Sandals Grande St. Lucian

As we commemorate our 36th anniversary, we chose to experience the Sandals brand to assess its reputation. Our choice of Sandals Grande St. Lucia was primarily influenced by its beautiful property. Having previously frequented other all-inclusive resorts, such as Couples and Secrets, we opted for a swim-up room for this occasion. Regrettably, our week-long stay proved to be quite disappointing. A significant concern was the lack of service or bar facilities near the swim-up accommodations. The only two operational bars during the day were situated by the main pool/beach area, which explains the lack of activity in the swim-up pools. Unless you have a butler, don't expect any services. We chose to spend our time by the beach/main pool area to have easy access to services. For four consecutive days, no staff members approached us on the beach to inquire about drink orders. I conveyed my dissatisfaction to several individuals in management attire. The following day, staff went around to take drink orders and hand out snacks. Our comprehensive assessment indicates that despite a 2-3 fold increase in cost, Sandals resorts underperform in key areas such as hospitality, service, culinary offerings, and entertainment when compared to alternative resorts. Consequently, we will not be returning to this establishment.

We recently stayed at Sandals Resort St. Lucia Grande for a wedding. As our first all inclusive experience, we thought it was a good deal and pretty great. It isn’t a perfect White Lotus luxury experience, as it’s far too affordable to expect that, so as long as you set your expectations appropriately, you should be moderately to very happy with your stay. If you’re looking to stay at a resort for your entire vacation and it’s within your price range, it’s worth it, especially if you take advantage of the included diving, snorkeling, or other activities. When it came to the food, we ate across all of the 12 restaurants on site and had a solid overall experience. All three Asian restaurants were excellent, with standout being Bombay Club. If that Indian restaurant were near our house, we would go weekly. I’m not sure how they pulled off such fantastic Indian food on a small island, but they crushed it. Toscanini’s was the only remarkable non Asian spot for dinner, and Josephine’s was a real surprise. Normally pizza in the middle of the ocean would be pretty mid, but it was good, and the crepes were fantastic. Gordon’s had good food, but its location suspended right over the water surrounded by fish visible from the restaurant made it amazing. The casual oceanfront spots like Barefoot, The Jerk Shack, and The Mariner were all just okay, though the jerk chicken was very good. Breakfast wise, we only ate at Bayside, which scored about a 4/5 for a buffet. There were other breakfast options that we did not explore. For late night bites after dinner, options are limited to the English pub, which served decent eats until 1:00 AM. The water activities were truly stand outs, and the fact that scuba diving was included in the price was remarkable. We got certified before arriving just to take advantage of it, and we were overjoyed. We felt super safe the entire time. Natalia and Marcus were amazingly knowledgeable, funny, and safety focused dive guides; whatever they are being paid, it needs to be tripled. I would come back just to go diving with them again. The guided snorkeling trip was also well led, and we saw a number of great coral and creatures. The coral around the resort is healthy, and there’s even a small reef within the resort beach with plenty of fish. Just keep in mind that they don't rent out snorkeling gear to mess around with on your own at the resort beach, so bring your own gear or buy some there if you want to swim around. It is provided in the guided snorkeling trip. Were are very experienced snorkelers and it was a bit funny have to wear the mandatory inflatable vest and shirt under it. The beaches were fantastic, and there were more than enough pools and hot tubs to go around. We didn’t personally enjoy how loud the entertainment was by the pool during the day, though I understand that’s what certain folks are looking for. The overall entertainment was fairly unremarkable, mostly underpaid performers being asked to do a million different things, though a few individuals stood out. There were 150 rooms closed down during our stay, so there might not have been enough guests to get the vibes bumping. They also promised a white party that never materialized, which felt a little silly since we bought specific clothes for it. I wouldn’t bother unless our experience was unique. As far as the resort grounds go, our garden room was a tiny bit dated, and the tile work was a bit wonky here and there with small signs of wear and tear throughout the whole property. I think it’s hard to get an exceptional tile guy on a small island. Our room was cleaned very well every day, and they are actively working to improve the rooms, so quality just depends on which one you get. Our friends had nicer, larger rooms, and while we didn't get a swim up room, those looked fantastic and were designed in a really pleasing way. The service throughout the resort was generally great. Everyone was constantly checking in on you to make sure you were doing well, and we never felt pushed to give tips. The sales people were a tiny bit pushy, but if you told them you weren't interested, they left you alone. The vibes from the bartenders at the beach bars were off the chain, and the cocktails were remarkable. Marlon and the whole outdoor bar crew were funny, helpful, quick, and knowledgeable. Ultimately, if you want to leave the resort a bunch and have a cultural experience, there might be better non all inclusive options out there. As a country, St. Lucia is fairly poor, and it felt a bit odd being in an underdeveloped country spending money at a giant resort instead of giving it to regular local folks, though I don't know if you could have the exact same style of trip doing that. But if you want a relaxing resort vacation, this is a great option.

My husband and I specifically chose this resort to celebrate my milestone birthday. We had visited this resort 11 years prior and chose to go back. We are avid (certified) scuba divers and dove most of the time we were there. This is why Sandals is a perfect choice for us. We also went sailing and spent a lot of time in the shade of the palapa reading a book and listening to the entertainment at the pool. There is a huge renovation taking place at the resort right now, so we had to tune out the drills, shoveling, and hammering going on. The food at breakfast and lunch was underwhelming, except for the crepes, which were really good. Dinners at Bombay and the Sushi Restaurant were especially delicious. We found the staff to be extremely accommodating and kind. My husband played golf twice and enjoyed the course a lot (added cost). Terrell (water sports) was especially funny and fun to talk to, so none of that noice mattered. We had a good laugh with him on his odds of choosing the winning teams at the soccer world cup. The staff always made eye contact and had pleasant things to say. Here are some shout outs for some staff members who made our stay so good. I want to make sure that management knows how earnest they are. At the Dive Program, Denelle and Brandon were responsible captains, Ron, Marcus (Joker) and especially Kermit were great dive masters - we saw a lot of activity (octopus, frog fish, lobster, crab, lion fish, eels, sea turtles, octopus and even the elusive seahorse) and beautiful coral down under. Kermit could be counted on to make it fun. Back at the shop, Pamella and Rochelle were really helpful. Pamella even pulled out the wet suit in my size to have ready for me. Cobi and Sierra at the pool bar were kind and responsive. Neah (photography) was a pleasure to chat with. Erika and Imran (lobby bar) were nice. Ava at the photo shop showed a lot of patience as we chose a photo. Neilia at check-in remembered our names and room numbers from the time we arrived. Amanda and Stacy provided excellent service at the Sushi restaurant. And finally, on our day of check-out, Janella (behind the scenes at the buffet) gave me a take-out box and napkins so I could take a bagel with me.

The staff is insanely friendly and personable. They get to know you, take time to make sure you have a great time, and boy are they FUN! Managers are very attentive to the needs of you as a guest. This is an incredibly social resort. The staff cuts up with you like you’ve been friends for years. The events they host are amazing. The staff is also crazy talented! The food was okay, not every meal was my favorite but there were definitely good options. Shoutout to the Manger Lance, and playmakers/entertainers Mocha, Cassius, and Neville. As well as a few of the female performers and staff as well. Special shoutout to Leona. Everyone was GREAT.

My wife and I just returned from 12 days at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian. We have been to 11 different Sandals resorts (a total of 20 times), and this was our best Sandals vacation yet. The five things that are important to us at a resort are beach, snorkeling, pickleball, food, and room, and this resort knocks it out of the park on all five. This was our second trip to the Grande, but what made this trip the best was that they recently built four beautiful new pickleball courts that they didn't have last year, and they had a great pickleball/tennis pro who played with us nearly every day. This not only improved our game but was a lot of fun. The beach is beautiful and the water is clear. There are plenty of shaded beach chairs. What makes this beach unique among Sandals beaches is that there is great snorkeling right off the beach, down at the end of the property (past the over-the-water bungalows), along the boulders that extend out into the water about 75 yards. The snorkeling off the snorkel boat (that goes out twice a day) is good, but the snorkeling around the end of that wall of boulders is at least as good. The snorkeling around the pier by the main pool is very good as well. We found the food to be excellent. Our favorite restaurants were Bayside (French), Toscanini's {Italian), Gordon's (seafood), and Barefoot by the Sea (seafood). Gordon's requires a reservation because people love the ambience of being out at the end of the pier, but the best meal we had was our last night when we sat at a table down by the water at Barefoot, having a delicious meal by the light from a torch. The Bombay Club, Kimonos and Soy Sushi Bar were also good. One place not to be missed in the afternoon is Josephine's Creperie, which serves delicious crepes, ice cream, and pastries. The breakfast buffet at Bayside is excellent and there are off-the-menu options for breakfast as well. There are several good lunch options. We usually stay in Club level rooms because we are low maintenance and don't need or want butlers fussing over us. Our Club level room had been renovated since we were there last year and was very nice. The Club Sandals people were terrific and helped us with whatever needs we had. One of them took us on a hike up a nearby knoll (baby mountain) that has a 248-year-old fort with cannons at the top. That was cool. The entertainment at night was pretty good, especially the Water & Fire Show. Although we hung out at the beach most of the time, the younger crowd that hung out at the main pool (with the swim-up bar) seemed to enjoy the daily pool entertainment. There were numerous bars around the resort and we got good drinks wherever we went. The service at the Grande was uniformly good. The General Manager has instilled a real service attitude in all levels of staff and the Sandals people all around the resort could not have been nicer to us. We really enjoyed our interactions with the wait staff at all of the dining venues. If you go there, be prepared for an hour-and-a-half ride to and from the airport. It is worth it! We have already booked to return to the Grande next year.