Do not be fooled by The Sands outdated social media pictures. We just returned from The Sands this past Sunday after a large family vacation with 12 people, including four children ages 5–15. Unfortunately, from the moment we arrived, the experience did not meet our expectations. We raised our concerns with management two days into our stay, and while they listened, improvements were not implemented consistently throughout the remainder of our trip.
Arrival & Service
We were “welcomed” on our first day by a rude and abrupt staff member whose first words were: “We have no water due to a water main break, it is out of our control, and we have no beach. It's out of our control” This was followed by an inefficient check-in process, during which some members of our group were unable to complete the provided QR code check-in.
Unfortunately, the poor service continued throughout the stay. Many staff members seemed annoyed when we ordered drinks, asked questions, or requested anything during meals. Eye-rolling and dismissive attitudes were common. One staff flat out told us that she did not want to be there for her shift.
We did tip throughout our stay, at each meal, at the bar, beach, and housekeeping.
Rooms
Our room was upgraded to a penthouse suite, which was spacious, clean, and had a beautiful view. However, other members of our group were placed in incorrect room types—for example, duplex units instead of the one-bedroom accommodations they had booked. This was especially problematic for the grandparents in our group, who found the stairs difficult to manage. After some back-and-forth with the front desk, they were eventually moved.
Dining & Bar
The bar experience was inconsistent. Drinks were made differently each time, the liquor quality was poor, and beverages were served in unusually tiny cups. More concerning was the hygiene: staff frequently appeared to rinse used cups quickly in a sink and dry them with the same rag before reusing them. This was unacceptable.
The buffet, particularly breakfast, lacked variety. The same limited options were repeated in slight variations each day. The egg station was extremely inefficient—similar to a small camping stove setup—where only one order was prepared at a time, resulting in long wait times every morning. Staff at the station were also unfriendly and slow.
Lunch alternated between buffet and à la carte service. Buffet lunches had limited options and food often ran out before being replenished. À la carte lunches and dinners were painfully slow, often lasting hours. Service was both slow and unfriendly.
There were no children’s menu options available at the à la carte restaurants, making dining with kids unnecessarily difficult. We regularly had to ask for menu modifications so the younger children had something appropriate to eat. Staff told us the grill was always an option for children, but many grill items were unavailable or poorly prepared. One day, pizzas ordered from the grill were made with ketchup instead of pizza sauce. There was also a time where we were told nothing from the grill menu was available and we needed to go out across the street and get little Caesar's pizza for the children. The service was so slow that the little Caesar's arrived and was finished before any of the adult meals had come out to the table.
Dinner had the same issues as lunch: limited buffet variety, repeated menu items, and food/desserts running out quickly. If you did not get dessert at the beginning of your meal, chances were high the pastries would be gone by the end.
Additionally, because of the open-air waterfront restaurant, birds were a major issue. On three separate occasions, someone in our group was pooped on by birds, and multiple times birds swooped down and stole food directly from our plates while we were eating. It felt unsanitary and unpleasant. Simple deterrents—such as removing overhead string lights where birds perch—could help mitigate this issue.
Overall, I would not recommend this resort for families with young children, as they do not appear to cater well to them.
Beach
The beach was the biggest disappointment of the trip. It looked nothing like the photos currently posted on The Sands’ social media pages. Due to the high tide, there was often little to no usable beach space in the mornings, and beach chairs could not be set up until later in the day. This created a rush around staff setting up chairs, and securing a spot often required tipping heavily. The beach is also extremely rocky, water shoes are a must.
Pool
The pool was dirty and poorly maintained. During our entire stay, we never once saw it being cleaned. Debris such as straw wrappers, dirt, and garbage regularly accumulated in the water and along the edges of the pool with no visible effort from staff to remove it. It was unhygienic and unacceptable.
Entertainment
This was lacking in the evening. It was typically some variation or a live singer or a dj covering top 40 music. These sets were short and often either near done by the time we finished our lengthy dinner or there were no seats left on the patio area.
Final Thoughts
This resort requires significant improvement across the board, beginning with hospitality training for staff. A smile and basic courtesy go a long way, and those were largely absent throughout our stay.
Overall, we left extremely disappointed and would not return or recommend The Sands. All of us in the group have travelled to numerous Caribbean destinations and this stay fell short across the board compared to all of our previous experiences.
