Room Key: Mediterranean Village at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa
Address: Box 147, Dickenson Bay, St. John's, Antigua
Phone: (268) 462-0267
Reservations: (800) SANDALS (726-3257)
Web:www.sandals.com
General Manager: Jim Allmand
Suites: 180, ranging from the 27 Portofino Suites on the ground floor, which have water and garden views, to the 11 ocean villa, one-bedroom suites with private pools.
Rates: From January through December 2008, from $673 per person, per night, double in the Portofino Suites to $1,304 in the luxury ocean villa one-bedroom suites with private pools.
Review: Sandals fans will not be disappointed. The Mediterranean Village lives up to its billing in terms of architectural elements, style, decor and amenities. The beach is one of the best, and the off-site tour excursions are varied and interesting (the catamaran trip to Bird Island is recommended). The weekly wine seminars are educational and fun, and the pizzas and coconut ice cream cones served throughout the day are delicious.
The official opening of the $70 million
Mediterranean Village at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa
was as much a preview of Sandals' future plans as it was a
celebration of the new luxury facility.
Although the
Mediterranean Village had its soft opening in July, the fireworks
went off in Antigua from Oct. 4 to 7 for the formal ribbon-cutting
ceremony, heralding the latest addition to Sandals family of
resorts.
Butch Stewart,
chairman of Sandals Resorts, invited more than 800 industry
partners, celebrities, entertainers, government officials and media
to explore the Mediterranean Village and its 180 suites, four
restaurants, three bars, pool and shops.
The new complex is
targeted at the luxury leisure, honeymoon and bridal markets.
Sandals reports solid bookings for the holiday season and
beyond.
Stewart described
the opening of the Mediterranean Village as "a defining moment" for
Sandals.
"We have moved
beyond the all-inclusive category and the often maligned
all-inclusive connotation," he said. "This opening signifies and
celebrates a new direction for our 26-year-old company.
"We've watched the
luxury trend carefully and have invested more than $200 million in
the last three years to transform our suites, which comprise 44% of
all room inventories, well above the industry standard. As our
company has evolved, so too has the Sandals customer."
The all-suite
Mediterranean Village marks the launch of Sandals' Luxury Included
Vacation concept, which will be followed by a collection of luxury
suites now under renovation and construction in five of the 12
Sandals resorts in Jamaica, St. Lucia and the Bahamas.
The Luxury Included
Vacation affirms Sandals' ongoing commitment to service and guest
experiences from arrival to departure, said Stewart.
These experiences
include Sandals' Red Lane Spas; dining options; the Preston Bailey
Signature WeddingMoons, a collection of four wedding packages;
private butler service; the recent partnership with Beringer
Vineyards; resort activities; and accommodations.
The Mediterranean
Village features architectural styles of the Mediterranean region,
such as terracotta roof tiles; copper domes; Italianate statues;
marble columns; hand-cut mosaic tiles set into fountains and stone
walkways; ironwork lighting fixtures on the resort grounds; and
vaulted entryways.
The Mediterranean
theme is also reflected in the resort's restaurant names and menu
offerings.
Sandals' signature
landmarks, services and amenities are present in the Mediterranean
Village, including the Sandals tower, the swim-up bar at the pool,
a bevy of butlers scurrying to and fro, and four-poster mahogany
beds.
The top two suite
categories offer private butler service. All six categories feature
42-inch plasma TVs, stocked mini-refrigerators, Jacuzzi tubs for
two and separate walk-in showers with rainfall
showerheads.
Still to come is
Internet access in the guest rooms, although the lobby areas and
the private poolside cabanas now offer Wi-Fi service.
The first casino at
a Sandals resort is under construction on the edge of the
Mediterranean Village; it is set to open in November.
The Grand Bay
Casino will be operated and managed by the former owner of the land
on which the Mediterranean Village was built.
The casino will
have a full range of slot machines and table games.
Guests at Sandals
Antigua have access to all facilities at the Mediterranean Village
as well as the five restaurants and bars, pools and water sports at
the plantation-style Caribbean Village, which is a short walk from
the Mediterranean Village.
The 193-room
Caribbean Village opened in 1991 and was Sandals' first foray
outside of Jamaica.
To
contact reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].