I am a little late in writing this but wanted to share my opinions of this resort as there seems to be a little bit of controversy about it and the fact that Sandals has taken it over. I want to first start out by mentioning that I am NOT a seasoned traveller but I am EXTREMELY fussy. I read lots and lots of reviews on this website as well as others and decided to go into the whole thing with an open mind and I'm glad I did. From the moment we arrived at the Grand Pineapple, we (me and my two travelling companions) were made to feel very warmly welcomed. I have read reviews that included derogatory remarks about the staff - well, we were on vacation with our friend to help her celebrate her 50th birthday and let me tell you that every one of the staff that knew it was her birthday remembered to wish her a happy one on her day and the management even arranged to leave her a bottle of champagne and a plate of fresh fruit in the room. As a matter of fact, I cannot think of one staff member who didn't treat us warmly thoughout our stay (from the maids to the restaurant staff to crazy Jules and the recreation staff - all were extremely hospitable!). The food was just fine - lots of selection at breakfast (everything from pancakes, french toast, sausage, eggs, etc. to cereals, toast, fresh fruit, yogurts, etc.). Many options for lunch (snack bar, the Topaz or Mary's Outhouse which absolutely HAS to be experienced at least once during your trip - go early before she runs out of food, though!). Dinner was either at the Topaz, Pineapple Grill (only open two or three nights a week) or Chef Pietro's (open alternate nights to the Pineapple Grill). Chef Pietro's is touted as an Italian restaurant - it is really just a part of the Topaz restaurant that has been sectioned off where they serve off of an a la carte Italian menu - this was the only meal that I was not satisfied with as I ordered Penne with crabmeat only to discover that they used mock crab - still, it wasn't the end of the world! They always have a drink server who ensures that you have a fresh drink of whatever 'poison' you'd like - be sure to try some of the original drinks they have posted on the board beside the Piano Bar - the Dominica and the Jamaican Blue Mountain were two of my favourites! The serving staff were very good - as many other reviews have mentioned, try to relax and remember that you are on holidays and that you are in the Caribbean, where they take life at a different pace then us North Americans. I can honestly say that I never waited until the end of a meal for coffee or a request. If I asked for water, it was brought right away. The grounds are kept up very well and if you are awake early enough, you will probably see one or two gardeners raking up all the leaves from the lawn (the tradewinds and the rain tend to send a few falling thoughout the night). The maids keep the rooms very clean and if you need anything, a quick call to the lobby will ensure that someone comes right away to take care of it. One note about the rooms - if you are on holiday to spend all your time in your hotel room, this may not be the place for you. The rooms are adequate, but far from 'opulent' or fancy. They are clean and adequately equipped. There was a ceiling fan as well as an in-window air-conditioner. Plenty of towels, fresh ones every day if you like. The beach was just beautiful - the sand is as others described it, baby powder soft. The water was crystal clear and just the right temperature (in January) to get a break from the sun (probably mid-70's). Snorkelling was great fun (my first time snorkelling!) - lots of fish (black & yellow, purple-y ones, etc.). At night, the entertainment was varied and enjoyable. There were amazing singers, fun karaoke, terrific steel drum band... all very entertaining! There was supposed to be a disco nightly at the Pineapple Grill - we ventured over a couple of nights, but it didn't look like anything was happening. The chirping noise at night is the sound of the tree frogs - some complain about this, it didn't bother us in the slightest and agreed that it was a very peaceful sound (almost like a field of crickets chirping). They are very small creatures that are very difficult to locate (but we did manage to find one - pictures were taken to prove this!). The weather all week was fantastic - it usually rained at night, leaving us with beautiful, sunny weather (nice, hot sun with a beautiful warm tradewind) during the day. There were one or two days during the week where it rained for about five minutes - very light, warm sprinkle-y showers and then the sun was out in full force again. I would definitely suggest a trip into St. John (speak to other guests at the resort - we went in with a couple and it worked out to $15 US per person and we were able to decide when we wanted to go and come back - if you go with the arranged shuttle, it doesn't give you much time in town). We stuck with the Heritage Quay and lucked out to be there on a day when there were no cruise ships docked. Ask ahead of time - if there are two many cruise ships in, it will be crowded and the prices tend to go a little higher. I also highly recommend doing a circumnavigation tour, which takes you by catamaran around the entire island. Word to the feint of stomch - take gravol and do not eat too much, if anything for breakfast. The first part of your trip will be quite rough as you are on the Atlantic side of the island. We were planning on going to Shirley Heights the Sunday before we left to come home, but there were rainshowers that didn't let up most of the afternoon and evening, so we sadly cancelled this. I know this has been a long review, but I wanted to share as much as possible (if I've left anything out, please do not hesistate to contact me and I will be more than glad to share any useful information I may have). To sum it all up, the Grand Pineapple was the best choice we could've made - the charm of this resort is something that cannot be duplicated (hopefully, Sandals will realize this and bear this in mind when deciding what to do with this resort) and I would go back there again in a heartbeat.