This easternmost Caribbean island, though only 20 miles long by 14 miles wide, provides myriad opportunities for meeting and incentive groups. The new Hilton Barbados, in the capital of Bridgetown (aerial photo, below), offers 350 rooms, including 33 suites and 77 executive floor rooms. Surrounded on three sides by water, the hotel boasts ocean views from all of its rooms. Meeting space includes a 6,200-square foot ballroom (500-person capacity) and an additional 10,000 square feet of flexible space, including an exhibition center.
Away from the bustle of Bridgetown, on the island’s southeast coast, The Crane occupies 40 acres on a cliff top overlooking the resort’s white-sand beach.
Most of the 220 guest accommodations—from the original 1887 Resort Apartments to modern Residences ranging in size from junior suites to three-bedroom penthouses—feature king-size four-poster beds and mahogany furnishings; floor-to-ceiling cedar doors opening to private balconies; and marbles bathrooms. The Town Hall, dedicated to meetings, can accommodate up to 220 persons. The 55,000-square-foot Crane Village offers shops, boutiques, restaurants, a bar, a fitness center, even a general store for groceries, all connected by cobblestoned walkways and set within lush tropical gardens.