Plain and simple review here

its not a bad place, its not a 5 star more like a 3.5

food is ok

serivce ok but depends on the persons mood

beach is not bad

pool is ok

had 189 dollars stolen out of my wallet that was in the safe in the room that my wife may have left open by mistake one day, they seem to not want to take any responsibility and where kinda useless over the ordeal

would i go back there ,,, NO

Stayed at the Regency for a week in April after winning a free trip from a charity fundraiser. This was our 7th Sandals stay, and we had had problems with our last stay. I had gotten in touch with the GM of the Regency before we left to make sure things would go smoother this time, and overall they did.

The ride from the airport wasn't as bad as expected, but as I am prone to motion sickness, I did take some ginger Gravol before leaving the airport. The views are fantastic and it was great to see the island.

Check-in was effortless but somewhat 'canned'. We were herded to a banquet room where we completed our paperwork with champagne and sandwiches. It would have been a nice opportunity for the front desk staff to show some personality since they are by far the department with the least customer service. Not that they were rude, just not very friendly or outgoing. Too bad.

We were upgraded to a beautiful suite, one of the Romeo & Juliet one-bedroom suites with butler service. Fantastic view, great patio, very spacious room. A few minor things were missing from the room but nothing to worry about. The bar service was always very good and we were able to get what we wanted with a simple request. We usually didn't mind the walk up and down the hill, but we did sometimes grab a shuttle. This service is great and we never had to wait long when we decided to partake.

We didn't really use the butler service much, but we did enjoy our main butler, Samantha. She was extremely friendly, and very efficient. Coming back to our suite to get ready for dinner one night, we were pleasantly surprised with a candlelit strawberry-scented bubble bath.. Add a bottle of champagne and it was decadence!

I'm a big foodie so the meals are a big part of the experience for me. Breakfast at the Pavilion was usually pretty good, although the powdered eggs on the buffet are a bit disappointing. TThe fruit selection was sometimes a bit bare. Dinner at the Pitons was fantastic and rather unexpected. We were actually planning on skipping this restaurant and ended up going twice. The lamb curry was great! La Toc was very good, and our server, Sarah, was so sweet and couldn't have tried any harder. Armando's was by far the worst of the Sandals Italian restaurants we have been to, and the antipasto bar was embarrassing. Even the ex-Sandals in Cuba, Princessa del Mar, had a far superior antipasto buffet, embargos and all! The a la carte selections were equally as bad. Also low on our list was Kimonos. Again, this is a standard at most Sandal's but this one was the worst we've been to. The venue itself has the most breath-taking view so make sure you go out on the deck at some point (they serve dessert out there but we didn't stay for dessert). The most disappointing aspect here was that the 'show' normally put on by the chef (really the reason to experience teppanyaki) was non-existent. I'm not sure if our chef was new but he didn't once speak to any of us at the table, except to ask if we wanted an item. No jokes, no chatter, too bad. We only did Arizona's for lunch or nachos, and be warned: the portions are massive. Great burgers, and make sure to grab a Jamaican meat patty as you pass by.

Speaking of Arizona's, something has to be said about the singing cowboy. I can't stand country music but he was unbelievable!! It didn't matter what song he sang, he sounded amazing.

Pool-wise, we always hung out at the butler pool, at least after the first day down at the main pool, or 'The Pit' as it is known. It's nice that there is something for everyone, but we definitely enjoyed the quietness at the Bluffs. Get up early (or have your butler reserve it) and get a couple of loungers on the lower sun decks. Nothing like it!

Weather-wise, it rained every day, but usually just a shower for 20 minutes or so. This is another reason to make sure you get either an umbrella or even better, one of the blue cabanas to tuck into and stay dry. Unfortunately, these same cabanas turn into little ovens when the sun is out; vents would have been a great addition. During the evenings and overnight, the showers got much more aggressive.

As for fitness facilities, we tried the tennis courts and public lessons, as well as the Bluff's gym. The courts were fine although could use a bit more maintenance. The visiting tennis pro was pretty good although I think he was thoroughly disgusted with our lack of skill. The gym at the Bluffs, although small, is adequate but again some of the equipment could use a screwdriver.

We had quite a few photos taken by the SnapShots team, and they were a lot of fun. We checked out the pics regularly and never once felt pressured. We also did the 15-minute private session with a photographer and got fantastic shots. The CD of images was the best deal.

We took a day trip to the Grande one day, and it was nice to experience another property. The beach is beautiful and the pool is quite different. Overall, the atmosphere there seemed much more 'Spring Break'. We had a beautiful day room to get changed (okay, the Prime Minister Suite) and headed to dinner at Gordons. The view was wonderful, the service was impeccable and the food was wonderful. Too bad it rained the whole time so it was quite cold throughout dinner. It would have been nice to have the 'windows' closed but it would have detracted from the view. A sweater would have been much appreciated. The shuttle back to the Regency was a bit of a gong show. Too many people and not enough busses. When we got to the Halcyon, the bus was already full but there were 20 or so people waiting. As it was raining, they weren't all that happy to be left behind. Someting to keep in mind for your return trip.

We also did one excursion, the Land & Sea trip, and thoroughly enjoyed all aspects. Be prepared for a rough ride, so keep your Gravol handy. The lunch stop is a great opportunity to try some local cuisine so be open and adventurous. The catamaran portion was fun too, with the Big Bamboo song a highlight for sure.

Sandals Signature Guest program leaves a lot to be desired. This is one of the main reasons we go back but instead of getting what we are promised, it's a constant fight to get it. As Platinum level guests, we were supposed to receive nightly turn-down service & treats but it took several times asking before we finally received it. The SSG dinner was good and the parting gift was much appreciated. Unfortunately, we were supposed to receive our silver sandals but again, we had to fight to get them. If they're going to push this program as the reason to go back, they need to be more on top of it and more proactive.

The final thing was the flight out. The airport is tiny and there isn't much to do or many places to sit. Most of the charters go out at the same time so it gets very crowded. Many flights were delayed so it was a bit of a hassle at the end of a very relaxing vacation.

St. Lucia is absolutely spectacular and I highly recommend a visit to the island. The Regency has its good and bad and I can't say we'd highly recommend it although I would say overall value is fair.

We had a lot of the same experiences related to issues and inconsistencies with service, staff responsiveness and food that others have written about. Sandals does a wonderful job marketing "luxury" but I would not say the property, the food and the service qualify as "luxurious". It is a very pretty place but the resort is "tired" and in need of some updates.

I do have some things to share that will hopefully help you have a better stay if you do decide to stay there -

If you fly into Hewanorra airport I would definitely recommend the helicopter service to the smaller airport at the north end of the island. The pilots are experienced, it's a smooth quick ride, and a great way to see the island. If you book the flight directly through St. Lucia Helicopters rather than through Sandals, you will save $ ($120 one way per person vs. $140 through Sandals). Book in advance as they can take 6 people + pilot and both trips we took were full.

Booking a room: it appears that most guests were given upgrades in room class once they arrived at the resort. We originally booked a Grande Luxe Oceanview Room. The week before we left, Sandals called and offered an upgrade to a Honeymoon Oceanview One Bedroom Suite for a flat $400 for the week. I accepted the upgrade. Once we arrived at the resort we were then upgraded to a Sunset Royal Oceanfront One Bedroom Two Story Villa Suite with Pool for no additional charge. We did not receive the butler service with this upgrade but we did receive the Concierge service which came in very handy several times.

Concierge service can be used to book tours, reservations at restaurants on and off the property, transportation, etc. I found the personnel (especially Ronald) extremely responsive and helpful in many ways. A couple of examples - the hairdryer in the room was missing, I called housekeeping in the morning to request one. By the end of the day, still no hairdryer, called again. After the turndown service, still no hairdryer. Called the concierge and received the dryer in about 10 minutes. They also helped us with getting our pool cleaned after we called and requested that a couple of times (doesn't appear to happen on a regular basis and no pool skimmer was provided), got bathrobes replaced that had been taken with the laundry and not provided again, and they got the empty bar stocked for us. Just little annoying things that caused some frustration.

The suite itself was ok. Again, just tired. Furniture old/stained, dresser drawers broken, sink was leaky, didn't drain well and gurgled loudly all night long. But the view was spectacular.

Spa: Used the spa for a couples massage. Not a great massage for either of us. Consisted of about an entire bottle of oil being poured on you and just sort of rubbed in (including in my eyes for some bizarre reason). Once the massage was over we were immediately taken to another treatment room for a sales pitch on various products we should buy.

We took a couple of tours - (1) the Tropical Jeep Safari which I'd highly recommend. Was a small group and a great way to see a lot and learn a lot about the island. Had a short hike through the jungle to a pretty waterfall and stream. The guide was friendly and very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna. He also acts as a photographer taking pictures of the couples with their own cameras in all the right places (2) the Catamaran Day Sail (Sandals calls it the Sourfriere Adventure Cruise). We booked this through viator.com and it cost $90/person instead of the $112 through Sandals. It is the identical cruise that Sandals provides. It's billed as a relaxing cruise down the West Coast to Soufriere and the Pitons. It's a gorgeous trip down the coast but not relaxing and very crowded. The boat was about 60 ft. long and there were approximately 60-70 people on the boat. It's more of a party cruise (rum punch and beer flowing and loud music blaring) than a relaxing sail. The trip to Soufriere takes about 90 minutes and then you are crammed into hot minivans (10 people per van) and taken to the Sulfur Springs which is a very interesting place to see (and smell). Boarded the buses again and then arrived at the Diamond Botanical Gardens. Again a pretty place with a guided tour but we actually learned more from the Tropical Jeep Safari tour. Then went to lunch which again was just ok. Boarded the catamaran and sailed to a spot for snorkeling which was already encumbered by three other large tour groups and a couple of private sail boats so there were literally about 150 people snorkeling around the area.

The last thing I recommend is going to the Rainforest Hideaway in Marigot Bay for dinner. An incredibly beautiful location and wonderful food. Taxi ride is about $25US each way and takes 30min. Free water taxi ride from the dock over to the restaurant.

St.Lucia Sandals Regency April 25, 2008 My husband and I just returned from I would have to say the best vacation we have ever had at Sandals this is our third Sandals resort and by far I'd say this is our best. We were married in Antigua in 2006 then celebrated our first year Anniversary in Ocho Rios and now we celebrated our second in St. Lucia the staff was all so wonderful and friendly My very favorite Person the one that made my trip so great is i'd have to say was Benedict, our butler he was the most attentive butler we've ever had. He made sure our umbrellas were reserved everyday at the pool with a Cooler full of Pitons, sodas and water he also had our dinner reservations done up for us even before we arrived. Upon returning from the pool he would have our bath ready full of bubbles and rosepetals Oh and lets not forget the Bucket of Champagne on the side of the tub with soft jazz music playing he set the mood everyday he was great. The food is great in all of the restaurants one thing that I realized was that in the states we are always in a hurry to be served and get out but in st. lucia its all about NO PRESSURE so everything has its own time and its all about relaxing thats just something we have to adjust to when we go to these places take your time. The pool activities were so much fun the playmakers are a great bunch. Housekeeping was also great Thank you Macrina! our room was clean and she even brough me extra sugar every morning for my coffee. Kristal in the office was also so helpful and sweet during both our check in and our checkout overall our trip was a complete success we even had the opportunity going to Jazz on Marigot Bay that was so much fun!! Sandals staff is great and treat their guests like family I loved that we had our own driver to and from the airport I must say We spent 10 beautiful days there and hated to leave we highly recommend it to everyone......