In February 1961 and with just 52 rooms, the Sandy Lane Hotel opened its doors to welcome its first guests. The establishment of the hotel was the brainchild of Sir Ronald Tree, a British politician who built a magnificent Palladian home on 20 acres on the West Coast known as Heron Bay. Cognisant of the burgeoning travel numbers to the Caribbean enabled by the jet age, Sir Ronald was concerned that his beloved Heron Bay would soon be surrounded by flashy resorts and middle-income retirees. His vision was to pre-empt this by establishing a luxury hotel and community with a golf course, and he determined that the Sandy Lane sugar plantation was the ideal location. Permission was sought from then Prime Minister Sir Grantley Adams to convert the estate out of sugar production into a building estate and to relocate the main highway that ran directly through what eventually became the main restaurant and bar. With financing arranged out of the UK, Sir Ronald and his colleagues (including names like Rothschild and Kindersley) formed the development company West Coast Limited. They purchased the estate from the Barbados Shipping & Trading and the hotel broke ground in mid-1958.

Racing fans have long hailed Barbados as THE premier destination for the ultimate race experience. The sun, sea and sand make it the perfect holiday destination for the family, while the exciting off-road and islandwide rally events keep the racing enthusiasts energized with thrills, spills and lots of action. With the recent completion of the world class circuit at Bushy Park and the highly publicized addition of internationally acclaimed events such as the Top Gear Festival, Race of Champions and Global Rally Cross, the island can definitely congratulate itself for bringing the world of racing to a whole new cross-section of visitors. (Sun-worshippers and golf enthusiasts, we’re talking to you!)  This is the adrenalin rush you never knew you needed!

The six-year period leading up to the peak of the market in 2006 is widely regarded as a period of unprecedented growth in the Barbados market. This boom period saw compound annual growth in some market segments of 12% and staggering prices being achieved for property in some areas of the West Coast. The reality is that this growth cycle paled in comparison with the island’s first property boom, which occurred much earlier in our history.

When you settle into life in Barbados, or pop-over for a holiday visit, expect many luxurious one-of-a-kind events to spring up. One of our favourites is Polo Under the Stars, hosted by Apes Hill Polo Club. It’s a smashing lit-up evening where visitors and residents come out in their finest to watch local and international polo players battle it out for a win. It’s a fantastic VIP evening — cocktails, live music and other VIP perks such as a 3-course dinner and a cigar lounge create a charming atmosphere unlike any other. Check out the action in this 2-minute video.

We’ve all heard about swimming with pigs in the Bahamas; but have you ever swam with horses in Barbados? Between the races, polo games and equestrian shows, some of the best-kept horses on the island enjoy ocean dips as part of their exercise regime. Equestrian sports are quite popular in Barbados, where many high-profile polo tournaments and horse races such as the coveted Sandy Lane Gold Cup draw countless worldly spectators to our paradise island.

Formula 1 fans have the unique opportunity to dine with three-time F1 driver, Lemis Hamilton at this year’s Barbados Festival of Speed.

The excitement of car racing comes to life at the inaugural Barbados Festival of Speed on Sunday, May 8^th at Bushy Park.

The excitement of car racing comes to life at the inaugural Barbados Festival of Speed on Sunday, May 8^th at Bushy Park.