TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We stayed in the Halcyon Shorefront Butler suite in November 2025. The room was very nice and large, with a very nice bathroom area - but oddly, no outlets in the bathroom. Makes it kind of hard to style your hair when you don't have a mirror to look into. Luckily, I knew this beforehand and brought an extension cord that reached into the bedroom. Problem solved! However, the chaise lounge chairs on the deck were filthy. Full of dark mold and bird droppings that weren't cleaned up all week (why do the cleaning people not report this?) It wasn't until I made a Facebook post about it that I was approached by the butler manager on my way to Kimono's the last night we were there to question why I didn't talk to someone first. My response was, "You can't tell me that no one knew about this ... this didn't happen overnight." It's not MY responsibility to have to chase down someone to clean chairs that obviously have been dirty for some time. That's the cleaning person's responsibility (or the butlers -- they don't notice this stuff?) Someone came to our room and switched out the lounge covers, but even those were horribly stained. For $12k for 9 nights, you'd think they could do better. The butler manager asked for my email and said someone would reach out to us. This is now May, 2026 and haven't heard a word. Shocking. Food / Pools: The St. Lucia Island Night buffet was really good (probably the best of any Sandals we've been to). Kimono's was very good as well. The rest were just ok. Kelly's had a very nice breakfast, but their dinners were awful. The beach was ok. There weren't very many seats available with umbrellas, so we often wound up going to the lazy river in the back of the resort (which was super nice. Very clean water and cool - lots of shade. Just lovely). The bar there had the nicest employees. Very responsive and always a smile! The party pool was not for us - especially given that most people drink all day long and never get out to use the restrooms. And, the bar there was awful. Twice I went to the bar to order drinks for us, and another couple walked up after me and was served first. Clearly they had been tipping the bartenders and I had not. I found out that this was a common practice at this bar. Beds are HARD. Make sure to ask for a mattress topper. You're welcome :) Our butler team is where the vacation failed miserably. This was our 5th Sandals vacation using butler service, and by far the worst. Our best was Curacao. Those guys were on their game! I will say out of the three we had - Marva, Ria and Vibes - Marva rocked. She was fabulous. Unfortunately for us, she didn't have many shifts the week we were there, so we didn't get to interact with her as much. Ria started out strong, but by mid-week, we rarely saw her. She was supposed to make reservations for us and the friends we were traveling with to go over to LaToc, but she never did - even after reminding her twice. On the night we were supposed to go, we asked when we should be at the front desk for our transfer, and she said, oh, LaToc isn't open tonight (this was the day before we were leaving, so our options were limited). Needless to say, we were very disappointed, and never made it over to LaToc. Vibes, on the other hand ... what the heck happened there? Again, he started out strong - bringing us cocktails on the beach twice the first day we were there, but never did it again. Oh, he brought us coconut shrimp ONCE (we asked for it to be delivered every day on our butler preference form - and one day got shrimp cocktail instead). He was supposed to bring lunch to us one day (ONE DAY - we never asked for more than one day in 9 nights), but he never put the order in. After never receiving our lunch, we walked over to the Bistro to see what happened to the order - only to realize from the staff he never ordered it. We also asked for a romantic candle-light dinner in our room one night, which also didn't happen (our butlers in Negril did this for us and it was so nice!) Oh, he DID bring dinner ... late and it was cold ... and then complained that "all his guests wanted dinner delivered the same night." No candles. No tablecloth. No nothing. Just dumped the plates on the table outside and left. So much for a "romantic dinner for 2." Of the 9 nights we were there, only Marva put a nice towel decoration on our bed, which was so appreciated! No one else could be bothered to do this for us (and we shouldn't have to ask!), nor did anyone ever fill our tub for a bubble bath. We're in a high-level butler suite at a 5 star couples resort ...that's kind of standard operating procedure for that level room, yes? Yes, it is. So, as you can tell ... not the best butler experience. Our friends also had the same room category and their experience mirrored ours. They said they were sorry they booked a butler room, as they expected so much more. Lastly - and this isn't Sandals' fault as it's a public beach - but if you're bothered by very skinny horses being ridden by men who are way too big for them - this isn't the resort for you. On the days we were at the beach, they rode up and down all day long, and passed us 8-9 times at least. As an equestrian, it bothered me so much to see this, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. Never saw one of them offer fresh water to these poor animals. Not once. After a few days of this, we just stayed at the quiet pool out back to avoid having to see this everyday. Overall ... it's a nice resort visually ... the maintenance crew do an awesome job. It's easy to traverse from one end to another and the food is decent overall. My advice? Stick to Club level or Luxury level and stay at the back of the resort. There were always plenty of chairs available back there and it was peaceful and quiet. Keep the extra $5k you'd spend for a butler room and invest it for your next vacation!

We returned last Friday , May 22nd, from our trip to Sandals Halcyon. It was our 1st time ever at a Sandals resort and we chose a swim up Buter room to celebrate 32 years of being together. We didn’t know what to expect but once we got there the pampering began. We didn’t take the transportation Sandals provided to drive us to the resort. We got a private transfer and our driver was Linden Clovis from a company with Viator. Amazing conversations during that hour or so drive in a beautiful,clean car. And Linden even had ice cold drinks for us . We even arranged for Linden to drive us back to the airport on departure day and the conversations continued. Thank you so much, Linden! Once at Sandals Halcyon, we were greeted like Family and escorted to a lounge to wait to be checked in. We were offered a yummy rum punch while we waited and then brought to our room, where 1 of our Butler’s was meeting us. His name is Tylar, and I call a gentle giant. Tylar gave us a tour of our beautiful room, showed us where all the snacks and drinks were that I had requested and we even had a refreshing fruit arrangement with champagne waiting for us at the table! The room was spotless and decorated with sophisticated Caribbean flare. I am a neat freak and even I was impressed. He helped organize our 1st day and helped us figure out what type of excursions we would be interested in. We wanted breakfast in our room every morning, so we arranged that, as well, and later that evening, it had started raining and Tylar brought some umbrellas to us and walked us over to eat at Mario’s, the Italian restaurant at the resort. We had to wait a few minutes, but once Tylar arranged our lovely table and got us our drinks, he told we would be meeting Christal the following day and she would get my calendar booked for the days there. And we enjoyed a delicious and relaxing meal that evening and even walked around the resort . First day checked off and it was amazing ! That next morning, Christal delivered our breakfast and she suggested some ideas for dining for the week. I like my coffee very particular and they got it exactly right!!!! She worked her magic and got us chairs at the beach, after a little mix up, which was my fault and I know she thinks I’m crazy ????She assured me that my drinks would keep coming while we relaxed at the beach and she secured some reservations for us for the evening meals.Christal is the organizer and I needed her help with it all while on vacation. She got it all done with a smile on her face and boy, we laughed with her daily !She knew we wanted to completely relax and made it happen any way she could. The beach cooler was always full of refreshments and we always had we needed. Absolutely anything, and I mean it! We met Pluta later that evening. When we arrived back to the room, after dinner, our patio and outdoor bath was covered with rose petals and champagne was waiting for us! She’s the romance specialist ??Every time Pluta was with us, there was rose petals and champagne. And I mean every time! The week went fast and it was everything we didn’t know we needed. And each Butler made it such an amazing trip in their own, special way! We want to thank Tylar, Christal and Pluta for their heartfelt dedication to us while we stayed there . We will definitely be back and we hope we can see them again. All 3 of you are the best and we are thankful ! Can’t forget to mention Vanessa, from the spa. She gave me an extremely relaxing massage , under a gazebo, overlooking the ???. Cyrilla, gave me a moisturizing facial and beautiful conversations that I will never forget. And, lastly, I would like to mention that we were invited, by Tylar, to a Butler’s Brunch, which was at a golf course on the island , not far from the resort. Other guests with Butlers were also invited and we mingled with them talking about the other Sandals Resorts since this was our 1st time at Sandals. Each couple we spoke to had been going to Sandals resorts for years and we were interested in their opinions and I asked each of them what their favorite resort was. Each of them said Sandals Grenada and 1 said Sandals Barbados. So, after a wonderful afternoon at the golf course, with Appetizers and drinks galore, and a tasteful Caribbean Lunch, we booked Sandals Grenada for 2027 once we got back to the resort. And the next day, Sandals Barbados for 2028 !!! So a huge Thank you to Tylar for inviting us that Brunch! Sandals Halcyon will always hold a special place in our hearts and we will definitely be back !!

This resort was amazing! It is a smaller resort ao it is more intimate, but easy to get around at. In comparison LaToc is more spread out and you may need to take a shuttle to get from your room to the pool. There is so much foliage that it provides a shady place for the really hot days. Tameka and Faith were wonderful for a massage. Anna at Kelly dockside restaurant was an amazing server for our last dinner and was so friendly. Veronica makes the best omelettes at Bayside. We had a room 139 Club Level Garden walkout and it was so accessible to everything. Never had a problem getting a spot at the pool. Best Sandals resort I have been to!

This was our first time at an all inclusive resort. First time at a Sandals resort and our first time in St Lucia. It was wonderful. The drive from the airport was very interesting because you see the locals along the way, the banana farms, the children and businesses. Once we arrived at Sandals Halcyon, we were treated like royalty. Clive greeted us with a smile and drink in the concierge room upon arrival and was so friendly The bed was very comfortable, the room was clean, stocked with lots of drinks and extras. It's a good size but we didn't spend much time inside. There was a good variety of restaurants. (We only went to another resort for one meal.) The Bistro Bar & Grill served great burgers and fries. It's right beside the beach. Daween was my favorite and took very good care of us and we had some great talks. Avalon was also in this area and was a ray of sunshine with that smile! She got my float filled with air for me!! Josianne was a sweet and very attentive server. Mario's served great Italian food. Kelly's was our favorite restaurant and requires a reservation. Bayside restaurant served the St Lucia national dish, Green Fig with Saltfish. It was delicious. I also loved the grilled plantains. My husband got omelets each morning at Bayside and said the cook was fantastic! The sushi was delicious and the hibachi cook was very entertaining. We were not impressed by the pizza served at the pizza truck. This vacation was about total relaxation and taking in the views of God's creation. The resort's grounds were beautiful. I can see why it is referred to as the Garden of Eden. So many beautiful flowers. Hibiscus . ..red, white and pink!! Lots of plants and flowers provided beauty and privacy. The pools were clean and thats where there was trivia and volleyball daily. Boozie and another host were lots of fun at those games. At night, near the main pool was music. Jazz, saxophone, country and Pop were all wonderful. Very talented artists. Great for dancing. The Michael Jackson show was great!! This trip was extra special because of how friendly people were, because of the treatment we got and because of the views of the beach, pitons and all of God's creation.

Sandals Halcyon is a well-appointed, beautifully landscaped hotel. You'll get to see the lovely flowers after spending five minutes trying to fight off the people from the spa, who want to force you to book an appointment for something. We couldn't even get past the lobby on our trip to relax without feeling pressured. Our first butler was kind enough at arrival and showed us to our room. It was clear he memorized a couple things about us from our pre-arrival form, which was nice. Unfortunately though, that was about as far as our personalized service ever got. While showing us the suite, the butler spoke indifferently about the features of the hotel and flung the terrace doors open to show us the view. He then made it clear that while other employees at the resort are not permitted to accept tips, it is customary to tip butlers. He then tried to make us decide then and there which restaurants we would like at, on which day, and at what time. We told him we don't plan everything out ahead of time as we are on vacation. He told us to fill out a form with our breakfast, lunch and dinner plans for the next five days. We did not do that. We also never even saw that form. Before leaving, the butler asked if there was anything else he could get us. My wife asked for some extra bath bombs and little bags of plantain chips that were already in the room. It would be several days and several conversations before either of those items made it to our room Let me be clear- the room was beautiful. Nicely furnished, with an open concept (there is no bathroom door to this room type, FYI. You just...walk in from either side of the bed). Large counter space in the bathroom with two sinks. There is a wonderful rainfall shower with multiple shower heads and a large soaking tub in the bathroom. We never used this tub as there is another one on the terrace. The minibar was well stocked. Our pre-arrival form asked us for specific drinks we would like to have. My wife's choice was stocked, mine was not. That was not a big deal- there is plenty of alcohol there. We were absolutely exhausted on our first night as we took a 5am flight to get to St. Lucia. We had a quick dinner and got into bed when our first big issue arose. While dramatically flinging the terrace doors open to show us the room, the butler also ripped one of those door off its track- making it completely immovable. We considered leaving it until morning because we were so tired, but we really wanted to sleep in the next day, and the noise and light from that door being open would have definitely prevented that. Bugs also would have gotten in, plus the air conditioner also will not work unless the doors are both closed, which would have made sleeping very uncomfortable. We called the front desk, who asked if we would like maintenance to come fix the issue. We said yes and waited 30 minutes before calling back. The next person who answered the phone said they just got there and saw a note about the issue. We were frustrated to hear him ask if we would like maintenance to come fix the issue. We again said yes and waited another 20 minutes. A maintenance man arrived a little before midnight who was very very nice, but had clearly never seen one of these doors before. After moving it the wrong way, significantly farther off track, he told us we would likely have to move to a different room. We explained we were exhausted, completely unpacked and literally in our pajamas in bed wanting to sleep. This incredible man grunted and groaned and sweated in the island heat, but he did eventually get this door back to a place where it was at least MOSTLY closed. We were so grateful for this person (I'm so sorry I don't have his name). He would turn out to be the most helpful employee we ran into at the entire resort. If the maintenance team can see who was on call to Room 908 late on the evening of April 15, he deserves a bonus. He truly went above and beyond. I did not sleep well at this resort. The mattress was harder than any I've ever felt. I usually prefer a firm mattress, but this was more like sleeping on a tabletop. That pre-arrival form we filled out also asked us to choose a pillow preference. We chose memory foam pillows as I have neck issues. Those arrived on Day 3 after asking multiple times. We went to the breakfast buffet once, but we had room service for breakfast most mornings. Eating on the terrace is so so nice, but it takes a long time for anything to be delivered. A LONG time. Every single interaction we had with our butlers began with them saying "So sorry for the delay". Maybe that's just how Sandals Butlers say 'hello'. We loved the pools. The long one was nice and quiet. We loved the chairs that sat in the shallow water. The swim-up bar was great too. We spent time at their beach as well, renting paddle boards. We stopped in the Sandals Lounge on our 2nd day, which was fortunate. The lounge is a very nice oasis in the lobby area to grab a drink or an espresso. The staff there was also very kind. For instance, they informed us that dinner reservations had been made for us for random restaurants on random days and times. Our butler apparently had made them, but no one bothered to ask us about them- or even tell us they had been made. We canceled them all and booked a couple reservations we actually wanted. We had some perfectly ok stuff, but it should be noted the food here is just cafeteria level at best. You can get past that, it's not the end of the world. And it's all-inclusive, so there's plenty of it. But it's not great. We only had one helpful butler (what a weird thing to have to say), but we only saw her once. We'll call her butler #2 and she arranged a driver for us to go off-property for an evening who would also pick us up a couple hours later to return us to the hotel. She said she would pass along this information to the next butler on shift, so he would also be able to help us if changes were necessary. When we spoke to this butler though (#3), he had no idea what we were talking about until eventually admitting two conversations later he was now "kind of remembering her saying something about this". Not assured at all, we then asked for food delivery to be set up for later that evening. He did his best to try to tell us to just wait until 10pm and use the 24-hour menu. It was clear his shift ended at 10, and he was trying to do the least amount of work possible. Our taxi driver that evening gave us his personal cell number so we wouldn't have to deal with this horrible, lazy butler. This driver was AMAZING and gave us the peace of mind we could not get from a Sandals employee. Because so many things went wrong, we just never trusted anything would be done. We only asked for beach chairs one day, but we truly felt like we had to call and text every butler several times just to feel like the request would be honored. Thankfully, it was. We were shown to two chairs with a cooler. The butler asked if we wanted a drink. My wife ordered a pina colada. When it came 90 minutes later, she had already walked over to the bar and gotten one. He gave the standard apology, and said he would be back to clear the glasses from the table. Those glasses stayed there until we saw another employee gather them after sunset. 6 hours later. The worst, however, was the morning of check-out. We were used to waiting forever for food delivery, so we put in our breakfast order the prior night. It still was over 30 minutes late, leaving us to scramble to eat before heading down to meet our shuttle to the airport. We ate and were relaxing on the terrace, preparing to leave when our worst butler (#3) began yelling from the front door that he needed to clear our dishes. The Do Not Disturb was on and it was 9:45am- WELL before 11am check-out. We let him in to collect the dishes anyway because he was being so obnoxious (employees here love to use the phrase "Island Time" to excuse things taking forever. I guess Island Time doesn't also apply to the guests). He said he was supposed to check us out so he would be back to walk us to the lobby. We told him we would turn off the DND light when we were ready. We, AGAIN, tried to enjoy the last few minutes of our vacation together, taking final photos- and this fool is yelling at us again from the front door saying "he has to get the room ready for the next guests". It was 10am. Still an hour before check-out time. The end of this vacation- much like the beginning and much of the middle- was ruined by an inconsiderate, poorly trained person who made us happy to walk away from what should have been a nice place. This terrible employee never bothered to check us out or walk us down to the lobby. We checked out there at the front desk ourselves. We got nothing but bad Vibes from this butler. Just bad, Vibes. We aren't fancy people. We have been through a very rough winter than included my major spinal surgery, so we used some saved money to splurge. Even with very recent surgery we are happy to walk to get our own drinks and food, but we have paid a large amount for a service. It would be nice if that service didn't make things more difficult than they need to be. So many times we lost HOURS of this vacation we worked so hard for (this was my very first time even out of the country), just WAITING for some very simple thing. We would never recommend the butler service at this property. I would advise Save Your Money on this expense, but here's the thing. The type of room we wanted was not available without a butler. If you want this nice room with this nice view and privacy, you have to apparently pay for the horrible service that comes with it. We likely won't return to a Sandals property. If we did, maybe we just get the room we want and tell the butlers on Day 1 to just leave us alone and let us do everything ourselves. That seems to be exactly what these butlers would prefer anyway.