Waves Resort & Spa, Barbados, An Autograph Collection – All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1211 reviews

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  Wonderful holiday

  A first class very well run hotel High standard of accommodation - recently renovated Great range of food options including an Indian restaurant option on site Very friendly and attentive staff Excellent service Spotlessly clean Adults only area with swimming pool On site Spa offering a range of treatments Activities included - Watersports, Pilates, Yoga and use of on site gym Regular free return water taxi service enabling visits to several other hotels in the group We have stayed at the Waves several times We will be ack

  Dec 12, 2025
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  My return to the Waves

  We have just arrived back after a two week stay with my wife and our 4 year old daughter and thought i would leave a genuime review of our time there. Before I start, I will note that we had originally booked the Tamarind, but due to on-going renovations we had been given the choice of Waves as the next option instead. I was more than happy with this as I had stayed in the hotel previously (3 times under the Escape name and twice as Waves) so the excitement I had to take my wife and daughter for their first taste of Barbados,and being the hotel I had plenty of memories in, were very high. As a couple, The Waves is perfect, but I truly felt the hotel was missing the spark it once had for young families. Although it is classed as a family hotel, it really does not have the facilities for children that other hotels offer. It was pure luck that another young family arrived for our daughter to have a friend to play with, otherwise we would have found it extremely hard to keep her entertained. The staff were amazing as always and so loving towards our daughter. It was also nice to see some long serving staff from years back still there (Valerie, Kenny to name a couple). The food was delicious, from breakfast through to evening meals. Although the kids menu is great, we felt the portions were massive for our 4 year old and it is not far off an adult meal size , which was a shame to waste most nights. The room was perfect for our needs, always clean and tidy with room service doing a great job as usual. Only gripe was hallway noise at night (other room doors slamming shut and people talking loudly) seemed to echo through the halls quite a bit but apart from that we cannot complain. The beach is small, always has been but we did not find it an issue with beds, and the hotel staff on the beach very attentive with drinks. The watersports staff, seemed to be a different entity to the hotel and felt quite intimidating when you approached them and not very engaging. The family pool which is very small, again, we struggled to keep our daughter entertained here. There are some left behind floatations there but really not much else to do in such a small area. I spoke to a few people and many suggest the "adult only" pool on the spa side, and the family pool should be swapped. This hotel once had a games room with a pool table, a shop (now a dark wasted space for changing towels and planning tours. It just seems to be a total shame these have gone. As a whole Waves should look into bringing something in for children of a younger age to keep them entertained, if not, it might as well be an adults only hotel. Would i come back? As a couple, 100%, but with a young family, unfortunately not. Which is a shame as i have such fond memories of the hotel over the years.

  Dec 11, 2025
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  Relaxing Family Getaway With Great Staff and Free Watersports

  The hotel itself is small — only three floors — and one of its biggest advantages is that most rooms come with a beautiful ocean view. The staff may not seem extremely friendly at first, but once you start talking to them, they are very attentive, helpful, and always willing to assist. We originally booked a split room because we were traveling with children, but it was unavailable upon arrival, and we were upgraded to a better category — the Junior Suite on the second floor (room 7209). The room was spacious, with a large bathroom, separate shower, a big bed, and two sofa beds that were very comfortable for the kids. There’s a fridge, kettle, tea and coffee, good-quality toiletries, and — importantly — a great hair dryer and strong water pressure, which is a huge plus when you have long hair. The AC works perfectly, there’s an iron and ironing board, and the balcony has a sofa, chairs, a table, and even a drying rack. Another great advantage is the constant availability of fresh water — in the room, at the bar, and on the beach. They always refill it with lemons, cucumbers, watermelon, or other fruits, which is so refreshing in the heat. You can also ask for any bonus drinks throughout the day and even late at night. The hotel offers yoga, a small but nice gym, and a lovely coffee shop where we really enjoyed the tuna wrap, desserts, and coffee. From time to time, local women visit to sell handmade souvenirs. There’s also occasional entertainment — live music, someone playing instruments — small but pleasant touches. The beach is small but there are always plenty of loungers, no need to reserve anything early. The beach and pool staff are attentive and always check on guests to offer drinks or help. A huge plus is that all water activities are completely free: tubing, water skiing, catamarans, paddle boards, and more. Our kids loved the tubing and did it several times a day. One thing to be aware of: there is quite a bit of glass in the water. It doesn’t cut deeply, but you will definitely feel small pieces, so just be prepared. When I asked the locals, they explained that after heavy rains or flooding, all the debris and garbage from the streets — including bottles — gets washed into the ocean. And honestly, there is a lot of trash on the beach in general. If you take a walk along the shore, you’ll see bottles and plastic scattered around. This isn’t the hotel’s fault — it’s more of a reflection of how the island struggles with keeping public beaches clean. It’s something to keep in mind if you’re expecting pristine Caribbean shorelines. As for minor hotel-related downsides: the area behind the watersports center could be cleaner, and it would be great to have more trash bins around the property, as sometimes there’s nowhere to throw away small items. The buffet is also quite small and repetitive, and we wished there was more seafood, especially considering it’s the Caribbean. We also loved the Indian restaurant DOSA located across the street in the adults-only section — definitely worth visiting. Overall, despite a few drawbacks, we truly enjoyed our stay. The ocean views, friendly staff, wellness-oriented atmosphere, great coffee shop, and especially the free water activities made this vacation special for our family.

  Nov 30, 2025
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  Give it a miss

  We were recommended to try the Indian Dora restaurant in Waves. HotelI. Service was slow, menus not inviting nor authentic Indian and we were told they were busy/full but it as only third full Not worth the effort

  Nov 30, 2025
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  Wonderful Waves

  We spent two weeks here at the beginning of November and had an amazing time! The resort has a great beach, two pools and two restaurants. Catching the water taxi to sister hotels extends dining and bar options even farther. Our room was great with a spacious sleeping area, fully equipped bathroom and very pleasant balcony. Food - lovely selection of dishes, plenty for us vegetarians to chose from. We particularly liked the Indian restaurant for its inventive and very delicious starters! Restaurants open for long stretches of time and there is always the lovely coffee shop if you ever need a sandwich or snack. (Shout out to the wonderful Valerie). Entertainment - loved the diverse number of events on at Waves. Always something different happening every day from pub quizzes to amazing singers to fantastic steel drum musicians. Loads of activities on offer for everyone: yoga, pilates, cooking and cocktail classes, water sports to name but a few. Spa - we had fabulous massages here. Perfect relaxation. As amazing as all the facilities at Waves are, the best thing here by far is the staff. So many genuinely lovely, warm and friendly people. They really make you feel welcome. The GM Kim Young is very present on site and makes sure all the guests are looked after and very happy. Such a pleasure meeting you all! Special mentions to Jared, Terrence, Kevin, Wayde, Devon, Jennifer, Olivia, Jacqueline, Akeil, Jamar, Jabaar, Loreal, Troy, Jensel, Ron, Donna, Jamal and Raquel. Can’t wait to come back!!

  Nov 29, 2025