On first-name terms at The Sandpiper in Barbados

I grew up in a little cottage in the Cotswolds called Sandpipers. A friend of my mum sent her a framed photograph of a little cluster of sandpipers on a beach for a birthday present, but given our holidays were to Cornwall and Devon, I didn’t see a real live one until long after I’d left home.

It was kind of a given then that I’d like a hotel named The Sandpiper; bonus points for the actual sandpipers scurrying along the beachfront that the hotel’s gardens spill out onto.

Names are an important feature at this boutique luxury spot. With a phenomenal rebooking rate – apparently as high as 90% during peak periods – the staff appear to know everyone personally and visa versa.

I made myself known quite quickly after sending the men behind the bar on a merry goose chase trying to find a sundress I swore I’d left hooked under a beach parasol, but which turned out to be hanging in my wardrobe. No one was more surprised than I that I’d actually hung something up at the end of the day – I blame the rum punches both for my forgetting where I’d put it, and the uncharacteristic OCD behaviour.

Maybe it was The Sandpiper rubbing off on me. Everything from the linen tablecloths to the loungers which sit on a shallow shelf in the pool, so you can dip a toe in while you sunbathe, is immaculate - even the sumptuous gardens don’t have a leaf out of place.

It fits with the ethos of this coast of Barbados, where dinners are dressed-up affairs and everyone makes an effort whether they’re beach-bound for the day, or out exploring nearby Holetown.

It’s certainly a far cry from a crumbling cottage in Gloucestershire, although when even the gardeners know your name by the time you leave, there’s a homely charm to it nonetheless.

The Wanderlist:

Zaccios
You won’t find this nearby beachfront restaurant in any fine-dining guidebooks, and you’re unlikely to be Instagramming the food, but this is a fun spot for an informal evening out. It was filled with locals enjoying birthdays when we visited, and although we missed happy hour, the smiles and laughs from each table suggest it had been very happy indeed!

Juju’s
My favourite find of the trip. There’s no menu at this beach shack, and they don’t take cards, but will happily dole out margaritas and fried flying fish until you run out of cash.

Lone Star
The coolest lunch-spot on the west coast. An old converted garage now done up in chic nautical style with chic food choices to match.

Coral Reef Club
The Sandpiper’s sister hotel is a short walk along the coast and, with a slightly more relaxed vibe and a whole new menu to make your way through, a nice afternoon swap on a day of your trip.