April Willmott, founder and managing director, Travel Buddy UK, shares her experiences of selling Sandals resorts in the Caribbean and why one of the resorts in particular just became very special to her:
How well do you know Sandals Resorts?
It’ll be nine years this November since I founded my agency Travel Buddy and I have been selling Sandals since day one. I’ve been to nearly all 17 of them – on my own trips and on educationals – I’ve only a handful left to visit. I’m headed to Sandals Saint Vincent in a couple of weeks and then it’s just Sandals Royal Curacao, Sandals Dunn’s River and Sandals Grenada to go. I recently came back from Sandals Regency La Toc – more on that below!
What are your top selling tips?
Although the resorts all share the same adults-only, all-inclusive concept, they cater to different people, so it is important to match the right resort to the right customer. For example, Sandals Royal Barbados and Sandals Barbados Resort next door feels like one property and it’s slightly livelier by the pool area, so perhaps better suited to a younger clientele. It’s not potentially where I’d send a couple wanting a relaxed and quieter stay. The livelier resorts, Sandals Ochi in Jamaica included, have more music around the pool and more going on. It’s not an endless party vibe, but it suits couples wanting more daytime and evening entertainment options.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve got clients who go to Sandals Ochi almost every year and they are in their seventies … they love it. But that’s why it’s so important to understand what works best for your customer and their needs.
For mature clients and those looking for a more relaxing experience, I’d recommend Sandals Halcyon Beach in Saint Lucia and Sandals Royal Plantation in Jamaica. I wouldn’t usually put younger couples in those two unless requested, because it doesn’t tend meet their trip criteria.
Sandals has a tool on its website where you can compare up to four resorts at a time, which could be useful to agents not yet familiar with the inclusions that Sandals offer.
What do you think of Sandals’ new accommodation?
Several Sandals Resorts now have Rondoval Suites, and these are game changers. They are circular villas with a 20-ft conical ceiling. They come with extras such as private rooftop terraces, plunge pools, and Tranquility Soaking Tubs made for two. In the new Sandals Saint Vincent, they have introduced Butler Villa Suites with media rooms and Peloton – I find these can really help incentivise clients to upgrade.
Whenever I stay at a Sandals Resort, I will ask to see the different room categories. Recently, in Sandals Regency La Toc, we weren’t able to see the new Rondoval Butler Sky Villa with private pool and star gazing roof terrace because the resort was at 97% occupancy. But we walked past them every day and you could see they’d really elevate the customer’s experience.
Which extras do you like to recommend?
I like to recommend the Sandals Reading Road Trip, but agents selling Sandals should be aware they only run it on a particular day of the week, and there has to be a minimum of four sign-ups for it to go ahead. There’s only a handful of tours I can pre-book for my customers and this is not one of them but I will always mention it because there’s minimal cost to it, and it’s a nice experience for the school children and the guests. Where they’ve introduced the dinearound concept in Sandals Royal Curacao (applicable for a seven-night stay in a Butler Suite), I encourage clients to utilise it because it’s important to experience the island.
Tell us about your recent stay at Sandals Regency La Toc
From start to finish, it was wonderful. We stayed in a Rondoval Butler Villa with private pool and our butlers were there to greet us at the dedicated check-in. They really changed our stay. We Brits don’t tend to utilize the butlers to their full potential, that’s not who we are, but they really were incredible. They knew where we had dinner reservations, so they’d come and check on us before their shift finished to ask if we needed anything. One night we asked for a bottle of Aperol and a bottle of champagne and by the time we got back to our room, the drinks were there, chilling on ice. They came to our villa with snacks and drinks when we had a pool day. You’d never know they were dealing with more guests than just us.
Our single-storey Rondoval Villa was stunning. There was a huge open bar area, lots of storage, a walk-in closet, and a big open bathroom (you need to feel very comfortable with your partner!). I haven’t slept as well as I did on that king-size bed in a long time! There were curved windows at the foot of the bed, looking out to our pool and outdoor soaking tub. The pool wasn’t heated but the temperature was perfect. These suites have not long been built so the garden wasn’t that mature yet but it was private.
What were your stand-out restaurants?
We liked Kimonos, the Teppanyaki venue – it’s always great to mingle with other guests. And the Soy Sushi Bar – sushi at Sandals is so underrated – it really is fantastic. We took the shuttle to Sandals Grande and had dinner at Bombay Club, the Indian, as part of the exchange programme. One of the highlights was a candlelit dinner – it was supposed to be on the beach but the sea was a bit choppy and there was quite a lot of spray coming off it, so they put us in a cabana to be more sheltered. They give you an extensive menu in advance so you can choose what you want, and then they print out your own personalised menu for the table, which makes a really nice keepsake. That was the night that my partner, David, proposed to me…
Congratulations... tell us more!
We had talked about it, so I knew a proposal was coming but actually thought it would be later this year, so it was a complete surprise when it actually happened. My other half had been carrying the ring around for a couple of days, waiting for the right moment! Before our food arrived, I was taking lots of photos and videos, because I like to document everything for clients, and he said, can you just put your phone down, I need to ask you something. So, it was a bit bewildering when he got down on one knee, and I said at first, is this a joke, and then of course, ‘yes!’
It was perfect. He didn’t get the butlers involved because he knew I’d have been suspicious if he’d kept disappearing to plot a surprise with them – but we told them on our way back to our villa, and they quickly rustled up some champagne for us! We didn’t tell any family and friends until we got home, I hid my hand in all the photos I posted on social media! It made the trip super special. I love Sandals Antigua and Sandals Montego Bay but Sandals Regency La Toc just became my favourite, because it’s where I got engaged to the love of my life. As we both have children, from previous relationships, we won’t get married at Sandals, but we might look at Beaches for the wedding!
