We booked this trip for our 15th anniversary about three weeks out, which limited our choices. We knew we wanted something in the Caribbean, with a beach. After checking some reviews, we settled on Sunset at the Palms from August 3-8 and were overwhelmed with friendly faces and atmosphere from the moment we walked past the tropical gardens and fountain at the entrance. Actually, strike that, our driver Ian was super friendly, helpful, informative, and accommodating -- we were lucky enough to see him for a short trip during our stay and our drive back to the airport.
Our personal concierge -- which sounds fancy but just means a consistent contact person at the front desk -- was Aldain, and he provided us with drinks and advice throughout our first meeting. Amanda was the other concierge on duty that day, and she was just as lovely. They both, along with one other concierge whose name I missed, helped us with all our last minute plans, including setting up a catamaran trip to Rick's Cafe *the night before our anniversary* because I am terrible at planning.
The grounds are beautiful, with lush greenery, hardwood, and tiling throughout the resort. Mosquitoes usually find me irresistable, but I didn't get bit at all until the last day, likely due to daily eco-friendly fogging. Our room was a treehouse-style suite that was across a small landing from another room, up about 8 stairs. We didn't hear any of our neighbors, and hopefully they can say the same about us. Minifridge was constantly refreshed with bottled waters, bottles of Coke, and cans of Red Stripe.
Food was fantastic. Breakfast is standard, but lunch and dinner had enough variety from tray to tray and night to night to keep things interesting. It's worth mentioning that the two "a la carte" options, the chef's showcase and Lotus Blossom, both take place in the same one-room service area on different nights. That food was also incredible, but if you're looking for individual restaurant style options, that's not here. You're getting a buffet and reservations to each a la carte option, but that's it for location choices.
Oh, and cats. There's a family of friendly cats living on the property that usually hang out in the dining and pool areas, and we decided to name them Tinkerbell, Peter Pan, and Smee. You can do with that what you will.
There's also a bar by the private beach, which is just across the street from the property. A crossing guard is always on hand if you're like us and can't remember which way to look when crossing, and there's a little hustle from a couple drivers parked along the walk but nothing super aggressive. The beach has tons of cabanas, chairs, and little tables, and the bar sends your food and drink orders to your spot most of the time. Bar food like nachos and burgers are available here, too, and folks selling bracelets, hair braiding, and cigars (along with other smokables) are limited to the area right along the water. If you choose to walk off property, there's a good seafood spot next door, and some tents with merch along the beach too.
Our room was kept impeccably clean, and a short walk from the main building and pool, which wasn't super large but had a swim-up bar and enough space that you aren't colliding with other guests. Drinks at the various bars were okay, but I'd recommend hitting the martini bar for the best rum punch on offer -- the ones at the pool bar and beach bar tasted more syrupy and less juicy.
All in all, this was a lovely and unique resort with wonderful people and great service. Far from the cookie-cutter resorts with franchises all over the Bahamas and Mexico, this one really felt unique to its location -- like it was carved into nature, rather than forcing itself over it.
Russ G2026-08-10
