Sandals Halcyon Beach

Took a day trip from another Sandals resort on the free shuttle. One of the smaller Sandals resorts which makes everything so much more intimate. Perfect honeymoon destination. Activities by the main pool to keep you entertained, and a quiet pool for those who just want to relax in the sun. We will be back here one day for a longer stay.

We’ve stayed at other brands of 5* adults only all-inclusive resorts. We weren't expecting the same luxury at Sandals based on the website description but hoped we might be surprised. We weren't. Grounds are very nice & well-kept, & the staff were (overall) friendly, helpful with good customer service. However, they’re the only positives. Sandals is very corporate (stupid happy clappy song upon arrival & departure – utter nonsense). It believes its name will sell itself as it continues to provide a service as per its heyday of the 1980’s/ ‘90’s, when maybe it was deemed 5* luxury. Printed details of restaurant hours, shuttle bus schedule, etc. plus physical menus. Get an app for people to use. We were taken to the wrong room after check-in, & it took time to resolve after a long day travelling from the UK. Our room (Club walkout) was quite nice. The ventilation in the bathroom was poor & our wardrobe was in the bathroom…!!? Clothes were still damp when we we returned home. And the bathtub (not a jaccuzzi) on the patio is an attempt to offer what other brands do. But very public with just a curtain to pull across. Club level was a waste of money, and you didn't feel as though you'd upgraded. Anyone could walk into the Club lounge whereas other brands you can only access by using your room key. There weren’t exclusive restaurant(s), bar(s), beach/pool areas, nor daily treats in the room, beach bag, complimentary spa access, etc that you receive with other brands. Resort claims it’s a low-key garden resort but only the Irie bar is open of an evening, which is next to the nightly entertainment & French Bayside restaurant. All open air, & noisy. Separate bar away from the noise if it’s low key maybe? Some people want to relax and talk of an evening. As a vegetarian it was disappointing that only 2 of the restaurants had 1 option each for dinner, both of which were bland. I had to ask to speak to a chef in the morning to discuss what they could make for my evening meal. The chefs were helpful as was Dahlia in the Club lounge, but I should not be spending my holiday doing this. One member of staff in the Club lounge made me feel like I was a problem, and she was senior to others who were always polite. We saw others having similar problems at restaurants with their food allergies and intolerances including at The Grande St Lucian. It's not the 1990’s – there should be plenty of options for everyone. My partner said the food he had of an evening wasn’t great and variety was limited. Thank goodness for the Bombay at The Grande. Take a leaf out of The Excellence resorts book – plant-based menus in every restaurant. It’s not difficult. Bar opening hours were a joke. The earliest opened at 10.30am. Why? People are up & on the beach, by the pool before 9am. Other resorts open at 9am. And get a coffee shop! If it wasn't for the staff at the Bistro bar (Damien & the beach waitresses were fabulous) & restaurant I would rate the resort 2 stars. Staff do an excellent job considering that they’re working for an inferior product in comparison to other brands, and their company needs to be kicked into the 2020’s especially their dreadful website. Other brands offer suites, 24 hour in-room dining, room/resort orientation, bathrobes & slippers as standard not as a luxury extra if you pay more money. Grand Pineapple in Antigua, which we stayed in over 10 years ago, is very similar to the Halcyon. Rooms (not the extortionate butler nonsense) & grounds are slightly better at Halcyon but the food was better in Antigua and a lot cheaper. Both the Halcyon & the Grande didn't have a wow factor, and felt dated to more modern brands. There were other disappointing things that I could list but this would become a 2,000 word essay! 5* luxury? Definitely not. Gourmet dining? If you like bland food. Concierge redefined? Yes ...but not in a good way!! We’ll be returning to our Excellence family next year, who are significantly cheaper with a vastly superior true luxury product. Shame on you Sandals for extorting money from hard working people. I wouldn’t stay at another Sandals for the money they charge. Appalling.

Took a well deserved best friend vacation to relax and enjoy the island. Would absolutely recommend booking a room with butler service. Our butler's - Onella, Pluta and Krysta treated us like royalty, made sure everything ran smoothly and that our trip was luxurious and memorable! By the end of our trip we felt like we were part if the Sandals extended family. When rain and a brief cold tried to interrupt our trip, we were well cared for with great food, and activities were rescheduled seamlessly so we didn't miss out on any fun adventures. Definitely a great experience and I can't wait to go back!

We just returned from the most amazing stay at Sandals, and our incredible butler team — Ajay, Krysta, and Pluta — made it truly unforgettable! From the moment we arrived, everything was handled with care, creativity, and the perfect touch of fun. They went above and beyond to arrange all our dinners and activities, and every detail was flawless. Our candlelight dinner was a dream — the food was hot, fresh, and absolutely delicious, and the atmosphere couldn’t have been more romantic. One of the best surprises was how they took our “Smirnoff Ice” game from our preference sheet and ran with it — hiding bottles around our room for us to find. It was such a funny and personal touch that made our stay feel uniquely us. And our beach day? Perfect. They set us up with a cooler full of cold beers and kept the frozen margaritas flowing all day long. Ajay, Krysta, and Pluta made everything effortless, memorable, and full of laughter. We can’t thank them enough for going above and beyond — we can’t wait to come back! Lots of love, Steph & Justin

We had the most amazing wedding at Sandals Halcyon Beach! The resort is stunning, but it was the people who made it truly unforgettable. A huge thank you to Shandulla, Elizabeth, Big Mike and the wedding team for making our day absolutely perfect — every detail was handled with care and love. Nothing was too much trouble, they went above and beyond for us. Special thanks also to Venecia and the hotel team for their incredible hospitality throughout our stay. Everyone went above and beyond to make us feel so welcome. We couldn’t have asked for a more!