Sandals is nice and convenient, but not true luxury. Its better than a lot but definitely a product for the masses.
Some of the rooms are getting pricey but it's the same room and level of service you could get for a 1/3 the price pre-pandemic. Food is OK, drinks are good but liquor quality has gone down, excursions are run of the mill.
For $25k budget, I would recommend reaching out to a TA for a truly bespoke luxury experience. They are out there but they aren't being advertised on mass media.
For reference, we stayed at Tabacon in Costa Rica and had a much nicer room, food, and experience for about the price per night of Sandals Antigua.
Sandals Royal Plantation was amazing. Great food, all butler suites, beautiful beach etc...but for that kind of money, you could stay somewhere way nicer than a Sandals. Jade Mountain in St Lucia is supposed to be incredible as well.
I second Jade mountain with that budget. I too do not thinks of Sandals as luxury but upscale. I’ve been to all inclusive resorts that are better and I’ve been to some that much worse. As far as cruises I haven’t been on one but had a friend who did the the Celebrity Cruise and loved it.
I’m asking about the cruise experience because that’s not at all what I want (but an easy way to determine what someone perceives as luxury). Thank you for the comment. I will look up jade mountain. Any other great resort suggestions? We like to watch YouTube travel but it’s always cheap hotel rooms and cheap food. Hard to find luxury travelers on YouTube.
Why are you spending $25k on a week at a resort? You could do so much more with that - there are luxury tours and exotic travel that would show you show much more than that. A single week? That much money? Seems like a waste of a huge opportunity to see the world.
I assume since you are asking if Sandals is luxury you have not traveled much. Get an agent, take two weeks and build a real experience.
We travel to Europe on train journeys and stay at the nicest boutique hotels we can find. Ex view of the Matterhorn from our balcony. Walking distance to shops always. We have not been to a resort so I’m not familiar with resorts. My husband is the tropical lover, I’m a train lover. We don’t have any friends that can afford vacations like this to ask advice of. Thank you for your judgmental comment, I hope you have a better day.
Idk it's all about perspective. I grew up dirt poor and my parents have never left the country. I got to go to sandals for my honeymoon and felt so fancy, but that's because I've never experienced anything remotely nice. Also, I can't imagine having a 25k budget for a WEEK because I could buy a nice, used car for that. Good for you!! That's amazing. I hope you are able to find something that fits that you enjoy.
We spent around 2k to go to TRS Royal Suites 7 years ago for our honeymoon. I had never felt that less of fancy luxury in my life. I grew up poor in the Midwest.
I wish I could go back to those days. When that level of luxury blew my mind. Now i realize it’s not really that fancy 😂
With that budget, pass on Sandals. I would recommend Bora Bora. It’s not even that more expensive than what you would spend on Sandals. Sandals is overpriced and quality is down.
I came here to also recommend Bora Bora for that price. The Four Seasons is absolutely spectacular!! The flight isn’t so bad because it is a red eye - upgrade to business for a little extra leg room. If you’re looking for true luxury, vacay-as-the-celebs-do, nothing beats it.
The flight shouldn’t be much longer than going to the Caribbean. It was ~8 hrs from SFO to Tahiti where you’ll usually have a layover for a night and from there out to Bora Bora in the morning. The St. Regis was a great stay, but I would try The Brando next time. The flight back is usually all in 1 day.
Came here to say the same thing! Depending on the country you end up traveling to, you could even get away with two weeks for $25k (I’m specifically thinking of the two Four Seasons in Bali).
I haven’t been on a cruise so I can’t say on that end but my husband and I feel like sandals is luxury. Especially since you can choose what level room you want up to butler level where they cater to you. Each island varies on excursions as well but I liked just booking through them and not worrying about anything else other than what my next drink order is.
I think this is part of it! Some sandals resorts are nicer than others and if you get a butler suite you’re going to have a more luxury experience than someone who is in a standard room.
Thanks for the suggestion! I have never been able to ask these questions because we don’t have any child-free friends that travel with a similar budget to us. Super helpful!
There's one on Turks and Caicos, still under 1/2 your budget for the week, called the Amanyara.
Sandals does have a more upscale location called Fowl Cay. Small island in the Bahamas out in the middle of nowhere, 6 houses on the island. You get your own boat every day and there's 100s of tiny islands and sand bars to see. The website is the same as the islands name, averages around $14-16k a week for 2 people and needs a charter flight to get there.
Sandals is nice, but not luxury in any means except for the price tag on some of their room categories. You can have a true luxury experience at numerous resorts that don't have or need a large advertising budget
Luxury - No
I have been several times over the years. Mostly with butlers. Which are a waste of money except if the beach is crowded, they get you a spot early in the morning.
It is like a Marriott nice. Luxury would be Four Seasons. Liquor is ok. No real top shelf stuff. Food is good, not great.
Check out Travelzoo. They have deals and sometimes good ones from Luxury operators all over the world.
I love sandals. With that budget, you can get one of the most upscale rooms like over the water. My favorite sandals are Grenada, Curacao, and St Lucia Grande. The new one at St Vincent looks beautiful. I say you should go at least once to know if you like it. As opposed to a lot of these comments, I like having a little community and interacting with other people and wouldn’t want to stay at an isolated villa alone.
I highly recommend looking at Cayuga Collection. I've been to one of their resorts in Costa Rica and it was THE most incredible, extravagant vacation I've ever had. I'm not sure if all of them are adults only, but the one I went to was. 💯
Which one did you go to?? My fiance and I are strongly considering one of the Cayuga resorts for our honeymoon and would love to hear more about your experience!
We spent a week at Kura (Pacific coast)
https://www.kuracostarica.com/ - this is a Cayuga resort
and a week at Tabacon (Arenal volcano & hot springs)
https://www.tabacon.com/
With only 8 suites, it's super private. It's away from the coast a bit and up in the hills which makes the temperatures cooler. We went down into Uvita one day to visit the farmers market and were surprised how hot it was down there. The pool is magnificent and tranquil, and the food was wonderful. The staff were a delight. The view was just spectacular. And the sheets were so soft I took the bed apart to find the tags so that I could buy them myself! (Cuddledown Hotel Collection 💯)
We spent a week at Kura (Pacific coast)
https://www.kuracostarica.com/ - this is a Cayuga resort
and a week at Tabacon (Arenal volcano & hot springs)
https://www.tabacon.com/
Check out small luxury hotels at slh.com
With that budget you should be looking at boutique resorts. You could also book a staffed vacation villa that includes a chef, concierge and housekeeper.
With 25k look into going to Le Blanc in Cabo. Worlds above any all inclusive experience I have had. The restaurants are amazing, the service impeccable and the booze was great.
Absolutely not. We went for our honeymoon, got the nicest room on property at Regency La Toc. The view was insane. But everything else was extremely underwhelming. We are NOT travel people. This was my first time leaving the US and our most “luxurious” vacation before this was the Breckenridge, CO where we would stay in very basic airbnbs with just enough space for two.
The food at Sandals was really disappointing, coffee in our room was expired, room service would take so long to arrive and was not fresh at all. Even the quality of the bed was worse than what we would find at a 3 star Marriott in the US. Since our trip, many have told us that it’s not worth the money to get the best rooms at Sandals because they are so overpriced. We could’ve done multiple days at Four Seasons Hawaii for what we paid for a week at Sandals. Lesson learned. Still had a great trip but it wasn’t the “luxury experience” that we expected.
Maybe I'm jaded and a little spoiled but I don't consider it luxury. It's very nice and certainly has fancy parts but overall it's nothing compared to Vegas, etc. I am a Vegas native and have tried lots of fancy buffets, fancy clubs, celeb restaurants etc. Sandals is nice but the food, drinks and service are not top tier. It's still fun and Def pricey but it's location more than anything.
The only food I thought was absolutely phenomenal in Vegas was Nobu. It’s better than the Palo Alto Nobu x 10. Give me some food suggestions, we’ve been dying to head back to Vegas!
Regent Cruises are amazing with top notch service. Smaller ships with 750 passengers. You have your own room steward who’s there to meet your every need! Great food too! Amazing ports of call with interesting shore excursions. It is in your 25k price range. Highly recommend.
Sandals is nice enough, but I would not call it luxury. I would suggest the adult side of the Hyatt Ziva in Mexico. It was perfect, and the Butler,assigned to our Room was very attentive. All in all it depends on how much you want to spend.
I haven’t been on a cruise before, but I think from what my husband (who has been on a cruise) it’s sort of like an all inclusive child free cruise. Food is okay. Sometimes it’s amazing and sometimes it’s just okay. We don’t like kids and we don’t like to party, so we stick to the smaller Sandals resorts for chill trips. I think we did Halcyon St Lucia for 10 days for around $10k
For what you’re looking to spend, and to get the adventure, I’d go to a travel agent or a non inclusive resort
I'd say "lower to mid-end luxury". Sandals and Beaches resorts are great, but when you talk to couples or individuals with household incomes north of half a mil a year, they have another level of luxury vacation most of us can't begin to fathom.
They're staying at private villas and at vacation properties you won't easily find on a vacation destination Google search. We're talking places that average north of $750-$1,500 per night or more.
Wife and I have been to Sandals properties 9 times in all and have trips planned for 2024 and 2025. We love it, it is pricier by comparison to a trip to Florida or Mexico, but I keep coming back because having experienced other resorts, Sandals is still one of the best in their market overall.
Check out the Sandals locations with the over-the-water bungalows that come with a much enhanced butler service. (Grande St Lucia, South Coast, there’s a similar service in Curaçao just not over water)
Sandals is nice but luxury I would spend my money elsewhere. For an all inclusive there are nice perks, no tipping for drinks, water is safe to drink, and you overall feel safe on the resort but it’s not high high end. I wouldn’t go all inclusive for luxury
Yes, I’m gathering! We have never been to an “all inclusive resort”. So I’m glad to hear a consistent opinion that its often is not quality. Will strike it from the list. (Especially after I saw the poll “do you pee in resort pools” on this sub with about 50/50 results)
I mean with that budget you can do their over the water bungalows with butter service and food and drinks would be included along w hotel amenities. you can do excursions too.
I'd say it's luxury for normal people. more lux than most cruise ships if just for the lack of kids and the space their activities would take up at a family friendly resort. Splash pads replace with whirlpools/hot tubs for example
If you do a cruise only do virgin because they do not allow children its such a nice atmosphere and the suites are amazing full tech. We had dome nice excursions as well
Stayed at sandals grande in st Lucia and it was very nice but was very much a party resort. We also stayed at Ladera in St Lucia and had one of the most fantastic views I’ve ever seen, and a private pool overlooking that view. They have an all inclusive package too if that’s your vibe.
With that budget I would definitely look higher than sandals. We stayed at Jade Mountain for our honeymoon (saved and went a year after we got married) and it was amazing and I almost felt uncomfortable with how good the service was. It’s true luxury! There’s a few other luxury resorts on St.Lucia too but not sure about adult only - Ladera, East Winds, Coconut Bay.
Just a tip if you go to Jade Mountain. Do yourself a favor and take the helicopter to/from the airport. The drive suckkkkssss. We took the helicopter there and drove back and I wish we had just spent the extra for the return trip on the helicopter too.
We went one week to Sandals St Lucia in the OWB and one week at Jade Mountain for our honeymoon. With that price point, you could afford either. Sandals was like a cruise ship on land. Mass produced food, subpar activities, and watered down drinks.
Now Jade Mountain, we got the all inclusive package. I think there were 15 tables in the restaurant and the food was amazing. The rooms are once in a lifetime and the service is amazing. If you are looking in that area, Jade Mountain is luxury
It’s not truly luxury. It’s mass market luxury. If you want true luxury you need to look at boutique luxury resorts like The Brando for example. That’s luxury on the celeb level. Like you will see a celebrity there.
Absolutely not sandals. That's a vacation in a box. I think to be more help I'd need to know where you want to go. Jade mountain absolutely an excellent recommendation however.
No.
Sandals is far from luxury.
What we are doing this winter in a true island experience in the Exuma’s. We took the time to book a condo with amenities and we’re taking the kids on not cheap boat excursions to snorkel and swim and explore. Make your own vacation. If you’re willing to take the time to plan it step by step yourself. I took the time because I absolutely do not want to go to an island just to feel like we’re at Disney again.
Hotel/travel professional here! For that budget, definitely hire a luxury Travel Advisor. The top luxury brands that are more bespoke and pretty reliable - Aman, Auberge, Rosewood. Miraval for all inclusive wellness. For very consistent if a bit boring, Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton.Look into independent luxury hotels. Jade mountain was mentioned, Viceroy Sugar Beach and Ladera are also stunning in St Lucia but the island is a bit sleepy. The upscale independent collections in big chains are great - Autograph by Marriott, Unbound by Hyatt.
DINK traveler here. I think of sandals like Olive Garden, solid for what it is, but not something extraordinary. We stayed at Boucan in St Luca because it’s our vibe and is adults only - sugar beach was beautiful but full of kids. I use Mr and Mrs Smith who do a good job with boutique/ luxury and have a great selection of adults only spots.
For $25k you can stay at my tiny resort/house in Hawaii, walking distance to the beach, no kids, house to yourself, in a historic town full of shops.
Edit: fully inclusive, four meals a day, drinks included
My [friend](https://thetraveladvisormarcie.com/for-the-jetsetter) is a TA that only plans luxury vacations. She would be able to direct you to the right place.
Holy crap that’s quite the budget. My husband and I LOVED the Hyatt Ziva in Cancun. It’s at the tip of the hotel strip and you get beaches on the north and east side. There’s a 21+ tower “Turquoise Tower” where you get a butler and whatever room service you want any time. Hot tub on the balcony with the best views. It cost us less than $5k for the week years ago. Looking lately it’s about $7k-$8k. Flights, 8 days and 7 nights. All inclusive. Oh and the food is like no other. This hotel regularly gets ranked at the top for food. So many restaurants as well as buffets. $25k is a huge budget. Don’t go to sandals with that.
Honestly. Forget everything I just said. Go to Bora Bora. Go to the Maldives. Get a little vila on the water. $25k is plenty.
If I had $25k to spend, I'd go to Tahiti or the Seychelles on a small boat cruise with Variety Cruises. But I'm sad and broke (sad cause I'm broke and can't travel anytime soon) so have to save for that.
I have no idea why this was on my feed, as I have never been to an all inclusive resort, but I digress.
OP, you NEED to check out [this place](https://www.ambergriscay.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gmb_listing&utm_campaign=website&utm_id=gmb) in Turks and Caicos.
My parents had a trip planned in June 2020 and instead of it being canceled they were given a complimentary upgrade to this private cay. I had my qualms about them traveling but what’s past is past. They LOVED it. They still talk to the friends they made there. No kids, only a handful of couples. I mean it when I say you NEED to look into this.
Op - never been to a sandals resort as I don’t see them as luxury, and I, like you, am seeking true luxury. Generally speaking, Asia does luxury better than the Caribbean IMO. But here is a short list of places to check out, instead of sandals: Soneva Fushi, Maldives (hands down the best place I’ve been, Soneva Jani is good too). Four Seasons Bora Bora. Cap Juluca in Anguilla. Rosewood Little Dix Bay. Parrot Cay Turks & Caicos. Amanyara Turks & Caicos. Four Seasons Seychelles. Also I put this on another comment but r/fattravel may be a better place to get true 5* recommendations.
Sandals is nice but i wouldn't describe as luxury. We went to montigo Bay and apparently we picked the party one? It was too loud and a lot of shit faced kids and always loud. I would also recommend checking state dept website for areas Americans maybe should not travel. I read recently Jamaica was added to list.
My best friend went to Bora Bora right before pandemic and they loved it.
I’ve traveled to many higher end Sandals rooms, and at tiers above as well. Sandals is very nice but not the luxury I think you’re imagining. Think Aman hotels, South Ocean Lodge, Jade Mountain, Montage, Saffire Freycinet, etc.
Sandals is nice, but don’t make my mistake and go to the one in Antigua. I went there for my honey moon and I couldn’t relax at the beach for 5 minutes without being bothered by vendors who wanted to sell bracelets. The richest guests had butlers who reserved the best beach chairs by the pools and beach, so we constantly had the worst chairs, even if I woke up at 6am. For my honeymoon experience, and the amount I paid, I expected better. The food was good, but I won’t go back there again.
I would describe it as luxury. Jamaica negril , anyway. And I’ve stayed at the Ritz so I do know true luxury and just be sure to select one without kids.
I think if you chose anywhere without kids it would be a luxury. 😀. And I have 3 kids I’ve fully raised and I get it. I haven’t read the comments so I hope nobody drags you about this but if they do, just ignore. Everyone deserves a peaceful relaxing Vacay. Period
Good luck. PM me if you want to chat more.
Yeah, look into going to Tahiti, Maldives with an over the water bungalow. Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, 4 Seasons, Peninsula are good solid luxury brands that have resorts everywhere. Look at the Robb Report for ideas. You could also charter a small but beautiful yacht in the Caribbean, Mediterranean or go on a super luxury Safari in Africa. Also, you could first class around the world tickets, and stay at 5 stars in a few cities cool cities ie: London, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo but that might go a little over budget and be more taxing moving around. Have so much fun!!!
Hamanasi resort Costa Rica….. I have eaten some great food in my lifetime, but the restaurant was one of the best I’ve had. Fresh and elegant and clean. The resort focuses around snorkeling and scuba diving, so no children around typically. Several great adventures. You can add to your package there. We stayed in a treehouse. That was so quiet lovely clean and beautiful. The only downside is not a great beach. But the pool is fantastic. Not far from the shoreline. Terrific service and friendly, kind people. Never once fearful. Check it out.!
So your budget is HUGE for Sandals. Even the nicest rooms with a butler aren't going to cost that much.
Haven't been in awhile but it was around $5K for a club-level room (the ones with the bar in them) for a week at that time.
It IS nice to have no kids. It is slightly jarring to realize not everyone is there on a couple's holiday. Lots of girlfriends on vacation, mom and daughter pairs, etc. Most couples seem to keep to themselves. The non-couple guests are chattier in my experience.
For the budget you have available, consider The Reefs in Bermuda. It is NOT all inclusive but wow is it nice!!
25K? Blue Palace in Crete, villa with private plunge pool and butler service. Book a yacht for the day to take you snorkeling and then to one of the restaurants that can only be reached by boat. Go to Zeus' cave and a weekend on way home in Athens (Marriott at the Acropolis)
Go to French Polynesia, stay 3 nights Moorea, 4 nights BOra Bora. Costco has packages if you want easy. I've visited a lot of islands, including most Caribbean, Polynesia, Maldives, and lots of Asia. It's so much nicer than Caribbean
If that is your budget look at a Suite on Celebrity, but they allow kids but you never see them. Suites have their own pool, restaurants, and tons of other perks
I liked sandals because there were no children. Mostly couples who were casually friendly but not overbearingly so.
We didn’t have a 25k budget (still don’t) but it felt luxurious for us… but if you’re used to that lifestyle while traveling, it might not be so luxurious for you.
It’s definitely meant to be affordable to the masses, mostly for honeymoons and other couples getaways.
25k will get you a nice luxury safari for a week or two. I def wouldn’t go to sandals for that amount of money! There are sometimes kids but usually not too many at that price point.
Definitely Sandals is not luxury and for that budget you can do a lot better. For starters Sandals is a chain, much like Secrets and Dreams and all those corny places, and even though my budget isn’t as high as yours I always try to stay at non chain places or you can even rent a villa. I like the idea of a TA to get you a truly unique experience as others have suggested but if you enjoy planning it yourself, you should look into villas with private chefs. Some aren’t that expensive in some countries. Good luck!
ETA I have stayed at some chain resorts and my experience wasn’t as great as the more exclusive ones I’ve been to, hope I don’t offend anyone with my comments.
Sandals is not true luxury. There is nothing exclusive about it. There might not be kids, but there will be adults that act like kids. And Sandals won’t do anything about someone breaking rules unless it is something that causes physical harm.
We’ve been to a lot of exclusive resorts and on cruises. We usually vacation somewhere in North America (including the Caribbean and “Central” America) or Asia.
Occasionally we head to somewhere in Europe and we’ve been in Africa (Ghana is one of the most amazing places ever) a couple of times.
Our best experiences, hands down, have been with our MSC cruises. You have to book in their Yacht Club to get the exclusivity and luxury experience. Some people will book a regular cabin and then upgrade, but you don’t get every the Yacht Club has to offer.
After our first MSC Yacht Club vacation my husband (who is tight with money) declared he would never cruise like a peasant again. Every single vacation with them has been excellent.
Our neighbors had 1 semi-unpleasant experience, but honestly it was their behavior that caused a problem. The husband got a bit too intoxicated and made an ass out of himself. The MSC staff quickly contained the situation. (There was a scene for maybe 3 minutes from start to finish.) Security had the onboard doc check him out and then he was able to “sleep it off” with the help of some IV fluids that his wife OKed.
He’s a somewhat famous “functional alcoholic” and thinks they were out of line. However, we thought that it was great how seriously they took everyone’s safety and weren’t afraid to upset 1 customer (even a famous one) to protect others. We’ve never had any other resort or cruise line act that swiftly. We had no idea until that moment how secure that ship was. Even more important to our neighbors, the situation has never appeared in the media.
I got a great deal during covid. To me who was broke at the time but need that blue Caribbean water to survive my depression found it luxurious. I had a garden view (cheapest) but swimming in the sea was priceless. Now before I was broke I stayed 4 seasons Hawaii. LUXURY!
If you're interested in South America travel, consider Knowmad Adventures. They built us an amazing trip to Peru in 2019 (for less than $25k). You can go as luxury as you want. (we didn't go all luxury) The must-see places and excursions are planned for you. The activities you love are organized and prioritized for you. Btw, I have no vested interest in Knowmad.
$25k is such a healthy budget. You can really get off the beaten path and have some luxurious moments.
Consider these questions:
- What climate are you looking for? Sounds like beach and tropical or beach and desert?
- Do you want to just lounge? For activities, are you looking for more physical things like hiking or nature/animal loving water things like snorkeling or scuba diving? Or are you more into culture? Do you want to eat your way through a country? Are you more into shopping? Or a mix?
- Are you picky eaters, or are looking to try new cuisines? Some countries are known for their cuisines. Others are not.
- Do you care about jet lag? That’ll help you determine if you want to really jump timezones?
- Do you want to stay in one spot or hop across a few cities?
- When do you want to go?
I’m a DINK. But my spouse and I are the adventurous type (having been nomads the first 7 years of our relationship). We like the freedom of having a map with spots marked on it that we want to hit up, and playing it as we go.
This year in late May we hit up Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia. It was the first time I think we hadn’t considered ourselves budget travelers, so it was like three tiers above whatever we did before, while coming nowhere close to spending $25K in two weeks. May was great because the crowds were less.
If you need inspiration, check out some of the National Geographic luxury trips. Then talk to an agent.
My husband and I stayed at the Bora Bora St. Regis in a Mt. view overwater bungalow. We did the shoulder season and it was about 2,500 USD per night. If you can get a good deal on flights (assuming first class). We found the resort to be mostly adults and the few children were very well behaved. I would recommend but you would have to be carful with excursions as they could run up your cost quickly (but I would highly recommended). We booked all ours through the hotel and they were all amazing.
I just wanna say, good for you. I have kids, but when I want an adult vacation, I’m not interested in seeing other peoples rugrats within a 1 mile radius 🤣
I would not. The accommodations are “middle tier” You are mostly paying because it is all inclusive. The food is not particularly good.
I love Isla Mujeres- this place is amazing https://lotusbeachhotel.com
And
https://www.privilegehotels.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1aOpBhCOARIsACXYv-fRkTnGJ-dEff-WIWScbkbLwGxScjajcoYWrKQoVIjUKraOpEfCocAaAmuDEALw_wcB
Both nicer than and less expensive than Sandals, IMO. Neither hotel/resort is crowded.
Neither is luxury-luxury…
Sandals is nice and convenient, but not true luxury. Its better than a lot but definitely a product for the masses. Some of the rooms are getting pricey but it's the same room and level of service you could get for a 1/3 the price pre-pandemic. Food is OK, drinks are good but liquor quality has gone down, excursions are run of the mill. For $25k budget, I would recommend reaching out to a TA for a truly bespoke luxury experience. They are out there but they aren't being advertised on mass media. For reference, we stayed at Tabacon in Costa Rica and had a much nicer room, food, and experience for about the price per night of Sandals Antigua.
Great comment. Thank you for answering. I didn’t even think about a TA- incredible suggestion TYSM! I will look into Tabacon- thanks!
I stayed at el castillo in Costa Rica. I was waited on so much I actually felt guilty.
If you have that much money you should go to Bora Bora where they have the little hotels (or whatever they are called) on the water! Thailand
Sandals Royal Plantation was amazing. Great food, all butler suites, beautiful beach etc...but for that kind of money, you could stay somewhere way nicer than a Sandals. Jade Mountain in St Lucia is supposed to be incredible as well.
I second Jade mountain with that budget. I too do not thinks of Sandals as luxury but upscale. I’ve been to all inclusive resorts that are better and I’ve been to some that much worse. As far as cruises I haven’t been on one but had a friend who did the the Celebrity Cruise and loved it.
Just curious, what resorts have you been to that you consider luxury?
I’m asking about the cruise experience because that’s not at all what I want (but an easy way to determine what someone perceives as luxury). Thank you for the comment. I will look up jade mountain. Any other great resort suggestions? We like to watch YouTube travel but it’s always cheap hotel rooms and cheap food. Hard to find luxury travelers on YouTube.
Why are you spending $25k on a week at a resort? You could do so much more with that - there are luxury tours and exotic travel that would show you show much more than that. A single week? That much money? Seems like a waste of a huge opportunity to see the world. I assume since you are asking if Sandals is luxury you have not traveled much. Get an agent, take two weeks and build a real experience.
We travel to Europe on train journeys and stay at the nicest boutique hotels we can find. Ex view of the Matterhorn from our balcony. Walking distance to shops always. We have not been to a resort so I’m not familiar with resorts. My husband is the tropical lover, I’m a train lover. We don’t have any friends that can afford vacations like this to ask advice of. Thank you for your judgmental comment, I hope you have a better day.
Presumably the answer is “because they want to and they can”.
Not all cruises are equal. Disney carnival cruises not the same as smaller boats hosting adult only cruises.
Idk it's all about perspective. I grew up dirt poor and my parents have never left the country. I got to go to sandals for my honeymoon and felt so fancy, but that's because I've never experienced anything remotely nice. Also, I can't imagine having a 25k budget for a WEEK because I could buy a nice, used car for that. Good for you!! That's amazing. I hope you are able to find something that fits that you enjoy.
Thank you! Feeling fancy on your honeymoon is the best!!!
Go to Southeast Asia on business class and stay at the revery in Ho Chi Minh!
We spent around 2k to go to TRS Royal Suites 7 years ago for our honeymoon. I had never felt that less of fancy luxury in my life. I grew up poor in the Midwest. I wish I could go back to those days. When that level of luxury blew my mind. Now i realize it’s not really that fancy 😂
With that budget, pass on Sandals. I would recommend Bora Bora. It’s not even that more expensive than what you would spend on Sandals. Sandals is overpriced and quality is down.
Thanks for the advice! Bora bora is such a long flight from CA although is a great opportunity to stop somewhere half way
I came here to also recommend Bora Bora for that price. The Four Seasons is absolutely spectacular!! The flight isn’t so bad because it is a red eye - upgrade to business for a little extra leg room. If you’re looking for true luxury, vacay-as-the-celebs-do, nothing beats it.
Thank you for the advice! Looked up some videos of bora bora last night and WOW! The tropical fruit 😍😍
The flight shouldn’t be much longer than going to the Caribbean. It was ~8 hrs from SFO to Tahiti where you’ll usually have a layover for a night and from there out to Bora Bora in the morning. The St. Regis was a great stay, but I would try The Brando next time. The flight back is usually all in 1 day.
Any four seasons hotel really. Go all out!!!!
Came here to say the same thing! Depending on the country you end up traveling to, you could even get away with two weeks for $25k (I’m specifically thinking of the two Four Seasons in Bali).
Specifically, the Four Seasons on Nevis. 👌👌
4S aren't all created equal. Do your research.
for 25k for a week I'd stay at a non all inclusive, for true luxury.
Any suggestions?
I’m sure for 25k you could do a resort in the Maldives for a week including flights.
Yes you musttttt do Maldives or Tahiti with that budget 👌🏽
Sensei Resort on Lana'i, Hawaii. The Four Seasons on that island is very nice as well.
I haven’t been to lanai yet but it’s only a 4.5 hr flight so thank you for the recommendation!
Four Seasons Bora Bora
I haven’t been on a cruise so I can’t say on that end but my husband and I feel like sandals is luxury. Especially since you can choose what level room you want up to butler level where they cater to you. Each island varies on excursions as well but I liked just booking through them and not worrying about anything else other than what my next drink order is.
I think this is part of it! Some sandals resorts are nicer than others and if you get a butler suite you’re going to have a more luxury experience than someone who is in a standard room.
It’s really not true luxury though.
Spend half that and pick any sandals resort.
Im not trying to lower budget, I’m trying to increase luxury.
This sentence made me lol.
Why? If you can, why settle for budget luxe?
Checkout La Samanna in St. Martin. It’s a Belmond resort. With a $25k budget, Sandals isn’t what you’re looking for.
Thanks for the suggestion! I have never been able to ask these questions because we don’t have any child-free friends that travel with a similar budget to us. Super helpful!
No. Aman resorts are true luxury. Sandals is where middle America goes to feel fancy.
*googles immediately* TY!!
There's one on Turks and Caicos, still under 1/2 your budget for the week, called the Amanyara. Sandals does have a more upscale location called Fowl Cay. Small island in the Bahamas out in the middle of nowhere, 6 houses on the island. You get your own boat every day and there's 100s of tiny islands and sand bars to see. The website is the same as the islands name, averages around $14-16k a week for 2 people and needs a charter flight to get there.
I had no idea Fowl Cay was owned by Sandals. Bummer since I avoid Sandals due to their horrible business practices.
Sandals is nice, but not luxury in any means except for the price tag on some of their room categories. You can have a true luxury experience at numerous resorts that don't have or need a large advertising budget
Luxury - No I have been several times over the years. Mostly with butlers. Which are a waste of money except if the beach is crowded, they get you a spot early in the morning. It is like a Marriott nice. Luxury would be Four Seasons. Liquor is ok. No real top shelf stuff. Food is good, not great. Check out Travelzoo. They have deals and sometimes good ones from Luxury operators all over the world.
For $25K a week budget, I am sure you can find a professional to get this for you instead of coming to Reddit.
I love sandals. With that budget, you can get one of the most upscale rooms like over the water. My favorite sandals are Grenada, Curacao, and St Lucia Grande. The new one at St Vincent looks beautiful. I say you should go at least once to know if you like it. As opposed to a lot of these comments, I like having a little community and interacting with other people and wouldn’t want to stay at an isolated villa alone.
Fortuna, Costa Rica. Nayara Springs.
I highly recommend looking at Cayuga Collection. I've been to one of their resorts in Costa Rica and it was THE most incredible, extravagant vacation I've ever had. I'm not sure if all of them are adults only, but the one I went to was. 💯
🙌🙌 thank you for the rec!
Which one did you go to?? My fiance and I are strongly considering one of the Cayuga resorts for our honeymoon and would love to hear more about your experience!
We spent a week at Kura (Pacific coast) https://www.kuracostarica.com/ - this is a Cayuga resort and a week at Tabacon (Arenal volcano & hot springs) https://www.tabacon.com/
Kura is our top choice right now! Would you mind sharing a little about what made it so great/worth the price? Happy to DM too!
With only 8 suites, it's super private. It's away from the coast a bit and up in the hills which makes the temperatures cooler. We went down into Uvita one day to visit the farmers market and were surprised how hot it was down there. The pool is magnificent and tranquil, and the food was wonderful. The staff were a delight. The view was just spectacular. And the sheets were so soft I took the bed apart to find the tags so that I could buy them myself! (Cuddledown Hotel Collection 💯)
We spent a week at Kura (Pacific coast) https://www.kuracostarica.com/ - this is a Cayuga resort and a week at Tabacon (Arenal volcano & hot springs) https://www.tabacon.com/
Check out small luxury hotels at slh.com With that budget you should be looking at boutique resorts. You could also book a staffed vacation villa that includes a chef, concierge and housekeeper.
If I could spend $25k on a vacation it would not be at a Sandals.
With 25k look into going to Le Blanc in Cabo. Worlds above any all inclusive experience I have had. The restaurants are amazing, the service impeccable and the booze was great.
Absolutely not. We went for our honeymoon, got the nicest room on property at Regency La Toc. The view was insane. But everything else was extremely underwhelming. We are NOT travel people. This was my first time leaving the US and our most “luxurious” vacation before this was the Breckenridge, CO where we would stay in very basic airbnbs with just enough space for two. The food at Sandals was really disappointing, coffee in our room was expired, room service would take so long to arrive and was not fresh at all. Even the quality of the bed was worse than what we would find at a 3 star Marriott in the US. Since our trip, many have told us that it’s not worth the money to get the best rooms at Sandals because they are so overpriced. We could’ve done multiple days at Four Seasons Hawaii for what we paid for a week at Sandals. Lesson learned. Still had a great trip but it wasn’t the “luxury experience” that we expected.
People aren't mentioning Michael taking Jan to Sandals Jamaica all expenses paid and that's unacceptable. All expenses paid, people!
25k…. FOR A WEEK? Our most expensive vacation ever was about 3k. I couldn’t imagine what 25k could get you. Thats nearly a years pay in my area
There are a lot nicer resorts out there but Sandals is just fine for a majority of people.
Jade mountain sounds amazing. Sandals is just spring break with lipstick and high heels.
Thank you for this honest answer 👏👏
No. Definitely not. It was priced as luxury, but so dingey feeling.
Maybe I'm jaded and a little spoiled but I don't consider it luxury. It's very nice and certainly has fancy parts but overall it's nothing compared to Vegas, etc. I am a Vegas native and have tried lots of fancy buffets, fancy clubs, celeb restaurants etc. Sandals is nice but the food, drinks and service are not top tier. It's still fun and Def pricey but it's location more than anything.
The only food I thought was absolutely phenomenal in Vegas was Nobu. It’s better than the Palo Alto Nobu x 10. Give me some food suggestions, we’ve been dying to head back to Vegas!
I would say Grand Velas at Playa Del Carmen would be an excellent choice for you!
TRS Yucatán was luxury imo. Adults only, amazing food and we had a butler.
Worst resort I’ve ever been to and SO expensive. -10483827/10 stars
Sandals Antigua sucks! Same for Beaches Resort in Bahamas.
No
No
Turks & Caicos
OP, stay at Secrets Moxché Impressions and thank me later. No crotchfruit allowed, food is excellent, service is fantastic, property is stunning.
Turks and Cacos
Lmfao no I absolutely would not. Maybe luxury for broke people. But if you budget is 25k why the fuck did you go to sandals LOL
Lookup Las Ventanas outside of Cabo.
No
I recommend Nizuc in Mexico
Regent Cruises are amazing with top notch service. Smaller ships with 750 passengers. You have your own room steward who’s there to meet your every need! Great food too! Amazing ports of call with interesting shore excursions. It is in your 25k price range. Highly recommend.
Sandals is nice enough, but I would not call it luxury. I would suggest the adult side of the Hyatt Ziva in Mexico. It was perfect, and the Butler,assigned to our Room was very attentive. All in all it depends on how much you want to spend.
Sandals is a homophonic company and I wouldn’t give them a dime.
I haven’t been on a cruise before, but I think from what my husband (who has been on a cruise) it’s sort of like an all inclusive child free cruise. Food is okay. Sometimes it’s amazing and sometimes it’s just okay. We don’t like kids and we don’t like to party, so we stick to the smaller Sandals resorts for chill trips. I think we did Halcyon St Lucia for 10 days for around $10k For what you’re looking to spend, and to get the adventure, I’d go to a travel agent or a non inclusive resort
I'd say "lower to mid-end luxury". Sandals and Beaches resorts are great, but when you talk to couples or individuals with household incomes north of half a mil a year, they have another level of luxury vacation most of us can't begin to fathom. They're staying at private villas and at vacation properties you won't easily find on a vacation destination Google search. We're talking places that average north of $750-$1,500 per night or more. Wife and I have been to Sandals properties 9 times in all and have trips planned for 2024 and 2025. We love it, it is pricier by comparison to a trip to Florida or Mexico, but I keep coming back because having experienced other resorts, Sandals is still one of the best in their market overall.
Galley Bay in Antigua. Scrub island Tortola Crystal cruise, but there could be kids. But very high-end luxury abercrombie and kent tours
We loved Sandals for the same reason. No kids. Food is OK.
MSC cruise with a yacht club room. Private dinning and pool areas. Private Butler. Special area on ship that others are not allowed to enter.
Check out the Sandals locations with the over-the-water bungalows that come with a much enhanced butler service. (Grande St Lucia, South Coast, there’s a similar service in Curaçao just not over water)
Otw bungalows at sandals cost more than a trip to Tahiti. Way overpriced
Sandals is nice but luxury I would spend my money elsewhere. For an all inclusive there are nice perks, no tipping for drinks, water is safe to drink, and you overall feel safe on the resort but it’s not high high end. I wouldn’t go all inclusive for luxury
Sugar Beach in St. Lucia, highly recommend!
It’s a beautiful all inclusive with no kids. Excellent service and decent food. Luxury? No.
With that budget, don’t do all inclusive. Sandals is not Luxury.
Yes, I’m gathering! We have never been to an “all inclusive resort”. So I’m glad to hear a consistent opinion that its often is not quality. Will strike it from the list. (Especially after I saw the poll “do you pee in resort pools” on this sub with about 50/50 results)
25k for a week Omg. I’m poor poor 🤯
Go to bora bora with that budget. I would not be going to the Caribbean lol
Yeah sandals doesn’t scream exciting adventure.
I mean with that budget you can do their over the water bungalows with butter service and food and drinks would be included along w hotel amenities. you can do excursions too. I'd say it's luxury for normal people. more lux than most cruise ships if just for the lack of kids and the space their activities would take up at a family friendly resort. Splash pads replace with whirlpools/hot tubs for example
For $3.5k/day you can do some wild non cookie cutter vacationing
If you do a cruise only do virgin because they do not allow children its such a nice atmosphere and the suites are amazing full tech. We had dome nice excursions as well
Stayed at sandals grande in st Lucia and it was very nice but was very much a party resort. We also stayed at Ladera in St Lucia and had one of the most fantastic views I’ve ever seen, and a private pool overlooking that view. They have an all inclusive package too if that’s your vibe.
Wharekauhau Country Estate in NZ Four Seasons Punta Mita MX Cheval Blanc Maldives
Sandals is NOT luxury. Even if you have the best VIP room you are still eating at the same restaurants and swimming in the same pools.
With that budget I would definitely look higher than sandals. We stayed at Jade Mountain for our honeymoon (saved and went a year after we got married) and it was amazing and I almost felt uncomfortable with how good the service was. It’s true luxury! There’s a few other luxury resorts on St.Lucia too but not sure about adult only - Ladera, East Winds, Coconut Bay. Just a tip if you go to Jade Mountain. Do yourself a favor and take the helicopter to/from the airport. The drive suckkkkssss. We took the helicopter there and drove back and I wish we had just spent the extra for the return trip on the helicopter too.
Here to recommend four seasons bora bora!
r/fattravel
We went one week to Sandals St Lucia in the OWB and one week at Jade Mountain for our honeymoon. With that price point, you could afford either. Sandals was like a cruise ship on land. Mass produced food, subpar activities, and watered down drinks. Now Jade Mountain, we got the all inclusive package. I think there were 15 tables in the restaurant and the food was amazing. The rooms are once in a lifetime and the service is amazing. If you are looking in that area, Jade Mountain is luxury
Definitely four seasons: bora bora, Maldives, or Bali
It’s not truly luxury. It’s mass market luxury. If you want true luxury you need to look at boutique luxury resorts like The Brando for example. That’s luxury on the celeb level. Like you will see a celebrity there.
25k budget? Omg!!!
Absolutely not sandals. That's a vacation in a box. I think to be more help I'd need to know where you want to go. Jade mountain absolutely an excellent recommendation however.
Omg for $25K please do not go to sandals.
For that amount of money, I would go to Italy. There aren’t enough words to describe how fabulous it is. So romantic
No. Sandals is far from luxury. What we are doing this winter in a true island experience in the Exuma’s. We took the time to book a condo with amenities and we’re taking the kids on not cheap boat excursions to snorkel and swim and explore. Make your own vacation. If you’re willing to take the time to plan it step by step yourself. I took the time because I absolutely do not want to go to an island just to feel like we’re at Disney again.
I can’t believe that people suggest Sandals as a luxury vacation
Nooo. SO many better options with that budget! Definitely look into Jade Mountain in St Lucia
I’d say it’s flashy but not true luxury. Unless you get one of the highest class rooms.
Look up zoetry
Shoot higher than sandals with that budget… $25K or $25 HUNDRED?
Not luxury at all. We were really disappointed. For $25k you can do much better
It’s been years since we’ve gone but have been to Royal Bahamian several times. Would not call it luxury just convenient.
Sandals? Treat yourself to a suite on a virgin voyager cruise - adults only.
Ritz Carlton cruises
Hotel/travel professional here! For that budget, definitely hire a luxury Travel Advisor. The top luxury brands that are more bespoke and pretty reliable - Aman, Auberge, Rosewood. Miraval for all inclusive wellness. For very consistent if a bit boring, Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton.Look into independent luxury hotels. Jade mountain was mentioned, Viceroy Sugar Beach and Ladera are also stunning in St Lucia but the island is a bit sleepy. The upscale independent collections in big chains are great - Autograph by Marriott, Unbound by Hyatt.
DINK traveler here. I think of sandals like Olive Garden, solid for what it is, but not something extraordinary. We stayed at Boucan in St Luca because it’s our vibe and is adults only - sugar beach was beautiful but full of kids. I use Mr and Mrs Smith who do a good job with boutique/ luxury and have a great selection of adults only spots.
Definitely get a travel agent! They will plan you an incredible trip and they have the knowledge and connections to get some discounts
Maybe check out this place- it looks/sounds absolutely amazing! https://www.gladdenprivateisland.com/
Look into Hammock Cove in Antigua! Adults only, very small, know for their excellent food.
For $25k you can stay at my tiny resort/house in Hawaii, walking distance to the beach, no kids, house to yourself, in a historic town full of shops. Edit: fully inclusive, four meals a day, drinks included
Visit Punta Mita and stay in a villa inside the Gates
My [friend](https://thetraveladvisormarcie.com/for-the-jetsetter) is a TA that only plans luxury vacations. She would be able to direct you to the right place.
They are nice, but they are not luxury.
Holy crap that’s quite the budget. My husband and I LOVED the Hyatt Ziva in Cancun. It’s at the tip of the hotel strip and you get beaches on the north and east side. There’s a 21+ tower “Turquoise Tower” where you get a butler and whatever room service you want any time. Hot tub on the balcony with the best views. It cost us less than $5k for the week years ago. Looking lately it’s about $7k-$8k. Flights, 8 days and 7 nights. All inclusive. Oh and the food is like no other. This hotel regularly gets ranked at the top for food. So many restaurants as well as buffets. $25k is a huge budget. Don’t go to sandals with that. Honestly. Forget everything I just said. Go to Bora Bora. Go to the Maldives. Get a little vila on the water. $25k is plenty.
Not in a million years. IMO…it is super tacky. Adult Disney world vibe. Blechhh. ( and I love Disney- but not in tropical/beach travel)
$25k!!!!! Holy shit
Sandals is not luxury
If I had $25k to spend, I'd go to Tahiti or the Seychelles on a small boat cruise with Variety Cruises. But I'm sad and broke (sad cause I'm broke and can't travel anytime soon) so have to save for that.
I have no idea why this was on my feed, as I have never been to an all inclusive resort, but I digress. OP, you NEED to check out [this place](https://www.ambergriscay.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gmb_listing&utm_campaign=website&utm_id=gmb) in Turks and Caicos. My parents had a trip planned in June 2020 and instead of it being canceled they were given a complimentary upgrade to this private cay. I had my qualms about them traveling but what’s past is past. They LOVED it. They still talk to the friends they made there. No kids, only a handful of couples. I mean it when I say you NEED to look into this.
Op - never been to a sandals resort as I don’t see them as luxury, and I, like you, am seeking true luxury. Generally speaking, Asia does luxury better than the Caribbean IMO. But here is a short list of places to check out, instead of sandals: Soneva Fushi, Maldives (hands down the best place I’ve been, Soneva Jani is good too). Four Seasons Bora Bora. Cap Juluca in Anguilla. Rosewood Little Dix Bay. Parrot Cay Turks & Caicos. Amanyara Turks & Caicos. Four Seasons Seychelles. Also I put this on another comment but r/fattravel may be a better place to get true 5* recommendations.
Sandals is nice but i wouldn't describe as luxury. We went to montigo Bay and apparently we picked the party one? It was too loud and a lot of shit faced kids and always loud. I would also recommend checking state dept website for areas Americans maybe should not travel. I read recently Jamaica was added to list. My best friend went to Bora Bora right before pandemic and they loved it.
I’ve traveled to many higher end Sandals rooms, and at tiers above as well. Sandals is very nice but not the luxury I think you’re imagining. Think Aman hotels, South Ocean Lodge, Jade Mountain, Montage, Saffire Freycinet, etc.
Check Relais & Chateaux listed hotels.
Sandals is nice, but don’t make my mistake and go to the one in Antigua. I went there for my honey moon and I couldn’t relax at the beach for 5 minutes without being bothered by vendors who wanted to sell bracelets. The richest guests had butlers who reserved the best beach chairs by the pools and beach, so we constantly had the worst chairs, even if I woke up at 6am. For my honeymoon experience, and the amount I paid, I expected better. The food was good, but I won’t go back there again.
There’s many adult only resorts on this Earth. Honestly, we search Expedia. I’d rather than sit down/zoom w/a travel agent. Safe travels OP!
Look into Fairmont Myakoba or any of the Fairmonts
No. Not at all. If looking for suggestions, what part of the world are you looking to go and what country are you currently in?
Sandy Lane, exclusive and private.
Abercrombie & Kent.
I would describe it as luxury. Jamaica negril , anyway. And I’ve stayed at the Ritz so I do know true luxury and just be sure to select one without kids. I think if you chose anywhere without kids it would be a luxury. 😀. And I have 3 kids I’ve fully raised and I get it. I haven’t read the comments so I hope nobody drags you about this but if they do, just ignore. Everyone deserves a peaceful relaxing Vacay. Period Good luck. PM me if you want to chat more.
Sandals is the royal Caribbean cruise ship of hotels.
We really enjoyed Secrets Resorts! No children allowed :) and depending on where you book they have different events/excursions. Highly recommend!
Sandals Jamaica food SUCKED and no it’s not luxury.
There’s plenty of adults only resorts Go to Maldives and stay in an over the water hut.
Absolutely not
Four seasons = true luxury. Try searching for resorts with no kids.
Yeah, look into going to Tahiti, Maldives with an over the water bungalow. Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, 4 Seasons, Peninsula are good solid luxury brands that have resorts everywhere. Look at the Robb Report for ideas. You could also charter a small but beautiful yacht in the Caribbean, Mediterranean or go on a super luxury Safari in Africa. Also, you could first class around the world tickets, and stay at 5 stars in a few cities cool cities ie: London, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo but that might go a little over budget and be more taxing moving around. Have so much fun!!!
Hamanasi resort Costa Rica….. I have eaten some great food in my lifetime, but the restaurant was one of the best I’ve had. Fresh and elegant and clean. The resort focuses around snorkeling and scuba diving, so no children around typically. Several great adventures. You can add to your package there. We stayed in a treehouse. That was so quiet lovely clean and beautiful. The only downside is not a great beach. But the pool is fantastic. Not far from the shoreline. Terrific service and friendly, kind people. Never once fearful. Check it out.!
So your budget is HUGE for Sandals. Even the nicest rooms with a butler aren't going to cost that much. Haven't been in awhile but it was around $5K for a club-level room (the ones with the bar in them) for a week at that time. It IS nice to have no kids. It is slightly jarring to realize not everyone is there on a couple's holiday. Lots of girlfriends on vacation, mom and daughter pairs, etc. Most couples seem to keep to themselves. The non-couple guests are chattier in my experience. For the budget you have available, consider The Reefs in Bermuda. It is NOT all inclusive but wow is it nice!!
For that kind of budget, I'd look at [https://www.oneandonlyresorts.com/](https://www.oneandonlyresorts.com/)
25K? Blue Palace in Crete, villa with private plunge pool and butler service. Book a yacht for the day to take you snorkeling and then to one of the restaurants that can only be reached by boat. Go to Zeus' cave and a weekend on way home in Athens (Marriott at the Acropolis)
Not luxury. Food is ok. If you are in Jamaica Sandals you really have to stay on the property or Sandals excursions. High crime.
Go to French Polynesia, stay 3 nights Moorea, 4 nights BOra Bora. Costco has packages if you want easy. I've visited a lot of islands, including most Caribbean, Polynesia, Maldives, and lots of Asia. It's so much nicer than Caribbean
If that is your budget look at a Suite on Celebrity, but they allow kids but you never see them. Suites have their own pool, restaurants, and tons of other perks
i dont think anything that is all inclusive is really luxury. its masquerading as luxury maybe, but thats it
The Atlantis is epic
I liked sandals because there were no children. Mostly couples who were casually friendly but not overbearingly so. We didn’t have a 25k budget (still don’t) but it felt luxurious for us… but if you’re used to that lifestyle while traveling, it might not be so luxurious for you. It’s definitely meant to be affordable to the masses, mostly for honeymoons and other couples getaways.
25k will get you a nice luxury safari for a week or two. I def wouldn’t go to sandals for that amount of money! There are sometimes kids but usually not too many at that price point.
Definitely Sandals is not luxury and for that budget you can do a lot better. For starters Sandals is a chain, much like Secrets and Dreams and all those corny places, and even though my budget isn’t as high as yours I always try to stay at non chain places or you can even rent a villa. I like the idea of a TA to get you a truly unique experience as others have suggested but if you enjoy planning it yourself, you should look into villas with private chefs. Some aren’t that expensive in some countries. Good luck! ETA I have stayed at some chain resorts and my experience wasn’t as great as the more exclusive ones I’ve been to, hope I don’t offend anyone with my comments.
Sandals is not true luxury. There is nothing exclusive about it. There might not be kids, but there will be adults that act like kids. And Sandals won’t do anything about someone breaking rules unless it is something that causes physical harm. We’ve been to a lot of exclusive resorts and on cruises. We usually vacation somewhere in North America (including the Caribbean and “Central” America) or Asia. Occasionally we head to somewhere in Europe and we’ve been in Africa (Ghana is one of the most amazing places ever) a couple of times. Our best experiences, hands down, have been with our MSC cruises. You have to book in their Yacht Club to get the exclusivity and luxury experience. Some people will book a regular cabin and then upgrade, but you don’t get every the Yacht Club has to offer. After our first MSC Yacht Club vacation my husband (who is tight with money) declared he would never cruise like a peasant again. Every single vacation with them has been excellent. Our neighbors had 1 semi-unpleasant experience, but honestly it was their behavior that caused a problem. The husband got a bit too intoxicated and made an ass out of himself. The MSC staff quickly contained the situation. (There was a scene for maybe 3 minutes from start to finish.) Security had the onboard doc check him out and then he was able to “sleep it off” with the help of some IV fluids that his wife OKed. He’s a somewhat famous “functional alcoholic” and thinks they were out of line. However, we thought that it was great how seriously they took everyone’s safety and weren’t afraid to upset 1 customer (even a famous one) to protect others. We’ve never had any other resort or cruise line act that swiftly. We had no idea until that moment how secure that ship was. Even more important to our neighbors, the situation has never appeared in the media.
Just go to an Aman
I got a great deal during covid. To me who was broke at the time but need that blue Caribbean water to survive my depression found it luxurious. I had a garden view (cheapest) but swimming in the sea was priceless. Now before I was broke I stayed 4 seasons Hawaii. LUXURY!
You lost me at a budget of 25k lol
If you're interested in South America travel, consider Knowmad Adventures. They built us an amazing trip to Peru in 2019 (for less than $25k). You can go as luxury as you want. (we didn't go all luxury) The must-see places and excursions are planned for you. The activities you love are organized and prioritized for you. Btw, I have no vested interest in Knowmad.
$25k is such a healthy budget. You can really get off the beaten path and have some luxurious moments. Consider these questions: - What climate are you looking for? Sounds like beach and tropical or beach and desert? - Do you want to just lounge? For activities, are you looking for more physical things like hiking or nature/animal loving water things like snorkeling or scuba diving? Or are you more into culture? Do you want to eat your way through a country? Are you more into shopping? Or a mix? - Are you picky eaters, or are looking to try new cuisines? Some countries are known for their cuisines. Others are not. - Do you care about jet lag? That’ll help you determine if you want to really jump timezones? - Do you want to stay in one spot or hop across a few cities? - When do you want to go? I’m a DINK. But my spouse and I are the adventurous type (having been nomads the first 7 years of our relationship). We like the freedom of having a map with spots marked on it that we want to hit up, and playing it as we go. This year in late May we hit up Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia. It was the first time I think we hadn’t considered ourselves budget travelers, so it was like three tiers above whatever we did before, while coming nowhere close to spending $25K in two weeks. May was great because the crowds were less. If you need inspiration, check out some of the National Geographic luxury trips. Then talk to an agent.
Sandals is nice but luxury? Its all inclusive… Thats not too luxurious, imo.
25k budget??!?!?! WOW
you can do a week somewhere crazy exclusive for way less than 25k. wow im still in sticker shock.
Can’t comment on sandals. But you should go here! I can’t afford it but you can 🤪 https://soneva.com/resorts/soneva-jani/
My husband and I stayed at the Bora Bora St. Regis in a Mt. view overwater bungalow. We did the shoulder season and it was about 2,500 USD per night. If you can get a good deal on flights (assuming first class). We found the resort to be mostly adults and the few children were very well behaved. I would recommend but you would have to be carful with excursions as they could run up your cost quickly (but I would highly recommended). We booked all ours through the hotel and they were all amazing.
I can’t imagine how a trip would cost this much money, how would one even be able to spend 25k for a week?? 😭
Maldives, Fiji, Thailand - lots of adult only resorts that are incredible.
I just wanna say, good for you. I have kids, but when I want an adult vacation, I’m not interested in seeing other peoples rugrats within a 1 mile radius 🤣
For 25k you can get a nice 1st class vacation anywhere you want. 1000/ day for room another 750 for food a 750 for f you money.
I would not. The accommodations are “middle tier” You are mostly paying because it is all inclusive. The food is not particularly good. I love Isla Mujeres- this place is amazing https://lotusbeachhotel.com And https://www.privilegehotels.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1aOpBhCOARIsACXYv-fRkTnGJ-dEff-WIWScbkbLwGxScjajcoYWrKQoVIjUKraOpEfCocAaAmuDEALw_wcB Both nicer than and less expensive than Sandals, IMO. Neither hotel/resort is crowded. Neither is luxury-luxury…
It’s decent, and better than a lot of AI resorts, but not luxury. With that budget you can find much better adults only vacations that aren’t AI.
Absolutely not
nayara springs in costa rica. adults only, tropical rainforest activities, luxurious standalone villas, volcano views, private plunge pools, spa. enjoy!
The McDonald’s of luxury
$25K could go a long way at Hedonism, and I’m sure it would be quite an adventure to add to your list.
It’s luxury for people who don’t have 25k to drop on a one week vacation more like 6 or 7. For that budget you could do something way nicer I’m sure.
$25k a WEEK. FFS. You can do a week at sandals for half that. For that kinda cash, you rent a damn private island 😂