When it comes to booking a vacation, Sandals Resorts is one of the most expensive all-inclusive options. When you look at everything that is included it starts to make sense why Sandals is so expensive.
Accommodations
Your choice of accommodations at Sandals will decide how expensive your vacation will be. Sandals resorts usually have more affordable basic rooms similar to any hotel room, but then go up to very luxurious suites.
The most expensive is going to be an overwater bunglow, but relatively few people ever stay there or can afford to stay there. Other suites that are very expensive are the rondaval suites and suites with private pools. The swim up suites are a good balanced between getting unique amenities without paying for the top dollar suites.
Not many other resorts have any so much variety of suites with value adding amenities that actually make a difference when you stay there.
At the end of the day, they are only able to charge that much because travelers perceive the value and are willing to pay.
Food & Drinks
At Sandals Resorts all the food and drinks are included in the stay, and that comes at a cost. From your morning coffee to late night snacks you never have to think about cost when it comes to ordering.
The only thing I can remember having an extra charge was a “romantic” dinner on the beach set up and the manager’s wine list at dinner which we rarely saw ordered from.
Sandals Resorts often boast a variety of restaurants, with some resorts having as many as 16 different dining options. These can range from local Caribbean fare to sushi bars, Italian bistros, French restaurants, steakhouses, and more.
The food at Sandals rarely means a buffet and definately comes at a cost.
Activities
One place that Sandals stands out, but also makes it more expensive, is all the activities that are included. At each Sandals Resort, all the watersports are included. You are not going to need to pay to rent the kayaks or anything like that.
Each resort also has daily snorketing trips that are all included.
What I have never seen at a resort besides Sandals is that scuba diving is included. They do make money on the scuba certifications, but it is very well priced and actually cheaper than other options.
Other Inclusions
Some other inclusions that you will not find at other resorts that make Sandals so expensive are the airport transfers and the tips.
No need to carry around 1s and 5s all day to tip everyone during your trip since tips are included in the price of your stay. This really makes Sandals similar in price to similar resorts when you focus on price.
With Sandals, as soon as you show up to the airport you can relax knowing your trip to the resort is covered. They keep an eye on flights and will be there if your flight is delayed or early. Additionally Montego Bay and a few other airports have a Sandals lounge or area where you can get a drink or snack before boarding to get to your resort.
So yes, Sandals is more expensive than many resorts, but when you look at everything that is included it is clear why.
One other thing we have noticed is that prices fluctuate. The post Covid travel boom caused prices to go very high and on some rooms and suites we have seen the prices come back down. Additionally we have seen more deals and discounts come up which might continue as demand may go down a bit.