Sandals – Antigua and St Lucia

Sandals – Antigua and St Lucia

Now that the nights are drawing in and winter has arrived, there is no better time to travel to the Caribbean.

I recently returned from a two centre holiday to Antigua and St Lucia and stayed at two Sandals resorts.

Sandals is a Caribbean owned company which has 15 resorts throughout the Caribbean, all of them regularly winning awards and accolades. All the properties are ultra all inclusive, including world class dining options, premium drinks and a myriad of activities and watersports. Your holiday can be as quiet and relaxing or as active as you want!

Sandals Grande Antigua is situated on the best beach in Antigua, Dickensen Bay, no mean feat on an island which has 365 beaches! This resort has been voted the world’s most romantic for the last 14 years and it’s easy to see why. The beach is just beautiful and the tropical gardens adjacent to the beach are amazing.

There are two distinct sides to this resort, the original Caribbean Grove, consisting of rooms, suites nestled in the tropical gardens and the 6* all suite Mediterranean Village, which has drawn its inspiration from Europe, the expansive grounds feature a splendid plaza housing fashionable shops, an art gallery and the largest walk in pool in the Eastern Caribbean.

Add to this a myriad of dining opportunities from all around the world. All very authentic and of a very  high standard.  For example, the Italian restaurant offers classic Tuscan cuisine prepared by native Italian chefs, this attention to detail is a feature of Sandals.

St Lucia is a short flight away and is a good contrast to Antigua. St Lucia is known for its lush, tropical mountainous scenery and lovely golden beaches.

There are 3 Sandals resorts on St Lucia, all in the north of the island, and benefit from “stay at one, play at three!” There is a shuttle service between the three properties so guests are very welcome to visit and dine at the different resorts.

Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa and Beach Resort is situated on its own peninsula, with the Atlantic on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. This is a large elegant resort, which numbers Usain Bolt and ex President Clinton amongst its recent visitors! There are 5 pools dotted around the property, the meandering lagoon pool offers a number of swim up rooms. The Olde London Pub is completely authentic, the owner of Sandals purchased an original London Pub, then had it dismantled and shipped to St Lucia!

Sandals Halcyon Beach is a more intimate resort, nestled  along an unspoiled stretch of beach, with classic  Caribbean architecture nestling in verdant gardens. No building is higher than the coconut palms! This is the ultimate seaside beach resort, but although it’s smaller it still has the Sandals ambience and choice of restaurants, including Kelly’s Dockside which is situated on a pier over the sea.

Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort and Spa has a secluded setting on the 220 acre La Toc Estate with its own 9 hole golf course, on a beautiful crescent shaped  golden beach. This resort has an aura of exclusivity, with the Sunset Bluff Millionaire Butler Villa Suites with private pools being the epitome of luxury. This resort has something for everyone, eight top class restaurants including Kimonos teppanyaki restaurant and Soy sushi restaurant.  The main pool is the liveliest, with a swim up bar and lots of activities, but there are two other pools with a quieter ambience and of course, the lovely beach where private cabanas can be reserved.

I can highly recommend Sandals for a luxury Caribbean holiday. There are resorts throughout the Caribbean, the latest resorts to join the Sandals family are Sandals Barbados , situated on the stunning Dover Beach, very close to the lively St Lawrence Gap and Sandals LaSource Grenada which will feature Skypool suites, suites on the upper floors of the hotel with their own private pools!

Rosemary Shaw

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