myshell127

My husband and I are still deciding on our upcoming vacation in march. We are now looking at Sandals in St. Lucia. Any thoughts on one resort vs another? I have read different feedback on all of them. Also, any feedback on Sandals in general (good, bad, or indifferent). We have not done all inclusive before.

myshell127

Also, are there other hotels that offer both AI and non that you would recommend?

TwoDrsVaCa

I am pretty easy going, but I have to blow the whistle on this place. My wife and I have been married for 6 years, both in our early 30's and easy to please. We go to the Caribbean two times per year, for the last 8 years, and have Secrets, Barcelo, Hilton, many more- to compare to. This place was extremely disappointing and so were the other Sandals locations on the island; there is a free shuttle to the other two resorts. We spent $6,000 (most of our great vacations have been around $4,000) for the worst food and only a pool to sit by....you cannot enter the ocean, it is so rough that one woman had to be rescued from almost drowning. My wife had a "garage sale" from a wave while trying to get off a jetskii and lost her glasses and headband and spent the next few hours getting out water and sand, which is a little funny, but none the less-dangerous. It was a scary moment because we are talking about an instant 8 foot break on top of you.
Sandals is a powerful brand with a good marketing campaign in the USA, and I have to say that I was saddened to see all the newlyweds spending the money from wedding gifts at a resort that only has a few kinds of fruit, and labels itself "all inclusive." I eat more fresh fruit in -20F in Northern Wisconsin than this place had to offer. Apparently all inclusive means guests pay for your snacks, most activities, your wine, your Internet, your hygiene products, your beer (in most rooms), and there is no "top shelf as advertised. No Capt'n, no Grey Goose, no Grand M, nothing.
I did complain and one front desk woman laughed in my face, I guess that is because I did not yell and scream like the other guest I saw who were having similar experiences.
I got home today and I have a Sandals vacation booked in Jamaica for May, after this review next on my agenda is to change it to a different resort chain.
Most of the resort patrons were newlyweds, many out of the USA for the first time and spending up to two weeks in this dump, please vote with your wallet, the resorts are nothing like the Ads they place on TV. St Lucia is a beautiful island and if you go a few pages into google there are so many beautiful resorts and sandy beaches (we took a private, local sailboat, nothing to do with Sandals, so I saw what I missed) that if you look around a bit you will get a great deal in paradise. Just not at Sandals.

BellaClaire

I've been to Sandals Grande - St. Lucia, Sandals, Antigua, and Beaches Turks and Caicos....we go primarily because there are 9 other couple who are die hard Sandals people....the Grande was our first - I thought it was nice but overpriced...Antigua has a new section - I stayed in the old - and I thought it was overpriced....Beaches has 2 new sections - I stayed in the old and thought it was overpriced. I have to say I would go back and loved all 3 properties....but...I totally agree - there are other all inclusives that are newer - nicer and Sandals needs to upgrade and be more competitive......

Knowing

You did see that they went in March 2010, right?