Glitter Bay Estate is a luxury condominium property located on Barbados. A curve of white stucco buildings in Spanish colonial style looks out over spacious gardens of lawns and palms and down to a lovely strip of golden sand. There is a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments on the gated estate, each finished to a high standard (they have full kitchens, air-conditioning and cable TV), and each individually furnished and decorated. It is not a busy and active resort, but it has a nice sense of community and some good central facilities, particularly for children, including a central pool with a separate wading pool, a snack bar and tennis courts. Glitter Bay reaches back to the most romantic days of the Caribbean, when Sir Edward Cunard entertained the likes of Noel Coward here. Now it is a trusty, very comfortable hideaway close to all the activity of the Barbados West Coast.

Features and Amenities

All apartments at Glitter Bay have been individually furnished to a good standard. Some have retained the original terracotta floor tiles. Others have been refurbished with a lighter look, with coral stone floor tiles. All have comfortable open-plan living areas with air-conditioning (also with a ceiling fan) and fully equipped kitchens with Decoran or granite work surfaces (some are galley kitchens with a breakfast bar, others have been remodeled to have an extended cooking area with a corner breakfast bar). There is a pleasant sitting area with cable TV and DVD that leads out to a south facing balcony or terrace.

The bedrooms are all air-conditioned (and also have ceiling fans) and they have their own bathroom featuring granite/marble/travertine tiles and vanity (some bathrooms are en suite, others open off the hallway next to the bedroom). Some have a separate tub and shower, some a shower only and some a combination tub/shower. The terraces or balconies all have a dining area with either built-in seating or a furnished sitting area, and some also have a wet bar with mini bar and wine cooler. In the one-bedroom apartments, the bedroom is to the rear (north facing), the bathroom in the hallway and living/kitchen at the front leading out to the balcony/terrace. The two-bedroom apartments have a 2nd bedroom (the master) adjacent to the living area at the front with an en suite bathroom. Glass sliding doors lead onto the balcony/terrace, which faces south out to the gardens/sea. Amenities in the rooms include cable TV and DVD, hair dryers, personal safe, iron and ironing board. Some units also feature a combination washer-dryer.

Amenities include a large swimming pool with separate children’s wading pool, bar and snack bar, beach chairs and parasols, beach and pool towels, children’s play area, concierge, air-conditioned fitness room, floodlit tennis courts with free daytime use, WiFi in bar and concierge area, on site management, 24 hour security with manned gatehouse, complimentary welcome drinks and breakfast starter pack. Maid service and a private cook are also available on request.

Location

A range of watersports (water skiing, jet skiing, sunfish sailing, banana and other rides) can be arranged from the beach. The nearest golf course is Royal Westmoreland, which is about five minutes drive away. It has some tee times open to outsiders in the mid morning. Otherwise there are two courses open to the public at Sandy Lane about ten minutes away.

Glitter Bay Estate is situated in the neighbourhood of Porters, St James, which was a large sugar estate in the mid 17th century. Porters Mansion, the old estate’s listed Great House, and the ruins of the Porters Sugar Factory are just a few minutes down the road. Next door to the north is the Fairmont Royal Pavilion hotel and to the south you will find a string of multi-million dollar homes. About five minutes drive south, past one or two local shops and rum shops, is Holetown, the main shopping area nearby. There are two shopping centres, the smaller Cave Shepherd Plaza which is closer to Sandy Lane (heading south), and then the larger West Coast Mall in Holetown itself. You will also find a large supermarket, a bank, photo centre, duty free shops, video rental, and various shops and boutiques, as well as a large gas station (as petrol stations are known locally) with a mini mart and fast food outlet. Also close by is the Chattel House Village, a series of traditional looking Caribbean cabins selling souvenirs, the 24 hour Sandy Crest Medical Centre, and a market stall where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. At the centre of Holetown, which was where the English first landed in 1625 and came back in 1627 to settle, are most things you would expect to find in a small community – Police Station, Post Office, Parish Church, bank, pharmacy, clinic, fitness centre, school and so on.

There is a host of restaurants within a 10 minute drive in either direction on the main West Coast road (Highway 1). These range from the famous Cliff Restaurant which will take about 10 minutes to reach, to pizza parlours, cafés, beach bars and fast food outlets. There is an excellent patisserie, Flindt, in Holetown. Nightlife is also a 5 minute drive away, with weekend gatherings in 1st and 2nd Street in Holetown where restaurants and bars provide live music.