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Back in February, I stayed five nights at the Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Port Saint Lucie Florida. So glad I got this trip in before the pandemic, and I had a great time at this unique and beautiful property. I had never been to a Club Med before, and as this is the only all-inclusive resort in the United States, I was super curious to check it out. I am excited to share my review with you and help you plan your next Club Med vacation!
Club Med Sandpiper Bay Florida
The Club Med Sandpiper Bay is located in the Port Saint Lucie area of Florida. The resort is 45 minutes north of the West Palm Beach airport, 2 hours from Orlando, and 90 minutes from the airport in Fort Lauderdale.
Club Med is the French all-inclusive brand that started the concept back in the 70s. With properties ALL OVER THE WORLD, Club Med is growing by leaps and bounds. Sandpiper is their only US property, but they are expanding in the Caribbean, Mexico and into Canada!
Yes, all-inclusive ski resorts are a major part of the Club Med brand. In fact, you can probably ski at a Club Med in the French Alps for LESS than you would pay to ski for a week in Colorado!
The amazing activities (there are Olympic training quality facilities and student academies that actually live on property) and the incredible staff are what really shine at Club Med Sandpiper.
I was at Club Med Sandpiper for a 5-night travel agent training put together through my host agency in Jacksonville, Florida. There were 76 agents in our group (plus host agency staff and vendors that came to train us). This property is the PERFECT resort for any type of group travel – especially business related. But I’ll get to more of that at the end.
As a full-service travel agent, I can help you book a trip to Club Med Sandpiper Bay (or anywhere in Florida, or a Caribbean all-inclusive if thats what we find to be the best for you!) My services are free, and my fee is built into the price you pay. That’s right, you don’t pay more for my personalized travel planning services! Click the banner below to get started!
Club Med Sandpiper Bay Rooms
The rooms at Club Med Sandpiper are pretty basic. I stayed in a Superior room in building D, up on the third floor. Our room had two twins (which could make a king), a bathroom, closet/dressing room, two couches which convert to twin beds, and a desk. Our room had a nice sized balcony with amazing sunrise views.
While on property, we were able to tour some of the larger, family style accommodations. The family deluxe room has two bedrooms, 1.5 baths and sleeps five (or six with a crib). I loved the Club family room- which had a bunk bed room I know my kids would love, a master bedroom and 1 bath.
Club Med Sandpiper Bay Food
Let me start by saying the food at Club Med Sandpiper is AMAZING. You will not be disappointed in the quality and selection of meals, snacks and desserts at Club Med. You might be surprised to learn there are only three restaurant at Club Med Sandpiper and the main one is the buffet.
Honestly, at first, I turned my nose up to daily buffet eating, BUT the food was so good, and they had such a vast selection, by the end I was a buffet lover!
The Restaurants at Club Med Sandpiper Bay
The Marketplace – this is the main buffet restaurant open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. More a food hall than a traditional buffet, the selections changed daily. I don’t think I ate the same thing twice!
As someone who is vegetarian, I appreciated the dedicated vegan section at lunch and dinner and the labels on the food.
They also had a coffee machine with some of the best coffee I have ever had!
The Marketplace has indoor seating, an adults only area (preferred by our group) and a nice area on the patio where you can sit next to the river. At dinner time, you can reserve a table in the fancier, white table cloth section outside by pre-purchasing a bottle of wine to enjoy at dinner.
Note for families, there were plenty of high chairs available, as well as a buffet station of baby food!
The Riverside – The Riverside is the specialty restaurant open for dinner on select nights. Dining here is complimentary but you must make a reservation on the day you wish to dine. You have to talk to someone at the entrance of Marketplace from 12:15-12:30 to make the Riverside reservation.
CLUB MED PRO TIP: You can make an ADVANCE reservation for The Riverside by pre-purchasing a bottle of wine to enjoy at dinner OR by pre-ordering lobster for your entrée (upcharge applies).
A few of us agents dined at the Riverside one night and it was a nice change from the buffet. The menu is small – there were three appetizer options (salad, shrimp cocktail and alligator bites) and three entrees (chicken, steak and fish). Since I am veg, I was served a delicious tofu/rice/veggie dish. This was excellent and I enjoyed it very much.
If you have specific dietary restrictions, note that when you make the reservation.
The dessert choices at Riverside were turtle cheesecake and key lime pie. One thing to remember is that Riverside is adjacent to the Marketplace, so you can always grab something else to eat off the buffet. Since we had a large group, someone walked through the buffet and made us a plate of cheese and olives to enjoy before dinner at Riverside!
Soleil – Soleil is the snack bar that is open when the marketplace is not, We never got a chance to eat here, but I heard it has a good menu of afternoon snacks. Soleil is located on the front side of the Marketplace, outdoors.
Things to do at the Club Med Sandpiper Bay
With all the great eating you will surely do at Club Med, it’s important to get active! Or not – there are lots of great relaxing spots to enjoy as well.
The first thing to know about Club Med Sandpiper is that this resort is NOT located on an ocean beach. The property is situated on the Port Saint Lucie River, so water sports and beach lounging on property are available, but swimming in the river is questionable (because of alligators!).
At Club Med, non-motorized water sports are included with your stay, and they had offering such as kayaks, paddleboards, peddle boats and Hobie Cats. Daily sailing lessons are also offered.
The river is beautiful, but the brackish water is not clear and I’d be afraid of alligators! So, if you want to swim, do so in one of the five pools on property!
There is an awesome adults only pool complete with bar and hot tub. Cabanas and day beds are on a first come, first served basis. The views here are spectacular and this was a great place to relax.
Families have their choice of pools – the main pool is huge with a zero entry side. There is also a lap pool, a kiddie pool near Petit Club Med, and a splash park!
When you are done in the water, there is PLENTY else to do at Club Med Sandpiper. I think this post would be 10,000 words long if I described them all so I’ll summarize in a list.
- 18 tennis courts including grass and clay
- Driving range with complimentary daily clinics taught by an LPGA professional
- 18-hole golf course (additional fee)
- Mini-Golf
- Six Pickleball Courts
- Beach Volleyball
- Basketball
- Group Fitness including yoga and spin
- Flying Trapeze lessons – yes you are reading that right! Anyone 4 years old and up can try their hand at flying trapeze.
- The only L’Occitane spa in North America (Additional fees apply)
As for nightlife – there is definitely some! The offerings vary by evening, but include live music, cheesy shows, casino night, DJ’s, and well, more cheesy shows! No but seriously, the shows were super fun! I loved the live music they had outside the bar each night – an all girl band that really knew how to rock.
Who should consider a stay at Club Med Sandpiper
The bread and butter of Club Med Sandpiper is group travel. With a pay one price all-inclusive model this makes an economical choice for a group trip.
Club Med is perfect for tennis, pickleball or golf group travel. Of course, it’s great for individuals who enjoy those sports, but at Club Med, there are pros on staff who can offer lessons to your group and oversee tournaments making it so easy for everyone to enjoy their time and let the staff take care of everything!
Corporations love having retreats, meetings and trainings (like ours!) at Club Med Sandpiper. There are meeting spaces large and small, and since everyone stays on site, no need to worry about car rentals, scheduling meals or moving people from place to place. Plus, there is a great resort for employees to enjoy in their free time.
If you are looking for a destination wedding, family reunion, destination bar or bat mitzvah location, Club Med Sandpiper would be great! You can have a ceremony or cocktail party out by the gazebo and take sunset photos overlooking the water.
Since Club Med is located in Florida, no passports are required for US citizens (also taking that complication out of large group international travel) AND this is a Zika-free destination. Additionally, flights to Florida are traditionally less expensive than flights to the Caribbean or Mexico.
For family travel, Club Med Sandpiper is perfect for active families and families that want top rated childcare. The Club Med kids club operates like a mini day care with qualified care givers taking care of the little ones on property. Childcare starts at 4 months old (although additional fees apply for kids under 4).
Club Med Sandpiper Bay Dress Code and What to Bring
Dress around the resort is VERY CASUAL. You will spend most of the day in golf/tennis/swimming attire and at night, casual dress is the norm. Comfy shoes are a must for all the activities and for walking around the resort. Club Med divides their resort into “villages” which are three story buildings that are spread out.
PRO-TIP: If you want to be close to the adults only pool, bar, and only hot tub on property, request to stay in building D.
What to know before you arrive at Club Med Sandpiper Bay
Club Med check in begins at 3pm. If you arrive early, you will be charged an early access fee of $20/adult and $10/child to access the facilities.
On the day of check out, you may stay until 5pm.
Parking is free. I took an Uber from the airport (with two other agents) and did not consider renting a car because I was in workshops most of the day. The advantage of having a car would mean you could head out to the ocean beaches, which are really close and you could pick up some better alcohol on the way in if that is your thing.
Before arriving, be sure to download the Club Med app. Here you can access the busy activity schedule!
Club Med Sandpiper Bay Day Pass
After my day trip to Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, I’ve become obsessed with resort pass! Club Med Sandpiper Bay IS on resortpass and you have several options to visit depending on how much time you want to stay on property – a day pass, evening pass, or full day pass. Prices start at $66 for adults and $33 for children, so definitely a good option if you have limited time and want to check out this resort!
Club Med Sandpiper Bay Final Thoughts
The Club Med brand, and this property in particular, is either loved or hated. I had a fabulous time at Club Med Sandpiper Bay. Negative comments tend toward the food (which again, quality was amazing, but you have to get passed the buffet situation), the rooms are pretty basic and dated, and the property is not a true beach experience (although the riverfront beach area is really pretty and well kept). Also, the drinks were not good. That was my biggest complaint, BUT the upcharge to name brands was so nominal, I should have just done that and better enjoyed the alcohol I was consuming.
What I loved about Club Med Sandpiper Bay (and why I would return in a heartbeat) was the staff was so fun and inviting. By day two you felt like family! I loved the adults only area pool, it was in a beautiful spot on the river and so peaceful. I do think if I travel to the property with my family they would love the main pool as well.
I also loved the wide variety of activities! We got to sample each one briefly, but I’d love to go back and play more pickleball, a full round of golf and maybe, maybe try the trapeze!
If you are interested in Club Med Sandpiper Bay, email me here and I can help you decide if this is the right property for your next Florida getaway! Have you been to Club Med Sandpiper? What did you think?
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Please share:
Wow! This looks like a great place for a vacation! I would love to visit here some day!
This looks like a beautiful resort! It looks like there is so much to do. I’ll bet the food is good; that bread looks yummy, Love the sunset picture!
the sunrise/sunsets were unreal!
Sandpiper bay looks like a great getaway! I know I need some beachside views and delicious food this summer.
the food was so good! Too good – I ate so much!
What a fabulous place to visit! I like all the sporting activities plus the only L’Occitane spa in north America!
yeah the activities cannot be beat! Perfect for groups who want to play!
Oh wow! All-inclusive in the US?! I had never heard of that until now and Club Med is such a great line of resorts too.
yeah there are not many! This is the only true all-inclusive. Its in South Florida and really nice! A perfect passport free, zika free, maybe drivable trip
A vacation is just what I need lately, definitely be looking into this!
That sunrise view is making me long for the ocean!
I love your honest review! I have to admit, an all-inclusive in the U.S. intrigues me so much that I don’t think that I would mind the outdated rooms etc. I always appreciate your opinions on ‘all things trave’, so thanks for sharing!
The rooms were just basic, nothing fancy. Not terrible, though, and you would be there for the activities anyway!
Great review! The Club Med Sand Piper Bay has been high on my list for a while. I love that golf and trapeze are included!
Its very interesting – the activities are the main draw!
I love a good Club Med resort!
We leave tomorrow for this place. Someone said there are theme nights but i can’t find anything anywhere about it. Is this true? Want to be prepared to join in.
download the club med app, that might help