3 Best Hotels in Speightstown, Barbados

Flanked by tropical gardens on one side and the sea on the other, this English country–style resort has 10 two-story cottages, each with 4 elegant suites that include a bedroom, a comfy sitting room with sofa bed, a small library, and a wall of louvered shutters that open wide to a patio. For all-out luxury, the sublime (and enormous) Colleton and Camelot penthouse suites, on the top floor of the main building, each have a richly decorated sitting room, king-size four-poster bed, dressing room, whirlpool bath, private sundeck, and large plunge pool. Socializing occurs in the library, which doubles as a TV lounge, and at the alfresco Camelot Restaurant, which receives well-deserved raves.

A cluster of spacious self-catering cottages, built in updated chattel-house style with gingerbread balconies, overlooks a narrow strip of beach north of Speightstown just beyond the fishing community of Six Men's Bay. This little enclave of one-, two-, and three-bedroom (mostly) duplex suites is a perfect choice for self-sufficient travelers who don't need the hand-holding that resorts provide and who relish the chance to experience a delightful slice of Bajan village life. Two large suites are directly on Shermans Bay beach, sharing a building—an old stone fort with louvered shutters on the windows—with the excellent hotel restaurant, The Fish Pot. You can arrange for a personal cook from the restaurant and stocked groceries upon arrival. Although you're mostly on your own in terms of recreation, the hotel will arrange activities and tours. There are two pools on-site, and snorkeling equipment is available to use at the beach. For total relaxation, there's an inviting little spa. 

A luxury residential marina development near historic Speightstown, Port St. Charles is a great choice for boating enthusiasts who either arrive on their own yacht or plan to charter one during their stay. Each villa is an intimate private home, decorated by the individual owners, with its own megayacht berth. Port St. Charles also serves as a customs and immigration port of entry for boaters. Villas have from one to six bedrooms that surround the protected lagoon or face the beach. Many units have private plunge pools. Complimentary water taxis ferry guests around the property during the day—including to the pool and pool bar at Sunset Island in the middle of the lagoon.