Opened in 1887, this richly renovated resort is perched on a 70-foot cliff above the pale-pink sands of Crane Beach. The international airport is 6.5 km (4 miles) away.

What to expect: The Caribbean's oldest continuously operating hotel, The Crane has been enlarged but maintains a tropical-colonial ambience exemplified by the lobby's creamy coral-stone walls, orchids, and overstuffed seating covered in white fabric. Gardens, lawns, bronze sculptures, tradewinds, and panoramic views create a tranquility that attracts couples, honeymooners, and families with older children.

Amenity highlights: Below the cliff on which the hotel sits, a 250-yard beach of pinkish coral sand offers umbrellas and cushioned lounge chairs for sunbathing and snoozing. An offshore reef tames Atlantic Ocean swells, ensuring calm-water swimming. Wading depth runs 75 yards out from the sloping beach. Atop the cliff is an 85-by-40-foot pool fronted by Roman-style columns and surrounded by a marble deck furnished with umbrellas and thickly cushioned lounge chairs.

Insider tip: Extensive 18th-century plantation ruins lie atop a bluff adjacent to the hotel. Benches near the ruins provide panoramic views of the ocean.

Property Amenities:
A complimentary cocktail party with hot and cold appetizers is held on Monday nights. The hotel offers complimentary shuttle service Sundays and Mondays to a supermarket so guests can stock kitchens and kitchenettes. On Thursdays, a complimentary shuttle transports guests to downtown Bridgetown. Sundries and casual wear are available for sale at the front desk.

Ground transportation:
Shuttle vans or private cars of varying prices are available. They can be selected during the process of booking a reservation for this hotel, via this Web site, and added to the total trip cost.



Property amenities:
Swimming pool - outdoor
Poolside bar
Spa services on site
Concierge desk
Complimentary newspapers in lobby
Fitness equipment
Restaurant(s) in hotel
Room service (limited hours)
Bar/lounge
Parking (free)
Limo or Town Car service available
Banquet facilities
Meeting rooms(s) (small groups)
Internet access in public areas - dial-up
Internet access in public areas - complimentary
Business services
24-hour front desk
Porter/bellhop
Security guard
Number of suites: 54
Currency exchange
Tour assistance
Dry cleaning service
Elevator/lift
Wedding services

Dining:
L'Azure - Open-air seating under wood ceiling and on deck offering panoramic ocean view. Windows set in coral-stone arches. White and blue linens. White slipcovers on dining chairs. À la carte service, including breakfast. Lunch and dinner menu featuring fish, lobster, steak, pasta, plus sandwiches, burgers. Dinner selections such as rack of lamb, duck in port sauce. Live music nightly. Sunday buffet breakfast featuring gospel singers followed by Bajan (Barbadian) lunch buffet featuring steel band.

Recreation:
The hotel provides complimentary use of boogie boards for the mild surf sweeping some 75 yards up a sloping beach. The recreational activities listed below are available either on-site or near the hotel; fees may apply.

Golfing nearby
Surfing/boogie boarding on site
Swimming on site
Windsurfing nearby
Helicopter/airplane sightseeing nearby
Horse riding/rental nearby
Fishing nearby

Rooms:
The hotel offers 54 guest suites in two light-peach-colored, colonial-style buildings of 4–5 floors with elevators. Spacious suites offer home-away-from-home living and feature large patios or balconies furnished with cushioned seating and dining sets. Marble bathrooms contain two-person jetted tubs and glassed-in stall showers. Kitchens or kitchenettes provide cooking facilities for long-term guests and families. (On Sundays and Mondays, the hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to a supermarket.)
Decor and furnishings combine tropical coolness with colonial-style mahogany furniture, including hand-carved four-poster king beds. Features include creamy coral-stone walls, bleached-wood ceilings, cedar floors with floral area rugs, overstuffed seating covered in white fabric, and reproductions of paintings depicting The Crane and surroundings produced by an Englishwoman who was a guest here in 1888. Louvered patio/balcony doors combine with ceiling fans to offer a cooling alternative to suites' air conditioning. Smoking is permitted only on patios and balconies.

Room Amenities:
Cable/satellite TV
Premium TV channel(s)
VCR
Separate sitting area
Climate control
Access via exterior corridors
Blackout drapes
Air conditioning
Ceiling fan
Internet access - dial-up
Voice mail
Bottled water in room (complimentary)
Microwave
Refrigerator
Coffee/tea maker
Wake-up calls
Housekeeping (daily)
Turndown service
Massage - available in room
Separate bathtub and shower
Jetted tub
Bathrobes
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Child care (in room, surcharge)
Electronic/magnetic keys
Clock radio
Desk
Iron/ironing board
In-room safe
Television
Sofa bed
Rollaway beds
Cribs available

0 The Crane Reviews
Add Your Review