A stroll through Sandals Barbados

It's been six months since Sandals Barbados reopened its doors following a nine month, US$65 million enhancement, and it’s safe to say that the island has been officially ‘Sandalized.'

The property, located in the St. Lawrence Gap area of Barbados, is the latest addition to the Sandals portfolio and has 280 refurbished rooms, 14 room categories, and 11 new dining concepts – including Bombay Club, the first-ever Sandals restaurant to offer Indian cuisine.

PAX had the opportunity to experience the resort earlier this week. Here are some key features that can be found at the new Sandals Barbados:

Property

The atmosphere at Sandals Barbados is undeniably intimate, with many of its restaurants, bars or activity areas within a two or three minute walk from each other.

Every structure has its own stylistic design, and the lush tropical landscaping coupled with the white sands of Dover Beach gives the property the unique thematic ambience of an oceanfront village.

The resort boasts the largest river pool in the Caribbean, with several lagoon pools located in a quiet area away from the activity and entertainment of the two main pools, where guests can find the swim-up bar. Both main pool areas include a whirlpool.

There are seven bar/cocktail lounges on site, including a piano bar that features live performers and sing-a-long events most evenings.

Sandals Barbados is a 10 minute drive from a variety of shops, restaurants and local events, and is an easy five minute walk to surrounding convenience stores, local bars and banks.

Accommodation

There are three ‘villages’ throughout the property: the Caribbean Village, the Crystal Lagoon and the Ocean Village.

Sandals Barbados boasts 14 room categories, which, depending on your booking selection, can range from a deluxe room (which includes four-poster king-size bed, mahogany furniture, LED Smart TV, and a balcony or patio with a view of the gardens); a swim-up Club Level Luxury room (with Club Sandals concierge services, a dual control walk-in shower, tranquility soaking tubs on the patio and an in-room bar); all the way to a beachfront Butler Service suite (complete with a separate living room, personal butler service, a Kohler claw-footed bathtub, chaise lounges on the balcony and ocean views).

All accommodations have been completely renovated from the former property and include an interactive information program that allows guests to browse restaurant menus, view their bill, receive messages and discover available services right from the LED Smart TV in their room.

In addition to standard resort amenities, the rooms at Sandals Barbados have also been appointed with mahogany furnishings, ivory Patika and penny glass tiling, and iPod docking stations.

Service

The service at Sandals Barbados is setting new standards across the board, with every staff member greeting guests with a ‘welcome home’ song as they arrive, a ‘good day’ as they pass by on the property, and a ‘farewell’ song upon departure.

As with all Sandals properties, members of Club Sandals can expect 24-hour access to the Club Sandals Lounge, which includes Concierge services, preferred check-in with a chilled towel and champagne, weekly hosted evening events such as wine and cheese tastings, and use of the lounge iPads.

Club Sandals guests can expect in-room lounge bars, private check-out and flight ticket printing, as well as room service.

Of course, Sandals Barbados has brought the brand’s Butler Service to the island. Personal butlers, trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers, are on hand for personalized attention that can include anything from unpacking luggage, in-room dining service, resort orientation, and restaurant/spa reservation arrangements. Butlers will also pack a cooler of drinks for guests headed for the beach or pool, personalize in-suite bars with preferred brands, and make purchases on guests’ behalf at the resort shop. Twenty-four hour room service also accompanies a Butler Service experience.

Dining

There are 11 new restaurants as well as in-room dining, a weekly chocolate buffet service, and a hot dog stand available on site, including (but not limited to): Bombay Club, Sandals’ first-ever Indian restaurant; Butch’s Chophouse, an upscale steakhouse (with excellent striploin); Café de Paris, a French patisserie with speciality coffee, baked goods and crepes; and the Merry Monkey, a British gastro pub open until 2:30 a.m.

The property also offers guests the choice of buffet or a la carte breakfast dining, as well as open-air, ocean-front dining options.

Through its partnership with Robert Mondavi Winery, Sandals offers a selection of six Twin Oaks wine varieties at its restaurants.

Entertainment

By day, organized land sports, board games, cooking classes and language workshops offer plenty to do.

Live entertainment is available each night on the resort, ranging from band performances to cultural shows and music in the Piano Bar. Cocktail parties, theme nights and talent shows are also regular occurrences.

Quick Facts

- Located 15 minutes from Grantley Adams International Airport

- Bookings include airport transfers to/from resort

- Complimentary WiFi is available throughout the resort

- The fitness centre is open 24/7, features group classes and is outfitted with state of the art equipment

- The resort’s Red Lane Spa has a selection of massages, scrubs, facials and salon services available at an additional fee to guests (try the brand’s new Night Blooming Jasmine Massage)

- Sandals Barbados is the only resort in Barbados exclusively for couples

For more information, visit http://www.sandals.com/main/barbados

** Photos provided by Sandals Resorts