Sugar Bay Barbados - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

2492 reviews

• 

  Please read this before you book!

  This hotel is average- 3 star as opposed to the 4/5 star they claim to be. I really wish i’d read a review similar to the below before I booked. To begin with, there is nothing specifically wrong with the hotel - it’s more that it’s disappointing given the cost to stay here. - Transfer from airport - no hello from driver. Just abruptly told to ‘get in then’. - Check in - arrived at the desk and went through check in procedures which was straightforward. After this, we were left hanging around in reception. We weren’t told how we were to get to our room or what to do next, if we needed to take our luggage ourselves etc. We were unable to ask reception again as they were busy with another customer. We eventually came across a porter who we asked, and who showed us to our room. - We arrived around 7:30pm and thought we’d go for some dinner. There are no instructions regarding the buffet so we walked into the area where the food is kept and picked up a plate. We then quickly realised we should have checked in (this is not clear as the desk is past the buffet area). We apologised to the lady on the desk as we already had plates of food, and explained that we now realised we should have come to this area first. She was unsympathetic and just told us we were wrong (which we had admitted we knew). - The following morning, we had breakfast which was a good selection. We sat outside and had this which was lovely, despite the fact that we felt rather uncomfortable around the other guests. A coconut fell from the tree above and smashed a glass on the table next to us which (luckily!) had no one sitting at it. Other guests turned and gave very disapproving looks as though it was our fault (they hadn’t seen the coconut fall). - We walked around the grounds which were ok. Very much felt as though we were figuring everything out ourselves as there is absolutely no information about the grounds at all. No map etc. All you get is a qr code to scan which gives very basic information such as hotel policies. - There is a main pool (of which all sunbeds had already been taken), the beach (again - all sunbeds gone) and a little plunge pool next to Colins bar which has no sun lounger around it in the first place! - We thought we’d sit at the empty table and chairs by Colins (since there was no where else) but moved quickly as they began setting these up for lunch. We moved onto the beach and asked for 2 towels at the watersports hut (no information given to us about towels at checkin). We were simply handed the towels without a word. We sat on the towels on the beach as there was no where else to go. - Lunch was good - Evening entertainment was like very much catered to those of the older generation (speaking as people of that generation) Ended on ‘sweet caroline’ most evenings which was very predictable and in then end very boring. The best entertainment was Caribbean night - thank goodness for some authentic Bajan music, we were in the Caribbean after all! - Dinner most evenings was just ok. Everything was very oily/not much choice for vegetarians/restricted in theme - We did use the main pool once - there are two hidden steps in the pool which are not sign posted or highlighted. - Check out was awful. We had a night flight and they stop allowing you food/drink from 3pm. Having already spent a fortune on a holiday we didn’t want to have to pay $100 extra for late checkout so that we could eat. We asked for bottled water from reception and got snacks from the shop and just sat in the lobby waiting 3.5 hours. All in all, this hotel favours returning guests (hence their coloured wristband system), you are made to feel fairly unwelcome by such guests too. Everything was just ok - food pools beach etc. The best part was the room, and we were grateful for the large balcony as it’s where we spent most of our time when we couldn’t get a lounger anywhere. Please do your research as this may or may not be the hotel for you depending on what sort of company you enjoy/how early you are prepared to get up to get a sunbed just so you have somewhere to go during the day. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with the hotel. Its well kept and very nice in decor. The staff are friendly for the most part. But the lack of information/interest is clear and makes for a tricky situation.

  Jan 21, 2026
• 

  Our happy place

  Just back from the hotel after another visit this time with friends. Stayed this time in a ground level poolside room. The room itself is perfect with a/c, enough storage for us both, a good sized bed and perfectly adequate bathroom. Good hairdryer with all the attachments. The rooms are cleaned daily with plenty of fresh towels and toiletries Check in was smooth with the usual rum punch to kickstart the tastebuds. The reception area as usual is constantly swept and washed clean. We tried all the dining options and have to report we found them to be the best standard to date. Some folk will want an endless choice but SB concentrate on quality. An improved salad bar has certainly helped. I have to mention the pool, surroundings and beds. Firstly the pool this year has greatly improved with especially Cody and Maurice cleaning the pool and loungers on a daily basis. Excellent work lads. There was a concern voiced on social media re guests reserving loungers. Does this happen…yes but towels were removed by the staff on at least 1 occasion. Finally we would like to acknowledge the staff at SB. Unbelievably friendly and helpful. The bar staff work tirelessly as do the beach team. Cherese, Kimberly Akeem, Nicholas, Kay and Javan are outstanding team members To the management please keep up the ever improving standards . Well done all

  Jan 20, 2026
• 

  Our happy place

  This is our 11th visit to Sugar Bay since it opened just over 10 years ago. I think that shows how much we love the laid back vibes of this hotel. Everything about it is just perfect for us. Top of this list are the staff who are so friendly and attentive. The food is excellent. The rooms, amazing beach and hotel location ticks all our boxes. We’re already looking at dates for our next visit.

  Jan 18, 2026
• 

  A very very good hotel that just falls short of excellence. Unofficial score 4.5/5.

  Sugar Bay is a lovely hotel. For an all inclusive hotel you shouldn’t be disappointed by the food or drink. The standard of the buffet and the specialised restaurants is excellent. The bar staff create a wonderful array of drinks, with an extensive menu and they will also accommodate other drinks requests. The hotel is clean and very well maintained. Staff are on the whole polite and friendly, with some of them being amazing. Our hotel room was cleaned each day, fresh towels provided and water replenished (I did leave a polite reminder note and tip). The beach is the jewel, it’s stunning, the water is clear and the bay that has been created provides a lovely place for a dip. There are floats in the sea to sit on, or you can snorkel around the rocks, there are plenty of fish to swim with. On land there are a few monkeys that roam around the hotel, and the pigeons and doves tend to spend much of the day sourcing bits of food, but on the whole they provide some entertainment and seem to have decent manners for wildlife! Official entertainment is provided each night, normally a singer, but also dancers and groups, all have been very good. We had one problem at the hotel, the lock on our room broke leaving us locked out overnight. The staff addressed it, found us a large deluxe room to stay overnight and refunded some other costs. One of those things and dealt with professionally by Leanne, Maggie and the team. Is this hotel perfect. No it’s not. My only small gripe is that I would like a proper glass to drink from, not a plastic one when I’m not on the beach, they use those heavier plastic glasses u get for picnics, they look cheap, and make the otherwise excellent local beer and cocktails seem cheap. Some of the rooms could probably do with a spruce up, our air con was very loud but not so much that it was a major issue and has been previously mentioned the lack of ventilation in the bathrooms can cause a mild damp smell. On the whole the amazing things outweigh the gripes. Would I return again, yes definitely.

  Jan 15, 2026
• 

  I didn’t spot a big screen tv!

  We stayed at this hotel for a few days, as an add on to a cruise around the Caribbean. It was old school, where the staff listened to and took care of the customers. There were enough sun loungers and shade for everyone. The drinks and food were well above the average all inclusive fare. The rooms and hotel were clean and the decor of blue and white was aesthetically pleasing. The different nightly vocalist was in keeping with the rest of the hotel’s friendly relaxed attitude. I cannot fault this hotel and if I could suggest an improvement… A little cafe area with a proper barista would be very welcome… Well done Sugar Bay!

  Jan 14, 2026