St. Lucia Sandals wedding or not.
Sep 10th, 2008, 10:18 AM
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St. Lucia Sandals wedding or not.
Second post. Please help mother of the bride I'm pulling out my hair! Daughter wants dream wedding in the islands. First pick Sandals Grande St. Lucia. 28 Guest between 21 and 70 is this the place? Our family is very well traveled, his has not traveled at all. Price is important and all inclusive for them, $2,000-$2,500p/p. Not for the Bride and Groom, they will upgrade. We have not been to St. Lucia (except on a day trip) that is why my daughters intrest. Any suggestion about the resort or the island would help!!!
Sep 10th, 2008, 12:35 PM
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Since you have not had any replies at all, I am going out on a limb a little bit here. I was a matron of honor and my husband the best man at a wedding at Sandals Regency in St Lucia. The bride and groom did not end up being happy with their wedding. The staff left us in the bride's suite way after the pick up time with no phone call stating why. They really pushed to do things their way, rather than the couple's. Sandals was constantly calling them in re: details for wedding to the point where the couple felt like they weren't enjoying what was a vacation as well as a honeymooon, they didn't get things that were promised to them, the video was so noisy, etc. All in all, not good.
Too bad it isn't in everyone's budget to go to Hawaii.
Have you thought about going to the the USVI and taking a trip over to the Bath's in the BVI? It's still a tropical setting, lots of water activities, romantic and there are AI options, as that is important to you. We are not into the club scene, but loved Duffy's.
Hope this helps.
Too bad it isn't in everyone's budget to go to Hawaii.
Have you thought about going to the the USVI and taking a trip over to the Bath's in the BVI? It's still a tropical setting, lots of water activities, romantic and there are AI options, as that is important to you. We are not into the club scene, but loved Duffy's.
Hope this helps.
Sep 10th, 2008, 04:53 PM
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i've never been on st. lucia so can't speak to that. and since your daughter has no major attachment to st. lucia... i did attend a wedding on st. thomas at an ai, the wyndham sugar bay, 3 years ago. their wedding planner was very nice, helpful and efficient. most arrangements were made before we traveled. bride and groom were quite pleased, as was the mother of the bride (my best friend - so i woulda heard it if she was not happy!) they were married on the beach with a view of the sea and nearby islands as backdrop, under an arch with flowers all over it. her mother & i cut palm leaves to line the "aisle" with and laid fresh flowers we "stole" on top of them. everyone dressed up but no one including bridal party wore shoes.
one possbile drawback is the 80 some steps from the main part of the hotel down to the beach/pool area. this may be difficult for the 70's set. however the hotel runs a mini shuttle up & down the hill every 20 mins as i recall, so no one has to walk at all.
there is lots to do on st. thomas for guests who want to go on excursions. decent snorkeling right off sugar bay's beach plus a good pool with bar and food right there. close to red hook so younger set has a place to go out a couple nights if desired. easy to get to st. john or any bvi's for a day trip. and as it is US it is easy to marry. you send in license application before you go and bride/groom go pick it up at the courthouse in charlotte amalie when they get on island. (st. lucia may or may not be more difficult than that to get legal) also if "his" fam does not have passports they'll be ok unless they want to do bvi excursions.
as well, if the happy couple choose a honeymoon in bvi's it would be very easy for them to get there. or liat flies to st. martin, anguilla, antigua/barbuda, etc.
please stop pulling your hair out. you don't want to have to wear a hat to the wedding in the caribbean heat.
one possbile drawback is the 80 some steps from the main part of the hotel down to the beach/pool area. this may be difficult for the 70's set. however the hotel runs a mini shuttle up & down the hill every 20 mins as i recall, so no one has to walk at all.
there is lots to do on st. thomas for guests who want to go on excursions. decent snorkeling right off sugar bay's beach plus a good pool with bar and food right there. close to red hook so younger set has a place to go out a couple nights if desired. easy to get to st. john or any bvi's for a day trip. and as it is US it is easy to marry. you send in license application before you go and bride/groom go pick it up at the courthouse in charlotte amalie when they get on island. (st. lucia may or may not be more difficult than that to get legal) also if "his" fam does not have passports they'll be ok unless they want to do bvi excursions.
as well, if the happy couple choose a honeymoon in bvi's it would be very easy for them to get there. or liat flies to st. martin, anguilla, antigua/barbuda, etc.
please stop pulling your hair out. you don't want to have to wear a hat to the wedding in the caribbean heat.
Sep 10th, 2008, 06:18 PM
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Sep 11th, 2008, 03:55 AM
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We have been to both Sandals Grande and the Wyndyam Sugar Bay. I personally would not recoemmend either resort.
Sandals was overpriced and we didn't feel like we got our monies worth. Food and service was so-so for a resort billed at that calibur. Unless you pay for the upgraded "true" suite, the rooms are basic hotel rooms.
You mentioned that there will be guests from 21 to 70. Sandals is a couples only resort and does not book rooms for individuals or non-couples.
If your daughter likes St. Lucia so much, check out Jamaica. Same topography, but much cheaper.
If interested in St. Thomas look at Estate St. Peter's Greathouse. Gorgeus setting for a wedding, but there are not many AI's hotels there and we didn't care for the Wyndham Sugar Bay hotel or the Island of St. Thomas in general.
If interested here is our picture page. We've been to many Islands and honeymooned in Cozumel (which is my personal favorite).
http://community.webshots.com/user/kvrlvn
Sandals was overpriced and we didn't feel like we got our monies worth. Food and service was so-so for a resort billed at that calibur. Unless you pay for the upgraded "true" suite, the rooms are basic hotel rooms.
You mentioned that there will be guests from 21 to 70. Sandals is a couples only resort and does not book rooms for individuals or non-couples.
If your daughter likes St. Lucia so much, check out Jamaica. Same topography, but much cheaper.
If interested in St. Thomas look at Estate St. Peter's Greathouse. Gorgeus setting for a wedding, but there are not many AI's hotels there and we didn't care for the Wyndham Sugar Bay hotel or the Island of St. Thomas in general.
If interested here is our picture page. We've been to many Islands and honeymooned in Cozumel (which is my personal favorite).
http://community.webshots.com/user/kvrlvn
Sep 11th, 2008, 10:12 AM
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We also attended a wedding at a Sandals resort in Negril.
After sorting through a lot of hurt feelings on the part of family members who were not a "couple," we found this option a bit unsatisfactory. We were not thrilled that the twin brother of the groom and the bride's mother could not stay at the resort because neither was part of a "couple" as required by Sandals.
The wedding itself was beautiful on the beach and the food at the reception was the best we had while there.
Now the other part: The food was mediocre and the service was not what we expected for the price. The hotel felt a bit cheap and needed renovated. We thought they tried too hard to provide food/fare geared toward American cuisine. This is fine if you have not traveled, but for someone who is well traveled, it is boring on the second day. It was very difficult to adhere to their serving times, bar times, etc., which made it feel a bit like summer camp. We did, at times, feel like their "playmakers" pushed guests into activities.
We did visit the Negril Beaches resort and it was actually much nicer. Beaches does weddings also and it does not have the same couples requirement. Families are welcomed and encouraged.
Overall, we love destination weddings and like the idea of it. You just have to remember that it will eliminate some family members due to travel, inconvenience or expense.
After sorting through a lot of hurt feelings on the part of family members who were not a "couple," we found this option a bit unsatisfactory. We were not thrilled that the twin brother of the groom and the bride's mother could not stay at the resort because neither was part of a "couple" as required by Sandals.
The wedding itself was beautiful on the beach and the food at the reception was the best we had while there.
Now the other part: The food was mediocre and the service was not what we expected for the price. The hotel felt a bit cheap and needed renovated. We thought they tried too hard to provide food/fare geared toward American cuisine. This is fine if you have not traveled, but for someone who is well traveled, it is boring on the second day. It was very difficult to adhere to their serving times, bar times, etc., which made it feel a bit like summer camp. We did, at times, feel like their "playmakers" pushed guests into activities.
We did visit the Negril Beaches resort and it was actually much nicer. Beaches does weddings also and it does not have the same couples requirement. Families are welcomed and encouraged.
Overall, we love destination weddings and like the idea of it. You just have to remember that it will eliminate some family members due to travel, inconvenience or expense.
Sep 12th, 2008, 06:53 AM
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"We thought they tried too hard to provide food/fare geared toward American cuisine. This is fine if you have not traveled" that pretty much sums up Sandals intent. They have a niche market with honeymooners that are too in love and pie eyed to realize they paid way too much and that the resorts are mediocre at best.
Sep 12th, 2008, 12:36 PM
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Look at the Riviera Maya of Mexico. Though lot as lush as St. Lucia, they have great AI hotels that will put Sandals to shame with regard to food, service and included amentites. Specially, check out the Iberostars, the Excellance and Secrets properties as well as the Royal Hidaway.
Feb 2nd, 2011, 07:23 AM
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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.
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.
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