Sandals Regency La Toc vs. Sandals Grande St. Lucian

We visited each Sandals Resort in Saint Lucia and want to make it easier for you to choose between the all three of the resorts available.

Two of the three fabulous Sandals resorts in St. Lucia are Sandals Regency La Toc (often called Sandals La Toc) and Sandals Grande St. Lucian (often called Sandals Grande).

I personally love them both, but Michelle prefers Sandals La Toc. For you, it really depends on what you are looking for.

In this article, we will compare Sandals La Toc and Sandals Grande to help you choose which is the best Sandals in St. Lucia for you.

FYI—good news: regardless of which Sandals in St. Lucia you choose, you will get to enjoy the amenities and restaurants of all three; free transfers between the resorts are included. This means you can access 3 beaches, 2 golf courses, 11 pools, 27 restaurants, and 21 bars on your St. Lucia vacation!

Sandals La Toc vs. Grande Cost

Budget always plays a role in deciding where to go and Sandals Grande St. Lucian costs more than Sandals La Toc.

Rates start at $370 per person per night at Sandals Grande St Lucian while rates at Sandals Regency La Toc start at $284 per person per night.

What can make a big difference in price are the current promotions which you can check here. They have a few select suites on sale each week, last-minute deals, and other promotions that can make one resort less expensive than the other.

Sandals La Toc vs. Sandals Grande Overview

Sandals Grande St. Lucian is on Pigeon Island, which is home to St. Lucia’s top national park. It is the largest resort and has the most dining options of the three Sandals locations in St. Lucia.

Something that truly sets it apart is that you can stay in overwater bungalows at Sandals Grande St. Lucian (see more details below).

Called “St. Lucia’s most glamorous resort,” Sandals Regency La Toc is in Castries, in a stunning setting built into a hillside. Many Sandals La Toc reviews mention its sophisticated atmosphere and lively vibe.

Sandals Regency La Toc is the Sandals resort that is closest to the Pitons, if you want to explore that area.

Sandals Grande St. Lucian is our choice for best honeymoon resort in St. Lucia. Not only can you stay in an incredible overwater bungalow but you also have the most variety available in dining and entertainment options here.

However, Sandals Regency La Toc is spread out over a larger piece of land than Sandals Grande (220 acres), so you may feel like it offers a more private experience. There is also more variety in the landscape at Sandals La Toc, which includes hillside as well as oceanfront areas.

When you stay at Sandals Regency La Toc you can find quiet pools, lively pools or a beautiful beach to relax on.

Activities and Amenities

When it comes to watersports at La Toc, there are a lot of yellow or red flag beach days where they are not permitted. Additionally, if you want to go snorkeling or scuba diving you need to take a shuttle into town to get on the boat.

Scuba at the Superman dive

At Sandals Grande St Lucian you take off from the dock at the resort, the water is almost always calm enough for water sports and they have water skiing, wakeboarding and tubing.

All of the Sandals resorts in St. Lucia offer a wide range of complimentary activities, such as watersports like scuba diving, waterskiing, snorkeling, Hobie Cat sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking, windsurfing, and wakeboarding. Professional instruction for watersports is also complimentary (except for scuba diving).

You can also enjoy unlimited land sports such as beach volleyball, day and night tennis, pool tables, bocce ball, and a fitness center with yoga and a variety of exercise classes such as Zumba and aqua fitness.

Daily and nightly entertainment at Sandals resorts includes live shows, theme nights, beach parties with local bands, and talent nights where guests participate.

Sandals Regency La Toc is located further south than Sandals Grande, so it is closest to the Pitons if you are most interested in hiking this famous mountain range. However, all of the Sandals resorts in St. Lucia offer excursions to the Pitons.

Or you can take it easy and indulge at the full-service Red Lane Spa, which offers couples’ and individual massages and other restorative treatments. (Spa services are extra.)

Golf

If you like to golf, you can do so at both of these St. Lucia Sandals. Sandals La Toc has a 9-hole golf course with complimentary greens fees, but it is currently closed for reservations.

The 18-hole championship course at the Sandals St. Lucia Golf Club is located near Sandals Grande St. Lucian. Whichever St. Lucia Sandals you stay at, you get complimentary greens fees and transfers to the golf courses.

Beaches

Sandals Grande St. Lucian has the best beach of all the St. Lucia Sandals resorts. Its setting on the protected waters of Rodney Bay makes it possible to go swimming or enjoy watersports at any time.

Sandals La Toc also has a nice beach, but the water can get rough. I personally enjoyed the rough water because I think waves are fun, but we did see several people get knocked down by the waves where we were there. There is a free shuttle you can take to Sandals Grande to enjoy watersports there.

Because of its location, Sandals Grande is the best Sandals in St. Lucia for snorkeling. Here you can go on snorkeling trips directly from the onsite pier. There are some incredible snorkeling opportunities in this tropical paradise, including the marine reserve around Anse Chastanet Beach, where you can see octopi, flounder, scorpionfish, and parrotfish; the calm and sheltered waters of Marigot Bay, which has coral formations and fun sea creatures like seahorses; and Reduit Beach in Rodney Bay, which is excellent for beginner snorkelers.

Pools

Sandals Grande has 5 pools and 4 whirlpools, including the 7800-square-foot waterfront Sunset Pool with a swim-up bar and the quiet, lagoon-style Lovers Pool.

Each pool has its own vibe. The main pool is where the music will be pumping and activities happen, while all the other pools are very relaxed.

The Sunset Bluffs area of the resort

There are three freshwater pools at Sandals Regency La Toc, including the largest pool in St. Lucia. Two of the pools have swim-up bars. There are also four whirlpools at Sandals La Toc. The main pool has the entertainment and all the other rooms are very quiet.

Excursions

All of the resorts in Saint Lucia have access to the same excursions. The only difference is Sandals Regency La Toc is closer to most of them.

St. Lucia is full of wonderful natural attractions, such as the Piton mountains, Soufriere Volcano, and Toraille waterfall. Take a mud bath at the sulfur springs or tour St. Lucia Distillers and sample the rum.

Rooms and Suites

Both Sandals La Toc and Sandals Grande offer a variety of fantastic rooms and suites.

Perched over sparkling waters of the most vivid blue and turquoise, the 9 Over-the-Water Honeymoon Butler Bungalows at Sandals Grande St. Lucian deliver a true luxury experience. Not only do you get gorgeous accommodations, but you also get your own private butler who will handle everything from unpacking to making dinner reservations and arranging activities to drawing a rose-petal-filled bath to restocking your (complimentary) top-shelf minibar.

These honeymoon overwater bungalows in St. Lucia have hardwood floors with glass floor panels so you can see exotic marine life without even having to get in the water. However, should you want to get in the water, you can easily do so from a short ladder off your private extended sun deck.

On the deck, you’ll find a bistro set, comfortable lounge chairs, and a huge hammock suspended over the water for the ultimate in relaxation—not to mention the outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tub™ for two!

Inside, you’ll find vaulted ceilings, a ceiling fan plus air conditioning, a stocked refrigerator and minibar, a tea/coffeemaker, and smart TV. The beautiful bathroom features his and her sinks and a rain shower, and you’ll enjoy the Red Lane Spa Amenity Kit, plush robes, and slippers that are provided.

Millionaire Suite Bedroom View

The Sunset Oceanview Bluff Millionaire Butler Villas at Sandals Regency La Toc are equally stunning. Built high on a bluff (in the ritzy Sunset Bluff Village enclave), these totally private suites have 3-story sun decks with 180-degree views of the ocean and the island. They also feature a plunge pool directly off both the bedroom and the living room, which have glass walls that slide completely open.

Imagine watching the sunset while lounging in your pool or on the deck! That’s pretty darn romantic. By the way, the zero-entry pool has a waterfall and a separate whirlpool. You may never leave your villa!

These are the high end rooms at each resort, but both have dozens of other rooms categories to choose from.

Food and Drink

Both of these Sandals resorts in St. Lucia are excellent choices for foodies. You can enjoy not only the onsite restaurants but also all the additional options at the other locations.

There are 12 restaurants at Sandals Grande, offering gourmet cuisine, fresh seafood, local flavors, Asian, Indian, sushi, Italian, French crepes and pastries, English pub fare, pizza, Caribbean, and other international dishes.

Mahi Mahi from Neptunes

Many restaurants at Sandals Grande St. Lucian have water views or are on the water; Barefoot by the Sea is exactly that, with tables on the sand, while Gordon’s on the Pier offers an elegant experience set out over the beautiful waters of Rodney Bay. Resort casual attire is requested at most restaurants.

At Sandals La Toc you can choose from 9 restaurants,  each offering different delicious cuisine and ambiance, and most with gorgeous water views. Cuisine choices include fine French, fine Italian, international dishes, Mediterranean, English, Caribbean, Asian, sushi, pizza, and seafood. Two of the restaurants at Sandals Regency La Toc are open-air and by the beach.

You can also take advantage of room service or request private dining options like a candlelight dinner on the beach (for an extra fee) at either resort. If you are in a club-level room, you can get room service between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.; butler suites get 24/7 room service. As usual at Sandals Resorts, your all-inclusive rate covers unlimited meals and snacks plus beverages including premium liquors and Robert Mondavi wines.

I hope this article was helpful in deciding which Sandals Resort is the best fit for you. If you need any other help, feel free to contact us.