Dean Greenough

Review of Sandals Royal Caribbean

This was our first Sandals experience and overall ...

This was our first Sandals experience and overall Sandals is great but not this particular property. My review will sound very negative but our stay was good enough that we have booked for another Sandals visit but at a different resort. Our review is colored by the neighboring Sandals Montego Bay which has been totally renovated and is definitely a five star resort with great dining and good entertainment.

Unfortunately the Royal Caribbean is a three star resort and consistently rates at the bottom of Sandals resorts ratings. The pluses at the Royal Caribbean are that the staff is great, the private island is a real gem and the proximity to Sandals Montego Bay gave us some options both for dining and entertainment. The negatives are that almost all of the property is aging and badly in need of repair/renovation, the food was mostly mediocre at best and the entertainment was pitiful (think amateur night). Some maintenance items are obvious and should be taken care of such as there was mold in the grout at the main pool and the Cricketers Pub is unpleasant to be in due to an odd stale greasy smell. The rooms (ours was a Kensington Cove Honeymoon Beachfront Club Level room) and the public spaces are not exciting or comfortable places. They are dark and heavy with outdated furniture and all beige and brown colors. The loyalty/sales office and Club Sandals offices were so small you could barely move around, the piano bar was a joke and seldom used or even inspired use, and the plastic loungers in the pool areas had no padding and were VERY uncomfortable. In our room the lighting was poor, the towel ring was falling off, there were cracked tiles, mold around the tub and the only seating was a hard desk chair.

I know that with multiple properties it s difficult to keep them all at top condition but this one is overdue for attention. To Sandals credit they are building some new accomodations here and have just opened a newly remodeled reataurant. That s a start.