As I sit by the departure gate in Barbados (5:30 am and somehow functional), I am inclined to write this blog while everything is so fresh in my head. When the front desk called to confirm check out and asked, “Are you leaving today?” there was a moment where I wanted to say, “Do I have to?".

take me there

Barbados takes some effort to get to from most airports in the US; there are very few non-stop flights. Most have layovers somewhere in MIA but as I’ve said before, the best spots aren’t always easy to get to. Good news is if you are staying at Sandals Barbados, you are only about 20 minutes from the airport. The airport is easy to navigate & the transfer process was easy as well. This Sandals property doesn’t have a lounge in the airport yet (they will soon I’m suspecting) but a representative was waiting for us as soon as we cleared baggage claim. Transfers are free if staying at a Sandals property so we were escorted right away to the shuttle. My only hang up is that the free transfers are shared so we had to wait for others. This delayed us by a ½ hour and after a full day of travel, we just wanted to get there. I would suggest clients consider private transfers if they have a late flight in.

Sandals Barbados

This Sandals property reminded me very much of the Sandals Grenada property, but I think I liked it even better. This was not a new build, but a takeover of an existing property in 2014 with a 65 million dollar upgrade to bring it up to Sandals standards. Here’s an overview of all that Sandals Barbados offers (this is a couples only, all-inclusive property).

You'll find 208 completely redesigned rooms within various room categories. I was able to view all the different room categories including the popular swim up suites and 1 bedroom butler level rooms. I personally stayed in an Ocean View Club Level Suite which was fantastic.

11 Specialty Restaurants including: Butches Chophouse (Steakhouse), Bombay Club (Indian Cuisine), Soy (Sushi), Kimonos (Japanese Tepanaki), Schooners (Caribbean Seafood), Merry Monkey (Pub Food), Portofino (Italian), Dinos /The Mariner (Wood fired pizza & other pool side food) Café De Paris (Specialty coffees & sweets). We dined at the majority of these restaurants and the food was beautifully presented and delicious. I was not disappointed in any of my meals and with so many choices on the menus, I never got bored with the same food at any one restaurant. They all offered a unique dining experience, both in atmosphere and meal options.

There are 3 pools (two main pools and one winding river pool connected to the swim out suites), 2 whirlpools & 1 swim up bar. The two main pools each had a different atmosphere. There was one right off the beach that included the swim up bar and was the more "active" one. Pool volleyball took place here daily along with water aerobics some mornings. The second pool is towards the interior of the resort and tended to be quieter, although still with a lot of people. It offers multiple cabanas for those that want to spend their time in the shade. The best part is the cabanas are included, you just have to be an early riser to grab a coveted spot! The winding river pool generally had people that were staying in the swim out suites. It's landscaped beautifully, and offered a true retreat from other guests.

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take my breath away

There were so many things about Sandals Barbados that I loved. It was big enough that I didn’t get bored with the same old things but it was small enough that it was easy to navigate. There was great entertainment both during the day and night true to all the other Sandals resorts. There is no doubt you could be as involved and meet many other guests or have your own quiet seclusion. The service was top notch, food absolutely spectacular and property immaculate. This resort is located on the Atlantic Ocean side of the island so the waves were pretty rough the whole time because of the location. Thus, most of our time was spent at the pool but everything else about the property made up for not being able to get in the ocean. So, this is something that must be kept in mind and if you are looking for calm tranquil water, this may not be the property for you. However, don't rule it out just because of the ocean. I was able to get my "ocean fix" on a catamaran excursion we took over on the west side of the island. The water was calm & turquoise blue with all of the beauty that you come to imagine when thinking of the Caribbean.

Final thoughts

While I have visited many Sandals properties on travel agent trips, this was my first personal vacation at a Sandals property. Sandals Barbados absolutely lived up to everything I have learned about the Sandals brand. It is important for me to experience some of these properties personally so I can feel confident that what I am telling clients is accurate. Lastly, I want to mention the importance of getting away with your significant other. Whether you want to get away to celebrate something special or just because, invest the time and money. I haven’t spent this much time talking, smiling, laughing, holding hands and living stress free for a week with my husband in a long time. I can't wait to return here; it truly was hard to leave. When they greet you upon arrival with “Welcome Home” they mean it. Well done, Sandals Barbados.