ARE SANDALS RESORTS WORTH IT

Are Sandals Resorts Worth It

By Erik Ritland | Updated on September 17, 2025

As a Sandals Certified Specialist, I can’t tell you how many people have asked me what makes Sandals Resorts so special?  But those are the same people that come back from a Sandals vacation saying, ah, now I get it!

For couples that are looking for a 5-star luxury, adults only, all-inclusive Caribbean getaway, there is really no alternative. Sandals is designed to create the idyllic romantic setting.  That said, it really depends on your budget and what you want to get out of your vacation.

Having been to all 17 resorts, here is my take on if Sandals Resorts are worth it, which locations are my go to spots, and how to get the best deals.

Why Sandals Resorts Are Worth The Price

For me, Sandals Resorts are definitely worth it when you consider everything that’s included.  I’m a stickler for getting the best value at the resorts I stay at, and nobody includes more than Sandals.  From the top notch restaurant choices and unlimited drinks, to the daily entertainment and water sports, you’re sure to have an amazing time!  Here are my favorite aspects that sets Sandals apart from the rest:

  • No Tipping: Once you book your stay at a Sandals, you don’t have to worry about any surprise expenses or fees.  Tips are not not allowed, and they are never solicited by the employees. You can leave your wallet in your suite and forget about it the whole vacation.
  • Adults Only: Sandals Resorts are designed for couples in love, making them perfect for honeymoons, anniversaries, weddings, or other special occasions. My wife and I have spent many glorious getaways at Sandals and I can attest to the greatness of an adults only atmosphere.
  • Exquisite Food: For all of the foodies, each Sandals Resorts has several dining options to choose from offering world renowned cuisine. You can literally go to a new restaurant every night for dinner and enjoy new dishes, whether it’s surf and turf or hand rolled sushi, and nearly everything in between.  Each restaurant has its own theme to cater to your cravings. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the day are also included until your heart is content. The restaurants range from formal dress code (you may need a reservation), to very casual on the beach.
  • Unlimited Drinks: You get unlimited drinks, which includes top-shelf wine and spirits, or non-alcoholic drinks. This includes locally sourced coffee, fresh fruit juices, and plenty more.
  • Water Activities: Whenever you stay at Sandals, you get a whole host of water sports to choose from, like scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, hobby cats, paddle boarding. Some locations even offer motorized water sports like skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing.
  • Upscale Suites: I really like that Sandals is always pushing the envelope when it comes to their accommodations. Each suite is perfectly maintained and clean. Some of my favorites are the Overwater Bungalows, the Rondoval Suites, or the Skypool Suites. You also have to remember that every Sandals is located on some of the most pristine beaches in the Caribbean, so it’s really hard to go wrong since there are rooms and at every price point.
  • 5-Star Service: No matter which room class you book, you will always get the 5-star service Sandals is famous for. Additionally, every butler is trained by the Guild Of Professional English Butlers so they are absolutely phenomenal. The staff anticipates your needs before you even think about it! A lot of times they will greet you by name, which is pretty incredible considering all of the guests they need to service.  This is where Sandals really sets themselves apart.  They are maniacal about making sure you have the best possible time on your vacation no matter what the request is.
  • More Intimate: Sandals Resorts are more exclusive compared to the mega resorts found in other popular Caribbean destinations, so they are less busy overall.  There will be fewer rooms to keep the atmosphere more intimate. That doesn’t mean there’s no action or activities though!
  • Day and Night Entertainment: There’s always something going on around the resort if you want to find some entertainment.  Every night there is a themed party, whether it’s Reggae night, a beach party, silent disco, and a lot more. You can check the nightly schedule once you arrive to make sure you don’t miss anything.  There are also several bars that will have live music or a DJ. There’s even a piano bar where you can sing karaoke.
  • Land Sports: Yes, Sandals includes a ton of water sports, but there’s more!  Don’t forget about the land based activities like tennis, golf, bowling, paddle ball, billiards, lawn chess, shuffle board, and more. You get free greens fees and transfers to the golf courses in Jamaica and St. Lucia.  You can also get free tennis lessons at all locations. Each resort will also have a state of the art fitness center that is open 24 hours and offers different classes you can take throughout the week.
  • Airport Transfers: You will get an airport transfer regardless of the room level you stay in. If you stay in a butler elite suite, you can even get picked up in a Rolls Royce or a BMW!  Some locations like St. Vincent will even offer boat transfers to the resort if you stay in a butler suite.  This is why I say that once you make your booking, Sandals will take care of the rest starting right when you land at the airport until the time they drop you back off for departure.
  • Shorter Travel Times: A lot of people I speak to compare Sandals Resorts to other destinations like Tahiti, Maldives, Bora Bora, or Hawaii. There are of course exceptions, but those options are almost always more expensive, and the flight times are longer (sometimes much longer).  So with Sandals you are getting a pristine white sand beach location in the Caribbean, for a great price, with a much shorter flight time. In a lot of respects, it provides the most compelling value I can think of for travelers in the US and Canada.

Wow, that was a lot to unpack! That’s exactly why I say that sandals are worth it, because I have not found another resort that includes so much for the price. Not to mention the other things you can get, although they are not included, like massages or spa treatments and excursions like catamaran cruises, local tours, ziplining, and so much more. These excursions can be booked right in the resort at the Island Routes desk.

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When Sandals Resorts Are Not Worth The Price

  • Extras That Are Not Included: There are some extras that are not included in the price like spa treatments, private candlelight dinners, some excursions and tours. These are completely optional, and you of course do not have to get them if you don’t want to, so I don’t think it’s a deal breaker.  I’ll be the first to admit that getting a couples massage was worth it for my wife, and they are reasonably priced too!
  • An Authentic Experience: For those that want a more culturally immersive experience, an all-inclusive resort may not be the best option because guests tend to spend most of the time on the resort properties.  Yes, you can set out to explore the local hot spots or go on excursions, but you will generally be within the resort property most of the time. I will say that Sandals specifically tries to tie together the local roots of the Caribbean in their resort design, food, and entertainment. After all, Sandals is based in Jamaica and their tag line is “Mad of Caribbean”.
  • Not For Families: Sandals is an adults-only resort, so if you are going for a family vacation, I recommend checking out Beaches Resorts.  Beaches is the sister brand to Sandals.  They allow children and cater to a more family oriented experience, but you still get the all-inclusive perks that Sandals is known for though.
  • Overall Budget: All-inclusive resorts can be more expensive upfront, but once you pay, you’re all set. That said, for more budget continuous traveling, you can likely find less expensive lodging and dining options if you want to create your own itinerary. I always suggest examining everything that is included though, because it might seem like you are getting a great deal, but once it’s all said and done you might end up paying more in the end!

What Is The Average Cost For A Sandals Vacation

Are Sandals Resorts Worth The Price

Sandals Resorts are definitely worth the price for us, but how much does the average vacation there cost?  Well, it depends a little on which resort you choose and which room category. After all, there are 17 different locations across the Caribbean.

In general Sandals Ochi in Ocho Rios Jamaica will be the least expensive Sandals resort to go to. The average 7 night vacation there will cost between $2700 – $4200 per couple, not including flights. Located right next to Sandals Ochi is the Royal Plantation Resort, which is the most intimate of all the Sandals with only 74 suites, and they are all Butler Suites.  Here you can get the best deals on Butler Suites, which will start at about $4,000 for a 7 night stay.

If you want to stay at the newest Sandals Resort in St. Vincent, the average 7 night vacation will cost approximately $4,900 – $8,000 per couple, without airfare.

Other popular suites include the Overwater Bungalows that are at Sandals South Coast, Grande St. Lucian, and the Royal Caribbean. These will start at around $1,350 per person, per night. Although they are the most expensive suites available, we stayed in the Overwater Villa at Royal Caribbean last year, it was an absolutely unforgettable experience.

In contrast, let’s say you choose to stay at a hotel that is not all-inclusive. For a comparable 5-star hotel in the same locations, you will be spending around $300 – $600 per night.  Then include the meals for the day, which would be at least $100 per day for two people. Just between the hotel and the meals, a 7 day vacation will cost $2,800 – $4,900 for a couple. Then if you include the airport transfers and any extra excursions like scuba or snorkeling, it will add a minimum of $300. So when you add up just the bare minimum, it will cost you between $3,100 – $5,200, which is more expensive than the average Sandals and you are getting much less!  Not to mention that you have to coordinate everything as well.

The thing I love about Sandals is that every resort they have is located on a pristine beach in an unbeatable Caribbean setting. That means that regardless of which resort you stay at, and which room category you choose, you are guaranteed to get the picture perfect Caribbean vacation you are looking for, at the price you want.

Ways To Save On Your Sandals Vacation

After all this talk about Sandals being worth the money, I want to go over some ways to save on your booking so you can get the most bang for your buck.

  • Compare The Different Locations: Some Sandals locations will have a higher average price point, like Sandals St. Vincent or Sandals Royal Barbados.  On the other hand, some will have lower price points like Sandals Ochi or Sandals Regency La Toc. This is not to say that some are better than others. For example, Sandals Ochi is generally cheaper because it has the most rooms out of all the Sandals, so they offer more deals. You will still get the 5-star luxury service at every Sandals no matter which one you choose!
  • Travel Dates: To get the best deal, consider traveling during the shoulder seasons or low seasons. Off season is generally August to October, while the busy season is between December to April. I always recommend if you are traveling during hurricane season to purchase trip protection coverage just in case. Traveling during the rainy season does not mean that you will have 24/7 rain, in fact, there is still plenty of sunshine to be had!
  • Last Minute Travel: Speaking of travel dates, if you have flexibility, you can get last minute deals that are usually about 3 weeks out, and offer huge savings and even a free night.
  • The 7-7-7 Deal: Every week on Wednesday, Sandals updates the 7-7-7 deal. This provides an additional 7% off select rooms when you book for 7 nights or more. The rooms are different each week, so you can keep looking until you see something you like, sometimes they have overwater bungalows and other top tier suites so you can get huge savings.
  • Military Discount: Service members (veterans included), active firefighters, and police officers always get a 10% discount off the rack rate.
  • Seasonal Sales: Get an extra $100 – $1,100 credit or more simply for booking online. Plus enjoy complimentary spa credits or excursions, depending on the specific sale.
  • Room Categories: There are three different categories: Luxury Level, Club Level, and Butler Level. Luxury will be the least expensive, so if you are on a budget, you can get great pricing on those rooms.  At the same time, the higher end rooms will often have larger discounts, so even though they might be more expensive overall, you can get bigger discounts.
  • Black Friday Deals: Late November through December is the Black Friday sale, which offers some of the best savings of the year.
  • Sandals Select Rewards: You can earn extra perks (free rooms, dining credits, etc.) when you simply stay at a Sandals and associate your stay with your Sandals Select Rewards account. It is free to sign up, and you can get hundreds of dollars off your future stay just by doing this.
  • Special Occasions: free night for your anniversaryGet a deals for your honeymoon and anniversary.  You can get the free honeymoon package if you stay within 12 months of your wedding.  You can also get a if you stay in a club or butler level room for 7 or more nights!

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