The Sandpiper, Saint James

Veiled in flowering bougainvillaea and framed by the orchid trees that dot its tropical gardens, The Sandpiper offers an irresistible hideaway on a slice of Barbados’s most illustrious coastline. Hidden from view by the fronds of the Travellers Palm, the atmosphere here is one of an all-encompassing peace and serenity, broken only by the sound of the live steel pan band over brunch each Sunday. Step beyond the greenery and discover a place that blends colonial charm with modern design and Caribbean warmth with 50 rooms nestled into the jungle, a spa through which cascading waterfalls flow and a beach bar where you can watch the sun slip away each evening.

Location

Right at the heart of Barbados’s west coast sits glamourous Saint James. Fronted by the pristine beaches that have given it the nickname ‘the Platinum Coast’, it’s everyone’s favourite side of the island. A 45-minute drive from the airport on the south coast and lying at the very centre of Saint James, somehow hidden in plain sight, is The Sandpiper. You’ll have everything you could possibly want from Barbados at your fingertips. A round of golf at Royal Westmoreland? A 5-minute drive. Wreck diving? Just off the coast. The latest restaurant opening? No more than a 5-minute walk into Holetown.

Your room

The Sandpiper is all about enjoying the vibrancy of the island and the hotel’s tropical gardens. Each of the 50 rooms, therefore, boasts patios, terraces and balconies that reach out into the canopy, bringing with them a delicate scent of begonia. Neutral colonial-inspired designs are offset by bold Caribbean prints and marble accents with sunloungers that beckon from the balcony. We loved the Tree Top Suites with their private plunge pools, but Curlew in particular, with its oceanfront terrace, came hard to beat.

Why we like it

There is a certain ease to life that a stay at The Sandpiper never fails to deliver on. Whether that’s through a signature lemongrass and ginger rub at the spa at sister hotel, the Coral Reef Club, or one of the handcrafted sundowners at Harold’s Beach Bar, we always feel at peace here. But we love the rhythm it brings to our lives too – from the nightly soundtrack of jazz, calypso and reggae to an altogether different evening spent diving in the Caribbean sea by the light of bioluminescence. The Sandpiper is a timeless escape where the real world really does feel a million miles away.