The House, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort - Adults Only

We booked a Junior suite for a week in early May. We arrived at lunchtime and warmly greeted by Anthony who was ever present by Reception. The room was already available for us which was really appreciated after a long flight from the UK. It was on the ground floor a short distance from Reception and opened directly out on to the pool and views beyond out to sea. It had obviously benefitted from the recent refurb and had everything you might require….air conditioning, lovely king size bed, coffee machine, well stocked fridge, free wifi and USB charging points. The food was simply exceptional……the usual self-service champagne breakfast, three course lunch and dinner. Dietary restrictions could usually be accommodated. A free bar operated all day and offered premium spirits, beers and a huge range of cocktails cheerfully served up by Devere, Wade and Denis. The waiting staff were fantastic without exception. Special thanks to Sheena, Agnes, Rico, Andrew and Heather…and others I have missed! The hotel was not fully occupied so there was no problem finding sunbeds and the modest pool was rarely used by more than a handful of people at any given time. Full marks to Kwesly who was always circulating to make sure you had drinks and lollipops! There is a water taxi which regularly runs between the House and two other hotels in the group…Treasure Beach about five minutes one way to the north and Waves, 20 mins to the south. Reception can book you into the restaurants at either and the water taxi stops at all three without booking…just stand on the beach! The beach in front of the hotel is relatively narrow and the sand quite hard on the feet as others have said. More adventurous folk were borrowing the hotel goggles etc and found some good snorkeling just offshore. On our last day we were able to keep our room until our taxi came at 15.00 instead of the normal 12.00…this meant we were able to make full use of our last day. There were some minor downsides during the stay. A digger working on the adjoining building site was creating some noise and disruption but this will be short lived once the works are complete. Rooms close to the central reception and dining area could be quite noisy from 6.00 am as staff arrived for work and started pushing trolleys around. The room doors would benefit from more sound proofing or ideally an extra internal door to create a lobby area. We did get some mosquito bites in the room at night but the cleaning staff then sprayed twice daily which fixed the problem. Overall though these are minor issues which did nothing to affect a fabulous stay.

This place still seems to be working out the kinks. It feels like a soft opening. The hotel is terrible at communicating to guests about all the amenities that are available. What I learned I’ve learned from other guests like the afternoon tea service that is available but you need to ask for it. The water activities are complimentary and available daily but you need to request it so they bring them over from the other property. When the sea is rough the water taxi does not run but the hotel does not tell you that. They were shooting new promotional photos and videos for the hotel during my stay so if you happened to be in the only restaurant, lobby, beach front, etc. guests were asked to move. None of this was communicated to guests ahead of time. The beach in front of the hotel is small and full of rocks so it’s extremely difficult to get in and out and you definitely need water shoes. There is not much of a beach so if you are looking for soft sand without rocks and coral, stay elsewhere. We also found the dinner service to be extremely slow and it sure why we had to sign the meal checks every time, for tips perhaps??. On the positive side, the food here is pretty good and completely surprised me as I was not expecting it from AI. The staff here is amazing especially Wade the bartender and Pat the omelette lady at breakfast. I cannot remember everyone’s names but every server and attendant I encountered was friendly and helpful. Rooms are nice and the bathroom is beautiful but can get stuffy due to the lack of AC. There is only a mini split in the bedroom. The beds are typically Marriott quality and comfortable. The morning and evening turndown service is great and the towels are replenished frequently. One big gripe I have is the false advertisement on the hotel website. There is no gym or other restaurants at this property so the website should say it’s still being built or take down the photos. The management team also needs to do a better job letting the guests know when there is limited access to amenities and facilities to set expectations. Despite some of the issues I encountered, I had a fantastic time in Barbados and would come back due to all the friendly people and feeling safe getting around. Even the reggae bus was an experience that everyone should try.

Wow! What a great 7 days we had! A group of seven ladies that enjoyed a relaxing holiday celebrating a special birthday. Memories made ❤️ The staff are amazing 🤩 they worked so hard, making it a very special trip to remember ❤️ a credit to you all. Big shout out to Wade - true gentleman 💙 Till the next time! Xx Special mention to Liz our holiday mum - she was a guest but she was the best! Hope you got that fan Liz x