When Marriott International acquired Elegant Hotels back in 2019, it quietly reshaped Barbados’ resort landscape. The deal brought a collection of established beachfront properties into Marriott’s portfolio. More importantly, it kicked off Marriott’s foray into the all-inclusive space, beginning what has been a massive expansion into all-inclusive all over the Caribbean region and beyond.
In the years that followed, several of those resorts reopened and settled into new roles under Marriott’s umbrella. The House (more on that one here), Treasure Beach, and Waves returned to the market, as all-inclusives, reintroduced with clearer positioning and steady demand. Another, Colony Club, reopened earlier this year, remaining an EP resort. Two resorts, however, remained closed. Turtle Beach on the south coast and Crystal Cove on the west coast—both longtime all-inclusive properties—were left out of the initial reopening wave.
Now they’re coming back in 2026, the company revealed this week.
Marriott is relaunching Turtle Beach, Barbados, A Tribute Portfolio All-Inclusive Resort and Crystal Cove, A Tribute Portfolio All-Inclusive Resort, bringing both properties back under the Tribute Portfolio brand and completing a chapter that began more than five years ago. (It’s part of what is shaping up to be a big year for Barbados, with several other resorts on the way, including another highly-anticipated all-inclusive, the Royalton Vessence.)
The absence of Turtle Beach and Crystal Cove was noticeable. These were not fringe resorts. Each occupied a prime stretch of beachfront in a different part of the island, and each served a different kind of traveler. Turtle Beach was where families went on the south coast. Crystal Cove was the west coast alternative, smaller, calmer, closer to the water.
While the rest of the Elegant Hotels portfolio returned to service, these two remained closed, creating gaps in places where demand never really disappeared. Their relaunch restores options that had simply gone missing.
Turtle Beach and the South Coast
You find Turtle Beach on a long stretch of sand near St. Lawrence Gap, where Barbados feels active without tipping into chaos. The beach opens wide here, the water stays approachable, and you’re close enough to walk into the island’s busiest dining and nightlife corridor when you feel like it.
This has always been a resort built around space. You stay in suites rather than standard rooms, which changes the feel of the trip immediately. Families spread out. Mornings don’t feel rushed. Even when the resort is busy, it doesn’t feel compressed.
The all-inclusive experience at Turtle Beach is designed to support long days on property without locking you into a schedule. Meals and beverages are included, along with Wi-Fi, non-motorized water sports, access to a kids club, and a fitness center with scheduled classes. You spend most of your time outside, supported by beach and pool ambassador service that keeps things simple once you settle in.
Dining doesn’t funnel you into a single room night after night. The resort’s Dine Around Programme lets meals unfold across different settings, which matters on the south coast, where variety has always been part of the appeal.
The beach itself remains a defining feature. This section of the coast is locally known for seasonal sea turtle nesting, a detail that has long shaped the character of the area. You don’t have to go looking for it. It’s part of the place.
Turtle Beach isn’t trying to become something else. It’s returning as what it has always been: a large, beachfront, family-forward resort in the middle of the island’s most lived-in stretch.
Crystal Cove on the West Coast
Crystal Cove sits along Barbados’ west coast, where the water stays calmer and days revolve around the sea. The resort is built around a small cove, with rooms and suites arranged more like a village than a single block. From most places on property, the ocean stays in view.
You stay in hotel rooms and suites with balconies or terraces, many looking directly out over the water. Everything stays close. You don’t spend time figuring out where things are. You step outside and you’re there.
Crystal Cove returns as an all-inclusive resort built around spending the day outdoors. Premium meals and drinks are included, along with Wi-Fi, motorized and non-motorized water sports, and beach and pool ambassador service that lets you stay put once you’ve claimed your spot. A water taxi connects you to select sister hotels along the coast when you want to change scenery without getting in a car.
If staying active matters to you, there’s an on-site fitness center, two floodlit tennis courts, and scheduled yoga and Pilates sessions. Some days start with a guided beach walk. Others end with tennis under the lights. None of it feels compulsory.
Crystal Cove also works for families. The Flying Fish Kids Club serves infants through preteens, giving children their own place while keeping them close. Parents stay near the water. Kids come and go. It’s easy.
Meals unfold through a Dine Around Program, so you’re not anchored to one dining room for the length of your stay. You eat when it makes sense, linger longer when the view holds you, and head back to your room without thinking about what’s included.
Your stay begins with a Bajan welcome cocktail, a small detail that sets the tone. Crystal Cove has always leaned into familiarity rather than spectacle, and many guests return for that reason.
Its reopening restores an all-inclusive option to the west coast, where those choices have been limited despite steady demand.
Why Tribute Portfolio Fits Here
Placing both resorts under Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio gives them visibility without forcing uniformity. These are not standardized resorts. Turtle Beach and Crystal Cove remain shaped by their locations, their layouts, and the travelers who have been coming to them for years.
For Marriott, the relaunch completes the Barbados story that began with the Elegant Hotels acquisition. For the island, it brings two established resorts back into circulation, each doing what it has always done well.
These are also Marriott’s first Tribute-branded all-inclusives in the Caribbean, where the vast majority have been either Marriott-branded or under the Autograph Collection umbrella.
Prices and Opening Dates
Crystal Cove will be the first of the two to open; it’s now taking reservations for stays beginning Feb. 1. Opening rates start at $1,016 per night, all-inclusive, I found on Marriott’s website.
Turtle Beach is now taking bookings for stays beginning May 1, with rooms starting at $363 per night.
