The Crane, Barbados

An undiscovered Barbados gem, skip the crowds on the West Coast for this fabulous East-Coast hideaway - and its stunning pink-sand beach

It probably says all you need to know about The Crane, once Barbados' oldest hotel, but now a whole complex of new buildings, restaurants and bars, that its traditional little food store is packed with products from Waitrose.

An insiders' secret, now rapidly becoming a popular choice for those looking to flee the crowds on the west coast of the island, it might be billed as a self-catering hotel, but the word 'budget' isn't in the vocabulary of those running the show.

Kitchens in the massive apartment rooms ('massive' being the only adjective that does them justice) are worthy of an at-home with Delia special (we adored our American-style fridge/freezer so much it features in our holiday photo album), but with Barbados' top rated restaurant, the Japanese-styled Zen, on site as well L'Azure, with its stunning views over the pink-sand beach, eating out's hard to resist.

However, the heart of what is now an ultra-modern resort (with private pools in the majority of rooms, even those not on the ground floor - work that out if you will) isn't the dining options, but the beautiful, old Agatha Christie-style original hotel building. I spent rather a large amount of time snooping round it, swapping books from an ornate, glass-fronted cabinet and coveting the private verandas which look straight out onto the headland and, beyond that, the sea.

Details: Seven nights at The Crane in Barbados with Virgin Holidays, including scheduled flights with Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick direct to Barbados, accommodation on a self-catering basis with transfers included, starts from £1,219. Prices are per person based on two adults travelling and sharing a standard room. Prices are based on select departures between 26 April - 08 July, 2010. To book, log onto www.virginholidays.co.uk or call 0844 557 3859.