My family, party of 6, just returned from our 2nd visit to Provo. Last year we flew AA thru Miami and stayed at OCW. That trip included lost luggage and much commotion amoung thousands at Miami Airport. OCW had great grounds and wonderful accommodations but the staff was unwelcoming.
This year we flew USAir thru Charlotte - what a HUGE improvement over Miami. While the flight options are limited compared to AA - NOT dealing with Miami was great relief!
Upon arrival at The Sands we were warmly greeted by the VERY friendly staff. We were all offered a complimentry rum punch and it was on to our room. We chose a 3 bdrm. ocean front suite. Due to the make up of our party the 3 bdrm. configuration did not work. The on site property manager took control and personally showed us two other options - one of which we settled upon. If there was a "problem" it was simply that one of the bedrooms should have twin beds.
Other than that The Sands was awesome. Every staff member we encountered was friendly and smiling, quite the opposite of what we experienced at OCW.
Their restaurant, Hemingways is very good. The night of the manager's party was especially good as they had live entertainment which was lots of fun for all who participated - and a good crowd they did have!
The Grace Bay Beach is the best we have seen anywhere. The snorkeling off of Coral Gardens at Bight Reef is as good as any we have experienced in the Bahamas or on any boat excursion. The only downside being you must walk thru the minefield of The Beaches to get there - a mass of humanity with cups, straws and other litter all over the chair-filled beach!
If we chose to do another island vacation to Provo we would definitely chose The Sands. Their staff makes the choice so easy.

TG - we are a family of 5 (3 teens) who are looking for a great family vacation to Bahamas or maybe Cancun. Did you have any kids in your party? If so, what was there for them to do?

My 11 year old daughter and 20 year old son were with us. My daughter was very content enjoying the pool and beach. The same can be said of my son.
The purpose of our vacation was to get away and relax and Provo is PERFECT for that.
There is not much sightseeing or nightlife but we had a GREAT time doing our own thing. We snorkeled off the beach at Bight Reef in front of Coral Gardens, we sailed on the complimentary Hobie Cat, and used the complimentary kayaks daily.
If your kids require lots of 'entertainment' the Bahamas (Atlantis) or Cancun may be more to their liking.
Good luck.

How far back from the ocean are the oceanfront suites at Sands? I read a comment on another message board saying that since the buildings are so far back from the water, its not worth it to pay the extra $$ for oceanfront vs. ocean view.
Thanks!

My guess is that they range from right on the beach (25' away to 100 yds.) If you enjoy the view I highly recommend the ocean front - the additional money was not that much of an issue for us.

Thanks TG. We are deciding between The Sands and RWI, and are definitely going with oceanfront. We were leaning towards the Sands because of a few extra amenities RWI is lacking (such as the fitness center and spa) - but the biggest deciding factor will be which resort's 'oceanfront' rooms are closest to the beach and provide the best view.