When I think “all-inclusive”, I think tropical. I think Caribbean. I think far away from home. I’ve only been to one and it was in Cabo. I honestly had no idea that there was an all-inclusive resort right here, in Florida, did you?! We spent the weekend at Club Med Sandpiper Bay Resort in Port St. Lucie and couldn’t wait to share our experience with you!
Before I tell you about our trip, I have a little confession. Growing up, I attended a private school. It wasn’t uncommon for my friend’s parents to be surgeons, doctors or dentists. When we spoke about our Summer vacations during a new school year, I would often hear that they spent time at Club Med. I always thought it was a place that doctors went with their families. So I never asked why my family never went. Turns out “Med” does not stand for medical… it’s actually short for Méditerranée or Mediterranean. Oops! Turns out all these years, I thought wrong and have been missing out!
Welcome to Club Med Sandpiper Bay Resort
We arrived to Club Med Sandpiper Bay Resort on Friday afternoon. We were greeted with mango lemonade mocktails and the sweetest guest relations team, including Agnes who made a huge impression on the girls when they realized she starred in the circus show that night (more on that later). Agnes explained everything we needed to know about the resort. She was later joined by Teddy, the Chef de Village, who wanted to introduce himself and offer his assistance throughout our trip.
Agnes walked us to our room where our luggage was already waiting for us. There was a beautiful assortment of treats for us and a little note from Agnes welcoming us. The room was the perfect size for a family! The first bedroom had 2 twin beds and a private bathroom and the second bedroom had a king sized bed and a lounger which they had already turned into a bed for Lucia and a larger bathroom. Our back porch overlooked the water and palm trees… exactly the calm that I need to wake up to when I’m on vacation. It’s safe to say that they nailed the first impression. But it only got better from there.
Club Med Sandpiper Bay Resort has a different show each night. On our first night, we were excited to see the circus show. It was a mix of oohs, aahs and even had some funny moments. The cast doesn’t miss a beat and entertains you for the entire show. At the end, Teddy comes out and introduces everyone, one by one. We were surprised to hear that they all wear many hats at the resort, one even works in the purchasing department by day! What a fun place to work!
On the second night, they performed songs throughout the ages and they had the crowd on their feet! It was hard not to sing and dance along.
Activities for the Entire Family
If you love to keep busy on vacation, Club Med Sandpiper Bay Resort has just about everything you can imagine, for all ages. They have instructors available at specific times for each age group for tennis, golf, trapeze, beach volleyball, sailing and a number of fitness classes. They also have a small mini-golf course and a number of swimming pools.
If you prefer to spend some adult time without the kids, you can drop the kiddos off at Mini Club Med. We got a detailed explanation about the process from a couple of the instructors who were so welcoming. Falynn was inside and meeting new people before we were finished signing her up. I love that she was able to make new friends, even on vacation.
I was concerned that we would be running back and forth and trying to get everyone to their activities but Mini Club Med takes care of everything for you. They bring your kids to each activity on their schedule, including the pool, art center, trapeze, playground, tennis, meals, snacks and even had a talent show at the end of the day, where Falynn got up on stage and sung her little heart out. I ugly cried…. I’m not going to lie.
They offer spa services as well as a number of excursions, for an extra fee. Super Dad got a little time to himself on the driving range and I was able to get some good ol’ fashioned bonding time in with our oldest who got a glimpse at what it was like to be an only child for a day, since her sisters were both at Mini Club Med. We were able to explore the grounds and found a number of places where you can just relax and take in the scenery.
Let’s Talk About The Food
I could best describe our experience at Club Med like a cruise, just on land. And just like a cruise, one of the best parts was the food! They have 3 restaurants… one for snacks in between meals, one for the adults and the main dining room, the marketplace, which offered a huge buffet of food that can satisfy the pickiest of eaters (and I have a couple of those). There was a pasta station, a salad bar, a kids area with hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken nuggets and fries, a pizza area with various toppings, a bakery section with rolls and pastries and a gelato station (sooo good). The center island featured something different each night. The first night it was sushi and the second night was crab legs. They also had a carving station with steak one night and pork the next. There were a ton of delicious sides and salads, shrimp and so much more. The dessert area was INSANE! So many pies, cakes and cookies that were as beautiful as they were delicious.
The girls couldn’t get over how they could eat whatever they wanted and as much as they wanted. They are huge fans of their newfound word, “all-inclusive” and have requested that all of our future trips be at all-inclusive resorts.
The Staff
Let’s talk a little about the staff. It’s rare that you visit a place where the entire staff genuinely looks like they are enjoying themselves all the time. Not one staff member passed us without greeting us with a smile or asking how our day was going.
I feel like we may have spent the most amount of time at the trapeze area because Falynn was OBSESSED. I believe she went seven or eight times. I honestly lost count. The staff (most of whom she recognized from the circus show on the first night) were patient and encouraging and made Iyla, who was ready to walk away, just halfway up the ladder, feel safe enough to continue on and face her fear. They also pushed Falynn to go from one back flip to four and never took their eyes off of her, which assured me that she was in good hands.
Special thanks to the circus team: Mario, Virgil, Zee, Megan and Sara for giving Falynn a trapeze experience that she will talk about to anyone that will listen. They even gave her a trapeze bracelet that she had to bring to school to show all of her friends!
But What About the Negatives?
There is one. Only one. We weren’t there long enough. There was so much we wanted to do and so much the girls wanted to experience (and eat) and we just didn’t have enough time. They made us promise that our next trip to Club Med Sandpiper Bay Resort will be longer! I for one, am looking forward to returning!
Special thanks to Joyfolie for suppling the girls with their resort wear. They looked absolutely fabulous!
Have you ever experienced Club Med? We’d love to hear! Share below!
Don’t forget to check out our other travel adventures.
*Our family was provided accommodations in exchange for our review. All opinions are my own.
This sounds like such a fun place to visit as a family. I have heard a lot about Club Med, but we have never been.
Wow, sounds like you all had a great time at the resort and it looks so beautiful 😍 I would love to visit this resort someday!
Oh my goodness….these amazing pictures and your post are manking me want to get tp the Sandpiper for my next vacation! We want to get to Florida as My sister lives there and this will be the perfect place to visit for us and it is perfection for the family. Thanks for sharing!
oh my!!! Take me to Florida now…I would love to spend a couple of weeks in this awesome resort.
Sandpiper is really an amazing resort to stay because it has different activities for all age groups like tennis, golf, beach volleyball, sailing and a number of fitness classes. Your daughter looks so adorable. Thanks for the article!!