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Sandals Royal Bahamian

Nassau, Bahamas

4.1(3,204 reviews)

Adults OnlySandals Resorts International

Sandals Royal Bahamian is the brand's couples-only flagship in Nassau, a historic resort with its own private island. The property closed for a multi-million-dollar renovation and reopened on January 27, 2022 with new river suites, more than 200 refurbished rooms and suites, the Coconut Grove lounge with gourmet food trucks, and a reworked private island. That island, Sandals Barefoot Cay, is the signature: five minutes by water taxi, with two beaches, a pool, a Jacuzzi, a seafood restaurant, a spa and a Zen garden.

Traveler Insights

Pros

+Sandals Barefoot Cay, the private offshore island, is five minutes away on the included Sandals Love Runner water taxi and has two beaches (one for lounging, one for snorkeling), a pool, a Jacuzzi, a seafood restaurant, a spa and a Zen garden
+Ten specialty restaurants and two food trucks: La Plume (French), Butch's Island Chop House, Tesoro (Italian with Neapolitan-style pizza), Kanoo (Pan-Caribbean), Kimonos teppanyaki, Soy Sushi Bar, Aralia House seafood, The Queen's Pearl British pub, Gordon's on the Pier and Coco Queen
+Eight bars including three swim-up bars, with top-shelf spirits and Robert Mondavi Twin Oaks wines included
+PADI scuba diving is included for certified divers, along with kayaks, paddleboards, Hobie Cats, windsurfing, snorkel gear and glass-bottom boat trips
+Seven pools and five whirlpools, plus the river suites added in the renovation that reopened the resort in January 2022
+Butler suites are a real step up: oceanview swim-up Butler Suites and Island Village Villa Suites with private plunge pools, and a $250 Dine Out Credit at select Nassau restaurants on 7-night stays in select Butler Suites
+Wi-Fi in all areas, all taxes and gratuities, and round-trip airport transfers are included, so the bill at checkout is mostly spa and excursions
+Day and night tennis, pickleball, squash and a fitness center with panoramic views keep active couples busy between beach sessions

Cons

−Rates are high for the Caribbean, and some travelers question whether Nassau justifies the cost versus Saint Lucia or Jamaica
−Nassau is very cruise oriented, so downtown and the popular excursions can feel crowded and commercial when several ships are in port
−Standard caution applies beyond the resort: some Nassau neighborhoods are best avoided, especially at night
−Red Lane Spa treatments and Island Routes excursions (Atlantis, Blue Lagoon Island) cost extra on top of the all-inclusive rate
−La Plume, Butch's Island Chop House and Kimonos need reservations, and Butch's has an evening dress code, so packing only beachwear will limit your dinners
−A more social, lively vibe than some Sandals seekers expect; couples after total quiet may prefer a smaller Sandals elsewhere
−Nassau is flat and lacks the dramatic mountain scenery of Saint Lucia or Jamaica's north coast

Dining is broad for a 404-room resort. Ten specialty restaurants cover French at La Plume, steaks at Butch's Island Chop House, Italian and pizza at Tesoro, Pan-Caribbean at Kanoo, teppanyaki at Kimonos, sushi at Soy, Caribbean seafood at Aralia House, pub food at The Queen's Pearl and grilled seafood at Gordon's on the Pier. La Plume, Butch's and Kimonos take reservations while most others are walk-in. Eight bars include three swim-up bars, there are seven pools and five whirlpools, and the room range runs from standard rooms up to swim-up Butler Suites and villa suites with private plunge pools. Butler service is consistently praised in traveler forums as genuinely attentive.

This is the pick for couples who want a private island, a deep restaurant line-up and Nassau's excursion menu in one stay. PADI scuba for certified divers, Wi-Fi, taxes, gratuities and airport transfers are all included; spa treatments and Island Routes tours to Atlantis or Blue Lagoon Island are not. Against Sandals Grande St. Lucian it trades mountain scenery for the island and a short flight from the US East Coast, and it skews a little more social than the quieter Sandals properties.

Common Questions

What is Sandals Barefoot Cay and how do you get there?

Barefoot Cay is the resort's private offshore island, formerly called Sandals Cay. The included Sandals Love Runner water taxi gets you there in about five minutes. It has two beaches, one for relaxing and one with good snorkeling, plus a pool, a Jacuzzi, a seafood restaurant, a spa and a Zen garden.

What changed in the renovation, and when was it?

The resort closed for construction and reopened on January 27, 2022. The work added river suites, refurbished more than 200 rooms and suites, created the Coconut Grove lounge with gourmet food trucks and reworked the private island. It was a major refresh rather than a rebuild of every room.

Which restaurants need reservations?

La Plume, Butch's Island Chop House and Kimonos are marked reservation required, and Butch's has an evening attire dress code. Tesoro, Kanoo, Soy Sushi Bar, Aralia House, Gordon's on the Pier and The Queen's Pearl are walk-in. Butler guests can have reservations handled for them, which helps in peak season.

Are butler suites worth it here?

Travelers generally say yes. The butler categories include oceanview swim-up suites and villa suites with private plunge pools, and select Butler Suites booked for 7 nights come with a $250 Dine Out Credit at chosen Nassau restaurants. The butler also handles dinner bookings and daily setup.

What is included and what costs extra?

Meals, top-shelf drinks, PADI scuba for certified divers, water sports, Wi-Fi, all taxes and gratuities, airport transfers and the water taxi to Barefoot Cay are included. Red Lane Spa treatments, private candlelight dinners and Island Routes excursions such as Atlantis or Blue Lagoon Island are paid extras.

Is Nassau safe?

The resort area is safe. Nassau has crime in some neighborhoods, so use standard caution beyond tourist areas and avoid wandering unfamiliar streets at night. That is in line with most Caribbean destinations.

Restaurants (10)

Type	Restaurants
Italian	Tesoro
Japanese & sushi	Soy Sushi Bar
Teppanyaki / hibachi	Kimonos
Steakhouse	Butch's Island Chop House
Seafood	Aralia House, Gordon's on the Pier
French	La Plume
Caribbean & local	Kanoo
American & grill	Calico Café
Pub	The Queen's Pearl

From the resort's own dining pages. Only restaurants the resort lists are shown. All are covered by the all-inclusive rate, per the resort.

What's nearby

Downtown Nassau (Bay Street)
12 min drive · 5.6 mi
Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre
11 min drive · 4.5 mi
Pirates of Nassau Museum
12 min drive · 5.3 mi
Parliament Square
12 min drive · 5.6 mi
Fort Fincastle
14 min drive · 6.1 mi
Love Beach
15 min drive · 6.0 mi

More things to do (24)

Cable Beach · beach3 min drive · 0.9 mi
Junkanoo Beach · beach10 min drive · 4.8 mi
Aquaventure Water Park (Atlantis) · water park20 min drive · 7.4 mi
Baha Bay Water Park · water park5 min drive · 1.0 mi
Goodman's Bay Beach · beach5 min drive · 1.9 mi
Royal Blue Golf Club (Baha Mar) · golf5 min drive · 1.7 mi
Saunders Beach · beach7 min drive · 3.5 mi
Arawak Cay Fish Fry · town10 min drive · 4.3 mi
Harrold and Wilson Ponds National Park · nature10 min drive · 4.8 mi
Nassau Botanical Gardens · nature11 min drive · 4.7 mi
Heritage Museum of The Bahamas · museum12 min drive · 5.2 mi
Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation · museum12 min drive · 5.3 mi
Straw Market · town12 min drive · 5.4 mi
Fort Charlotte · historic site12 min drive · 5.1 mi
National Art Gallery of The Bahamas · museum12 min drive · 5.3 mi
Queen's Staircase · historic site15 min drive · 6.2 mi
Bay Street Marina · marina15 min drive · 6.5 mi
Atlantis Marina · marina20 min drive · 7.1 mi
Blue Lagoon Island day trip and dolphin encounter · excursion20 min drive · 7.3 mi
Fast ferry day trip to Harbour Island · excursion20 min drive · 6.9 mi
Nassau Harbour Club Marina · marina20 min drive · 7.4 mi
Exuma swimming pigs day trip by speedboat · excursion20 min drive · 7.4 mi
Rose Island snorkel and beach trip · excursion20 min drive · 7.4 mi
Deep-sea fishing charter · excursion20 min drive · 7.4 mi

Amenities

Diving

Tennis

Swim-Up Bar

Snorkeling

Water Sports Rentals

Free Wi-Fi

Nightly Entertainment

Spa

Show 2 more amenities

Gym

Beach

Style & Rooms

Atmosphere

Couples Only

Room upgrades

Swim-Up RoomsPlunge Pool RoomsVillas

Seaweed & sargassum

The Bahamas gets sargassum, typically worst June through September.See the month-by-month guide →

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Google Reviews★ 4.1 · 3,204 reviews

Victoria J.

a week ago

“My husband and I celebrated our honeymoon here with butler service. We were blown away by the staff. Absolutely incredible service. Plenty to do, see, eat. The private island snorkeling was my favorite! Shantell and Breon were our butlers and we will...”

Rebecca D.

2 weeks ago

“Really great experience for a full week. Easy to get to, once you're there you can just relax and do what you want when you'd like to. The service is great, Hobie cats included, you can swim, eat, snorkel, sail, relax, sleep, eat, drink, then do it a...”