The Fairmont Royal Pavilion, Barbados
 

I recently stayed for 9 nights at this beachside hotel and was very impressed. It is an elegant resort with a nice location on the beach, with about 70 rooms on 3 floors, all with ocean views. The rooms all appear to be the same, apart from the floor they are on. Service was very good at the restaurants, front desk and concierge. In fact the concierge snagged some tables for dinner at outside restaurants that drew envious glances from other diners as we took our seats. Hotel restaurants are very good. It is not inexpensive, but neither is the general area in which it is located.

In the past I have stayed at the Fairmont in Boston, which I thought was unremarkable, and Banff Springs, in a small room in a nice location. The Royal Pavilion is definitely a good advertisement for the brand.

Fairmont in Barbados
 

We're thinking of spending a week there within the next month and wondered if anyone had comments on the property, food, nearby amenities. Thanks in advance

Hole Town and Sp'Town are close by, you'll find some good places to dine there. I had a wonderful time on my stay, it's a great little island The concierge was great. Chefette's rotis are the best fast food I've found.

Quick tip: Check in early for your flight then walk over the the Concorde experience. Really cool.

You're a AMEX Centurion and stayed in a small room.. or was it before your membership as AMEX Centurion. The card should upgrade you automatically to Platinum in Fairmont Presidents Club.

IMO, book a Premier Deluxe Room or use your suite cert as Platinum Member of Fairmont Presidents Club.. We experienced the 165 sq ft Fairmont Room with View the first time we stayed at the Springs.. but with FPC, you never have to stay in a small room ever again.. using your certs that come with your membership that is.

IIRC, all the rooms in Barbados are the same size. I tried an upgrade cert and they said they don't take them because there is no room class to upgrade to.

My post to mjtoal was about Banff Springs, and the fact he's a Centurion.. Royal Pavilion is another story..

There are only two room types (below) at the Pavilion I guess.. Good to know that you can't use room/suite certs at this property.. or maybe I'm wrong and you can upgrade to Villa? IMO, total score, but doubtful.

Fairmont Deluxe
Each of our luxury Barbados hotel’s Deluxe rooms has a private balcony or terrace (14' x 6') with a stunning ocean view, along with lounges and a dining table ideal for a quiet in-room dinner. Elegant touches such as marble bathrooms with separate shower, luxury toiletries and fresh flowers, complete the residential feel of our St. James resort in Barbados. All rooms have lounge chairs which create a comfortable seating area, fully stocked mini bar, iron and ironing board, and high speed internet access. Some rooms have the ability to interconnect, providing the ideal environment for guests or families travelling together. Rooms can accommodate two adults. A child can be accommodated on an extra bed (as necessary) between the April 01 - October 31, each year. From November 01 - March 31, our beach hotel in Barbados features an adult only environment.
Bed Type: one King (two Twin beds
are available upon special request)
Size: approximately 500 sq. ft.
View:

Three Bedroom Villa
The Three Bedroom Villa is located next to the tennis courts and overlooks the pool, Cafe Taboras and the sea. The villa specialty suite offers two bedrooms and a sitting area on the ground floor with views of the lush gardens. Spiral stairs lead to another bedroom on the upper level, which has an ocean view from the balcony. The villa can accommodate parties of six traveling together.
Bed Type: one King bed (upstairs bedroom);
one king bed and two twins (downstairs bedrooms)
Size: approximately 1100 sq. ft.
View: Ocean and garden



Common Amenities
In addition to the above description, the Three-Bedroom Barbados Villa offers the following hotel room amenities:

•Air-conditioning
•Alarm clock-radio
•Balcony/terrace (14' x 6')
•Bathrobes
•Coffee/Tea maker
•Color cable television with remote control
•DVD / CD player
•Hair dryer
•Refreshment center
•Safety deposit box
•Iron/Ironing Board

Amenities on Request
The following amenities may be available in selected Barbados hotel suites and specialty rooms. Please indicate the request in your on-line reservation St. James hotel reservation, or ask one of our reservation agents.

•Crib (April 01 to October 31 only)
•VCR rental ($15 USD/day)

Please Note:
There are no specifically designated non-smoking rooms, and the following amenities are NOT available at the hotel:

•Whirlpools in guest room
•Kitchen facilities
•Refrigerators
•Sofabeds


* Please note, the photos above are representative of the Barbados hotel room and suite categories at The Fairmont Royal Pavilion. Actual hotel rooms may vary from what is shown.

Only the Canadian Centurion would be comped FPC Platinum. Centurion members of other countries don't get FPC Plat. This is probably the only one thing that makes Canadian Centurion special.:o

Thanks for the info, Jarusoba.. Do you know of any other program around the world that would comp FPC premier or plat outside of the Canadian program?

Not that I'm aware of. You can refer to this for more info.

Thanks for the comparison chart.. This is great and helpful.. So what's the draw for Canadian Centurion for you? I remember you mentioned that its' worth it.

So I checked into the Royal Pavilion and the comments about nice staff online are true. They are just beginning a reno to add suites the mock up boards look good but they always do. Offered rum punch's on check in which was nice and many things are complimentary, english afternoon tea( sandwich's and pastries), all watersports including a catamaran, canapes at the cocktail bar ( the drinks arent).

Welcome amenity is a bottle of Piper Hiesdick Champagne. Which is the nicest welcome I have so far gotten. Seems all the Fairmonts in canada are getting cheaper and cheaper but Barbados must have some loyal clientale as champagne doesnt come cheap.

Then again my Friends and Family rate was $300ish. So I am paying in the end, but very happy to be here.

My Brother is thinking of honeymooning here in November. Can anyone tell me if I use my suite upgrade cert for his stay would he get one of the junior beachfront suites? Would people who have visited recommend this place for a honeymoon destination? Any information is most appreciated

Also does anyone know if it is possible to stay in the beach front ocean junior suite, if I booked into the villa delux king, and used a suite upgrade cert would that work. Or if I booked into the oceanfront deluxe and used a room upgrade, would that also work?

I haven´t visited the Royal Pavillon, so can´t say too comment except that

1) according to the Limited Access site you can neither use a room upgrade cert nor a suite upgrade cert at the Royal Pavillon.

2) Contacting FPC will most likely be useless, so I´d recommend contacting the hotel directly and ask whether they may be able to accept a cert for a 1/2-category upgrade

Alternatively you could check whether the hotel is affiliated with Virtuoso/AMEX FHR/etc. who usually offer a comp. one-category upgrade when booking through their agents.

Hi -- Just returned from the Royal Pavillion this week. I can confirm that, yes, this is a great honeymoon destination. The beach is vast and inviting and responsive to your requests. I would caution that the room category titiles are a little misleading. The "villas" are the lowest room category -- furthest from the beach and not recently updated. All of the rooms on the ground floor are now considered junior beachfront suites and the middle category of rooms are those located on the second floor.

Being new to the President's Club, I can't with certainty which upgrade option would be fool-proof but judging from the layout, I would think that by booking a beachfront room you should be upgraded to a Junior Beachfront Suite.

The beachfront suite is well worth it (ask for one with an awning) especially if on honemoon. A representative met us as we de-planed, escorted us to the Diplomatic line at immigration, secured our skycap and arranged our cab upon arrival. Being able to come out of our room, lounge 20 ft from the beach, dial 0 to have a butler cater to any request 24 hours a day and have canapes delivered nightly was also a nice touch.

If you're looking to add value, I also consider giving the couple meal certificates $80 a day for breakfast adds up rather quickly. Hope that helps.

Buy 1 Get 1 Free - Limited time at the Fairmont Royal Pavilion
 

http://www.fairmont.com/royalpavilio...NightOffer.htm

Click on the link for the limited time feature special as advertised on www.fairmont.com

It's odd that it doesn't say when the promotional period ends. Also my dates in the beginning of November don't seem to work.

Also any idea if the free night cert could be used in conjunction with this promotion?

Sorry I read it wrong it appears its only for September stays.

Yes, this would be good honeymoon destination.

I would not actually want the beach front room. The beach front room sits right on the beach, the problem being, everyone on the beach can look right in your room if the curtains aren't drawn... and it's his honeymoon so...

That said, do NOT book the Villas, they are not on the beach. The normal room is probably the best room IMHO, unless you need a large room. The view is spectacular.

Here is the view from the cheap rooms and you can see the ocean front room terrace below. The room are identical except for the large, no privacy, terrace. Apparently some of the rooms were converted into larger suites, but I did not see them, but I did see the Villas behind the main buildings, and they have a view of the gardens!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A...2/IMG_0671.JPG

White umbrellas are on the beach front room terraces for the private use of that room, the blue ones are on the beach for all guests.

Also coincides with hurricane season:eek:

Yes sir! My cheap Atlantis all inclusive special deal in in jeopardy for Sunday due to Hurricane Irene in the Bahamas.

Its a deal because its hurricane season.. and so was my Fairmont Mayakoba trip..

But surprised we hit the height of South America's vacation season when we visited Mayakoba..

Hopefully the hurricane won't hit, and will turn into a tropical depression in plenty of time so that you can enjoy your trip stinger..

Suite upgrade certificate
 

Read somewhere in this thread that this property does not provide suite upgrade using FPC suite upgrade certificate. Is this still the case? Do they have any suites?

That's eerily similar to our view here at Fairmont Orchid in a one bedroom ocean front suite. Aloha.

I thought the Pavilion provided a junior suite for a suite cert there for awhile.. but that was post reno and for a short time. Best to check with concierge or the hotel.

Pavilions are excluded from the room upgrade suite upgrade certs.

There are 3 room types.

The villa is not on the beach and I believe there is only one. IMO there is no reason to stay in the villa and not have the view. The villa the only way to get a room with a full ocean view. When the moderate room is being sold, it is one of the 3 villa rooms.

The ocean front are on the second and third floors (American counting) and all have identical floor plans and views. The balconies all directly face the ocean, the only thing that might block your view is a palm tree and the balcony has a small table, 2 chairs and 2 loungers. Inside is a small table (dining height for 2 people) and two chairs.

The beach front rooms are on the first floor and have a semi private deck (private use, not secluded) with a table, 2 chairs and 2 loungers. Inside there is a small sitting area inside with a couch, a coffee table and two chairs. Other than that, I believe the oceanfront and beach front bed and bath areas are identical. The extra interior space is used for the sitting area. The decks are nice, and would be ideal is mobility was an issue, but they do not provide much in the way of privacy. The deck is about 2 feet above beach level, so if the curtains are not drawn and the lights are one, anyone on the beach can look right into the room. The deck does not provide any privacy from anyone on the beach.

I prefer privacy over space, so I actually prefer the ocean front rooms over the beach front.

I have been disappointed with the service at a number of purportedly high-end Caribbean properties. (St Regis Bahia/SJU, RC STT, etc)

The limited tidbits in this thread seem pretty positive. Any more detailed thoughts on the service experience?

Comparing it to NY service levels, you will find the service horrendous. The staff is very friendly, but the consistency and attention of detail is lacking. But this didn't bother me in the least, probably because they make such a good rum punch.

I´ll be staying at the Fairmont Barbados in a few weeks time and am happy to report back once I return.

Stayed at Barbados property in February.

Check-in had our paper-work ready after the security gate informed desk of our arrival.Nice welcome drink of your choice.I had a beer,Mrs.acysb87 had a nice glass of white wine.(chilled glass) .Nice cool refresher towel handed us at check-in.

Room was 3rd floor.Welcome gift fruit basket was huge.We made a nice snack of it by adding a bottle of Champagne purchased at Holetown.

Staff at restaurants were all attentive. Check-out extended 2 hours by calling front desk.^

We were quite impressed by the staff and what was provided.:cool:

Thanks for the feedback! Sounds like I´ll be enjoying my mini-vacation.

Did you take the taxi from the airport or did you have transportation arranged through the hotel?

I rented a car at Stoutes,right at BGI

recent stay
 

Just returned from a short stay at the Fairmont Royal Pavilion and had a nice stay overall.

1) room:

Stayed in an ocean front room on the second floor. Room is nicely decorated in bright colours, has a king bed, two chairs, a coffee table and a small desk. Bathroom is very nice with separate walk-in shower and bathtub. Room itself is nothing extraordinary, but the private balcony (which has a large table, two chairs, and two comfortable loungers) and the views of the ocean which is 25-20m away are AMAZING. Being so close to the ocean and being able to hear the waves when waking up/falling asleep is a great bonus you don´t get at most other beach hotels.

2) check-in experience:

I´d requested an early 2p.m. check-in. My flight was slightly delayed, so I arrived a little later and was told I couldn´t check in until 4p.m. Not particularly impressed as early check-in is supposed to be a guaranteed Plat benefit and I surely don´t think a 2p.m. check-in is an unreasonable request.

Check-in was otherwise friendly, comp. drinks and wet towels were provided.

3) welcome amenity:

Welcome amenity consisted of a large plate of sliced fruit and a bottle of white wine (unfortunately no champagne as mentioned in a post above, but still pretty nice).

4) food:

Overall I found the food quality to be very good. Priced are somewhat steep, but not untypical for high-end resorts. Only aspect I wasn´t too impressed about was the cocktails. Tried two cocktails and both were mixed quite badly.

5) service:

Staff were friendly overall, but a lack of attention to detaill and a pretty inconsistent level of service were somewhat prevalant, e.g.

- were kept waiting for 20min (along with some other guests) at breakfast until being seated even though half the tables were empty (but hadn´t been prepared for breakfast yet)
- one morning half the breakfast order had been forgotten, the other morning they got part of the order wrong
- arrived at the beach at 8.30a.m. one morning and was told all the loungers were reserved :confused: Come on, not enough loungers on the beach (the main selling point of the hotel)?
- attempted to book a tour one morning, but apparently all tours had already left. No problem, enquired about a private tour (the booklet listed various companies offering customized, private tours). Concierge insisted no private tours were available and claimed the only option was to hire one of the taxi drivers waiting outside the hotel. Rate was quite reasonable, but it did make me wonder: Either the concierge made up the story to increase her commission, or she wasn´t very nowledgable or there´s really not a single company offering private tours despite the brochures stating otherwise (hard to believe, but not impossible)
- I appreciated the bottle of white wine provided as a welcome gift, but it wasn´t chilled and there were no wine glasses in the room (just a minor detail, but drinking warn white wine out of coffee cups isn´t 5* service)
. various in-room amenities were missing (e.g. no hotel directory, in-room dining menu seemed to be missing some pages, iron but no ironing board, no shower gel the first day, mix of Mller Harris and Rose products)

Overall service was still ok, but not up to the same level as at the Kea Lani or the Fairmont Southampton.

6) hotel amenities:

The hotel offers a wide variety of complimentary amenties which is great: e.g. comp. use of sports gear, non-motorized water sports equipment, comp. internet for all guests, comp. afternooon tea etc.

7) public areas:

nice gardens and pool area, spectacular views from the beach (the best feature of this hotel IMO)

8) conclusion:

Overall a very plesant and relaxing stay, the views from the beach are great and the food is good. The only aspect the hotel needs to improve IMO is the service.

As I was using some free night certs, it certainly was good value, but if I had been paying the going rate of $600+ I probably would have been slightly disappointed.

Would I return? Yes, if I happened to be in the area. Does it rank at the very top of my "have to return places" list or my "favourite Fairmont hotels" list? Not really.

How much to tip your butler and additions - Royal Pavilion
 

I booked the 60% off special rate for a stay this summer in one of the Beachfront Junior Suites. Am really looking forward to this now. I like the VIP treatment at customs associated with this too in addition to the butler service!

I have read on some other sites that there are somethings that you can ask at reservation such as asking for a exterior deck area with an awning, etc. Can anyone add to this advice?

Also what have those that have been there, how much have you tipped your butler(s)? Do you get 2 or 3 butlers a day? I understand that: 1) it depends on how much and what you used them for; and 2) local tipping customs in Barbados may be different from other locales.

I just want to make sure that whatever I do give that I do not make a faux-pas and insult the butler or other staff on tips.

Thanks!
PC

You don't need to ask for the deck area, that is what the beachfront room is. All the beachfronts are on the ground floor and walk out onto a deck that is maybe a couple feet elevated off the sand. What I liked about those rooms were the deck had several seating options and decent shade, but they lack privacy since they are on the ground level.

We didn't have a butler, but even if we did, I can't imagine what I would have ever asked him to do.

If you are used to Fairmont service, Royal Pavilion was kind of a shock. Service is different... imagine Hawaiian service levels being considered uptight. Very friendly, almost familiar interactions with the staff. Sometimes I considered the service too familiar, but not anything that would prevent me from going back. Just different.

The room, any room except a Villa, has got to be one of the best beach rooms ever if you want to be right on the beach. The rooms are just so close to the water, it is awesome.

Tipping, restaurants frequently include gratuity on the bill, otherwise tipping is similar to Canada.

Thanks for that :)

I usually don't ask for the butler as well. I probably wont ask as much anyway - I like to unpack my own things, etc. I was more wondering about tips such as at the end of the trip? I have seen at another resort in Turks&Caicos it is $100/day/butler at the end of the stay hence the initial question.

I will be looking forward to seeing the differences in the services if any compared to the usual Fairmont expected service.

I saw that the deck is next to the beach, but I read here and in another forum that asking for an awning for extra shade as it is not generally associated with all rooms.

Looking forward to the relaxed atmosphere, scenery and staff- wish the trip was now :D

please don't forget to report back! will be staying two nights this coming fall/winter

nice stay...
 

I just got back from 6 nights at this property in early October using free nights. great time of the year to be there btw.

For the seasoned american traveller, at first sight things might appear a little off. it's fairly small, almost a boutique property. there is a small gym, no spa. not all the public spaces, or even the room that we got, were in tip-top condition (considering the minimum $500/night rate). and service is not like in america, no sir... all in all, having also stayed at the fairmont orchid my first impressions were negative. there are a couple of trip advisor reviews that give voice to these concerns.

But you just need to get in the spirit. We had a fantastic time. The level of service they aim for exceeds the Fairmont Orchid, they are trying for five stars. Staff are super friendly, in a far more genuine way than in most U.S. hotels. Yes, it's true that not everyone gives you robotic hellos around the property, and the cleaners tend to congregate and chat (note: what's with the 4pm check-in?). It seems that the Bajan spirit has its positives and negatives. deal with it :)

The basic offer is solid. all rooms have a sea view with terrace facing onto a superb beach. plenty of free shaded sunbeds on the beach, good free wifi signal, free non-motorised watersports, delightful free afternoon tea.

the hotel is pretty quiet, mostly UK visitors with some US/Canadians. Holetown is where the action is for those interested.

what they do need

- refresh public spaces and equipment/furniture
- offer a shuttle service to nearby holetown. $15/each way in a taxi for 1 mile is not good.
- the food was solid, perhaps not spectacular. prices were fairly ok, they are conscious of competition from holetown. they need to improve the quality of some ingredients I noticed. eggs were pretty bad. some of this may be a problem of barbados (very high prices, lots of imported foodstuffs).

As for the suites, we stayed in a 3rd floor ocean view room and were happy with that. the view was great, and you are just a flight of stairs from the sea. Privacy is not as great in the ground floor suites. honestly, $100/day to tip the butler? they will be cleaning your derriere for that.

a tip - no-one is talking about it too openly but the TA web forum is full of stories of dengue fever on the island. I didn't get the impression it is a big risk by the sea at a top tier hotel where they fog for mosquitos. but why take the chance? bring some deet.

Just booked a stay for July - great deals going on right now on the Fairmont website. Price per night is half of the Amex FHR rate. Will post an updated review on our return.

One quick question for anyone who has stayed here in the past.

Is there a place to just get an iced coffee in the morning, or do we need to do the full blown breakfast? We would normally book through FHR but as I mentioned above, the promo is 270/night v. the 539 for the FHR rate, and we would rather have the privacy of a regular room v. the upgraded junior suite.

There is a bar at the entrance to the restaurant where breakfast is served. I would go there in the morning we didn't eat breakfast and get a diet coke, so I would assume they can get you an iced coffee there also.

Thanks.