I had reservations about going long haul for our first holiday en famille.
The most pressing concern was the flight. Nine hours with a nine-month old — surely a living hell? I’m pleased to report it was a relative doddle and he — remarkably — snoozed through great, blissful chunks of it, even allowing me the pleasure of watching a couple of films. The second worry was the jet lag, but then I remembered: the baby doesn’t sleep at night anyway, so much better to struggle through the exhaustion by a pool with a spicy margarita in hand than in the dreary park at the end of my road.
So off to Barbados — and more specifically the Coral Reef Club — we jetted.
We paid extra for a fast-track exit from the airport (£26 per person; I would strongly recommend after a long flight with a baby) and were sipping our pleasingly potent rum welcome drinks in the breezy beachside restaurant in less than an hour.
The Coral Reef Club is a family-run 88-room boutique hotel on the exclusive west coast of the island, just down the road from Rihanna’s favourite hangout, One Sandy Lane, where she owns a £17 million villa. For one week only, my husband, baby and I enjoyed the same idyllic sands, gin-clear waters and fiery sunsets as RiRi.
Owned and lovingly run by the O’Hara family since the 1950s (endearingly, they invite guests over to their house for cocktails once a week), the hotel has strong English country club vibes with a laid-back Caribbean twist. Susie Atkinson, the woman behind the interiors at Beaverbrook and Soho House, was enlisted to give the property a spruce up this summer so there is nothing fusty here.
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There are some rules though. It’s the sort of place where men must wear long trousers at dinner and children under five aren’t allowed after 7.30pm, but then that’s what the babysitting service is for (£9.50 per hour). Little ones are well catered for with freshly made purées (my son came home with a gentle addiction to papaya) and lots of love. I’m sure such a fuss wouldn’t have been made if Rihanna herself had waltzed in.
For the nights when bedtime proves to be a battle with no end in sight, room service is no extra charge. We spent many a nap time hiding from the baby on the balcony with a glass of Minuty rosé.
Days were spent splashing around in the two pools and toasty Caribbean sea. At 11am the charming pool boys did the rounds with refreshing sorbets. Delicious. For al fresco naps, we had the luxury of 12 lush acres of tropical gardens at our disposal through which to push the baby in the pram. And it was a 15-minute walk along the beach to Holetown, with its boutiques and shoreside restaurants. My husband went snorkelling daily and the hotel’s sports centre loans out complimentary paddleboards. If you have the energy and inclination, a tennis pro is on hand for two hours of free lessons during your stay. There is also a padel court, gym, a hairdresser and a chic boutique.
The spa is a haven and lured me back for several treatments. It regularly invites guest practitioners over, including London’s own fabulous acupuncturist-to-the-stars Ross J Barr, but even on an average day the menu is bursting with relaxing goodness. If you book only one thing, make it the Caribbean Calm. It’s 80 minutes of wonderful full body muscle-melting with a foot massage and eye treatment thrown in, too. Afterwards, collapse in one of the shady cabanas and drift off in the spa garden.
So, long haul with a baby? Do it, but only if the destination is as comforting and cocooning as the Coral Reef Club.
£821 per night for a double garden room including breakfast and taxes; book it here
