Our Wedding Was Ruined by Sandals – Two Cancelled Destinations and No Real Help
I never imagined writing a review like this, but after everything that has happened I feel it’s important to warn other couples considering booking their wedding with Sandals Resorts International.Our destination wedding was originally booked in Jamaica, with departure from London Heathrow on 22 November. It was not just for myself and my fiancé, but also for eight of our closest family members who had booked to travel with us.After Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica on 28 October, we completely understood that disruption might occur. What we did not expect was the complete lack of communication from the UK team. For days we were emailing and calling multiple times a day, simply trying to find out what was happening with our wedding. We were repeatedly told that bookings would be handled in departure order and to wait to be contacted.Meanwhile, we could see online that the US bookings team were already relocating customers travelling up to December.Eventually, on 3 November, we were told that our resort would not reopen until December and we would have to cancel or move our wedding. This was communicated incredibly casually, despite the fact that this was a once-in-a-lifetime event that we had spent thousands of pounds planning.Due to our work schedules (we both work in the events industry), the only viable option was to move the entire wedding to Barbados, staying at Sandals Barbados from 29 June to 10 July, with our wedding scheduled for 2 July.On 22nd January, we were informed that the resort in Barbados would be undergoing renovation works to major facilities. We were reassured several times by the UK team that renovation works at the resort would be finished by 30 June and that our wedding and holiday would not be impacted.Unfortunately, that turned out not to be true.We have since discovered that major renovation works we be still ongoing. The main pool, swim-up bar, a restaurant and another bar are closed, and our preferred wedding location is unavailable because of the construction.After weeks of trying to get clear answers, we have now been told that Sandals cannot confirm when the works will be finished and that our only option is to cancel the trip entirely and receive a refund.So after months of stress, uncertainty, and rearranging plans for ourselves and eight guests, our wedding has effectively been cancelled twice.There has been no meaningful attempt to relocate us to another resort, no real effort to find a solution, and very little acknowledgment of the emotional impact this has had.Planning a wedding should be one of the most exciting times in your life. Instead, the entire experience has been exhausting and heartbreaking. At this point we are even considering postponing our wedding for another year because the whole experience has been so damaging.This has been, without question, the worst customer service experience I have ever encountered.If you are considering booking your wedding with Sandals, I would strongly recommend thinking very carefully before trusting them with such an important life event.
Amy
Horrid Customer Service, Nervous for our Trip Now
we have not left for our last minute getaway to Sandals Grenada, but we are really upset about the customer services treatment we just received. While trying to check in online, we kept putting our cc for the room hold fee at check in. It's a legit Amex with plenty money on it so this should not be a problem. I tried my card and my husbands, both of our names are on the reservation and they both match. We are Sandals Select members, but we booked this through Amex, for a way better cost savings, than what Sandals website promotes. I called Sandals and was met with nothing but attitude from the customer service rep. I believe because we booked through a third party. She would not help me, and refused to send me to a manager when I asked. Told me to call Amex to have them do it. We need to give them our flight information so that we can have a shuttle for us at the airport. All of this is absolutely disgusting to do to people who are coming to their first Sandals resort, spending their hard earned money, whether it was booked through them or Amex should not matter. If this is how their customer service reps treat paying customers, I am afraid of the service we will experience at this resort now. I have not heard great things about Sandals, but we were looking for a last min getaway and friends of ours recommended Grenada location. We are fearful now and Sandals should be ashamed of themselves for treating people this way.
Natalie Lelless
Very disappointing experience
Very disappointing experience – recurring issues ignoredWe booked a holiday with Sandals to Sandals Barbados, expecting the high standard of service the brand advertises. Unfortunately, this was not our experience.The Sandals website itself was poorly set up and difficult to navigate, which was frustrating from the outset. More concerning, however, was the poor standard of customer service throughout most bars and restaurants during our stay. Staff often appeared reluctant to provide service, were abrupt, and on several occasions were outright rude. This significantly detracted from what should have been a relaxing holiday.After returning home, I submitted a formal complaint to Sandals. After four weeks with no response, my ticket was closed without any reply, which I found extremely disappointing and dismissive.What makes this even more frustrating is that, after reading recent reviews, it’s clear these are recurring issues. Sandals’ standard response states that they “strive to resolve these matters,” yet reviews over several years suggest little meaningful improvement.Overall, this was a very disappointing experience that fell far short of expectations, particularly given the price and Sandals’ reputation. Sadly, I would not return or recommend this resort based on our experience.
Lisa Gledhill
Amazing Sandals
I visited Sandals Halcyon Beach back in October, and it was without a doubt one of the best all-inclusive holidays I’ve ever had. My girlfriend and I had an amazing time from start to finish.The room, the beach, and the overall atmosphere were outstanding, and the level of service was truly second to none. I did experience a small issue with my room, but it was dealt with promptly and professionally, which really impressed me.I also had to change my flight dates before travelling, and the Sandals call centre was absolutely fantastic—friendly, efficient, and more than happy to accommodate the changes without any fuss.Overall, it was an exceptional experience, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Sandals Halcyon Beach to anyone looking for a high-quality, stress-free, all-inclusive holiday.
Ash Grewal
Stayed in the Royal Barbados
Stayed in the Royal Barbados, the gardens were lovely our room was in a nice quiet area . The staff were nice and it was very clean .Our room was nice , smelt of damp had to request a another mattress all the springs had gone on one side . Electrical fault on our buzzer to say if we were in or out . Got repaired electrian blew electrics Came back to the room wet as the fridge and electrics not on . The food was disappointing, the xmas meal was the nicest meal . Sandals probaly great yrs ago but not now . I will not be returning to any Sandals hotels .
Amanda
Horrible experience
Horrible experience. Our vacation was affected by Melissa and even though we literally could not fly into Jamaica, and we could not stay at the resort, sandals will not give us our money back. I will never book another vacation with sandals again. I know they’re overwhelmed because of hurricanes but customer service is non existent and absolutely awful and horrible and they will not give you your money back. They want to say that you only are entitled to a voucher for another stay
Laresa Fahey
No longer a good option
I really dislike this company they used to be good twenty years ago but since the son took over its reputation and morals have plummeted the UK sales division is absolutely terrible they took our money and gave no refund due to extenuating circumstances my advice go the Maldives much better place to visit
Rod Hopkins
Where do I even start
Where do I even start? The customer service we’ve received from Sandals UK has been appalling. Their customer care team repeatedly refused our requests to speak with a manager, even after everything we went through.We were left stranded in Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa, receiving completely misleading information from Sandals UK from Kayla. While the general manager on site advised guests to vacate the island for safety, Sandals UK insisted there were “no issues” and “no reason to leave.” The mixed messages caused unnecessary stress during an already frightening situation.Since returning home, Sandals UK have repeatedly tried to wash their hands of the situation. No accountability, no support, no care. I can confidently say I will never book with Sandals UK again, and I urge others to consider different hotel providers. It’s clear that Sandals UK are more interested in taking your money than looking after their guests.What makes this even more disappointing is that the on-site staff were absolutely amazing. They did everything they could, and it’s a shame their efforts are completely let down by the UK customer service team. I would have happily returned to South Coast to enjoy the holiday the hotel team works so hard to provide, but after the lack of support and compassion from Sandals UK, I refuse to put any more money into this company.I’ve previously stayed with RUI, and after speaking with other UK travellers who were also in Jamaica at the time, their customer service was far superior. Sandals UK should be ashamed of the stress, confusion, and poor communication they have put their guests through.Sandals uk doesn’t have any emergency contact details for guest to contact in emergency. This goes out to Kayla, Ana foster and the appalling manager Emma Brewer who has ignored our emails and asked her staff to remove her from our email chain! This will now be escalated to ABTA and our solicitors!
John
Sandals Grande Antigua
Sandals Grande Antigua – Beautiful Place, Incredible PeopleWe had the most amazing time at Sandals Grande Antigua. The resort is absolutely stunning, with gorgeous beaches, lush gardens, and such a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The culture and energy of the place are incredible, and the entertainment team kept things fun and lively every day.What really made our stay unforgettable though were the people.Mario’s Restaurant – Shermella was a fantastic waitress, always friendly, efficient, and smiling. Nikisha went above and beyond to cater to our dietary needs, even bringing us special snacks so we never felt left out. Both made us feel genuinely cared for.Soy (Japanese Restaurant) – The team here were amazing. Jason’s energy and charisma lit up the room, Chad kept the same great vibe going all night, and Kedisha was so chatty and welcoming, bringing everyone together with her infectious energy. Marie was lovely and attentive, always making sure we were looked after.Eleanor’s Restaurant – Violet was so kind and thoughtful, making sure our dietary requirements were perfectly catered for every day. She really added a personal touch to our experience.Bakery – Carole made fresh vegan bread for us daily and went out of her way to make sure we were well taken care of. Such a thoughtful and caring person.Spa – Jeana was welcoming and kind, helping me with something small but important and doing it with such genuine warmth.Entertainment Team – Amanda was full of life and energy, making every game and event so much fun. She truly made the atmosphere shine.Maintenance – Jefford from maintenance was always friendly and full of personality, taking time to chat even while working hard around the resort.Overall, Sandals Grande Antigua exceeded every expectation. The resort is beautiful, but it’s the people who make it truly special. Every team member we met showed pride, passion, and genuine care. We left feeling completely looked after and can’t wait to return!
Peter Chandler
“Heartbroken by the Experience – Still Fighting for a Refund After Their Mistake”
I had a very disappointing experience with Sandals Resorts regarding a billing issue that still hasn’t been resolved. On August 15, I was offered an upgrade by a Sandals representative and paid $375. I was clearly told I would not be charged an additional $772.80. The rep assured me the charge would be removed when the office reopened on Monday.Despite multiple calls and reassurances, the $772.80 was charged to my card on August 19. I was told the issue was escalated and I’d receive a refund within 3–5 days. It’s now been over a month, and I’ve called several times. Every rep has acknowledged the mistake and confirmed I was charged incorrectly, yet I’m still waiting for my refund.I’ve already completed my trip and I’m not asking for anything free—just that Sandals correct their error and refund my money. The lack of follow-through and accountability has been extremely frustrating. I’m also requesting reasonable compensation for the time and stress this has caused.Booking #16339418. I hope Sandals takes this seriously and resolves the issue promptly.
Misty
Wonderful Stay with a Few Drawbacks
My wife and I recently enjoyed a vacation at Sandals South Coast in Jamaica. The hotel itself was wonderful, located in a beautiful setting with stunning beaches, and the food was delicious. While the overall experience was good, I’m not entirely convinced that it meets the five-star standards they claim. The staff was friendly, and the cuisine was great, but the service didn’t always feel top-tier.However, a significant downside was the journey to the hotel. The road conditions are quite poor and the drive, which takes about two hours, felt risky and challenging. The roads are mountainous and not well-maintained, making the trip stressful. Although the drivers were kind, the journey itself was not what we expected from a luxury experience. We genuinely worried about safety during the ride.In conclusion, while Sandals South Coast offers a beautiful and relaxing environment, the transportation aspect needs serious improvement. It’s important for the resort to ensure safer and more reliable travel conditions for their guests. Until then, we would hesitate to recommend this destination to others.
Orlando Rodriguez
Ripped off
So we stayed at the Sandals in the Bahamas twice and absolutely loved it. So we booked a third one at the Dunn Falls in Jamaica. We booked it two years ago while we were in the Bahamas. We booked a category room that came with a living room and a butler. My husband called many months in advance to see if it would be an issue to just switch our dates by a week or so so we could travel with family on a cruise. He was told it was no problem… Our room might be one floor down from where we were booked.He called the day before we left because we hadn't heard from the Butler . He was informed that we no longer have Butler service. For whatever reason, although we were told it was not a problem, they downgraded our room with no refund.At the airport, we had to wait 30 minutes or more… They tried to stick us on a bus when we paid roughly $500 for private round-trip transfers. It was frustrating to watch him search his emails to prove that we paid for it… Which we did. They didn't even have our name on the list.When we got to the hotel, they tried to stick us in a room. That was a shit room… They should've called it a "tile view" or air conditioning view instead of an ocean view room. We sat on the balcony waiting for them to figure out where to put us… But they did put us in a much better room, but it's not what we paid for. We paid for a room that had a living room and we are in a room without one… visited guest services twice, and there is no refund offered. It appears that may be so because the rates have increased blah blah blah. Not cool that the representative he talked to recorded notes that he called to change room categories… That doesn't even make sense that we would downgrade our room and not expect a refund… That's not what we did. He changed the dates and told nothing would happen except we might be a floor lowerWe are still here and not happy. There's not much going on… The lobby was full of people loading on a bus to go to their sister hotel for entertainment tonight. This place sucks and we will never do a Sandals vacation again. We expected more for a $10,000 vacation.
Sherri
Site useless
Site useless! Pot luck if you find a correct day they fly to a certain country, it’s like find the flight you might find a holiday! I gave up after 10 searches returned “we do not fly on this date please change date” ermmm give me a clue? Which date should I pick? Website absolutely useless, if they can’t even get thy right it don’t look good
Emma Gladdin
Customer service shambles
My review is all down to sandals customer service in the UK. I actually had a decent holiday the time I went and felt looked after by the resort staff etc. but their customer services completely let them down and I’ve literally had a better level of service from budget airlines like Ryanair. My first trip with sandals, I had an amazing trip booked. Upgraded flights and a butler suite. I splashed out because it was due to be my honeymoon. Unfortunately the trip had to be moved because of covid. It happens. I wasn’t offered a refund and was told I could either rebook the same holiday or take “credit”. I enquired about the “same holiday” option and they told me that my booking had gone up in price and I had obtained “an excellent deal” that they could no longer honour so for the same price my holiday was changed to the bog standard everything.Fast forward a few months and we were due to go and the government were advising us against travel to Jamaica tendering our insurance invalid. Sandals then cancelled our trip presumably because of this. I was offered a holiday change to Antigua on the same dates (near enough) but then entered the “up sells”. Antigua is a nicer resort and even though our trip had been cancelled, they wouldn’t let us change it unless we paid an extra £400. I very reluctantly agreed and paid the money. This was about a week before travel. I then received contact a day later and I was told there were no rooms left available at the price I had paid. They told me I would need to pay another £600 for the next room up. At this point I was starting to wonder if I was being scammed by a fraudster pretending to be sandals. I was sat thinking how can this 5* hotel and resort chain have such ridiculous policies. Alas it was not a fraudster. I refused and was told that they would have to cancel my holiday. I tried to explain to them that this was their mistake and it wasn’t a hardship for them to just put me in that room that would otherwise be empty without charging me more and I even said about them upgrading someone else and putting me in a standard room. They gave zero f**ks. I ended up cancelling the whole trip and other than the £400 I sent them the day before, I had to take “credit” for my entire fee so i had to book with them again a year later so my money wasn’t wasted. As I said, when I eventually got a holiday it was amazing but they should be ashamed of this kind of service. I made a complaint and my response was rude and dismissive with about 200 spelling mistakes. I should have shared my email trail on their Twitter really. I booked with them a second time recently a few years on. Due to go in 4 weeks. Luckily my booking has been more low maintenance with no cancellations or dodgy upsells. However I have emailed them 3 times to try and get my booking added to the app so I can claim the loyalty etc. each time they have replied telling me they need information that is clearly in the email I have sent them and then when I have replied I have been ghosted. I wonder if their employees are idiots or they don’t exist and they are using AI or something to reply to complaints and customer service questions. Nowhere near as bad as the first experience but there is a clear pattern. Adding to that, their website is clearly built by a 7year old. It makes up loads of discounts and when you put codes in (such as the emergency service discount) it still quotes you the same price as if you don’t put the code in. They advertise prices on their “offer” page which often aren’t available anymore so they are essentially false advertising. It baffles me that they aren’t out of business. Maybe the Americans get a better service. But the service in Europe is abysmal! Do better sandals.
Gary Hatton
Booking a vacDo not book with Sandals or Beaches!ation for 10 people was…
Booking a vacation for 10 people was brutal. It took hours to set up; the website is poorly designed.The representative told me that I could cancel any time in the next 2 months at no charge. However this didnt include the travel insurance. 5 rooms at $250 = $1,250 I am now out of pocket with no recourse other than to never book a vacation with Sandals or Beaches.I consider this to be a dishonest business practice.
Bob Brutzman
Shocking
Shocking! Had to have an interview about food??? Yes..we dont eat meat...actually we didnt eat anything!! There were starving cats who wouldnt eat the food we put in front of them. Catering for the American taste i was told. We had a corner swim up room where dead leaves etc built up so for most of the time it looked as unappetising to swim in as the food was to eat. We asked to extend our stay and we had packed by the time we were told we could. Never again!!
Lorraine Parry
Sandals Royal Caribbean F BBB Rating
Stay History:January 10th: Arrival date, all went smoothly, and we were checked in and escorted to our room. That evening, we ate at the La Tavola; I had fettuccine alla Bolognese and Jerri had penne Alfredo. The meal was wonderful. After the meal we strolled on the beach for a while and retired to our room. No signs of illness at this point as we both went to sleep from the busy day.January 11th: After waking up from our sleep, we dressed appropriately and went to Spices and had the breakfast buffet. Afterwards we went to the beach bar area and had a pizza from Bella Napoli, where we relaxed for the day anticipating our beach candlelight dinner at 8:00 pm that evening. We did not have anything to eat between breakfast and dinner. We were greeted at our room and escorted to the beach from the table setup for us. I had. I had the steak and lobster tail; Jerri had the salmon, and we split the bottle of champagne along with ice water. We finished our dinner, took a stroll around the property, and retired to our room; there were no apparent signs at this point of any illness.January 12th: We woke up late morning with neither of us having any signs of illness. We decided to have lunch at the Mariner Seaside Bar & Grill, where we each had a hamburger and fries. After we ate, we layed out on the beach for a few hours, at which point Jerri’s stomach was upset as well as mine. We spent the rest of the day in the room feeling sick and did not venture outside for any additional activities or food that day. As the evening progressed, we both felt sicker than we did earlier. We had expressed our not feeling well to the front desk. Not sure exactly what time that was. They did check on us later and asked if there was anything they could do, and we said, Can you make the illness go away? and the individual at the door said, No, and left. This is when I developed diarrhea, which progressively got worse. We spent the balance of our trip in our room.January 13th: We spent the entire day in the room with our illness getting progressively worse; we did not eat or drink anything that entire day. During the evening, my diarrhea was so severe that I soiled the bed, the floor, and the bathroom and became so weak that I fell to the floor, lying in my own mess. Jerri called the front desk, which promptly sent two employees to the room to help me get back into bed, only to lie in my own mess. I spent the rest of the night crawling to the bathroom in my own mess, barely able to lift myself up to sit on the bathroom stool and to get back in bed. It took me quite a bit of time to return to the bed once again to lie in my mess. Throughout the balance of the night, I continually had diarrhea through early morning.January 14th: Upon packing to leave, I still had diarrhea with uncontrollable bowel movements, wondering how I was going to handle the plane flight back home. Jerri was still ill but did not have bowel issues, only a very upset stomach. After showering and taking a taxi to the airport, I managed to make it but had an immediate need for a restroom at the airport.I made it through the flight to Miami and had an uncontrollable urge to use the restroom. As I was walking to the restroom, I was having bowel movements, and by the time I reached the bathroom stall, I had completely soiled my jeans. I had to call Jerri to find a pair of shorts and bring them to the men's room, where there was a gentleman kind enough to pass them off to me. I had to wash myself with toilet bowl water, put on the shorts, wrap the jeans in a ball, and throw them in the trash. Somehow I managed to make it to Orlando without further incident, where we picked up our car and headed home. On January 15th, I continued to have diarrhea throughout the day, so I called my personal physician, and he had me try a few things, none of which worked. Taking Imodium was one of them. He told me if it doesn't get better by day's end, go to the emergency room. I did not have any food again and drank only bottled water the entire day, and still there were no signs of improvement; I still had uncontrollable bowel movements.January 16th That morning I was so weak that I fell two times; after the second fall, I continued to have uncontrollable bowel movements. I went to an emergency room, where I was told I was in pretty bad shape. They admitted me into the hospital, where I spent that afternoon and evening, January 17th & 18th, in the hospital and was told It was something I ate and also had severe hypotension with a blood pressure of 60 over 38. After extensive treatments as noted in the medical records, I was released on the 18th with some control over my bowel movements.
Ken Ray
Not for me
This was our first vacation with Sandals and our last. Having had our first week in a much smaller hotel in Barbados we checked in to our pre-paid room in the main Mediterranean building. Within 24 hours I noticed a pool of water in the toilet area. I saw that water was running down 2 walls. The front desk informed me within half an hour that there was a problem 3 floors up and it was being fixed. When we returned to our room in late afternoon, it had not been fixed and worse, there was another deluge dripping in the bedroom area.People at the front desk seemed to think there was no urgency to either visit or attend the room until I started shouting that we needed a room change immediately. Fortuitously, one of the senior managers came out and visited the room and agreed we should change the room. I asked if we could change to the Caribbean side, which I realised was much quieter and to be fair to the management a room was found which was much superior (Caribbean Honeymoon Suite) and they provided me with a US$200 voucher in compensation for the upheaval. Trevorne was very helpful.The plus points were the food, which was excellent in all restaurants. The beach if you like to spend all day getting burnt and bored. “Entertainment” varied but have to say that some of it verged on the banal with constant music being blasted out over the Mediterranean Pool.The negative points. Service at times patchy, both in restaurants, room servicing (why did I have to keep asking for things when a normal hotel would always replenish when servicing the room), poor maintenance (had to request a number of times for the outside stairs light to be fixed and on the last day the basin plug became stuck).
Alan Rixon
I canceled my reservation three almost…
I canceled my reservation three almost four weeks ago and have not received my refund. This long wait time along with three customer service people telling me I have to wait another 3 weeks to get my refund from the airlines. Beginning to feel like Sandals is a disgusting company and that’s all I’m getting from this the moment I asked to cancel. If you have a service where I can book flights from your website then I should be getting all my money back no problem. Especially your customer support telling me that they cannot do anything and I just have to wait is bad business. Why offer a service where you have no control apparently? Where your customer services tells me to wait 2 months and then call back if I haven’t gotten it yet? What kind business is that? Planned on rescheduling but after this I will never recommend, will never book with sandals again. Absolutely horrible experience.
Preston Burton
Absolutely amazing
SANDALS MONTEGO BAY Second trip to this resort, first to get married then back for our 25th wedding anniversary and yet again didn’t disappoint. Absolutely stunning place, on arrival was slightly let down by the greeting and very limited information about the resort restaurants and activities available, later found out its all on the app but should of been made aware at the meet and greet that never happened when we arrived but after that everything was amazing. Spotlessly clean extremely friendly and helpful staff, and the room was extremely good, big comfortable bed, tv, nice walk in shower and staff kept on top of restocking the mini bar and fridge, swim up pool to our room was also fantastic. Food was excellent and yes one restaurant you had to book in advance but no issues getting a reservation, main food hall always had a good choice of food and breakfast with omelettes made to order were lovely. You could also order pizza and burgers at the beach restaurant and to finish it off the ice cream parlour was a favourite of mine. You could order to your room which we did a few times and service was quick and the food was always great. The activities included snorkelling, paddle boarding, tubing, kayaking and sailing all included in your stay were excellent and the staff really helpful if you’ve never done them before. Night time entertainment was also fabulous with a really good mixture throughout our two week stay. Extra bonus on the last day as our flight was not till late. We could stay in our room and not have to rush around to be out by eleven in the morning then hang around all day, which was great and a big thank you to the front desk for sorting that out for us.Yes you are close to the airport and planes take off during the day but not a problem on a night as you only get the odd one and after a nine and a half hour flight was thankful that the resort is so close to the airport. Big thank you also to Crazy kris and Shania, good company and always had time for a chat or help us with any questions we had.
Lee Chapman
