Sandals Emerald Bay is a place to relax and let the stress melt away
(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - December 7th, 2014 - My husband and I had the opportunity to take a Babymoon to Sandals Emerald Bay back in February before the birth of our twins. All I can say about this trip is WOW! Sandals Emerald Bay is located in Grand Exuma, Bahamas. This exotic destination is just a 40-minute plane ride from Miami but makes you feel like you are a world away. The Exumas are made up of 360 small isles and cays and are known for their amazing blue water, which is perfect for diving, fishing, and boating. You truly feel like you have entered into a dream world.
After landing in Georgetown, the capital of the Exumas, we were whisked away to the resort. It was about a 20-minute ride, which I loved because I’m not a big fan of taking hours out of my trip to travel by land to my destination. When I get off the plane, I want instant gratification! Our driver was really great and told us information about the island as we traveled. The locals are very friendly. Upon arriving at the resort, I immediately felt a sense of relaxation and all my worries from the “real world” were swept away. The resort is nestled on 500 acres along a mile-long white sand beach. The smaller scale of this resort gave it a more intimate feel, but you never felt the sense of it being crowded.
Accommodation options at Sandals Emerald Bay seem endless. There are over 20 different types of rooms you can choose to suit your preference. Club level rooms offer guests out of this world privileges, unique experiences, and top-notch, one-on-one service. Want to have a truly unique experience? Then do like we did and splurge (although quite reasonably priced) and book a Butler level room. You will truly feel like a celebrity. The butlers are all trained by the Guild of Professional Butlers (they’re the ones who provide butlers to nobility and celebrities- hence making you feel like one!). Your butler handles every little detail of your vacation, no matter how big or small the request. More on the butlers later. The rooms were spacious and tastefully decorated, with high end amenities including mahogany furnishings, natural stone floors, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, and private patios and balconies, just to name a few.
The resort has seven different dining options, which, for a smaller resort is fantastic! Whatever you are craving, you are likely to find it here. Il Cielo boasts Tuscan fare, while La Parisienne has a French flair. Hungry for seafood? Then check out Barefoot by the Sea. Local cuisine can be found at Bahama Bay, or if it’s an English pub you are looking for, head on over to the Drunken Duck. Brick oven pizza can be found at Dino’s and the most delectable pastries and coffees can be found at Café de Paris. We certainly did not go hungry on this trip and all of our meals were to die for! Looking for something a little more romantic? Then check out the Candlelight Dinners, which are private dinners in the most romantic settings- whether on the beach or in a garden. Just the two of you and nature…. it’s pure perfection!
By day, there are many activities to satisfy your adventure side. These include canoes, kayaks, windsurfing, aquatrikes, snorkeling, sailboats, four pools, and more. Sandals offers unlimited scuba diving and an introductory resort certified course for beginner divers. If you are already certified, you can enjoy two dives a day! Nightly entertainment is offered throughout the resort and there are six bars, all featuring upscale beer, wine, and liquor.
Golfers can also find their own little slice of paradise at Sandals Emerald Reef Gold Club. The course was designed by Greg Norman and has won a number of awards and is known as one of the most scenic oceanside courses. It’s known for it’s challenging fairways and each round is a different experience due to the trade winds. All category rooms are offered two free rounds, while Butler level guests can enjoy unlimited golf for their stay.
Since I am not much of a water sport or scuba diving gal, I spent a lot of my time by the pool. Plus, being pregnant with twins, water sports probably wouldn’t have been a good idea! Each morning, our butler would reserve us two chairs under an umbrella poolside at the main pool, and I would just read, relax, and people watch. The pool was large and had a fire pit with seating in the middle. How cool is that?? There was also a swim up bar which featured awesome drinks (non-alcoholic versions for me!) and the bartenders always had fun with the resort guests. There were three other pools on the property, which were less crowded and quieter. You definitely had your pick for how you wanted to spend your day!
The Red Lane Spa is my personal favorite! This sanctuary offers 17 treatment rooms, a salon, fitness center, yoga, Pilates, a steam room, plunge pools, and areas to just relax. I had a prenatal massage and my husband enjoyed a deep tissue massage. We both felt amazing afterwards! I could seriously go there daily!
Now for the highlight of our trip…our amazing butler team! When we arrived at the resort, one of butlers came to meet us. He said our suite wasn’t ready yet, but, gave us a cell phone (aka- the Bat phone) and told us to go have lunch and he’d give us a call when our room was ready. WHAAAT?!?! So there we were, enjoying lunch, when we got a call. After telling him we were finishing lunch, he said he’d be over in a few minutes to escort us to our room. That he did, and then we did the whole check in and orientation in our room. Our butlers also made sure we had dinner reservations made, our room service showed up timely, meals and drinks were delivered us to the pool, spa reservations were made, and so much more! They left little greetings outside our room each morning, made with flowers from the gardens. Our butler team was really put to the test when I was starting to feel ill and had severe back pain. Being four months along in a high-risk pregnancy, I went into panic mode. We were so far from home and I was worried about what could happen. We had to make a very hard decision to return home early so I could see my doctor. Our butler team worked with resort management to get our flights switched and get us home as soon as possible. They also arranged for the spa to come to our room so we could try another massage to alleviate the pain. Our butlers worked so hard and went above and beyond that it kept my mind at ease. I was devastated to leave paradise, but had complete peace of mind when I got home and my doctor told me that the babies and I were in good shape. Of course, I immediately wanted to go home.
Sandals Emerald Bay provided top-notch service and its staff went above and beyond the call of duty to make our stay as enjoyable, relaxing, and stress free as possible. We will definitely be going back!
Does this sound like the place for you and a loved one? Email me today so we can plan your perfect getaway. I can’t wait to send you to your paradise!
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