The Abbeville Hotel - Budget at its Finest
Written: Aug 13 '04 (Updated Aug 13 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Walking distance to shops, food, transport, banks.
Cons: Small and old!
The Bottom Line: This is a very good hotel for budget travelers. There is plenty to do in the area to fit any budget.
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| islandalex's Full Review: Abbeville Hotel |
Abbeville Hotel is located on the main road in Christ Church. It is in an area known as Rockley beach. There is a large car park and a wall in front of the hotel to separate it from the road. Keep in mind; a main road in Barbados is a tiny little track!
I stayed at the hotel in August 1999 and again in August 2004. Both trips were short budget business trips.
It is certainly considered a “budget” hotel and I would even label it a motel. Still, they like their Hotel sign, so I guess it will stay that way!
The reception is in the stairway to the restaurant. Check in was quick, and the receptionist was very helpful. It was pouring rain when we arrived, so we had a drink while waiting for it to stop.
Our walk to the room was full of huge puddles, which quickly dried up.
The hotel property is lushly planted and there are plenty of interesting trees. There is a very large mango tree, which produces hundreds of fruit.
The Rooms
The hotel has a total of 19 rooms. There is the original house, plus a low sort of “bunker” in the back. The rooms in the original house are spacious with high ceilings. In the house they also have their “suites” with small kitchenettes. The house is typical Caribbean colonial architecture with tiny proportions.
The “bunker” in the back is where the majority of the rooms are. They are all tiny, with small beds and one small window. They are also all air-conditioned and have very low ceilings. The attached bathrooms vary slightly, but all are very simple and small. The beds are tiny, but comfortable. There is not enough breeze alone to sleep without the airco.
We stayed in number 10, the “deluxe” room. It is the same price as the rest, you just have to book early. Number 10 differs slightly to the rest of the bunkers. It is slightly higher, and it is on the end. It has high ceilings and windows on three sides. It also comes with a small fridge. The bathroom has a large closet and there is a built in desk in addition to a small queen bed, 2 bedside tables with lamps, and end table, and a wobbly table to hold the fridge.
The room was badly lit. There was one light near the door, and one in the bathroom. The rest of the light came from the two dim lamps. There is an outlet in the bathroom, over the sink, but nowhere to put your appliance down!
The room was obviously well worn, but clean and tidy. The furniture has certainly seen better days! The curtains were worn, but they cut out enough light. The mattress was firm, and not lumpy, and the bed linens were clean and fresh. There were only 2 towels, but they were changed daily.
Room service came in the mornings while we were out, and made the bed and changed the towels.
With the cool breeze it was easy to fall asleep. The fridge and airco are a little noisy, but you could say that they tone down the noise of the busy street outside.
We only discovered it when we left, but the room is very poorly wired. The plug behind the bed was coming out of the wall. It looked like it was just dying to catch the bed on fire!
The water pressure was always good. Just a word of caution… the hot water is HOT! You cant flush or use any other water while taking a hot shower or you risk burning the occupant of the shower!
The Restaurant
Bert’s Bar doubles as the lobby and pool deck of the hotel. It is a typical sports bar with satellite TV and bar snacks.
I have eaten lunch there before, but never dinner. This trip, we had breakfast. For USD 12 you get a full breakfast with eggs, bacon, toast, juice, and tea or coffee. It wasn’t bad, but I have had better. The waitress was, well, not young, and acted like it was a pain to serve us. This is the ONLY place on Barbados where we experienced this.
The Pool
The pool is right next to the restaurant. It is quite surprisingly large considering the size of the hotel. It is also deep enough for laps. There are a few lounge chairs and umbrellas around it.
The Vicinity
Rockley Beach is a vibrant area on the west coast of Barbados. There are many hotels, restaurants, and shops on the strip.
The beach is calm and clean, and just across the road from the hotel. It has many tall shade treed on it.
To the north, from the Abbeville Hotel there is plenty to do. The area is not quite as popular as St. Lawrence Gap but it is getting there with a few new hotels.
Within a 15 minute walk there is a small supermarket, a bank, a taxi stand, a bus stop, fast food, and a few nice restaurants.
We always felt safe during the day, and walked out to dinner in the evenings. After our meal we took taxi’s back to out hotel. There were plenty locals and tourists alike wondering around at all hours.
One notable restaurant, OPA! is a 15 minute walk away. It has Greek food served on a balcony over the water. The food, service, and ambiance are all stunning! Dinner for 2 with wine was USD 120. It is a 2 minute and USD 5 cab ride from the hotel.
Another, at The Savannah Hotel, is Boucan. There is an Italian night on Thursdays with a 4 course fixed menu for an amazing USD 35. The food wasn’t quite as spectacular as OPA! but the stunning hotel made it worthwhile. There is also a free wine and cheese tasting before your meal. The entire meal came to USD 90. It is a bit far to walk, so a USD 7 cab will get you there in five minutes.
I was quite happy to save a bit of money on the hotel and spend it elsewhere on tours and eating out.
This review is an entry to The Great Hotel Write-Off 2004 hosted by
jdhaure and quasar.
I hope you enjoyed it!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
islandalex
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Location: Neth. Antilles
Reviews written: 39
Trusted by: 14 members
About Me:
I'm an island girl. I love traveling, gadgets,and splurging on beauty products!
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