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Turtle Beach is a large and active resort hotel set on a stretch of excellent white sand in a pretty section of Dover on the south coast of Barbados. You arrive via a classic Barbadian entrance - a porte cochère with white columns and arches and a marble foyer set with greenery in urns – but beyond here a more modern, beachfront feel takes hold. Wings of brightly furnished rooms run in either direction, three- and four-storey blocks that embrace the gardens and then curl around to view the surreal blue sea. At their centre you will find the pool meandering among the palms, the casual open-sided restaurant, the watersports hut and wedding lawn. Turtle Beach has an easy-going buzz. It caters for all comers (including families on holiday and conference groups), with an all-inclusive plan and plenty of activities. And of course it is minutes from the action of the St Lawrence Gap.
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KEY FEATURES
| Turtle Beach Resort Barbados is very good family resort in the Caribbean set on a 1500ft stretch of dazzling white sand. Beach concierge service. 2 swimming pools including a large freeform pool with Jacuzzi and children’s wading pool. 3 restaurants with bars. Air-conditioned gym. 2 floodlit tennis courts. Spa. Watersports (non-motorised). Logo and sundry shops. Daily shuttle bus to Bridgetown for shopping. Tommy Turtle Kids Club (3-11 yrs). Conference room for 40 theatre style. |
STYLE
| Some touches of classic Barbados design at the entrance, otherwise a modern build with brightly decorated rooms. Lively, resort atmosphere with plenty of activity on property and nearby |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Many families, in a mix of nationalities, some groups |
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To reach Turtle Beach you turn off the main south coast road from Oistins down into Dover, coming into the shadows of the tall mahogany trees of Dover Woods. Then, along the drive, the hotel appears with an unexpected sense of Barbadian grandeur for an upbeat beach resort. You draw up under a hefty porte cochere, all pillars and white paintwork, and step into a large covered but open-air foyer with a marble floor and a high, peaked wooden ceiling. There are arched, louvered windows in white wood around you and decorative urns and tall golden palms. The reception desk is on your left and just beyond it is an internet station where you can log on if you need to.
The sense of tropical grandeur is impressive but it is fleeting and it needn’t be daunting, as the hum of the lively resort is not far away. Stairs will lead you down through the main dining room to the front of the resort, where the gardens are enclosed by the main blocks of the hotel. You cross a bridge over a narrow section of the pool onto an island covered in palms and other greenery and then ahead of you is the daytime heart of the resort - the Waterfront Restaurant and its bar. This is painted in vibrant Caribbean colours and there are tables inside and out under parasols. This area of the hotels always has a lively buzz. Music plays in the background and sports events are played on a television inside and there are always people around. With so many children in the season, the hotel has set aside the far section of the main pool has a shallow area especially for children. A second pool sits on the other side of the Waterfront Restaurant and so there are loungers all around this area.
Ahead of you a boardwalk leads through lawns to the beach. You pass the ‘wedding lawn’ and the watersports hut. Equipment for non-motorized sports is available free of charge – windsurfers, small sailboats and kayaks. They offer water-skiing when the sea is calm, but there are also boogie boards for when the waves get up (which they can on this section of the coast). Scuba diving is also available (at extra charge).
The edge of the property is marked by a protective hedge (against wind) of sea grape and then beyond it you come onto the lovely stretch of sand, which can often be twenty or thirty yards deep, depending on the tidal movement. And when the sun is right, the sea along this stretch of the coast is an extraordinarily powerful colour of blue. If you wonder how Turtle Beach got its name, then it is right here as this stretch of sand is one of the turtle nesting beaches in this area of the island. It is possible to watch the nesting when it happens, at night between April and December. During the day, the hotel offers a beach concierge service, bringing you drinks and ice cream to your lounger.
If you look back at this point you will see the blocks of rooms, which rise to three and four storeys, forming a U around the grounds, enclosing the pool and Waterfront Restaurant. At the front the building turns along the waterfront, so the rooms in the easterly block all have an excellent ocean view. The rooms at Turtle Beach are all comfortable, with light and bright, largely green decor and fittings. They come in a variety of categories, all of them suites, so they are relatively large. And they are well equipped, with a tv and a fridge, and they all have outside space, a terrace or balcony that looks over the gardens or out to sea.
Quite a few of the ‘central’ facilities are actually at the rear of the resort, away from the pool. You approach from the foyer, so you will often find yourself heading back through there. As you return you are likely to pass through the main restaurant, Chelonia. This takes its name from a species of turtle. Chelonia mydas is the Latin name for the green turtle – and the colour green (along with traditional Caribbean pink) runs throughout the resort, in the rooms particularly. There are murals of turtles on the huge double height walls. Chelonia is open for breakfast and dinner and serves international cuisine from an a la carte menu. The main bar is at the rear of the restaurant.
Upstairs, in the foyer above, corridors and walkways move off to access the rooms, some with lifts, which is unusual in the Caribbean. To the side of the foyer are the two boutiques on the property, Gatsby Boutique, which sells clothes and beach essentials, and then just around the corner Diamonds International. As the name implies it sells jewellery and watches. Beyond here a corridor walks above the Tommy Turtle Kids’ Club, where you can see the brightly coloured playground. As a family resort in the Caribbean they have activities and programmes of entertainment for children aged three to eleven years old during the holidays. The hotel gym is next door to it.
Eventually you come to Turtle Beach’s smart Italian restaurant, Asiago’s. This is set in a very attractive, open-sided wooden building. It has ceiling fans and louvers to manage the breeze and its ceiling covered with striped material. It opens in the evenings form Tuesday to Saturday and serves Italian fare. Out of the window of the restaurant at the rear you can the hotel’s two tennis courts. Asiago’s is also used as one of Turtle Beach’s two main conference rooms. Finally there is a small spa at Turtle Beach, set on the ground floor of one of the blocks of rooms. There are two treatments rooms and you can choose from their menu of massages including aromatherapy.
Turtle Beach is a lively hotel. In keeping with its position on the south coast it is less formal (and less expensive) than the hotels on the West Coast. Actually Turtle Beach has three sister hotels up on the West Coast (Colony Club, Tamarind Cove and Crystal Cove) and they offer a dine-around programme and so you can visit them and sign bills to your room if you wish. But actually Turtle Beach is well positioned for the best of the nightlife along this very lively section of the south coast, St Lawrence Gap (about five minutes walk). However, you may not even wish to explore there. Turtle Beach hotel has an all inclusive plan, in which all your meals, drinks and the activities (with just a couple of exceptions) are included in the basic price. And the hotel is also a very busy resort, with an upbeat air and plenty to keep you busy both by day and in the evenings. |
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Beach & Swimming
Turtle Beach is set on a lovely stretch of sand in the area of Dover just west of Oistins. It is bright white and set in a superb blue sea and in the sunlight it can appear near fluorescent blue at times. The water along this section of the coast can be pretty lively and so it is not always good for swimming (though the breeze will keep you cool), however when the waves are up it is good for boogie boarding.
There is a very large main swimming pool at Turtle Beach. Its edges meander and are covered in greenery, which gives it a pleasant feel and some shady corners to hide in. It is divided into sections, one of which is shallower and ideal for children. A second pool is set on the other side of the Waterfront Restaurant. |
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Sports & Recreation
Watersports are offered free of charge to guests. Equipment includes kayaks, windsurfers and small sail boats such as Hobie Cats. They also offer boogie boards which can be used on the waves when the water gets up. Scuba diving can be arranged at extra cost.
On land there are two hard tennis courts at the hotel which can be lit at night. And there is an air-conditioned fitness centre with bicycles, running machines and weights machines. In case you need to recover after the exertion, or simply enjoy a massage, then there is a small spa. They offer several varieties of massage including aromatherapy.
If you wish to go off property, then there is a daily excursion (free of charge) into Bridgetown. Horse riding is available and you can expect to ride along the beach, as well as inland through the cane fields. |
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The Rooms
There are four categories among the 164 bedrooms at Turtle Beach, all of which are suites. Most are set in a large room, but the one-bedroom suites have a separate living room and so they are larger still. Fundamentally they are distinguished by their position and view. One wing of rooms has an uninterrupted view of the sea from three and four storeys so the views are spectacular.
All the rooms are decorated and furnished in a similar way, with a base of light décor in the white tiles and pale green walls on which there is a variety of bold greens on the beds, curtain and upholstery. They each have air-conditioning and ceiling fans, cable TV, a small fridge and outside space. |
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Dining
There are three restaurants at Turtle Beach. All meals and drinks are included of course in the all inclusive package.
The main dining room, set among greenery right below the foyer, is Chelonia. Its walls are decorated with murals of turtles and ocean scenes. It serves international cuisine, at breakfast in buffet style, and at dinner in a la carte style. There is entertainment there each evening.
During the day you will very likely spend time around the restaurant and bar at the heart of the hotel, the Waterfront, which sits between the two pools. This is set on a pretty covered deck and serves lighter fare in the day and evenings. It has a television that sometimes broadcasts sports during the day, but you can escape outside if you wish, where there are parasols under which you will find shade.
Turtle Beach’s Italian Restaurant, Asiago’s, which opens in the evenings from Tuesdays to Saturdays is set in a lovely raised wooden building at the rear of the resort. It has a polished wooden floor, wooden armchairs and candlelit tables and there is a nice view over the wooden balustrade into the dark of the night. It has an elegant and romantic feel. Reservations are required.
Room Service is available for breakfast and for dinner. |
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Weddings
Turtle Beach is happy to stage a wedding for you. In fact, during 2008, they offer the ceremony itself and some of the administration (the licence, transport to the registry office and the attendance of the pastor) free of charge. The hotel has a team of dedicated co-ordinators who will organise everything, making sure that the day is as free of stress for you as possible. They will oversee all the administration of the ceremony and then the reception afterwards at the hotel. There are several locations around the grounds including the beach and on the lawn just inside the hotel grounds from the beach, but equally they can arrange the ceremony in a church or one of Barbados’s excellent gardens.
The hotel offers a number of wedding plans. You can of course adapt these at extra charge by liaising with the staff. They include the flowers and decoration for the ceremony, and a cake, a band, photographer and videographer for the reception. The wedding plans can be adapted to suit your particular needs. |
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Children
Turtle Beach is well known as a good family resort in the Caribbean and so you will often see families during the holiday times. There is a children’s centre, the Tommy Turtle Kid’s Club, which opens each day 9am – 9pm and will accept children from 3-11 years old. The qualified staff offer a range of activities such as treasure hunts, beach games and talent shows.
Some of the suites are inter-connecting if you are travelling with your family. Equipment for younger children including high chairs and cots is available. |
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Conferences
Turtle Beach is happy to arrange a meeting or conference for you and the hotel has some dedicated co-ordinators on hand who will organise it all. There is a handful of meeting rooms with all the facilities that you need to hold a meeting or a series of lectures. The main venues are their Conference Room, which holds 40 in theatre style and 30 as a board room and Asiago’s Restaurant, which holds 55 and 40. Larger groups of up to 150 can be accommodated in the various dining rooms including the Waterfront restaurant.
With all the activities in Barbados, they can also arrange an off-site programme for non-participants or for those attending during the down time around the main programme. |
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Rates
From US$470 per room, per night on an all-inclusive basis (AI) during summer 2008. Includes service charge and government tax. AI = room, all meals, drinks and house wine by the glass, non-motorised watersports, exchange dining with Crystal Cove (excludes transport), tennis, fitness centre and Tommy Turtle Kids Club. Please see the hotel’s website for availability and specific room rates, including any promotional offers, for your requested dates. |
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How to book
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with Turtle Beach Resort in Barbados, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser, please follow the link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Locality
Turtle Beach is situated in a quiet corner of Dover on the South Coast of Barbados, one of a handful of hotels hidden away among the mature trees of Dover Woods. Heading west you pass the many hotels in the centre of Dover itself, the Dover cricket pitch and the beach opposite it and then you come into St Lawrence Gap, the heart of the activity of the South Coast. The strip is several hundred yards long, lined on both sides with hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs. There is a good variety of places to eat out. For a smart evening out try The Restaurant at Southsea, Josef’s or Pisces, all of which have very attractive settings on the waterfront. Less expensive restaurants, which come with plenty of variety, include Café Sol (Mexican) and The Ship Inn. The fun of the strip starts off early in the evening. Bars to look out for include Coast, Café Sol, The Ship Inn, Jumbie’s and McBrides. Later in the evening the crowd gravitates towards the clubs, which stand nearby. Try The Reggae Lounge and After Dark. St Lawrence Gap also has some general facilities such as a small supermarket and a branch of the Royal Bank of Canada. There are plenty of other bars and restaurants beyond St Lawrence Gap on the main south coast road.
Heading the other way from the hotel, to the east, you soon come to the main south coast road and after that fairly quickly into Oistins, Barbados’ third town. It is a fishing centre and so you will see the brightly coloured fishing boats anchored in the bay or hauled up onto the sand. The town is well known for its Fish Fry evenings. Some of the stalls are open several nights of the week, but they are busiest at the weekend, particularly on Fridays, when the whole waterfront area is loud and lively. In the town you will find banks, a police station and several shops including a supermarket. |
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Meet & Greet
If you are travelling independently, taxis are usually available at the airport and will cost around US$13 each way. The ride from the airport is around 15 minutes, depending on the traffic. 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 book independently direct with the hotel then they will arrange for a taxi to pick you up at the airport.
If you are booking Turtle Beach Resort Barbados 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. |
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Getting Around
Hiring a car to explore the island or go to a different beach for the day is easily arranged. Book via your tour operator or direct with Stoutes Car Rentals. Ask for them to deliver your vehicle to Turtle Beach Barbados, where they can also issue your local driving licence. Be aware that at the height of the winter season there is often a shortage of cars, so you are advised to book yours in advance. If you want a car for a week or more the rates can also be better. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. Taxis are readily available through reception. It is also easy and quite fun to take buses along the South Coast main road. |
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