Worthing Court

Set just off the main coast road behind its small car park, Worthing Court unfolds with two three-level blocks set either side of the reception, restaurant, and pool. The colonial-inspired façade is neatly dressed in Caribbean coral with white balustrade and mint-green trim and while there aren’t any frills, the property is maintained in flawless condition throughout. Concrete pathways connect the buildings, with little signs guiding the way. The small terrace restaurant overlooks the sapphire blue pool; and simple tropical gardens frame the property. A quaint residential-like reception entrance offers a fitting welcome given the self-catering studio and apartment-style rooms on offer. Breakfast hours see guests filling up the restaurant and tables around the pool, but otherwise this place is fairly calm by day. Given its superb centrality, Worthing Court serves as more of a home base for those keen to explore local sights, nightlife, restaurants, and the gorgeous Worthing Beach -- although some guests do opt to stay-in to socialize in their units, which can cause minor noise annoyance to other rooms. During Oyster’s stay, older couples dominated the crowd, but the value, ability to self cater, and amazing location speaks to a broad mix of budget-seeking travelers. 

Located on the island’s south coast, Worthing Court is 15 to 20 minutes by car from Bridgetown and Grantley Adams International Airport. It’s about a two-minute walk to Worthing Beach, and 10 minutes on foot to Barbados’ nightlife hub, St Lawrence Gap. Conveniences like supermarkets, a post office, a pharmacy, and banks are located right around the corner (a one-minute walk), and there’s duty free shopping right next door. An array of beachfront bars and restaurants (like popular Mojo’s and The Tiki Bar) are less than a five-minute walk away, and it’s a 10-minute walk to Graeme Hall nature Sanctuary. The hotel provides plenty of free on-site parking for guests with cars. There’s also a bus stop right outside the hotel -- an inexpensive means of getting around in either direction. 

Set over three levels (with stair access), rooms are available in a range of categories that include several One Bedroom layouts -- all in twin, queen, or king configurations. Most rooms are a time warp of '80s island-inspired decor, blending wicker furniture, matching arched or circular mirrors, and vintage coastal wall prints and tropical floral curtains.

All categories feature private furnished balconies and kitchens, which are small but well-equipped with gas stoves, sinks, toasters, kettles, large refrigerators, microwaves, among other kitchen basics. Tea, coffee, and sugar are also provided. Superiors (as opposed to Standards) have small dining settings for two, and One Bedrooms offer separate living/dining areas. The Deluxe One Bedroom steps style and space up a notch, with a bigger layout and more contemporary decor. All rooms feature air-conditioning, ironing boards (irons are on loan from the front desk), flat-screen TVs, safes, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are dated but practical with shower/tub combos, hairdryers, and free bar soaps.

Given the hotel is set back off the street, rooms are protected from passing traffic, but they are not immune from noise created by guests in neighboring rooms. On our stay, our room was located on the ground floor, which was nice and quiet, apart from the incredibly annoying sound of chairs moving on the tiled floors every time a guest stood up in the room overhead. Perhaps it was a one-off, but requesting a top-floor room makes sense. 

Worthing Court packs in a decent lineup of features for its small size. There’s the swimming pool -- it’s not huge, but is clean and inviting, surrounded by deck chairs and outdoor dining settings. There’s a small fitness center that isn’t exactly state-of-the-art, but features everything that’s required for a decent air-conditioned workout. Hott Pott Cuisine, the on-site restaurant, is open daily for breakfast and lunch, and on certain nights for dinner, with a blend of Western and Bajan flavors praised by many guests for their quality and value -- very reasonable for Barbados. Other features include a games room, a meeting room, and free off-street parking. Free Wi-Fi is provided throughout, and beach towels are loaned out at the front desk.