Visiting Sandals Resorts in St Lucia
Sandals Grande St Lucian, Sandals Regency La Toc and Sandals Halcyon
I was incredibly lucky to have been given a place on the Sandals familiarisation trip to Sandals Grand St. Lucia in October 2024.
I headed to Gatwick on the Friday evening and spent the night in a hotel at the airport. My alarm set for 5am and I was ready to meet the others just after 7.30am on the Saturday morning. I always find the time flies in the airport and it wasn't long until we were boarded and ready to fly. After some good food and a few hours of watching YellowStone we had soon arrived!
I knew it was going to be warm, but the feeling of walking from the plane to be hit by that wall of heat... magic! The airport is very small, so it didn't take long to get into the Sandals Lounge with a beautiful cold drink. (I can recommend the local lager!)
There are private transfers available but we got a local minibus. The guys driving them are brilliant! The music was pumping, getting us all in the mood for a few nights in the Caribbean sunshine.
The roads are very twisty turny. The mountains were steep and the views were so pretty! The sun was setting just as we reached Castries and the pictures I took over the bay were lovely.
We finally arrived after about an hour and a half and we were met with some of the staff singing and dancing, which put a big smile on all of our tired faces. The cold mango mimosa went down a treat!
Check in was as fast as it could be for a group - the big comfy chairs and sofas in the foyer were much appreciated - and we were soon settled in our rooms. I was in the Lovers Lagoon Honeymoon Premium room. The massive four-poster bed was the comfiest bed I have ever slept in. We only had time to unpack, shower and get ready to meet the rest of the group for dinner at Toscanini's, the Italian restaurant. The food was incredible and the cocktails went down an absolute treat! We were all a little sleepy after a good dinner and headed straight to bed to get a good nights rest, ready for our first day in paradise.
On the Sunday morning, we had breakfast in the Bayside buffet restaurant. There is a massive selection of hot and cold food and the coffee is delicious.
In the morning we had a couple of hours watching presentations about Sandals and Beaches. Straight after, we had a tour of all the different types of rooms available at the Grand St. Lucian. My favourite would have been A Grand Rondoval Butler Suite with Private Pool Sanctuary.
We got to see the over-the- water chapel which would be a gorgeous place to get married. We also had a look around the spa. It was the most luxurious smelling spa I have ever been in, and the cold towels were very much appreciated.
We went for lunch in our groups. I went to the Jerk Shack and as tasty as it was,
it was a bit too spicy for my Scottish palate! After lunch we all hopped into a minibus and went off for a tour of the golf course. Sandals residents can use this for free, and you can hire clubs,shoes and collared shirts (if needed) for a small fee.
Then we were off again but this time to Sandals Halcyon Beach resort, which was my favourite. It’s a lot smaller and more intimate than The Grand St. Lucia. The swim up pools and the tranquillity tubs are extremely popular. The Lazy River in the main pool looked like so much fun!
After the tour we got back to The Grand and had a few hours in the pool before getting ready for a group dinner at Kimonos Teppanyaki restaurant. The food was amazing and the chef really made the night with his jokes and impressive cooking skills. The cocktails were the best I've ever had! The others all went off to the Reggae night, but I went back to enjoy the bed!
On the Monday morning we met up in our groups again to have breakfast at the Bayside buffet. We met the rest of the group in the foyer and headed off to Sandals Regency Le Toc. This resort is built on the side of the hill and is very spread out. There are lots of small minibuses and golf carts to take around the resort. The views over the shore from all rooms and restaurants are incredible. I could have sat there for days just watching the sea!
We headed back to The Grand after a tour of some of the rooms and had lunch at Barefoot Beach restaurant which was delicious - I had the burger. There was an option to hike up Mount Pimard in the afternoon. Two of our group decided to do it and the rest of us went for a swim in the sea and cocktails in the pool. We enjoyed some entertainment before getting ready for the final group dinner at Bombay the Indian restaurant. This was the best Indian food I've ever eaten!
After dinner I went off to THAT bed while the others went to play pool at The Olde London Pub.
On the Tuesday, I didn't make it to breakfast. Instead, I got packed and ready to head home. I met some of the group for lunch at the pizzeria while the others went horse riding or for a swim. I decided to find some coffee and shade where I could read my book with view of the sea.
Heading home, the flight was very quiet so we all had a decent sleep. The flight went by so fast!
I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to go on this trip. Next time I'll need at least a week to enjoy each of the resorts!
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