If first impressions are
meant to set the tone, my arrival at Sandals St Vincent nailed it. Accompanied by my sister and a handful of other Sandals
guests, we glided into Buccament Bay by boat, past the stunning two-story
overwater villas and towards the private dock where our private butlers met us.
I was welcomed with a cocktail and a warm smile—the beginning of an
unforgettable week in St. Vincent.
With its 18th
all-inclusive resort opening in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sandals
Resorts recently ventured into a new destination—a Caribbean island that many
would consider more "off the beaten path." Opened in March 2024, the
resort features several new amenities and programs for the Sandals brand, like
the two-story overwater villas, communal-style dinner service, and fitness
suites.
My visit was a first at
any Sandals resort, and I was impressed with the level of service and excellent
food options. Before my stay, I knew that Sandals catered to the honeymoon
crowd (it’s hard not to have a romantic stay here), but the resort is also ideal
for a stay with friends and family, which we saw plenty of. Over the course of
the week, I had the opportunity to explore St. Vincent and find out what makes
Sandals Resorts a fixture in the Caribbean.
The Location
This 50-acre St. Vincent
property's opening follows the recent openings of Sandals Royal Curaçao in 2022 and Sandals Dunn’s River in 2023. Its private location sets it apart from other Sandals
resorts. When I spoke to different guests about why they chose St. Vincent,
they mentioned the property's unique location, a sentiment shared by Adam
Stewart, Sandals Executive Chairman.
“More than 20 years ago, my father and I flew over Saint
Vincent and knew right away we found something special,” Stewart tells me. “We
set our sights and hearts here, and more than two decades in the making, this
dream has come to life in Sandals Saint Vincent.”
Nestled in a valley on a
private cove, the resort is also about a 45-minute drive from Argyle
International Airport. Its strategic location offers breathtaking mountain
views from nearly every corner, especially from the 300-foot-long infinity
pool. Though the area is quite secluded, the resort is only a 30-minute dive
from Kingstown, St. Vincent's capital. The resort also offers day trips to the
neighboring Grenadines, Mustique and Bequia, allowing guests an immersive
Caribbean experience.
Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo Credit: Mariette Williams)
The Accommodations
The longevity of the
Sandals brand is owed to its ability to adapt to travelers' needs. Today,
travelers don’t just want a place to lay their heads; they want personalized
accommodations and room amenities that match their lifestyles. In many ways, Sandals has adjusted to those demands.
“My father, the late
Gordon “Butch” Stewart, was an incredible visionary, and his mantra was ‘Find
out what the customer wants and give them more,’” Stewart says. “We’ve
introduced concepts that changed how people vacation, from the first swim-up
bar [at Sandals Montego Bay] to the region’s first overwater villas [at Sandals
Royal Caribbean], and most recently in Saint Vincent with fitness suites that
come with personal TechnoGym bikes.”
The commitment to
innovation means guests at Sandals St. Vincent have 15 room categories to
choose from. The Vincy Overwater Two-Story Villas weren’t ready when I visited,
but the sleek villas offer 1,200 sq ft and are set away from the rest of the
property. Each of the ten villas is also equipped with hanging daybeds, outdoor
soaking tubs, and glass inserts in the floors that offer a peek at the
turquoise water below.
Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo Credit: Mariette Williams)
During my visit, I
stayed in a One-Bedroom Garden Butler Suite that featured a separate media room
and a small kitchen. There were also one- and two-bedroom villas, some
beachfront and others with private pools. The resort also has a five-story
building with Club Level suites, and each of the 200 rooms has sweeping views
of the immaculate hotel grounds and Buccament Bay. In addition, some Club Level
suites had swim-up pool access, and others had media rooms or fitness rooms
equipped with exercise bikes and free weights.
The Amenities
Like other all-inclusive
resorts, Sandals ensures that you’ll never run out of things to do. Along with
kayaks, snorkel and scuba diving equipment, and tennis courts, there are six
pools and day and nighttime entertainment. I also enjoyed the butler service
upgrade, and my butler, Romaine, booked spa stays, brought us afternoon cheese
trays, and offered to reserve beach chairs.
I was most impressed
with the food at the resort; there were 11 dining options and 9 bars (all
offered a good selection of mocktails). Only two restaurants (Buccan and
Butch’s) required reservations, which was convenient after a day of lying by
the pool and losing track of time.
My top restaurant picks
were Gatsu Gatsu, a sleek Asian diner where I ordered several plates of sushi,
and Butch’s Island Chop House, which served tender, seasoned lamb chops. The
resort also leaned into Caribbean cuisine: Parisol Beach Club served doubles
(Trinidadian curried chickpeas on flatbread), Buccan had a communal-style
dinner with fried plantain, coconut rice, and fried snapper, and Jerk Shack
served jerk chicken and Jamaican patties, my go-to afternoon snack.
Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo Credit: Mariette Williams)
The Future of Sandals
Sandals Resorts is one
of the largest employers in the Caribbean, with over 18,000 employees across
nine islands. The first resort opened in 1981 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, the same
year Stewart was born, and the brand has come a long way. In the past, travelers
were content to fly in and never leave the resort, but today’s Millennial and
Gen-Z travelers want to experience the
local culture and have authentic experiences when they travel, which Stewart says they've considered with their new programming.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve gone even further to
incorporate island destinations into our Caribbean all-inclusive experience,”
he said. “At Sandals Royal Curaçao – one
of the most culturally diverse islands in the Caribbean – we launched butler
villas that not only offer the finest design and luxury amenities but that come
with access to a MINI Cooper for island exploration. And through the Sandals
Island Inclusive Dining program, our butler guests enjoy a dinner on the town
on us – all included with their stay.”
Like my fellow millennials, I also wanted to explore the
destination outside the resort. My stay included hiking to Dark Water Falls,
sipping rum punch on nearby Mustique, and eating delicious stewed chicken at a
beachfront restaurant on Bequia. As we were sailing away from the resort on our
last day, I realized part of why I enjoyed my stay so much was the resort’s
ability to provide a top-notch stay and bring out the best of St. Vincent.
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