The Sands Barbados

Just returned from a wonderful week at The Sands Hotel. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. Our room (35) was beautiful with spacious lounge and balcony overlooking pool and a sea view. Very quiet. The housekeeping team serviced the room each day. The food was good; we especially enjoyed freshly cooked omelette for breakfast each morning. Staff so friendly serving in the restaurant. Pool bar was lovely - delicious cocktails made with a smile. The beach was lovely but the currents are strong. Spectacular sunrise and sunset views from the beach. Would I stay here again? Oh yes! Read less

We had a wonderful stay at the Sands. Monica checked us in and explained everything to us, she was friendly and helpful - a good start. Our suite was absolutely beautiful. Any issues were dealt with immediately. The food was great - sometimes a buffet and sometimes table service. There was a good choice of food available but you could also order fried chicken, hamburgers, pizza etc if nothing took your fancy. The restaurant is next to the white sandy beach. Cyrelline, who checked us in each time, was so happy, welcoming and friendly. Our server Destiny had a great sense of humour, and had us in stitches with her quiet understated wit. Michael at the customer service desk was very friendly and welcoming - he was so incredibly helpful in sorting out a trip for us that Viator failed on. He was brilliant in organising beach cricket too 😄 The hotel is relatively small, with maybe 90 rooms or so, is directly on the white sandy beach and has a long pool which isn't too deep. Would thoroughly recommend it. Read less

What can we say about this hotel. Positives:- Amazing hotel. Location was amazing. Right on the beach. Breakfast right on the beach in the Caribbean is probably the best experience ever. Staff in restaurant were amazing. Big shout to rhodesa (spelt wrong) and nesa. Live singers in the evening were brilliant even though one guest tried to ruin that but brilliant for carrying on threw it. What can we can about kemar and michael thats not already been said. They made the holiday, sorry about the team name "Norfolk n chance" The pool menu at lunch was brilliant as if they had nothing you liked on the ala carte you'd have gone hungry. Negatives:- if you don't like ala carte then its not for you. Nights where you had that and in the noir you didnt really get a chance to have anything to eat. Mossys about in force, wife was bitten at least 19 times in 10 days. Pharmacy next door was very helpful. Citronella oil is always helpful. Graeme Hall nature reserve is brilliant. Cool running catamaran was amazing. Tour of Bridgetown was long. Pool was never cleaned daily. Take a trip up to mango bay for the day, amazing samosas with lunch, you maybe be lucky to see a mongoose or a monkey up there. Try worthing square street food. Amazing atmosphere up there. Read less

Visited for one week 8th-15th Feb with friends who are both disabled, the previous week we were on a Marella cruise and had booked the second week with TUI. We arrived at about 13.40 to be told that our room wasn’t ready but our friends room was ready and we could go with them to wait. On the way to the room they were told that they had been given a free upgrade which was nice, immediately on entering on the ground floor we realised that there were stairs and was told that this was a three bedroom duplex but two of the bedrooms were locked. Our friends pointed out that we had booked two garden view suites because neither of us wanted stairs. We were then told that they didn’t have any other rooms available where we pointed out that we had booked this a year ago It was also very apparent that the patio doors to the ground floor terrace didn’t lock The assistant manager was called who was very understanding but said that’s all they had and our room had also been upgraded to a duplex, we explained that we had booked garden view suites and that’s what we both wanted , eventually two rooms were found but had to be got ready We were given our rooms at 5pm and they were lovely the lounge was huge. With a kitchen which we didn’t need as All Inclusive a lovely bedroom with a very comfortable bed and well equipped bathroom The gardens are very we’ll kept and beautiful and the wildlife is abundant The pool is not huge and unfortunately not many sunbeds and with the early morning towel brigade almost impossible to to get and I’m sad to say I became one getting up at silly o clock to reserve sun beds The staff are absolutely fantastic and come round the pool area taking drink orders regularly and nothing is to much trouble Now when it comes to dining it’s a really weird system breakfast is buffet but you have to queue to be given a table and then book a time for your lunch and dinner you’re then taken to your table. The breakfast choices were excellent very English style and loads of options , cereals which on two occasions they had run out eggs, bacon beans etc toast coffee tea and again all staff very attentive Lunch sometimes al-a-carte sometimes buffet the options were always very Caribbean and to be honest not my style but that’s my problem as after all we were in the Caribbean there were days that I didn’t like any on offer so had a salad The beach is tiny beautiful but tiny and ends up completely covered in sunbeds so much so it’s very hard to get down to the sea Going back to dining and queuing they have one person who greets you and allocates the table. And then takes you to your table despite extensive queue will then stop and chat to people this can be quite annoying and frustrating Overall we had a decent time, TUI had sold this to us as an adults only hotel but it’s not and there were a lot of children there. Not the hotels fault This is rated a 4+ star hotel and unfortunately I would rate it a 3 star they try very hard the staff are wonderful but it is getting dated and tired the restaurant area is basically just a tent and not big enough for the amount of guests the sunbed problem is not acceptable. The evening entertainment is good but not enough seats for everybody so you lose out Sadly I would not return this hotel but would like to thank all staff for trying so hard to make our stay enjoyable but as said I it desperately needs updating Read less