Our Take on the Halcyon Shore House Butler Suite with Private Pool (JBP)
Sandals Halcyon Beach St. Lucia
Susie C. has stayed at Sandals Halcyon Beach in St. Lucia and knows the resort well. Below is her review of the Halcyon Shore House Butler Suite with Private Pool, room code JBP. Watch her walkthrough video here, then read her honest opinions on the room below. If you have a question she doesn’t answer, you can ask her directly!
The Halcyon Shore House Butler Suite with Private Pool is one of the top rooms at Sandals Halcyon Beach, freshly remodeled with a clean, modern look and tucked at the far end of the resort where it stays quiet. Its highlight is the extra-large patio with your own private plunge pool. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors open the whole room up, so from the king bed you look out across the patio, the pool, and the beach to the ocean in one continuous line, and if you leave the doors open at night you can hear the waves. Walk out, cross a strip of grass, and you are on the sand. Inside there is a sitting and desk area and a soaking tub in the bathroom, and every JBP stay includes a personal butler, 24-hour room service, and all the luxury inclusions Sandals is known for.
Working with us at Creative Travel Brands costs you nothing. You book at the same price as going direct, with a dedicated advisor who knows this resort firsthand. A $98 refundable deposit locks your rate, and after you book we can keep an eye on the price and try to take advantage of any price drops or new promotions for you. Read on for Susie’s full review.
Halcyon Shore House Butler Suite with Private Pool: At a Glance
- Resort: Sandals Halcyon Beach, St. Lucia
- Room Code: JBP
- Location: Far end of the resort, steps from the beach. Quiet, low foot traffic, short walk to the main pool, restaurants, and evening entertainment.
- View: Ocean, over the patio and pool, sometimes foliage
- Service Level: Butler Elite.
- Room Service: 24 hours
- Standout Features: Extra-large patio with private plunge pool. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open the room to the patio, beach, and ocean. Soaking tub in the bathroom. Freshly remodeled, modern.
- Resort Access: Stay at One, Play at Three across the St. Lucia Sandals resorts. 29 restaurants combined, free shuttle between them. Unlimited golf green fees included. Watersports including water skiing, tubing, and SCUBA.
- Bonus Inclusions: Included motorized watersports (water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing). Included golf green fees and shuttle. Multiple airport transfer options: shuttle, ferry, private, or helicopter (some options at addl cost).
- Deposit: $98. Refundable until 46 days prior to check-in in most cases.
- Price Range: $1,800 to $2,355 per night, per couple. Most dates $1,855 to $2,200.* Tell us when you can travel and we’ll find the best-priced dates in your window.
- How it Ranks: One of the top butler suites at Sandals Halcyon Beach. Priced a step above the 1BP and JB private pool rooms.
- Room Price Promotions: Promotions are not often applied to this room type. Tell us your dates and, if you book with us, we can watch the price and try to apply any drop or new promotion.
- Best For: Couples who want a private pool and the best open ocean view of the private-pool rooms, and who don’t mind a walkway near the pool. Not for those who want maximum pool privacy, see 1BP for that.
- Accessibility: Not a designated accessible category. Ask us and we can help find the best fit for you.
Honest Review: Halcyon Shore House Butler Suite with Private Pool (JBP)
All-Inclusive Expert Susie Christensen has personally visited every Sandals and Beaches resort including Sandals Halcyon Beach (multiple times). She knows the resort inside and out. She recently stayed at Sandals Halcyon Beach and reviewed the Halcyon Shore House Butler Suite with Private Pool. You can ask her questions directly below.
How far is Sandals Halcyon Beach from the airport?
Susie C: The included transfer is a shuttle, and it’s about a two-hour drive from the main airport, on a winding road since it’s mountainous. It’s very beautiful and they’ll give you a tour as you go. Sandals Halcyon Beach is one of three Sandals resorts on the island of St. Lucia, and the airport itself is fairly small and easy to get through. One question I get a lot is whether you need a Club MoBay or some kind of VIP airport service here, and you do not in St. Lucia, it’s very quick and easy. You’ll end up at the Sandals Lounge, a dedicated lounge for Sandals clients, and they’ll get you a snack or a beer if you want, tag your luggage, and call your transfer.
What are the other transfer options?
Susie C: There are actually four ways to get to the resort from the main airport. The transfer that’s included is the shuttle, that two-hour drive. A lot of my clients don’t want to do the two-hour winding road. I get motion sick, so my preferred way is the helicopter transfer, which is only 15 minutes by air and then a 20-minute shuttle where Sandals picks you up on the other side of the island. I can also set up the ferry, which is about the same time as the ground transfer, but a lot of people like taking a boat around the island. And I can arrange a private transfer, which is nice because if you need to stop at any time, or you see something you want to check out, the driver will stop for you. The Pitons, the famous peaks you see in all the pictures of St. Lucia, you don’t see those from the resort, so a private transfer is a great way to have your driver take you close enough to see them and get pictures. Some of these options are an additional cost, and I can help you with the costs and which one is right for you and getting it booked.
Do you tip the transfer drivers?
Susie C: Yes, it’s customary to tip the transfer drivers. You can tip anybody from the airport all the way until you arrive at the resort, since the drivers and airport luggage handlers are not Sandals employees. Once you’re on the resort, you don’t tip, with two exceptions I’ll get to later.
What happens when you arrive at the resort?
Susie C: You’ll pull up to the very front and be met by Sandals employees. They hand you a cold towel to freshen up and offer you the drink special of the day, or a glass of champagne, or water, whatever you want. Then they take you into a private lounge where your butlers meet you, and the butlers walk you to your room. If you get there before the three o’clock check-in and your room isn’t ready yet, the butlers will walk you to lunch, or help you find chairs at the beach or pool. We usually pack a swimsuit in a backpack and just change and enjoy the resort from the minute we arrive. Once you’re on site you can use everything, the restaurants, the bars, the beach, the pool.
Tell me about the JBP room itself.
Susie C: This is one of the top rooms on the resort, and they’re all newly remodeled and updated, so they look and feel brand new. These rooms are at the very end of the resort, so there’s not a lot of foot traffic, it’s fairly quiet and peaceful. There’s a little walking path that goes in front of them, but you’ve got your private pool and a very good-sized patio. The main highlight of this room is that extra-large patio. The room itself has a king bed, a little sitting area and desk, and the bathroom is back behind the wall, so it’s an open layout. The bed looks right out onto the patio, and there are floor-to-ceiling glass doors you can open up, so it’s one continuous flow from the room to the patio to the pool to the beach to the ocean. You can lay in bed at night, open the doors, and hear the waves crashing against the beach.
Does the JBP come with a butler, and how does that work?
Susie C: It does, and the butlers are amazing. When you first get there you sit down with them. You may have already filled out a butler preference sheet, I send all my clients that sheet about two weeks before arrival and help them fill it out. If you have certain restaurants on certain days you’d like, the butlers make your reservations. If you want to be on the beach or at the pool, they set up your seats. They get to know your preferences, too. We like appetizers and champagne before dinner at 4 o’clock every day, usually a standing order of shrimp cocktail and coconut shrimp, and our butlers have it ready for us every day when we come back to the room. Some people like snacks in the evening, cookies or nachos, and they’ll do that too. They give you a phone to reach them, and they’re not going to hover, if you don’t want them bringing you a lot of stuff you can tell them that up front. They’re happy to bring meals to your room, the beach, or the pool, breakfast, anything you want. They kind of get good of predicting what you want, where you are on the resort, and having things in your room when you get back, stuff like that. A lot of my clients are worried it’ll be awkward or they won’t leave them alone but they really are good at finding the perfect balance and just making your trip better without being intrusive. It’s pretty awesome.
And you tip the butlers at the end?
Susie C: Correct. The two Sandals employees allowed to accept tips are the butlers and the spa personnel. We keep track of who does what during the week and tip the butlers separately at the end of our stay. I bring an envelope, put their name on it, and find out the last day we’ll see them, since a butler might have a day off on our checkout day, in which case we give them their envelope the day before. It’s based on the service you receive, and I can help you with what’s appropriate, but honestly, of all the butlers we’ve had over the years, they’re amazing. They earn their tips, and we tend to tip generously because some of what they do is above and beyond.
What’s the overall feel of the resort?
Susie C: We love this resort because it’s peaceful and quiet. It’s known for its beautiful gardens and landscaping, kind of a garden oasis. There are peaceful places to sit all over, little hanging seats you can find, and a back area with another pool and the swim-outs that’s very quiet. They’ve created all kinds of spots for couples, you could have a quiet picnic in the garden grounds if you wanted. They don’t blast music at the main pool, so if you’re looking for a party atmosphere or a more active resort, this one might not fit. But if you want peace, quiet, relaxation, and calm, Sandals Halcyon Beach is perfect for that. It’s a very romantic resort, mostly because of all those little sitting areas and how beautiful it is.
How is the beach at Sandals Halcyon?
Susie C: The beach is calm and close, you walk right out of the JBP, cross a grassy area, and you’re on the sand. The water here is calm enough that you can water ski and go tubing, which isn’t true everywhere. It’s a small resort, so everything, the beach, the main pool, the restaurants, and the evening entertainment, is all centrally located and maybe five minutes from these rooms.
What’s the dining like?
Susie C: There are seven restaurants at Halcyon. A favorite is Kelly’s Dockside, which sits out over the water, breakfast and dinner, seafood, and there’s not a bad seat in the place, windows all around, you can watch the sunset and see the fish swimming below the pier. It requires reservations, but your butlers handle that. There’s also an Italian restaurant, Kimonos for teppanyaki, which is a show within dinner since they cook right in front of you, Bayside, a sushi bar that’s amazing, a beach bistro, and a food truck called Isola with pita where we’d grab lunch. And with Stay at One, Play at Three, you can use all three Sandals resorts on St. Lucia, something like 29 restaurants combined, with a free shuttle between them, about a 20 to 30 minute drive. I have clients who love the price point at Halcyon but want a little more action some days, so they’ll shuttle over to the Grande for the day and dinner, then come back to quiet Halcyon at night. It’s a nice way to get both.
What is the dress code for Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort?
Susie C: Daytime and most restaurants are resort casual, so shorts, jeans, t-shirts, or polo shirts are fine. The only rules are that swimwear has to be covered, and you need a shirt and footwear. Even Kelly’s Dockside out on the dock is resort casual, so don’t let “reservations required” scare you off. A few restaurants take reservations, but your butlers set those up for you.
What are some of the best things to do at Sandals Halcyon Beach?
Susie C: On the water there’s a lot. This is one of the resorts where the water is calm enough to water ski, and water skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing are all included, complimentary motorized watersports. There are also Hobie cats, paddleboards, and kayaks, and a watersports desk where you sign up. If you’re PADI certified, scuba diving is unlimited and included, and St. Lucia is a popular place for divers, there’s a lot to see. The snorkel boat goes out several times a day. If you know how to sail a Hobie cat they’ll let you take it out on your own, or a guide will take you, and they give lessons.
What about on land, and golf?
Susie C: There’s beach volleyball, pool volleyball, my husband played a lot of pool at this resort, and there’s pickleball and tennis. Golf green fees are included, and so is the shuttle to the course, they take you over and bring you back, and I can set up tee times for you before you arrive. It’s not far away and it’s a fun course. Accessible to all levels of golfer, but good golfers don’t get bored either, it’s a popular course.
Is there nightly entertainment?
Susie C: Every night. One of the best shows we’ve ever seen was at Halcyon, a Michael Jackson show in the auditorium, and the actor was amazing. It got active, people were dancing in the back, it was a lot of fun. That one was on Tuesday nights, so check the schedule when you get there since it’s only one night a week and you don’t want to miss it.
Any excursions you’d recommend?
Susie C: One of my favorites, they pick you up in the morning in a boat and take you on an all-day adventure, the volcano, the mud baths, amazing rum punch, snorkeling, an authentic St. Lucian lunch, and a waterfall. That’s one of our favorite excursions we’ve done in St. Lucia, and I can set it up for you before you go.
Is Sandals Halcyon all-inclusive?
Susie C: Yes. Your room, all the food at every restaurant, your drinks, the watersports, the golf green fees, and the nightly entertainment are all included. There’s an awful lot that comes with this room, it’s not just a room. The main things that can cost extra are some of the airport transfer options, like the helicopter or private transfer, and a few excursions, and I’ll always tell you up front what’s included and what isn’t.
Let’s talk about the private pool. What does “private pool” mean here?
Susie C: The private pool means it’s just for you and your significant other, nobody else can get in it. The butlers will bring you snacks at the pool, sometimes they’ll even float you breakfast in it. We like to go to the beach in the morning and then come back and hang out in the pool in the afternoon when you want a little break, have the butler bring snacks and drinks before dinner. It has lights, so after dark you can turn them on and get in the pool at night too. Size-wise these are plunge pools, so figure four or five people at most, but big enough and deep enough to cool off and enjoy.
How private is the JBP pool, really?
Susie C: I’ll be honest, you do lose some privacy with the JBP, because its pool sits right along the walkway. It’s toward the end of the resort so there’s not a ton of foot traffic, but there is some. If maximum pool privacy is what you want, I’d point you to the 1BP instead, its pool sits back from the sidewalk with a half wall, so it feels a lot more private. What the JBP gives you in return is the better view. It’s open, so you can sit in the pool and look right out to the ocean since it’s such a short distance away, depending on the vegetation. Some people love being out where they can chat with people walking by while they’re in the pool and meet new friends. So it comes down to what you want, privacy or the open ocean view, and I can walk you through it.
Does the Halcyon Shore House Butler Suite have a soaking tub?
Susie C: It does, in the bathroom. Out on the patio you’ve got two lounge chairs and a little table with two chairs, and the soaking tub is inside in the bathroom.
What does the JBP cost?
Susie C: The JBP room starts from $900 per person per night. That’s going to depend on the time of year you’re traveling, and on any specials like last-minute deals, but that’s the starting-from price for this room. The 1BP runs a little less, and the JB a little less than that. Tell me your dates and I’ll find you the best-priced ones in your window. This is a very romantic resort, and I’d be happy to help you figure out the right room, the right transfer, and the excursions that fit you. Just give me a call!
Ready to Book the Halcyon Shore House Butler Suite?
The Halcyon Shore House Butler Suite with Private Pool is one of the top rooms at Sandals Halcyon Beach, a modern, freshly remodeled suite with a private plunge pool, an extra-large patio, and the best open ocean view of the private-pool rooms. Its one tradeoff is the walkway near the pool, so if you want maximum privacy the 1BP is maybe a better option, and Susie can help you pick between the two.
There is no cost to work with us at Creative Travel Brands. You pay the same price as booking direct, and you get a dedicated advisor who has been to this resort and knows every room category. We can help you pick between the JBP, 1BP, and JB, set up your airport transfer, request the best butlers, book your excursions and tee times, and after you book we can watch the price and try to apply any price reduction or new promotion that comes up before your final payment. If issues arise before or during your stay, you can call or text your advisor any time, no call centers, no AI chatbots.
Not sure if the JBP is the right room? We’ve stayed at every Sandals resort and know every room category. Tell us your budget, your travel style, and what matters most to you, and we’ll help you make your trip perfect!
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