they were soothing, calm…
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Butterfly Beach Hotel
Lots to say about this spot! The location is in point—absolutely perfect! I’m an avid solo traveller however on this trip I came with my 22 year old son.
The beach is stunning—never have I ever in my 22 years of beach hopping have I enjoyed the ocean as much as I did this trip! There were waves but they were soothing, calm and inviting.
Buttt it’s locked off at 6pm! No star gazing happening here! :( Even though there is a designated security post right there at the gate—security was barely there or even visible—so I guess having a security posted there after 6 wasn’t plausible for this hotel. Super disappointing as that’s one of my favourite things to do on vacation—star gaze and walk the beach. Especially with stars as bright at they are here.
Also the entrance to the beach is super tricky! You have to go slow—there’s a steep ramp and nails poking through it. Every day I was proud of myself I didn’t fall down or cut myself!
Beach loungers— they have them, but they’re not on the beach. They’re stacked up high at the top of the ramp. No beach guy to carry them down to the beach—no loungers placed on the beach at all. And no one to brush off the sand which I found to be super odd especially for a senior clientele. So you’re expected to carry it down and back up when you’re done. I wasn’t about it! Who wants to work on vacation?? Unfortunately my son had to put in the work times 2! And believe me lugging a lounger up and down that ramp is work! This entire process making the ramp situation a heightened opportunity to injure yourself. The beach is what makes this hotel—some changes/accommodating needs to happen here.
The food was delicious! I truly believe some people just come to Barbados just to eat—and I can see why. Breakfast buffet at the reef was everything you’d want in a buffet breakfast and very tasty.
The rooms are very dated— the tv is small and it looks like it’s from the 90’s. There’s only 3 channels that’s were halfway appealing; CBC Gem (thank God), TNT and the Discovery Channel. Oh and MTV when it was active and that was off and on.
To be fair—our tv blew out on day 2–after letting the front desk know, maintenance was in our room not 10 minutes later to replace it. I was impressed!
The beds are also old and I have to say not very comfortable. The pillows were just sad—it’s like they were filled with socks; bumpy and awkward. I arrived with a tense neck and left with a sore neck and back.
No bathtub and that’s fine but the shower head was basically tight up against the wall and the hot and cold water knobs were sticking out of the wall poking out oddly a lot farther than normal—making it difficult to get under the shower head. Especially for my son who is 6’1.
The kitchen part of the room bothered me—it was old and rustic not what you would expect from a “boutique” hotel.
I honestly don’t travel for the rooms but as a solo traveller during a 7 day holiday I do like to spend a day or two in my room doing nothing but relaxing in bed and maybe watching a movie or two. This isn’t the place for chilling in or enjoying your room.
The front desk staff is very accommodating, attentive and pleasant they do what they can to make your trip enjoyable. They are very concerned with the hotel’s reputation.
The Reef—bar staff amazing! Super friendly and crafty with the drinks! The female servers…all but one were salty! Not smiling, not welcoming, not happy and it was obvious they didn’t want to be there. This made it difficult when deciding on the tip as I’m sure it all gets divied up at some point.
You also need to book a reservation for breakfast and dinner! This we did not know and there were several others that also didn’t know.
BBQ buffet night we walked up around 7 and were lucky to get a seat off to the side along the hall leading towards the exit. As we sat we watched several people get turned away because they didn’t have a reservation—how is one supposed to know this?? It’s not communicated or posted anywhere. Also after that happened we then tried to book an ocean view table for breakfast or dinner for any day during our stay and they were all booked up—my guess is with regulars.
The clientele—this is a fuddy duddy hotel—more like a motel with a spectacular view and beach. I’m 53 and this crowd was 10-15 years too old for me—I gather this is a repeat spot for most—regulars. As getting a room on the ground floor for accommodations that were booked 6 months in advance was a no go. Sometime between 10-11 the entire place is locked up! Access to the bar, the pool and the beach area it’s like we’re on lockdown locked in a retirement home—very strange.
The crowd at this hotel is very reserved, not friendly at all—there were several occasions when I saw someone was at the front desk being snitty with the staff and at one point a woman on the first floor was yelling her bloody head off! Not my cup of tea!
I’m easy going happy and friendly—walking by someone and saying “good morning” and having someone snarl back at you or completely ignoring you makes for a shotty atmosphere.
The Saturday and Sunday this hotel was filled with locals and that’s no problem at all however there were kids running all over this quaint spot and yelling off the top of their lungs in the jacuzzi. There is absolutely nothing at this hotel to entertain a child, no slide, no play ground or specified play area—I guess that’s why they were running all over the place screaming. This hotel isn’t a place for kids especially with a repeat clientele aged 70 and up.
I’m writing this very detailed review because well as I said I am an avid traveller and had I known its was a 70+ repeat fuddy duddy spot—as well as the beach being locked off at 6pm—I would have chose somewhere else.
Overall—I did enjoy myself. My son—not so much! It’s all about the beach for me and that part of my holiday as well as the food was excellent but would I come back—no.
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