Divi Southwinds Beach Resort Hotel

, Bridgetown, Barbados
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Divi Southwinds Beach Resort Hotel

, Bridgetown
St Lawrence Gap, Christ Church - Bridgetown - BB15017 - Barbados 246-428-7181
216 Traveller

Reviews - Divi Southwinds Beach Resort Hotel

Historical Traveller Reviews of Divi Southwinds Beach Resort Hotel

Dumpy

from lilym26
My husband and I made the mistake of eating lunch at "Joclyn's" if you can with a straight face actually name a concrete block covered in dirt and leaves with plastic chairs. Sure the view of the beach was nice. The view of the beach is nice everywhere. Thats the one thing they don't mess up.
We were starving at around 3:00 and decided to go to the Gap for lunch - unfortunately nothing else besides overpriced Cafe Sol was open so we settled on Joclyn's. The atmosphere inside Divi was so depressing I instantly wanted to leave. But hunger prevailed and we ordered our drinks and lunches. While we waited I took a look around this hell hole and saw mostly sad looking people and their bored kids. No one else was eating, just sitting on the beach looking tired and haggard. I must say it had to be one of the fastest meals we got in Barbados but there was a reason for that - it was obviously premade and disgusting. The stray cat I gave my chicken to didn't seem to enjoy it any more than I did. Interestingly, I learned from the vendor who haggled us to buy aloe all through our meal that she was pregnant.
After scarfing down what we could as fast as possible in an effort to get out of there, my husband simply asked the waitress if the 10% service charge is included in the price, as it is in most other places. She replied that "they all have to share it". He repeated he just wanted to know if it was included. She repeated again "they all have to share it". We are generous tippers who usually leave 20% for good service and had no intention of not giving a little more than the 10%, but this was a very rude and curt reply for a very straightforward question. I am not sure what restaurant this waitress has worked at that she did NOT have to share a tip with a busboy and bartender at least. I have never heard of a tip going 100% to the waitress.
Don't come here. I couldn't even stand being there for 45 minutes, let alone a whole trip.

Basic in most ways

from A TripAdvisor Member
I recently stayed at the Divi Southwinds and found it good in places.

First and foremost for me was that the air con worked well, plus there was a ceiling fan in the bed room. The rooms were of a good size with a separate seating area, altho the kitchen area was very basic. Some of the electrics were a concern, with some switches not working or they chose when to work, others had wires exposed.

Breakfast was an good selection, but a slow affair. In the evening the bar by the pool seemed to have very strange opening hours. It was impossible to get a drink at 6pm, even tho the staff were there.

Generally the place is adquate, the rooms are basic and clean, but need refurbishment. Don't expect too much.

This place is worse then every one says it is, a lot worse

from A TripAdvisor Member
I lived at the Divi from Oct of 03 until June of 04. In every regard it is a dump!. The worst thing that the unlucky sole who stays here will have to deal with is the staff. Be ready for combat becaus these folks are out for your money, and they will not stop unitl they have all of it. Run very fast and hard away from this hotel.

Unreserved, Uncomfortable, and Unclean Beach Resort I ever stayed.

from A TripAdvisor Member
In regards to our son's review describing his vacation at Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, he was being a little reserved. My wife and I are the parents that were encouraged to exchange and vacation in Barbados at the Divi Southwinds Resort. We arrived early and had to wait for the room to be clean and this was not a problem. However, when the room was assigned we grab the luggage and proceeded to room #405. This room did not have a microwave or coffee pot so my wife called the front desk and asked for these items, which they brought to the room. At about midnight my wife wanted to take her shower and get ready for bed. This is when she founded that the shower did not work. She called the front desk to ask if we could be relocated to another room. So we waited! An hour and half later the front desk called the room and said “checkout room #517”. I put on my shoes and proceeded down to the front desk to get the key for room #517. Once I opened the door I noticed it was in a lot better shape than room 405. I checked the shower to see if it works and it did. We still had the 13 inch TV. The cabinets were in better shape but needed some attention. So, we moved to room 517. While unpacking for the second time I noticed very small wood shaving or droppings on the floor. I cleaned the stuff up and continued to unpack. When we woke-up that morning I noticed the shaving were back on the floor and wondered where in the hell are they coming from and what the hell is it! After investigating I found it to be “Termites” falling from the ceiling above and over some of our personal belongings. My wife and I decided we were not going to spend our vacation moving. But! Once we returned from our walk on the “GAP” I told my wife we have bees in the room and once again I investigated finding a bee-hive in the wall. They were entering through a gap in the roof. I killed 8 bees and notified the front desk telling them the room is not fit to occupy, it has termites and bees, can we get another room? The answer was I don’t know I would have to talk with the hotel manager sir and call you back. After three hours past we were told to look at room #319 and there was another couple moving out to a room 318. We also noticed the bed was made but not with clean sheets because the couple that moved out had stayed over night in this room. My wife asked front desk if the room had been clean and the answer was yes. My wife decided to ask the lady that was cleaning the rooms on the floor only to hear NO! I only change sheets twice a week. We moved into room 319 after going round and around with the front desk they sent someone to change the sheets. In this room the sofa was in bad shape. If you sit on either side you would sink to the middle and down. I can go on and on with this vacation from hell. However, we are very upset with “INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL” because when my wife called to inform them of our vacation, there answer was you should have call us! My wife responded by saying “would you have accepted a collect call from me in Barbados” and she got no answer from the representative. I advised the Interval representative that I had pictures of the termites and bees advising her that I could send them to Interval e-mail or by regular mail. She advised she didn’t want them just fill-out the questioner and send it in.

We are currently looking into RCI maybe their concerns would be of some interest as a paying member. This is the first trip my wife and I encountered with unpleasant experiences. Barbados is a very wonderful place to visit and the wife and I will do it again but not with INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL. The only thing we can pass on to members is to research the Hotels showing pictures of clean and new looking furniture. It might not be true like the Divi Southwinds Beach Resort. We enjoyed Barbados and we will be back.

rundown and nasty Interval International acceped no responsibility

from Getflat
Don't let this old rundown resort ruin your beautiful Barbados vacation,if you have already exchanged see if you can cancel with travel insurance. On sunday MAY 23rd 2004 we arrived at the resort,we were tired as hell from a 5:00 am travel start, the check in went smooth and it was quick and simple the staff was friendly when we arrived to our room (advertised as a newly renovated studio). we got #218 We thought we had been picked for a reality show or practical joke series the room was horrible with mixmatch furniture with rust in the bathtub. there was food and "IDONTKNOWOCALLIT" on the floor space between the stove and sink. The cutlery was old in need of replacement we discovered that we only got 2-5 minutes of hot water from the shower/rusted bathtub and our refrigerator was not working. The real big problem was that it was full with groceries from the market we stopped at prior to arriving at the hotel. The staff offered to move us and after looking at the other room we said we would rather stay in the first room and to bring the refrigerator down and swap it out. the clock radio was glued to a night stand it was a relic from the 70's. One of the bar stools had a big cigarette burn on the top, there was no central air just a box unit that split the bed room from the main area, the entertainment center consited of a 13" color tv with 8 channels no vcr included. The mix and match furniture is old and out dated from the early 80's or "Sanford and Son" the was no way this room passed an inspection with food on the floor and rust on the bathtub. House keeping comes every other day to go through your belongings see it for your self leave something in a drawer and see if it is left the way you left it when you return. The room safe is very small. This resort is offered through "INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL" which shows a beautiful picture in the 2003/2004 resort directory and website. the pool is strategically photographed to conceal its pool condition and the resort is photograph in the same manner...THIS RESORT SHOULD BE CLOSED UNTIL IT IS REBUILT FROM THE BOTTOM UP. if you don't beleive me call II and ask if exchangers were satified with this property.
II has no rating system PROTECT exchangers from run down resorts like this one. Divi resort are known for having very good properties in the Caribbean this is not one of them , this resort is just run down and in very poor condition. Divi does not show the rooms that are not newly renovated and only shows renovated villas and suites this borders on deception ...echangers will be short changed and paying patrons will not get a quality resort. The thing that makes me feel really bad is that I encouraged my parrents to exchange at this dump so we could enjoy our vacations together. after arriving to the resort on May 22 they were moved to rooms #405, #517 and #319 and the first move was at midnight after they discovered thier shower did not work. when you are on vacation you expect to dropyour bags use the rest room and relax ...not on the phone with II trying to sort things out. With anything including vacation exchane make sure you research before you commit. while on your Barbados dont waste your time by going by to see the rundown resort just enjoy your stay elsewhere on your Barbados vacation or go by and see for your self. I did not write this review to be bitter just to make other II exchangers aware that upon your disappointment II accepts 0 responsibility and you just expect better WE DID NOT LET OUR ACCOMODATIONS RUIN OUR VACATION AND ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO MAKE THE BEST OF BAD SITUATION. dont stay on the phone haggling over arrangements when you are tierd or have been up traveling for 10+ hrs... do your research and question before you exchange. The resort staff was for the most part receptive and tried to sort things out however they don't own the property or manage it. We expected a top notch resort from Divi we got a motel room. Barbados is beautiful THIS RESORT IS NOT.

t worry about those bad reviews

from A TripAdvisor Member
i was worried about this divi after reading the bad reviews, BUT i had a delightful 4 days at this resort. our room was spotless, more fluffy towels than we could use, fully equipped kitchen (nearby convenience stores), lovely new drapes and bedspread. remember, these are BUDGET accomodations. sure the paint is a little chipped and the a/c isn't the same as at the hilton but it was totally adequate. the beach and pool were clean, plenty of chaises and big towels. i encountered 3 vendors on the beach, not invasive at all. the beachside restaurant was perfect for drinks(no fresh fruit, only mixes) and lite fare, try the flying fish sandwich w/potato salad. always service w/ a smile, esp. if you smile first!! the poolside restaurant was depressingly empty every nite so we avoided it. the best local restaurant was pisces. the curbside bbq's supplied the cheapest food, plain but yummy. try the macaroni pie.
the front desk and housekeeping staff was friendly and informative. there is a free shuttle into bridgetown, sign up the day before at the front desk. there are a few activities at the hotel if you're a groupie. the tennis courts looked well kept and are lighted for nite play. if there weren't 100's of islands to visit, i wouldn't hesitate to return to the southwinds.

Loved the Divi!

from A TripAdvisor Member
I recently had the pleasure of staying at the DIVI (April 04). The room was very clean with great views. The staff was amazing, from the front desk to activities to the cafes! Everything was taking care of. All of our tours, care rentals, etc. without any problems at all. The activities coordinator was so much fun; there were even daily activities at the hotel, from beach/pool volleyball, aerobics in the pool every morn, steel band on Bajan night etc. The food was excellent - especially the flying fish and rum punches at the beachside cafe! Beautiful grounds and even more beautiful beach. There is only a 2 min walk to The Gap (with quite a few GREAT restaurants, bars, and clubs to choose from!!! Also internet cafe, bank, souvenirs, etc) and a short ride to Bridgeton with duty free shopping. My only complaint is that I couldn't stay longer!

Did we stay at the same Southwinds??

from LeMonde
I go to the Caribbean every year for my birthday, and in 2002 I chose Barbados, in order to try something new (I was used to the Virgin Islands). Well, I'll never go back. This hotel was a dump. A french fry between the sink and the stove was there when I checked in, and it was there when I checked out. I killed my only roommate -- a cockroach. The A/C barely worked, the paint was peeling, the bathroom was disgusting. You couldn't sleep or read on the beach without someone harassing you to buy aloe or get your hair braided. One day I was sitting at the beachfront restaurant and a (presumably homeless) guy just flat-out asked for money for lunch!

To top it all off, I wrote a letter of complaint to Divi management (not to the hotel directly), including photos of the terrible condition of the room, and got NO response whatsoever. That is completely unacceptable. I will never stay at another Divi, and I strongly urge everyone else to avoid them, too. As for me, I'm sticking with the Virgins from now on.

Not recommended

from A TripAdvisor Member
This hotel was very poorly run, with unfriendly and unprofessional reception staff and pretty tired facilities.The hotel made a mess of our booking so we didn't get the room we had booked and pre-paid via Expedia, and the staff refused to refund us the difference in room rates. OK, mistakes happen, but a hotel is part of the service industry and an apology for the mix-up or even a smile would have helped.
Instead they just told us it was up to us to sort out with Expedia.The room they put us into had a musty smell and no hot water (I don't mind this in West Indies but not at these rates), light fittings that didn't work and one in the shower where bare wires were visible.The food was mediocre to put it mildly, but there are plenty of alternatives nearby.The location is fine, but not good enough to justify staying in such a poorly run hotel.

Parasites from their beach -- Be careful!!!

from A TripAdvisor Member
Divi Winds was an overall mediocre hotel to be sure. My biggest problem with it, however, was that several weeks after I returned home my feet began to itch terribly, and developed painful, raised, red, rash-like abrasions all over. I went to my doctor, and he diagnosed them as PARASITES from wet sand. The only beach I went to during my stay in Barbados was the Divi Southwinds Beach, so I can safely say the parasites were obtained from there. My two brothers had them as well. It took about two weeks to get rid of the parasites after being diagnosed. BE CAREFUL if you plan to stay here, or you might end up with a big surprise several weeks after your "dream" vacation ends. BTW, don't eat the hotel food, especially breakfast. It took over an hour just to get our food after ordering, and it was dry and utterly bland when it did come. The waiter was rude -- she acted as though she had a chip on her shoulder for some reason.

Top Local Tips for Bridgetown

Bajan Roots and Rhythms This is an over-priced, overrated show across the street from the Divi Southwinds. The desk personnel were rude, and the place was overcrowded. We were very uncomfortable being squished together, and the show started almost 1/2 hour late. Even though the drinks were included, it was not worth the price of over $50 each.

nightlife, transportation The bus into Bridgetown was easy, but man do these guys fly when it's open road. hanging on the gap was fun at night and with it being in walking distance from Divi Southwinds, it was worth visiting a few nights.

1000 arriving in the space of an hour! If you are flying out from Manchester England avoid the Saturday flight if possible. In the space of an hour about 1000 passengers arrive. It took us 1 1/2 hours to pass through Immigration. A further 1/2 hour after to get our luggage. Thursday is a much better day to arrive!

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Other names for Divi Southwinds Beach Resort Hotel

  • hotel divi southwinds beach
  • divi southwinds beach hotel
  • divi southwinds
  • Address: St Lawrence Gap, Christ Church - Bridgetown - BB15017 - Barbados
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