Nestled in the heart of the Bahamas’ capital rests one of the Caribbean’s most luxurious resorts; Sandals Royal Bahamian. Surrounded by the most beautiful turquoise water and pristine white sand beaches, paradise meets luxury at this award-winning resort.

This was my first (and certainly not last!) Sandals experience, as well as my first time in the Bahamas. Double whammy! My initial thought to Nitin once we settled into our beautiful ocean-view room and soaked up the incredible view was ‘Why have we not come to the Bahamas sooner?’ I am so excited to share my full Sandals Royal Bahamian experience with you guys, so sit back and enjoy as I take you on a journey of everything you need to know about this 5-star property.

CHECKING IN

Upon arrival, Nitin and I were ushered into the Club lounge where we were provided cold towels and a glass of champagne. We took an early flight in to maximize our fun in the sun, and while our room wasn’t quite ready upon check-in (we expected this) we were graciously provided a hospitality suite to change. Our luggage was safety stowed away while we grabbed a bite to eat and enjoyed the beach.

A few hours later we headed back to the Club lounge for our room keys, and to made our dining reservations. We were escorted to our room in The Windsor Towel, which was equipped with a stunning four post bed, spacious bathroom and magnificent views of the pool, sea and beach.

Overall, our check-in process was seamless with every detail accounted for. We were off to a great start!

TOWERS; BALMORAL vs WINDSOR

We had a hard time deciding which room to book. There are two towers at Sandals Royal Bahamian; Balmoral Tower and Windsor Tower, both of which have a slightly different vibe.

Balmoral Tower

Located near the main entrance of the resort, the Balmoral Tower offers both courtyard and ocean view rooms and is the quieter of the two towers. This tower also underwent a $17.5 million renovation recently, and it’s immaculate condition is a true testament to the beautiful reno.

I was humming and hawing forever over which tower to book, and to be quite frank I would have been happy in either one. The Club Level and Butler Concierge desks are located in the Balmoral Tower, and it’s also situated by the quieter pool. I initially booked this tower, but we were graciously upgraded to an ocean view room at the Windsor Tower (thanks Sandals!). You will also find the Piano Bar here where you can enjoy evening cocktails, sing-alongs (picture David and Yolana’s party’s from the RHOBH) and afternoon high-tea.

Windsor Towel

Located on the other side of the resort (it’s less than a 5 minute walk from one tower to the other), this tower is slightly more lively in that it’s situated near the resorts party pool (by party pool I mean you can jam to Drake, get your drink on and not worry about disturbing anyone). It’s also steps away from the beach which I found uber convenient. The lobby is adorned with beautiful clockwork and a helpful concierge desk if you need anything.

You can’t go wrong with either tower. If you prefer a quiet, intimate experience I recommend the Balmoral tower. If you prefer to be where the crowd is, book the Windsor tower. Keep in mind that while the Windsor tower is close to the ‘party pool’ and beach, you can’t hear any of this noise from your room. Sandals Royal Bahamian is luxury, adults only resort so they are extremely mindful of their clientele.

 

ROOMS

Our room was located on the 6th floor of the Windsor tower and boasted an incredible view of both the sea and pool. Equipped with a king size canopy bed, walk-out balcony and a spacious bathroom, it was everything we expected and more! The rooms are extremely clean and well maintained, and come with a fully stocked bar.

The room selection is incredible, with suites offering private pools and amazing views.

 

DINING

There are ten different restaurants available at Sandals Royal Bahamian, with some open for dinner only. Being in the Bahamas for just 5 days made it difficult to have a full meal at every restaurant, but Nitin and I tried our best to enjoy as much food as we could!

Gordon’s Pier

Welcome to seafood lovers heaven! Perched over the sea, this romantic dining experience is one-of-a-kind. No reservations are required, so if you have to wait a bit for a table there is a bar and seating on the pier where you’re able to relax. This restaurant starts getting busy around 6:30pm. For our meals, Nitin and I started off with the shrimp ceviche and Digbey scallops, before working our way to the restaurants’ signature Grouper fillet (so delicious) and grilled lamb cutlets. The only downfall was that it started to rain during our meal, so we quickly finished our mains before seeking cover. If you’re on the resort for 4 nights I recommend making this one of your dining experiences.

The Crystal Room

My favourite of all the restaurants, The Crystal Room is truly a feast for your mouth and eyes. Offering a classic Mediterranean experience, the room is brought to life with colourful walls, stunning detail and a grand, vintage chandelier serving as the main attraction (besides the food of course). For appetizers, I couldn’t decide between the Mediterranean Meze and the Mussels Provençale so the staff were kind enough to bring me smaller portions of each. Both were irresistible!  A few people recommended we try the Moroccan slow-braised lamb shank; I was not disappointed. Reservation are required and this restaurant isn’t open every evening so try to book this one as soon as possible to ensure a spot. You won’t want to miss it!

Kimono

If you enjoying meeting other couples, this Teppanyaki restaurant is the place to be! In true Teppanyaki style, we enjoyed our meals over great conversation and entertainment, and ended up rolling out of the place by the end of the night. Another definite must-visit!

Baccarat

Open for both dinner (reservations required) and breakfast (walk-in), Barrarat offers a delicious selection of signature French dishes and a view of one of the two pools on property. The curved windowpanes and timeless décor are nothing short of spectacular, and the food is delicious. For dinner I started with the Escargots Bourguignon which was scrumptious and followed up with the lamb for my main course. If you’re staying for 4 nights, I highly recommend making this one of your dining experiences.  We did find the breakfast service to be a bit slower here as they forget to put in our order a couple times, but a friendly reminder had us enjoying our meals within minutes.

Casanova

I’m so sad we didn’t get a chance to check this place out for dinner. Guess it’s just another reason to go back! This restaurant is located beside Kimono, and is near the Windsor tower. Nitin did order a cannoli one evening while I was going for a midnight dip and he quite enjoyed it, so I can only imagine that dinner would be just as good.

Royal Café and Grill

This beachside café is open all day, and is a great spot to enjoy a bite to eat between the pool and beach. We loved the casual ambiance here, and found it the perfect spot to grab a quick meal. No reservations required.

Bella Napoli Pizzeria

I’m pretty sure Nitin has this at least once every day. What can I say, the man loves his pizza! All pizzas are made fresh-to-order in the brick-oven, and are delicious! The wait was up to an hour at one point, so we always put our order in ahead of time to ensure our pizza was ready by time we were hungry. It is totally worth the wait.

The Cricketers Pub

Unless you’re in England it doesn’t get more authentic than this. The Cricketers Pub offers a casual, rustic atmosphere equipped with a pool table, large booths and a wrap-around bar. The menu is everything you would expect from a traditional British pub, but we unfortunately didn’t get a chance to dine here. We grabbed mozzarella sticks one day which were good, but next time we’re heading for those fish & chips! No reservations and required, and outside seating is available.

Schooners Seafood Grill

Located on Sandals offshore island, Nitin and I enjoyed a few bites from here during our day on the island. I opted for a cobb salad, while Nitin enjoyed sliders. While the restaurant itself is lovely, we brought our food back to our hut to enjoy with a direct view of the sea.

Spices

This classic buffet is open all day and is home to omelette stations, cook to order entrees and an array of fresh fruit. I have never been fond of buffets, and while we ate here for breakfast once we enjoyed the rest of our breakfasts at Baccarat as the a la carte menu was more up our ally. The thing I love about Sandals is they have so many amazing dining experience that aim to please just about everyone!

 

SPA

Click here to read about my incredible experience at Sandals Red Lane Spa.

 

OFFSHORE ISLAND

A major perk of booking this Sandals location is that they have an offshore island available by boat for all guests. The boat rides to and from the island are fairly frequent throughout the day, with the last boat leaving the island around 4:30pm.

Guests are able to enjoy a quite, peaceful island filled with little treasures. From swinging over the sand to curling up in the love nest to enjoying some r&r on the islands beautiful huts, you are truly transported to another world. Nitin and I spend one day on the island, where we enjoyed a couples massage on the beach. The huts are massive and slightly secluded, and you can see more images of the island in this post.

 

RESORT AMENITIES

• Two pools with swim-up bar.
• Offshore island
• Spa
• Water sports
• PADI Certified Scuba Diving
• Sports (beach volleyball, table tennis, lawn chess, etc)
• Piano bar (they serve up a pretty stellar apple martini)
• Live shows/ bands
• Board games
• Boutique
• Fitness Centre (with an INCREDIBLE view …a definite must-see).

Additional Amenities (not included)

• Photoshoot: there is no charge for the photoshoot itself, but there is a cost to purchase the shots. Nitin and I took advantage of this one evening and left with some beautiful pictures.
• Local adventures: While time got the best of us this stay, on our next visit I can’t wait to swim with the pigs in Exuma!
• Candlelit dinner

 

STANDARD VS CLUB VS BULTER SERVICE

The great debate! First off, let me just start by saying that regardless of the level you book the staff is incredible and always willing to help. Throughout our travels Nitin and I have enjoyed a mix of butler services, club level and standard rooms, and for this trip we were torn on which level to pick. Given that Sandals is an all-inclusive luxury resort in and of itself, I was find with the standard level. However, my diva husband had other preferences and booked us Club level (really, I’m not complaining). We definitely took advantage of the in-room dining, martini evening and the Club concierge, but if it’s not within your budget you aren’t going to feel it.

In terms of the butler service, the biggest perks here are that your reservations are made for you and your beach spot is reserved in the morning, upon request. If you’re a late riser (by late, I mean after 6:00am) good luck finding a hut on the beach. By 7:00am, the chairs with umbrellas are slim picking. The butlers start reserving huts and 6:00am, so I would get up at 5:45am to reserve our spots before enjoying a cup of coffee on our balcony. I’m a total early bird on vacation!

 

TIPS

• Make all your reservations as soon as you arrive to ensure you get the restaurants you want.
• If you don’t have Butler service and want a beach hut, make sure you are on the beach before 6:00am. Just leave your towel and book to reserve your spot.
• Order your pizza ahead of time to avoid a wait.
• There a difference between ocean view and ocean front. Ocean front rooms have a full view of the ocean, whereas ocean view rooms may have partial views. The way the towers are built, there are a limited number of ocean front rooms.

My first Sandals experience was nothing short of amazing, and I absolutely recommend this place to anyone looking for a luxury getaway, Thank you to the Sandals team for your hospitality ..we can’t wait to come back!

 

xx, Kiki