Sandals Grande St Lucia Spa and Beach Resort

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.