Did not enjoy this hotel at all, in fact we transfered to another hotel after 12 hrs at being at the hotel.
Staff very unfriendly, we were at the hotel for less than 2 hrs before we got offered drugs on the beach and constantly being hasseled by people selling drugs and other people on the beach.
Our room was very dirty and small there was hair in the bath on the soap dispensor, sand in the room, we had a standard room which over looked something like a buliders yard which looked horrible.
The hotel was also located opposite a night club and a 24hr sports bar. Also the door did not lock, there was no plug in the bath and also there was no socket in the wall.
There was no security at the hotel what we could see, if you want to have a nice holiday we seriously suggest you do not book this hotel, in the virgin book it gives this hbotel a 3v+ rating we would give it a 1
Please look at attached photos.

We have just returned from spending two weeks at Sandy Bay. Our party consisted of two adults and two children aged 8 & 9. This was our second visit to this hotel, we first visited June 2007. We stayed in a one bedroom ground floor apartment (room 108) which was basic but clean with good housekeeping service and clean towels everyday. Everything fine with this room except the fact that you had to walk through reception to the front of the hotel to get to the front door. However, we asked reception for key to the shuttered doors in the living area and used this as our access to the room, therefore resolving this minor issue. The room is at the back of the hotel and you are able to hear the nightclub over the road on a Friday Night and the traffic. Not too bad, not worth asking for a change of room. Last year we stayed in Room 207, overlooking the swimming pool. We felt that this was a better room and should we visit again would ask for a room in this area. We found the staff very friendly and quite a few of them remembered us from last year. In fact we had the same housekeeping lady, Monica, who was very nice and trustworthy - she also remembered us which was nice. We dined in the al a carte restuarant and found the food very good,
The meals in there change every two days, so it's best to book every other night. I would advise doing this soon as soon as you get there for the duration of your stay as it gets booked up. There was always plenty to eat. None of us went hungry! The snack bar provides nice snacks - be sure to ask for a club sandwich from Marcia, she does the best. Bar staff really nice with great service. After a couple of days soon as you walk to the bar they get your drink without having to be asked. The position of the hotel and the beach are perfect . The size of the hotel is great for our family as its not too big and the children can do more or less what they want. It feels very safe. There are vendors on the beach but just say no thanks and they leave you alone. The Virgin Rep, Gail is great - she also remembered us. If you do have any issues about anything at the hotel speak to Gail, as she is the one that seems to get things done.


We feel that Sandy Bay is good value for money and would visit again. It isn't five star, if that's what you want you should be staying up on the West Coast at triple the price.

Whilst in Barbados we did the Virgins Ahoy Catamaran Cruise. The second time we have done it. Very memorable trip that we would do again and again. We also did Island Safari, which again, was very good. We hired a jet ski, once from the hotel watersports hut and once from a guy on the beach. Both the same price.

I traveled alone and found Sandy Bay my home away from home.
The staff and guests were so nice. I had no problems.
The beach is beautiful. Met some people from Oklahoma and we had a driver take us on a tour of Barbados. I also met a lot of people from England and they were so much fun.
Enjoyed the entertainment and danced every night. St. Lawrence is close by and I walked down there several times.
Bridgetown is beautiful.
I really enjoyed my trip to Sandy Bay and for the price and location I would stay there again

Our group of 18 ages from 5-75 stayed at this resort from June 7th to the 14th. Barbados is a wonderful island and definitely worth visiting. It is also more expensive than some of the other destinations and when I found a great price I jumped on it. The biggest problem with the resort are all the silly rules. I understand that you need reservations for the ala carte but they also require them for the buffet. The hotel was not full and there was no reason for it. If you are going to have silly rules you need to uphold your end of the bargain. The first day I arrived for breakfast at 7:00 am as told by the desk but the food was not ready until 7:30. I went to get a roll which were out and they tried to shoo me away. There was no one to make reservations with for dinner until 8:30-9:00 am and I found that very inconvenient when I had already eaten and did not want to come back. Service in general from the staff was very slow and not friendly. The bartenders were the exception most of the time. The snack shack cooks were the slowest people on the planet and took over 45 minutes one day to make a club sandwich for me.

The food overall was good but with very limited variety. Amazingly, there was very little tropical fruit served. Everything was geared to the British tourists who made up the majority of the guests. Hence, baked beans at breakfast and pineapple, honeydew melon and cantaloupe as the only fruits available most days.The entertainment was just bad. There is no where to sit to watch it if you are not eating in the ala carte restaurant. The rooms are adequate especially if you are like us and do not spend much time in there but to sleep and bathe. My daughters a/c went out and we called and they fixed it only to have it go out again the same day.

We loved the island and the people on the island were friendly, courteous, helpful and proud of their island as they should be. Most of the Bajans on the resort staff did not share most of these qualities. We visited the Wildlife Reserve, Graem Hall Nature sanctuary, Folkestown marine park, Oistins, Bridgetown and several other beaches and parks. Graem Hall is within a block if you turn right out of the resort and is expensive but very interesting. Buy the fish food and be amazed at the giant tarpons in the lake. There is a supermarket a block to the left, a sandal maker (handmade leather sandals at reasonable prices and custom made if you give him a few days), and a duty free store. We rode the public transportation (both the big city busses and the little white vans) almost everywhere. It costs 75 cents US or $1.50 Barbadian. You will meet people and see more of the island. It is only ten minutes by bus to Oistins (take any bus going to the right) and the St. Lawrence Gap is on the way. To get to Folkestown, Take a big city bus that says Holetown or Speightstown. The snorkeling there is incredible with a live reef and many fish. You can also get a tour on a glass bottom boat to the ship wreck where you can snorkle (or you can walk down the beach for a mile to the left). Bring something to feed the fish and be amazed (individual box cereals from the resort are waterproof til you open them and easy to carry in your pockets without the cardboard box). Swimming with the sea turtles off the glass bottom boat was also very neat. They feed them and they are used to people. We also saw wild Hawksbill turtles off the resort and in Carlisle Bay off Needhams point (take a bus toward Bridgetown and get off at the Hilton) where there was good snorkeling also. The snorkeling at the resort itself was not terrible but did not compare to the other locations. If you go to see the monkeys at the wildlife reserve, definitely walk through the nature trail in Grenade Hall across the parking lot. We saw a large troop of monkeys there which ran by us and played in the trees around us. Some even grabbed our shirt sleeves.

We vacation in the Caribbean every year and although we loved Barbados we will probably not be back. For the same price or less you get so much more in the Dominican Republic or Mexico. The Sandy Bay is small and has few amenities and could be much better run.