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

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1206 reviews

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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
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  Good but don’t expect a Marriott

  Good but don’t expect a Marriott. 1040676109 As the title suggests, this is a nice hotel, but if it didn’t have a Marriott Bonvoy block on the desk, you would mistake it for any other hotel. On the positive side, the staff are very nice and helpful, especially the front desk and on the beach. The food in both restaurants is good, especially Dosa, although after 10 days, the food gets a bit familiar (although that’s true of any hotel I guess). We never had to fight for sunbeds on the beach (which was great after a very bad experience at Sandals St Lucia last year). It is the beach that makes this hotel. Aside from the Maldives, the water is the clearest I have seen. On the negative side the hotel’s infrastructure is lacking. On the second morning of our stay we were woken up at 5 am because a pipe had burst and flooded the third floor (we got out of bed to paddle in water) and on morning four, our toilet overflowed and again flooded the bedroom. Also, there is a distinct lack of sockets downstairs (we had a two floor room) and the fixings in the shower were poor. Someone had clearly tried to drill holes in the tiles, given up and stuck one of the soap dispensers to the wall, only for it to fall off. The wiring behind each of the TVs was also a mess - no attempt had been made to box anything in or tidy it up. It all has the feel of a Spanish hotel rather than a Marriott Autograph hotel. Someone who I spoke to who says that he travels to the Caribbean often said that this is common, namely the quality of building work can be a little poor. It should not stop you staying if you can get a good rate. However, we paid approximately £600 per night per room and that felt overpriced. And I would avoid the external island tour organised by the hotel. The tour guide was perfectly pleasant but USD60 each to see a few unimpressive places in the north of the island so as to presumably avoid the Bridgetown traffic was at least double what it should have been. So, enjoy the water, enjoy the food and drink but don’t go expecting a proper Marriott or Westin etc.

  Nov 28, 2025
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  Wonderful Week

  We had a fabulous week at the beginning of November. We had such a warm welcome back, we have been coming to waves for several years now and I must say it’s still appealing as the first time we came in 2019. Loved all the renovations with both the restaurants and the Adult side where we stay, the rooms look fabulous 👍. I always say what makes an amazing Hotel is the staff and I stand by that, Jackie & Kim your staff from all departments are truly incredible. Thank you everyone for making our time with you special. The Phillips

  Nov 26, 2025