Sandals and Beaches Mega Fam Nov 2011

Nov 14-15 2011 – Exuma, Turks & Caicos & Nassau Bahamas

The Sandals & Beaches Mega Fam started with the flight to Exuma in the Bahamas to the very small airport where we were greeted and took the short (10-15 minute) transfer to Sandals Emerald Bay. The resort was originally a Four Seasons and is the right choice for a limited clientele. The resort has both concierge and butler level categories. I would strongly recommend butler service at this resort. The rooms are lovely, as would be expected, and the golf course is spectacular. We took golf carts out, drove around the course and saw several of the signature holes. The pool areas and beach were wonderful. The sand is soft and has the feeling of the East Coast with grasses growing close to the beach. We had lunch and the food was fabulous. This resort is quite quiet and very upscale. It would not be a good choice for clients looking for lots of activities. It is perfect for serious golfers and for guests who want a relaxed luxurious destination.

The highlight of the day was a surprise visit from Butch Stewart. He arrived from Miami and spoke to our group promising to continue the strong partnership that Sandals & Beaches has always had with travel agents.

Next, we flew to Turks and again had a short transfer to Beaches Turks and Caicos. This resort has 3 villages, French, Caribbean and the new Italian Village. Lorrie Day and I were roommates and our room was in the Italian Village, close to the beautiful pool and largest Jacuzzi in the Caribbean. Our room would be able to accommodate a family of 5 with a king bed in the main bedroom and bunk beds and a trundle bed in a separate bedroom. The bathroom had 2 sinks, whirlpool bath, separate rain head shower. The “bunk area” also had a sink. Our room had a beautiful ocean view, but the balcony was very small, really almost not usable. There was a chair in the main bedroom, but not much of a sitting area. Very adequate closet and storage space. Full liquor cabinet and fully stocked mini-bar. One very unusual thing in the room is that there are nuts and chips in a tray that are not included. You can have as much steak and lobster as you want at the resort, but the nuts in your room have a charge. Strange.

All guests can use the facilities in any of the villages. The first night Lorrie & I were guests of the wedding coordinators for Beaches Turks and Boscobel Beach. We were treated to a dinner designed with the Vision in White theme. This was an excellent way to experience the wedding theme and understand the set up. The themes can now be customized offering more flexibility for couples to personalize the theme to their personal tastes and budget.

The Caribbean Village is the original part of the hotel and the rooms are definitely older, but have been well maintained. The French Village has French balconies and not ocean views. The grounds are beautiful and there is good signage to keep you heading in the right direction to your destination. Although the resort is very large it is well designed for getting around.

I was able to go out on a catamaran cruise and saw the beautiful shoreline and clear water of Turks. There are many activities both day and night that are included for all ages. The children’s program is well run and divided into several age groups with age appropriate activities. The water park has been enlarged and is certainly a focal point of the children’s area. We spoke to guests who had children in the program and they had nothing but good things to say about the program.

Food at every restaurant was excellent. We enjoyed the teppanyaki show provided by the chef at Kimonos.

Our last stop was Sandals Royal Bahamian in Nassau. Another short transfer from the airport to the resort. Only about 15 minutes. This resort is celebrating its 30th anniversary and features 2 towers with a pool area in the middle and long stretch of white sand beach. The Manor building is currently closed due to damage from Hurricane Irene. Balconies are being added to the ocean front rooms and all of the rooms are being completely renovated. The building is scheduled to reopen in the early spring.

We had a beach party on the private off shore island. There is a boat that ferries guests to and from the island all day. This is a wonderful place to spend a quite day. There is a pool, beach with plenty of chairs and bar area as well as full bathroom facilities.

As always, I was impressed with the quality of the facilities and grounds at each of the resorts. The main thing that agents need to be aware of is that each resort has its own personality and you may have an unhappy client if you send them to a resort that does not match the activity level they are looking for. But, from the stand point of quality of facility, food and entertainment all three of these resorts can be sold with confidence.

I would recommend that anyone who can should participate in one of these Mega Fams.