Sandals Royal Bahamian

We have stayed at many Sandals (and Beaches) over the years, but this was our first time to the Royal Bahamian. It was a great 8 nights, even though Imelda (before turning into a hurricane) crashed our party. We had a butler room and Nichola and Keisha were great. The private island is beautiful and we spent a very peaceful day there. The food was very good across the board, and we were able to get lobster tails with our dinners at Butch’s. Special recognition to: Endera in reception who helped us get a room with a better view, Kimerly our tour guide for the Mini Tour, Michelle at the pool bar, Phillip at the English Pub bar, Edwin our waiter at Butch’s and Anwar at the pool bar who made us beautiful drinks to use in our photos. And, of course, Nichola and Keisha who took very good care of us for the whole stay. The only negatives were the fact that the backup power wasn’t working in our building for several hours while (not quite tropical storm) Imelda came through, but it did come back on the next morning. When we booked a butler room we read that it came with private transfers, which we thought would be to and from the resort, but it was only going from the airport to the resort. This wouldn’t have been a big deal, but the people we were sharing the transfer with were late getting off the resort which didn’t help my travel anxiety at all. And, I have to say, it was very disappointing to realize that there really are no more returning guest t-shirts. I love all my shirts and they bring back great memories from our trips to Sandals and Beaches.

We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary there last week. Overall, it was relaxing, beautiful, and just what we needed. My husband enjoyed the diving and had wonderful remarks about the crew. I made an appointment with the spa and had one of the best messages with Kenya. I made a second appointment with her before we left. She is truly gifted with back and shoulder tension. The food was delicious everywhere we went. Would definitely recommend to other couples looking to unplug and escape. It’s hard to find more beautiful waters and beaches! The private island was such a fun place too.

My husband and I spent 5 nights at Sandals Royal Bahamian at the Villa Suite with private pool included with Butler Elite services for our one year anniversary/delayed honeymoon. We can’t say enough great things about our stay. The room was absolutely gorgeous and so perfect for those couples who really just want to spend some alone time together. Our butlers Doreen and Junior were the best. We felt like they were always there to assist with any questions we had and they did so much to make our stay as romantic as possible. They would meet up with us during the day to check-in and make sure they were able to help us with any plans or reservations. They are truly the best team. The staff at the resort is so friendly and accommodating. The restaurants were delicious and the atmospheres were all different. The beaches and views from the resort will leave you speechless. It was a fabulous experience. We are already planning a vacation with friends and family for our next stay!

Very lovely for couples. The food was good, not great. The room was big and well appointed. The cleaning service was excellent. The pools are very well maintained. The beach is very small and could use more attention in keeping it clean. The staff are courteous, friendly and kind. Close commute to the airport and downtown straw market (bus 10).

We’ve just returned from our first stay at a Sandals and despite finding out the "no tipping rule" is a complete myth we had a truly memorable stay. The majority of the staff were fantastic, friendly and attentive. The butler service really stood out, from thoughtful touches to keeping us stocked with bottled Corona on the beach. Shout out to Kevinson and Sterling! ||The resort itself is stunning, with amazing views and a wonderfully romantic atmosphere. We loved the East Bay beach and pool as it was calm and chilled, perfect for relaxing, while West Bay could get a little rowdy, all in all a good mix depending on your mood. The private island was a highlight: beautiful, tranquil, and a great escape, with smooth transfers that made it hassle-free.||Dining was a bit of a mixed bag. We really enjoyed Butch’s, La Plume, soy and the Italian restaurant where we consistently had excellent food and service. However, Gordon’s let us down with poor food and service, and the island restaurant wasn’t our favorite either.||Overall, it was an incredibly romantic and chilled 10 days we would 100% recommend the butler upgrade, and despite a couple of people the staff, setting, and atmosphere made this a very special honeymoon. Few extra shout outs to Jason, Edelis, Anfroy, Kendricka, Darrell and Jade

I was extremely disappointed with the structure and service of Sandals Royal Bahamian. I fully expected the possibility of rain and cloudy days in the Bahamas, which is not the hotel’s fault. What I did not expect, however, was that a property charging $1,000 per night would make so little effort to handle the situation and provide alternatives to guests. There is no indoor pool available, and the only activities offered during bad weather were things like bingo or trivia, which fall far below the standard of a luxury resort. The private island, which was one of the main reasons we chose this hotel, remained closed for the entire time due to the weather. While we completely understand that conditions were not ideal, what shocked us was that the hotel made no effort to either take us there in a safe way or propose any comparable excursion or meaningful alternative. The restaurants were another major issue. Several were closed due to the weather. One that required reservations—which we had made in advance—was closed without any notice, and we only found out when we went there. For other restaurants requiring reservations, we asked multiple times for assistance, but no one followed up. Only the next day did we receive an answer, and even then, the booking they gave us was at 5:30 p.m., far earlier than the 7 p.m. or later slot we had specifically requested. To make things worse, when we asked for help renting a car so we could at least explore the island and salvage part of the day, the staff simply told us to “look on Google Maps.” This is absolutely unacceptable for a hotel that positions itself at this price point. The bottom line is that we paid full price for this stay, but many of the key experiences—especially the private island and several restaurants—were not available, and the hotel made no effort to compensate or provide real alternatives. Sandals Royal Bahamian may look appealing in photos, but the reality is that if the weather is not perfect, you will be left without proper facilities, with reduced experiences, no real support, and nothing close to what justifies the outrageous cost.

Leo and Linda, Villa # 717 The resort was incredible! Clean and fresh, wonderful fragrance of flowers and coconuts. The food was amazing! The Island was romantic. The Bohemian people are the best. Troianna and Rosiouse- front desk Kendrick- valet booth Garry- made for me Sky Juice!! And of course Chad and Dhanni our personal butler's. The best!!!! We will be back soon.

This was our first all-inclusive and our last Sandals experience. Honestly, this place is a complete joke. It all started with them being late to pick us with from the airport. • Butler service: Horrible. They didn’t even bother to tell us half the things they supposedly do for guests. The only thing we asked for was coffee at 9am each morning, it never once happened. We even had to make our own dinner reservations because our butler couldn’t handle it. For my 30th birthday, all they did was order room service. My birthday dinner was canceled with no effort to make it right. • Room conditions: Beds are uncomfortable, the rooms smell musty, there were bugs, and housekeeping left our room dirty for almost two days until we had to ask them to clean it. • Food & restaurants: Most restaurants were shut down. Everything we did get was buffet-style (not what we paid for). Staff at the restaurants seemed miserable and uninterested. • Activities: When it rains, there is literally nothing to do but sit in your room. We were told we had access to a Mini Cooper tour (it was even on our invoice), but later they said we didn’t qualify because we weren’t staying seven nights. That’s bait-and-switch. • Customer treatment: When we complained, instead of addressing it, they tried to rope us into some “deal” that made it sound like we were getting compensated with free nights—but really, it was a scam to get us to spend another $7,000 at another resort. On top of that, as we were leaving, they had the audacity to try to get us to sign legal documents promising not to talk about our terrible experience. We literally laughed and walked out. Sandals takes your money and the second you arrive, they stop caring about you. They upsell, they cut corners, and they leave you feeling scammed. If I could give 0 stars, I would. Do yourself a favor: stay somewhere else.