How to Pick the Best Sandals Resort

There are 17 amazing adults-only Sandals all-inclusive resorts, located on gorgeous islands throughout the Caribbean. With so many options, it can be overwhelming to choose the best Sandals resort for your honeymoon or romantic escape. Since every guest is looking for something unique there is no one-size-fits-all all Sandals Resort.

In this article, I hope to help you figure out which Sandals resort is right for you by giving you advice on how to pick a Sandals resort.

How do I choose a Sandals Resort?

We’ve visited all 17 Sandals Resorts and will go into better detail later in the article, but for starters here are some of our top Sandals Resorts.

As you consider your choices, decide what sort of vacation you want to have. Are you looking for an active trip, with lots of watersports and adventurous excursions? Do you plan to scuba dive or snorkel every day? Do you just want a peaceful, beautiful spot to relax and snuggle with your sweetheart?

These questions will help you narrow your search for the best Sandals resort for your trip. You can go on the Sandals website, which has a page that gives a summary of each resort and allows you to filter your search based on location, features, and activities. It also has a tool that allows you to compare three resorts at a glance. This can help you create a short list of the resorts you’re interested in, or decide between several.

Another way to pick a Sandals resort is to work with a Sandals Certified Travel Specialist, who is a travel agent (like me) with special knowledge of all the different Sandals locations and what they offer. They can help you pinpoint which is the best Sandals resort for your trip.

Or, you can take a quick look through our overview of all the Sandals resorts to see which ones might deliver the type of trip you want, then delve deeper by reading our reviews of those resorts (which can also be found in this article by clicking on the resort name).

Read on to learn more about some of the best Sandals resorts for different types of vacations, as well as other ways to choose the perfect Sandals vacation.

Which Sandals resort is the highest rated?

Looking at ratings and reviews is one method for how to pick a Sandals resort. The highest-rated Sandals resorts are Sandals Dunns River, Sandals Grenada, and Sandals Royal Plantation. These are followed closely by Sandals Grande St. Lucian and Sandals Halcyon Beach in St. Lucia and Sandals South Coast, Sandals Negril, and Sandals Montego Bay in Jamaica.

What is the easiest Sandals resort to get to?

There are several ways to choose a Sandals resort based on how easy it is to get to. First, you can look at the distance from the U.S. and the shortest flight time. The closest Sandals resorts to the U.S. are Sandals Royal Bahamian and Sandals Emerald Bay in The Bahamas, just about an hour’s flight from Miami, Florida.

You can also look at which Sandals resorts are closest to the airport, giving you the shortest distance to travel to get your vacation started once you land. The Sandals resorts closest to the airport are Sandals Grenada (5 minutes); Sandals Montego Bay (15 minutes) and Sandals Royal Caribbean (20 minutes) in Jamaica; Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau, Bahamas (15 minutes); Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados (15 minutes); and Sandals Grande Antigua (20 minutes).

Which Sandals resort is the cheapest?

If you’re traveling on a budget, you will want to look for the most affordable Sandals resorts. Sandals Ochi is the cheapest Sandals resort, with rates starting at $243 per person per night.

The other cheapest Sandals resorts are Sandals Negril ($266) and Sandals South Coast ($308), also in Jamaica; Sandals Barbados and Royal Barbados ($278); Sandals Regency La Toc in St. Lucia ($284); and Sandals Grande Antigua ($295).

Which Sandals resorts have the best rooms?

It’s hard to choose which Sandals resort has the best rooms because every Sandals resort offers amazing room choices. These include incredible penthouse suites, beachfront walkout suites, thatched-roof Rondoval suites with private pools, Skypool suites with private infinity edge pools overlooking the beach, and many more.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the fabulously romantic overwater bungalows at Sandals, or have your heart set on a swim-up room. In that case, you’ll want to choose your Sandals resort based on whether they have those types of rooms available.

The Sandals resorts with overwater bungalows are Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals South Coast in Jamaica, and Sandals Grande St. Lucian in St. Lucia.

Sandals resorts that have swim-up rooms include Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals South Coast, Sandals Royal Caribbean, Sandals Negril, and Sandals Dunn’s River in Jamaica; Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau, Bahamas; Sandals Grande St. Lucian and Sandals Halcyon Beach in St. Lucia; Sandals Grenada; Sandals Royal Curacao; and Sandals Royal Barbados and Sandals Barbados.

Which Sandals resort is the safest?

There’s no clear answer as to which Sandals resort is the safest because all Sandals resorts throughout the Caribbean follow the same safety procedures. Each Sandals resort is equally safe.

You could consider which Caribbean islands are the safest. The safest Caribbean islands with Sandals resorts are Antigua, Barbados, Curacao, Grenada, St. Lucia, and the Exumas in The Bahamas.

Best Sandals Resort for Couples

It is honestly impossible to say which is the best Sandals resort for couples since they are all designed to provide a romantic vacation experience specifically for couples. It will depend on what type of couple you are and what you’re interested in doing on your Sandals vacation.

For example, if you’re an active couple that likes a lot of watersports and excursions, you might consider Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Negril, or Sandals Ochi in Jamaica; Sandals Grande Antigua; or Sandals Grande St. Lucian.

If you want a private, peaceful atmosphere, you might enjoy the more laidback Sandals resorts like Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Royal Caribbean, or Sandals South Coast in Jamaica; Sandals Halcyon Beach in St. Lucia; Sandals Grenada; or Sandals Emerald Bay in The Bahamas.

If you’re looking for the best Sandals resorts for socializing and nightlife, those are Sandals Ochi and Sandals Montego Bay in Jamaica; Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau, Bahamas; Sandals Royal Barbados; and Sandals Grande St. Lucian in St. Lucia.

Best Sandals Resorts for Honeymoons

If you’re planning your honeymoon at Sandals, you really can’t go wrong at any of the locations. However, there are some Sandals resorts that are considered to be the best for honeymooners. These include Sandals Royal Plantation in Jamaica, Sandals Grenada, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, and Sandals Grande Antigua.

Sandals Resorts with the Best Beach

If you are a beach lover and want to pick the Sandals resort with the best beach, you’ll have plenty of options. While every sandal is set on a beautiful Caribbean beach, the top 10 Sandals resorts with the best beaches are Sandals Emerald Bay in The Bahamas; Sandals Grenada; Sandals Grande St. Lucian; Sandals Grande Antigua; Sandals Barbados and Royal Barbados; and Sandals Negril, Sandals South Coast, and Sandals Montego Bay in Jamaica.

Best Sandals Resorts for Snorkeling

While every Sandals resort offers complimentary snorkeling, some have better opportunities for snorkeling than others. These are Sandals Grenada; Sandals Negril, Sandals Montego Bay, and Sandals Ochi in Jamaica; Sandals Grande Antigua; Sandals Emerald Bay and Sandals Royal Bahamian in The Bahamas; Sandals Royal Curacao; Sandals Grande St. Lucian; and Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados.

Best Sandals Resorts for Scuba Diving

While scuba diving is included at all Sandals resorts, the best Sandals resorts for diving are Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau, Bahamas; Sandals Grenada; Sandals Royal Curacao; Sandals Royal Barbados and Sandals Barbados; and Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach, and Sandals Regency La Toc in St. Lucia.

Best Sandals Resorts for Golf

Do you love to golf? Sandals has some of the best all-inclusive golf resorts in the Caribbean. You can get complimentary greens fees at award-winning golf courses at Sandals Resorts in The Bahamas, Jamaica, and St. Lucia.

These best Sandals resorts for golf are Sandals Emerald Bay in The Bahamas; Sandals Ochi, Sandals Royal Plantation, and Sandals Dunn’s River in Jamaica; and Sandals Regency La Toc, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, and Sandals Halcyon Beach in St. Lucia.

Now that you’ve read our suggestions for how to pick a Sandals resort, what do you think? Are you ready to plan your Sandals honeymoon or romantic vacation? Let us know in the comments!