If you want to travel but have limited funds, then try the budget self-catering hotels and apartments in Barbados. You can always visit Barbados and stay in modest lodgings without the fancy decorations and posh amenities. While it’s true that in Barbados, the US dollar is not that strong and the dollar exchange remains two to one, that won’t stop you from having sumptuous feasts, staying at comfortable hotels and sightseeing.
Barbados has excellent restaurants and fine dining but you can always sample the local delicacies and beverages. There are historical heritage buildings, a vast shopping district and breathtaking views will complete your travel experience without leaving a gaping hole in your pocket.
Barbados was dubbed “the bearded ones” by the early explorers. This island nation, also known as “Little England” is famed for its even-tempered lifestyle. Barbados enjoys a rich sense of its history, with its distinctly English tint. Along with all its cultural foundations, music is in the forefront of Barbados heritage which results in lively nightlife and revelry. The capital, Bridgetown is peppered with extraordinary colonial buildings that take you back in the 1800s.
Barbados also has equally impressive gardens, plantation houses, golf courses and spas for serious pampering. The island is blessed with handsome villas and there is also a wide range of apartments for rent. Many are set against the crystal clear waters with palms and lush gardens on the shore. The waters also offer world class diving spots with amazing coral reefs along with underwater caves to experience full immersion into the underwater kingdom.
The island has a vibrant tourism industry, serving millions of tourists with luxurious accommodation from large five star hotels to villas and budget hotels. Budget hotels in Barbados, like the Butterfly Beach Hotel, offer a strategic location with access to many attraction and beaches. The ever present English style Fish Fry is just a short bus ride will take you to the colonial streets and the famous St. Lawrence Gap. The hotel offers basic amenities, a telephone in every room, and internet access. The rooms are spacious and immaculately clean. The bed sheets are replaced every day and you can ask for extra towels if you wish. The hotel also has air conditioning (which is a standard), ceiling fans, a hot plate and a kitchen complete with a refrigerator and sink. The staff is friendly and ready to assist you with anything you want. You can even ask for a room with a balcony to enjoy the views.
The Tamarind Cove is just a short ride from the airport. The hotel provides toiletries, rich bedsheets, robes, spacious rooms, and balconies to give you an unobstructed view of the Caribbean Sea. There is a complete business center for your travel needs and the rooms have internet access and a telephone. A complimentary breakfast of eggs, hash browns and sausages with drinks is served daily to help start the day with fun-filled activities.
The Blue Horizon is another example of budget hotels in Barbados. Blue Horizon is a 2.5 star hotel, but it’s never short on luxury and service. The hotel is one of the most popular places to stay if you want a prolific nightlife. It is lodged with the usual amenities, such as a 24-hour security, room service, internet access, and a shop. The amenities vary from room to room, so if you choose a particular amenity, choose a room that has them. But if you want them all, it is definitely worth upgrading.
Not all vacation goers can afford to rent rooms in a top class hotel. This is especially true nowadays when saving money is a top priority. Because of the economic situation, a lot of people would rather not go on a vacation at all. Also, for those who have a family, going on vacation might not be an option, since getting accommodations for a family of around five will just be too expensive to fit into the tight family budget. However, there is a good alternative for such situations — an apartment hotel which is a lot more inexpensive. For example, in Caribbean island countries such as Barbados, where most accommodations are very expensive, renting an apartment hotel is a popular choice.
But exactly what is an Apartment Hotel or AH for short? It is a type of accommodation that adapts the lodging system of hotels. Basically, the building has more in common with an apartment complex. The building is serviced, but the booking system does not require the guests to have a fixed contract. They can just check in and then check out at their own leisure. The building has a single main lobby that everyone has to pass through in order to get in or out. There would be rooms that are for long leases, and there would also be several guest rental rooms that are not for long residential purposes.
There are a lot of these types of buildings in vacation hotspots, but they are not as easy to find nor, of course, as popular as the big names in accommodation and lodging. Such AH complexes are more often than not a lot more custom-built in terms of design and have a lot of similarities to inns or motel lodgings. It would usually contain a varied number of units. How long one can stay in an AHs can vary widely. It could range from one day, a few days, a week, months or even years. However, most people use AHs as their home away from their real homes. This is exactly the reason why these rooms are fitted with everything that can be found in any home such as bathrooms, kitchens and other home furnishings.
So just why are such establishments cheaper than the usual kind of lodging? This is perhaps due to the flexibility of their system, which enables them to accommodate a lot more people instead of the rigid system of other quarters for rent. Also most, if not all AHs come with fully fitted furnishings. You will have your own kitchen, which is something that one cannot get when renting a room in an inn or motel for instance. This is actually another bonus for those who are on vacation. Our family, for example, benefited so much from renting a Barbados apartment hotel instead of the typical accommodations since the kitchen enabled us to save a ton of money. Restaurant food is three or even four times more expensive than cooking one’s own food. For a big family, the savings from this alone are astronomical.
For more on budget apartments and affordable accommodation in Barbados, check out this Barbados on a Budget Guide by Ma Tours and Travel: Click Here for Details.
