Sandals Barbados

When you are hoping for a perfect anniversary there are bound to be things that go wrong and this was no exception. I will give the management credit for dealing with all complaints but when you choose a Sandals resort there shouldn't be problems they have to resolve.
First there was the free scuba diving, the water sports staff knew we wanted to go but couldn't tell us the day before if it would happen but also didn't tell us that we needed to be at the desk by 7:15am to depart (earliest breakfast opens at 7am). The water sports manager addressed the issue but we missed out on a day of diving.
Next was the surprise I had prebooked (and confirmed on arrival) where a dozen roses were supposed to be delivered with breakfast in our room on the day of our anniversary. Well they lost the door hanger card with the order and I had to go to the desk to find out what happened which of course ruined the surprise factor and the roses were delivered to the room later that day with a platter of fresh fruit (from the buffet).
While I was frustrated by things not going as planned, my wife did enjoy the resort for the most part.
Just be careful if you have food allergies as there can be cross contamination. [Details]

The resort is lovely, and the grounds beautiful. Once we figured out the link between the 2 resorts, it was easy to get around. Highly recommend the resort tour offered each day at 9 am or 5 pm. Lots of restaurant choices and needless to say, we both gained some weight…lol.
Our room location on the 2nd level was great and located in the quiet area of the resort and very near the quiet pool, which we used often. While not the most fanciest of rooms that we have stayed at during previous Sandals vacations, it was fine.
We also enjoyed the nightly entertainment. There was lots of selection to buy gifts at their Beach House shops.
The beach was clean and we had no problem finding lounge chairs in the shade. The beach was nice, but if people are looking for long walks on the beach, it was short, only a 10 min walk before turning around to go back.
Lots of bars to head to for our drinks. Overall, a beautiful resort in keeping with the Sandals standards. On a personal note, we felt that the Barbados resort we were in was nicer than the newer Royal Sandals next door.
We only took 1 tour to the local Harrison caves. Well organized, and worth the $$. We also went snorkeling which was offered by Sandals (included) which was very good. Got to swim with the turtles! [Details]

Never been to a Sandals resort before, this was our first time. It is more expensive than a regular resort but it was amazing. The food was amazing. The choice was amazing. No haggling over towel cards and having to return them. No worries about Staff not listening to questions or concerns. Our every wish was accomodated without questions or hestiation.
Yes getting a beach chair could be challenging and yes we did have an issue with our room (our air conditioning wasn't working) but staff worked immediately to resolve issues and several people checked in to ensure everything was to our standard. [Details]

Absolutely fabulous vacation destination with amazing food selection and relaxing attitude [Details]

Those are two resorts intermingled into one large complex. Lots of dining options. Bombay, Butch, Kimonos and Chi are good for dinner. Neptunes and Jerk for lunch and Greenhouse for breakfast. Service quality overall is quite good. Most disappointing is the beach chairs occupation by butlers. Half or more beach chairs are occupied by red coolers indicating reserved. Worst is that some will remain empty through out the day. Sandals must stop this non sense practice. For me reserving places at public beaches is illegal per local laws. All beaches in almost all Caribbean islands are public space contrary to common believe. [Details]

We booked this trip for our honeymoon and it was perfect in every way. We have zero complaints. We have been to many different resorts and Sandals definitely topped the list. This was our first time in Barbados and we loved the island and ability to visit Sandals Royal Barbados like it was all part of the same large resort. The food was excellent at every restaurant. Service was great, excursions and snorkelling included in the package was great. Everything we needed was at our fingertips. Lover's Lane with the bowling alley was a really cool spot to hang out in the evenings. We loved the touchscreen game tables. Our oceanfront room on the 4th floor was fantastic - panoramic views of the ocean, pool below us and it was very quiet. We didn't end up using the tub on our balcony but it was nice to have in case we did want to use it. Even the toilet has a view of the ocean if you open the sliding panel to reveal the window in the shower. The resort is clean, well kept and the beach is awesome. The cleaners are fantastic. Everyone says hello when they walk by. The beach is enough to walk up and down for a good exercise and super soft sand. Seaweed would wash up when the sea was rough but they had a team cleaning it up almost immediately. It didn't bother us at all and swimming was great. We have already taken advantage of the on-site loyalty travel office and booked our next Sandals resort in Antigua for next winter. We will likely be repeat Sandals guests for years to come after this excellent experience. [Details]

The Sandals Barbados resort is one of the best vacation experience we have had.
From the moment of arrival until departure the entire staff especially Mgr. (Dexter), concierge (Leonardo, Andrew) made our stay so perfect.
There was always something to do here, however, as they say there's never enough time. [Details]

The hotel was beautiful - get the room for what you want! I wish I would have gotten the tub on the balcony - but no regrets on my room! [Details]

Location, food quality are excellent. Service is not up to the level which is expected from sandals. To start with bar, their is no drink menu, not all the drinks mention on their website available for example no single malt whiskey available. No premium vodka available. Most of the time no mint available for the drinks. Service is very slow in all the restaurants. Check in is a nightmare even after you do the online check in before coming. Rooms are clean. Overall good resort but short on value for what you pay. [Details]

The beach and resort are stunning. Overall we enjoyed our stay as we were looking for a restful vacation and are pretty self-reliant. This resort offers many quiet areas and pools to achieve that. We were in the penthouse ocean front with concierge service. Word of advice - do not believe concierge will follow up on any request you have. If you need something - don't leave without it. We spent probably 24 hours over our 10 day stay checking back with concierge for our covid test results, reservations, housekeeping issues etc. The wait service was terrible. The bar staff - which were abundant didn't seem to know what to do or how to mix drinks. Who makes a lemon drop martini without lemons and with a salted rim?? And yes - we did provide the ingredients to include, to the bartender. It was like watching the 3 stooges x 3. Everyone bumping into each other and looking oblivious. Quite comical once you've had a few. We rarely were offered drinks service at the pool or beach. Our suite didn't have very much lighting - no desk lamp or floor lamp. The only light was supplied by the sconces beside the bed. Maybe it was to hide the dirt - as our room was not very clean. We asked for robes and slippers - but didn't ever get them. Housekeeping frequently didn't replenish our dirty towels. We have traveled to other Sandals Resorts and this location is probably one of their best - but service ranks this resort very low on the scale. This was our first travel experience since Covid-19 lockdowns. It was fantastic to get away to such a beautiful location but we probably wouldn't go to Sandals again. [Details]

Sandals has renovated and ramped up this property formerly owned by Couples. The beach is gorgeous, the staff from Corporate to Housekeeping are friendly, hard working and caring. The food is very good, the grounds are beautiful. [Details]

On Feb.6th we stayed for a week at the new Sandals Barbados. We were not sure when we booked as some of the reviews where not favorable. To this day I'm not sure what people want out of a resort that was bought a few months ago. This resort as it sits now is great, yes it would be nice to have a few more restaurants & small upgrades to the rooms, but the rooms are quite comfortable as they are. The food in all restaurants is very good. The gardens are very nice, mature well groomed, pool area clean, beach great, drinks very good & the people that work there are the best.
As of April this year the resort will be closed for a time to renovate most of the property, with more restaurants, new pool & many other improvements. When they are done this resort will be over the top, one of the finest in all the Caribbean. Nice size resort & every employee seem very happy to have you come to their island. When you visit Sandals Barbados make sure you try an omelet made by Anthony, the best & with his smile you will be happy all day. There are many great servers at this resort, but there are two, five star servers are David & Curtley, both these men are the finest we have ever seen work at any resort. Every move they make is that of a five star restaurant.. Every move they make is that of a five star restaurant.
Well managed resort, (GM) Mr. Zellner, (OM) Jordan keep the property running smooth.
Kerry (GSM) is one of the finest people you can meet. We met her at Sandals Exuma a few years ago & when she was the manager at the Drunken Duck. She has not stopped working hard, always with a big smile & a great attitude.
Yes, the picture of the Green Monkey is on the property ate Sandals.
In all, Sandals Barbados is a great resort now & in future will be the finest resort in any resort chain. [Details]

We did some research and decided 3 weeks ago to book Sandals Barbados. We have travelled to Barbados before and found the island and Bajan's wonderful. We knew this was a newly acquired property by Sandals and well aware changes don't occur overnight. We've just returned and can say we were not disappointed. We wanted to stay longer and, in fact, we gave a deposit to return next year!
Arrival at the airport was a little confusing as we didn't find any Sandals Reps when we exited the airport. A friendly man from Dollar Rental helped us locate the Sandals Reps. They were busy checking in other passengers in an area well to the left of the exit. If you find yourself in the same situation, turn left once you clear the taxi booth area.
Things we really liked:
Free WiFi was available for all guests. I've lobbied for this for a few years and hopefully this trend will become a standard at all Sandals. Sandals promotes the Welcome Home concept. When family comes to visit me, they have access to my WiFi network and I expect the same whenever we “Come Back Home” to Sandals. Customers also have access to the Internet Café and ability to print Boarding Passes prior to leaving the resort. This was a nice perk!
Josef (GM), Kerry (Guest Services) and Jodon (Ops Mgr) made our stay pleasant as did the ‘Come Back Soon' ladies Shonnell, Angela & Melanie.
Markson, one of grounds keepers, was very friendly and entertaining. He conducts Nature Walks around the resort. Takes about an hour and we enjoyed it.
Resort: The resort was small and intimate. One large building along the beach with ocean front rooms. 5 buildings were tucked in behind with garden views. Gardens were lush. The gym was well appointed. Plenty of lounge chairs (poolside & beach) and towels were available during the morning. The beach provides soft sand for enjoyable beach walks.
Rooms: We felt the resort would be busy and decided to upgrade to the Ocean View Jr Suite. The view was nice and the sound of the surf relaxing. The room was comfortable; full bar and lots of HOT water.
Restaurants and Bars: We ate at all three restaurants. Daily menus were displayed near the Calypso Lounge. The Bayside buffet seemed small yet offered a nice variety. A la Carte at Schooners and Yes Please were both good. Yes Please offers veggie meals for lunch. Sandals had a ‘flag' system for the beach lounge chairs. Each set of lounge chairs was provided with a flag on a stick. Whenever you wanted a drink; erect the flag and a server would come to take your drink order. Nice touch.
We found all the staff very friendly and it seems unfair to identify only a select few. Here's a couple who made our stay even better: Anthony (omelettes), Tonya & Curtley from Bayside; Jason, Robert, Samantha, Thaniesha; Sherice and Adrian & Adrian B from Main & Pool Bar services.
Oistins Fish Market was an experience everyone should consider. Friday is the ‘party night' and you have the opportunity to join the Bajan's for food and drink. Fresh fish meals average $15 USD and decent Caribbean beer at 4 for $5 USD. Sandals offers free shuttle every half hour starting at 6:30 with hourly return trips starting at 8:30 – 11pm. FYI: Bajan food can be spicy.
We walked outside the resort during the day and felt very safe. Obviously one needs to be cautious not to flash the jewellery or cash but that's the case just about anywhere in the world. Local buses cost $1 each and the locals are very helpful in choosing the right bus stop. We spoke to many guests who also ventured off property to enjoy the southern portion of Barbados. [Details]

Safe off of the resort, a lot of culture and history. Their strength.....Sandals EMPLOYEES!!!!! [Details]

Sandals has taken over the property but there is NOTHING Sandals about it. The room we were put into,smelled,bedding,was stained & worn & furniture was dated & missing in parts of the room.We were moved to block 1 the next day, only because I said I was not happy with the room.Our friends who arraived 3 days after us, were not so lucky. They had paid for a "suite" but by no means was this an upgraded room. They were eventually moved after going back to the room 1 night to find that the patio door was wind open(which faced the road)& by the way, this took then 2 moves to do.
Food was good in the morining & lunch, but you need to go to the a la cartes to get a decent meal for dinner, & there was so such thing as premium about the drinks.The guys wanted their local rum, Mount Gay or Cockspur, yet they could not even get that.
The beach as always was great,(we have been to the island 3 times before, 2nd time to the property)
So please do not think that you are going to a Sandals resort, you will be disappointed.
The service staff really made our stay.
We had 1 of the staff acually go to the store on her own time & cost to get a bottle of Mount Gay for my hubby(Sheneka) & 1 staff who made sure that they would have flying fish for us the next day for dinner(Marsha). These 2 ladies really went above & beyond to make our stay. [Details]

hotel staff very friendly, the rooms are below sandals standards but given some time they will rectify that. the wait staff in the restaurants are very good, chef at omlete bar (anthony) very impressive, beach is awesome locations, #1 great thing is the Bajan people are friendliess in the Caribbean!! Front desk staff are eager to help your stay be the best so don't be shy about asking them to help especially if you get a room with a bed that is below expectations. Overall good for the $$$ we spent but not great if you spend the $$$$$$$ they want now, maybe next year when they have it up to sandals standards [Details]

For the most part we enjoyed our stay. [Details]

We had the best time staying with Couples in Barbados!

The beach was breath taking! Staff went above and beyond, the food was spectacular....everything you want in a relaxing vacation you can find here!

We loved hanging out by the ocean, however there are tons of pools on site. And there was never a fight to get a beach chair, plenty available!

The staff were all so lovely! We loved chatting with them and getting to know more about their life in Barbados. So polite and helpful, all of them! Patricia, Shamika, Stephen, Gavin, Jason - just to name a few - so great!!

The bar staff is fun and all make awesome drinks! Ask for the Martini menu - delicious!! I do wish the open area bar (Calypso) was open longer for entertainment , as it did close around 11 and people were forced over to the piano bar (however, still plenty of fun, just a smaller area).

The food at Dover (reservation restaurant) was over the top! We ate there three times, we could not get enough. The presentation itself was 5 star worthy for sure! Shamika, Curtley and Jenelle were of excellent service.

I would recommend staying here ! But do get out of the resort and explore the island, totally worth it. We did a private cab tour with Paul Payne, that was great!

The rooms were pretty average. Nothing special. The beds were comfy and the rooms were always made up nicely by the housekeeping staff.

The location of Couples is nice because it is close to Oistens for Friday nights. And did not take us long to get to Bridgetown (Capital). And the beach it is on, Dover, is breath taking, so blue! [Details]

This resort has an incredible staff, very kind and willing to please. The beach is crystal clear with nice waves that are not too strong or calm. The food tasted great! There always had plenty and changed everyday, not repetitive at all. If you have a sweet tooth, you will be in heaven as well! [Details]