Soco House

We have just returned from a wonderfully relaxing 10-night stay at the Soco House Hotel.

We deliberately chose this hotel because of its different approach to an all-inclusive holiday — offering table service and individually prepared meals rather than the traditional all-you-can-eat buffet, where the food can often be mediocre at best.

As vegetarians, we usually resign ourselves to a holiday diet of grated carrot, dried-out salad and stodgy pasta. However, it couldn’t have been more different at Soco House. As soon as they learned that we were vegetarian, the wonderful General Manager, Vladimir, took it upon himself to make sure we enjoyed the most delicious lunches and dinners. On several occasions, he even cooked for us himself, demonstrating what a high-calibre chef he is!

This was typical of Vladimir’s incredibly generous and warm hospitality. He wasn’t just attentive to us, but to every guest in the hotel. He is highly visible and very hands-on, taking the time to learn every guest’s name, room number and length of stay. He is a huge asset to the hotel and has truly outstanding people skills.

Also worthy of high praise is the delightfully warm and friendly Eloise, the Guest Relations Manager. She is a bundle of fun, kindness and humour, and takes meticulous care to ensure that every guest is enjoying their stay.

So many of the lovely ladies in the dining room also deserve a mention. We really enjoyed our daily chats with them, and please forgive me for not remembering everyone’s names — the jet lag has well and truly kicked in! And, of course, I couldn’t forget Gav-a-lar behind the bar, even if he did pretend he didn’t know how to play Uno!

The hotel itself is in a lovely, quiet and secluded location, just a short and safe walk from the beautiful Reduit Beach, with its soft golden sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters. The hotel provides comfortable sun loungers and shady umbrellas at the beach, and even sends you off with a cooler filled with drinks of your choice, which is a lovely touch. I had seen some previous comments about the loungers and umbrellas being a little tatty, but the ones there now looked very new, so I presume they are recent additions.

Our room was spacious and comfortable, with freshly painted walls and a huge bed with a very comfortable mattress. The air conditioning was efficient and also appeared to be fairly new, as did the television, although we never actually used it!

There is some room for improvement when it comes to the hotel’s fixtures and fittings. The pool tiling is looking rather tired, with some missing pieces that need attention, and some new furniture would also be beneficial, particularly in reception. I’m sure Vladimir will have this in hand, though. He has only been at the hotel since February and has already made such a huge impact. During our stay, we also noticed a hardworking team constantly cleaning the hotel and keeping the grounds looking tidy.

As mentioned earlier, this isn’t your traditional all-inclusive resort and it doesn’t have a round-the-clock entertainment programme. If you are looking for peace and relaxation, excellent food, warm and attentive service, and a stunning beach just a short walk away, then Soco House fits the bill perfectly!

We would happily return.

We’ve just returned from a lovely stay at Soco House, and I wanted to share how much we appreciated the care and attention we received, particularly from the General Manager, Vladimir.

Soco House is a small, intimate boutique hotel in a wonderful location. It’s a short walk from the shops and restaurants of Rodney Bay, but far enough away to be peaceful. The beautiful sandy beach is also just a few minutes away, with warm, clear water. Beach towels, sun loungers, umbrellas and a cool box for drinks are all provided.

We stayed out of season, so the hotel was beautifully quiet, and the weather was lovely. The bed in the room was enormous and incredibly comfortable, and the other guests staying at the hotel were friendly and respectful. We had some lovely conversations and really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.

The thing that made our holiday was the personal touch.

Vladimir is one of the kindest and most charming people we’ve met in hospitality. He went above and beyond to make our stay memorable, always with such warmth and generosity. He took a real interest in us and made us feel that our happiness mattered.

He was often around the property, checking that guests were happy and making a point of getting to know people. He seemed to know everyone’s names, room numbers and departure dates, and his attentive manner was warm and friendly without ever feeling intrusive. It was lovely to see how much he cared about the people staying at the hotel and nothing was too much trouble.

Eloise, the Guest Relations Manager, was also lovely. She was friendly, approachable and made a real effort to get to know guests. It was clear that the team wanted people to feel welcome, rather than simply being another booking.

The restaurant is table service rather than a buffet, which we really liked. It felt much more like a restaurant experience than a typical all-inclusive. The menu was adapted to our needs (vegetarian), and we enjoyed some delicious meals.

The pool bar serves drinks until 11pm, and there’s no organised entertainment, which suited us perfectly. We did, however, have a lovely surprise on our last night when the restaurant was set up outside and a Caribbean steel band played. It was such a wonderful way to end our stay.

Gav at the pool bar also deserves a mention. He was so friendly and even joined us for a game of UNO when things were quiet!

If you appreciate a smaller, more personal experience, a peaceful location and attentive service, then I would recommend Soco House. It’s a lovely place to relax, and the people are what make it special.

For us, Vladimir made the difference between a nice holiday and a truly memorable one. His kindness, generosity and attention to detail were extraordinary, and we will always remember how welcome he made us feel.

Thank you, Vladimir, Eloise and the whole team. We would love to return.