Little Good Harbour is a four star boutique hotel on the West Coast of Barbados, set at Shermans in the parish of St Lucy. It is family run, and the one, two and three bedroom suites and cottages are arranged to give you the privacy of a villa alongside the service of a hotel. That mix suits couples, families and groups equally well, and the scale stays small enough for a stay to feel unhurried.

Six suite and cottage types run from an 1,100 square foot one bedroom garden suite sleeping two, up to 2,500 square foot oceanfront fort suites sleeping six. Each has a full kitchen, open plan living and an outdoor terrace or patio, with ceiling fans throughout and air conditioning in the bedrooms. Bathrooms are en suite, and every suite carries White Company toiletries, a Nespresso machine, a safe and beach towels.

Snorkelling starts at the jetty, where the coral reef is close enough to reach straight from the sand. Calypso, an affiliated Axopar 28, runs private charters along the coast to swim with turtles and look over shipwrecks, carrying towels, snorkel gear and refreshments on board. Car hire is arranged through Go Rent A Car, which makes the beaches, gullies and historic sites further along the island easy to reach on your own schedule.

Two swimming pools sit within the tropical gardens, with loungers alongside for a quiet hour between swims and room to take the morning at your own pace. The white sand beach lies in front of The Fish Pot, where the water stays calm and sunchairs are set out a few steps from the suites. A book, a cocktail or a leisurely lunch can all be taken down there.

The Fish Pot is the single restaurant, set in an eighteenth century fort at the water's edge. Coral stone walls and open sides keep it airy, and every seat, inside or on the terrace, looks onto the Caribbean Sea. The kitchen works Caribbean and international influences around seafood, using fresh and sustainably sourced ingredients lifted with local seasonings. Breakfast runs from 08:00 to 10:00 and all day dining from 12:00, with 21:00 the last reservation.

Barbados opens up quickly from this stretch of coast, with beaches, historic sites, gullies and botanical gardens within easy reach. Grantley Adams International Airport is about forty five minutes away, and transfers and Fast Track can be arranged for arrival. Kitchens can be stocked before you land, with an order emailed seventy two hours ahead.