In Barbados, Sandy Lane is synonymous with luxury. As far as I know, it's the oldest luxury hotel in Barbados ( potentially even the Caribbean.) Between the main hotel and even more exclusive One Sandy Lane residences It has hosted some of the world's most famous celebrity guests including Oprah, Simon Cowell, Tiger Wood, and even Royalty on occasions. Rooms here start at almost $2,000 a night in the off-season and go as high as $18,000 so suffice to say it's a pretty snazzy establishment.
Last year I went there for the first time to celebrate a friends’ birthday with afternoon tea. When I was little my aunt had book herself a stay there for her birthday and had come back raving about the opulence of the place and how amazing the staff and amenities were. Now that I work for a hotel group, i was curious to see what Sandy Lane had to offer. Let’s just say I wasn’t disappointed.
The had a few tiers of tea to choose from and our server was great at explaining the difference and making recommendations. All of the packages obviously included a choice of tea or coffee and their tea really was top of the line.
The Menu
Royal Tea - 185 per person- this includes things like scones, pastries and desserts, cakes, sandwiches, and a glass of Laurent Perrier, Brut
The Classic tea -$110 per person offers the same as the royal, just without the champagne
Light Tea - $90 per person - this is just the pasties and desserts and cake. This one wouldn’t be worth it to me because i really found the scones and the sandwiches to be the best part, but it’s really up to what you’re looking for.
Then you can always just make selections from the a la carte tea menu. This section ranges from $40 - $55
The Food
The food was amazing. I have always had a serious sweet tooth, so if you're like me, you'll really enjoy it. There was definitely an abundance of sweet treats to choose from but if you're looking for something a little more savory you should try their alacarte tea menu and select the sections you're interested in.
Check out more info here.
The Ambiance
Sandy Lane has a pretty big hype to live up to and from what I saw, I'd say it's living up to it. From grand staircases to the beautiful decor ( I especially love that everything is decorated in pink which you'll know is my favourite colour.) The area where the tea is served is nice but not as private or as beautifully designed I would have expected.
They serve tea on the lower terrace from 3 to 5 every day in front of a courtyard facing the sea and with a little store and a buffet room behind it . There’s nothing wrong with this area once the weather is good but on a rainy day I could see myself wishing it was in a beautifully appointed dining room or something. I’ve been to tea at places like Chatters at Baggatelle Great House and really felt like I totally immersed in the experience thanks to the set.
The Service
From the guard who greets you at the gate to the valet, to butler who shows you to a room to wait to the friendly weight staff the sandy lane staff get a 10/10 from me. I didn't interact with a single person who wasn't smiling and extremely helpful.
Overall if you’re the kind of person who enjoys afternoon tea and you’re looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon with friends this could be just the thing!
Have you been to Sandy lane? What were your thoughts?
*disclaimer 4 of the photos used in those blog post we're taken from the Sandy Lane Website as I wasn't able to get all the photos I wanted the day I went.