We recently visited Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados and wanted to share the differences.
In short, the Sandals Resorts are side by side and they operate as one resort. The only difference is going to be your room and with that comes the price.
Sandals Barbados is an older resort so the rooms are generally cheaper. There are also luxury rooms available, which means rooms that the rooms have fewer amenities like robes and room service.
At Sandals Royal Barbados all the rooms are either Club-level or Butler Elite Level Rooms.
The other main difference is the area. Most of the rooms on the Sandals Royal Barbados side of resort are further from the beach.
So if you are deciding between Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados, it’s mostly in the rooms where you will see the difference.
We liked our experience at Sandals Royal Barbados more because it was more secluded and we had a swim-up suite with a butler. But a lot of people do not plan on spending a lot of time in their room and are willing to save money there.
Sandals Royal Barbados vs Sandals Barbados Rooms
Rooms at Sandals Barbados start at $225 per person per night. This would be the Caribbean Grand Lux which has a garden view, king bed, and balcony.
Sandals Barbados has several room categories located in the Caribbean Village, Crystal Lagoon, and Beachfront. These rooms offer comfortable accommodations but may have slightly less square footage compared to the suites at Sandals Royal Barbados.
Oceanfront rooms start at $312 per person per night, for example, the Beachfront Honeymoon Club Level Suite.
There are also swim-up suites around the Crystal Lagoon which are club and butler lever rooms.
Sandals Royal Barbados, on the other hand, offers all-suite accommodations that are generally more spacious and offer separate living areas and larger balconies or terraces.
For the best luxury experience, the Beachfront Prime Minister Bedroom Butler Suite w/ Private Pool and Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub can not be matched. The South Seas Royal Rondoval Butler Suite w/ Private Pool Sanctuary is also a unique accommodation you can only find at Sandals.
To give you a good price comparison, the cheapest room at Sandals Royal Barbados starts at $298.
Sandals Royal Barbados & Sandals Barbados Pools
If you stay at either resort, you have access to the other resort’s pools, but to give you an idea of what you will be closest to here are the pools at Sandals Barbados & Sandals Royal Barbados.
On the Barbados side, you have the main pool which is located near the beachfront. The pool features a swim-up bar where guests can enjoy refreshing drinks without having to leave the water. We stayed here a few times and loved how close it is to the beach as well.
The Crystal Lagoon Pool is surrounded by lush landscaping, sun loungers, and umbrellas. The pool features several areas with built-in pool loungers, allowing guests to relax in the water while soaking up the Caribbean sun. This is also where the swim-up suites access the pool and the area is usually very quiet.
The European pool is behind the beach front rooms and is perfect if you want to relax in peace and quiet. It is located in the middle of the resort and is close to many dining options making it very convinient. You’ll find tents available that are perfect for keeping cool when you aren’t in the water.
On the Royal Barbados side, the Crystal Lagoon pools are in multiple areas of the resort.
The South Seas Pool is in the middle of the resort and is pretty calm with a swim-up bar. There is a rooftop infinity pool and an infinity pool located close to the beach. This pool is the most lively of the pools at either resort.
Sandals Royal Barbados & Sandals Barbados Restaurants
Regardless of what side you book, you have access to the restaurants at both resorts.
There are 10 restaurants at Sandals Royal Barbados and 11 at Sandals Barbados and there really is something for everyone.
Some new additions are the Greenhouse and Heart & Sol with a focus on healthy eating.
We loved all the variety. For breakfast, there are a couple of buffets and a la carte options or you can stop by Sweet & Salty for a donut or Cafe de Paris for crepes and pastries.
For lunch, the pizza at Dino’s is fresh brick oven-cooked. You can find Jerk chicken, burgers, sandwiches, quesadillas, and other typical lunch food throughout the resort.
At Dinner, there are steak houses, Indian food, Asian cuisine, seafood, pretty much anything you could ask for. We loved being about to choose as much as we wanted from the menu and being served smaller portions than a typical American restaurant (most of the time).
Sandals Royal Barbados & Sandals Barbados Spa
At both resorts, you have access to the Red Lane Spa, but the spa on the Royal Barbados side is bigger and newer.
Transportation from the Airport
The drive from the airport is the same amount of time to get to the resort. At the airport, you will be able to get a shuttle that will take you to the side of the resort you are staying in to check-in. The drive only takes about 15 minutes.
Ultimately, the choice between Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados depends on your personal preferences, budget, and the specific amenities and features you value most in a resort.