This island and resort are both something else entirely. I fell like I truly don’t even know how to describe it but I’m going to try to do it justice in this review. In fact, I was interviewed by the local news organization while on resort and said something very similar. If you'd like to view the interview, check it out here.
I want to preface this all by saying, I was privileged to be invited down to explore and experience this brand new resort less than two months after it opened. Sandals Resorts hosts an annual award ceremony, the Sandals Travel Advisor Recognition (S.T.A.R.) Awards, for their top preferred agents and agency partners worldwide. The absolute best agents you can work with to book your Sandals and Beaches vacations attend these ceremonies each year and we’ve been blessed to be attending, and taking home awards, since 2012.
The Island
St. Vincent, affectionately nicknamed “Vincy” by the local Vincentians, is the largest island out of the 32 islands that make up the archipelago of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The island is home to La Soufrière, the active volcano that sits on the island's west coast. Its most recent eruption was in 2021, something that locals say happens once every century.
The Honorable Carlos James, the Minister of Tourism said that what sets the island apart from others in the Caribbean is that “it is one of the last remaining islands with a soul. You can feel the pulse. You can feel the people" and he was 100% right. He promised us agents in one of our morning meeting sessions that they will not over expand the island. It won't ever be like Jamaica or St. Lucia, where there are hundreds of resorts to choose from. They want to focus on soft tourism, gastronomy, adventure tourism. Not mass tourism. They want to keep the small community feel about the island and I love that about this destination.
Details About This Resort
This property sits on 50 acres, with 301 guest rooms (currently). There are 11 dining options, 9 bars, 4 freshwater pools, and 2 whirlpools. It's the exact same size as Sandals South Coast (but length instead of width) and the vibe and feel of Sandals Grenada (in my opinion).
Some of the “firsts” for this resort in the Sandals brand are the butler guest boat transfers, suites with media rooms or fitness rooms, two story overwater villas, and two bedroom beachfront villas. All things I'll be discussing more below.
This resort is nestled in a valley between mountains, hills, and bluffs. It feels like a private oasis paradise. In fact, Zane Kerby (President & CEO of ASTA) said it best in one of our morning meetings while on property. He said, Sandals has "done a remarkable job turning this valley into a vacation paradise”. This is shaping up to be one of those sought after influencer destinations where everyone wants to go because it's not as easy for everyone to get to. It certainly became my favorite Sandals property while we were there, and for so many reasons I'll detail in this blog.
One thing I will say, if you're thinking of staying here for less than a week I'd encourage you to consider a full week. We didn't think 5 nights was enough for us while we were there. We wanted a few more nights to explore and enjoy the island and resort. Plus, travel time can be long from various places in the USA. We had to do a layover even though we came from Florida, and felt like it was a long travel day. So if you're not sure or contemplating it, I highly recommend extending the stay if you can. But if not, I would still say GO. This resort is truly the crown jewel in the brand so don't sit and wait until everyone else experiences it first.
Airport Arrival and Departure:
Our experience may differ slightly from your vacation because we did come in on a chartered plane- which included clearing customs and immigration on the plane, meeting our transfer vans on the tarmac, and getting a police escort to the resorts. So, if you happen upon my photos or videos of the experience, just know arrival and departure will be what you’re used to on other islands.On departure it was a similar experience. Our chartered flight was the only one going out at 8am, so we ended up leaving the resort super early. Early as in, bags outside the door at 3:30am, check out at 4:30am and shuttle leaves at 5am. I’m yawning just remembering it. There are only a few ticket counters so checking-in took a while, but nobody was leaving without us so we ended up just sitting in the quiet alcove by the snack cafe and waiting until the line died down and then checking-in. Once through security, which took maybe five minutes tops, we entered the common area and waiting to be called for boarding. We weren't there more than fifteen minutes before they called us to board. It's not a very big airport so you don't need VIP fast track or anything like that. Everything was air conditioning, seats were comfortable and there were several options for buying drinks, snacks and souvenirs, if needed.
The Transfer and Drive to Resort:
Again, a special situation for our group as we cleared customs and immigration on the plane and exited the plane on the tarmac where the shuttles were waiting for us. However, if you were arriving through the airport you’d clear customs and immigration and make your way to the employee with the Sandals shirt for pre-check in and escort to your awaiting transfer.We were thankful to get in Winston’s brand new sprinter van. One of the people in our group mentioned it still smelled like it was fresh off the lot. Winston drove slow and cautiously, and he even took a slight detour to show us a scenic overlook of one of the harbors.
While it’s only a 45-60 minute drive, I won’t lie, it’s worse than the drive in Jamaica. It’s on par to St. Lucia because you’re going up and down the mountains and around bends on steep cliffs. I had zero problem with the drive but my husband (who never has issues either) felt very car sick on the ride back to the airport. My suggestion? If you’re not sure, grab one of the bags in the seat pocket of the airplane before you deplane. I had one with me just in case and was glad I had it for back-up.
Transfers For Butler Guests:
If you want to avoid the shuttle transfer, consider booking a butler level suite. At the time we traveled all butler level guests were being shuttled to the resort on the resort transfer catamaran “Jilly Bean”, named in memory of the Executive Chairman, Adam Stewart’s late wife, Jill Stewart.The catamaran seats 50 people total, but I spoke with the captain and he said they aim for max of 25 since your luggage does stay with you and that adds to the total overall weight. There are L-shaped seats surrounding small tables on both the lower and upper deck, as well as loungers in the front and back of the boat. There is a full service bar on the boat, as well as snack service.
Once you clear customs and immigration you’d be escorted by a Sandals employee to a waiting van that will shuttle you 15 minutes to a nearby harbor where you’ll board Jilly Bean and enjoy a tour of the island while you sail the coast. Just fifteen minutes later you’ll pull up to the dock on resort and greet your butler. Talk about arriving in style.
The Check-In Process:
Again, we had a very different experience as we were a large group doing a group check-in. But as is standard with all Sandals and Beaches Resorts, your check-in will be done in the lobby for luxury level rooms, the club lounge for concierge level rooms, or in your suite or in the butler lounge for butler level rooms (depending on if your room is ready or not).You’ll need to place a card on file for incidentals and they will place a $400 hold on the card. Make sure your card company knows you are traveling so they don’t flag this as fraud. You will also have the ability to place the card on file when you do the online check-in, which speeds the resort check-in process up significantly.
As soon as check-in is complete, a staff member will escort you to your room if it is ready. If the room is not ready, you’ll be shown somewhere on property where you can have lunch or hang out while you wait. There is a departure lounge by the spa which has lockers and a place to change or shower. My recommendation is to keep a swim suit and cover up in your bag and slip into that when you arrive so you can enjoy the resort if you need to wait for your room. You will have full access to the resort while waiting. The same goes for departing - utilize the lounge if you want to enjoy the facilities for longer.
The Room:
For this trip we stayed in the Garden Butler Suite with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub (VG). There are two of these suites per building and upon entering we walked right into a dining area with a table and bench seating and a wet bar. |
On the counter were in-room snacks of honey roasted peanuts, kettle chips, and some chocolate, available for restocking upon request. We had a hard time waiting to dig into those when we arrived to our room at dinner time. We were glad to have them in our room a few nights later when we wanted something small before bed and didn't want to order room service.
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There was also a shelf for in-room liquor (Titos and Rum, with more available on request), a coffee maker, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, and everything needed to make your own cups if you'd like. There was also a bottle of Robert Mondavi wine on the counter and a mini-fridge stocked with local juices, sodas, beer, champagne, coconut water and bottles of water which are restocked as needed.
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To the right we walked through a sliding barn-style door into the main room which consisted of a seating area with two chairs and a couch as well as the king sized bed.
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The sitting area faced the sliding doors which walked out to a private patio (that viewed the other room patios across a small pond). I recommended to Adam Stewart that they create a pool where the pond was to allow those rooms to have access to a closer pool area.
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On the patio was a day bed lounger for two, two sitting chairs, a wood rack to hang wet swimwear.
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In a little alcove, along with privacy curtains, is a second soaking tub in a beautiful dark blue color.
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Back in the room, next to the king bed you'll find a walk-in closet the size of the bathroom gave us plenty of room to store our clothes and travel items out of sight.
The bathroom had a separate water closet for the toilet, double sinks with two separate illuminating mirrors, and then a walk-in shower with a soaking tub inside the shower area. This was one of my favorite features. There is no door and the flooring stays the same throughout, so be careful as it can be a little slippery getting in and out (definitely use the bath mat provided).
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Sandals also provides bath sheets, which are so much better than the tiny bath towels they provide at other properties. These are bigger, like pool towels, and are softer than the usual towels. They also have the smaller sized bath towels as well. Robes are also provided in this room category. All the bath amenities are Red Lane Spa, as usual, and included shampoo, conditioner, body soap, body lotion, and a bath bomb. They also provide little care kits with q-tips, nail files, cotton balls, etc.
Just a few tips:
There is a small button on the mirror that looks like a light bulb. Hold it down and the mirror will change in brightness.
There (currently) isn't anywhere to store soaps in the shower. We mentioned this to Adam Stewart and he advised they have shelves coming but were delayed so they'll be adding them soon. In the meantime, we kept our soaps on the counter and reached around the glass wall to grab them when needed.
There are no outlets in the bathrooms, per code requirements on the island. It is highly recommend that you bring an extension cord. There is a large floor to ceiling mirror in the walk-in closet, as well as an outlet, and a bench seat at the little vanity table in there. Still, I would say to bring an extension cord.
There are at least 2 US outlets in the room, but the rest are Type G (European) outlets. We purchased this travel converter with an extendable four foot extension cord and that was perfect for us. It can be found on Amazon here.
We also brought a regular extendable power cord for the US outlet which can be found on Amazon here.
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The resort is building more suites back behind the tennis courts past the gym. We hear they will be swim-up rondovals with private pools.
We also had the opportunity to tour two other room categories on resort - the Lady Palm Club Swim-up Suite with Media Room & Tranquility Soaking Tub (1SUP)...
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Both room categories were gorgeous and we had a hard time deciding which of the two we would have preferred to stay in. but overall the beachfront with the private pool won out because being able to step out of our own private pool and onto the beach would have been incredible.
You can view all of our room walkthrough videos on our YouTube channel here
The Resort Grounds:
In typical Sandals fashion, the resort grounds are well cared for and beautiful. Tropical flowers and plants adorn pathways standing out boldly against the blue of the pools and the green of the grass. Cascading water features creating soothing sounds as you walk around areas of the property. Fire dancing and illuminating your pathway to the beach. The smell of the night blooming Jasmine while hearing the Caribbean tree frogs singing you lullabies. All of these are signs you're home at Sandals and its the same no matter which property you visit.
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But at Sandals St. Vincent, you also get the beauty of the surrounding area - green mountains surround you on three sides. White sand on the beach leads you right into the crystal clear ocean. Couple all of that with the the unique design and layout and you truly have a stunning property. This is one of those resorts that you will want to post photos of everywhere.
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The resort staff, as always, does an excellent job taking care of the property. We didn't see run into any issues during our stay. In fact, we saw them working around the clock to keep everything clean and functioning. I never saw cups, plates, etc. left out for too long. Or unattended towels laying around. They did an impeccable job of keeping everything pristine while we were there!
At the time we went the mountains and hillsides and bluffs surrounding us were looking a little brown from lack of rain over the past few months. They were dealing with an unusual drought at that time, which also meant the island was conserving water. Even though there were no water restructions placed on the resort, we personally tried to conserve water usage to be helpful and supportive. But I'd imagine once the greenery bounces back it's probably very picturesque.
On one side of the mountain (behind the swim up suites) is just a bluff with no real structures on it. On the other side is babbling brook that creates a natural barrier between the resort and the village next door. There is a wooden bridge that takes you to the neighboring town and you can walk there anytime to check out the black sand beach, shops or a local restaurant. There is also a property across from the spa that has cows and you may hear them or the rooster every so often. It truly is a natural paradise that feels so secluded from the hustle and bustle of the world.
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Bicycles
Something fun and unique is the use of bicycles on resort. Sandals has several bicycles located all over the resort property for all guests to use. If you see one sitting somewhere, even in front of someone's room, you are able to take it and ride anywhere on resort. This is great if you're not wanting to take a long walk to get anywhere. We ended up riding them around a lot because it was just fun! In fact, one night we went back to the room and changed into our gym clothes to be more comfortable and then just rode the bikes around the resort for an hour or two. It was like being kids again.
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Dogs on Resort
There are several dogs that walk the property, similar to the "cats of Sandals" at other properties. These dogs apparently belongs to someone in the village next-door. During the day they wander over looking for food and then wander back to the other side at night. The dogs are incredibly sweet. They don't bother you unless you show interest in them. Most of the time they are laying in a shaded spot (under chairs on the beach) or walking around looking for a handout from someone. They are very skittish and will run away if you make sudden moves. My husband got up from his chair quickly, not realizing one was laying behind us, and it got startled and and ran. If you're not a dog fan, just shoo them away and they won't bother you.
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By day three I mentioned to my husband that I had seen the dogs over the past few days but not once had I seen any messes from them. The staff did a great job keeping things clean if the dogs were making messes anywhere.
The Beach / Water
This was the big question everyone asked me to check out for them. In photos, and even in person, the beach looks like nothing special. For those that aren't already aware, the resort that owned the property before Sandals imported white sand for the beach to make it more appealing to tourists. But St. Vincent is a volcanic island, so the beaches are usually black sand. This makes the water look darker when you look at it. Because of that, as someone who doesn't like to swim in dark water, I was a bit concerned about what the beach and ocean would be like here.
Because of the imported white sand, it does seem a bit clearer and bluer than one of the local black sand beaches we checked out during our stay. Once we got in I realized just how incredible this water is. It was like swimming inside of a crystal.
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This instantly became one of our favorite beaches in the entire brand, which surprised me. The beach itself isn't very large, but is big enough that there is space for everyone to spread out and enjoy. Because it's a cove you really won't get any locals walking over and trying to sell you things. It seems very exclusive and private. This is the beach you want when you want peace and quiet and privacy.
Honestly, I don't even think the videos we took did it justice but if you want to check it out, I have a video on our YouTube page here.
The Weather
This is a big thing to discuss at this resort. Because you're located in a valley between three mountains/hillsides, the weather is very hot. You won't feel the cool sea breezes you feel at other resorts. This was an oppressive dead heat- like walking into an oven. We asked the locals and they said it actually gets worse in the summer months. So, if you plan to be traveling here in the summer, I highly recommend you spend a lot of time in the pools or ocean, or get a swim up suite or a private pool suite. You are going to want to be in the water all the time. Less land tours and more water tours, in my opinion.
However, one benefit to the heat and the mountains is that it usually rains for a little while in the afternoon. Never too long, but just enough to cool everything off. One of the locals told us that when you see the rain clouds on the mountain behind the resort you have five minutes before it reaches you. We were in the pool one afternoon and saw the clouds rolling down the mountain and decided to time it. It was exactly 4:47 seconds by the time the rain reached us in the pool. And it moved out just as quickly. It probably rained for a good ten minutes and then was gone. Most of that time the sun was still out and we were searching for rainbows. Nobody even bothered to leave the pool. I thought the rain would be a negative aspect of this resort but it's actually a positive. It was refreshing, soothing, and a welcomed sight after such a hot morning. But, if you are planning a destination wedding, it's something to take into consideration when deciding your locations or timeframes. I know with my destination wedding couples, we'll be discussing options and back up location venues, to ensure they aren't rained out on their big day.
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The Pools:
One of my favorite features of the resort are the pools. There are four freshwater pools and two whirlpools found on property.
The main one is the pool that you see when you enter the lobby. It truly makes you stop and say "wow" as soon as you see it. Labeled as the fun pool, here you'll find the swim-up bar is and a DJ during the afternoon. This is where the music is playing and the drinks are flowing through the day. But there is plenty of room in the pool to find quieter areas since the pool is a 300 linear feet long.
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It's quite impressive and has plenty of chairs around it for you to enjoy.
There are also (at the moment) complimentary beach cabana beds which are super comfy! The cabanas also have fans and an outlet (Type G) and on the right (if looking from the lobby) are cabanas 1 through 5 and then on the left (if looking from the lobby) are cabanas 6 through 24. We hung out in cabana 3 for a little while to use the outlet so we could charge up our phones and answer a few work emails and it was perfect (and very comfy double bed loungers!)
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Behind the main pool is the "Crescent Pool" which faces the swim-up suites. This is tucked away in an area most people wouldn't even expect was there. But it's a great pool because you're close enough to the main pool to hear the music and action but don't feel like it's right on top of you. There are cabana beds that line the pool that are (currently) first come, first serve and free to all guests. The higher number cabana beds are along this pool and go from cabana number 25 through 28.
The third pool is the two-tiered beachfront infinity pool outside of Parisol, labeled the "Parisol Beach Club Pool". This pool has two decks, for sunbathing and easy access to the Parisol restaurant and bar for drinks and poolside snacks. Waitstaff walk around taking orders from anyone who is poolside there. This was my personal favorite pool. There is music playing from the speakers but it's very relaxing to be able to swim there and overlook the beach area. This is also where I first ordered my new favorite drink - The Vincy Flag. Yum!
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The last pool is the Heart-Shaped pool which is set back to the side off of the lobby area, right in front of the spa. The sides of the pool are slanted allowing for little bench seats for guest's comfort. We enjoyed this pool in the early evening before dinner as it was quiet and close to our villa. It's very quiet back here as there is no music playing and everyone enjoying the pool sort of kept to themselves. It gave off a romantic vibe, which I guess was the idea considering it's shape.
For the two whirlpools, one of them can be found at the foot of the main pool. The other can be found at the tip of the heart-shaped pool.
There are also pools attached to the swim-up suites as well as beachfront private pools belonging to the villa guests. And don't forget about the cold and hot plunge pools and the spa pool, which are also open to all guests even if they aren't having a spa treatment. There are buttons to press along the pool to turn on the water features. The spa staff can assist if you aren't sure where or how to do it.
The Service:
This was the first time the resort experienced full capacity. We had 100% occupancy for our event and let me tell you, I wouldn't have known it unless they confirmed it to us. The resort didn't feel full at all and the staff kept up with us.
Something that sets this property above the rest, in my personal opinion, was the service. This is not the island where you'll feel like you're bothering anyone when asking for something. We had a small situation in our room where the water in the tub was coming out brown at first. I called maintenance, not because I was upset but because I wanted to make sure it got fixed before the next guest stayed in the room. They ended up running the water until it was clear and explained there had been dirt in the line and it was flushed out now. As an apology, management issued me 10,000 SSG points. I told them I didn't need it, because it wasn't even an issue to me, I had only want to make them aware. They insisted and continued to apologize that things weren't 100% up to standard. I was pretty impressed with how serious they took even something so minor.
Everywhere you dined, the staff was full of smiles and would stop and chat if you gave them a chance. We were told that the majority of the staff has never worked in hospitality before and it actually made the service better somehow. When food took a little longer than expected or restaurant wait times were going to be a while, we were met with genuine apologies. When we asked staff questions about the island, its history or their culture, they were so eager to share info with us and help us learn.
There was something about the hospitable nature of this island that made us feel so welcomed and appreciated the entire time. In fact, during one of our morning meetings, The Honorable Carlos James, Minister of Tourism for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said this: “The lives of many of my citizens are actually dependent on tourism. The region is one of the most tourism dependent globally. This is how we live. We share experience. We share our food. We share our homes, and our hearts. And we want to you share it with the rest of the world.”
The Food:
I've been staying at Sandals Resorts since 2007, so I've seen how much the food has changed, but also in a way hasn't changed, over that time. I can promise you this... Sandals St. Vincent is where the foodies will be happy. If you've been to Sandals before and were not wowed by the food, give this property a chance to change that for you. We tried them all while there and here is our feedback.For a sample menu of each restaurant, click here and then click each restaurant's name.
Gatsu Gatsu
Type of Cuisine: Izakaya & Handroll Bar
Dinner (a la Carte): 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
I'm starting with my favorite. Sushi! When there is a sushi restaurant on resort, my husband and I dine there every night for "appetizers" before heading off to eat elsewhere. We have eaten a lot of sushi at Sandals and Beaches Resorts over the years and this restaurant has by far, hands down, the best sushi we've had in the brand. The menu offers a wide variety of options and the uniqueness of the options. For example, we tried the temaki, which is sushi rolled into a cone shape. We also tried the tiradito, which is sashimi with a spicy Peruvian sauce on it.
They also had signature rolls (including our favorite- the champagne lobster rolls), sashimi, nigiri, ramen noodle bowls, and more. For dessert we had the Yuzu cheesecake and the assorted Mochi ice cream. Both were some of the best desserts we've had at a Sandals property. I also tried the signature cocktail which was the Sake Cruise consisting of sake, vanilla vodka, pineapple, cranberry, grenadine and sprite. It was so good I ordered a second one, which I rarely do.
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Butch's Island Chophouse
Type of Cuisine: Steak & Seafood
Dinner (a la Carte): 6:00 p.m. -9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Evening (Reservations required)
Like at other Sandals properties, Butch's promises excellent cuts of meat and it delivers. I had the surf and turf, as I normally do at Butch's and it was delicious like always. We also tried multiple other dishes, but because we were dining in the company of a good friend- Marsha Ann Donaldson-Brown who is the "Director of Romance" for Sandals Resorts weddings - we spent more time chatting than taking photos of our food for you all.
Between the three of us we had the shrimp cocktail, goat cheese salad, crab cake, surf and turf (lobster tail and filet mignon), salmon, snapper, scallops, and the truffle fries. We ended up sharing so we could sample it all.
Buccan
Type of Cuisine: Local
Dinner (a la Carte): 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual (Reservations required)
This restaurant is a first for the brand and unique to this property. It's a family-style dining, similar to hibachi, but you get seated at a long table meant for around a dozen people with bench seating on each side. Instead of ordering off of a menu, you are presented with a wide variety of foods to all sample together. Honestly, the food is plentiful and delicious. It gave us a chance to try so many local dishes we probably wouldn't have been adventurous to order off of a menu elsewhere.
My favorite was the fact that they served some of it in lava rocks! Serving a bubbling dish in a lava rock bowl was pretty unique and exciting to see. They also grilled pink pineapple and it was the best pineapple we've ever eaten.
Seriously, this is one of those restaurants where you need to save room to try it all, including dessert. We almost tapped out and left before dessert, and were so glad we stayed. They brought out peach cobbler bubbling in a lava rock with vanilla ice cream on the side. I want to cry just thinking about how good it all was.
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Sora
Type of Cuisine: Italian
Breakfast (Buffet): 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Dinner (a la Carte): 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Breakfast (Buffet): 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Dinner (a la Carte): 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
This is the buffet on property, open for breakfast and lunch, but they also shut the buffet area at night and turn it into an Italian restaurant. We did not get to dine here at night as we ran out of evenings, but we dined here for the morning buffet and I was impressed. It's a typical Sandals breakfast buffet, but there were options for local fare, as well as some favorites from other islands. For a quick breakfast before a tour, this is a great option. But we generally prefer to sit down and dine a la carte for breakfast when at Sandals.
Scrimshaw
Type of Cuisine: Seafood
Dinner (a la Carte): 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
This is the seafood restaurant and it was delicious. The food at this resort really impressed me. For example, I ordered the conch fritters, and when they came out as three fried balls on a plate with no dipping sauce, I was a bit confused until I cut into one of them and sauce poured out on the plate. It was absolutely mouthwatering! The conch chowder was interesting - they brought the bowl to the table with all the ingredients but the broth and then added the broth into the bowl. It was beautifully presented. I also had the Mahi Mahi and that was perfectly cooked, seasoned and sauced. My husband had the lobster tail and scallop dishes. The scallops melted in your mouth. All of it was very very good.
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Parisol
Type of Cuisine: Beach Club (Grill)
Breakfast (a la Carte): 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Lunch (a la Carte): 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
This is the beach club grill and this was our preferred go-to while on resort for breakfast and lunch, mainly because of the view from the tables. We loved dining overlooking the infinity pools and beach. The food here was very good for both meals - for example, one morning I had steak and eggs for breakfast and the cut of steak was huge compared to other properties, and not gritty or with fatty spots, either. My husband had yogurt and a fruit plate, which had something unique on it - a pink pineapple. We'd also eaten that at Buccan the night prior, and asked the waitress if this was something they had on the island. She said no, it's something Sandals does there, so they must buy pink pineapple for the resort, just for the effect.
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For lunch we also dined at Parisol. The Callaloo and Artichoke spread with plantain chips is delicious. We got it every time we dined there it was that good. The fried Mahi bites are great, too. We also tried the pork loin, which was tender and perfect. Then we had the Snapper and chicken with the lemongrass rice which was also so good we ordered it multiple times through our stay. We didn't have a single thing that wasn't great here.
The Jerk Shack
Type of Cuisine: Authentic Jamaican Jerk Specialties
Lunch (a la Carte): 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
This is the place to grab a quick. meal when you're hanging out by the main pool and don't want to venture down to the Parisol beach club pool area. This restaurant is located in the Plaza and has outdoor seating which is shaded with umbrellas during the daytime. The food here is very good, and will remind you of the Jerk Shacks at other properties. We opted to only eat here once as we spent more time down by the beach than up here during the day.
Isola Pizza
Type of Cuisine: Pizzeria
Lunch (a la Carte): 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
Late Night: 10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
This restaurant is located in the "cove" area by Parisol, across from the Island Routes tour desk. It's also in the same building as "Imoro". If you're hungry for a quick meal full of carbs, this is the place to go. The brick oven pizza is delicious. We tried the meat lovers and a regular cheese, and loved both. The crust was perfectly cooked and the flavors were plentiful. Probably one of the best pizzas we've had at a Sandals or Beaches resort property.
Imoro
Type of Cuisine: Green Bowls
Open: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Located in the same location as Isola, this is a quick service option for salads and green bowls. I wandered in one afternoon and ordered a chicken caesar salad (yum) and my husband ordered a quinoa bowl. Both options were very good and service was quick.
Crema
Type of Cuisine: Ice Cream Shop
Open: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
We only popped in here once, to pick up some ice cream one afternoon - which my husband then carried back to Blum and had them add it to his coffee. There are a few options for ice cream here and some other treats. It's located by the Parisol beach club pools and the beach area, so it's nice to be able to grab a cool treat after some fun in the sun.
Blum
Type of Cuisine: Coffee Shop
Open: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
This is the coffee shop on resort. We stopped in there twice on our way to morning meetings and on day one I had a caramel coffee, which was okay. They sort of improvised making it for me because I was really looking for a caramel frappuccino, but they don't make them with ice cream like at Cafe de Paris on other properties (unless you bring ice cream over from Crema and then they can use that). So on the second day I opted to try something off their menu and ordered the Honey Coffee, which is espresso poured over ice, milk and honey. It was SO good and definitely became my new go-to coffee while there.
Room Service
24 Hours for Butler suite categories of accommodation
From 7:00 a.m. -10:00 p.m. for Club Sandals accommodation categories
We had a lot of events going on while there, so we didn't utilize room service as much as we normally would on resort, but we did order twice. Once for lunch and then again one evening after our award show when we didn't want to get stuck waiting for food elsewhere. The plus is that even though the resort was at 100% capacity, they said it could be a 45 minute wait but it arrived within 25 minutes both times. Also, the food was much better than typical room service at other properties.
At lunch we ordered cheeseburger and fries and a BLT with chicken added. For dinner we did a pasta and fish and a pasta and chicken dish. For the room service menu, we found it on the TV under "dining options" and "in room dining". Though when we called there were a few items that were not available and some items avialable that weren't listed on the menu, so check with them when you call.
Food Sensitivities
We have a friend who was on property with us who has food allergies and sensitivities. She spent some time talking to us about how Sandals Resorts takes care of her when she visits. We even had a chance to see it in action when the chef came and sat down with her to build a meal out of menu items she was able to eat.
It was pretty impressive to watch it happen since we'd only ever experienced it with our clients. It was also nice to see the final results of the meal planning. The food looked just as delicious as ours. They even made her a special frozen cocktail because she normally couldn't do the sugary ones but they made her one of fresh fruit and ice. She was ecstatic.
The Bars
We aren't big drinkers so we didn't spend a lot of time at any of the bars, but there are nine in total. When you first walk into the lobby you'll find the lobby bar tucked into the lefthand corner, over by the doors for the club lounge, and is open from 10am - 12am daily. Then you have the swim-up bar in the main pool, open from 10am-5pm daily. As well as the outdoor bar inside the plaza which is open from 10am - 12am daily. Tucked into the plaza area is the Three Jewel's Rum Bar, which is open from 4pm - 1am daily. On the beach near the water sports area you'll find the Beach Bar which is open from 10am-5pm daily. |
| Lobby bar |
Lastly are the bars inside the restaurants such as Butch's, Parisol, Gatsu Gatsu, and Scrimshaw. Those bars are generally open during the time the restaurants are open, with the exception of Parisol which is open from 10am-12am daily.
The liquor on resort is plentiful and all the big name brands. In fact, we sat at the bar in Scrimshaw and took inventory of the various labels. We saw everything from Titos, Absolute, Appleton, Jameson, Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort, Crown Royal, Jim Beam, Makers Mark, J&B, Johnny Walker, Remy Martin, Tanqueray, and many more brands.
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| Bar inside Scrimshaw |
Water Sports
We opted not to do any included water sports while here, simply because we were so pressed for time and wanted to enjoy the beach and pools instead. but we did see plenty of people wakeboarding, kneeboarding, waterskiing, tubing, snorkeling, kayaking in clear kayaks, sailing on hobie cats, and all the usual included water activities at Sandals Resorts. I'm also told snuba is included, in addition to the usual scuba diving. Water skiing and tubing is included here, which isn't always the case at other properties. Anyone who signed up to do the snorkeling got to go over to the nearby Bat Cave to check that out, which looked very cool. We brought our own snorkel gear and swam around the beach area and saw tons of beautiful fish right out by the rocks - and many that swam right by us while we just stood in the ocean.
Red Lane Spa
This may be my favorite Sandals spa. First, it has a lovely large salon for hair and nails. Not something I consider having doing while on resort but in the future I may because it looked very relaxing and comfortable.
The treatment rooms have soaking tubs, and one even has a beautiful outdoor (private) shower and soaking tub. That seemed like a lovely added treat post-massage.
There were also a few outdoor pavilions available for massage treatments that overlooked the babbling brook below, giving you the option to listen to the soothing sounds of natural water instead of artificial sounds pipped into a treatment room.
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The plunge pools as well as the spa pool were so inviting and relaxing looking, and maybe it was just because we'd done a two hour resort tour in the dead heat, but honestly it looked like one of the best spas we'd seen on resort.
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Island Routes Tour
Speaking of tours, we also had the opportunity to tour the island on a catamaran. We met the group we were sailing with at the Island Routes desk near the pizza place. Then from there a small boat came on shore to shuttle 10 at a time out to the catamaran awaiting off shore. The guide told us because of the type of hull they have they cannot park it in the sand on the beach like some of the other catamarans can. But it was fine. A quick 5 minute boat ride to the main boat and back was a nice little adventure.
Our cruise hugged the coast and allowed us to see villages and mountains. It was all so beautiful. The guide, Nia, gave us a rundown on the history of the island, including showing us the volcano, La Soufrière.
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After sailing, we stopped at a black sand beach named "Queen Elizabeth's Beach". It was breathtaking. I'm not even kidding you when I say I cried at the beauty of the black sand with the gold specks in it and how clear the water was even though it looked so dark. It was so naturally beautiful. There was even a cave area carved out of the side of the bluff that we could walk into and take pictures. The whole experience was very unique, again, a word I seem to be using a lot to describe this entire trip.
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One of the cool things we got to see on the tour was some of the spots where they filmed Pirates of the Caribbean. There was a little harbor area that I remembered from the film, and then also the rock with the hole in it that he sailed by where the dead pirates were hanging with a warning sign. Also, the beach we stopped at was where the coconut groves were when Johnny Depp's character came down the hillside in the wheel. If you're a fan of the movies, you may enjoy seeing these sights.
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There is also the Dark Falls tour, which we wanted to do but didn't grab a space quick enough and it sold out. This is a long trip, and you'll be gone pretty much the whole day, but it is very cool because you get to tour a lot of popular spots on the island, including some of those same Pirates of the Caribbean locations, and stop at the beautiful waterfall. But in the end, I'm glad we only did the catamaran as we were pressed for free time and it allowed us to see the island and also get back to the resort and enjoy some extra downtime in the pool and on the beach.
No matter what you choose to do, definitely take some time out and explore the island outside of the resort and get to know the destination itself.
Gift Shop
The gift shop on resort is located in the Plaza and open daily from 8am - 9pm. I don't normally shout out the gift shops, but this is one of the best gift shops I've seen on a Sandals property. It's big and has pretty much anything and everything you can think of. This was our first trip abroad without our kids, and we wanted to pick up some gifts for them and some thank you gifts for my in-laws who were watching them. Normally we have a hard time finding something but in this shop there was so much to choose from. If you forget something at home, they have plenty of items to help you out. Also, there are lots of local items like foods, snacks, chocolates, jewelry, arts and crafts, etc. Or you can opt to wait and buy from the local vendors who come on property once a week to sell their good, too.
Fitness Center/Gym
The gym here is on the smaller side, but it has everything you'll need. Multiple cardio equipment options and the usual items you'd find in your gym at home - such as ellipticals, stationary bicycles, Jacob's ladder, treadmills, weights, squat rack, resistance bands, and more. There were limited classes at the time we went, which hopefully will expand later. There was a pilates class, couples stretching, power walking and a H.I.T. program. At the time, I didn't see any yoga classes, but that could be coming soon. Of course, anyone with a fitness room in their suite will also have a stationary bike in their suite with programs on the smart TV.
I did see people doing their own yoga and pilates workouts using their phones, too, which is an option for anyone who has their own routines back home.
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| Gym |
Wedding Information
If you're considering a destination wedding here this is a great location. The overwater chapel is gorgeous and on the larger side fitting just shy of 50 people. The cost for this is a $750 fee (subject to change).
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| Overwater Chapel |
Tour the Overwater Chapel on our YouTube channel here:
There are also garden wedding locations, a covered pavilion for weddings or receptions tucked back by the spa area, and a rooftop terrace that is covered and overlooking the beach and ocean (just above the restaurants) in case of rain. There are plenty of options for couples.
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| Covered event space |
The wedding lounge is located in the lobby. You'd meet here to discuss the final details with the on resort wedding planners and do the cake tasting while on resort. You'd also meet the wedding team here if doing a Test Drive trip.
Also, there is a wedding golf cart on property, which seats 5 guests and the driver (only resort staff are allowed to drive it).
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| Wedding chariot |
Departure Lounge
There is a departure lounge located in front of the spa that is available for all guests. If you arrive and your room isn't ready you can go there to shower, use the lockers, and change into your swimsuits. The same is on departure, if you wish to enjoy the facilities longer and your transfer isn't until later in the day.
The Two-Story Overwater Villas
Unfortunately, at the time of travel the villas were not ready for tours yet. But we did take a sneak peak from across the way. Overwater villa guests will have their own private cove beach, only accessible to the occupants of those villas. The pier where Jilly Bean docks is right across from the villas which allows guests a quick walk from their boat transfer to the rooms.
While I was there one of the villas was close to being entirely done. Furniture was in, doors were up, and everything seemed maybe a week away from being ready for just that room. But the one next door was still being completed and they were going in that order. I would expect by the end of June they would all be done, as we were there in the middle of May. They look amazing and once they are done I'll be excited to check them out as soon as possible.
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I hope this blog was helpful for you! I'd love to help you further if you'd like. Just to introduce myself, I am Kira Solomon, I have owned My Paradise Planner since 2008. I've been an award-winning Sandals Chairman's Royal Club member since 2012, one of the highest accolades Sandals/Beaches offers their top selling travel agent partners. This means that you have one of the world’s best Sandals specialists at your fingertips and it costs you nothing extra to work with me. If you choose to work with me, I book you direct with Sandals, where I have my own dedicated call center team (called the Diamond Team!), my own corporate concierge, and a local Sandals rep in my area in the USA. Sandals has provided me with multiple tools to make sure you get the best service possible from me.
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NOTE: All information in this blog was collected at the time of publishing. Information above is always subject to change, per the resort.
NOTE: All information in this blog was collected at the time of publishing. Information above is always subject to change, per the resort.
