The Sandpiper

We are fairly frequent travellers, and are privileged to have stayed in many beautiful locations and hotels over the years. We booked one of the treetop suites (Whimbrel) at The Sandpiper, and it did not disappoint in any way. When booking one of these suites on a half board basis, there was an offer which upgraded you to full board - and in my view this really was excellent value for money. It also included fast track through the airport and private transfer to the hotel - a really seamless process. The hotel has a "boutique style" vibe, and although full it never seemed over crowded or too busy at any point. What makes this hotel outstanding is by far the staff - from Ken the general manager, Ricardo the concierge, to Harold at Harold's bar...and all the other staff we met, we were always greeted with a smile, and everyone went out their way to ensure we had everything we needed. Unfortunately we needed a doctor to attend shortly into our holiday, and the hotel were so efficient in organising that, and quickly. It just took all the stress out of the situation. Our room had everything you could possibly need, and the bed was huge and so comfortable. The outside space was really the icing on the cake though - a large corner wrap around balcony, complete with fully stocked wet bar, your own sun loungers and good sized plunge pool. We tended to do our sunbathing there most of the time, as you had the sun all day long - and could go in the little pool to cool off. My only negative point, if I had to be picky, is that it is quite a big step into the pool and out of it - and as I'm only 5 foot tall then I struggled with that. There are stairs and a handrail - it's just after that, stepping into and then further down into the pool is a challenge. I had to make sure my husband was around so that he could help hoist me in and out! ;) The weekly BBQ and buffet nights had plentiful food of high quality (the other 5 nights being a la carte). I'm not a big fan of self service, just my personal choice - so I think next time I would dine at their sister hotel Coral Reef Club on those nights. But as a pair of self-confessed "foodies" (I hate that term!), we are really fussy about the quality and selection of food on offer - and Sandpiper ticked all the boxes. Although we tended to sunbathe on our balcony, there did always seem to be sun loungers available on the beach. Around the pool area seemed more in demand, and we did see some people putting towels/hat/book out early in the morning to reserve their spot - which I don't think should be permitted. But it didn't impact us in any way as we didn't sunbathe there anyway...and it may not be like that all the time - just the week we were there! So all in all, a fantastic week - totally exceeded our already high expectations, and we can't wait to go back!

This is my second time at this resort and it is even better than I remember. The staff are friendly and exceed expectations of them, nothing is too much trouble. The rooms are lovely and everything is within easy reach, the restaurant, bar, pool and beach. I would say this is one of the best hotels I have stayed in and will be booking for next year. Thank you to everyone for making this stay a wonderful experience.