Sandals Royal Bahamian Reviews Are In! Our Bahamas Guide
Sandals Royal Bahamian
If you’ve landed here, you’re probably looking for Sandals Royal Bahamian reviews for your next trip to the Bahamas. We recently visited the resort and loved every minute of it! The Royal Bahamian is one of only two Sandals resorts with a private island. Below, we’ll cover everything this resort has to offer and will share our opinion on staying here versus the other Sandals resort options.
Quick Look:
Dining at 10 restaurants
2 new food trucks
Unlimited premium liquors
8 bars, including 3 swim-up bars
Stocked bar in every hotel room
Unlimited land sports and water sports
Access to Sandals Barefoot Cay, the resort’s very own private island
Day and night entertainment
All tips and gratuities included
Roundtrip airport transfers
Location and Arrival Experience
Sandals Royal Bahamian Entrance
Located just 15 minutes from Lynden Pindling International Airport, Sandals Royal Bahamian is one of the most conveniently located Sandals resorts, allowing guests to start their vacation with ease. Complimentary transfers ensure a smooth arrival, whether you choose a quick shuttle or enjoy a more exclusive option with Rolls-Royce or Mercedes-Benz transfers for select room categories.
This is a big win here in my opinion. Once the plane lands, we always want to get to the resort quickly. I loved being just a short bus ride away.
Upon arrival, we were welcomed with Sandals’ signature hospitality. For those staying in the luxury rooms, the check-in lobby is located right at the entrance. For those staying in Club-Level or Butler-Level rooms, someone will take your bags and lead you around the corner to your check-in lounge.
Accommodation Options
Sandals Royal Bahamian Swim-Up Suite
Sandals Royal Bahamian offers several styles of accommodations to suit different preferences. You’ll find that many of these rooms from each accommodation style are spread out into three distinct areas on the resort:
East Bay Building: Situated near the quieter pool area, the East Bay Building is ideal for guests seeking more of a laid back experience. Many rooms here offer ocean views, and it’s conveniently located near dining and entertainment options. The pool located outside this building is also my personal favorite.
West Bay Building: The West Bay Building is adjacent to the active pool and closer to water sports and beach access. This building includes several accommodation options with private balconies or patios, providing a lively atmosphere for social guests.
Island Village: Island Village is located towards the back of the resort, secluded from the other buildings and pools. This area offers a quieter setting with private pools and garden views. Rooms here feature thoughtful touches like Tranquility Soaking Tubs for two, ideal for romantic evenings.
In addition to the distinct locations, there are several room categories to choose from, some of which provide swim-up suites or balconies. Butler-serviced rooms also come with added perks, such as in-room dining and private check-in, ensuring a high level of service throughout your stay. For more information on the room categories and what to expect, check out this blog:
Sandals Resorts Room Categories: Luxury, Club Level, and Butler
My advice: We love the swim-up suites. You can’t beat having your own private pool experience. If you need to go a little lower on the budget side, the balconies that look out over the ocean are also a great choice!
Here’s a list of some of our favorite rooms at this resort. If you’re thinking of visiting, check them out! They would be a great experience!
Island Village One Bedroom Butler Villa Suite w/ Balcony Tranquility Soaking Tub
Island Village Walkout Butler Hideaway Villa Suite w/ Private Pool
What’s Included at Sandals Royal Caribbean?
With the Sandals brand, you’ll find that “all-inclusive” means a lot more than it does at other places. This is part of what initially sold us on our first visit. Check out a list of inclusions below, then we’ll cover some of them in more detail.
Unlimited dining at 10 restaurants
8 bars, including swim-up options
Stocked bars in every room
Roundtrip airport transfers
PADI-Certified SCUBA diving
Unlimited water sports and land sports
Day and night entertainment, including live shows
Access to Sandals Barefoot Cay, the resort’s very own private island
Free WiFi resort wide
Tips, taxes and gratuities
Dining Experiences
Sandals Royal Bahamian features 10 restaurants, including 2 new food trucks. Honestly, this was one of my favorite Sandals resorts for dining. They had a great variation to choose from.
We’ll cover each below and will share links to their menus, but first, a quick note about the dress code for each of them:
Dress Code: Some restaurants require a higher standard for dress than others. Here are the requirements from the resort page.
Resort Casual Attire - Shorts or jeans, t-shirts or polo shirts. Swimwear must be covered. Shirts and footwear required.
Resort Evening Attire - Dress pants/trousers or jeans for men, long or short sleeve dress shirts (with or without collar). Dress shoes or sandals. No shorts, t-shirts, sleeveless shirts, sneakers, flip-flops or slippers. No hats or caps.
Our standout favorites were:
Sweets N Tings - I love spiked coffee in the afternoon, and this resort actually placed them by the pools!
Butch’s Island Chop House - Most of my clients always ask if there’s a Butch’s at each resort. So many have come to love it.
Gordon’s on the Pier - You just can’t beat the view of this restaurant in the evening!
Kanoo
Kanoo Restaurant
Type of Cuisine: Buffet/Pan-Caribbean
Breakfast (buffet): 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Lunch (a la Carte & Pizzeria): 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Breakfast: Buffet
Tesoro
Tesoro Restaurant
Type of Cuisine: Italian (Veneto - Venice)
Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. –10:30 a.m.
Lunch (a la Carte & Pizzeria): 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Dinner (a la Carte & Pizzeria): 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Breakfast: Buffet
Aralia House
Aralia House Restaurant
Located on the private island, Sandals Barefoot Cay
Type of Cuisine: Seaside Grill/Caribbean Seafood
Lunch (a la Carte): 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Kimonos
Kimonos Restaurant
Type of Cuisine: Japanese Teppanyaki
Dinner: 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual (Reservations required)
Butch’s Island Chop House
Type of Cuisine: Steak & Seafood
Dinner: 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Evening (Reservations required)
The Queen’s Pearl
Type of Cuisine: British Pub
Dinner (a la Carte): 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Late Night Snack: 10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Click Here for Dinner and Late Night Menu
Soy
Soy Restaurant
Type of Cuisine: Sushi Bar
Dinner (a la Carte): 5:30 p.m. –9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Gordon’s on the Pier
Type of Cuisine: Grilled Specialties
Dinner (a la Carte): 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Evening
La Plume
La Plume Restaurant
Type of Cuisine: Classic French
Breakfast (buffet): 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Dinner (a la Carte): 5:30 p.m. –10:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Evening (Reservations required)
Calico Cafe
Calico Cafe
Type of Cuisine: Seaside Grill
Lunch (a la Carte): 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Coco Queen Food Truck
Coco Queen Food Truck
Type of Cuisine: Bahamian Fusion (Food Truck)
Open: 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Sweets N Tings Food Truck
Sweets N Tings Food Truck
Type of Cuisine: Sweets/Coffee (Food Truck)
Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Dinner: 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Dress code: Resort Casual
Bars
East Bay Swim Up Bar
The bars are conveniently located all over the resort, making it easy to grab a drink at any time! I’ve listed them all out below. First, I need to point out a favorite. The swim up bar at one of the main pools is the best. We found this pool to be more quiet than the other and always got great service. A second favorite was the pub (The Queens Bar). It was fun to try out all types of different drinks here.
Aralia House Bar (10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
Aralia “Swim Up” Bar (10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
Balmoral Bar & Piano Lounge (5:45 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.)
Coconut Grove Bar (10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.)
Mr. B’s (4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.)
Queen’s Pearl Bar (5:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.)
West Bay “Swim Up” Bar (10:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.)
East Bay “Swim Up” Bar (10:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.)
Water Sports
Sandals Royal Bahamian Aqua Center
The added water sports are one of m favorite perks about staying at a Sandals Resort. On top of the food, drinks and beach, Sandals also includes several ways to have fun out on the water as a part of your room package. My personal highlight is always taking out the Hobie Cat sailboats! You’ll find those and everything else listed below at the Aqua Center down by the beach:
Hobie Cats
Kayaks
Water Trikes
Paddleboards
Snorkeling
PADI® Scuba Diving* (2 Free Dives a Day)
*Daily scuba diving is only for certified divers
*Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) for beginners and PADI International Dive certification are available at additional costs.
Land Sports
By land, the resort also boasts several ways to entertain yourself outside of lounging by the pool or beach. Check out some of them below:
Basketball
Croquet
Beach Volleyball
Billiards and Pool Table
Darts
Indoor Games
Shuffleboard
Table Tennis.
One (1) Tennis Court and four (4) Pickle ball Courts lit for night play.
Entertainment
Sandals Royal Bahamian offers a variety of daily performers. Guests and also choose which to visit. On top of the nightly events listed below, they can also enjoy the party atmosphere at Coconut Grove.
Piano Bar Vocal (Balmoral Club) - 7:15 p.m. to 7:50 p.m.
The Queen’s Pearl - 9:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Piano Bar Sing-a-long (Balmoral Club) - 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Exploring Sandals Barefoot Cay – The Private Island
Sandals Barefoot Cay
One of the most unique features of Sandals Royal Bahamian is its private offshore island, Sandals Barefoot Cay, a short ferry ride away. The island offers two secluded beaches with clear blue waters. There’s also a beach club with loungers, hammocks, and a swim-up bar where you can grab tropical cocktails with your toes in the sand.
The Zen Garden at the Red Lane® Spa (found on the island) provides an additional way to relax. For dining, Aralia House serves fresh seafood and other Caribbean favorites right by the beach, making it easy to spend an entire day enjoying the tranquility of Barefoot Cay.
This was the first Sandals we visited that included an off-shore private island, so we were excited to get the chance to go out and spend a day. I could spend many days on the beach with a drink and a book, so the secluded beach spaces out here were perfect.
Pools
East Bay Pool
Sandals Royal Bahamian boasts 2 freshwater pools, 3 whirlpools, and a quiet pool over in the Island Village. The pools are situated near the beach and next to each of the East and West Bay buildings. The pool by the West Bay building we found was livelier, which pool volleyball, music and a louder group of people. However, the pool by the East Bay building was one of the nicest Sandals pools I’ve been to. It has an elegant feel, was much quieter, and had a swim-up bar of it’s own. That said, there are two different scenes for whatever you’re feeling.
Wedding Packages
Sandals Wedding Gazebo
The property has several great spots for destination weddings and honeymoons. Pictured above is one of the prime spots in the Island Village area. Sandals runs some great packages for destination weddings at their resorts. If you’re interested, reach out and we’ll help you with the details!
Click Here for Sandals Wedding and Honeymoon Packages
If you’re looking at Sandals Royal Bahamian for a wedding or “Re-Tie the Knot,” you may want to take a closer look at these locations. Check out our video here - (Coming Soon).
What's Not Included?
While most of the amenities at Sandals Royal Bahamian are covered, there are a few things that will cost extra. You’ll want to be aware of these, in case you want to budget for them.
Epix Photography
Epix is the official photography service at the resort. Their photographers are always out capturing special moments. If you'd like to take home some professional photos from your trip, you'll need to purchase them separately from the Epix store.
The Resort Shop
The Resort Shop is a place to find any essentials you might have forgotten to pack, such as clothing, hats, souvenirs, medicine, toiletries, and sunscreen. However, prices at the shop can be a bit steep. (We paid $60 for two extra tubes of sunscreen one time). It's always a good idea to pack plenty of sunscreen to avoid having to buy it at a premium price.
Tipping Butlers and Drivers
One of the great things about Sandals is that tipping is generally not allowed or expected. Most staff members, including waitstaff and bartenders, are not permitted to accept tips. However, there are two exceptions to this rule: butlers and drivers. If you're staying in a butler suite, you'll want to bring some cash to tip your butler for their attentive service throughout your stay. Additionally, if you take any excursions or use the resort's transfer service to and from the airport, it's customary to tip your driver.
The Red Lane Spa
The Red Lane Spa offers a variety of luxurious treatments, but these services come at an additional cost. We recommend booking a couples massage on your first full day at the resort to start your vacation off in a relaxed state of mind. It's also a good idea to get your massage before spending too much time in the sun to avoid any discomfort from sunburns.
Island Routes Excursions
Island Routes is the exclusive partner of Sandals for all off-site excursions. While these adventures are not included in your package price, they can be a great way to explore Curacao, while feeling safer with a local guide that’s partnered with Sandals. Some popular excursions near Sandals Royal Curacao include:
Curacao Shipwreck Snorkel Cruise
Private Discover Curacao Highlights Tour
Private Curacao and Hato Caves Experience
When booking excursions, we strongly recommend going through Island Routes to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
Click Here for More Island Routes Excursions
Pros and Cons of Sandals Royal Bahamian
To help you weigh the options, here are some standout features and considerations to keep in mind:
Pros:
Private Island Access: The exclusive Sandals Barefoot Cay provides a quiet escape with dining, beaches, and a spa.
Range of Accommodations: With three distinct areas and room types, there’s something for every guest’s style.
Diverse Dining Options: From fine dining to food trucks, there’s plenty of variety.
Convenient Location: Just a short drive from the airport, ideal for quick getaways.
Cons:
Beach Size: While beautiful, the beach area is smaller compared to some other Sandals resorts.
Limited Shaded Seating: Finding shaded lounge chairs can be challenging during peak times.
Island Hours: The private island closes in the early evening, limiting nighttime visits.
Sandals Royal Bahamian offers a luxurious retreat with a romantic vibe that’s perfect for couples. Between the private island, the variety of dining options, and the resort’s blend of relaxation and activity, this resort promises a memorable experience.
I’d recommend it for anyone wanting to enjoy the Sandals experience. If you haven’t experienced the brand yet, it’s an easy way to do so, as the Bahamas location is a much shorter flight than many of their other locations.
Conclusion
Whether you're celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary, or simply looking to escape, Sandals Royal Curacao can take your vacation to the next level. If you’d like help making sure this trip goes perfectly, contact us at Coastal Compass. We’ll help you pick the right room at the right budget, while ensuring you plan the best trip possible.
