clubmed sandpiper bay review all inclusive family friendly resort

Welcome to my blog review of Clubmed Sandpiper Bay. I’m a travel advisor, with Travel Cruzan, a storefront travel agency based in Plantation, FL. We are a group of travel advisors passionate about travel and helping our clients plan their perfect vacation. I joined Travel Cruzan earlier in 2020, having previously worked with the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Board as acting BDM (Business Development Manager) and Sales Support Specialist.

I was intrigued by Clubmed and after attending a webinar and reading reviews, my husband and I decided to take a visit to Clubmed Sandpiper Bay Resort, located in Port St. Lucie, FL. We wanted to experience for ourselves what the resort has to offer, especially during a pandemic. We also took advantage of the 50% off that they currently promoting.

Did you know that Clubmed invented the all-inclusive package? Clubmed Sandpiper prides itself on being an all-inclusive, family-friendly resort. There are 65 award-winning Clubmed resorts worldwide. Clubmed Sandpiper bay is Clubmed’s only all-inclusive resort in the US.

We live in Fort Lauderdale, which makes for a relatively easy drive, 1 hr and 40 minutes to be exact. I had previously arranged for a site inspection and early check-in, which was graciously arranged by their Southeast BDM (Business Development Manager). We arrived at 10:40 am, for curbside check-in. We had our temperature taken, we were given our wristbands which also serves as your room key, definitely a plus, as you don’t have to worry about losing your room key. Parking is included, which is another great perk.

Very important, if you are planning on arriving early, you will be charged $20pp for use of the facilities, which would include lunch, drinks, and activities. The normal check-in time pre-Covid-19 was 3 pm. Now with extra cleaning check-in is now 4 pm. Hotel occupancy is capped at 70% following safety guidelines.

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The staff at check-in were absolutely fantastic and made us feel completely at ease. Masks are required in all common areas, such as the lobby and restaurants. After an hour tour of the facility, I joined my husband at the pool, wearing a romper in what felt like 100-degree weather. My only complaint would be, that I viewed early check-in as having a room ready, as I specifically arrived early for an 11 am tour of the resort. After a few visits to the front desk, our room was ready closer to 3 pm, but we did get an upgrade, a room with a lovely bay view. Our room was very spacious but could use a bit of upgrading, such as replacing the big, white tiles, and a more updated bathroom.

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If you have kids and are looking for a break, Clubmed fits all the boxes. The Mini Club is free for children ages 4-17, split into age groups of 4-8, 9-11, and 13-17. Due to Covid, there are limits to the number of children allowed in the minicamp. The children spend their day playing games, at the playground, the pool, and the beach lake. Our daughter loves kids camp, and we truly enjoy the downtime while she frolics in kids’ camp.

ACTIVITIES

There are a number of outdoor activities included at Clubmed. There is kayaking, paddleboarding, and sailing all included at no extra cost. Volleyball, mini-golf, basketball, tennis, pickleball are also included. Golf and sailing lessons can also be arranged. My husband and daughter did kayaking for the first time and did pretty well. We wanted to try paddling boarding, but there was a sailboat race in the afternoon, which required all water activities to be closed at 5 pm. During the summer water activities begin at 9 am and close at 7 pm. For an extra cost, tubing, wakeboard, water ski, jet ski, and fly board are available.

The one activity that I highly recommend is the trapeze, that is if you are not afraid of heights (I am). We were unable to do the trapeze as we did not sign up on our first day and we were on a waitlist. TIP, make sure you sign up, when you first arrive, you will avoid any disappointments, as appointment slots fill up very quickly.

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FOOD AND DRINK

First, let me say that my husband and I enjoy good food and good cocktails. Clubmed Sandpiper Bay includes breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, and dinner. There is one main restaurant. Breakfast is from 7 am-9:45 am, lunch at 12 pm -2:45 pm, and Dinner is 6 pm – 9:15 pm. Due to Covid-19, and safety guidelines, the buffet is no longer self serve. Everything is plated on small plates that you take and go. My only complaint was the tiny plates and having to go back and forth from our patio table to the dining room. A suggestion would be to have trays to place the small plates on, to limit the number of times you have to enter the dining room. There is no service in the main dining area, we sat outside for all of our meals, as we are not comfortable with indoor dining. For an upcharge, you can reserve dining with service. The food was okay, our 2nd dinner on Sat was better than our Friday dinner.

We were a bit disappointed with the drink options. Liquor is included, but not great quality liquor. It’s the quality liquor that if you drink too much, will leave you with a nasty hangover and there are only 2 beers on tap, Coors light and Killians. Other beers and brand name liquor are available at an extra cost. The bartenders were great.

THE VIBES

Clubmed Sandpiper is on a beautiful piece of property with river views all around. There are 3 pools, the main pool, a lap pool, and the adult zen pool. The spa was very zen, by appointment only. There is also a very large gym and fitness center, if you don’t want to miss a work out day.

We spent our 2 days lounging at the main pool under a cabana. The lap and adult pools are very quiet, perfect if you like serenity. We like a bit of excitement when we are at the pool, the main pool was perfect for us. During the day at the main pool, there is light music and some entertainment by the G.O’s ( Gentle Club Organizers) who make sure you are having a good time. The zen adult pool is an infinity pool that overlooks the bay, never crowded, and also limited cabanas and chairs, which is great for social distancing. The main pool was also never crowded and having a cabana was also great for social distancing. Friday night was the white party, we wore white and enjoyed live music and the great vibe at the main pool. Lots of space, so you never felt on top of another person.

I enjoyed many zen areas on the property, the day beds tucked in cozy enclaves. They are fantastic for lounging and to decompress. It was just too hot and humid to lounge for any long periods of time.

Overall our 2 nights at Clubmed Sandpiper bay were good, not wow. Julia enjoyed mini camp and mummy and daddy enjoyed some alone time. Traveling during a pandemic requires extra precautions, but at no time did we feel unsafe. The only crowded spot was the omelet station during the breakfast, who would have guessed?

If you are looking for a quick getaway, with everything included, not a drinker or a foodie, Clubmed Sandpiper is a good choice, especially when combined with the current half-off offer promotions. Come with an open mind, that you are traveling during a pandemic and service levels are constantly being adjusted.

If you would like more details on Clubmed Sandpiper Bay or other Clubmed locations here is my personal link to Travel Cruzan

Happy travels and be safe.