Latest Reviews for Maxwell Coast

not the best location if you just want a location based holiday but a brilliant location for a base so you can travel around

we have just come back from a week at what must be the best value hotel on the south west coast of barbados - big, CLEAN rooms, great staff & a brilliant beach side location

We abosultely loved this place. It truly is paradise. We had an ocean view apartment and it is everything it says it is. The apartment was large with modern kitchen with fridge etc. The view was superb. When you look out from the balcony you look directly on to the beach/ocean. The noise of the ocean at night is very soothing and the view you waken up to in the morning is startling. Not much going on in the way of entertainment - only a karaoke one night - nobody sang except us!! The meals and breakfasts are good and very reasonable. Everything seems very cheap. At night you can catch the local bus into the gap or oistins but we usually just went out for our meal late and then finished off the evening in the bar or in our verandah by candlelight having a drink. The pina coladas are to die for. A trip to Bridgetown is a must. Not far on the bus and the price of things is amazing. Cosmetics, perfume etc are unbelievably priced. We will definitely be back again - the people are so friendly and the weather is fabulous.

Have just returned home from an excellent stay at the Butterfly.

The hotel is lovely right on the beach,the staff very friendly and helpful nothing is ever too much trouble.The roams are clean and tidy with a/c and fans.The hotel is on a busy main road which can be a little noisy,but was not a problem for us.The hotel is quiet and although we stayed during half term there were very few kid";s,( only very young one";S)The hotel has no kid";s club or kid";s pool which make";s it more suitable for adults of all ages. The food served at the hotel restaurant(which is on a sun terrace over looking the sea)is excellent and very good value Breakfast 7.30-11am,Lunch 12-2.30pm,Snacks 3-5.30pm,Dinner 6-9.30pm.You will find that everything is very laid back in Barbados with most restaurants closing up quite early(most nights we were given our bill by 10pm).If you go into st Lawrence Gap there are severel bar";s/music bar";s that stay open late,it is advisable to get a taxi as the road is very dark and unlit at night.An excellent night out is the Oistins Fish Fry, Friday or Saturday(Friday is a lot busier than Saturday)we prefered Saturday, walkable from hotel but again very dark.

If you want to see some of the island then Ted";s Tour";s is a great day out,he takes you round the island in a mini bus holding about 25 people stopping of at various attraction";s (with rum punch and lunch inclued).Ted is a very funny character and the trip is informative as well as fun.Another great trip is Rusty";s Boat Trip you can find him on the beach outside the Sea Breeze Hotel(next to Butterfly)he has a small boat holding only 4-6 people and takes you along the coast to swim with the turtle";s and over a ship wreck(again more rum punch)he go";s out 8am or 2pm much nicer than an over crouded larger boat.Bus";s are very regular but are an experience.Blue is the official, reggae are yellow and white are called kamakazie,yellow and white,say your prayers!!We visited several beach";s and in our opinion Maxwell was the best(unspoilt and peaceful)Crane beach is good for surfing and great view";s from Crane hotel.Barbados is not expensive on average we spent around £10-15 per head for evening meal with wine/rum punch.

I would reccomend to anyone Barbados and will be going back next year to celebrate my 40th.

Just got back yesterday what an holiday,it was superb.

When we arrived we booked in and was shown to our room it was awful mould in the bathroom, shabby fixtures and fittings the room was really dark, my wife would not unpack, i went to see the receptionist who put me in touch with the allocations manager who was'nt helpful at all so i asked to speak to the virgin office the up shot was within 20 minutes we had been moved to a relly nice room in a different block. The hotel is in the middle of being refurbed but this is being done slowly so that guests do not realise anything is being done and it doesnt get in the way of your holiday. The food in the restaurant is superb every other night it is ala carte and then buffet we were all inclusive and the drinks are geat all premium brands and local brands are included this hotel has a great beach but watch out for the aloe vera men they are a nuisance and the lucky lucky men selling there bracelets and tacky jewellry. The sea is very warm and crystal clear. be warned the only air con is in your room the dining rooms are open with roof fans NO AIR CON and the humidity is awful on an evening you sweat buckets, the staff are great nothing is too much trouble and the beach staff are even better if there is such a thing.

The helicoper trip and the submarine is well woth doing but do it as a combined package as doing them indivdually it costs $538 and the package costs $500 each a must is Teds Tour book this through the hotel not virgin as they charge $120 and the hotel is $110 each Ted is a scream all way round the island always cracking little jokes and filling you with rum punch you also get a nice meal in with the price. We did the triple delights package, Ocean park is ok but certain parts were closed while we were there, the mount gay rum tour is good especially the rum tasting at the end, the catamran was very good more rum punch of course and swimming with turtles and the sunset was amazing this tour was $142 each, We also did the Starlight Dinner Cuise this was superb a meal drinks and a show on what looks like a mississippi river boat this was $145 each. There are lots more trips to do it is just having time to fit them in inbetween sun bathig and swimming in the sea.

On the down side we had 3 different reps as the normal rep was on holiday, that side of it was not good, but by the end of the holiday carla the normal rep was there, and turned up on time unlike the other 2!!!!!.
The hotel run a courtesy bus to bridgetown twice a day and you can get anywhere on the island for $1.50 on the buses the taxi's were also pretty cheap. We had 2 large thunderstorms but they we after sunset so did'nt bother us. the hotel had a gift shop, also jet ski's, kayaks, a catamaran, snorkeling, tennis court,2 pool tables, 2 swimming pools 3 jacuzzi's all in all plenty to do in the day.

On a night very low key entertainment normally a singer/duo/band in general average. The Island is really green and beautiful the people are really friendly we will go back in a couple of years when we have saved up. If anyone is thinking of booking this hotel i would advise you to pay that bit extra and book a sea view refurbed room because the are fantasic compared even to the room we were moved to, they have a 42"; in plasma screen tv a luxury bathroom a sofa in the room and the views from the balcony's are superb. the garden view and pool views by the reception have not been refurbed and are tatty inside definitely not 4* more like 2* that said we have had a superb holiday and would recommend this hotel.

Fabulous beaches and lovely people. Great watersports and varied nightlife to suit all tastes. Friday night at Oistins Fish Fry is a must. Bus travel is very cheap and easy for everyday but hire a car for a day or two and you will see the real Barbados. ABC Deals (Miss Moneypenny) is the best and she is just brilliant. Car delivered and collected. Gives you map and great advice.
Swan Street and Roebuck Street in Bridgetown, where locals shop, are good.

Excellent price travelling with First Choice Holidays. Really recommend travelling long haul with First Choice. Paid the extra 17 pound each to 'sit together' and this meant that we got two seat row so no stranger to sit next to for 8 hours. For an extra 5 pound on board we got access to extra movies and channels that started when you wanted to watch them.

The Butterfly Beach Hotel was very nice. The room which was self catering was spacious and had a patio. The furniture could do with a lick of paint, however, there were rooms along our block that were clearly being renovated (some noise, but not troublesome) so I think in the not too distant future all the rooms will be upgraded. The outside of the hotel, which is right on a small beach looks onto a very scruffy road. There was a lot of construction work 10 mins walk away and lots of potholes and no pavements. This made a walk into Oistins a bit dangerous. However, there is no need to walk as the buses run frequently - every 5 mins - they are very cheap approx 50 pence per trip. They are a bit manic and you certainly need a sense of humour at times as on one occasion I ended up on my husbands lap as the 13 seater was holding approx 25 people!

The hotel maid service was excellent. They cleaned every day. The kitchen equipment was a bit sparse, although managed to prepare reasonable meals. For nightlife you really need to go to St Lawrence Gap - 10 mins by bus or you could take a taxi approx 4 pound.

The restaurant at the hotel was ok. We only ate there twice the first night and had a very tasty meal and the last day, lunch was a bit slow as I think all those leaving the resort that day had the same idea as us. The cost of meals out was a bit pricey to other holiday resorts which I was aware of, but I was a bit disappointed that there was not a great variety of local foods. If you like mexican and general internal fare then you will be OK. For a local cheap meal, go into Oistins to the big supermarket and line up with the locals to get the Village Deli - you can get a Village special for 1.50 and it is enough for two people. This was some of the tastiest food we had whilst in Barbados. We went to David's for a last night slap up meal. This is in St. Lawrence Gap and was a romantic setting. Book in advance and you should get the seats that overlook the sea. We also ate in Opa, the greek restaurant near Rockley Beach. The greek food was OK, but it was not quite as good as I have had in Greece.

There were lots of mosquitos when we were at Butterfly Beach, and so many people had nasty bites, so take plenty of spray and keep spraying regularly. Having said that I guess after complaints the hotel came and sprayed insecticide all over the place and in rooms and things improved. We went on the submarine trip which was well worth it, particularly as I have never snorkelled - about £50 with transport there and back. My husband went game fishing and caught a reasonable sized tuna fish, so he was happy. This four hour trip via the rep was approx £100, but worth it, included transport and drinks/snacks.

The bajan roots and rhythms was a great night out. Very well organised, informative, creative and fun. The drinks flowed all night long and it was anything you wanted - not just rum! Oistins fish fry - this was one of the highlights of our holiday. We went the second night we were there. Arrived at 11pm and did not get back till 3am. It was full of locals, but holiday makers are made to feel welcome. Even though we felt a little intimated at first. However, 3 rum punches later....... The rum punches here are cheap, but very strong!

Recently refurbished, nice rooms, clean outside area's, some of the Bar Staff are exceptionally rude, watchout for the Regea parties at the green shack next door, 24hour music sessions at full volume, no one sleeps, and the police don't do anything to stop it, this however is beyond the control of the hotel.
Chinese Restaurant/Takeaway acrosss the road is good value for money.

After booking through V1rgin at the lastminute we were worried about the fact that July is the start of the rainey season and the hotel - shouldn't have worried!

Any rain that was there (and when it rained it did go for it) cleared quickly and then made way for sunshine. In fact 20 mins of rain was good to take the edge of the heat some days.

The hotel staff were excellent in all areas except for 1 of the member of the reception who appeared a bit unfriendly but was still very efficent. The maids, bar and restarant staff were all very helpful and excellent.

Standard of the food was absolutely superb and would have been in any case but was even better as we were all inclusive.

Hotel had all sorts of places to relax, sunbathe etc including 2 stretches of beach, one sandy terrace above one of the beaches and 2 pools, Jacuzzis, bar areas, covered seating on decking etc - there were plenty of places to hide away for some privacy away from the crowds if you wanted to.

The resport is on the South-West so the sea isn't as flat as the west coast but is still fine for swimming and watersports. The hotel is an easy trip to Oistins and the St Lawrence Gap and Bridgetown.

Only negatives if we had to pick them is, Virgin Rep although very good could have been a bit less salesey on the first day, reception staff could have been a little friendlier and hotel although the rooms are well kept and clean could do with some of the bathroom and kitchen fixtures updating as they look a little tired.

We stayed at the Sea Breeze hotel for two weeks in May 2004. The hotel is lovely with beautifully maintained gardens, two pools and jacuzzis. The bedrooms are spacious and very clean. The best thing about this hotel though is the food. We were on the all inclusive plan. 2 times a week the evening meal is a buffet, 3 times a week the menu is a la carte, saturday is a BBQ and thursday are table d'hote. In the 2 weeks we never had the same meal twice. There is also a nice lunch time menu and a pool side bar serving snacks.

The hotel has 2 small beaches and a larger beach. The sea can be quite rough at times.

The hotel is located on the Maxwell coast road and does feel a little bit isolated but St Lawrence gap is a short taxi ride away. The nightlife isn't exactly bustling but the bars are pleasant enough and all offer happy hours. There are also many restaurants in the gap. We went to one called Josefs were the food was superb. It has a romantic sea front balcony and it was here were we got engaged.

One must is a visit to Oistins on a friday night for the fish fry. This usually starts around 7ish and gets very busy. The food is delicious and fairly cheap as are the drinks.

The only complaint about Barbados is the hassle you sometimes get from people trying to sell you things especially drugs but a firm no thanks and they leave you alone.

We'd definatly recommend the Sea Breeze and we'll certainly be going back some time in the future possibly even for our wedding.