The Flamboyant Hotel & Villas

This laid-back, mid-range resort offers 67 contemporary rooms and suites arranged high up on hillside overlooking Grenada’s popular Grand Anse beach. The hotel’s casual, friendly island vibe reflects its surroundings, echoing the general tone of this lovely island known as the Spice Isle of the Caribbean, named after the many savory spices it produces. The grounds of the hotel have lovely greenery, including an herb garden, and many fresh flowers in bloom. However the Flamboyant Hotel & Villas is only flamboyant in name – it doesn’t display the bright colors and flair you might imagine. In fact, most of the buildings are painted a pale orange hue, and in truth the paint is rather faded. The lobby is small and lacks personality, but there are some books and a computer for guest use.

While the competitive prices may attract the value-minded, guests will have to overlook the tired buildings and drab common areas, including the pool and restaurants, that are in need of an update. What the hotel does have to offer: clean, basic rooms with contemporary furnishings, lovely green gardens, sweeping views of the coast, and a lovely stretch of the famous Grand Anse beach.

The Flamboyant Hotel is the last resort (no pun intended) on the south end of the famous Grand Anse beach, so guests enjoy a slightly calmer atmosphere than is found in the middle of the beach, which is popular with locals and cruise ship tourists. It is also just a five-minute walk over the hill to Mourne Rouge beach, a smaller and quieter stretch of sand.

The resort is located in the bustling Southwest corner of the island, the tourist hub of Grenada where many hotels and restaurants are located. However, as the last property on this strip, on a hill, it can be a bit of a walk to reach the shopping areas. It’s about a 15-minute walk to the supermarket, mall and dining options like Umbrella’s Beach Bar. It’s just around a 10-minute taxi ride to the airport and a 20-minute drive to the capital city of St. George’s.

The rooms and suites are arranged along a hillside, providing great views of the ocean and Grand Anse beach. In fact, all rooms have an ocean view, and some upper rooms even have vistas up the coast to St. George’s -- but the tradeoff is a long, steep walk up from the beach and restaurant far below. Guests can ask for a ride in a golf cart if needed. Some rooms face out onto a side road where there are vans passing by, causing occasional street noise.  

Each block of rooms is named after a style of music, such as Samba, Ska, or Reggae. The buildings are a bit older than other resorts in the area, and the rooms have a slightly dated feel to them. Most of the furniture has been updated, though, and the decor is contemporary, with a mix of wicker and woods with bold shades of red and yellow. The bathrooms are basic, small, and dim, and are in need of an update. All rooms have old tube TVs, and some rooms have iPod docks, while others have clock radios. Rooms are split into Standard, Superior, and Deluxe categories, and options include hotel rooms, studios, and one- and two-bedroom suites. The studios have small kitchenettes and some suites include a full kitchen with a stove, refrigerator, coffeemaker, microwave, and toaster. Rooms have free Wi-Fi.

Guests must cross the road in front of the lobby and descend a set of stairs through lush, green gardens to reach the hotel’s amenities, which include a pool deck area, three restaurants, and water sports on the beach. The large, rectangular pool sits on a perch overlooking the ocean and the beach below. A bar next to the pool is occasionally open, but the paint is faded and the pool deck area has seen better days.

The main restaurant, called the Beachside Terrace, is an airy, dining-hall style room that has great views over Grand Anse beach. The Beach Cabana is a small cafe down in the sand that serves lunch. Next door is the Owl Sports Bar, a popular nightlife spot and grill that serves burgers and happy hour on the beach. The bar has pool, darts, and hosts weekly Crab Races in the sand, for a bit of fun.

The hotel occupies the southern tip of the stunning Grand Anse beach. Grand Anse is a two-mile stretch of golden sand and calm blue waters that is known as the most beautiful and popular beach on the island.  It’s fame also brings vendors, who will approach guests to sell souvenirs. However, this end of the beach is slightly quieter.  Guests can also walk over the hill to Mourne Rouge beach, which is a smaller and more isolated, serene beach area.

The Flamboyant offers a good number of beach chairs and plenty of shaded areas under the trees on the beach, though the beach chairs are plastic and a bit worn. Water sports are available, including snorkeling gear and kayaking, and there is a dive shop on site. The resort has a small, ample fitness room and three meeting rooms available. While there is no spa at Flamboyant, treatments can be arranged in guest rooms, or in the gazebo in the hillside gardens.