Vacation Rentals by Owner

Garden Paradise!

Guest: Jesse & Dillon (Lincoln, Nebraska, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/03/12 Review Submitted: 05/04/12

My partner and I were ther for 5 nights and wished we could have stayed longer! We were invited in and felt like we were home! Great location with only a short walk to what ever we needed nearby. The fresh fruits and flowers that were on the grounds were some of the best around. The host were there if you needed anything, but out of the way so it still felt like you had your own private area. The rooms were clean and very tastefully done. I highly recommend it over any resort! We can't wait to head back! Thanks Again, Barbara!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Highly recommended

Guest: K&D (Victoria, BC Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/13/12 Review Submitted: 02/10/12

Before we booked at Glenville we read lots of reviews and I'm happy to report that even though the reviews were great, Glenville Gardens exceeded our expectations. We stayed for a week in a one bedroom flat (duplex, very quiet). As other reviewers have said, Barbara was very helpful and did her best to make our stay enjoyable. We rented a car and tried out a number of other areas and beaches on the island, including a few nights stay on the Platinum Coast, but Glenville Gardens is hard to beat. The location is terrific with an easy to walk to some great restaurants, some of the nicest beaches on the island, and all situated off the busy main road on a quiet side street. Inside the gates, Glenville Gardens is peaceful and relaxing, with lots of trees, and a fantastic barbecue area that we didn't use enough. The flat was very comfortable, and had everything we needed, and far better than being crammed into a sterile, characterless hotel room. If we return to Barbados, Glenville Gardens is top of our list.

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Peaceful retreat near the beach!

Guest: bride2010 (Arlington, VA)
Date of Stay: 01/04/12 Review Submitted: 01/26/12

My husband and I rented the one bedroom "Kaitlin" cottage which was newly built and gorgeous. We had a nice front deck area that was covered from the sun and a provided nice place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee. The kitchen was well stocked and everything worked perfectly. There was a tv with cable, wireless internet, and air conditioning. The cottages are in a beautiful garden which produces delicious fresh fruit and is home to some chickens (Barbara gave us fresh fruit from the garden, eggs from the chickens, and made fresh banana bread for us!). The surrounding area is very much a neighborhood, not resort-y at all, but only a 5 minute walk to the beach and boardwalk. The most beautiful beach area in Barbados, in my opinion is Rockley/Accra beach which is another 5 mins down the boardwalk. It has beautiful, clean sand and the perfect sized waves to play in. Barbara and her husband live on the property and were super helpful before, during, and after our stay. She arranged car rentals, suggested restaurant options and tours, and brought us fun little goodies almost daily! A couple was staying in the cottage next door to ours (the one bedrooms are actually a duplex, so you share a wall), but we didn't experience any privacy or noise issues. The AC is only in the bedroom, so the cottage does get warm during the day, but we didn't find it problematic. Also, there are mosquitos (which is true all over the island), so make sure to bring bug spray.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Christmas in Barbados

Guest: Beach Bum (Arkansas)
Date of Stay: 12/19/11 Review Submitted: 03/05/12

My husband and I stayed in "Estelle" the week before and during Christmas 2011. We had never been to Bardados before and this was a wonderful place to stay for our first experience there. Glenville Gardens is close to one of the most popular beaches (Accra Beach) on the island and we went there every day. It is a short walk from the Gardens to the beach and you do have to cross a busy highway to get there but we never had any trouble getting across the highway. The beach was so beautiful we couldn't take enough pictures! Glenville Gardens is a peaceful place to listen to the birds, watch the chickens peck, read a book, take a nap, etc..Our cottage was very roomy and served as a lovely place to relax. It looked just like it was shown in the pictures. I spent most of my time in the living area laying on the couch reading a book with the doors open and the breeze blowing through the cottage. It was a great temperature for me as I LOVE warm weather. My husband, on the other hand, spent most of his time in the bedroom where the air conditioner was located. It was a perfect fix for the both of us. Barbara and Sugrim were extremely helpful to us in answering our questions and helping us find places to eat or visit during our stay. We would definitely stay at Glenville Gardens again if we ever return to Barbados. The close walk to the "Just Grillin" restaurant was the best place we ate during our stay. I can taste it now!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

An Unforgettable Holiday

Guest: Kath (London, United Kingdom)
Date of Stay: 08/07/11 Review Submitted: 08/23/11

Our holiday in Barbados at Glenville Gardens has to rank as one of the best holidays ever. We stayed at Glenville Gardens as part of a wedding party group. The bride found Glenville and we (including the bride and groom) occupied the entire place for 2 weeks in August, before and after the wedding. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect place. Barbara's attention to detail was matched only by her warm and friendly welcome. We stayed in one of the new one-bedroom chalets and every detail was taken care of. We had the freedom of the gardens (including fruit straight off the trees), we cooked and ate together as a group on a couple of days, Accra Beach is 5 minutes walk from the chalets - beautiful Caribbean seas and plenty of bars and restaurants to try all around. We even got to name one of the new Glenville turtles! We had a great time and didn't want to leave. If you want something different from the hotel experience and like the freedom of kitchen facilities for the days where you just don't want to eat out, this is the place for you. Don't hesitate - BOOK.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Beautiful, relaxing and convenient

Guest: celauree (Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/03/11 Review Submitted: 08/14/11

We spent one week at Glenville Gardens to celebrate our 20th anniversary. It was highly recommended by some family members who had previously vacationed in Barbados. We stayed in Kaitlin, a one bedroom cottage that was spotless when we arrived. The setting was green and lush with a wide variety of fruit trees and tropical plants which were home to a number of chickens and turtles. The property is conveniently located close to the beach, stores, restaurants and the main road to Bridgetown. Walking on the beautiful boardwalk was a daily ritual and a wonderful way to start our days. Barbara was a kind, hospitable host who went above and beyond the duties of a property manager by delivering home made banana bread and water coconuts to her guests and always had time to chat, answer questions and recommend things to do. Glenville Gardens is a great place to stay for families,groups and couples!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

New 1-bedroom cottage

Guest: Mart (Thenac)
Date of Stay: 03/16/11 Review Submitted: 06/08/11

A spotlessly-clean, well-appointed cottage with all amenities, situated a short walk from beach, bank, supermarket and restaurants. Idyllic garden, fenced and gated, where everyone from small children to the elderly can relax or play in comfort and safety. Manager Barbara and husband Sugrim made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived until our reluctant departure. Their kindness and service beyond the line of duty made our stay quite memorable.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Fantastic!

Guest: Robby (Dominica )
Date of Stay: 02/18/11 Review Submitted: 02/22/11

Barbara's attention, concern, and hospitality were unbelievable! She went way above and beyond in making sure that my parents were safe, comfortable, and enjoyed thier stay. Close to the beach, the accomondations were affordable, super clean, and just outstanding. We will make sure that all of our friends know about Barbara and her recommended driver (Jervis) and how they went out of thier way to help us. Thank you!

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

A little paradise close by the beach

Guest: hw (Leipzig, Saxonia, Germany)
Date of Stay: 11/01/10 Review Submitted: 12/07/10

Glenville Gardens is a place that should be called a paradise, more than anything else, really. It's greenness and tranquility, the nice choice of fresh fruit growing in the gardens tress, and also the animals living there (like turtles and frogs, monkeys and all) added much to our experience of Barbados and made our time there very special, although much of our stay on the island was work-related. Not to forget the closeness to the beach, which allowed for a quick visit there for sunrise, sunset or just a dip into the Caribbean Ocean. Although we were a large group, filling up all of the rental houses for almost all of one month, the owners of Glenville Gardens took up with us and even allowed us to use all of the cook- and tableware from all the houses and intermix them - making group life a lot easier. The gardens great veranda, including a grill, allowed for nice breakfeasts and many barbecue-nights. And then, really, the owners of the place are very nice and kind people (even baking banana bread for us on several occasions, and spoiling us with nice food during a joint dinner event). When making this review, a few questions appear that one should use as guidelines for the review, and all of these questions can be answered with "yes": the description of the location was accurate, and the pictures reflect the appearance, all was clean and well-maintained, and, as said above, the owners are very nice and helpful people. So, to wrap up: this place can definetely be recommended!!!

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Truly, a home away from home!

Guest: Orin (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/24/10 Review Submitted: 08/24/10

My wife, 3 children (aged 10, 6 and 6) and I stayed at Glenville Gardens for just over 2 weeks and we all enjoyed it immensely. Barbara and Sugrim made us feel at home. We stayed in Estelle Cottage, which accommodated the 5 of us very well. It is charming, clean and well-maintained. The cottage is so well-appointed that we didn’t want for anything. We bought oranges at the supermarket and discovered there was a juicer there in the cupboard. Barbara often made her now famous banana bread for us on a few occasions – the girls looked forward to it. The children enjoyed running around the property discovering the fruit trees, interacting with the turtles and even tried to get up early to see the monkeys that visit the property. They especially loved regular visits to Accra beach as it was a quick 5 minute walk away. Glenville Gardens is an enjoyable, relaxing place. If you are in Barbados to relax – this is the perfect environment. The beach, shops, restaurants, fast-food places and transportation are all within easy access. If you have children, this is an ideal place for them. The premises are gated so the children are relatively safe to run the grounds. We often ‘lost’ track of our children only to hear them enjoying themselves somewhere on the grounds – either racing turtles, picking tropical fruits or spending time with Barbara, Sugrim or Deborah. We highly recommend Glenville Gardens. Thanks again to Barbara and Sugrim for making the experience so enjoyable.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

An Unforgettable Experience

Guest: Families of Parag and Mayur (Ohio and New Jersey, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/27/10 Review Submitted: 05/19/10

We stayed in Glenville Gardens for only 4 days (the total length of our visit to Barbados) but they were the most memorable – when you think of accommodations during a vacation – that we have ever had. The reasons are exactly what Phyllis and Gary mention in their review. We were 2 families (4 adults and 3 kids) and we rented 2 cottages. The stay was fantastic – very homely … as good as staying with family. During our 4 day stay, we met many of the wonderful other guests including Phyllis and Gary. Barbara and Sugrim treat their guests like family (or very close friends) from the beginning to the end. For example, on our last night of stay, we were out visiting the town and got late coming back to the Glenville Gardens complex. When we opened the gate, we found Sugrim (and the other guests) worried that we may have gotten lost or had car trouble. Ever had a hotel manager worry about you? Family and close friends DO! If you visit Barbados, you have to stay with Barbara and Sugrim – we highly recommend the experience. Notice that I did not say “stay at Glenville Gardens” – Glenville Gardens is just the property, Barbara and Sugrim are the experience. A hotel experience is too cold and impersonal in comparison.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderland

Guest: Kat and Steve (Cardiff, UK)
Date of Stay: 03/15/10 Review Submitted: 09/03/10

We stayed at Glenville Gardens for 10 days in March and were absolutely delighted to discover what a wonderful place this is to stay and experience Barbados. As soon as you arrive you are welcomed at the gates by Barbara and Sugrim whose warm hospitality was a constant throughout our stay. Entering though the gates you step into a tropical garden filled with coconut trees, exotic plants and the occasional tortoise and monkey! We stayed in Heather, a two bedroom cottage with a veranda at the front and back. The apartment was beautiful and gave you a real “I’m in the Caribbean” feel with its airiness and bright topical colours. There was air conditioning in the bedrooms but we found the ceiling fans throughout the cottage to be sufficient. The kitchen was simple but fully equipped with everything we needed during our stay, even WiFi. Glenville Gardens is in an excellent location, the cottages are surrounded by trees and you only need to take the short walk down the road to be on one of the beaches or the boardwalk. There are also plenty of cafes and shops close by and the bus stop is only 2 minutes away; which was brilliant for us as we only hired a car for one day. The most notable thing about Glenville Gardens was the sense of community that Barbara and Sugrim have created. They welcomed all their guests like friends. Arriving back after a day at the beach or exploring the island we often found groups of guests enjoying a rum punch together and were always invited to join in. It was Barbara and Sugrim’s hospitality that added the spice that made our stay so wonderful and warm. I would highly recommend a stay at Glenville Gardens to anyone who wants to enjoy Barbados in a relaxing, beautiful environment with a community feel. Kat and Steve – Cardiff, UK 2010

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Joel and Alecia
Date of Stay: 02/25/10 Review Submitted: 02/24/10

"Glenville Gardens is an exotic and very affordable place to stay in Barbados. The grounds are gated and very private, with the most beautiful array of tropical foliage throughout the property. My girlfriend and I stayed for 7 days in the most charming, comfortable one-bedroom apartment I have ever seen! It was beautifully decorated and had every amenity we needed. Most importantly, the owners Barbara and Sugrim were impeccably gracious hosts. When we arrived, they insisted we sit down with them for a moment to relax with a cold beverage after our long flight. Afterwards, they were available around the clock to meet any requests we may have had. Our only regrets were that we didn't stay longer! Next time, we will stay for two weeks to double our pleasure! Oh, and get ready for Barbara's most delicious pastries she is certain to bless you with! If you're looking for an affordable, pleasurable place to stay in Barbados that has everything - perfect location, warm accommodations and wonderful hospitality - look no further than Glenville Gardens. You'll be glad you stayed!"

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Guest: David & Marilyn1 (Crewe, England, UK)
Date of Stay: 02/24/10 Review Submitted: 02/24/10

As you see, we've swapped air-conditioning for central heating! Fortunately, we arrived home safely yesterday and certainly noticed the cold at Manchester Airport - it's just as well that we had consumed enough rum punch to keep us warm for a while! Thank you again for making our stay at Glenville Gardens so pleasant. We really appreciated your hospitality and the lovely accommodation and surroundings. Perhaps you would like to use the following in your guest review section for your website: We had a marvellous two-week stay at Glenville Gardens and enjoyed every minute from start to finish. The start occurred at 1 30am in the morning (since our flight was delayed) by a very warm greeting from Barbara and the end was marked by a wonderful tea party provided by our hosts. In between we could not have found fault with any aspect of our holiday. Our cottage was perfect for our needs; very nicely decorated throughout and the overall housekeeping was superb. The location of the property is extremely convenient - being very close to lovely beaches, handy for exploring other parts of the island and in easy walking distance of a good choice of restaurants. However, the most important point to emphasise is the atmosphere that Barbara and Sugrim have achieved by creating such a tranquil setting, as they have worked very hard to produce a beautiful garden to suit the needs of guests as well as those of the birds, monkeys and tortoise that regularly visit! Barbara was a constant source of local knowledge and produced plenty of information on places to visit, etc and could not have been more helpful. Over and above all that, we were amazed at her generosity as we were supplied with lovely fruit from the garden, her home-made banana bread and even a cold beer on returning from a hard afternoon at the beach! At the very end of our stay we were treated to a lovely afternoon tea - the table groaning under the wonderful spread that Barbara had prepared - being enjoyed by all guests (from the USA, Canada, Denmark and the UK) and hosts alike. That was our last view of Glenville Gardens: a group of people chatting and laughing under a blue Barbados sky in a beautiful, lush garden. Glenville Gardens comes highly recommended! Marilyn and David (Cheshire, England) 1 - 14 February 2010

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Everything and More

Guest: Phyllis and Gary (CT, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/21/10 Review Submitted: 04/13/10

My husband and I read an article in Conde Nast magazine about Glenville and then checked the customer referral’s on the website, which were rave reviews. We made the decision to stay at Glenville for 70 days, wanting to escape the New England winter. We were a little concerned about the amount of time we were staying and questioned “what if we don’t like it”. It ended up we didn’t like it, we loved it! Little did we know how wonderful Glenville Gardens would be, or how the owners, Barbara and Sugrim, would seal the deal by making our Barbados experience a most memorable one. Glenville Gardens is in a prime location away from the traffic. The proximity of the property to restaurants, shopping, beach, boardwalk, put it near the center of activity and yet the environment at Glenville is tranquil. When you walk through their gated property you are in a haven, filled with beautiful gardens, fruit trees, box turtles and the green monkeys that visit frequently. Quaint, with a homey environment it was perfect. As if Barbara didn’t have enough to do she, unexpectedly, would bake her delicious banana bread or plan a lunch for the guests. Since she is a fabulous cook these occasions were most welcomed. Sugrim is wonderfully engaging and always entertaining. Both of them could not have been more gracious. The care with which Debra attended to our needs was exceptional; her attention to detail along with her warm smile, infectious laugh makes me smile as I write this. We also had the pleasure of meeting Barbara and Sugrim’s daughter, son-in-law and children who were visiting, which added to our experience. Words cannot express our incredible experience! Thank You Barbara and Sugrim for everything!!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Just Perfect in every way!

Guest: Gail Brown (Orangeville, Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/30/09 Review Submitted: 06/25/10

We were looking for a place to stay in Barbados for 5 nights. I am very particular as our son, 5 years old, can get very sick with little notice. We wanted a family vacation, quiet but safe for the kids (we also have an 8 year old daughter) to be themselves. I saw a review of Glenville Gardens and then contacted Barbara. Since our 5 nights started December 30 most places would not allow us to stay but Barbara was very welcoming even before we arrived. We stayed in Estelle Cottage and it was perfect for us. The kitchen had everything we needed and more, with some essentials in the fridge waiting for us so we didn't have to rush out to a store. The gardens were so peaceful and the location a short walk away from everything we could want. We loved sitting outside and watching our kids discover the gardens; they came alive and felt free enough to be themselves. Natalie and Ian would look to help Barbara and Sugrim with whatever they were up to and Barbara and Sugrim never once made them feel they were imposing. Barbara showed them the turtles and monkeys and even left some beach toys for them to play with during our stay. My husband and I felt safe to let them run as the property is gated so we could relax and know they couldn't get onto the road. We celebrated our 11th anniversary while there and Barbara surprised us with a lovely cake! It truely is home away from home! All too soon it was time to leave. I am sorry it has taken me 6 months to write this review. Life is too busy at home but I wanted to stress how perfect Glenville Gardens is for people looking for more than a generic hotel room. Glenville Gardens is a home away from home where you are welcomed like family. If you want a true island experience, talk to people and get to know them, and like to be surrounded by tropical splendor then Glenville Gardens is for you.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: mgm + lv - UK
Date of Stay: 12/24/08 Review Submitted: 08/21/10

After much online research and consideration, Glenville Gardens was selected as the preferred location for our 2008 Christmas holidays, edging-out other locations for its tropical setting, privacy and selection of fresh fruit. The sense of seclusion within a five minute stroll of Accra Beach offered just the right balance that was sought. The unequivocal delight was our discovery that the hosts, Sugrim and Barbara, made our stay even more special in ways too numerous to mention here. Glenville Gardens is well situated, well maintained and well worth the visit, and if Barbados is on your list of places to visit, Glenville Gardens must certainly be the preferred destination!

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Guest: Paula and Gerald (Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/21/08 Review Submitted: 09/21/08

Hidden Peaceful Oasis in the Middle of Bustling Surroundings.While walking, we found these 3 “cottages” sitting on a huge treed property hidden behind a high fence covered with blooms of all kinds. It was love at first sight. We stayed for 4 months and we have only positive comments to make about the location, the cottage itself, the gardens, and the wonderful energetic owners, Barbara and Sugrim.Location: As you can read for yourself in the description provided by Barbara and Sugrim, Glenville Gardens is close to everything. For us, the short walk to the beach (5 minutes), followed by crossing the street and going for our “latte” and getting our daily dose of people watching, was a real bonus. We even discovered that the gym 2 minutes away from Glenville Gardens also offered yoga classes. We don’t bother with car rentals while in Barbados, so the proximity to the bus route was ideal.“Estelle” our cottage: From an immaculate airy cottage (3 screened doors to provide airflow) with a well appointed kitchen, 2 large bedrooms (one to accommodate our many visitors), a/c in the bedrooms which we never used (the ceiling fans were sufficient for us) to the special touches –cut flowers throughout the cottage, -fresh fruit from the garden left on our doorstep, -plateful of Barbara’s famous coconut bread, we soaked it all in and enjoyed every minute of it -including the basket full of children’s beach toys we found on our doorstep when our grand-children came to visit.The gardens: There is no need to socialize if you want to meditate. Each cottage has its own private space. On the other hand the grounds are full of fruit trees which we tasted often and our grandchildren were delighted to spot the turtles and the green monkeys. Barbara was the living encyclopedia that filled me in on the names of plants/bushes/ trees.Barbara and Sugrim, the energetic owners: Legend has it that Sugrim and Barbara came to Barbados on their honeymoon and Sugrim is to have said: “One day I will retire and buy a house here and walk to the beach everyday….” Well the dream came true and they seem energize by this new venture that is Glenville. Their time and energy is spend in making everyone’s stay at Glenville a memory to cherish. They are perfect hosts, welcoming and warm, helpful without “hanging in your face”. Even as we sit 2000 miles away from Barbados, both my husband and I can still “hear” Barbara’s warm, hearty laugh and we smile as we re-live our

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Guest: Eddie - Bermuda
Date of Stay: 04/15/07 Review Submitted: 08/21/10

I am back in Bermuda safe and sound. I am now at my desk facing the challenges and stresses of my world. Glenville was a welcome respite from all this craziness. I had an absolutely wonderful time at Glenville. As I told you, almost all of my trips (about 12 times a year) involve staying in large hotels with all the creature comforts one could want. However, my spirit prefers to be surrounded by little "concrete" and lots of Mother Nature's bounty and so, Glenville was a beautiful diversion from the "large hotel scene". The gardens were beautiful; the sound of birds singing to me each morning and the home-baked goodies were a special treat :) I have yet to see the turtles that are purported to be cavorting around the property :) I really appreciated your warm hospitality and the relaxing atmosphere. I shall definitely be promoting Glenville as a place to get away form all the "hustle and bustle".

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