Iconic Caribbean luxury

Barbados is a long-standing favourite of the Caribbean jet-set, and Sandy Lane is the long-established beacon of extravagant luxury on the island. When my colleague, Senior Product Manager Suzanne Walford returned from a recent trip to Barbados, I was intrigued to hear if the hotel was still the leading light in ultra-luxe Caribbean accommodation. The lauded Sandy Lane is an institution amongst luxury hotels of the Caribbean, and this resort continues to indulge. The staff at Sandy Lane are truly exceptional and provide a seamless service from start to finish. You really are made to feel like royalty from the minute you are swept down the drive and into the magnificent, yet welcoming, entrance of this hotel. It seems a member of staff is always on hand and always willing to go the extra mile to make a difference to your stay at the resort. After checking in to our Luxury Ocean room in the Seahorse wing, we wandered down through the exceptionally beautiful and superbly manicured gardens to the beach, where the white sand seemed to have a sparkling iridescence in the tropical sunlight. Making the most of this beautiful setting is the relaxed beachfront restaurant Bajan Blue, offering all-day dining with a convivial atmosphere. I decided to sample the Curried Chicken Roti served with basmati rice and sides of mango chutney and Bajan pepper sauce and would highly recommend my choice; it was simply superb. Following our meal we retired to the super-comfortable sun loungers to enjoy an afternoon on the beautiful white sand beach, basking in the Caribbean sun. Then we headed to the Spa, where we were booked in for a Sandy Lane Signature Body Massage. Stepping into the spa, low lighting, gentle music and the sound of water gently cascading over stone surround you – it feels as though you are stepping into a cocoon and you can feel yourself immediately begin to wind down and a sense of calm pervades. You are able to choose between ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Sunset’ treatment oils – with their focus being rejuvenation or relaxation respectively. As we were going out for a meal later that evening, I chose Sunrise. This was a truly indulgent treat and I left my treatment room feeling thoroughly calm, yet energised. The spa facilities are delightful. There is a sauna, wet area, relaxation room, rassoul and ‘experience showers’; all of which really do mean that you can unwind and rejuvenate before, during and after your treatment. However, if you wish to simply while away an afternoon in haven of the spa, guests are free to use all of these facilities at any time during opening hours. Our evening started with cocktails at the Country Club to watch the sunset. And what an utterly captivating and breathtaking vantage point to watch the sky dissolve from the brightest tropical azure blue and cascade down through the full spectrum of oranges and pinks before melting into the dusky purple of twilight. I felt privileged to have had the opportunity to watch nature’s display from this vantage point – the views over the greens of the course really are something special. The delicious Bajan rum punch in hand simply added to the perfect ambience of tropical luxury. These are precious memories. It was with regret that our stay was coming to an end, but even at this stage, the extraordinary levels of service continued. As our luggage was brought down from our rooms ready to be loaded into our waiting transport, we noticed that each item had a leather luggage label attached to it in the signature fuchsia pink that is archetypal Sandy Lane. When we looked closer, we realised that each label had been embossed and personalised with our initials. Just a small memento, a mere token of a keepsake, but a big indication of the importance placed on ensuring that each guest feels cosetted and special. Maxine Roberts is Head of Marketing at Carrier.