Are you planning a trip to Sandals Emerald Bay? Not sure what room category to stay in? Today I am giving a honest review of our stay in the HOL Club Level room. Don’t let the name fool you, this honeymoon club level room is perfect for any couple staying on resort.
This room review was from a 2019 trip. Please refer to the Bahamas Travel website for current travel restrictions related to COVID-19, as well as CDC guidelines for travel.
This was our first visit to Sandals Emerald Bay, and let me tell you, it made a lasting impression. At the time I posted this, Sandals Emerald Bay is our favorite resort!
First off, I want to be real and honest. I didn’t take any pictures of the rooms before we unpacked, so the pictures you will see of the HOL club level room are in real time. It shows the room being used, and being loved. So enjoy a real look into our room stay.
So where is this room located? There are seven beach buildings, and rooms of this type can be found in all seven of them. Sandals Emerald Bay is a fairly large resort, so rooms in these buildings are perfect for you, depending on how close to the action you want to be.
Prior to going, I had chatted with previous guests as to which room location was the best. Now, keep in mind, room requests are never guaranteed on any resort. So, when I put my room request in for the coveted room #2201, I had no expectations. So when we were escorted to our room, and found ourselves walking down the hall to get to our room, I was tickled pink to find out that #2201 was where we were headed.
Why is this room so popular? Well, it’s all about the view, and this was it!
Yep, that is really how it looks from the room balcony. I was breathless when I took this picture. I must say, the picture does not do the view or the ocean color justice.
So let’s talk a little more about how you get to your room.
Getting To Your Room
This room category is located on the second and third floors of the buildings. There is a small alcove that takes you to the elevator. I love how beautifully decorated it is.
You will ride an elevator to your floor, and walk down the hallway to your assigned room. Keep in mind, all rooms will face the ocean, so there is always a wonderful view.
That is our door at the end of the hallway, after you come off the elevator. The location of the room was really private, as there are only 2 other rooms on this side of the building.
Once you pass through your room door, the bathroom area is directly in front of you. Now, some have stated that the bathroom area was outdated, but I found it large and functional. TONS of counter space so that both of us could get ready for our day or before going out to dinner.
And here are two shots that show the shower, tub, and toilet area. We loved the shower in this bathroom. I never used the tub because the shower was so great. The tub was really convenient for drying our swimwear.
So that is just a quick look at the bathroom area. There is also a makeup mirror on the wall for the ladies, so that was great. Also, no need to drag a hair dryer, one is provided for you in the bathroom.
Let’s Talk About The Bed
I don’t know about you, but there are times I have trouble sleeping in a strange bed. Generally they are uncomfortable, hard, and well, not my own.
But the beds at any of the Sandals Resorts have always been super comfy. This gorgeous bed was no exception.
I found this bed to be fluffy and comfortable, we always had plenty of pillows, and our sheets were always changed when we requested it.
You will find a small sitting area in the room, as well. Since we didn’t spend a lot of time in the room, this area ended up being up the place where we kept our already worn clothing. It made keeping everything organized easier when it came the time to repack our clothes.
The Dining Area Inside Your Room
If you enjoy getting room service or playing games during your stay, this room has a nice dining area directly in the room.
As you can see, we obviously didn’t use room service during our stay. It was a great area to plug in our devices for charging, and for storage.
So your TV and bar area also serves as your drawer space. I think if I had to point out one negative at the Sandals Resorts, it is the lack of drawer space on any of the resorts. Yes, there are things we do hang up in the closet area, but more drawer space would be a plus. Especially when you travel with a hubby who brings more close than you do!
The Closet Area
The closet area is standard for most of the rooms at Sandals. There is places to hang your clothes, as well as some storage shelves. There is also your in-room safe. You also have plenty of room to store your suitcases until it is time to pack them up again.
So like many other Sandals Resorts, Caribbean travel is all about the outside. And this is no exception. The balcony area in the HOL club level room is the perfect size. Here is a tip though: the 3rd floor rooms are covered by just a trellis covering. Request a second floor room to have a covered balcony area you can use even when you encounter “liquid sunshine”.
There is enough room out there for a table and 2 chairs, perfect to curl up with a drink and a good book.
I loved sitting out here in the early morning to watch the sun come up or later in the evening before we headed out to dinner. You can never get enough of the views.
Keep In Mind That Nothing Is Perfect
Now that I have shared a little bit about the room, and how nice everything is, let me be honest about a few things. Because this is a older hotel, they do have some issues with musty smells. It is part of the Caribbean, and the only way you will get rid of that is to remove all linens. Since that is impossible, you do get the musty smell. The easy solution? Either pack some Damp Rid packets or ask housekeeping for 2 of them. Put one out in main bedroom area, and one in your closet, and the problem is solved.
Other than that, the only other negative I could come up with is because the floors were mostly tile, you could hear when your neighbor moved their chairs when they pulled them away from the table. There really isn’t a lot to complain about when it comes to this room.
So I hope this honest room review about the HOL Club level room at Sandals Emerald Bay will help you in making your room choice. Below I am sharing more helpful Sandals posts you will find useful and informative.
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Thanks for posting this. We are going in November and have that room reserved. Can you tell me if that beautiful ocean view is seen from the patio?
Yes! That is the exact view from our balcony in building 2, at least from that room. Some of the rooms at the other end of building 2 have obstructed views. Building 7 has the best ocean views, but it is the farthest from the main action. Hope that helps!