We have just returned from the Escape hotel and spa and overall had a lovely holiday. I have to mention first though that we payed only £640 for 10 days all inc which was basically a two for one offer, this left us feeling we had great value for money.

We had read the reports on Tripadvisor as usual and were pleased to see it faired well, apart from the "not fit for a dog" review which was extremely harsh. We found the hotel to be very clean and tidy.

Upon arrival we were quickly checked in and given our room key, number 408 on the top floor of the main building, facing the road and spa opposite. Would have been nice to have had a sea veiw but we were very pleased with the room. The rooms on the upper floor are probably the best as you have a mezzanine floor in the roof space for you sleeping area, which was very spacious, huge bed and excellent air con. The t.v has a few sattelitte channels too. We saw some other rooms, supposedly deluxe and the bungalows and felt that for us, we wouldn't spend the extra money, which was considerable for not a lot, if any gain.

The spa area was lovely, very powerful steam room and sauna, peaceful setting and nice pool. Heard a couple of reveiws mentioning broken tiles but I only found two and they were the little mosaics, not a problem really. Didn't use the treatments but heard good reviews, although dearer than home. I attempted a gym session but the equipment is poor.

The food in general was fairly good, the Garden resteraunt was suberb, lovely setting, ambience, service and food all six times we used it both in the evening and at lunch. The food in the seascape resteraunt was mainly pretty good, you will always find something you like but not so much variety as other hotels I,ve been to.

One negative for us was that the only food available between lunch and dinner was afternoon tea. This consisted of a buffet of very small triangles of sandwiches, filled with an almost tasteless cheese, a kind of corned beef paste (not like home) or sometimes tomatoes and a selection of biscuits.

We had ten days here and after seven we had had an almost faultless experience, oh, other than the rain that came in during the heavy storms but only in front of the window and it was easily mopped up.

The hotel did fill to capacity on this day though and I think they struggled a bit. Our water was not filled at dinner and we noticed others leaving their table to get drinks from the bar. They had also started to run out of some of the popular dishes. It was the same the following morning at breakfast when the bacon, sausages, bread, and orange juice were all empty at once. Within fifteen twenty minutes they were full again but a few people were annoyed.

Overall a very enjoyable stay, some staff were extremely friendly and helpful, others not so. I would certainly recommend at the price we paid but others paid a lot more and also had few complaints, I think most people would enjoy their stay here.

We had a very pleasant week at this hotel. It was a great bargain as we booked last minute and it was low season. I have to disagree with the previous reviewer who stated that the hotel is on the East coast. It is actually on the West coast and faces the gorgeous Caribbean Sea and not the choppy Atlantic. It is very safe to swim in the Caribbean Sea and it felt warm most of the times we were in there.

You will be disappointed if you go there expecting 4* standards. I had read the reviews on this site before going and it prepared me for the reality. I upgraded my room to a deluxe after spending 1 night in standard accomodation. Although the room was spacious it needed updating and the bathroom was grubby and old. My new room was great, with a lovely balcony and clean new bathroom but I had to pay 40 gbp per night for the privilege.

The clientele are mainly retired couples, a few honeymooners and a few types that would probably be better suited to holidaying on the Costa del Sol. I too was disgusted that smoking was allowed everywhere. I was surprised that noone seemed to get legless from the all inclusive drinks but we were in bed by 9 p.m. each night so perhaps it got wild later on.

It was great value for money and the location and the fish dishes were excellent and that is why I give it 4/5. If I were on my honeymoon there I would be disappointed. It's not great for children either as there aren't many facilities for them. I doubt that I would return there but I have great memories of watching the amazing sunsets from the balcony and listening to the waves crashing and birds singing.

If you are an adventurous type then you might feel claustrophic just staying at the hotel. It is possible to walk along the beach for quite a distance, you don't have to use just the beach in front of the hotel. We hired a car for 5 days and went to beaches that were so empty it was like a tropical dream. Foul Bay and Ginger Bay are both spectacular and Bathsheba is great for advanced surfing. Hamilton Caves and Bridgetown are also worth a visit.

If you're not adventurous and just want to chill out at the hotel then you should still go on the free catarmaran trip. It's brilliant and you can snorkel with the giant turtles.

I guess if you are reading this review you are thinking of booking your holiday through Virgin, on an all inclusive basis, because that’s the only type of guest that stay in this hotel.

99% of all inclusive hotels are aimed at the budget traveller, and the Escape and Spa is no different. Reading the other reviews does leave you wondering where these people normally holiday, because I’d say that the hotel although perfectly adequate, is not by any stretch a luxury experience or a real taste of Barbados itself.

Our entire stay, which we booked at the last minute, cost the same as the flights would have been to book on their own. The hotel is run to the same Virgin formula found elsewhere, it looks a bit tired (Butlins in the 80’s) in the common areas, but our room in the villa’s to the side of the main hotel was nice enough. Our maid was very good, and very friendly, and I must say that there was no problem with cleanliness. The East Coast location is good, and the beach is about average for this side of the Island. I’m guessing those who complained about its size never ventured more than 200 yards from the hotel (free bar) to make a comparison.

The Spa area has a more modern feel to it, but you are the other side of the road to the main hotel. The only reason to go over there is to use the Garden Restaurant which is infinitely better than the Main restaurant, and my advice would be to eat there whenever you are at the hotel. There is a beach bar and a bar in the main lounge area of the hotel. Walking back and forth to the beach bar to collect your drinks in plastic cups is not by any stretch luxury, but you have to remind yourself that this is bargain basement – not Sandy Lane.

I have a lot of time for the Bajan people, who are for the most part very friendly and courteous. It might not be their dream job working in a budget hotel, serving the more scummy element that arrive at Grantley Adams Airport, but you would never know it. The lady that cooks the breakfast eggs for example deserves some kind of medal and invitation to Buckingham Palace.

If you are at the hotel in the evening, it’s probably best to find a table out on the patio. The ‘Entertainment Acts’ that the hotel provides are probably paid a pittance, and it must be soul destroying for them playing here week in week out, to the same sour faced ‘Working Mans Club/Gala Bingo type’ crowd, puffing away on duty free Lambert and Butlers. (Something worth noting, because people smoked basically everywhere including the restaurant at breakfast time – which obviously is not what you want)

If you want to see the real Barbados then travel independently, and book a villa or apartment for yourself and put something into the local economy. We ate out quite a bit, and met lots of interesting people. However, if you don’t mind the Costa Del Barbados type of experience, then this will be right up your street.

Needless to say. I would not recommend this hotel to honeymooners or those seeking a once in a lifetime experience. Also, no doubt a lot of people will mark this report as not useful, because those that have been to this hotel, who are now back in their day jobs (pulling levers or sorting screws etc) will have some kind of misguided belief that eating 21 all inclusive meals a week out of big metal troughs, and drinking what might equate to £50 of drinks a day is somehow ‘Living the Dream’. It’s a shame, because the Island has so much more to offer.

Having read the many bad reviews on this site we would like to say that we having stayed in many expensive hotels throughout the UK and Europe we found that The Escape Hotel & Spa to be the equivalent of anywhere we have previously been. We visited in May 2007 with our daughter; son-in-law; one toddler and one small baby to renew our wedding vows.

Rooms and amenities were emaculate. All the staff were freindly and exceptionally helpful especially on the morning of our renewal helping my wife get ready which obviously was not part of their job. Nothing was too much trouble especially when it came to trying to accommodate the children.

We have read that some people did not like the wild birds coming into the eating area. We know that in England at any picnic site one goes to there will be birds and part of the enjoyment of eating at this hotel is the open air nature of the dining room overlooking the sea and this is made clear in the hotel's description. We did not find that the birds posed any problems whilst you were eating nor did we hear one person complaining about them. Is it not a compliment to the hotel and its staff that the wild birds feel confident and safe enough to come into this environment? Something one does not find in England. This forms part of the Barbadian culture and as we are priviledged to be guests in Barbados (and always will be) we should respect this. If you don't like the Bajan culture and their way of life why visit Barbados in the first place?

The rooms were spotless (otherwise we would not have let our grandson crawl around on the bedroom floors); the linen was clean and changed regularly and the food (including room service) exceptional (all fresh) and my wife agrees with the previous comment about the lamb shanks (beautiful).

We are already looking forward to returning to The Escape Hotel and Spa in April 2009.