Lady Sandals comes to Brighton Marina
Zara Baker experiences a little taste of luxury as Lady Sandals comes to Brighton Marina
Living right on the South Coast, the sight of a yacht is nothing new, but venturing down to Brighton Marina for a dinner onboard Lady Sandals, I did a double take at this beauty. Its presence was sublime. Arriving at sunset, the waterfront’s boardwalk gave me the perfect view of all the boats docked: the famous Chinese Pergoda restaurant, fishing trawlers, smaller yachts, and among, these, Lady Sandals, larger than life, lit from top to bottom in a warm, welcoming glow. My first venture on board something that wasn’t the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry or a small diving boat on holiday was looking promising.
Lady Sandals is a stunning 138 feet long and weighs in at 245 tons. The yacht’s formal dining room accommodates 12 guests for a la carte dining and up to 50 people for buffet-style affairs. We were among 50 guests, which included travel industry peers and loyal customers, to view the magnificent yacht, enjoy dinner and drinks on board, and hear about the new ventures of Sandals Resorts. Lady Sandals is owned by Gordon “Butch” Stewart, chairman of holiday company Sandals Resorts International. It’s used by Mr Stewart and his family, so as a result, we treated it like visiting someone’s home – albeit a fabulously designed, spacious home on water! Shoes were taken off on arrival, and my feet sank into the light coloured, luxuriously soft carpet. Large sofas and comfortable bar stools provided plenty of seating. There is also outside outside seating – perfect for the Caribbean weather, but untouched on this chilly October night in Brighton.
The Sandals Resorts team welcomed guests aboard who had put in 1,500 Sandals Resorts stays between them. A dinner was laid on, offering a healthy and tasty selection of chicken chasseur, salads, seafood and perfectly cooked asparagus. What really came across was that this was an informal thank you from Sandals to their guests. There was no ‘selling,’ although a cleverly TV screen promoting Sandals’ new resort in Granada did get many of the guests talking.
Lady Sandals is so spacious and is thoughtfully designed to maximise every inch of space. A staircase to the bedroom suites below is almost invisible in its design from the salon. There is a master suite, a double suite, plus a further twin suite, perfect for Mr Stewart and his family. I can only imagine the fun the children have (it’s a child’s hide-and-seek dream), while for the adults it’s seclusion and sophistication. Back to the suites: built-in cupboards are inconspicuous, and further wardrobes line the corridor, so space is never an issue for the Stewarts and their friends. The bathrooms are finished in fine Italian marble and the dining room is spacious too. The crew’s quarters is accessed via a different stairway, providing privacy and comfort. It was hardly a surprise to learn that Lady Sandals was once a part of the Hollywood celebrity scene: Nicolas Cage owned the yacht before selling it back to Mr Stewart and his family. I’m not sure who got the better end of that deal, but it’s easy to see why Mr Stewart wanted it for his own. It looks brand new, the facilities and décor are second to none.
The UK tour of Lady Sandals ends in London next month. She will then head back to the warmer shores of the Caribbean for the winter before heading to the States and Canada next year for a similar tour. I just wish I could have stayed on it for the Caribbean leg of its journey…
Take a look at Sandals Holidays – there really is no scrimping on luxury, and great incentives are offered such as two free nights on a future stay when you book a seven or 10-day holiday. All the guests love Sandals, and chatting to them, it’s easy to see why.
