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Glitter Bay Estate is a luxury beachfront Barbados resort set in 19 acres of gardens on the famous West Coast of Barbados. A curve of white stucco buildings in Spanish colonial style looks out over spacious gardens of lawns and palms and down to a lovely strip of golden sand. There is a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments on the gated estate, each finished to a high standard (they have full kitchens, air-conditioning and cable TV), and each individually furnished and decorated. It is not a busy and active resort, but it has a nice sense of community and some good central facilities, particularly for children, including a central pool with a separate wading pool, a snack bar and tennis courts. Glitter Bay reaches back to the most romantic days of the Caribbean, when Sir Edward Cunard entertained the likes of Noel Coward here. Now it is a trusty, very comfortable hideaway close to all the activity of the Barbados West Coast.
Glitter Bay Estate has 45 private apartments in total. Ten are available for rent through management company Barbados Villa Services.
Stop press: A fitness room has been installed in a chattel-style cottage opposite the parking bay area. It includes a treadmill, bicycle, rowing machine and bench with free weights. The snack and beach bar is also back in full service (Mon-Sat, 11am – 7pm) for the winter season. During the summer it will open subject to occupancy. While the expansion of Glitter Bay Estate is indefinitely on hold, the estate closed for five months on 01 May 2008 in order to install new elevators, a new water system and new roofs.
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Style: Clusters of 3 and 4 storey accommodation blocks in colonial Spanish style, with smooth and rounded whitewashed walls, pickle pine beams and balconies under terracotta roof tiles. Elegant, relaxed beachfront living within a resort-style, private condominium development
The Beach: A first class strip of golden white sand with a good sunbathing area. Excellent swimming, perfect for a Caribbean beach rental. Beach extends north to Fairmont Royal Pavilion next door
The Rooms: One, two and three bedroom (each with own bathroom) apartments, all individually furnished. Open-plan living area with a fully equipped kitchen and a south-facing terrace or balcony with sitting and dining area
Key features: Ideal Barbados resort for families looking for a Caribbean condo rental, privately owned and managed one- to three-bedroom condominiums, large swimming pool with separate children’s wading pool, bar and snack bar, beach chairs and parasols, beach and pool towels, children’s activity/play areas, concierge, fitness room, floodlit tennis courts with free daytime use, WiFi in bar and concierge area, on site management, 24 hour security with manned gatehouse, complimentary arrival transfer, welcome drinks and breakfast starter pack. All apartments with terrace or balcony, fully equipped kitchens, cable TV, DVD and some with CD player/music centre. Watersports available from beach. Nearby restaurants, shopping, polo and golf.
Children: Welcome. Very popular with families during school holidays. Garden play set and a covered activity area. Separate wading pool. Young children should be supervised with regard to the balconies
Staff: Maid/laundress service 6 days per week. Cook on request (extra cost) |
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Beach & Swimming
There is a lovely, deep stretch of sandy beach directly in front of Glitter Bay, where sun loungers and umbrellas are provided for resident guests. The swimming is excellent. There is a swim-up raft in a roped off area and the snorkelling along this stretch of beach is good. The beach is not easily accessible to non-residents and so usually the only other people to use it are guests from the hotel next door and from nearby holiday villas.
There is a large free-form swimming pool with a waterfall and an adjoining children’s wading pool. The pool is skirted by paved areas for sun bathing and beach/pool towels, beach chairs/loungers, umbrellas and tables. |
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Sports & Recreation
There are two floodlit tennis courts which guests can use free of charge during the day. A tennis pro (great with children) is available for private lessons. Racquets and balls are available for rent. A range of watersports (water skiing, jet skiing, sunfish sailing, banana and other rides) can be arranged from the beach. The nearest golf course is Royal Westmoreland, which is about five minutes drive away. It has some tee times open to outsiders in the mid morning. Otherwise there are two courses open to the public at Sandy Lane about ten minutes away. |
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Dining
A beachside bar and buffet area (from the former hotel) offers a daily snack service during the winter season (opens subject to occupancy during summer) from 11.30am to 3pm and the bar itself opens from 11am to 7pm. There is a pleasant covered dining terrace which overlooks the beach. All of the condominiums have fully equipped kitchens and a cook can be arranged for an extra cost. There are many restaurants within easy reach of Glitter Bay. The closest are the located in Royal Pavilion hotel next door. |
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Accommodation
The 45 condominiums at Glitter Bay Estate are set in two blocks of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The bedrooms are numbered according to location, with 100s referring to the ground floor, 200s for 1st floor, 300 for 2nd floor and 400 for 3rd floor - #101 is at garden level right by the beach and #414 is the furthest inland on the top floor. Most of the apartments are set on a single storey, but all but one of the 3-bedroom units are on two levels with one bedroom and the living areas on the 2nd floor (3rd storey) and two bedrooms on the 3rd floor (4th storey). The buildings were designed so that some units jut out and others are set back, staggering the terraces or balconies. It gives more privacy and varying views. A unit sat further back into the grounds might actually have a better view of the sea than one closer to the beach.
The ten apartments currently available through Barbados Villa Services are all individually furnished to a good standard. Some have retained the original terracotta floor tiles. Others have been refurbished with a lighter look, with coral stone floor tiles. All have comfortable open-plan living areas with air-conditioning (also with a ceiling fan) and fully equipped kitchens with Decoran or granite work surfaces (some are galley kitchens with a breakfast bar, others have been remodelled to have an extended cooking area with a corner breakfast bar). There is a pleasant sitting area with cable TV and DVD that leads out to a south facing balcony or terrace.
The bedrooms are all air-conditioned (and also have ceiling fans) and they have their own bathroom featuring granite/marble/travertine tiles and vanity (some bathrooms are en suite, others open off the hallway next to the bedroom). Some have a separate tub and shower, some a shower only and some a combination tub/shower. The terraces or balconies all have a dining area with either built-in seating or a furnished sitting area, and some also have a wet bar with mini bar and wine cooler. In the one-bedroom apartments, the bedroom is to the rear (north facing), the bathroom in the hallway and living/kitchen at the front leading out to the balcony/terrace. The two-bedroom apartments have a 2nd bedroom (the master) adjacent to the living area at the front with an en suite bathroom. Glass sliding doors lead onto the balcony/terrace, which faces south out to the gardens/sea. Amenities in the rooms include cable TV and DVD, hair dryers, personal safe, iron and ironing board. Some units also feature a washer/dryer. |
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Staff
Maid-style service is provided 6 days per week. This includes personal laundry. A cook to prepare simple meals can be arranged on request for an extra charge. A representative from Barbados Villa Services provides 24 hour assistance as required and there is a daily concierge service from 8am to 5pm. This operates from the estate’s central guest facilities area, where the estate’s contracted management TREC (The Royal Estate Corporation) also has an office. |
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Useful Hints
A complimentary welcome food pack of basic supplies will be placed in your apartment for your arrival. It includes items to cover breakfast the next morning such as fruit, bacon, eggs, cereal, juice, and milk etc. You will also find welcome drinks (beer and soft drinks) and crisps laid on for your arrival. If you require a more substantial supply of groceries, please ask your travel organiser or (if booking direct) Barbados Villa Services and they can be stocked for your arrival. This is at additional cost.
If you require the services of a cook and would like to have a simple welcome meal prepared for your arrival, the cost is US$15 per hour. Please note that a 15% service charge plus VAT will be added to your shopping bills should you utilise the provisioning service. Rental rates for villas/private apartments in Barbados do not include the normal 10% service charge in lieu of ‘tips’, about which you will find advice in the guest information book within your rental property which are at your discretion and should be appropriate for the level of service.
Construction of a new beach front home next door to Glitter Bay Estate is underway and is not due for completion until late 2008. |
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Locality
Glitter Bay Estate is situated in the neighbourhood of Porters, St James, which was a large sugar estate in the mid 17th century. Porters Mansion, the old estate’s listed Great House, and the ruins of the Porters Sugar Factory are just a few minutes down the road. Next door to the north is the Fairmont Royal Pavilion hotel and to the south you will find a string of multi-million dollar homes. About five minutes drive south, past one or two local shops and rum shops, is Holetown, the main shopping area nearby. There are two shopping centres, the smaller Cave Shepherd Plaza which is closer to Sandy Lane (heading south), and then the larger West Coast Mall in Holetown itself. You will also find a large supermarket, a bank, photo centre, duty free shops, video rental, and various shops and boutiques, as well as a large gas station (as petrol stations are known locally) with a mini mart and fast food outlet. 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. At the centre of Holetown, which was where the English first landed in 1625 and came back in 1627 to settle, are most things you would expect to find in a small community - Police Station, Post Office, Parish Church, bank, pharmacy, clinic, fitness centre, school and so on.
There is a host of restaurants within a 10 minute drive in either direction on the main West Coast road (Highway 1). These range from the famous Cliff Restaurant which will take about 10 minutes to reach, to pizza parlours, cafés, beach bars and fast food outlets. There is an excellent patisserie, Flindt, in Holetown. Nightlife is also a 5 minute drive away, with weekend gatherings in 1st and 2nd Street in Holetown where restaurants and bars provide live music. |
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Villa Management
Barbados Villa Services, a small villa rental and management company, was started in 2001 by Marilil Troulan. Marilil is Barbadian born and bred who has over 21 years experience in the travel and tourism industry of Barbados. She started work at the former Hilton Hotel, before moving across to the airline industry and working for Pan American and Aeropostal, and then back to the hotel environment at Treasure Beach Hotel. She ended up at Elegant Resorts, one of the UK’s top tour operators. Marilil has touched on all aspects of travel and understands exactly what her clients expect in terms of travel, accommodation and service at the destination.
The company started with one apartment at Glitter Bay, when it was formerly The Fairmont Glitter Bay Resort (The Penthouse Suite 409 which was always privately owned) and one 4 bedroom villa in Sandy Lane. Its portfolio of management properties has now grown to 9 apartments at Glitter Bay and several other homes on the west coast. Ably assisting Marilil in technical matters and property issues is her husband Joe Troulan. Joe hails from England and served seven years in the British Army. In the unlikely event of a ‘technical glitch’ during your stay, he will ensure it is attended to promptly and efficiently. Over the last six years he has also remodeled and renovated over 15 units on the estate, personalizing each one to each owner’s specification.
With this ethos in mind, Barbados Villa Services offers you a very personalized service when you travel to Barbados. You will be met at the airport by a polite and informative driver who will bring you to the estate, where you will be greeted and shown through the apartment. Any questions you have about the apartment, the estate or the island will be answered. Once you are comfortable you will be left to start the holiday at your own pace. A representative is just a phone call away and will assist with any matters that need attention.
The Glitter Bay Estate is privately managed by The Royal Estate Corporation (TREC) headed by Joe Troulan and his brother Lt Col Tony Troulan. |
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Rates
| | 15 Apr- 15 Dec 2007 | 16 Dec- 19 Dec 2007 | 20 Dec- 04 Jan 2007-08 | 05 Jan- 14 Apr 2008 | 15 Apr- 15 Dec 2008 | | One Bedroom 1-2 persons | 280 | 400 | 550 | 400 | 250 | | Two Bedroom 1-4 persons | 500 | 800 | 900 | 800 | 500 | | Three Bedroom 1-6 persons | 600 | 1,100 | 1,400 | 1,100 | 750 | | Extra person on Fold-out bed | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Rates are quoted in US$ per night, are subject to 7.5% VAT and include private arrival airport transfer, welcome breakfast starter pack and welcome drinks on arrival. All rates are subject to change without notice. Rates are exclusive of a Service Charge in lieu of gratuities. No minimum stay except during Christmas/New Year when minimum rental is 14 nights. |
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How To Book
If you wish to book direct, reservations should be made through the local managing agents, Barbados Villa Services. You will need to send a deposit (bank wire transfer) equal to 50% of the total rental fee to confirm a reservation. Payment of the remaining 50% is required 60 days prior to arrival. There are no refunds for cancellations within 60 days of arrival, no-shows or early departures. If you are booking within 60 days of your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. You may contact Barbados Villa Services by using the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. |
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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct, Barbados Villa Services will arrange for a driver with a signboard to meet you outside the arrivals area at the airport. They will then take you to the estate. On arrival, you will be met by a representative of Barbados Villa Services, who will show you around the apartment and ensure that you are settled in. Your arrival transfer to Glitter Bay Estate is included in your rental cost, so you will need to make arrangements for your return transfer with Barbados Villa Services. This can be done at the time of booking and then paid for locally. 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 travelling with a tour operator/wholesaler then you will be met at the airport by their representative, who will assist with your transfers which should also include your return trip. Airport transfers take approximately 45 minutes, sometimes longer depending on traffic. |
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Getting Around
Although you are in a resort style setting and Holetown is relatively close by, a hired car is strongly recommended for all private villa/apartment holidays. 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, unless you prefer to use taxis. Book car hire via your travel organiser or direct with Stoutes Car Rentals and ask for your vehicle(s) to be delivered to the estate approximately 3 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 estate at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. |
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