St. Lucia Sandals Grande
Written: Dec 06 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Service, location of hotel.
Cons: Distance from airport.
The Bottom Line: The service, atmosphere, and scenery will make you wish you could stay there forever.
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| fxcarden's Full Review: St. Lucia |
We went to St. Lucia for our 25th Anniversary in November. We chose Sandals because it was a couples only resort. There are 3 Sandals in St. Lucia, and after some research, we settled on the Grande because it was the newest and biggest. I am pleased to say that the trip did not disappoint as everything turned out exactly as expected. The Continental charter flight (Champagne Express) was on time and smooth both ways. The Sandals rep on the plane had lots of information and prices for the guests. The ride from the airport to the Grande was the only knock on this trip due to the length and lack of comfort. There is a helicopter service which costs an additional $100 per person, but it is well worth it, especially on the return.
The hotel is fantastic, with top notch service, and good quality all around including the food and drinks. I would rate the beach as good or excellent. The water sports are all included except for Jet Skis, and all the equipment is in excellent shape. Our room (as did many others) had a musty, wet-carpet like smell when we arrived, and the first night was a little uncomfortable because of that, but we left the sliding glass door open all day starting on the second day, and that fixed the problem. The problem is caused by high humidity and condensation. There is no fixing it. Don't bother to complain, upgrade or downgrade to another room. It won't help. Just open the window and you will be fine.
We did several tours thru the hotel, and all of them were of good quality, with excellent service from the staffs. The tours were Day Sail, Whale Watching, and Sunset Cruise.
There were other more adventurous tours, but we decided to take it easy and enjoy the easy ones.
As far as the food goes, there are 3 main restaurants. Barefoot by the Sea is mainly for lunch and casual dinners. Bayside is for all 3 meals, and is a little more upscale than Barefoot, and Toscanini's is an italian restaurant which is the most formal of the three. The food in all 3 was of good quality, and the service was outstanding. As a Sandals guest, you can also go to the other two hotels to eat, and there is a regular shuttle service between all three hotels for convenience. The schedule for the shuttles is posted in the main lobby.
As for photography, there are plenty of opportunities to take that breath-taking picture you always wanted. Just go to the end of the pier at sunset, and shoot a portrait of your partner (don't forget to use the flash). You won't believe how dramatic the sunsets are until you see them in person. The island is so lush and the coast line so dramatic that you will not shoot any "bad" pictures.
All in all, we had a great week. Too bad we came back home to a blizzard, but hey, at least we are the only ones that are shoveling snow with a tan. We would do this trip again in a heartbeat. Sandals runs a great operation and should be commended for their attention to detail.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Dec - Feb
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Epinions.com ID:
fxcarden
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Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 0 members
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