This was our second visit to Settlers and it was as good, if not better, than we remembered in 2004. We had one of the single storey villas which was very well appointed and spotlessly clean (our excellent maid, Cheryl, kept it that way). The staff, admirably led by recently appointed manageress, Vanessa, were exemplary - nothing was too much trouble and some irritating problems with the villa plumbing were professionally dealt with. Previous comments on this site relating to the tiredness of some of the decor are being taken to heart and a gradual programme of refurbishment and rewiring of the villas is underway.

Vanessa's morning visits with complimentary pastries were a very nice touch as was her effort in organising a complimentary island tour and picnic on the east coast; such a pity that having accepted the invitation to come 12 guests ( rather gracelessly) didn't turn up to catch the coach - mind you the eight of us who did go had an excellent day out.

We ate out every evening, the highlight being the celebration of a special occasion at "Tides" where the service, food and ambience were truly out of this world. With the rate of exchange nearly 33% better than during our last visit we were pleasantly surprised at how many meals were good value. The Mews, Spago and Ragamuffins all deserve a recommendation. After dinner we often frequented the new piano bar in Second Street where the drinks were reasonably priced and the entertainment first class.

An outing not to be missed is the trip to the shipwreck and to swim with the turtles aboard "Mark the Shark"'s new boat.

Hopefully we will return.

We've just returned from a fortnight staying at Settlers Beach and still haven't come back to reality. It was our 10th holiday in Barbados and was by far the best hotel we have encountered. We chose it because all our other 'favourites' have gone All Inclusive over the years and we love the flexibility of self catering accommodation. We couldn't believe our luck when we arrived and have no intention of ever staying elsewhere again- this hotel is very hard to beat.
The accommodation is amazingly spacious, we felt at home within minutes of arriving. There is a great deal of living space to spread yourselves around (we had a 14 & 12 yr old with us), loads of room to leave diving/snorkelling gear to dry without it dripping around the bedrooms or bathrooms. Plenty of wardrobe and cupboard space and lots of hangers. The kitchen was great. In fact we were so keen to use it that I cooked one night! There is even a well stocked bookshelf in case you run out.
It was a treat to have sunloungers right outside the door in our own area of garden- so much nicer than patio chairs when reading the morning newspaper which was kindly delivered free of charge with the fab breakfast pastries each day.
All of the staff throughout the hotel are fantastic.The place is immaculate without feeling too 'done'. Everyone is extremely friendly and helpful and our villa was kept spotless without us feeling that we were in the way as can sometimes be the case when you happen to be in when the housekeeper arrives.
The gardens are lovely, fruit trees and flowers in abundance. The pool and optional swimming lessons are great.
The restaurant is extremely good. Charles and his staff provide a great menu, very reasonably priced in great surroundings. We loved it.
The beach has plenty of sunloungers right on the waters edge. It is a sandy walk in to the sea , has a bouyed area marked for safe swimming and also a raft to aim for which is good to snorkel around as well as lie on!
Just along a footpath to the right of the property is a large marine nature reserve called Folkestone which is fantastic to snorkel in. It was great to be within walking distance as this is a favourite with our family.
I would recommend Settlers Beach to anyone, couples or families looking for informal but luxurious self catering accommodation. The town is within 5 mins walk though you wouldn't know it once inside the hotel grounds so you have the best of all worlds when it comes to eating and entertainment. Mind you,at times we were tempted to just stay in and pretend it was all ours!

We stayed for 2 weeks at this charming villa/hotel complex.

The staff are fantastic, very efficient, organised and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble and they went out of their way to be helpful. The new manager, Vanessa, came round to each villa every morning with fresh pastries - wow! Although we had a couple of issues with the villa they were sorted out promptly. We had a single storey villa and were concerned that an adventurous 5 year old could get out without waking us - so they put an extra bolt on the door that he couldn't reach. Houskeeping cleaned the villas very everyday to a very high standard.

The restaurant is run independantly from the hotel and Peter and his staff - especially Lorraine are great people. The food is fresh and good. The selection of cocktails is also a bonus! Eating your dinner whilst overlooking the caribbean, llistening to the crickets and tree frogs can't be beaten.

The grounds and pool are immaculate - tended to everyday. If you want they can organise swimming lessons at the pool. This is well worth it, especially for children. The swimming instructor, Aubrey is fantastic and had my son swimming in a week.

The villas are well equiped, we did a mix of cooking our own food, takeaways and eating out. The kitchen had everything you needed, from kettle to oven. Having a washer/dryer was very handy with childen about. The bathrooms are nice, with plenty of bath towels and beach towels. Air-con and ceiling fans in bedrooms and ceiling fan in the living -room. We chose not to rent a TV, so the kids did use the TV lounge - there were also 2 internet connected PC's in there. There is also Wi-Fi connectivity in the hotel, although we didn't use it.

We stayed here over Christmas and New Year and it was so good we are going back next year (which is something we rarely do). It is the perfect place for families with 2 bedroom villas and a safe, secure feeling. The staff are lovely, the rooms spacious and clean. The restaurant is idyllic situated next to the beach so you can enjoy the view as well as the food.

Holetown is very near and there you can find a nice selection of restaurants and a supermarket for all your essentials. The beach is shady most of the morning which is great in the hot climate and best of all the reef starts right at the shore line. We snorkelled every day and in the safe, roped off area right in front of the hotel and saw a huge range of fish including a turtle.

I have hesitate in writing this review because I really do not want other people to discover this little gem.