Sandy Lane- worth it?
 

My DH and I are considering going to Sandy Lane for our 5th Anniversary. Is it worth the cost and distance to get there? we're looking to do 3 nights flying out of new york. How far is the hotel from the airport? What is Barbados like? Any thoughts would be much appreciated! Thanks so much!

Tripadvisor.com

has reviews on this place.
Reviews are mixed.

Is average price $1316?

I'm aware of the tripadvisor reviews- thanks-- I wanted to get some opinions straight from fodorites directly. The price for their lowest category room for when we want to go is 950.

Depending on traffic, the trip to Sandy Lane can take 30 minutes to an hour. It's a very beautiful and wonderful resort, and if you are truly wealthy then I think the resort is worth the price. If you are not wealthy but are looking for a luxurious splurge, I'd suggest the Coral Reef Club as an alternative. When all the costs are added up, I just don't know if any resort is worth it for that much money. Even though you can get a room for $950 a night, there are taxes, service charges, meals, and activities to consider. If you can afford $2000 per night for this vacation. And since it's only for 3 nights, which means at most 1 full day and 2 half-days at the resort, I just can't fathom why you would want to spend that kind of money unless you (literally) have money to burn. Go to a place where you can spend at least 5 nights so you at least have a chance to relax. Remember that's a half-day of travel to get there and back.

IMO Barbados is much too lovely, interesting, varied for only 3 nites. With your unpacking and packing,you'll have only 2 days to enjoy the island/resort. Also IMO, Sandy Lane is overrated for the $$$ they charge. Their pool is actually on the land side of their buildings, away from the ocean. They seem to get away with the charges by playing up the snob appeal and amenity-laden rooms.
But why go to a tropical paradise to hang out in your room? The islands are all about outdoor living 24/7/365. As Doug said, if you can go for a longer visit, Coral Reef Club is the class act on the island, with a variety of accommodations with oversized patios/balconies in a plantation-style setting, gorgeous grounds, family-owned for 50+ years. See www.coralreefbarbados.com and www.barbados.org

great air jamaica flight jfk to barbados #94 ret #93 gets you on island by noon and leaves at 6:40pm giving you that whole day to play.

alternatives might be:
- ritz on st. thomas. 45 min drive
- maroma hotel. 45 mins from cancun airport. very nice! very romantic!
- rose hall on jamaica
- link so several boutique hotels on jamaica: http://www.islandoutpost.com/

for a trip this short i would base my choice on non-stop availability and the resort itself as you won't have much time for exploring no matter where you go.

happy anniversary.

thanks all- the reason we're doing 3 nights is that we have a toddler at home whom i don't want to leave for too long.

Jamaica is not for us. Have been, hated it, sorry for the Jamaica lovers out there. I'll look at the air jamaica flight though- thank you.

While we don't have "money to burn" we can afford the trip to sandy lane. Cap Juluca was about the same price. It seems like people think anguilla/CJ is worth the price and maybe sandy lane isnt'?

one additional note-- before going to cap Juluca, my husband was hesitant b/c of teh price (essentially the same as sandy lane). once we got there he felt it was worth it. My question I guess, is would someone (he) have the same reaction to sandy lane? i know you can't speak to that directly, but is sandy lane 'as good as" CJ?

No Way is Sandy Lane worth it...The beach's on the west side of the island were washed out 10 years ago, so there is very little area, the sand is not white, however the Sandy Lane property has done the best they can do with the cove which exists for their visitors. The time from the airport is 30 minutes. If you want to go to this great island and be in an area with lots to do try Turtle Beach Resort, its all there....Also, nothing going on on the West side of the island . Besides if your interested you can take a taxi and check out Sandy Lane, go tho the Monkey Bar for a drink and chat!!

Thanks everyone- I'm definitely getting the vibe that Sandy Lane is not going to be the place for us!

I agree with others that Barbados is a really long trip for three nights. If you can only go for that short a time, I would definitely pick someplace closer to home. If you find you can swing a few more nights, here's a few upscale places (all considerably less than Sandy Lane) that my husband and I definitely thought were "worth" it --

Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, Nevis
Four Seasons Punta Mita, Mexico
Point Grace, Turks & Caicos
Royal Hideaway, Playa Del Carmen

I know its for your anniversary, but would u like to bring your child on vacation w/ you?

Would be nervous about leaving family @ home!

laplaya- i don't want to start a whole argument here, but i think your comment is inappropriate. We take our daughter on many many vacations with us, but have chosen not to for this special anniversary. My OP didn't ask for opinions on that choice.

Ok - so your answer is no.

(I had a great destination in mind for a family trip/quick getaway, but never mind).

emcash-
I feel the same about Sandy Lane...not worth it. We stay at Cuisinart on Anguilla, but i"m very familiar with Cap. I think you would be dissapointed.
I checked out the Coral Reef Club that another poster recommended. It looks very nice!
Happy Anniversary!

If you want to go to Barbados, try the Coral Reef Club.

Thanks Anguillagirl! I must say there's a part of me that wants to go back to anguilla- we loved it so much, but it's a hike for 3 nights for us.

Sounds like Barbados might be a bit far for our short travel allowance. looking into T&C now. Thanks everyone!

for some excellent and recent reviews of the nicest hotels on provo, t&c type screen name blamona into the search box with turks and caicos in the scroll.

just for fun check out this resort found on the isolated west end of the island. it's pricing is- well high. http://www.amanyara.com/page.aspx?id=640

Thanks Virginia! I'll do that search and I have checked out Amanyara-- looks pretty amazing!