Hotel near holetown and room cleaned every day. Food at hotel was good as chicken, fish and vegs on offer as well as chips burgers and hotdogs. Hotel beside beach and pool area cleaned every day. 2 shopping malls only up the road and sandy lane not far away so spot the celeb while your on hols. The staff at hotel very professional and always wanting you to have a rum punch. Hotel in very good spot as water nice and calm not like the gap where the sea quite rough. Nice time spent at hotel as wanted to relax and big shout out to there local radio stations which are fantastic and offer lots off information about barbados itself. The hotel is being painted but if you live there during hurricane u will understand why they have to do it during the height off the season. This hotel is in a good area and should be kept open for as long as possible. The reps at hotel very helpful and know a lot about barbados. Hotel offers good entertainment throughout week. People seem 2 go back to this hotel each year from the reviews I have seen.

Summary
If you want an excellent value Hotel in one of the very best locations on the West Coast, then Discovery Bay could be for you! Very friendly staff, very clean rooms and comfortable beds - we will go again - even though the Hotel has some shortcomings. If you want better, expect to pay a hell of a lot more!

More detail
We arrived late to find we were booked into a rear-view room despite having booked an oceanfront room. Not a good start - but the following morning after the mix-up was sorted we were moved very efficiently and with a great deal of apologies. Our problem was solved very quickly.

The hotel is very tired, though some refurbishment is taking place. New Air con units, beds, TV's, coffee making facilities in all rooms. Plumbing is pretty bad and all the taps/showers/baths need replacing - but they all work. The pool-facing rooms have lovely balconies/terraces surrounded by flowers - though some have the air con units outside so are noisy. There are two blocks of sea facing rooms (literally yards from the Sea and as close as any to the sea as you will find on the Island) Security guards were always visible so we felt safe being on the ground floor.

Gardens are nice but sparse - and the grounds are home to several mongoose (geese?) Could do with some re-planting.

Nice pool, kept very clean - in fact it seemed every time we passed someone was sweeping leaves from it.

Entertainment is a laugh (because it is so bad!) Take an iPod or visit some of the excellent bars in Holetown just a few minutes walk away. Note - in the two weeks we were there, most visitors appeared to be retired - so do not expect a lively atmosphere.

Food is the biggest let-down. All cooked OK - though much of the buffet food gets cold. It just is boring! Breakfast is the best meal of the day. If you have an hour to kill, try making your own toast. Best for breakfast is the Omelettes - freshly cooked. Lunch was pretty much the same everyday - with a change in meat. Evening meals were let down by the same boring bland vegetables and choice of same 3 desserts every night. On a couple of occasions, we tried the A La Carte menu. Big mistake - Filet Mignon looked an tasted like the previous nights braised steak....dont waste your money.

If you want variety, try the local restaurants in Hole Town for a great choice. And if you want a really special meal, try the Sandpiper Hotel 100 yards away. We had a truly magical meal there one evening - in fact of all the 'great' restaurants I have eaten in over 20 years of business travel, this has to be one of the best meals I have experienced. Make a resevation! (Just for dinner - one night at the Sandpiper cost as much as a week at Discovery Bay and the beach is not as nice!!)

Discovery Bay is a Hotel to find complete rest and relaxation - and at one of the lowest prices on the West Coast. In talking with many other visitors, we discovered we were about the only ones that had not stayed at the Hotel before - we spoke to two couples that had stayed every year for the past 20 years - and having stayed there ourselves, we can understand why. We will return for the location and friendly staff - but we will opt out of the all-inclusive and eat locally.

We stayed in a garden view room in February. Overall, the hotel grounds were well maintained and the beach is nice. The room was in need of refurbishing. . .particularly the bathroom, which boasted rust stains in the tub and toilet and corroding fixtures. We only ate at the hotel one time for breakfast and the food was bland, making me thankful we didn't pay for the all inclusive. The hotel is within walking distance to many restaurants right in Holetown. Overall, the staff was friendly and helpful.

You could pay double and stay at The Sandpiper next door, or you could have a better bit of beach, the same lovely views, comfortable rooms and friendly service at Discovery Bay. For a 3star hotel on the very fashionable side of Barbados it is great value. The staff are trying very hard to bring the place up to scratch, the rum punch is STRONG and the food is fine, although if I was there for 2 weeks it would get boring.
We went all inclusive and, if you look at what you can pay for meals and drinks in St James it's a great deal.
I understand that from this year it is going to be an adults only hotel. For romantic getaways go mad and get a seaview room, for quiet try and get a room near the beach as the amps from the entertainment by the dining room can be a bit loud (my one complaint).