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Which Sandals Beach Resort is Best?

Sandals is a popular choice for an all-inclusive luxury romantic holiday for couples or for a honeymoon in the Caribbean. They get some of the best reviews you'll find and have a good choice of 15 resorts on 6 Caribbean Islands including Jamaica, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Bahamas, Grenada and Antigua.

But which is the best Sandals beach resort?

We've picked out our top five by looking at customer reviews, value for money, travel from the the UK and activities on offer. 

If you don't have time to read all our waffle, here's our summary: If you want the full comparison, please read on:

Which Sandals Resort gets the best reviews?

All of the Sandals resort get very positive reviews, so I wouldn't say there is a 'bad' choice. However, there are small differences in their review scores.

We added together the scores they achieved from customers on TripAdvisor, Google reviews and Expedia to come up with a total score. We then ranked them in order. We carried out our searches in March 2020:
​
  1. Sandals Royal Plantation, Jamaica - 13.7/15 (4.6 on Google Reviews, 4.5 on TripAdvisor, 4.6 on Expedia)
  2. Sandals Grenada, Grenada - 13.5/15 (4.6, 4.5, 4.4)
  3. Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Saint Lucia - 13.5/15 (4.6, 4.5, 4.4)
  4. Sandals Halcyon Beach, Saint Lucia - 13.4/15 (4.5, 4.5, 4.4)
  5. Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica - 13.4/15 (4.5, 4.5, 4.4)​
  6. Sandals South Coast, Jamaica - 13.3/15 (4.5, 4.5, 4.3)
  7. Sandals Negril, Jamaica - 13.2/15 (4.5, 4.5, 4.2)
  8. Sandals Grande Antigua, Antigua - 13.2/15 (4.4, 4.5, 4.3)
  9. Sandals Royal Caribbean, Jamaica - 13.1/15 (4.5, 4.4, 4.2)
  10. Sandals Regency La Toc, Saint Lucia - 13.1/15 (4.3, 4.5, 4.3)
  11. Sandals Barbabos, Barbados - 13.1/15 (4.5, 4.5, 4.1)
  12. Sandals Royal Barbados, Barbados 13.1/15 (4.4, 4.5, 4.2)
  13. Sandals Ochi, Jamaica - 13/15 (4.5, 4.5, 4)
  14. Sandals Emerald Bay, Bahamas - 12.9/15 (4.2, 4.5, 4.2)
  15. Sandals Royal Bahamian, Bahamas - 12.2/15 (4.2, 4, 4)​

I'd say that the range of review scores is quite small, meaning that there's a reassuringly good level of consistency across the resorts. Sandals Royal Plantation in Jamaica gets the best reviews but several others aren't far behind so let's look at some other factors.

Meanwhile, according to a 2019 blog by Sandals the three 'best rated' resorts are Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Grenada and Sandals South Coast. They were ranked 1st, joint 2nd and 6th in our rankings, so that's a similar finding.

Which Sandals Resort is the cheapest?

To figure out which is the cheapest or best value Sandals Resort in the Caribbean we looked at three different sets of dates for a week long holiday for a couple:
  • a week in early April 2020
  • a week in early August 2020
  • a week in early December 2020

The cost is for the cheapest accommodation available at the time of searching for two people and includes flights, transfers, all meals and nearly all activities. We searched in March 2020 and ranked them from cheapest to most expensive

A week for two people in early April 2020:
  1. Sandals Ochi, Jamaica - £5046
  2. Sandals Regency La Toc, Saint Lucia - £5290
  3. Sandals Halcyon Beach, Saint Lucia - £5958
  4. Sandals Negril, Jamaica - £5970
  5. Sandals Grenada, Grenada - £6004
  6. ​Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica - £6102
  7. Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Saint Lucia - £6252
  8. Sandals South Coast, Jamaica - £6288
  9. Sandals Grande Antigua, Antigua - £6442
  10. Sandals Royal Plantation, Jamaica - £6454
  11. Sandals Royal Bahamian, Bahamas - £6704
  12. Sandals Emerald Bay, Bahamas - £6808
  13. Sandals Royal Caribbean, Jamaica - £6852
  14. Sandals Royal Barbados, Barbados - £7004
  15. Sandals Barbabos, Barbados - £8346
A week for two people in early August 2020:
 
  1. Sandals Ochi, Jamaica - £4266
  2. Sandals Regency La Toc, Saint Lucia - £4450
  3. Sandals Negril, Jamaica - £4556
  4. Sandals Grande Antigua, Antigua - £4572
  5. Sandals Royal Bahamian, Bahamas - £4754
  6. Sandals South Coast, Jamaica - £4760
  7. Sandals Halcyon Beach, Saint Lucia - £4768
  8. ​Sandals Barbabos, Barbados - £4806
  9. Sandals Royal Caribbean, Jamaica - £4956​
  10. Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Saint Lucia - £5024
  11. Sandals Royal Plantation, Jamaica - £5202
  12. Sandals Emerald Bay, Bahamas - £5180
  13. Sandals Grenada, Grenada - £5242
  14. Sandals Royal Barbados, Barbados - £5448
  15. ​Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica - £5660

A week for two people in early December 2020:
  1. Sandals Ochi, Jamaica - £3058
  2. Sandals South Coast, Jamaica - £3554
  3. Sandals Royal Caribbean, Jamaica - £3568
  4. Sandals Negril, Jamaica - £3642
  5. Sandals Regency La Toc, Saint Lucia - £3672
  6. Sandals Grenada, Grenada - £3748
  7. Sandals Barbabos, Barbados - £3788
  8. Sandals Grande Antigua, Antigua - £3812
  9. Sandals Halcyon Beach, Saint Lucia - £4024
  10. Sandals Royal Plantation, Jamaica - £4108
  11. Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Saint Lucia - £4260
  12. Sandals Royal Barbados, Barbados - £4316
  13. ​Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica - £4454
  14. Sandals Royal Bahamian, Bahamas - £4632
  15. Sandals Emerald Bay, Bahamas - £5156​​

So what can we summarise from this big list of numbers?


According to a blog by Sandals, the cheapest of their resorts is usually Sandals Ochi, which matches with our findings. They also reckon that (relatively) low price resorts are Sandals Regency La Toc, Sandals Negril, Sandals South Coast  and Sandals Royal Caribbean.

Which are the biggest and smallest Sandals Resorts?

There's a big range in the size and scale of the Sandals Resorts.

The smallest - Sandals Royal Plantation in Jamaica - has just 74 rooms and suites, whilst the largest - Sandals Ochi in Jamaica has 519 suites. Unsurprisingly, the big resorts have more facilities, so you need to choose whether you want a quiet and small-scale resort or a larger Sandals resort with more to do. Personally, I would go for a smaller or mid-sized resort if you are staying for one week or if you're on honeymoon, or a larger resort if you are staying for two weeks. Even the smallest resort has five restaurants so there is plenty of choice for a week's holiday.

You can roughly split the resorts up like this:

Small Sandals Resorts (less than 200 rooms)
Mid-sized Sandals Resorts (200-300 rooms) ​
Large Sandals Resorts (300+ rooms)

Which Sandals Resort has the most facilities and activities?

Every Sandals Resort has a decent choice of activities, including several watersports such as paddleboarding and snorkelling but there is a big range in the number of swimming pools, restaurants and bars. 

We've crunched the numbers to give a very rough idea of how well equipped each resort is:

  1. Sandals Ochi, Jamaica - 7 swimming pools, 16 restaurants, 11 bars (total of 34)
  2. ​Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica - 7 swimming pools, 12 restaurants, 6 bars (total of 25)
  3. Sandals Royal Bahamian, Bahamas - 7 swimming pools, 10 restaurants, 8 bars (total of 25)
  4. Sandals Grande Antigua, Antigua - 6 swimming pools, 11 restaurants, 7 bars (total of 24)
  5. Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Saint Lucia - 4 swimming pools, 12 restaurants, 8 bars (total of 24)
  6. Sandals Barbabos, Barbados - 3 swimming pools, 11 restaurants, 7 bars (total of 21)
  7. Sandals Emerald Bay, Bahamas - 3 swimming pools, 12 restaurants, 6 bars (total of 21)
  8. Sandals Regency La Toc, Saint Lucia - 3 swimming pools, 9 restaurants, 8 bars (total of 20)
  9. Sandals South Coast, Jamaica - 3 swimming pools, 9 restaurants, 7 bars (total of 19)
  10. Sandals Royal Caribbean, Jamaica - 6 swimming pools, 8 restaurants, 5 bars (total of 19)
  11. Sandals Grenada, Grenada - 3 swimming pools, 10 restaurants, 6 bars (total of 19)
  12. Sandals Negril, Jamaica - 3 swimming pools, 7 restaurants, 5 bars (total of 15)
  13. Sandals Halcyon Beach, Saint Lucia - 2 swimming pools, 6 restaurants, 7 bars (total of 15)
  14. Sandals Royal Barbados, Barbados - 3 swimming pools, 7 restaurants, 4 bars (total of 14)
  15. Sandals Royal Plantation, Jamaica - 2 swimming pools, 5 restaurants, 2 bars (total of 9)​​

It's worth noting that there are wildly varying figures about the number of swimming pools at each resort. We've used the figures on the Beaches.co.uk website.

The Sandals website also offer some useful advice as to which activities are particularly good at their resorts:


This isn't an exhaustive list of all the activities available at each resort, just recommendations from Sandals about which resorts are particularly good for certain activities.

Which is the nearest Sandals Resort to the UK?

​Travelling as a couple isn't quite as tortuous as travelling a long way with children, but it's still worth noting which of the Sandals Resorts are quickest to reach from a London airport. 

We added together the typical flight time to the transfer time to the resort and ranked them from shortest to longest journey:

  1. Sandals Grande Antigua, Antigua - 9 hours 5 minutes
  2. Sandals Royal Barbados, Barbados - 9 hours 5 minutes
  3. Sandals Barbabos, Barbados - 9 hours 5 minutes
  4. Sandals Royal Bahamian, Bahamas - 9 hours, 55 minutes
  5. Sandals Regency La Toc, Saint Lucia - 10 hours
  6. Sandals Emerald Bay, Bahamas - 10 hours
  7. Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica - 10 hours, 5 minutes
  8. Sandals Royal Caribbean, Jamaica - 10 hours, 10 minutes
  9. Sandals Halcyon Beach, Saint Lucia - 10 hours 15 minutes
  10. Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Saint Lucia - 10 hours 30 minutes
  11. Sandals Grenada, Grenada - 10 hours 55 minutes (via Saint Lucia)
  12. Sandals Negril, Jamaica - 11 hours, 15 minutes
  13. Sandals South Coast, Jamaica - 11 hours, 15 minutes
  14. Sandals Ochi, Jamaica - 11 hours 30 minutes
  15. ​Sandals Royal Plantation, Jamaica - 11 hours, 30 minutes

The clear winners in this comparison are the Sandals Resorts on Antigua and Barbados which require nearly 5 hours less travelling for a return journey. The Jamaican resorts generally have the longest journeys. As far as I can tell, Sandals Grenada stops in Saint Lucia.

Which Sandals Resort has the best weather?

Generally speaking, Caribbean Islands are hot and humid during the UK summer months and warm and dry during the UK winter months. There's some variation across the Sandals Resorts, as they are spread across the Caribbean.

According to the rather useful website Climates to Travel, the best time to visit the Caribbean Islands is as follows:

Bahamas - November to mid-April
Grenada - February to April
Saint Lucia - December to April 
Barbados - February to April
Antigua - December to April 
Jamaica - January to April

So, if you wanted to visit in November then the Bahamas might be your best bet. From December to April there are several resorts which are getting their best weather of the year. There's nothing to say that you shouldn't visit at other times of year, this is just the optimum time according to one website.

If you struggle with heat, I would consider The Bahamas which is a little bit cooler than the other locations. Very roughly speaking, the Bahamas Resorts have average temperatures in their low to mid 20s in winter and high twenties in summer. The other Sandals Resorts usually get temperatures in the mid to high twenties in winter and temperatures in the high twenties or low thirties in summer. There is some variation, but that's the gist of it.

How can I save money on a Sandals Resort?

Here are a few tips I've picked up during my research, I'll add other ones when I find them:​
  • Visiting from June to November is cheaper than at other times of year. The weather is generally hotter and more humid and there's a greater risk of rain, so prices are much lower
  • Two weeks can be slightly better value than one. For example, one week in mid October 2020 at Sandals South Coast was £4052 for two people (£289 per person, per night) whilst two weeks was £6924 (£247 per person, per night). Curiously, 10 days was the most expensive option at £7640 (£382 per person, per night). Presumably this is due to the availability of the cheaper accommodation or increased flight prices on certain days.
  • Discounts and offers are regularly posted on the Sandals website 'Special offers' page.

Other notable differences between the Sandals Resorts?

Which Sandals Resorts has the best beach?

All of the beaches at Sandals Caribbean Resorts are beautiful. However, it's worth noting that in a blog post, Sandals said that five resorts 'stand out' for their beaches so you might want to prioritise these if the beach is particularly important to you: 

Conclusion - which is the best Sandals Resort

If you've read the whole of this guide, may I offer your congratulations on your perseverance. By now you may have realised that the 'best Sandals Resort' depends partly on what you are looking for. 

In no particular order, my top five are: 
  
  1. Sandals Royal Plantation in Jamaica if you're an older couple looking for a quiet holiday 
  2. Sandals Ochi in Jamaica if you're a younger couple looking for the cheapest Sandals resort and want plenty to do
  3. Sandals Grande Antigua in Antigua if you're an older couple looking for a lively resort and a shorter travel time
  4. Sandals Grande St. Lucian in Saint Lucia if you're a younger couples who can afford to blow the budget
  5. Sandals South Coast in Jamaica if you're recently married and want a Sandals honeymoon

And here's my one line summary of every resort, based on the research above:

Jamaica resorts - furthest from the UK, best from January to April:
  • Sandals Royal Plantation, Jamaica - smallest resort, mid-priced, best reviews, furthest away from UK, good for golf, popular with older people
  • Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica - ​great reviews, expensive, mid-sized, very good range of facilities, recently updated, quite quick from the UK, good for waterskiing, plenty of nightlife
  • Sandals South Coast, Jamaica - large resort with good reviews, mid-to-low priced, great beach, recently updated, has some bungalows over the water, one of the furthest from the UK, great swimming pools though not as many as others, good for waterskiing, recommended for honeymoons by Sandals
  • Sandals Royal Caribbean, Jamaica - good reviews, low-to-mid priced, mid-sized resort, access to private island, bungalows over the water, recent upgrades, quite quick from the UK
  • Sandals Ochi, Jamaica - largest and cheapest resort, good reviews but not as high as others, great swimming pools, golf and nightclubs, lots of restaurants, popular with younger visitors, furthest from the UK
  • Sandals Negril, Jamaica - good reviews, one of the cheapest, mid-sized, not as many swimming pools as some, great beach, one of the furthest from the UK

Grenada Resort - one of the furthest from the UK, best from February to April
  • Sandals Grenada, Grenada - outstanding reviews, mid-sized and mid-priced, good for scuba diving, great swimming pools though not as many as some, recently updated.

Saint Lucia Resorts - quite easy to reach from the UK, best from December to April
  • Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Saint Lucia - large resort with outstanding reviews, mid-priced, good for scuba diving and golf, plenty of nightlife and restaurants, great beach, bungalows over the water, popular with younger visitors, shares facilities with other two in Saint Lucia.
  • Sandals Halcyon Beach, Saint Lucia - small resort with very good reviews, mid-priced, good for scuba diving, golf and waterskiing, great swimming pools but not as many as some.
  • ​Sandals Regency La Toc, Saint Lucia - large resort with plenty of nightlife. Good reviews and low prices. Not as many pools as some but good for waterskiing, scuba diving and golf. 

Antigua Resort - joint quickest to reach from the UK, best from December to April
  • Sandals Grande Antigua, Antigua - large resort with good reviews and nightlife. Mid-priced, lots of swimming pools and restaurants, great beach, popular with older visitors

Barbados Resorts - joint quickest to reach from the UK, best from February to April
  • Sandals Barbabos, Barbados - mid-sized resort with good reviews and plenty of restaurants. Not as many pools as some, but modern facilities. Mid to high priced.
  • Sandals Royal Barbados, Barbados ​- expensive, modern mid-sized resort with good reviews, great swimming pools and great scuba diving. 

    Quite easy to reach from UK, slightly cooler weather than the rest, best from  November to mid-April 
  • Sandals Emerald Bay, Bahamas - reviews a little lower than the others, expensive, great beach and golf, modern, lots of restaurants, great swimming pools but not as many as some.
  • Sandals Royal Bahamian, Bahamas - large resort with lots of swimming pools. Good for scuba diving and nightlife  and it has an offshore private island but reviews are lower than others and it's expensive 

Other guides from the Holiday Park Guru

Holiday-Park-Guru-Don't-Blame-Us-Disclaimer: All the information on this page is accurate, as far as we know. However, facilities at holiday parks change so please check with the park before booking.