Sandals Regency St. Lucia Golf Resort & Spa Review

Reviewed by pegR from Massachusetts on 2/6/09
See the letter I wrote to the founder of sandals after leaving his resort in disgust after only 2 nights of a 7 night booking....

Dear Mr. Stewart,

I watched your Sandals Chairman’s video prior to booking my recent vacation at Sandals Regency Resort in St. Lucia. Your testimonial was key to my choosing Sandals as my vacation destination. I now request that you take the time to hear my testimonial after spending a horrifying two days at the Regency Resort.

I booked the Romeo and Juliet Penthouse Suite (Room 895) for the period of January 3 – 10, 2009 at a cost of $6,556.90. We arrived at the airport after our helicopter transfer and were told that no one from Sandals was there to meet us, as had been confirmed prior to departure. We were forced to book a taxi and pay for it ourselves. Mildly unsettling and certainly not a promising start to our luxury all-inclusive vacation.

Within minutes of being shown to our suite my partner and I noticed that the walls had mold growing on them and the room was in terrible disrepair. We asked to speak to the management and the head Butler, whose name we believe is Dipac, explained that he realized the room was in need of renovation and that he was happy to report that the rooms were scheduled for renovation in the near future. However, he also informed us that no other rooms were available until mid-week and that if we wanted to transfer we would have to pay to upgrade to this new room. I made it clear to Dipac that I was not satisfied with this solution and felt that we should be moved immediately. He repeated that there was nothing he could do, but he did acknowledge that our complaints were valid.

We have attached photographs to provide proof of the conditions we encountered.
(1) there was mold growing on the walls,
(2) the window screen and window cranks were broken and there was bird feces on the outside of the windows,
(3) the ceilings were stained with watermarks,
(4) the bathroom floor was chipped and there was mold and dirt packed into edges of the floors,
(5) the tracks of the sliding glass windows were disgustingly dirty and filled with mold,
(6) the furniture showed years of use and wear and the chair fabrics stained.

We spent the night in that room, against our wishes, and awoke to an intense smell of mold and must and with a floor covered with a heavy layer of condensation. I almost fell trying to get out of bed because the floors were so slippery. My partner, who has strong reactions to smell, was in extreme distress. I had made it clear to the resort, prior to our arrival, that we required no scents in the room. There is a note to this effect in our Butler pre arrival log. We had to leave the room immediately to get away form the mold smell.

We quickly made the decision that we could not expose ourselves to the mold in our room After trying to get online to get an immediate flight home, we realized that the promised “in room” internet service did not exist. We had to walk to the main lobby and conduct our business in full view of the management. Our inability to deal with this matter in private caused us concern. The management had made it clear to us the prior day that they were unable or unwilling to accommodate our need for a room without mold. Here we were some three thousand miles from home on an island with no US embassy. We were completely in the power of your resort to meet our safety and health needs.

Due to our fear of potential retribution, we chose to use the excuse of a family emergency to appease the management and obtain their help getting home quickly. In truth, the emergency was that we feared for our own health and safety. Martina, from the main desk, worked diligently to get us a flight home. Unfortunately, the soonest flight available was the next day (Jan 5th) and at a cost $1,800.

Thus, we were forced to stay one more day at the resort. We attempted to make the best of this final 24 hours. We first went to the dive center and learned that, contrary to what is advertised, the scuba was not free and required a $75 lesson fee. Several people waiting in line were upset about this “hidden” fee. While waiting our turn, we realized that the dive staff was completely disorganized and unprofessional. We did not feel comfortable trusting these individuals with our safety in a boat and under water.

We chose, instead, to spend time at the main pool and on the beach. You will see in the attached photos that the pool, which you advertise as a stunning gem on the island, is, in fact, in serious disrepair with cracked tiles and rust stains. The photos that you use in your video show a pool in perfect condition with water fountains flowing. The same fountains that work so well in the video remained off during our entire 3 days stay. During our several hour stay at the pool and on the beach we repeatedly smelled sewage and had to move to new locations. We attempted to get towels and were told there were no clean ones available. Imagine, a “luxury” beach resort with no towels. We visited the Red Lane Spa, advertised as a luxury spa experience, and paid $260 for a couple’s massage. When I tried to shower before my massage, I learned that the spa had no running hot water. I went to the spa attendant and was told I would have had to walk up the Bluff to my room if I wished to shower first. I was not told this when I booked the massage, or even when I entered the spa, but rather after I had disrobed and could not get a refund.

One area of service that I will not go into in great detail, but that certainly deserves your immediate attention was the restaurant service and food quality. We were appalled at the low quality of the meals we received. Suffice to say that even at your most prestigious restaurant, Le Toc, our meals were disappointing, to say the least.

I feel compelled to note the two shining stars of your staff, the head butler (Dipac) and the office manager (Martina). Clearly you have numerous talented and capable staff, if only you would invest in the infrastructure renovations required to bring this resort to the level they, and more importantly the consumers, deserve. Here is one example of what I mean. We were told that you had just arrived at the resort as we were about to leave. This individual divulged to us his hope that your toilet backed up so that you would understand how seriously compromised the infrastructure really was. He was very pessimistic that the management would permit you to see all the problems that existed. He truly loved working at Sandals but felt horrible about how the guests were being “ripped off” and then left with bad feelings about his island. If only you could promote this caring individual to a position where he could make a difference!

One final comment about our safety concerns. As we put our luggage into the taxi for the ride to the airport we noticed that my luggage had been tampered with. We found a large bag of candles packed into one of the compartments. We asked about this and were told that our butler, Shanna, had placed the candles in my bag as a convenience while she carried them to the front desk. She then forgot to remove them. What Shanna did not seem to understand was that she had violated my right to privacy. She had opened my luggage. How do I know what else she put in my bag, or took out. I had to unpack and search for any further “hidden” items to be sure I was not carrying something illegal into customs. You advertise highly trained professional butlers in your video. When I brought this matter to their attention they laughed at me.

Let me end this letter with some information about myself. First, I am an experienced traveler. As a professional biologist, I have traveled to numerous developing countries, including some with very meager accommodations, such as Kenya, Tanzania and the Galapagos Islands. I am not fearful of staying in primitive conditions. I have slept in tents in Africa and in grungy hotel rooms in the Galapagos. In both of those cases, I got exactly what I had been promised – meager accommodations at meager prices. In contrast, at your resort I got dismal, unhealthy accommodations for the price of a luxury resort. In fact, in all of my travels, I have never encountered the lack of concern for my health and safety as I experienced during my brief stay at your resort. It was clear that the management had no interest in providing the “luxury” service you so proudly boast in your video.

What a horrid, horrid, experience....

Member Rating: 1.0
Ratings details: Room: 1.0 Atmosphere: 1.0 Service: 1.0 Value: 1.0

Reviewed by Zelda303 from Florida on 11/13/07
My husband and I returned to Sandals Grande last week, as we had been totally enthusiastic last year. We like the atmosphere, the magnificent bay on which it stands, and the great choice of activities and tours.
We were a bit disappointed by the fact that the highlight of our last tour, Martinique Splendor ( a full day trip , by boat, to Martinique), is no longer sold at the tour desk. Fortunately, we managed to book directly with the tour itself, called St.Lucian Wave Riders . Their phone numbers are everywhere on the island.
It is by far the best tour on the island and the best value for money....We realized that Sandals was charging a lot more than what we were asked when booking direct...So, good for us...And for whoever needs the tip !

Member Rating: 4.4
Ratings details: Room: 4.0 Atmosphere: 5.0 Service: 4.0 Value: 5.0

Reviewed by WaterGalMD from Baltimore on 5/22/07
Impecable service, room refreshed twice a day. Turn down service nightly. Minibar restocked daily. Local seafood available daily prepared many delicious ways. Unlimited excellent French champagne. Recommend all but the Pitons for dinner. Japanese, Italian, French, Southwest, Regional Caribbean, informal snacks and pizza, not to mention availability of food 24/7! Cooked to order breakfast at the Pavillion, or go up to the bluffs for breakfast, lunch or dinner with a spectacular view. Exceptional van drivers went out of their way to stop for photos, answer questions, cater to us. Our Dive master was patient and knowledgable, showed grace under pressure when more than one "diver" suffered anxiety on the dive. Manager of the resort engaged us in conversation daily...more than just a hello. A huge FLAT screen, champagne flowing, and beautiful views on our patio. Manicured beach, fresh towels whenever needed, bar service right at your chaise lounge. Lovely, white-gloved service at our candlelight dinner, unobtrusive photographers, exceptional staff, and I must say the cleanest, TRASH-FREE resort and island we have ever visited! Halcyon was too close to the main road, too dark and too many security guards that made us wonder what problems may be happening at that resort - although dinner at the Pier was excellent. We didn't make it over to the Grande...because we were out diving and snorkling EVERY day which was included at no additional cost...we just ran out of time. Go and splurge on a week or so here....oh yeah.. we heard the wedding planning services and packages were excellent. Must be -- we saw at least 15 couples get married in just 3 days. Excellent but too short stay at the Regency.

Member Rating: 4.6
Ratings details: Room: 4.0 Atmosphere: 5.0 Service: 5.0 Value: 5.0

Reviewed by mjgold95 from New York on 4/10/07
We just honeymooned here. I immediately disliked the airport in Castries. A porter grabbed our bags for a 3 foot walk to the taxi & then "asked" for a tip! The hotel check-in went smoothly. We had one of the suites without the private pool. The room was lovely-with a bar that they restocked every day. The beach & pools were wonderful, except that it was hard to get towels at certain times. Restaurant foods were definitely not gourmet, but we were satisfied. The horseback riding was definitely not worth the money. The trail was not scenic, as described. You go down a rode, passing by locals' shanty houses. Once on the beach, local vendors approach you to buy there goods. They are creepy! One guy insisted on rubbing aloe on my husband's sunburn & then asked for money when we were leaving. They give you a cold drink & again ask for money. The brochure doesn't mention bringing any cash, so of course we didn't have any. Once in the water, there was poop floating all around.Back at the hotel, beware the bats flying around the amphitheater at night & the rats that run around the shrubbery & across paths at night. When we ate at the Mexican restaurant a gigantic cockaroach walked out of the kitchen area & right under our table & across the floor.I couldn't put my feet down & relax. Thank God the food was awful & my husband couln't eat his dinner(fajitas). Then a bat came flying into the restaurant. We decided to leave. The Red Lane Spa is not worth the ridiculous prices! I would not recommend the smaller airport. We spent 9 hours there on our return because the plane that came in for us had a leak. They airport has no mechanics & no extra planes. We had to wait for the next flight in from San Juan. The security guards wouldn't even let us leave the departure room to get air or a smoke! All-in-all, I'm still trying to decide if the trip was worth it.

Member Rating: 3.6
Ratings details: Room: 4.0 Atmosphere: 4.0 Service: 3.0 Value: 3.0

Reviewed by comfortablynirm from Philadelphia on 1/18/07
"No pressure, no problem" is a line frequently used by St. Lucians (at least to tourists). Not only capturing the spirit of the island, the phrase also makes reference to the island's volcano, which emits gases rather than allowing pressure to build and increasing the likelihood of a dangerous eruption. We certainly had nine days without any pressures or problems at the all-inclusive Sandals Regency (meaning all food, booze, tips, and watersports are included in the upfront cost). We became quite accustomed to staying there, and it was very difficult to pack our bags and leave. In spite of having a spectacular and fulfilling honeymoon, we were both practically tearing up as our flight leaving the small airport at St. Lucia's capital of Castries turned onto the runway. The people---from those working at the resort to villagers we encountered on excursions---could not have been nicer. The weather was beautifully hot and tropical. The food at our resort totally exceeded our expectations, and so many little things and gestures from our hosts (Sandals and otherwise) made all the difference in our spectacular honeymoon. For example: a beachside snack bar with pizza and make-your-own nachos with deliciously spicy salsa (they were not afraid to kick things up at the resort, foodwise), queso sauce, and one of the best guacamoles I have ever had (probably because of the local avocados). What could be better than to take a respite from the beach and have a beer, some pizza, and nachos? I do not think there is anything I like better to eat, especially in the grab-a-bite beach setting. Anyway, it was a wonderful honeymoon, the scenery was amazing, and the dining was highly satisfactory, exceeding our expectations and even amazing us at times. We highly recommend the Sandals Regency, or, if you really want to splurge, the Grande. I really have no idea what resort the other Fodor's reviewers stayed at. Certainly was not the Sandals Regency, from what we saw.

Member Rating: 5.0
Ratings details: Room: 5.0 Atmosphere: 5.0 Service: 5.0 Value: 5.0

Reviewed by rcannon509 from Orlando on 1/13/07
We wasted $5k and a week. The service was terrible and the food even worse. Who would think that you go to a resort in the tropics and not be able to get a real fruit drink. The place stunk of sewage and was under construction. Never again!!!!

Member Rating: 1.6
Ratings details: Room: 2.0 Atmosphere: 2.0 Service: 1.0 Value: 1.0