Sandal Barbados Review – Is it Worth it? Must Know Tips BEFORE

Enjoy two resorts for the price of one by visiting the beautiful island of Barbados and staying at one of the Sandals Barbados resorts. Situated on the southern end of the island by the St. Lawrence Gap, Sandals offers two amazing all-inclusive resorts: Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados.

With a combined twenty restaurants, numerous bars and pools, and plenty of activities, visitors get to take advantage of it all with premium exchange privileges between the two resorts. They are literally right next to each other, and you can walk between the two without even realizing you are on the other property.

We’ve spent a week at Sandals Royal Barbados, along with several trips to Barbados, and can tell you it’s one of our favorite Sandals resorts. We’ve put together this quick guide to all that these resorts have to offer.

We had a ton of questions before traveling and choosing this resort, so we hope we can help you save time while planning your couples vacation or Barbados honeymoon. We’ve broken out each property individually, but again you can visit both.

---

FAQ About Sandals Barbados

What airport do you fly into for Sandals Barbados? – Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados airport code BGI

How far is the airport from Sandals Barbados? – The airport is about fifteen minutes from Sandals Barbados resort.

How many Sandals Resorts are in Barbados? – There are two properties in Barbados: Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados. However, they are adjoined and can feel like one resort at times.

Is it safe to go to Barbados? – Yes, Barbados is safe, but as with any destination, exercise normal precautions. The U.S. State Department gives countries a 1-4 advisory level, and currently, Barbados is a travel advisory level 1, the lowest level. For the current safety in Barbados warnings, click here to get the U.S. State Department.

Can you tip at Sandals Barbados? – The only staff members that are allowed to accept tips at Sandals are butlers and spa employees. Sandals Resorts has a strict no-tipping policy, and any employee caught accepting tips will be fired. Please don’t put staff members in an awkward position by offering them a tip. They will feel bad saying no and risk losing their job.

Where can you get the best deals to stay at Sandals Barbados? –  The cheapest Sandals Barbados prices can be found when booking directly on the Sandals website. No need to hire a travel agent. Click here to see the current resort specials.

Which is the best Sandals resort in Barbados? – No matter if you stay at Sandals Barbados or Sandals Royal, you’ll be on the same grounds and able to visit all the same pools, restaurants, and bars.

Don’t forget your insurance! You never know when you’ll need it. We suggest getting travel insurance with Safety Wing. Which coverage includes medical, trip interruption, lost luggage, and more. Often rates are as low as $12 a week. 

---

Where Is Sandals Barbados Resort?

As the name suggests, it’s located on the Caribbean Island of Barbados. Barbados is located in the eastern Caribbean, with daily flights from the US, Canada, Europe, and the United Kingdom.

The two resorts are attached to each other and located on the sandy shores of Maxwell Beach in the Southwest of the country. The Airport is 20 minutes away from the resorts, and the capital of Bridgetown is 25 minutes, depending on traffic. The property is set on one of the best beaches in Barbados.

---

Getting to Sandals Resort Barbados

After you land in Barbados at the BGI airport in Christ Church, there is no need to line up your transportation to and from the resorts since Sandals provides a complimentary shuttle with staff that will help escort luggage.

There is a Sandals lounge right after immigration and customs. Here you’ll check in and sit down for a second, grab a drink and a small snack before heading off to the resort.

---

Best Time to Visit Barbados

Given its fantastic climate, Barbados is excellent to visit all year round. The peak season lasts from late December through mid-April, so prices tend to be a bit higher and the weather the warmest.

Visiting between July and November will garner slightly lower prices and milder weather. Hurricanes have rarely hit Barbados, so travelers usually don’t need to completely avoid hurricane season.

---

Room Types at Sandals Barbados

We’re not going to go into detail about all the room types because what room type you choose really depends on your budget and the amenities you want to have. If you’re looking for the best deals, click here for the current sales page.

We’ve stayed on the Sandals Barbados Royal side in two different room types. We spent half our time in the beachfront prime minister one bedroom butler suite with a private pool & patio tranquility soaking tub (B1PP) and the other half in the South Seas Royal Rondoval butler suite with private pool sanctuary (RPP).

No matter which room type you stay in, you’ll get to indulge in all the same restaurants, bars, and amenities on the property.

---

Sandals Barbados Review & Map

The first Sandals Resort on the island is called Sandals Barbados. Later, a second resort, Sandals Royal Barbados, was built right next door, and if you didn’t know, you might even assume it was all one resort.

However, this section is about Sandals Barbados – keep scrolling down to find more info on Sandals Royal Barbados.

Room Service

Room service is available for all quests 7:00 am – 10:00 pm, no matter what room category you booked.

If you are booked in a Butler Elite room, you will have access to 24-hour room service, and the menu you can choose from will be different (think higher-end items). You usually can have your butler bring you room service from any of the restaurants as well.

---

Sandals Resorts Dress Code For Restaurants

Restaurants have either a resort casual or resort evening attire policy, kind of similar to what other top class restaurants abide by. Men, make sure to pack at least one pair of pants,  closed-toed shoes, and a dress shirt if you plan on dining at one of the restaurants with evening attire.

My husband usually brings one pair of pants that we call his “diner pants,” one pair of closed-toed shoes, and three button shirts (long sleeve or short sleeve). The women have a much more relaxed attire, and I can say I have never been turned away for wearing jeans to an evening attire place. Often I will wear long pants as the air conditioning is so cold inside or the mosquitos love me…

• Resort Casual Attire:
  • Shorts or jeans, t-shirts or polo shirts. Swimwear must be covered. Shirts and footwear are required.
• Resort Evening Attire:
  • Men – Dress pants or jeans, long or short sleeve dress shirts (with or without collar). Dress shoes, closed-toe dress sandals, deck shoes.
  • Ladies – Dress pants or capris, skirts, elegant tops, and dresses. Dress shoes or dress sandals. No shorts, t-shirts, men’s sleeveless shirts, sneakers, flip flops or slippers, hats or caps.

---

Sandals Barbados Restaurants

Staying at either property, visitors get to enjoy plenty of dining options with twenty restaurants that are all worth checking out. Some require reservations, so try and make them before leaving home or right away at check-in.

Since this is an all inclusive resort, you can try them all, and it is all included. Sometimes we will visit a few in one night—appetizers at one, dinner at another, and ending with dessert.

If you are staying in a butler suite, usually, the butlers can get you reservations at all restaurants throughout your stay. Make sure to put together your dining preferences on the first day at Sandals Barbados.

1. Bombay Club

Bombay Club offers excellent Indian cuisine in a casual setting. Bombay was our personal favorite restaurant. If you love Indian food, you won’t be disappointed! If you’ve never tried Indian food, this is a great chance to sample many dishes and find some new favorites. We highly recommend the garlic naan and butter chicken.

They also serve an international breakfast.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 8 am – 10:30 am | 6 pm-10 pm

Related Article: Best Beaches Turks & Caicos Restaurants

2. Butch’s Chophouse

There are two steakhouses in Barbados, Butch’s Chophouse and Butch’s Steak & Seafood. Both offer great steaks and steakhouse favorites. If you can try and get reservations at both steakhouses, you won’t be disappointed.

• Resort Evening wear required
• Reservations Required
• Hours: 6 pm-10 pm

3. Cafe de Paris

Cafe de Paris is an excellent cafe for morning coffee and mid-day snacks with assorted pastries, made-to-order crepes, ice cream, and other light snack options. It was our go-to for an ice cream treat and a coffee.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 7 am-10 pm

3. Dino’s Pizzeria Italiana

Pizza by the pool on the beach is hard to beat. We often got a pizza to go and headed back to our beach chairs, OR we had our butler deliver us pizza on the beach. Dino’s Pizzeria Italiana offers fantastic wood-fired pizzas.

They even had a master pizza chef Dino Cavallo from Naples, Italy, who trains Sandals chefs on how to make the most authentic Italian pizzas. They even named the restaurant after him!

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 11 am-6 pm

4. The Merry Monkey English Pub

It offers excellent casual gastropub fare and late-night snacks and stays open late to keep the micro-beers and cocktails flowing. Some of the most popular menu items are fish & chips, fried mozzarella sticks, burgers, and bangers & mash. If you like to stay out late, drinking and making new friends, The Merry Monkey is the place to be.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 1 pm – 6 pm | 6 pm-2 am

5. Kimonos Oriental Cuisine

Kimonos is a full-service hibachi grill that is both delicious and entertaining. If you stayed at other Sandals locations, you’ve possibly had an entertaining dinner at Kimonos before.

Kimonos is another popular restaurant where reservations fill up fast. If you like a nice quiet dinner or don’t have 1.5+ hours for dinner, you may want to skip Kimonos.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Required
• Hours: 6 pm-10 pm

6. Portofino’s Italian Restaurant and Bar

Portofino’s is open for breakfast & dinner and is one of our favorites for a sit-down breakfast. Portofino’s serves up excellent pasta and other fresh Italian dishes. Italian is always a good idea, and we make sure to have dinner here once on every trip. The menu is vast, with pasta, steak, seafood, salads, soup, and more.

• Restaurant Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 7:30 am-10:30 am | 6 pm-9:30 pm

7. Schooners Seafood Grill

When in the Caribbean, make sure to have some seafood. Schooners Seafood Grill is perfect for outdoor dining and exceptionally fresh seafood. It is located right on the beach. We suggest having dinner here during sunset for an unforgettable meal.,

Some of the menu favorites are grilled lobster tail, swordfish steak, snapper, grouper, surf & turf, and options for non-seafood lovers or vegetarians.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 6 pm-9:30 pm

8. Soy Sushi Bar

Several Sandals properties have Soy or similar sushi restaurants, and they are great places to try sushi if you never had it or if you are trying to branch out and try something new. Soy is another of our favorite Sandals restaurants we always eat at several times on a trip. Soy offers handmade rolls and other delicious sushi entrees.

Sometimes we will go to Soy early on as an appetizer and then have dinner reservations later in the evening at one of the other restaurants. That way, we can try as many of the restaurants as possible.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 6 pm-10 pm

9. Spices Caribbean Cuisine

Spices Caribbean Cuisine provides a tour de force of Caribbean recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’re looking for a quick breakfast, you’ll want to head to Spices for their full breakfast buffet. We never had dinner or lunch here as we had our stomachs set on some of the other restaurants.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 7 am-10:30 am | 12:30 pm-2:30 pm | 6 pm-9:30 pm

10. The Mariner Seaside Bar and Grill

The Mariner is a great sit-down place for lunch right on the beach. The food comes relatively quickly, and it’s a great place to escape the sun for a while and take in the ocean views. Some of the popular menu items: are quesadillas, fish sandwiches, jerk burgers, salads, and wraps.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 11 am-6 pm

11. Doggies Hot Dog Stand

If you want a quick bite to eat by the pool, head to the hot dog stand!

• Hours: 12 pm – 3 pm

Chocolate Gala – The chocolate gala is on Thursdays from 9 pm.

---

Sandals Barbados Pools

There are two main pools, as well as a whirlpool. The pools have no set hours and are open all day & night. If there is a maintenance sign set out, they will ask you to leave during such time.

1. Main Pool – located right above the beach is the main pool which is where you’ll find the swim-up bar, which is always a guaranteed good time.
2. Lagoon Pool – which is the largest lagoon pool in Barbados. The swim-up suites room types are part of the lagoon pool.

Sandals Barbados Bars

You won’t go thirsty! There is always a bar nearby with a bartender waiting to mix up your favorite drink.

1. The Merry Monkey Bar | Hours: 5 pm-2 am | We really loved the bartenders at The Merry Monkey Bar. It was our favorite bar on the Sandals Barbados side. They have a great selection of drinks and even offer food which is great if you need a late-night snack to help prevent a hangover.
2. Swim-Up Pool Bar | Hours: 10 am-6 pm |The main pool swim-up bar is one of the most popular places to be during the day. It’s located right off the beach with a great view of the ocean and ice-cold drinks that are free-flowing.
3. Oyster Shell Bar | Hours: 11 am-1 am
4. Pool Bar | Hours: 10 am-10 pm
5. Calypso Bar | Hours: 10 am-11 pm
6. East Meets West Bar | Hours: 6 pm-10 pm
7. Soy Bar | Hours: 6 pm-10 pm | If you’re having dinner at Soy, come early and have a sake drink before sitting down for sushi.
8. Tiki Bar | Hours: 10 am – 6 pm

---

Sandals Royal Barbados Review & Map

The second resort to open on the island is called Sandals Royal Barbados. Here they have introduced additional room types, a beautiful pool, lots of high-end amenities, and its set of beautiful Maxwell Beach!

---

Sandals Royal Barbados Restaurants

1. Butch’s Steak and Seafood

Like its counterpart Butch’s Chophouse, Butch’s Steak and Seafood offers an upscale dining experience with excellent steaks and fish dishes. Butch’s Steak and Seafood provides a premium steakhouse experience in the middle of the Caribbean.

Their menu includes steakhouse staples like Lamb chops, classic steak Diane, prime rib, surf & turf, parmesan truffle fries, steamed asparagus, Creme Brule, and more. Being in the Caribbean, the steakhouse also has an excellent seafood selection, including tuna, snapper, monkfish, scallops, and lobster if in season. Make sure to get a reservation right away. Butch’s Steak and Seafood is the most popular restaurant at Sandals Barbados.

• Resort Evening
• Reservations Required
• Hours: 6 pm-10 pm

2. Chi Asian Fusion

Chi Asian Fusion offers a taste of Southeast Asia with classic Chinese dishes like Kung Pao Chicken and some of the best bao buns in the Caribbean.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Required
• Hours: 6 pm – 10 pm

3. American Tavern

American Tavern offers comfort American cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They offer a full breakfast buffet that is popular amongst guests. For lunch and dinner, the menu is packed with American favorites like spinach & artichoke dip, crab cakes, fried chicken biscuits, BBQ pork ribs, chicken & waffles, shrimp & grits, burgers, and much more. Make sure to save room for the peanut butter cheesecake.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 7:30 am-10:30 am | 12:30 pm-2:30 pm | 6 pm-10 pm

4. La Parisienne French Cuisine

La Parisienne is a fantastic French restaurant serving breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is ala carte, and has fantastic views of the ocean as it’s located on the rooftop. The breakfast menu offers classic dishes like fresh omelets, eggs benedict, steak & eggs, french toast, and more. Their dinner menu is impressive with escargots, Nicoise salad, French onion soup, Filet de Sole à la Meunière, Châteaubriand, and Bouillabaisse.

• Resort Evening
• Reservations Required
• Hours: 8 am-10:30 am | 6 pm-10 pm

5. Neptune’s Mediterranean Seafood

Neptune’s seaside restaurant is steps from your beach chair. Throw on a shirt and head to lunch. They offer tasty fresh seafood prepared in a simple fashion for lunch and dinner. They have great options for those looking for a lighter lunch with Greek/caesar/fattoush salads.

Some of our lunch menu favorites are grilled chicken Caesar wrap, grilled fish sandwich (ask the fish of the day), and steak sandwich. For dinner, try the Greek ceviche, grilled swordfish steak, Moroccan Wahoo, or Lamb Souvlaki.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 11 am-3 pm | 6 pm-10 pm

6. The Jerk Shack

Our first stop at any Sandals Resort is the Jerk Shack for some jerk chicken. We like to believe it helps cure any jetlag! The Jerk Shack gives you the best taste of the Caribbean with spicy and flavorful Jamaican dishes.

The menu is simple, offering jerk chicken/pork/sausage, fish in foil, roast sweet potatoes, festivals, and hard dough bread. The jerk sauce is served on the side, and we love the hellfire sauce to spice it up. If you prefer white meat, just make sure to ask for it.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 11 am-4 pm

7. Sweet n’ Salty’s

The newest restaurant at Sandals Royal Barbados is Sweet n’ Salty’s gourmet donuts & coffee. The donuts are made fresh daily, with some classics and some not-so-classic tasty combinations like white chocolate maple bacon, s’ mores, 24k carrot, the cereal bowl, coco loco, bier Haus pretzel, and more. Make sure to get a cup of coffee with your donut, and if you want to get your vacation started early and get one of the specialties that include alcohol.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Not Accepted
• Hours: 7 am-10 pm

8. Green House

It is one of the newest restaurants that serves farm-to-table breakfast daily. We haven’t eaten at this restaurant as it opened after our stay.

• Resort Casual
• Reservations Required
• Hours: 8 am-11 am

9. Heart & Sol

If you are looking for a healthy stop for breakfast or lunch, head here for sandwiches and smoothies. We haven’t eaten at this restaurant either, as it wasn’t open during our stay, but it sounds delicious.

• Resort Casual
• Hours: 7am-11am | 11am-5pm

---

Sandals Royal Barbados Pools

There are three main pools, as well as a whirlpool. The pools have no official set hours and are open all day & night. If there is a maintenance sign set out, they will ask you to leave during such time.

1. South Seas Pool – Set back from the beach, close to the lobby, is a large and peaceful pool.
2. Infinity Pool – Located right on the beach with uninterrupted views.
3. Rooftop Pool – Located at the Sky Rooftop Bar, the glass infinity rooftop pool is our favorite, and the best part is it’s usually empty. For some odd reason, not many guests choose to spend the day up here. So you’ll have most of the pool and bar to yourself. The views from the edge of the infinity pool are epic!

---

Sandals Royal Barbados Bars

There are six bars, including swim-up bars on the Sandals Royal Barbados side, serving premium alcohol brands like Bombay Sapphire, Jack Daniels, Appleton Rum, Grey Goose, etc.

1. Lovers Lane Craft Beer Bar | Hours 11 am-1 pm | If you’re a beer lover, make sure to head to Lovers Lane Craft Beer Bar at night for some local Barbados micro-brewery beers as well as many imported beers. They have a total of 19 different types of beer. If you aren’t a beer drinker, don’t worry, they have a full bar that has a built-in strip of ice that helps keep your drink nice and cold.
2. Sky Rooftop Bar | 10 am-12 am
3. Seaside Bar | 10 am-10 pm
4. South Seas Swim Up Bar | 10 am-6 pm
5. Oasis Bar | 10 am-10 pm
6. Neptune’s Bar | 6 pm-2 am

---

Diving at Sandals

For many certified divers, unlimited diving at Sandals Resorts is one of the biggest perks. We have met many guests that go out every morning for a two-tank dive and come back around lunchtime. If you’re a certified diver, you know that diving can be a costly hobby. Often a two-tank dive will cost $100+ but not at here. It’s INCLUDED and UNLIMITED. Just make sure to stop by the dive shop right away to go through some paperwork and signup for the upcoming dives.

If you aren’t a certified diver but want to try diving and see if it’s something you’d like to consider doing a discover scuba dive. This is a 3-hour program, and you’ll get to do one open water dive going up to 40ft below. Discovery Dives prices are $100. I personally have done a discovery dive in Belize, Maldives, and Thailand and can say this price is reasonable.

If you loved the discover dive, consider getting PADI certified on your trip or start the coursework before your trip. There are 8 hours of classroom work that can be done online before you arrive. Then once in Barbados, take your practical exam with the instructor and start diving the same day.

Your PADI certification is valid all over the world, so on your next Sandals vacation, you’ll be dive certified and can take advantage of unlimited diving.  PADI open water diver certificated costs $450 and is reasonably priced for the Caribbean.

---

Activities

Another perk of Sandals Resorts is endless activities, including watersports, diving, and more. No matter if you have the perfect sunny day in paradise or a little liquid sunshine, there are tons of activities at to keep you entertained.

• Water Sports like boogie and paddleboards, kayaks and canoes, snorkeling, glass-bottom boats, and pool volleyball
• Land Sports like table tennis, bocce ball, beach volleyball, cricket, and yoga
• Bowling Alley with four lanes at Sandals Royal Barbados
• Live Entertainment like a piano bar, live music, beach parties, and chocolate buffets
• Spa with excellent massages and other spa treatments (extra charge)
• Fitness Center with full gym equipment

---

Our Pick for Top Three Excursions

There are tons of things to do in Barbados, and we suggest you plan on taking at least one excursion during your trip. I know it will be hard to leave the resort for the day, but it’s great to get out and see what Barbados has to offer.

Make sure to stop by the Island Routes desk in the lobby to see the excursion list. Here are our top 3 Island Routes excursions in Barbados:

1. Catamaran Cruise – is one of the best excursions Sandals has to offer. The catamaran allows some of the best views of the Barbados coastline while enjoying complimentary glasses of Prosecco and an open bar. In addition to the gourmet three-course lunch, tourists can also snorkel and swim if they decide to hop off the catamaran for a while.
2. Caves and Critters – allows visitors to safely explore Harison’s Caves, all from the comfort of a motorized tram. There are plenty of fantastic stalactites and stalagmites to take photos of. Once back on land, the tram will take you through an impressive wildlife reserve with plenty of exotic animals and fauna to check out.
3. Ultimate Snorkel Tour and Bridgetown Shopping provide a taste of the sea and the city with an excellent snorkeling tour of Carlisle Bay which includes three shipwrecks and plenty of marine life. Afterward, enjoy some refreshing drinks, including a tasty rum punch, before heading over to Broad Street for lots of duty-free shopping.

---

So now that we’ve shown you how amazing Sandals Barbados is, what are you waiting for you? We hope you have an amazing trip, and make sure to get the best prices online here directly with Sandals. That way, you’ll save money to start planning your next trip.

---

Pictures of Sandals & Sandals Royal Barbados