Sandals Emerald Bay - All-inclusive Couples-only

Description | Rooms/Suites | Dining | Activities | Excursions

183 Rooms & Suites in 22 categories, 500 acres, 10 minutes from airport, 2 pools with 1 heated, 1-mile powder sand beach overlooking turquoise waters, luxury resort merged with the easy going feel of a Bahamian "Out Island", 18-hole Greg Norman designed championship golf course, 5 restaurants and 5 bars including swim-up and piano bars, largest Red Lane Spa within the Sandals brand, 24-hour room service in all room categories, afternoon tea, stadium tennis, beach butler service, 150-slip deep water marina.

Sandals newest resort, opened January 2010 , Sandals Emerald Bay is a private exotic escape over 500-acre resort set along a one-mile stretch of white sand beach on Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas. Previously a Four Seasons Resort, this  resort offers a selection of 190 "magnificently-appointed," all oceanfront, luxury accommodations with styles that include beachfront villas to charming bay house settings. Unique to the Great Exuma property is the stunning Emerald Reef Golf Club, an 18-hole Greg Norman-designed championship golf course reputed to be among the best in the Caribbean. In addition, the property includes the 17-acre Emerald Bay Marina by Sandals, the first-ever marina for any Sandals Resort allowing guests to arrive directly by sea.

The rooms/suites are large and all have ocean views but not quite as luxurious as many of the other Sandals resorts. We assume Sandals will be upgrading the furnishings and decor at some point, but for now it has more of a casual elegant design based on British Colonial traditions. Directly on the beach is the spacious Royal Estate Suite which is a 2-story villa. It includes a full living room, kitchen, dining room, large patio w/private pool overlooking the ocean, and large bedroom with private bathroom upstairs. This villa is very large and almost too big for most couples, but perfect for a wedding party as it also has 2 attached units through connecting doors. The villa includes butler service and there is only one Royal Estate Suite Villa at the resort.

Next to the Royal Estate Suite is a series of Prime Minister Honeymoon Beachfront Villa suites situated along the beach. These units have butler service and available as a 1br suite and standard suite. They include large patios which are furnished with tables and loungers overlooking the ocean. Just steps away from the beach, the Prime Minister Honeymoon Beachfront Villa suites are the optimal category at the resort and highly recommended for couples who wish to be on the beach.

The majority of the accommodations are situated within six 3-story buildings situated further inland within the resort, but all have oceanviews to varying degree. The ground floor units all have a patio with loungers and have walk-out access on to the property from the patio. The 2nd and 3rd floor units have balconies with a table and 2 reclining chairs. The rooms are very similar to the villa suites in size and decor, but have smaller patios/balconies. The 2 buildings with the best ocean views are called the Ocean Village. The other 4 buildings make up the Emerald Village. The room designs are a mixture of standard rooms, junior suites, and 1br suites. The junior suites are somewhat larger than the standard rooms allowing a larger size couch and sitting area.

The resort takes you on a culinary journey with fine dining at Il Cielo, a formal indoor setting offering Italian cuisine. Bahamas Bay offers excellent buffet during the morning and afternoon hours, a la carte mediterranean style for dinner. Casual dining and fine seafood dishes are offered at Barefoot by the Sea, a popular restaurant found at many Sandals resorts. In our opinion, Emerald Bay also features the best and most appealing pub among all the Sandals Resorts - named the Drunken Duck Pub, it is an authentic Irish pub brought over and reconstucted piece by piece. Also enjoy wood oven pizza at Dino's Pizzeria for lunch and snacks.

The Sandals Emerald Bay Red Lane Spa is the largest spa among the Sandals Resorts with extensive indoor and outdoor facilities. The half-acre zero-entry main pool including a swim-up bar is where most of the daytime activities are found. The property also features a large quiet pool for rest and relaxation as well as a reflecting pool. The crescent beach is another resort highlight as it stretches for a mile and offers ample room to enjoy the sun and sand. Somewhat unique is the natural and peaceful quality of the beach - you won't see any jet skis zipping by on this beach. In addition, this is a good swimmers beach as there are no roped off swimming areas. Of course, you also have all the non-motorized water sports and land sports offered by Sandals as well as nightly entertainment and daily activities. (See daily activity schedule sample)

With the golf course having such a significant presence and an extensive spa, the resort has somewhat of an elegant country club atmosphere. This type of peaceful and remote setting is appropriate for couples looking for quiet escape possibly mixed with a golf or spa getaway. We can not stress it enough - this resort is quiet and secluded! This resort would not be an appropriate option for those looking for upbeat and more active atmospheres. We also like Emerald Bay for elegant group weddings utilizing the Royal Estate Villa

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