The newest of the two Sandals resorts in Barbados, Sandals Royal Barbados is a luxurious and romantic adult-only all-inclusive resort set on Maxwell Beach, one of the best on the island.
We loved Sandals Royal Barbados for several reasons, including the beautiful beach, the access to neighboring Sandals Barbados, and the unique dining options. SRB offers multiple “firsts” for the Sandals brand, including a rooftop bar and infinity pool, a bowling alley, a farm-to-table restaurant, a smoothie café, and a gourmet donut shop. It’s also close to the airport.
Built in 2017, Sandals Royal Barbados is a bit more upscale in design than Sandals Barbados. It also added a whole new section in 2021, the South Seas Village, with new luxury suites, new pools, and new restaurants.
What We Love About Sandals Royal Barbados
- Unique offerings including a bowling alley, rooftop bar, rooftop infinity pool, and gourmet donut shop
- Close to the airport: just a 15-minute transfer
- Beautiful beach (one of the island’s best)
- Access to Sandals Barbados next door, giving a total of 21 restaurants, 14 bars, 11 pools, and 6 whirlpools
- Delicious new restaurants including the healthy GreenHouse and Heart & Sol
- Great location on a wonderful, friendly island with plenty to do
Cons
- Public beach: there are vendors here, but it’s not too bad
- Hard to get good beach chairs: because the two resorts are so close, it can be crowded and the good beach chairs go fast. If you’re not in a suite with butler service, you’ll need to get up early to reserve one.
- Newer resort means prices here are a little higher, but you can stay at Sandals Barbados for more affordable rooms
Who Would Love Sandals Royal Barbados
Anyone who likes having plenty of choices would love Sandals Royal Barbados, as you have 20 different dining options and tons of pools and activities to try. This is also a great resort for people who love a beautiful beach. Sandals Royal Barbados, while not a party resort, is also good for those who enjoy a more lively atmosphere.
Arriving
It’s very easy and it doesn’t take long to get to Sandals Royal Barbados. After we landed at Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI), we headed to the Sandals desk and then to our complimentary shuttle, which took just 15 minutes.
Rooms at Sandals Royal Barbados
Sandals Royal Barbados only has the two upper levels of room category at Sandals: club and butler.
- Club Rooms: These rooms come with room service between 7am and 10pm, concierge service, and access to a special Club lounge. We stayed in a South Seas Swim-up Club Level Ultra Suite w/ Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub. It was located at the back of the resort and we found it very peaceful.
There are also a variety of other club level rooms including Club Level Junior Suites with outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tubs™ for Two and tropical garden views; Royal Seaside Oceanview Crystal Lagoon Club Level suites with balconies with Tranquility Soaking Tubs; and penthouse club level suites with balcony Tranquility Soaking Tubs. - Butler Suites: Butler suites come with personal butler service and 24-hour room service. There are multiple amazing butler suite options at Sandals Royal Barbados. One of our favorites is the Beachfront One Bedroom Skypool Butler Suite, which has a balcony offering a private infinity pool and fabulous ocean views.
Another cool option is the South Seas Royal Rondoval Butler Suite, which is a round suite with a 20-foot ceiling, a private pool sanctuary, a separate living room, and an outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tub for two.
Other choices include swim-up suites, penthouse suites, and the Beachfront Prime Minister One Bedroom Butler Suite with Private Pool and Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub.
Beach
Maxwell Beach, where Sandals Royal Barbados is located, is one of the best beaches on the island. We loved its soft white sand and beautiful clear water. However, it is a public beach, so expect some vendors. It can also get crowded, so if you want a beach chair by the water you’ll need to get up early to reserve it.
Pools
There are 11 pools and 6 pools at Sandals Royal Barbados Barbados. Our favorite pool at Sandals Royal Barbados is the rooftop infinity pool, which has amazing views and is next to a bar.
The main pool at Sandals Royal Barbados is also great, with a cool glass front infinity edge right by the beach. It has a lively atmosphere during the day with music and activities. It also has a swim-up bar, so it is very popular.
A more relaxed pool is in the South Seas area; it has a swim-up bar as well. There’s also a nice pool near the Heart & Sol café, as well as a quiet option at the back of the resort near the Loggerhead Building. You can also enjoy a private pool in some suites, or get a swim-up suite and have access to the Crystal Lagoon river pool.
Dining at Sandals Royal Barbados
Sandals Royal Barbados has 9 restaurants, plus 11 more options at neighboring Sandals Barbados. There are some restaurants that can only be found at Sandals Royal Barbados, as well as the Sandals brand’s first-ever rooftop restaurant (La Parisienne, serving French cuisine).
The unique options include Heart & Sol, a healthy café serving smoothies, juices, and acai bowls for breakfast as well as wraps and salads for lunch. Another is Sweet’n’Salty, an excellent gourmet donut shop.
We also enjoyed Café de Paris for breakfast, which has specialty coffees, pastries, and made-to-order crepes. A buffet style breakfast is available at American Tavern, and there is also a la carte service at Greenhouse, or you can go to several restaurants at Sandals Barbados.
There are several choices for lunch:
- Heart & Sol: this healthy spot serves salads and wraps
- Neptunes: this beachfront open-air restaurant serves Mediterranean food and seafood
- The Jerk Shack: this casual spot serves authentic and delicious Jamaican jerk
You have even more choices for dinner restaurants. Some are closed on certain nights, so be sure to check the schedule before making your plans. Also, some require reservations; we recommend making those as soon as you arrive at the resort.
- La Parisienne: This first-ever rooftop restaurant serves fine French cuisine with amazing views. While reservations are not required, it does have a nicer dress code of Resort Evening Attire.
- Greenhouse: One of our favorites at any Sandals; serves farm-to-table dishes with a healthy slant, including an amazing grilled portabello mushroom entrée, which was the most flavorful dish we’ve ever had at a Sandals. Reservations are required.
- Chi: Another first for Sandals, Chi serves Asian fusion. We loved trying the variety of flavors here.
- American Tavern: Serves a varied menu of classic American dishes and regional comfort foods; also unique to SRB.
- Butch’s Steakhouse: Found at multiple Sandals, this elegant steakhouse is named after Sandals’ founder and serves top quality beef and seafood. Reservations are required.
- Neptunes: This beachfront open-air restaurant serves Mediterranean food and seafood.
There are 6 bars at Sandal Royal Barbados, including a rooftop bar, a craft beer bar, swim-up bars, and a piano bar, plus more at Sandals Barbados for a total of 14.
Activities at Sandals Royal Barbados
You won’t get bored at Sandals Royal Barbados, with a slew of included activities:
- Watersports: These include snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, Hobie Cat sailing, and glass-bottom boat rides. Scuba diving is also included for certified divers.
- Land activities: This includes day and night tennis, beach volleyball, bocce ball, table tennis, pool, cricket, and bowling in the first-ever bowling alley.
- Fitness center with exercise classes
Entertainment includes a piano bar, beach parties, live music, Barbados Day celebrations, chocolate buffets, and theme nights. The bowling alley is also pretty lively late at night.
There is also a full-service spa, but services there are not included. The spa at Sandals Royal Barbados is larger and nicer than the one at Sandals Barbados.
Sandals Royal Barbados Excursions
Although these are not included, we recommend trying at least one to see Barbados, which is a beautiful island.
We went on a snorkeling tour to three shipwrecks and had a great time, seeing marine life including sea turtles. You can also do cultural and historic tours, visit rum distilleries, explore botanical gardens, or visit the capital city of Bridgetown.
Exchange Privileges with Sandals Barbados to “Stay at One, Play at Two”
Sandals Barbados is located right next door to Sandals Royal Barbados, within walking distance, so you have easy access to all of the restaurants, bars, and other amenities at Sandals Barbados.