Sandals Honeymoon Advice

[mystery222184]

We have some time until our honeymoon (mid Jan 2016) but decided we wanted to try Sandals. I have been researching the best "value" for our money at the various locations on their site. We were looking at the St. Lucia Regency La Toc as it seemed like a good value at the Sunset Bluff Oceanview Club Lvl Room. We want to make sure we have the concierge and room service. We are looking for just a very relaxing getaway where we can take it easy laying by the water, dining @ the restaurants, drinks on a balcony/pools etc...

For anyone who has visited Sandals, recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Is this a good resort choice? Room choice? I'm open to a different Sandals location as well though a little unsure of Jamaica. Any ways to get additional discounts besides the standard "Up to 65% off" sales and free nights they've been running for the last month?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Gracie09]

We stayed at the grande st Lucien for our honeymoon. We loved it. We wanted a place to just relax for a few days and them do some stuff. We went snorkeling, to the volcano, hiked up the hill in the neighboring nature preserve.

 

[pamjb]

One of my clients got married at Grande St Lucian in November. She said the service was impeccable. She had a butler suite for the second half if the trip. I stayed at Grande Antigua and that was beautiful as well. Didn't have butler service, but I am eager to try that as well!

 

[Happyjen27]

I've never been, but, my latest obsession is reading Trip Advisor about all resorts until my eyes bleed. Take it all with a grain of salt, of course, because all people have different expectations. However, I find room location advice, things to "watch out for" and heads up, like making dining reservations before you arrive to be very good information.

It's like the DIS for the outside world, LOL.

 

[AJ1983]

One of my friends is going to Sandals St. Lucia for her honeymoon in September, I'll let you know her reviews. Don't worry about Jamaica, we were there in 2012 and it was fine. My family has been there dozens of times between us, we stay on the resort after dark, and have had no problems.

 

[mystery222184]

Appreciate the feedback thus far from everyone. If only this was a Disney trip, I could plan it I'm a second! Much research needed on Sandals

 

[pamjb]

Stay away from Carlyle. It is a Sandals resort, but it is small (52 rooms). Some of the Sandals resorts have a little more action (Montego Bay) than others. So you may want to factor that into your decision process

 

[Jimsig]

Stayed at the St. Lucia Regency La Toc for our Honeymoon back in 04 and loved it and hope to go back one day. We stayed in what are now called the Honeymoon La Toc Deluxe room. They are in the Honeymoon Hideaway Village. Make sure to make use of the other two resorts, especially dinner at the Halcyon's Kelly's Dockside.

If they still offer it, there was a combo land/sea excursion I recommend. You take a sightseeing bus down the coast making a couple stops, make sure to try the Caribbean sweet bread at one of the villages, on the way to Soufriere and the drive in volcano. It included lunch and the way back was a catamaran boat ride with a snorkeling stop. The view of the Pitons were amazing from the water.

 

[karice2]

I would recommend staying at Sandals Grande in St. Lucia. You will have resort envy if you stay at the other resorts and go to the Grande for a day or dinner. You are allowed to go to the other resorts and they offer a free shuttle but once I went to the Grande from the Halcyon, I wanted to change resorts.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

We stayed at the Regency La Toc a couple years ago in the 2 story villas on the bluff with the plunge pool.

Absolutely loved it there. Our room was gorgeous. The views of the ocean were amazing. Having a butler, they will pick you up in a golf cart and ride you "down the hill" to the restaurants in the evening.

There are some restaurants and a pool on the bluff also.

We visited all 3 resorts while we were in St Lucia. The Grande has a better beach but I loved La Toc and if I had to choose would pick that resort again.
Halcyion is small but nice to visit for dinner.

We took a zipline tour while we were there.

DH and I have pretty much been to every Sandals in Jamaica and Emerald Bay , so if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

 

[mystery222184]

Thanks Everyone! - After lots of research :surf web: I'm looking at these rooms/resorts right now (Didn't list Bahamas as reviews seem sport or Grenada due to an apparent lack of non-stop flights from NYC area). We know we want an ocean view + a whirlpool would be nice. We don't think we need butler service + it may raise the cost outside our budget. Anyone who has stayed at these particular resorts, or even better the specific rooms, who can compare would be awesome. :good vibes

Antigua
Mediterranean Honeymoon Oceanview Club Level Suite $6,449.00

Whitehouse, Jamaica
Honeymoon Beachfront Penthouse Club Level Room $6,015.40

St. Lucia Grande
St Lucia Grand: Caribbean Oceanview Penthouse Club Level Room $7,421.00

St. Lucia Regency La Toc
Sunset Bluff Oceanview Club Level Room: $5,729
Piton Oceanview Two Story Butler Veranda Suite $7,421.00

 

[mystery222184]

For anyone who has visited the luxury resorts in Mexico like LeBlanc, Excellence, El Dorado, Grand Velas, and Paradisus - Would you be able to compare any other to Sandals (particularly Whitehouse)? I've been hearing there is more value for your money in trying Mexico. Thanks again

 

[Andyman33]

unfortunately it is nearly impossible to compare mexico to the caribbean. it would be like trying to compare epcot and magic kingdom -- yes both are theme parks but they are completely different.
yes mexico has the beaches and mexico is beautiful as well. But its all new and all in the last 10 years. but is everything that is newer better?
also, you can't drink the water in mexico, brush your teeth with the water in mexico, the food is SIGNIFICANTLY better in the caribbean and the language is officially english in most of the places you listed while spanish is in mexico.
whether that is worth 2K to you is up to you.
as for sandals -- we have been 4 times now and my favorite resort is the Grande St Lucian - st lucia is my favorite island by far and the pitons (large mountains on south side of island) are amazing (and we have climbed them both now). However, I would recommend looking at the basic room categories and not the butler. We've stayed on the lowest level room and the butler level rooms and there really isnt' much different with each room -- and other than for a little bit we don't spend THAT much time in our room -- you may be different though. just my thoughts

 

[lkrupa]

We stayed at Sandals Regency St Lucia for our honeymoon back in 2004. We loved it there, we did visit the other Sandals locations to eat dinner. I think if you don't want to overspend it is affordable and still very beautiful. We also visited the volcano and ate lunch at a local restaurant. The snorkeling on the catamaran was a ton of fun. It was nice to just be able to relax by the pool or on the beach. I would totally recommend St Lucia.

 

[southlakejr]

For anyone who has visited the luxury resorts in Mexico like LeBlanc, Excellence, El Dorado, Grand Velas, and Paradisus - Would you be able to compare any other to Sandals (particularly Whitehouse)? I've been hearing there is more value for your money in trying Mexico. Thanks again

We stayed at El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya for our honeymoon. That was 8 years ago but we would go back in a heartbeat.

We stayed in a standard jr room, it had a great balcony with a hammock where we would sit and play scrabble at night or just enjoy a drink. The food was excellent, I still remember a lot of the meals that we ate there 8 years later. The staff was great, very friendly and attentive.

The beach was nice, but not breath taking. Truthfully, we didn't try many activities since we just lounged around at the beach or pool all day. Overall, the resort grounds were very nice. If we were going again, I would like to try the Casitas.

 

[sookie]

For anyone who has visited the luxury resorts in Mexico like LeBlanc, Excellence, El Dorado, Grand Velas, and Paradisus - Would you be able to compare any other to Sandals (particularly Whitehouse)? I've been hearing there is more value for your money in trying Mexico. Thanks again

Le Blanc is so much better than Sandals. We stayed at Whitehouse the last time we stayed with Sandals. The service at Sandals doesn't even compare to Le Blanc - the ambiance is wonderful and it will cost about the same or cheaper. Le Blanc is all about relaxation and service. We have stopped going to Sandals resorts completely and ONLY go to Le Blanc.

Honestly, I want to book another Le Blanc vacation now. Southwest was having a deal not too long ago.

 

[mystery222184]

Le Blanc is so much better than Sandals. We stayed at Whitehouse the last time we stayed with Sandals. The service at Sandals doesn't even compare to Le Blanc - the ambiance is wonderful and it will cost about the same or cheaper. Le Blanc is all about relaxation and service. We have stopped going to Sandals resorts completely and ONLY go to Le Blanc. Honestly, I want to book another Le Blanc vacation now. Southwest was having a deal not too long ago.

Can you comment on your experience a bit at Whitehouse? The Euro Village theme looks cool and I'm sure I'd love that french cafe, but I'm starting to lean towards the Grand Velas Riviera Maya. Seems like a pretty luxurious experience

 

[sookie]

For Whitehouse...
1) I thought they were going to kill us on the drive over. It is farther away on the other side of the island, and it is quite a drive. They were working on a better road system to get to WhiteHouse, but as it is many areas are 1 way, mountainous, and can be dangerous after dark.

2) When we went, there wasn't a lot of night life or entertainment - only a little bit. I am sure that has changed. But you are pretty remote on that side of the island so you are going to be stuck on the resort. If you go to Le Blanc, yes you can leave the hotel to go to a club or to go eat someplace fun (we walked to Senior Frogs and ate lunch there because I have never been to one!)

3) The beach is overall clean in Jamaica. Different restaurants were OK. I liked the beach at Le Blanc better - it was pretty much pristine.

4) At Sandals, people have a bad habit of grabbing towels and rafts and "Reserving" chairs in the AM. It is pretty annoying.

5) When we went, a lot of things were not functional.


At Le Blanc, a private driver comes and picks us up. You can use the butler for that floor (they are very attentive) or you can use a butler that is assigned directly to you. We just use the butler on the floor - for instance, I needed a dress steamed. No problem, he came down and got it. It was returned to me in 15 minutes.

There is some night entertainment (a singer in a lounge, someone who comes and plays a harp and a cello). Fire dancers are out some nights. There is a karaoke night that is a lot of fun. Pool is pretty busy at le blanc

The absolute best thing about Le Blanc is that you can use a large amount of your resort credit in the spa. So I had manicures, pedicures, and my spouse and I both did this really cool massage package together. That was fun. You can use the hot / cold plunge pools any time you want.

I never saw Whitehouse's workout facilities, but Le Blanc has a beautiful gym, they offer yoga classes, and you basically get the services of a personal trainer while you are there.

I felt like the buffet food at Whitehouse was over cooked / done and never changed. It didn't seem fresh either. At Le Blanc, you can literally go pick your cut of meat off a bar (he wanted a t-bone) and they will cook it in front of you. Everything is pretty much cooked to order.

I never heard anyone have problems with the drinks at Sandals, but I did see some people ordering them with extra alcohol.

At Le Blanc, I never saw anyone doing that. We also had a mini fridge that we could eat out of during our stay with premium drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and lots of treats. Unlimited internet and calls to the US. That was all included.

I would say that the rooms at Le Blanc are 100% nicer, you have a great view of the ocean, and lots of space. They are pretty classy. I would say that our room at White House was several steps down from just the room at Le Blanc.

Le Blanc also has 24 / hour room service. I woke up one night after going to bed early, and wanted a pasta dish and dessert. They brought it right up.

All the restaurants at Le Blanc are extremely quiet and romantic. We loved everything from the Asian restaurant to the French restaurant. We had 100% perfect service while we were there. We also did the seaside dining. If you decide to go, make sure you also reserve a cabana for swimming during the day - next time we go, we are going to spend a lot of our time in a rented cabana. We only did two days last time. They have servers out there and they keep the drinks coming all. day. long. Even if you are not in a cabana, you tell them where to put your chairs and they will bring out an umbrella for shade, drinks, and all sorts of things. You can order everything you want right there from the beach (lunch, snacks, drinks). The servers are just super attentive to all Le Blanc guests.

Le Blanc is going to be the sort of vacation for people who need to get away 100%. If you go, you will be able to receive peace and quiet. Sandals just seems much more rushed these days.

Southwest was having a deal on Le Blanc not too long ago. Might be worth looking into.

 

[mystery222184]

For Whitehouse... 1) I thought they were going to kill us on the drive over. It is farther away on the other side of the island, and it is quite a drive. They were working on a better road system to get to WhiteHouse, but as it is many areas are 1 way, mountainous, and can be dangerous after dark. 2) When we went, there wasn't a lot of night life or entertainment - only a little bit. I am sure that has changed. But you are pretty remote on that side of the island so you are going to be stuck on the resort. If you go to Le Blanc, yes you can leave the hotel to go to a club or to go eat someplace fun (we walked to Senior Frogs and ate lunch there because I have never been to one!) 3) The beach is overall clean in Jamaica. Different restaurants were OK. I liked the beach at Le Blanc better - it was pretty much pristine. 4) At Sandals, people have a bad habit of grabbing towels and rafts and "Reserving" chairs in the AM. It is pretty annoying. 5) When we went, a lot of things were not functional. At Le Blanc, a private driver comes and picks us up. You can use the butler for that floor (they are very attentive) or you can use a butler that is assigned directly to you. We just use the butler on the floor - for instance, I needed a dress steamed. No problem, he came down and got it. It was returned to me in 15 minutes. There is some night entertainment (a singer in a lounge, someone who comes and plays a harp and a cello). Fire dancers are out some nights. There is a karaoke night that is a lot of fun. Pool is pretty busy at le blanc The absolute best thing about Le Blanc is that you can use a large amount of your resort credit in the spa. So I had manicures, pedicures, and my spouse and I both did this really cool massage package together. That was fun. You can use the hot / cold plunge pools any time you want. I never saw Whitehouse's workout facilities, but Le Blanc has a beautiful gym, they offer yoga classes, and you basically get the services of a personal trainer while you are there. I felt like the buffet food at Whitehouse was over cooked / done and never changed. It didn't seem fresh either. At Le Blanc, you can literally go pick your cut of meat off a bar (he wanted a t-bone) and they will cook it in front of you. Everything is pretty much cooked to order. I never heard anyone have problems with the drinks at Sandals, but I did see some people ordering them with extra alcohol. At Le Blanc, I never saw anyone doing that. We also had a mini fridge that we could eat out of during our stay with premium drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and lots of treats. Unlimited internet and calls to the US. That was all included. I would say that the rooms at Le Blanc are 100% nicer, you have a great view of the ocean, and lots of space. They are pretty classy. I would say that our room at White House was several steps down from just the room at Le Blanc. Le Blanc also has 24 / hour room service. I woke up one night after going to bed early, and wanted a pasta dish and dessert. They brought it right up. All the restaurants at Le Blanc are extremely quiet and romantic. We loved everything from the Asian restaurant to the French restaurant. We had 100% perfect service while we were there. We also did the seaside dining. If you decide to go, make sure you also reserve a cabana for swimming during the day - next time we go, we are going to spend a lot of our time in a rented cabana. We only did two days last time. They have servers out there and they keep the drinks coming all. day. long. Even if you are not in a cabana, you tell them where to put your chairs and they will bring out an umbrella for shade, drinks, and all sorts of things. You can order everything you want right there from the beach (lunch, snacks, drinks). The servers are just super attentive to all Le Blanc guests. Le Blanc is going to be the sort of vacation for people who need to get away 100%. If you go, you will be able to receive peace and quiet. Sandals just seems much more rushed these days. Southwest was having a deal on Le Blanc not too long ago. Might be worth looking into.

Thank you very much for the detailed response - much appreciated!

 

[JaimeA]

I went to WHitehouse in February. Never again, the drive there and back did me in. It is a horrible experience, we almost ran over a small child. I can't comment on your other choices as I have only been to Sandals, both Jamaica and Bahamas. Whitehouse is beautiful but an older crowd and not enough night life for us.