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by Barbara Penny Angelakis
Close your eyes...
Picture yourself in a richly colored paradise...
 See yourself luxuriating in a warm water pool reflecting the pastel blue sky as Jacuzzi bubbles gently message your body. Towering above you are swaying palms and flowering almond trees, the fragrant scent of their white blossoms mingling with the sweet smelling fuchsia bougainvillea cascading over the white balcony behind you. In front of you golden sands merge into the aqua blue Caribbean Sea stretching to the horizon. Waves lapping on the shore provide a melodic undertone to the lilting and chirping of multitudes of varied colored songbirds. A beautiful young black skinned person wearing a beaming wide smile and dressed in flowing long white robes, places a cool towel on your forehead and sweetly inquires if there is anything else they can get for you.
This earthly paradise does indeed exist and it is called “The House at Tamarind Cove”, the newest ultra-lux boutique hotel on the unique Caribbean island of Barbados. Barbados is unique because unlike its sister West Indies islands, it was  not born from volcanic upheaval but slowly revealed itself from sand deposits produced by the coral that is still living and growing in the Caribbean Sea waters surrounding the island. The east coast and part of the south coast dip into the Atlantic Ocean and the pounding surf provides exhilarating opportunities for surfing. Barbados was settled by the English and although long independent from their rule, English language and culture continue to exert a major influence.
The House too is unique and unlike its neighbors. Owner Marcello Pigozzo and his son Malik have taken the time honored concept of service, developed over the years by the professional European concierge, and elevated it to a fine art form in a small -- only 48 rooms and suites -- boutique hotel. General Manager Chris Venner has superbly implemented this unique concept of personal attention, which is and I quote, “Our aim at The House is to make you feel as much at home as possible”. This concept, as practiced at The House maintains that each guest has a personal Service Ambassador dedicated to making sure that everything is done to enhance their vacation experience. The added benefit is that the property is small enough and the ambiance friendly enough that perfect strangers sharing the experience tend to engage sooner providing opportunity for quickly making friends.
Typical of the pampering one can expect as a guest of The House is a greeter at the airport to expedite you through customs and deliver you to a waiting white stretch limo for the half hour trip to the west coast of the Island. I sat back and  marveled at the skill of the driver as he maneuvered the narrow roads of Barbados until ultimately depositing us in front of a wide wooden door and the start of our adventure in paradise.
We were welcomed to The House by our personal Service Ambassador, Lynette, who escorted us over the threshold into another world; one of warmth and beauty. She conveyed a sincere wish to make our stay an absolute delight. First item on the agenda was a mirror image of Lynette, offering us an island favorite refreshing drink called a Sunrise... pale pink grenadine base under golden pineapple juice under ice blue Curaçao, topped by a perfect fresh purple orchid; a perfect start to a perfect experience.
This beautiful duo led us into the open-air reception room sporting a dark wood floor, inviting deep pillowed white couches, large modern-art panels on the wall and a spectacular view of the alluring turquoise Caribbean Sea sparkling in the midday sun. As we sipped our ice cold Sunrise and grew accustomed to the balmy Caribbean breezes, Lynette explained that while she and Andrew were our personal Service Ambassadors, any one of the Ambassadors would be more than happy to assist. They could schedule meal reservations at Daphne’s, an outpost of the well know London Restaurant expertly managed by Marco Pavone and connected to The House by just a short passageway, or any other restaurant on the island. If we preferred they could provide meals in our room or even on the beach if we wished. We were to call on them to discuss and arrange for shopping or sightseeing, including boat excursions or horse back riding on the beach, or even a helicopter tour of the island or an Atlantis Submarine ride over the coral reef. We opted for the later and enjoyed it tremendously. Since I do not scuba dive this is the closest I will ever come to a coral reef and it was extremely exciting to have a fish-eye(sic) view of this living underwater world. But I am getting ahead of my story...
Olivia, another Ambassador now joined us and escorted us to our suite, each room had a broad balcony facing the sea. We were greeted by a magnificent floral arrangement with the sugary smell of honeysuckle permeating the room as Olivia inquired what time we would like our complementary jet lag revival message. And would we prefer to have it in our rooms, on the balcony or by the pool? I opted for the room; my husband opted for the pool, and Sharon with her magical fingers arrived to purge the stress from our tired, aching muscles.
The attractive staff was recruited from all over the island to meet the high standards of excellence set by the Pigozzos. They were not only searching for experienced service professionals but for real people with a warm outgoing personality and a sincere desire to make guests feel that no request was a problem. As an example, one day for lunch an English couple, on a repeat visit to The House, had a yearning for a dish containing items that were not on Daphne’s menu. They asked their Ambassador to see what could be done and within half an hour the succulent meal, exactly as requested, was placed in front of them. It also happened to me that on an extremely hot afternoon our Ambassador Andrew jokingly asked what he could do to make our day even more perfect. I said he could lower the temperature a bit... say 10 degrees. We laughed but shortly afterwards we had a brief rain shower and much to our surprise that afternoon was the coolest of our week-long stay. Now I am not saying that Andrew did that but...
Complimentary breakfast is whatever you want, as much as you want, and served in the area just at the edge of the  beach. All water sports and equipment are complimentary as well as a boat taxi that ferries you to the other hotels in the Elegant Hotels Group. Every evening complimentary hors-d’oeuvres are served both in your room and in the reception area along with Bollinger Champaign or another beverage of your choice. Every night a trolley containing after-dinner drinks is in the reception area welcoming you back to The House, along with a ubiquitous smiling Ambassador ready to serve you, no matter how late the hour. While waiting for you in your room is yet another treat, a plate of sweets to end the day sweetly, and flower petals sprinkled on your bed surrounded by aromatic scented candles lit for romantic effect.
The House, is not yet as perfect as it will be. While the property has had extensive cosmetic enhancement and luxury detailing, such as new king size beds with 6 massive pillows, all covered in the finest quality Italian cotton sheets with down comforters, both under and on top of you, for exceptional cozy  snoozing. Plus, exquisite touches in the most luxurious EphéMer bathroom amenity package I have ever seen in all my years of staying in superior deluxe hotels. There were aromatic hand milled soaps, bath salts, bath tea and facial mud packs from Blue Mountain Aromatics in Jamaica along with the usual personal grooming items of exceptional quality. But, the physical environment is starting to show its age. More than adequate for a deluxe hotel, it is not yet up to the standards of a superior deluxe boutique facility. However, I’m sure, the slow summer season will be put to good use for the extensive renovations needed to bring this property up to the standards of excellence set by it’s owners. My hope is to revisit this extraordinary hotel when the renovations have been completed and to find the many friends we made on our first --- but hopefully not our last -- visit to paradise.
© May/June 2003. All rights reserved.
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