Sandals Royal Barbados

Matt R

We found the resort to be very gay-friendly, so would encourage any members of the LGBTQ+ community to visit. We had such a wonderful stay and have to give a huge thank you to our Butlers - Latoya, Nadia and Shameka - for making our stay extra special. They sorted all our dinner reservations for us, walked us to the restaurants at night, reserved our favourite spot by the pool, brought us over surprise drinks throughout the day and delivered lunch to our sun loungers. They would often leave little surprises for us to go back to the room to - such as a cheese plate and a drawn bath with champagne on ice. The resort is huge and the number of food options is incredible - every meal we had was delicious, but I would particular shout out to Bombay (the Indian restaurant) and Chi (the pan-Asian restaurant). The spa was lovely too and we had very relaxing massages and facials. The rooms were spotless and the layout was great because the bathroom felt private (unlike other hotels we’ve stayed at that can feel too exposed). Our room had a tranquility soak tub on the balcony too, which was the epitome of luxury! Next time we will pay extra for private transfers because we didn’t like the mini-buses that shuttled people to and from the airport. The only part I wouldn’t recommend is doing the Rum Historical Tour through “Island Routes” - it was boring and far too much time was spent in the car. We felt like it was a waste of money. We have already booked to come again next year at their on-site Travel and Loyalty section where you can bag yourself a really good deal!

Terrence Callender

The staff was professional and courteous with everyone. Food was delicious as I expected it to be. Nightly entertainment was creative. Daily pool side activities like volleyball and aerobics in the pool. Room refrigerator was replenished everyday at 10 am. Red lane spa gave the best facial and massage.

Crystal Fallon

very beautiful resort. Our room was oceanfront and was nice and spacious. The food was amazing at all the restaurants Service was a bit slow though. we had a few problems with our stay such as a telephone not working in a toilet not working at first. We spoke to Dexter the manager and he was very helpful taking care of the issue promptly. I highly recommend this resort if you'd like all inclusive stays as the food was phenomenal and the staff are also very kind.

Jon

As with all my reviews I compare them against my expectations as set by the price and what the place promises before I arrive. In this case for Sandals they pitch as an ultra all inclusive and pricing is considerably more than an average all inclusive so I expected just that. This review is pretty lengthy so here's a summary for those that don't have the time. If you have already booked this resort you are still going to have a good time. There are a few niggles and if you have been to other Sandals resorts, i'm not sure this one is quite up to the same quality of the others, but all in all the staff are friendly, the food was mostly great and we still enjoyed it. Many of the niggles I had will not apply to Butler Level guests. For those with more time here are some of the facts from our experience: Arrival As Club Level guests (not Butler), we received a warm group welcome in the lounge. Our room wasn’t ready as we arrived early, but the concierge kindly took us to lunch at the Jerk Shack. We were disappointed by the lack of Sandals Loyalty recognition—no welcome pack, no invitation to the loyalty dinner, and we only learned on the last day that member discounts applied to photos and shop purchases. Be sure to mention your membership upfront when spending ANY money on resort. Room Our room in building 11 was spacious, clean, and nicely decorated with a good-sized bathroom. Housekeeping was mostly fine, but sheets weren’t changed for the first 4–5 days until we asked, and replenishment of coffee, towels, etc., was inconsistent. Cleaning seemed to happen late each day. Turndown service was offered just four times in our 12-night stay. Minor issues included a phone mislinked to another room and a bathroom door that wouldn’t stay shut—nothing major but not expected for luxury all inclusive. Food / Restaurants Food was generally good. Butch’s, Dino’s Pizza, and Kimono’s were highlights. Portion sizes have shrunk to reduce waste, but you only realise this when meals arrive—sometimes mains were smaller than starters, though staff were happy to offer extras. Restaurant bookings were frustrating; the earliest we could book was nearly a week in, which would be tough on shorter stays. Service at the British pub was great under one staff member, but it declined once he left, with long waits and missed orders. Staff were friendly throughout, though interactions felt scripted. We waited daily at non-bookable restaurants—often up to an hour—despite empty tables not being cleared in time. It felt like the resort was over capacity for its facilities. On the bright side, Azisa at the doughnut and coffee shop was fantastic—friendly and remembered our orders. Pools The pools were clean and well-kept, with attentive staff and decent drinks. Loungers were padded and comfy—but hard to find. On three mornings we couldn’t get a shaded spot, even by 8:10 a.m. Sandals really needs more loungers and umbrellas to match guest numbers. Pool floats were almost nonexistent—just three total—mostly monopolised by swim-up guests. Poolside drink service was poor until our final days, when a standout staff member, Shermano, provided excellent service at the quiet pool. He was friendly and made a great Bob Marley cocktail—others could take note. Entertainment Entertainment was enjoyable with fun daytime activities at the main pool. However, it was repetitive—expect the same shows and games in week two as in week one. Beach The beach had soft white sand and plenty of available loungers. Unfortunately, the sea was red-flagged most days. The breakwaters made things worse by trapping seaweed and creating choppy conditions. Swimming wasn’t pleasant, and the water wasn't clear. For a better beach, Carlisle Bay was beautiful and worth a visit. Overall I felt there were not enough staff / facilities to meet the number of guests at the resort. I don't think this is a bad resort I just don't think it had the Luxury level that i expected and have had at other Sandals resorts. Frustratingly a lot of this is fixable if Sandals invest just a small amount!

Clinton Bradley

Our room on the 6th floor has an amazing view. I can not say enough about how good and fresh ALL the food was!! I do mean EVERYTHING, from the smoothies to the steaks! The staff and crew are extremely polite and very helpful with everything!