Is Sandals Worth The Money?

Hi everyone,

Kevin with CoastersToIslands here,

With the Sandals resorts starting at $442 per night at the time of this blog post (based on double occupancy) I am here today to answer the question "is Sandals worth it?".

To start off let us go over what is included at a Sandals resort.

• Round trip airport transfers.

Sandals includes round-trip airport transfers on every stay so there is no need to purchase a cab or pay a fee to get to the resort from the airport. This is especially valuable at resorts like Sandals Ochi, or Sandals Regency La Toc where the resorts are about an hour and a half from the airport.

• All taxes, tips, and gratuities.

These savings add up in comparison to a traditional resort, or even other all-inclusives where tips are not included.

You will likely be eating and drinking a lot and all of your tips and being included is so great. Even for things like housekeeping, no tipping is allowed per Sandals policy. This helps to ensure great service for all guests and that everyone is treated equally. *Note if you are staying in a butler room or get a spa service they are the only exceptions to this policy*.

It was such a weird feeling the first time we went on our honeymoon. Once you are done eating you just thank your server and get up and go!

• Dining.

As you have seen if you have seen any of my pictures or posts, food is very important to me.

I feel like most memories I have of any given place I have traveled to are linked to food. I am also a notoriously picky eater.

Unlike other hotels or resorts where you have one or maybe four dining locations, Sandals offers up to 16 restaurants per resort (and up to 21 at Beaches).

These dining options cover so many categories from buffet to a la carte, Italian, French, Caribbean, American, teppanyaki, sushi, etc.

There are also no upcharges for anything on the menu. If you want steak and lobster, if you want two lobsters you can have two!

Also if you are staying in a club level or butler room you also have room service included!

• Alcohol

All of your drinks are also included at Sandals!

Sandals includes beer, Robert Mondavi twin oaks wines, as well as premium spirits!

At some other resorts "well liquor" is included and if you want premium liquor there is an upcharge. This is not the case at Sandals.

If staying in a luxury level room you also can have beer and wine in your room and liquor in club and butler level rooms!

*There is a manager's wine list available if you wanted to purchase an extra special bottle of wine to celebrate something special outside of the included Robert Mondavi/sparkling wines. Do note though that a portion of that purchase goes to the Sandals Foundation which is the charity branch of Sandals which we are big fans of*

• Wi-Fi

Although nowadays for a hotel/resort to have complimentary Wi-Fi, it's not always the case. Wi-Fi is included at Sandals and I have used it for calls, texts, Facebook, email, YouTube, and streaming videos with the firestick we bring for the room.

• Activities

Just about every activity you could possibly want to do is also included!

Land activities such as lawn games, board games, billiards, tennis, golf and green fees, and more.

Water activities and water sports including select motorized are included too!

There are daily snorkeling trips, scuba trips if certified, Hobie Cats, kayaks, windsurfing, aqua trikes, and more!

• Entertainment

There is always entertainment happening at the resort. From games in the pool such as trivia, foam parties, live bands, DJs, fire dancers, shows, piano bars, the Caribbean's first speakeasy The Rabbit Hole at Sandals Ochi, and more!

• Your wedding

Yes, you read that right! Your wedding is included with a stay of three nights or more!

It includes a table for eight with crisp white linens, a sweet fuchsia Dendrobium orchid bouquet and boutonnière, a centerpiece, and a two-tiered white fondant cake.

Reach out to me if you would like more details on this!

• Stay and play

When staying at select Sandals resorts you can go and use the amenities at the other Sandals resorts on the island. For example, when we stayed at Sandals La Toc for our honeymoon, we were allowed to go to the Sandals Grande St Lucian, and Sandals Halcyon.

What is not included?

We have talked about what is included so let's talk about what is not included.

• Excursions.

Sandals have an Island Routes desk at every resort where you can choose from a variety of activities to go out and explore the island you are on. From catamaran cruises, horseback riding, zip-lining, and more. These are at an additional cost but well worth it in my opinion!

• Private Candlelight Dinner

If you are celebrating an extra special occasion such as your honeymoon or a milestone birthday or anniversary you can book a private candlelight dinner.

You get to choose a four-course meal and you have your own dedicated server providing white glove service. You also have a decorated table, a bottle of sparkling wine, and a red stem rose. There will also be a photo shoot.

And you get to have dinner on the beach! Or in our case, we did it on the dock at Sandals Ochi.

• Photos

Speaking of photos, while you are on the resort the Sandals photographers will be taking pictures or doing photo shoots. You can also book a complimentary 20-minute sunset photo session! At the end of your stay, you can go to Epix to view your photos and purchase any that you would like to purchase. Yes, they are expensive, but we usually purchase a few each trip because they take some really good ones!

• Red Lane Spa

If you want to get a massage, couples massage, facial, pedicure, etc. these are all available at the Red Lane Spa. This is a MUST do for us each trip! They always do such a good job!

One piece of advice is to make sure to do this at the beginning of your trip before you have a chance to get sunburned!

• Private Cabanas

Sandals offers a few private cabanas available for purchase for the day and they come with a cabana server. Because of this, they are at an additional cost.

• Specific tips

While there is a no-tipping policy at Sandals, you will still want to have some cash to tip if you have a butler, get a spa treatment, caddies if partaking in golf, your drivers on your transfer to and from the airport, and drivers/tour guides on any excursions.

A few miscellaneous things that I feel make Sandals special.

• The staff. We always find the staff goes above and beyond to make sure our stay is extra special.

• The company. Sandals provides so many jobs to the Caribbean and I love all the stuff they do with the Sandals Foundation.

• The atmosphere. They truly are the best place for a couple in love. It is a couples-focused resort and they truly make me feel like we are on our honeymoon again on every visit.

• When staying at a Beaches resort, the kids' clubs and kids' activities are incredible.

• Tips to help save some money at Sandals!

1. Become a Sandals Select member. The Sandals select program is Sandals free loyalty program. On each return visit, we get a bottle of Appleton Estate Rum to take home as well as a loyalty tee shirt. You also get increasing discounts at the gift shops, Epix photo studio, etc based on how many paid nights you have stayed. You also earn points that you can redeem for money off your next stay. You can even earn a free week after 70 paid nights!

2. Book your next trip at Loyalty and Travel while you are on your current stay. You get 10% additional off luxury level rooms, 11% off club level, and 12% off butler level! That is a savings of a few hundred dollars! *Note if you want to transfer your booking to your travel agent to manage, the trip you are currently on must have been booked by your travel agent.

3. Military/Police/Firefighter/FEMA additional discount. The previously listed service professionals get an additional 10% off of the pre-tax price applied after booking.

4. Free anniversary night. On stays of 7 nights if staying in a club or butler room during the week of your anniversary, you can get one of the nights free with the submission of your wedding certificate!

5. Bonus Sandals select points. Get bonus Sandals Select points for booking during the week of your birthday or your Sandals Select Anniversary.

6. Book a 7-7-7 deal. Each week Sandals offers a 7-7-7 deal which is 7 select rooms at an additional 7 % off for 7 days. You will not find a better deal especially if combined with the loyalty and travel discount.

7. Sandals does offer last-minute deals.

8. Sandals does have a Sandals Bank of America Credit Card. If you fall in love with Sandals you can apply for a Sandals credit card and earn points towards free stays!

So is Sandals worth the price? If you ask me, it is the absolute best. No one includes more and while the price may be higher than other resorts when you factor in all of the above-listed factors I find it to be 100% worth the price and cheaper per night for the actual hotel portion than most of the hotels I stay at in the states!

If you have any questions about Sandals or would like me to help you plan your next trip please send me an email or a Facebook message!