Sandals – AAV Explorations

Sandals La Source Grenada – the sizzling hot all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean

aavtravel — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 15:55:39 +0000

Grenada has been on top of my bucket list for a long time. I was hooked ever since I first tasted an authentic rum punch with a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg at a traditional Grenadian restaurant in Zurich Switzerland in 2002. My friend Yvonne who invited me there, had traveled to many Caribbean islands at the time. She insisted that Grenada was the fairest and friendliest of them all. Little did I know, it would take less than 15 minutes for me to fall in love with this beautiful island.

Grenada – also know as the Spice Island – is located South of the hurricane belt, making it an excellent option for summer wedding couples looking for a Caribbean honeymoon without the hurricane threat. GND – Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport – is slightly outdated but fairly large and very convenient. Much better than many of its Caribbean neighbor islands. The airport’s runway has water on both sides which provides a little extra thrill when landing.

As soon as you get out of the airport you will start noticing the green rolling hills, long swaying grass, flowers and palm and fruit trees. What a great way to be welcomed to this lush island! You also immediately notice the rock–dark and very distinctively volcanic. The drive from the airport to Sandals La Source Grenada is less than 10 minutes, which is an extra perk after a day of travel.

Arriving at Sandals La Source literally means driving down a hill into a village. The lobby is airy and very welcoming. Sandals La Source is made up of several villages. Unlike other Sandals properties these are very sleek, almost a bit Asian inspired. There is a nice mix of rondovals, two-story cottage looking buildings, as well as a few high rise buildings.

With the exception of the “Pink Gin Village” (pictured above) all buildings at Sandals La Source were built from scratch. No expense was spared to create some of the most luxurious and at times, sexy accommodations. Everything there is for a romantic, but also fun-filled vacation. The new building blocks are off the beach. Some have views of the distant ocean, some overlook the rolling hills, some overlook the beautiful gardens and pools. A couple of romantic rondovals cluster in the middle of the property. Those offer the ultimate in privacy and romance and offer a charming focal point with their thatched roof tops.

The Pink Gin Village is located closest to the beach. It consists of the the original “LaSource Resort” which Sandals bought in 2013. Each building has several floors and the rooms were beautifully redone. The balconies are fairly small but the sound of the ocean carries right into these rooms. Just imagine laying in bed and falling asleep to the gentle sound of the waves.

As with all Sandals resorts there are many inclusions; from gourmet restaurants, bars, land and water activities as well as entertainment. Sandals Grenada will keep you busy! Here are a few things that deserve to be highlighted in particular:

Workout
If you are a fitness buff you will love finding this brand new, state of the art fitness center. Numerous treadmills, elliptical and weight stations await, all overlooking the beautiful lush gardens of Sandals La Source. A wonderful, air-conditioned area to burn some extra calories.

Sushi
You might think, did she really just say sushi? Absolutely. True sushi lovers know that this particular delicacy can be a hit or miss at an all-inclusive resort. Not at Sandals’ La Source. Soy‘s sushi chef, Berwin Barraca, makes some of the best sushi we’ve ever had. So if you are a true sushi lover, this might just be your all-inclusive resort.

Butch’s Steak House
The newest addition to the Sandals restaurant family. The first ever Steakhouse at a Sandals resort, serving some fantastic meat. Expectations were high, given that it carries the Sandals Chairman and Founder’s name. It simply had to be good and truly did not disappoint!

Bathrooms
Yes, bathrooms. Some of the most spectacular might I add. You might just end up spending a couple of hours!

The resort is wonderful no doubt, but what about the island?
Air lift to Grenada is still limited but both, the islands’ government as well as the Sandals & Beaches management are working on getting more airlines to service Grenada. Either way, you simply need to make it to this beautiful Caribbean paradise. If not convinced yet, allow Zach and Morgan, both students in Grenada, tell you more.

Written by STEFANIE PICHONNAT
Stefanie Pichonnat is the Certified Sandals & Beaches Specialist at Cumar Gold Travel, a boutique travel firm specialized in creating and customizing personalized travel itineraries. You can contact her at stefanie@aav-travel.com

Three days – three Caribbean Islands – the Sandals and Beaches 2014 MegaFam

aavtravel — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 00:55:56 +0000

Wow! Talk about making things happen! Sandals has been an innovator in brand imaging and marketing for years–and not only that, they also have been improving their product ever since my first stay with them eight years ago. Today I am proud to say that I have personally visited all but one of their resorts. Many on several occasions. The commitment this company has shown to improving their resorts, bringing their properties up to speed, making older Caribbean style resorts look updated and chic as well as making sure travel consultants get to know their product, is amazing. But let me start with our 3 day – 3 island whirlwind tour through the Caribbean.

Throughout 2014 Sandals & Beaches Resorts have been conducting 14 of the so called “MegaFams,” each departing from different US gateways. Every time they chartered a plane and hosted all agents for a minimal fee. The idea was to get them to experience three different islands, resorts, as well as update them on the latest and greatest going on in the company.

My MegaFam departed from Chicago and it was the first– and only one–to charter a #767 to take approximately 200 agents to the Caribbean. All agents were hand-picked and chosen because of their commitment and dedication to their clients, as well as understanding what Sandals and Beaches is all about. Our first stop was the island of Exuma in the Bahamas. Get this, we were the first ever #767 plane to land there. The airport is so small, we could hardly turn around on the runway! It was truly amazing. And not only that, in order for liability insurance coverage, the airport had to be upgraded before we could even land.

We started off by visiting Sandals Emerald Bay, a gorgeous and spacious resort with one of the most spectacular golf courses ever. As a former Four Seasons property, this resort is absolutely stunning. Beautifully landscaped, spacious suites, gorgeous oceanfront and one heck of a pool! This place is a heaven for beach lovers looking to just getaway or for any avid golfer. The spa is beautiful as well.

On we went that evening to Providenciales where we would spend the night at Beaches Turks & Caicos. This resort blows my mind, simply due to the fact that literally nothing grows on this island and everything you find at the resort has to be flown and shipped in. Ever wonder why Turks & Caicos is such an expensive destination? Well, this is the reason.

The next day we spent in a classroom learning about what is new with the company and what we can expect in the next couple of years. Did you know that they will be breaking ground to start building over-water bungalows within the next couple of weeks? Want to know where? Comment below and I will share the scoop.

The best part of the training was meeting Adam as well as Butch Stewart. They flew in just to speak to us and it was incredible to hear their vision. Butch is definitely “old school” whereas Adam is young, charismatic and with a very modern vision for the company. It is amazing to see how the two work together and are able to combine their vision for the future.

The next morning we departed very early for Grenada. Wow, wow, wow! This island is so gorgeous. Hands down one of the prettiest in the Caribbean. Not only that, the people are some of the friendliest ever. The drive from the airport to Emerald Bay takes about five minutes. The resort is truly stunning, the rooms are spectacular and currently some of the best out there. Expect to find sky pools, infinity pools, and see lush, green gardens nestled in the hilly seaside.

The small volcanic beach has a beautiful color. The light mocha sand is mixed with the black volcanic sand and creates different patterns. I felt the color was a bit like my favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream “Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz”. Grenada is a divers’ paradise and with Padi naming the Sandals diving operation one of the top five in the world, any diver is lucky to stay at this resort. So far, the main challenge for Grenada has been the airlift. However, Alexandra Otway, Grenada’s Tourism & Aviation Minister, welcomed us in person and assured us that the government is working on making the island more accessible.

The non-stop flight back on our #767 from Grenada to Chicago took 5 hours and 30 minutes. The past 72 hours have been incredible. I am truly grateful to Sandals and Beaches for giving me this opportunity and can’t wait to share it with the world. But first, I had to sleep because only getting 15 hours of sleep out of 72 simply wasn’t enough. And, change my flip flops for more wintery gear.