Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock - An Adults Only Karisma All-Inclusive Experience by Hilton vs Sandals Royal Barbados: Which is Better? (2026) | Resort Flock
Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock - An Adults Only Karisma All-Inclusive Experience by Hilton vs Sandals Royal Barbados
Margaritaville Resorts vs Sandals Resorts — Side-by-side resort comparison
Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock - An Adults Only Karisma All-Inclusive Experience by Hilton
Sandals Royal Barbados
Our Rating
8.2
8.2
Star Rating
5.0
5.0
Room Count
268
222
Restaurants
10
21
Pools
2
11
Year Opened
2021
2017
Year Renovated
—
2021
Features
Metric
Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock - An Adults Only Karisma All-Inclusive Experience by Hilton
Sandals Royal Barbados
All-Inclusive
Yes
Yes
Adults Only
Yes
Yes
Beach Access
Yes
Yes
Spa
Yes
Yes
Kids Club
No
No
Dining Comparison
Metric
Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock - An Adults Only Karisma All-Inclusive Experience by Hilton
Sandals Royal Barbados
Total Venues
13
26
Included
12
26
Extra Charge
1
0
Room Comparison
Metric
Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock - An Adults Only Karisma All-Inclusive Experience by Hilton
Sandals Royal Barbados
Room Categories
12
12
Suite Categories
8
12
Activities Comparison
Metric
Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock - An Adults Only Karisma All-Inclusive Experience by Hilton
Sandals Royal Barbados
Total Activities
20
24
Included
17
18
Extra Charge
3
6
Pros & Cons
Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock - An Adults Only Karisma All-Inclusive Experience by Hilton
Pros
Juanillo Beach is among the most consistently praised resort beaches in the entire Dominican Republic — the calm water and white sand are the real draw here, not the brand name
The LandShark Brewery is a genuinely unique feature — house-brewed lager unavailable elsewhere, paired with solid smokehouse food that outperforms typical resort grill menus
Rum Runner's lunch venue with 60+ rum varieties and Dominican a la carte food is one of the better all-inclusive lunch setups in Cap Cana
Cons
The Hammock and Wave sections share the property — adults who want complete separation from family activity should be aware of the adjacency, particularly in shared beach areas
A-Lam-Bik's molecular cuisine incurs an extra charge even under the all-inclusive program, which feels incongruous — it's the best food on the property but requires additional payment
Sandals Royal Barbados
Pros
The rooftop infinity pool is the Caribbean's first — an evening pool experience with ocean views that's unavailable at other Sandals properties
All-suite property means no standard rooms — every guest has suite-level accommodations
'Stay at One, Play at Two' with adjacent Sandals Barbados effectively doubles dining to 20+ restaurants and 10+ bars
15-minute transfer from Grantley Adams International Airport — one of the shortest Sandals arrivals in the Caribbean
Lovers Lanes bowling alley and craft beer bar are genuine novelties within the all-inclusive format
Cons
Maxwell Beach is a public beach — other hotel guests and persistent local vendors are present and regularly cited by guests
Lounge chair competition is consistent: early morning positioning is required for both the main pool and beachfront spots
Service at restaurants and bars is noted as slower than expected given the pricing — allow extra time for meals
Summary
Sandals Royal Barbados has more restaurants, while Margaritaville Island Reserve Cap Cana Hammock - An Adults Only Karisma All-Inclusive Experience by Hilton is the larger property, while Sandals Royal Barbados has more dining venues, while Sandals Royal Barbados offers more activities.
