Sandals Halcyon Review: Our Honest Review
Although it’s not our favorite of the St. Lucia Sandals resorts (that’s Sandals Regency la Toc) we did enjoy our stay there very much and do recommend it. We especially liked the smaller size, as we found it easier to get to know the other guests.
It’s located near Castries, on 22 acres along a lovely beach. St. Lucia itself is a stunning island that we really loved visiting and exploring, with rainforests, volcanic mountain peaks, gorgeous beaches, and excellent snorkeling and scuba diving.
The resort is very popular resort for honeymoons due to these factors, plus the availability of being able to go to the other two resorts.
Arriving at Sandals Halcyon Beach
Sandals Halcyon is about an hour and a half from the airport, and the road winds up and down across hilly terrain. We tend to get carsick, so we opted to take the ferry instead. This turned out to be a wonderful way to arrive at the resort, as we got to see some of the islands and even saw some dolphins. Another option is to take a helicopter, which is faster and gives you a bird’s-eye view of St. Lucia.
The ferry took about an hour and a half, and the drive from the dock to the resort took about another 10 minutes.
Once we arrived, we were greeted with a welcome drink, then escorted to our club level room.
Sandals Halcyon Review: Rooms and Suites
There are multiple room and suite options at Sandals Halcyon, from poolside luxury rooms to beachfront, oceanview, and swim-up rooms, to butler suites with private pool sanctuaries.
Some of the new room options at Sandals Halcyon include Koko Rondoval Butler Villas and the Halcyon Shore House Beachfront Butler Suites. The Koko Rondoval Butler Villa is one of Sandals’ unique Rondoval suites, which are conical suites with vaulted ceilings and private walled sanctuaries. These feature a private plunge pool, outdoor shower, and outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tub for Two.
The Halcyon Shore House Butler Suites are oceanfront on the ground floor, offering you great views and access to the beach from your furnished and covered walkout patio. They also feature a private plunge pool and spa-like bathroom with a soaking tub.
All of the butler suites come with personal butler service and 24-hour inroom dining.
The room we were in was a Grand Luxe Club Level Walkout Room. It had a patio with a Tranquility Soaking Tub for Two and curtains to give you some privacy, since it was near a path. We liked being able to walk right out of our room into the resort, and found this room to be really nice. Club level rooms come with concierge service, room service between 7am and 10pm, and access to the Sandals Club Lounge.
The Beach and Pools
The beach at Sandals Halcyon is lovely—long with soft white sand and lined with palm trees—and you can find plenty of chairs. However, the water is not as clear as you’ll find at Sandals Grande St. Lucian. We suggest taking the complimentary shuttle to that resort to enjoy the water there during your stay. It’s just about 20 minutes away. Also, the beach is public so there are a few vendors. If you let them know you’re not interested, they will leave you alone.
Sandals Halcyon Beach has 3 whirlpools and 3 pools, including the Caribbean’s longest lagoon pool. The main pool has music and activities as well as a swim-up bar for a fun vibe.
The main pool at Sandals Halcyon was our favorite. We are fairly quiet but the entertainment team did a great job of bringing us all together for name that tune. After that we would see the same people around the resort since it is fairly small. We had a great time being more social and would be invited to different activities throughout our stay.
If you are the type of person that likes to be around people, but prefer small groups this is for you. This is also the first Sandals Resort where we did the water fitness class. We had so much fun and everyone was laughing with us and cheering us on as we tried to complete the routine.
Food and Drink
There are 6 restaurants and 7 bars, including two swim-up bars, at Sandals Halcyon Beach. You also have access via the free shuttle to 21 restaurants and 14 bars at Sandals Grande St. Lucian and Sandals Regency La Toc.
Restaurants onsite serve a variety of cuisines, including international, Caribbean, seafood, Asian, Italian, and grilled specialties. There’s also a new food truck serving pizza.
Our two favorite restaurants at Sandals Halcyon were Soy Sushi and Bayside. Top choices at Sushi include the rainbow roll, crispy spicy tuna, seared tuna tataki, and the Crispy Philly.
Bayside has buffets with tons of options for breakfast and lunch, and we really liked the variety. At night it serves a la carte dinner. One of the nicest restaurants is Kelly’s Dockside, which is set over the water for amazing views, but honestly, the service is pretty slow. We recommend getting there when it first opens with a drink in hand so you can relax and enjoy the sunset on your own terms.
Activities
In addition to non-motorized watersports such as snorkeling, paddleboarding, and kayaking, you can also enjoy motorized options, including waterskiing and wakeboarding at Sandals Halcyon because the water is calm.
Scuba diving is also included for certified divers but you need to get in a shuttle to take you to the boat.
Land activities include day and night tennis, beach vollevball, lawn chess, shuffleboard, croquet, and table tennis. There is also a state-of-the-art fitness center.
You can also take the shuttle to the other two resorts and enjoy activities there. Sandals Grande St. Lucian is perfect for watersports, with its position on Rodney Bay with calm and clear water.
Golf is available, with complimentary greens fees at and transportation to an 18-hole championship course.
There is daily and nightly entertainment as well, including live music, theme parties, and special events.
Sandals Halcyon Beach has a full-service spa with all sorts of relaxing services available, but note that these cost extra and are not included.
You can also go offsite for excursions, which also cost extra. We highly recommend this, since St. Lucia is so beautiful and there is so much to see and do. We went on a catamaran tour to see the Pitons and a waterfall, and then to bathe the volcanic mud pits. We had a lot of fun.
Other excursions include historical and cultural tours, ziplining in the rainforest, touring the Pitons, exploring Pigeon Island National Park, the Pigeon Island Undersea Trek, sunset cruises, and a rum and chocolate experience.
Visiting other Sandals Resorts
One of the great benefits of Sandals Halcyon is it is in the middle of the two other Sandals Resorts. You can take a shuttle to either and be there within 20 minutes.
We highly recommend spending a day at Sandals Grande St Lucian. The water is amazing and there are more food options as well. If you want to spend the entire day there, including dinner, check with the spa when you arrive to see when they close. Ask them when you should come back to shower so you can change close before dinner.
Yes, as a smaller resort, Sandals Halcyon is very quiet and peaceful.
Yes, Sandals Halcyon is couples only. Like all Sandals resorts, it is designed to deliver a romantic atmosphere for couples, and all rooms have just one king bed. While some other Sandals resorts are beginning to accommodate groups with 2, 3, and 4 bedroom options, Sandals Halcyon does not have any of those and is not really recommended for groups due to its smaller size.
Sandals Halcyon is 90 minutes from the airport. As at all Sandals, airport transfers are complimentary.
