Video review of Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma, Bahamas
Today I’m reviewing the all-inclusive Sandals resort, “Emerald Bay”, located on the island of Exuma in the Bahamas.
It’s not the most luxurious place I’ve stayed at, but it’s the most luxurious all-inclusive resort I’ve stayed at so far.
Beach- The beach was gorgeous. very long, and not overcrowded with people. There was only one other hotel on the beach so it was very quiet. The ocean was a beautiful shade of turquoise. I could tell that the water would have been super clear if it wasn’t so windy. The downside was that there was a limited amount of lounge chairs, so you had to wake up early to reserve them. 4.5 stars
Pool- There were a few different pools at the resort. The main pool was very large and quite loud. More of a party atmosphere. There were a lot of people at the pool and it was sometimes was hard to find a seat. There was a less noisy pool nearby, called the “Quiet Pool”, where there was no music blasting and the water was a bit warmer. I liked going there more. There was also a pool at the spa but I never went in, because it was out of the way. 4.5 stars
Grounds- The grounds were stunning and well kept. Lots of palm trees, flowers. There were a lot of places to lounge peppered around the resort. Lawn games like croquet, giant chess, bocce ball, shuffleboard. 5 stars
Room- Our room was alright. It was a little dated, but the view was pretty - even though it was far back from the beach. Our biggest issue was with the bed. When we first got there the mattress was musty and the pillows smelled like feet. We had them changed, but the bed still smelled strange and my husband and I felt kind of gross going to bed at night. 2 stars
Staff- I found the staff to be very friendly and nice. They changed our bed very quickly without any hassle and were helpful throughout our trip. I have heard that other resorts have better staff, but again - I have no complaints about the service I received. 4.5 stars
Food- The food at the resort was actually pretty good. I’ve traveled to other tropical resorts where the food was not good, especially at all-inclusive resorts - so I was pleasantly surprised with the dining at Sandals. It was a plus that there were a lot of dining options - Indian, Italian, Japanese, French, British. 4 stars
Nightlife- The Nightlife at Emerald Bay was okay - not much of a club or party scene. There was one bar, the English pub, that stayed open late. There was some entertainment but it was nothing special. 2 stars
Activities- There were activities available in the resort: golf, boats, paddle boarding, kayaking & snorkeling to name a few. Unfortunately the water was too choppy and I couldn’t take the boats out. As for the golf course, I’m not a big golfer, so I didn’t play, but it looked beautiful and the golfers we spoke to enjoyed the course. There were activities like bead making or volleyball at the pool every day, but I never did in those activities either. There was a spa there, but I never used it. If you’re one to use a spa, it looked appealing. 4 stars
Excursions- Sandals offered a few excursions, with the two most popular being swimming with the pigs or visiting a beautiful sandbar. Since my husband and I were on vacation for a short time, we didn’t want to do both, and chose to visit the sandbar. It was the most incredible place I have ever been to, and I have been searching for it my entire life. It was part of a half day trip including some boating, looking at turtles and fish, petting stingray, and snorkeling. The great part about this excursion was that there were only three other couples with us - I hear the excursion with the pigs can have a dozen or so couples at once. The excursions weren’t included in the price, so be aware: for some, it could be a bit pricey.
5 stars
Sandals was nice but didn’t exactly meet my high standards. Although it’s a great place to go if you’re on a budget. Overall, I would rate the trip 3.9/5
