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 I just got back and was so disappointed. Visited: June 2007 |
| Posted by ecstark |
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Apparently service hasn't improved at the Grande since it opened five years ago! We had a very similar experience on our ten-day honeymoon as others who have expressed their disappointment on this site.
The concierge service was substandard. They were generally rude, and we had to follow-up at least three times to every request we had (more glasses, towels, bottled water, etc.).
Our room was never cleaned properly - we kept our shoes on while walking in our room! The food was terrible all around - particularly at Kimonos.
A server got visibly angry with us for using the cloth napkins provided for our use at the Barefoot restaurant. She wanted to remove them from the table and give us paper! For the $10K we spent on this vacation, we should be allowed to use the cloth napkins! We frequently finished meals without having ever received the drinks we ordered (including water).
We knew that we would be hustled for a tip by the "skycaps" at the airport, but did not expect that the Sandals representative would instruct us to tip our driver after the pre-paid ride to the resort. It was not so "ultra all-inclusive" after all. We were also hustled for a tip by our server at La Toc.
The one plus was our semi-private swim-up room - fantastic! Sadly, we won't be going back and would not recommend to anyone. We also heard similar comments echoed by other guests throughout our stay, so we know it wasn't just us! |
| 24 users found this review helpful. 13 found this review unhelpful. |
 We enjoyed our delayed honeymoon. Visited: January 2007 |
| Posted by antqrssd |
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My hubby and I were married in January of 2003, and had planned to go to St. Lucia for our honeymoon. Due to scheduling of my husband's business, we could not go.
We finally booked an eight-day stay for January 2007 at the Sandals Grande. We had been to a Sandals before, and knew what to expect in terms of room, food, entertainment, etc. We had a wonderful time!
The resort was beautiful, the staff was accommodating, and the food was excellent! The only thing that we were not thrilled with was the crazy ride to the resort (approx 1 1/2 hours!.) You can arrange to take a 15-minute helicopter ride when you book your trip to and from the resort, but it's expensive.
The island was lush and tropical, and the people were very friendly (no hawkers to bother us). We ate at the Regency and the Halcyon, and food was excellent at both.
The Grande was the best hotel of the thre we saw. We will be coming back to St. Lucia again! |
| 21 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| It was a fantastic experience. Visited: December 2006 |
| Posted by pitfan |
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We chose the Grande for our honeymoon, and it was absolutely wonderful!
The hotel was nowhere near full due to the fact that we were here Christmas week. This made us feel so special - especially with the bar tenders at the pool bar. Thanks, Fanis, for the great drinks!
The food was awesome! And there were no waits, either! The diving and snorkeling were awesome.
We felt it was well worth it, and we plan on going back for our fifth anniversary. |
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| 13 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| We had a wonderful trip. Visited: August 2005 |
| Posted by starcourt |
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My husband and I took our honeymoon to this resort from Sunday to Sunday. We had such a great time. I am hoping to help future travelers with this review!
There were two airports, the larger was 1 hour and 30 minutes from the hotel. We flew into this airport because I don't like smaller planes. I do get motion sickness, but I popped some Dramamine and was fine on the way there.
We were in a nice air conditioned mini-bus. On the way back it wasn't so nice because we were in a little fan. So if you can, avoid those. The little airport was about 20 minutes from the hotel. We met a couple who flew into that airport and the said the small plane was an experience. But if you don't mind, I would fly into that airport. There were also helicopter transfers available for a couple hundred bucks.
We had a Penthouse Honeymoon Beachfront Concierge room. We had 24-hour room service which was wonderful. The cost of the room was worth it to us. With the conceirge level, we also had a fridge filled with beer, water, soda, etc. and two kinds of rum, and vodka. They were filled daily, and there was unlimited champagne as well!
We opted to stay at the resort and not visit the others or do any excursions. We just wanted to relax. We heard only positive things about the excursions, though. I personally don't like horseback riding because of a near death experience I had. But I heard that excursion was wonderful.
The food was good. They had a midnight chocolate bar, as well as a midnight seafood and martini bar (one night each). We enjoyed the Italian Restaurant. We also heard Kimono's at the Regency was excellent - but make reservations early because we were unable to get one.
I highly recommend the spa! It was not included, but it was a great splurge. I had the Desert Heat Body Wrap and a Swedish massage. It was the best massage I've had! My husband had a sports massage. I would not recommend it as a first time massage because I think it was pretty intense.
The pools were great. We spent most of our time in the main pool with the swim-up bar. Some drink recommendations: Dirty Banana, Saint Lucia Mama, and the Banshee.
The beach was nice. We went on a hobie cat and tubing (all included). I have been to a lot of beaches, and this one would rank somewhere in the middle. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't spectacular. We liked the pool because we could float and drink.
The swim-up lagoon pool rooms were not off the main pool. When we walked by, we saw one person floating in the pool. So if you like privacy that may be the way to go.
Traveling to Saint Lucia was an all day thing. We left Dallas at 6:00 am and arrived at the hotel about 4:30 pm. It was a great hotel, but there are nice ones in Mexico and Jamaica area as well! |
| 12 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
 What a great honeymoon! Visited: October 2004 |
| Posted by dmenhennett |
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We were very pleased with the Sandals Grande St. Lucian. If you are trying to decide between the three properties on St. Lucia, go with the Grande. Many other guests of the other two agreed.
We stayed in a Honeymoon Penthouse Beachfront Concierge suite. We loved the view. It was much better than the view of the bay. When we first arrived, we were temporarily upgraded to a swim-up room. That was awesome, too.
The playmaker staff was lots of fun. The activities were hokey, but you got a chance to meet lots of other guests.
We went scuba diving, snorkeling, and anything else they would let us do. We also booked the horseback riding tour with picnic lunch. If you take this tour, don't skimp - get the lunch, it was so worth the extra money. We were so happy with it! If you go, I hope you get to ride the horse I had, Stumpy.
The restaurants were great. Anyone who complained must be used to eating gourmet meals every day. We weren't disappointed with one meal. The selection was far better than any all-inclusive that I've visited. I had lobster, shrimp or steak every night.
Kimono's at the Regency was a must-do. And the nicest surprise was Barefoot's restaurant at night. Just go, you'll understand.
And remember guys, bring long pants and closed toe shoes. My hubby didn't bring the shoes, so we couldn't get in to a few places!
Our only complaint was with the Concierge staff. They couldn't seem to be bothered to lift a finger to even make a reservation unless they were pushed. We encountered a problem every time we dealt with them. They are the reason that we gave this only four stars.
But, we decided to just enjoy the room service that much more. It was nice being able to have breakfast on our balcony overlooking the bay. What more could you ask for?
The rest of the staff was very nice. The property was outstanding. I would definitely recommend spending your honeymoon here! |
| 9 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
 Grande was not a place for a honeymoon I wasted $4K here. Visited: October 2003 |
| Posted by stephendamico |
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We encountered many unpleasant issues, and I wanted to make you aware of this resort's horrific condition.
Once we arrived at the airport in St. Lucia, our bags were taken to a resort van by a bag handler whom demanded money for just taking the bags several feet to the van’s entrance. He didn’t even help load the bags.
Sandals Grande St. Lucian was by far the hottest resort or hotel I have ever been to, since the lobbies and hallways had no air conditioning. We did not feel special in any way once entering the resort, like we did on our honeymoon in Hawaii (no flowers, no live music). There was just heat and humidity.
After entering our room, we noted a foul smell of mold and mildew. The odor was so pungent I start sneezing several times in a row. We then called the front desk within several minutes to request a new room. They stated the hotel was full and house keeping would be called right up to clean this room.
Well, after two hours of waiting and getting sicker, my wife and I proceeded to the front desk requesting a cleaner room. We were then moved to a somewhat cleaner and inhabitable room that hour. However, the view was of lesser quality. In the first room, we could see the ocean and now we were limited to what could be seen.
After retiring for the evening, I was unable to sleep because my allergies were bothersome due to the moldy stench. Please note I was not sick in any way before stepping foot in the Grande Resort. This was not how I had planned spending our anniversary.
On the second day, as I entered the bathroom, the door knob fell off. I had little luck with calling the front desk, so I asked a repairman who I ran into in the hall to fix the bathroom doorknob and also repair the slider handle, which had fallen of as well.
As we walked to breakfast, we were appalled at the large number of dirty dishes on the side tables in the halls which swarmed with insects crawling all over them as we walked across badly stained hall carpets.
Eating and drinking at the Sandals restaurants was a gamble for us. The drinks at the Grande were somewhat disappointing to us for many reasons. The fruit mixes, which the drinks were made from, were far from tropical. They were mixes from the exotic location of New Jersey, USA. The service at most of the bars was a gamble, too. The Grande’s food rivaled that of a one- to two-star resort, a step up from cruise line food.
I heard the same Bob Marley songs over and over. Even the skips in the songs were predictable after hearing them so many times. I would rather hear the birds and waves than the selection of music played in a relentless loop. The bands were very disappointing, too. |
| 11 users found this review helpful. 11 found this review unhelpful. |
| not worth it Visited: August 2003 |
| Posted by kendra_loomis |
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We travel a lot throughout the Caribbean. This was our second stay at a Sandals' property. The property is perfectly manicured and the staff is super friendly and eager to please. The food is substandard. What they call prime rib in the London Pub, wouldn't qualify as meat in most places. Unlike Sandals-Antigua, they didn't serve lobster. Fish courses were dry and most of the seafood that they serve was previously frozen. The fact that the Italian restaurant has five stars is a joke. There are better pasta sauces in jars. We were unable to obtain reservations in the restaurants of the other two Sandals' properties. No reservations were available until the day after we left. We didn't expect Casa de Campo or the Four Seasons-Nevis, but the price is about the same and the food quality at Casa or Four Seasons is certainly better. The rooms at Grande are carpeted and both ours and the room of the couple that we traveled with smelled strongly of mold/mildew. The furniture was worn. My husband's Men's Health magazine disappeared from the desk of our room. The creamer for coffee in the room and the bottled water were not replaced without a request. The gym was modern, air conditioned and open 24 hours. The drinks were fine. Although no one ever answered the phone in the pro shop to reserve a tennis court, we always found the courts empty. We played every morning and the courts were fine, but usually neither water nor cups were available. The music was good. The sax player is very talented and the steel bad was enjoyable. Water skiing and tubing were fun, as were the volleyball games. The beach is somewhat rocky. Beware of the sea urchins!! In the end, I only give it two stars because we found the food so bad and the property is missing some of the attention to detail that makes a hotel stand out. |
| 5 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. |
| It was absolutely wonderful! Visited: August 2003 |
| Posted by janoug |
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Before we left on our vacation, we read the reviews on this website and others, so we knew what to expect. We just couldn't believe anyone would find fault in a vacation at the St. Lucia Sandals Grande.
We had such a wonderful time that we definitely want to come back next year. We had the swim-up lagoon room and it was so awesome! We swam in our "pool" every late afternoon and evening. We spent the day at the beach and main pool, drinking wonderful tropical drinks and having fun doing such things as tubing and jet-skiing.
The property was absolutely amazing. We have been all over the Caribbean and to Maui, and this property was by far the most beautiful. I would suggest hiking up Pigeon Island and taking the Day Sail to the Pitons. And the Sunset Cruise was so fun!
We absolutely loved our vacation. We renewed our vows in a very special ceremony arranged by the staff of the hotel. Our pictures were wonderful and they made it so meaningful for us.
I don't care what anyone else writes here--this resort was absolutely wonderful. If you don't think so, you need a reality check--you must not realize you are in paradise. I will never forget my wonderful memories of this beautiful resort, and I can't wait to come back! |
| 10 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| This place was absolutely awesome! Visited: June 2003 |
| Posted by wirizarry |
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My wife and I went to Sandals Grande for our honeymoon. We stopped in Puerto Rico and spent the night, then we flew into the small airport that was about 15 minutes from the resort.
When we arrived, we were amazed by how beautiful this resort was. From the fountain in the entrance to the atmosphere of the lobby, it was just amazing. Like everyone else, we were greeted with a cool towel and glass of champagne. We were checked in did not have to wait in line. Our bags were taken to our room.
The room was nice - nothing out of this world, but it was nice. The bars were great and there were plenty of them to choose from. We especially liked the one in the pool. There's nothing like swimming, relaxing, and drinking all day.
We took the land and sea tour and the horseback riding tour. Both were great. Make sure if you do the horseback, take the two-hour tour. You get to go in the ocean with the horses. Nightlife was not bad. It seemed like people either went to bed early or were just not into the music.
Staff was top notch. They went out of thier way to make sure our stay was perfect. I highly recommend this resort. You will love it! |
| 7 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. |
| A fantastic venue with great staff and even better cocktails. Visited: June 2003 |
| Posted by speskett |
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We had a terrific honeymoon in St. Lucia in June. It really was a special place to visit. The Grande was the newest of the three Sandals resorts in St Lucia, and was by far the biggest, too.
When we arrived, we were given a cold towel and a glass of champagne, as well as a bag containing shampoo, conditioner, aftersun gel, etc.
We had a room overlooking the Atlantic, which we personally preferred to the Lagoon Pool rooms, which faced each other and were not as nice in our opinion. The staff was incredibly friendly, and we made some good friends while we were here.
Of the five restaurants, we found the Italian one to be disappointing. The London pub was fine, except it did not serve English beer (we found the decor and indeed the whole concept rather tacky). The Barefoot by the Sea restaurant was excellent (and our favorite). Bayside was fine, with great breakfasts, and the creperie was fine, too. Although there was a supposed dress code in the evening, this was not enforced too strictly.
The watersports was great. We had lots of friendly banter with the staff, but when it came to the scuba diving and the safety aspects, they were deadly serious, and we really felt we were in safe hands. We recommend doing either the resort or the PADI course here.
The cocktails served throughout the day were fantastic; make sure you get Sandra to make them for you - hers were always the tastiest.
Regarding the tours, we found that if you book with Sandals, you pay over the odds, and that it would be better to book direct - you can always sort a cab out from the hotel. Oh, and if you want to go on a turtle watch (which was magical), Sandals did not run them, so you will have to find a number for yourself. We would recommend booking one before you arrive, as this was the highlight of our holiday.
Also bear in mind that 80% of the guests were American, and while that was fine, they could be rather more boisterous than us Brits, so if you expect a quiet romantic boat trip, think again!
We would thoroughly recommend this resort and St. Lucia as a whole. It is a beautiful place, so please do not just stay on the beach for two weeks - you really will be missing out!
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| 3 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| It was worth the cost. Visited: April 2003 |
| Posted by adriennesavagetoo |
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The property was absolutely beautiful - the best on the island. One of the best features about this property was that it never felt crowded. There were plenty of pools and places to lay in and out of the sun.
Though the food was so-so and the service was less than what I would expect (in the restaurants and bars), the resort itself took my mind off of these shortcomings. Would I go again? Definitely!
We had a beachfront consigner room and it was worth it. Each morning, we awoke to the garden, beach and mountains - it was bliss. The ride from the airport to the resort was two hours (but the bus was air conditioned). Was it good? Was it bad? It would depend on your personality. I didn't mind. The driver was great and pointed out sites on the island, so it was like a mini tour. But there were some who absolutely hated it.
The "Play Markers" at the Grande were also great. They were full of energy and very friendly. I can't wait to go again. |
| 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| We made an excellent choice! Visited: April 2003 |
| Posted by lopes1001 |
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I was somewhat skeptical of Sandals after reading some of the reviews here. I can now safely say that I give this place a thumbs up after vacationing here for a week.
The property itself was fabulous. They kept it extremely well manicured and it was very clean. The staff was extremely friendly and went out of their way to satisfy guests. The water sports were great and the activities were fun (if you felt like participating in them).
We tried several restaurants for dinner and honestly never had a bad meal. The meals were not gourmet, but they were not bad at all. I would rate the meals as "good". The best restaurant in the entire place had to be Marios at the Halcyon. The drinks were good and they had name brand alcohols. The service was a bit slow, but let's face it...you are in the Caribbean and on vacation, so if you are in a rush to do nothing, then you have problems.
The spa was fantastic, although it was not included, but I highly recommend it. They only downside to this place was that it was an hour and a half from the bigger airport. If you want to fly into the smaller airport, it's only about 20 minutes away, but you will not be able to get any direct flights into this airport from the US.
In summary, I would definitely recommend this resort to any couple considering a vacation or honeymoon. My wife and I have been to many vacation destinations and rank this among the top. It's well worth the money, although I don't recommend spending the extra money for the higher-class rooms because you most likely will get upgraded as we did. |
| 3 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. |
| An absolutely beautiful property - and very relaxing! Visited: April 2003 |
| Posted by lp630 |
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My husband and I just returned from Sandals Grande for our honeymoon. We had a wonderful time!
This was a really beautiful place. Sandals spent about 10 million renovating the grounds since the Hyatt transition, and we could tell! It was delightful. The grounds were really well kept, flowers were blooming everywhere, the beach and pools were very clean, and the central restroom facilities were also very clean and nice. It definitely offered some eye candy and was a very relaxing place to stay!
Because it was a Hyatt before this, the rooms were nothing more than simple hotel rooms. There have been a few upgrades and they were clean, but they were nothing overly outrageous. What made the difference in the rooms here was the view.
We had a luxury beachview room, and it was worth every penny. We opened our curtains every morning to palm trees and a beautiful beach! We did not spend the extra money on the suite concierge service, and did not miss it at all. We could still order continental breakfast in the room and could always bring a drink from the bar ourselves. Personally, we were pleased with our decision not to spend the money on that upgrade. Especially since the rooms were exactly the same.
I would definitely recommend the beachview over the oceanview, though. Although you could see the ocean, you had to look past the road and sometimes a parking lot first, so I don't know that I would have been thrilled about that. The swim-Up rooms were not on the beach - be aware. Also, they were not at the main pool.
I thought the food was pretty good. It was definitely better than 'cruise food'. We enjoyed most all of the restaurants and particularly liked the chocolate crepe at the creperie! It was yummy! One really nice thing was that you could take the shuttles to the other resorts to get a different dinner. We went to the Golf and Spa resort twice for dinner - once for Japanese and once for French, and we really liked that.
Lunches were really good at our resort. We never felt hungry or disappointed in the food and definitely found some favorites!
Unfortunately, in the area of staff and service, this was where we were disappointed in our trip. Although they did their job, they didn't seem to go out of their way. They didn't seem to have as much excitement and peppiness as we've seen at other islands. We didn't feel disserviced, but not very catered to.
Overall, we really enjoyed it. We had a very relaxing and great honeymoon!
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| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| What a fabulous place! Visited: March 2003 |
| Posted by czarjete |
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My husband and I went to the golf resort for our honeymoon last September. We visited the Grande and we were blown away. We loved it so much, we booked reservations for March at the Grande as soon as we got home.
We cannot say enough about the staff. They were attentive to all our needs. (They were also a lot of fun!) The beach at the Grande was the best on St. Luica. The food was also excellent.
The only thing that needed fine tuning at the resort was the drink service. At times, we were half way done with our meal and the drinks would arrive. Other than that, if you are looking for the ultimate vacation - the Grande is the way to go.
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| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| Sandals was a wonderful property filled with wonderful staff. Visited: March 2003 |
| Posted by vlmdpm |
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We have just returned from a fantastic vacation.
We had a honeymoon swim-up room which we think was well worth it. We were just two steps away from the pool, and we had everything we needed - including 24-hour room service and a fully stocked bar.
We didn't have to leave our room, but once we saw the resort, we want to. The grounds were beautiful, and there were plenty of hammocks, love seats etc.. The pool was the biggest I've ever seen - it just gwent on and on.
I cannot find fault with this resort. After visiting the other Sandals resorts in St. Lucia for a night, I would definitely say the Grande was by far the best. The staff was very friendly and nice.
Overall, this place was the best! Come here, relax and enjoy. |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| Sandals is a good value for the money. Visited: February 2003 |
| Posted by dfund |
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This was our first Sandals experience and it was fine. The food was plentiful and good to very good (though not a gourmet experience). Toscanini's was, by far, the best restaurant.
The white wine was marginal, but the champagne quite potable. The red wine (French Merlot) was also potable. The tropical drinks were fine and very strong!
Our room was spacious, clean and comfortable. The staff was reasonably attentive. The beach was okay, but not expansive -- water clarity and warmth was not to our liking. The pools were very nice with plenty of rafts, lounges and towels. The water sports staff was excellent with good instruction for water skiing, Hobie cat sailing, etc.
The fitness room (open all the time) was excellent with a wide variety of new equipment. The spa was well equipped but our deep tissue massage with Tess left us in pain...she was rough!
We enjoyed the Martinique excursion which included a 1.5 hour ride across the channel. The shopping area was very conjested; the open market was a sight to see!
We did not do scuba outings, but we met several experienced divers who said the diving trips were great with good visibility and lots of color.
We visited the two other Sandal's resorts on St. Lucia and believe the Grande was, by far, the nicest and in best condition (it's a newly rennovated former Hyatt).
We recommend booking a Rodney Bay view room. The swim-up rooms do not have a bay view but are private.
Overall, we thought the resort was a good value for the money spent (booked with the 35% discount promotion).
Note that St. Lucia is known for its rugged, lush beauty, but not broad expansive beaches. If you're beach people (we are) be sure to research your resort's beach prior to booking! It may not meet your requirements. |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| I would recommend several changes. Visited: February 2003 |
| Posted by watters19 |
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First let me start by saying that I am truly not a difficult person to please. I also realize that while I may not have had a good experience at Sandals Grande St. Lucia, others may have loved it. (But then again isn't consistency important?) As far as the service was concerned, I found the help to be very accommodating to visitors over 40. Forget it if you were under 40, because you were simply regarded as not important and that's how we perceived it. It was the only way we could explain why we were constantly overlooked. Also we never complained which could have been another reason. I certainly bet that our service would have been substantially better if we could've tipped for good service.
Then there were odors emanating from the bars and the rooms. I recommend better clean up procedures. The food was, for lack of a better word, "blah." Oh yes, the grounds were indeed lovely but honestly the previous hotel owners (Hyatt) should be thanked.
There were a few more problems my husband and I encountered at the Sandal's Grande but to make a long story short I will leave off with the worst problem that affected us. My husband's Oakley glasses were accidentally left at either the Sunset Bar of the Barefoot restaurant and were never returned because they were most likely stolen. (They were expensive sunglasses.) Now it is written in the Guest Services Guide that Sandal's covers personal "guest" property up to $250 US. However, the staff just took a report and played stupid about the policy. Then, when they had to agree that they in fact did have that policy they said that they could not do anything because of some reason that made absolutely no sense whatsoever. We didn't bother to pursue it because it was too frustrating. Anyway I just want people to be aware ahead of time. Sandals Grande is new so maybe they need time to get their act together. After this experience though, I would not recommend Sandals Grande! |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. |
| It was paradise. Visited: January 2003 |
| Posted by barbara1 |
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We celebrated our ten-year anniversary at the Grande, and we were in heaven.
The property was gorgeous, and the service was excellent. It was just what we were looking for - not too commercial and breathtaking. The spa was fabulous. I would highly recommend the couples beach massage. We stayed in a concierge beachfront suite. It was great.
All in all, there was nothing we would change. We will visit again. |
| 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| We love the island, love the people, and love the resort. Visited: January 2003 |
| Posted by harmony1979 |
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We spent a week at the Sandals Grande for our honeymoon. One of the reasons we chose Sandals was due to their reputation and we must say, we weren't disappointed.
When we first arrived, the lush scent of the island was overwhelming. It was nice to remember what grass smelled like. The shuttle ride to the resort wasn't as bad as we thought it was going to be. It was a nice, air-conditioned way to see a bit of the island. Our cabbie was even kind enough to stop at a store so we could pick up a couple of Pitons (the local beer - a must try) to quench our thirsts.
We arrived at the resort to wet towels and champagne glasses. Check-in was relatively painless. Orientation was shortly thereafter - this was optional, but we recommend it. It really helped us find our way around for the rest of the week.
The resort itself offered a lot of good facilities and activities for those who wanted to participate and it was all included – even motorized watersports such as tubing and water-skiing. We had our first experience scuba diving (thanks to our great instructors Tim and Pamela) and had such a great time we’re going for our full certification.
Not really being joiners (and being on our honeymoon), we tended to keep to ourselves for the most part which was surprisingly easy in a resort that size. We spent most of our time relaxing on the beach or at a bar. If you enjoy lying around too, you’ll be pleased to find that there were always plenty of loungers and spots in sun or shade.
The view from the resort was beautiful in all directions. Be sure to check out the sunset!
Ahh, the spa! It was a great way to get you into full-out relaxation mode. It was a little on the pricy side, but it was well worth it, and I felt like Jell-O afterwards. If you’re getting braids (or other hair services), ask for Jannick.
There were four restaurants, and we tried all but Toscanini’s. The food at the other three restaurants (Bayside, Barefoot and the Pub) was great. The buffet meals at Bayside were good, but not fantastic. Be sure to try Josephine’s (the creperie) – a great place to snack. The staff was very friendly at all restaurants. But watch out for Jannel who served up a mean Long Island iced tea!
The bars were all great – service was good and drinks were always flowing. The only problem we found was that the beach bar didn’t stir their pre-blended drinks so watch out for those Daquiris – all the rum is at the bottom!
Overall, it was a great trip although it was a bit too short. Ten days would have been perfect! We’re already planning a return trip for our 5th anniversary! |
| 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. |
| A great resort with really friendly staff. Visited: January 2003 |
| Posted by charlie_dent |
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We honeymooned here for 14 days, and it was a great resort! The best things were the really friendly staff, beautiful surroundings and great watersports and spa.
The only downside was the room. We had to move twice because of dampness - there had clearly been a number of leaks/floods, and the hotel smelled musty in parts. We were upgraded to a concierge room which was nice, but I would not have paid the extra - the rooms were the same. Nor would I have paid extra for the swim-up honeymoon rooms as they were not very private. However, rooms were comfortable and decor was good.
Although we were told that the resort was at full occupancy, it did not seem over-crowded. The only downside was that during our second week, a few big groups of very loud noisy couples arrived - but there were plenty of places to escape here.
The entertainment was there if you wanted. A bit Butlins holiday camp style - not really my thing, but there was no pressure to join in.
We heard a few comments about the "food not being gourmet" which we thought was a bit unfair. At the end of the day, this was huge resort and they served a huge amount of people every day, so that was unrealistic. The food was always of a good standard and much much better than we had at Almond Beach in Barabados last year.
There was a good choice of buffet-style food, e.g. Bayside, more formal, e.g. Toscanini's through to informal light/snack meals at the English Pub. You could not go hungry at this resort!
We visited the other resorts. A word of warning - the buses got very crowded! The golf resort was nice and we had a good meal at La Toc, but the bars here were dark and dingy. We preferred Halycon which was nearer and smaller. The accommodation here looked really nice and if you wanted somewhere more intimate this is the place. We had nice meals at Mario's and the Pier.
It is definitely worth doing some of the day trips or you miss an opportunity to see the real St. Lucia.
All in all, this was a great resort and a great holiday.
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| Built in the style of a British palace where majestic stone archways lead through a three-story open-air lobby, Sandals Grande St. Lucian is framed by spectacular mountain views and edged by the island’s most dramatically perfect beach. Indulge in everything aquatic from SCUBA diving to swimming... |
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