Mike & I want to go for our one year anniversary since we won't have the $ to go immediately after the wedding.
All of the locations look beauuutiful and I'm drooling at my desk right now. LOL.
I was really liking Grande Antigua, but Mike said maybe Royal Bahamian, because we'd save money on the flight. (Flying out of Orlando, FL airport).
Anyone have personal experience? Is it *really* worth the butler level room, or will we not even spend much time in our rooms? Neither of us are cave-dwellers, we will be out and about as long as there are activities going on.
Mind you, I will have to save pretty much the whole year to afford this, but it looks worth it!
My friend went to a Sandals in St. Lucia for her honeymoon, we looked into it but ultimately decided to go to Couples (www.Couples.com) because we could get so much more for our money, and I am yet to hear one bad thing about any of their resorts. We are staying in the best room (right on the beach), everything is included, strict no tipping policy. They have a message board on their site too, and people just go back year after year because they love it so much. Another cool thing is that it's adult couples only, so no creepy single guy sitting at the bar eyeing you up! Haha.
We went to Sandals Ocho Rios (Jamaica) for a friend's wedding and we had the "butlered" suite with the "private plunge pool." They upgraded us for only $200, so we figured why not? But it turned out that it was really far from the pool and restaurants, and really really far from the beach. And the private pool was private for our house, not for us. However, we did have a fridge stocked with liquor all the time! But I'd say just go for the regular room. We saw our friends' room (not a butlered suite), and it was nice.
The no tipping policy is great, as is the ability to eat and drink all the time. hahaha. But you don't need the butlered suite to enjoy that. Have fun!!
Wa are going to the Regency La Toc Sandals resort in Saint Lucia for our honeymoon. I had been to a beaches in Jamaica (same chain of resorts just for famiies) and loved it. We are going with just a slightly upgraded room that is close to the beach and all the action. In most cases, the butler rooms with the private pools are far away from the pool/beach/restaurants. If you are looking for privacy, i think it would be worth it, but if you want to be on the beach everyday, I would just do a regular room close to everything. All the rooms are the same quality of furnishings, just smaller or bigger. The free food/drinks/watersports are awesome because once you are there, you dont have to think about money for the entire time.
I think it depends on your vacation style. My fiance and I have traveled quite a bit and we did go to Sandals in St. Lucia a couple years ago. I do say it was a nice resort and it was nice to not have worry about money, the watersports, etc. However, we are the type of travelers who like to experience the culture and actual surroundings of the country, etc. We almost felt a bit strange for staying at the resort while the actual island is nothing like the resort; it's obviously for tourists. We are also not the relaxing beach types so it was probably the wrong vacation for us. We got a little bored at times... My biggest recommendation for Sandals is to spend the extra money to go on the excursions and tours. The best part of our trip was the cruise tour we went on that included snorkeling, viewing of the volcanic area, etc.
My husband and I honeymooned at Sandals Antigua last September and had a wonderful time. We stayed in the brand-new Mediterranean Village area and the rooms were gorgeous. I am super picky about the rooms and the interiors, decor, etc., and was very pleased with what we got. I think I would have been disappointed with the older, smaller rooms in the other section of the resort, from what I saw of them. We did not splurge on the butler service, but saw others who did and knew that we would feel weird having someone wait on us hand and foot. I loved the all-inclusive nature of the resort and the no-tipping policy - we didn't have to think about money, etc. all week.
I agree with missopie in that it depends on the type of traveller you are and how you envision your vacation. My husband and I wanted a honeymoon where we could relax and rest without feeling pressure to explore our surroundings, and that's exactly what we did!
Have you checked out tripadvisor.com? There are tons of reviews for the hotels you are looking into. then sign up and start visiting the forums. Great wealth of info!
My FI is an avid traveler, been to all sandals, taking me to the Regency La Toc St. Lucia for honeymoon. Booked the premium honeymoon room with ocean view. With all his travels, he states you are hardly in your room and St. Lucia has 3 Sandals that you can play at all within 15 mins so you get more for your buck. Tip, use a travel agent, you don't save much $$, but it won't cost anymore either and you get better flights, fly into the airport that's only 30m mins away because the other airport is a looooong bus ride and no fun at all. Also, I've been told by many many people, no matter where you go, brag that you are on your honeymoon, they seem to cater to you a little more. We decided against the swim up or the butler rooms as we want to venture out more at the other 3 resorts than just stay in the room. Have fun where ever you go, but we recommend any Sandals resort. Ours is in Jan. '09, just before the busy season hits (feb) and after their construction/re-decorating season (oct-dec). It was a bit cheaper to go in Jan vs. feb-april.
i don't know what i'm doing on weddingbee on the morning of my wedding, but i came across your post. we're going to the sandals grand bahamian for our honeymoon this week and i could tell you how it goes. just send me an email.
We found a better price and a more intimate setting at the Galley Bay Resort in Antigua (I posted about it here) than Sandals Antigua. I read a lot of positive reviews of Galley Bay on TripAdvisor.com, and overall we just felt like we'd be getting more for our money than if we went with Sandals (although I have absolutely nothing against Sandals, and friends of ours who went to Sandals Antigua a few years ago had a blast!). Just keep in mind that there are plenty of other all-inclusives out there so you can really customize your trip to what you're looking for in a vacation, and maybe find a better price. A good travel agent (we went with Liberty Travel) will be able to help you out and give you lots of options.
Hi Caliocteach! At Sandals Ocho Rios, if you get butler service, you're on the "Manor side" of the resort, which is inland so it isn't the beach side (can't remember what that's called), but it does have the better pool and the good Asian restaurant. To get to the beach and the other restaurants, you have to take a shuttle, which comes every 10-15 minutes or so, or a golf cart, which are a little more random. Once you're on the shuttle, it takes about 2 minutes to get there. But I wouldn't try walking, you have to cross a pretty busy street. It's probably about 2 miles? Maybe? Hope that helps!
rebecca -- thank you. We were going for privacy. The rooms on the beach were more hotel style, and we wanted to feel removed from civilization. I've also heard that the beach can get very busy, so we'd like to be away from that (except by choice). Taking a shuttle or golf cart works for me! We also wanted 24 hour room service, and only the butler rooms offered that. I'm guessing that the beach is closer than two miles, otherwise the shuttles and golf carts are moving at 60mph --and I've never been a shuttle that goes that fast.
we just had our honeymoon to the sandals in the bahamas and we decided we could have done a lot better for our money. it was fun and it is definitely what you make out of it, but nothing was quite to the caliber in quality that we'd hoped. while there were 9 restaurants, the food wasn't the best. since there is a no tip policy, the service isn't the best either. our rooms were decent, but those who stayed in another older building said the rooms were in poor condition. a lot of the website is misleading because it says it includes a bunch of watersports when in actuality, it does not and you have to go outside sandals to get the experience. we also met a bunch of other couples who seemed to have the same impression as us about the resort - that it was ok... however, one of our good friends had his honeymoon at the sandals in antigua and raved about it. he and his wife had a very different experience, in terms of the crowd that antigua attracted, the food selection, and the service. so, it might just be a difference in location rather than sandals in general that we weren't so happy with. anyhow, i hope this information helps!
Has anyone ever been to a Sandals resort?
Mike & I want to go for our one year anniversary since we won't have the $ to go immediately after the wedding.
All of the locations look beauuutiful and I'm drooling at my desk right now. LOL.
I was really liking Grande Antigua, but Mike said maybe Royal Bahamian, because we'd save money on the flight. (Flying out of Orlando, FL airport).
Anyone have personal experience? Is it *really* worth the butler level room, or will we not even spend much time in our rooms? Neither of us are cave-dwellers, we will be out and about as long as there are activities going on.
Mind you, I will have to save pretty much the whole year to afford this, but it looks worth it!
posted by nicolby 38 posts 6 months agoMy friend went to a Sandals in St. Lucia for her honeymoon, we looked into it but ultimately decided to go to Couples (www.Couples.com) because we could get so much more for our money, and I am yet to hear one bad thing about any of their resorts. We are staying in the best room (right on the beach), everything is included, strict no tipping policy. They have a message board on their site too, and people just go back year after year because they love it so much. Another cool thing is that it's adult couples only, so no creepy single guy sitting at the bar eyeing you up! Haha.
posted by LeahB 342 posts 6 months agoWe went to Sandals Ocho Rios (Jamaica) for a friend's wedding and we had the "butlered" suite with the "private plunge pool." They upgraded us for only $200, so we figured why not? But it turned out that it was really far from the pool and restaurants, and really really far from the beach. And the private pool was private for our house, not for us. However, we did have a fridge stocked with liquor all the time! But I'd say just go for the regular room. We saw our friends' room (not a butlered suite), and it was nice.
The no tipping policy is great, as is the ability to eat and drink all the time. hahaha. But you don't need the butlered suite to enjoy that. Have fun!!
posted by rebecca 989 posts 6 months agoI looked into Couples, but I had never heard anything about it until yesterday when I was looking around online.
Good to hear the review, I'll look into it.
Now I need more reviews. :P
posted by nicolby 38 posts 6 months agoOooh, Thanks Rebecca!
I was wondering about the plunge pools. I liked the idea but I like the idea of being closer to everything (beach, food, lol) better. :)
posted by nicolby 38 posts 6 months agoWa are going to the Regency La Toc Sandals resort in Saint Lucia for our honeymoon. I had been to a beaches in Jamaica (same chain of resorts just for famiies) and loved it. We are going with just a slightly upgraded room that is close to the beach and all the action. In most cases, the butler rooms with the private pools are far away from the pool/beach/restaurants. If you are looking for privacy, i think it would be worth it, but if you want to be on the beach everyday, I would just do a regular room close to everything. All the rooms are the same quality of furnishings, just smaller or bigger. The free food/drinks/watersports are awesome because once you are there, you dont have to think about money for the entire time.
posted by nfrazier33 12 posts 6 months agoI think it depends on your vacation style. My fiance and I have traveled quite a bit and we did go to Sandals in St. Lucia a couple years ago. I do say it was a nice resort and it was nice to not have worry about money, the watersports, etc. However, we are the type of travelers who like to experience the culture and actual surroundings of the country, etc. We almost felt a bit strange for staying at the resort while the actual island is nothing like the resort; it's obviously for tourists. We are also not the relaxing beach types so it was probably the wrong vacation for us. We got a little bored at times... My biggest recommendation for Sandals is to spend the extra money to go on the excursions and tours. The best part of our trip was the cruise tour we went on that included snorkeling, viewing of the volcanic area, etc.
posted by missopie 27 posts 6 months agoMy husband and I honeymooned at Sandals Antigua last September and had a wonderful time. We stayed in the brand-new Mediterranean Village area and the rooms were gorgeous. I am super picky about the rooms and the interiors, decor, etc., and was very pleased with what we got. I think I would have been disappointed with the older, smaller rooms in the other section of the resort, from what I saw of them. We did not splurge on the butler service, but saw others who did and knew that we would feel weird having someone wait on us hand and foot. I loved the all-inclusive nature of the resort and the no-tipping policy - we didn't have to think about money, etc. all week.
I agree with missopie in that it depends on the type of traveller you are and how you envision your vacation. My husband and I wanted a honeymoon where we could relax and rest without feeling pressure to explore our surroundings, and that's exactly what we did!
posted by KNW 21 posts 6 months agoHave you checked out tripadvisor.com? There are tons of reviews for the hotels you are looking into. then sign up and start visiting the forums. Great wealth of info!
posted by Candi1024 304 posts 6 months agoMy FI is an avid traveler, been to all sandals, taking me to the Regency La Toc St. Lucia for honeymoon. Booked the premium honeymoon room with ocean view. With all his travels, he states you are hardly in your room and St. Lucia has 3 Sandals that you can play at all within 15 mins so you get more for your buck. Tip, use a travel agent, you don't save much $$, but it won't cost anymore either and you get better flights, fly into the airport that's only 30m mins away because the other airport is a looooong bus ride and no fun at all. Also, I've been told by many many people, no matter where you go, brag that you are on your honeymoon, they seem to cater to you a little more. We decided against the swim up or the butler rooms as we want to venture out more at the other 3 resorts than just stay in the room. Have fun where ever you go, but we recommend any Sandals resort. Ours is in Jan. '09, just before the busy season hits (feb) and after their construction/re-decorating season (oct-dec). It was a bit cheaper to go in Jan vs. feb-april.
posted by HiLife 29 posts 6 months agothanks for the advice, girls! I'm definitely a laid back vacationer. Give me sun, sand, drinks, and watersports and I'm happy!
And thanks, Candi1024 for the advice about tripadvisor. I checked it out today and found a wealth of information, just like you said!
posted by nicolby 38 posts 6 months agoRebecca -- How far is "really really" far from the beach? A mile? Two miles?
Thanks, we are stying in a butler room at Ocho Rios for our Honeymoon this August.
posted by caliocteach 720 posts 6 months agoi don't know what i'm doing on weddingbee on the morning of my wedding, but i came across your post. we're going to the sandals grand bahamian for our honeymoon this week and i could tell you how it goes. just send me an email.
posted by ipak 6 posts 6 months agoWe found a better price and a more intimate setting at the Galley Bay Resort in Antigua (I posted about it here) than Sandals Antigua. I read a lot of positive reviews of Galley Bay on TripAdvisor.com, and overall we just felt like we'd be getting more for our money than if we went with Sandals (although I have absolutely nothing against Sandals, and friends of ours who went to Sandals Antigua a few years ago had a blast!). Just keep in mind that there are plenty of other all-inclusives out there so you can really customize your trip to what you're looking for in a vacation, and maybe find a better price. A good travel agent (we went with Liberty Travel) will be able to help you out and give you lots of options.
Good luck :-)
posted by cupcake 274 posts 6 months agoHi Caliocteach! At Sandals Ocho Rios, if you get butler service, you're on the "Manor side" of the resort, which is inland so it isn't the beach side (can't remember what that's called), but it does have the better pool and the good Asian restaurant. To get to the beach and the other restaurants, you have to take a shuttle, which comes every 10-15 minutes or so, or a golf cart, which are a little more random. Once you're on the shuttle, it takes about 2 minutes to get there. But I wouldn't try walking, you have to cross a pretty busy street. It's probably about 2 miles? Maybe? Hope that helps!
posted by rebecca 989 posts 6 months agorebecca -- thank you. We were going for privacy. The rooms on the beach were more hotel style, and we wanted to feel removed from civilization. I've also heard that the beach can get very busy, so we'd like to be away from that (except by choice). Taking a shuttle or golf cart works for me! We also wanted 24 hour room service, and only the butler rooms offered that. I'm guessing that the beach is closer than two miles, otherwise the shuttles and golf carts are moving at 60mph --and I've never been a shuttle that goes that fast.
Thank you!
posted by caliocteach 720 posts 6 months agohaha, calioteach, you're right, but I always had a drink in my hand while doing the trip so my judgment probably isn't as accurate as you can get...
Do the beach horseback ride! It was a ton of fun.
posted by rebecca 989 posts 6 months agowe just had our honeymoon to the sandals in the bahamas and we decided we could have done a lot better for our money. it was fun and it is definitely what you make out of it, but nothing was quite to the caliber in quality that we'd hoped. while there were 9 restaurants, the food wasn't the best. since there is a no tip policy, the service isn't the best either. our rooms were decent, but those who stayed in another older building said the rooms were in poor condition. a lot of the website is misleading because it says it includes a bunch of watersports when in actuality, it does not and you have to go outside sandals to get the experience. we also met a bunch of other couples who seemed to have the same impression as us about the resort - that it was ok... however, one of our good friends had his honeymoon at the sandals in antigua and raved about it. he and his wife had a very different experience, in terms of the crowd that antigua attracted, the food selection, and the service. so, it might just be a difference in location rather than sandals in general that we weren't so happy with. anyhow, i hope this information helps!
posted by ipak 6 posts 6 months ago