My Honest Sandals Barbados Review: What I Loved (and What I Want You to Know)
Written By: Senior Travel Advisor, Payton Rudolph
When my husband, Cooper, and I originally booked Sandals Barbados to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary, we had one goal: unplug after our first year of parenthood and enjoy a few days together in the Caribbean.
Mission accomplished.
We returned home feeling refreshed, reconnected, and grateful for the chance to celebrate such a special milestone. But if I'm being completely honest, our experience wasn't exactly what we expected.
If you are considering visiting Sandals Barbados, here is everything that you should know before you go.
First Impressions & Arrival
Getting to Barbados was incredibly easy with our nonstop flight from Charlotte, and after about 20 minutes through immigration, we were on the complimentary Sandals shuttle. The resort is only about 15 minutes from the airport, making arrival quick and stress-free.
Check-in was one of the highlights of the trip. Since I'd completed most of it online, we were taken directly to the Club Lounge, checked in within minutes, and our room was ready immediately.
The Room: Comfortable, Romantic & Exactly What We Booked
We stayed in the Crystal Lagoon Club Level Luxury Honeymoon Suite, and overall, we were very happy with it.
The room was spacious, the bed was comfortable, and the oversized soaking tub on the balcony quickly became one of our favorite features. We also appreciated the stocked liquor cabinet, roomy bathroom, and plenty of storage.
There were a few signs that the resort is beginning to show its age. Our balcony door wasn't sealing properly, which affected the air conditioning, but maintenance repaired it after we reported the issue.
Overall, I'd describe the accommodations as comfortable rather than luxurious
The Best Part of Sandals Barbados: Two Resorts in One
Without question, one of the biggest perks of staying here is the ability to enjoy both Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados.
That effectively doubles your restaurants, pools, bars, and entertainment options.
During our visit, the largest pool on the Barbados side was closed for renovations, so having access to Royal Barbados made a huge difference.
The landscaping throughout both resorts is absolutely gorgeous. Palm trees, tropical flowers, and lush greenery make everything feel incredibly Caribbean.
One piece of advice: claim your pool chairs early. By 7:45 a.m., many of the best spots were already taken.
Let's Talk About the Beach...
This is probably the biggest question people ask.
Unfortunately, during our stay, the beach wasn't somewhere we wanted to spend much time.
Seasonal sargassum seaweed had washed ashore in significant amounts, making the shoreline look brown and creating a noticeable odor. Of course, this is something no resort can fully control, and conditions change throughout the year.
The good news? Barbados has some incredible beaches elsewhere on the island. Our excursion to Carlisle Bay completely reminded us why Barbados is known for its beautiful water.
Food Was Consistently Good
One area where Sandals absolutely shines is variety.
With access to restaurants at both resorts, we never ran out of places to try.
Our favorites included:
Kimonos Hibachi — easily our favorite meal of the trip.
Butch's Steakhouse — my filet was excellent.
Bombay — flavorful Indian food with plenty of spice.
Greenhouse — our favorite breakfast.
Dino's — don't skip the quesadilla.
The coffee shop became a daily stop for iced lattes, crepes, and (according to Cooper) excellent milkshakes.
Nothing was the best meal we've ever had, but every restaurant was enjoyable, and we never left disappointed.
Get Out of the Resort!
If I could give one piece of advice, it's this:
Don't spend your entire vacation at the resort.
Barbados is an amazing island, and our favorite memories happened off property.
Our Project Expedition tour included:
Cherry Hill
Barbados Wildlife Reserve (the monkeys were adorable!)
Lunch overlooking Bathsheba Beach
Snorkeling over a shipwreck at Carlisle Bay
We also loved attending the Friday night Oistins Fish Fry, where we enjoyed local seafood, live music, rum punch, and an atmosphere that felt authentically Bajan.
If you're already flying to Barbados, make time to experience the island itself.
The Only Area That Fell Short: Service
This is where our experience differed from what we'd expected.
The staff members we encountered weren't rude across the board, but they also weren't particularly warm or engaging.
As someone who has stayed at multiple other resorts, I'm accustomed to staff remembering your name, checking in throughout the day, and creating those memorable interactions that make a vacation feel truly special.
We simply didn't experience that here.
Our anniversary wasn't acknowledged after check-in, we never received poolside drink service during long afternoons at the pool, and most meals felt more transactional than personal.
Did it ruin our vacation? Absolutely not.
Would it influence whether I’d recommend this resort to certain clients? Yes.
Final Thoughts
Would I return to Sandals Barbados? Maybe.
Not because we didn't enjoy ourselves… we absolutely did. We celebrated five wonderful years of marriage and relaxed after an exhausting first year of parenthood.
But if I were choosing solely based on resort experience, I think there are other all-inclusive resorts that deliver a higher level of service.
That said, Barbados is a destination I would return to in a heartbeat. The island is beautiful, the people outside the resort were incredibly welcoming, and there's so much to explore beyond the gates of a resort.
If you're considering Sandals Barbados, my advice is simple: go for the island, enjoy the resort for what it does well, and don't miss the opportunity to experience all that Barbados has to offer.