Suites pair traditional Caribbean flair and colonial touches with modern splashes of colour in murals and coastal-inspired fabrics. All rooms offer private patios or balconies that look onto the verdant gardens or sparkling ocean, while the exquisite Tree Top Suites go one up with luxurious four poster beds, plush furnishings, private plunge pools, dressing rooms and marble bathrooms with walk-in showers and soaking tubs. For true indulgence, opt for the Curlew Suite, which offers its own private decking adorned with a wet bar and outdoor lounge with dining space for six.
Executive chef Christophe Poupardin and his team have an excellent reputation; their European and Asian fusion menu offering the likes of panko soft shell crab salad and locally caught maki maki, served among the tropical gardens and koi ponds. That’s alongside the weekly West Indian buffet – think Caribbean shrimp and lamb curry – and Sunday barbecue accompanied by a live-steel pan band. Then, for toes-in-the-sand sundowners and alfresco lunches, Harold’s Beach Bar offers up expertly-mixed tropical cocktails at its bamboo-and-wood hut right on the beach. There's even a weekly cocktail party hosted by the owners. As with the rest of the hotel, entertainment is stylishly low-key, with the gentle rhythms of Calypso, steel-band, jazz, piano and reggae played nightly by local live bands.
Just a two-minute drive from the hotel, it's well worth indulging at the spa at Sandpiper's sister hotel, Coral Reef. All tropical gardens and waterfalls, each of the four treatments rooms has its own patio and garden perfect for relaxing after treatments like the signature Lemongrass and Ginger Rub and Caribbean Calm Massage. Back at base, as well as the glorious stretch of beach that frames the resort, guests also have use of two pools, tennis courts, a gym and all manner of complimentary water sports. There's even the chance to join in with turtle conservation at next-door Barbados Sea Turtle Project, as well as play a round at the world-renowned Sandy Lane golf course that lies just moments away.