Jamaica or Barbados - any recommendations please?

[ChicRock]

We're looking at July next year and have never been to either place.

There's me, DH and 14 year old DS. We want a lovely hotel, ideally all inclusive but that's not a must. We do like to go out of the hotel on trips and have a few nights out.

We usually stay in Sensatori hotels so I've looked at the one in Jamaica, any other hotel recommendations or specific areas to stay in/avoid please?

Forgot to add the Polo at Holder’s was a great way to spend an afternoon.

And the Holder’s hill farmers market great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Somewhere, the holiday you describe is just what I have been pricing up for 10 nights at Easter 2019 for DH, me and 2 DC aged 8 and 10 but it’s coming out nearer £6k than £3.5k. Can you tell me where I’m going wrong? This is my breakdown:
£2,200 4x flights with BA (estimate, I haven’t seen them much cheaper)
£1700 S/c villa with small pool, walking distance to Holetown
£1200 food/drinks - we’ll S/c breakfast and lunch but eat out in the evening at mid/ low priced restaurants. Probably have a few rum punches as well. I’ve heard supermarkets are expensive.
£200 car hire for a few days to explore the island.
£200 day trips.

Any advice gratefully received as we’d love to experience Barbados but hard to justify it if it’s going to cost over £5k.

We flew Thomas cook 1600 for 4
Self catering via Airbnb £800 ish for 11 nights
Car hire, food and eating out 1100. Car hire the biggest element of this.

We where a little out of holetown on Holders Hill so Car made life easy. Used the beach at Payne’s Bay a couple of times.

Supermarket was a similar price to UK. We bought quite a bit from the food market in Bridgetown.

Eating out was fairly well priced.

Only activities we did was stand up paddle boarding and a turtle/snorkilg trip.

Spent the afternoon watching Polo as well but that was free except the rum punches.

Visited a few different beaches and had a good wander through Bridgetown.

We also visited the Concorde Experience near the Airport

There is a large supermarket in the middle of holetown

@Poppys Easter is most expensive time in Barbados that's probably why - to be honest those flight prices are good!