Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun vs Sandals Royal Barbados
Palace Hotels vs Sandals Resorts — Side-by-side resort comparison
Key Metrics
| Metric | Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun | Sandals Royal Barbados |
|---|---|---|
| Our Rating | 8.1 | 8.2 |
| Star Rating | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Room Count | 1,304 | 222 |
| Restaurants | 12 | 21 |
| Pools | 19 | 11 |
| Year Opened | 2017 | 2017 |
| Year Renovated | 2017 | 2021 |
Features
| Metric | Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun | Sandals Royal Barbados |
|---|---|---|
| All-Inclusive | Yes | Yes |
| Adults Only | No | Yes |
| Beach Access | Yes | Yes |
| Spa | Yes | Yes |
| Kids Club | Yes | No |
Dining Comparison
| Metric | Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun | Sandals Royal Barbados |
|---|---|---|
| Total Venues | 28 | 26 |
| Included | 28 | 26 |
| Extra Charge | 0 | 0 |
Room Comparison
| Metric | Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun | Sandals Royal Barbados |
|---|---|---|
| Room Categories | 6 | 12 |
| Suite Categories | 5 | 12 |
Activities Comparison
| Metric | Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun | Sandals Royal Barbados |
|---|---|---|
| Total Activities | 25 | 24 |
| Included | 20 | 18 |
| Extra Charge | 5 | 6 |
Pros & Cons
Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun
Pros
- Guests who book Grand-tier access get into adults-only restaurants and pools that standard Moon Palace guests cannot enter — the access separation is real and consistent.
- Water park with 14 heated pools means rainy or cooler days in winter don't shut down the main family activity.
- Le Château holds a Wine Spectator award — unusual for an all-inclusive and worth using if you care about wine pairings.
Cons
- Sargassum on the beach is not a occasional problem — it's a persistent seasonal reality from roughly April through October, documented across years of guest reviews.
- The resort is large enough that getting from your room to certain restaurants can require 10–15 minutes of walking or waiting for internal transport.
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
- The scale of the combined Royal Barbados and Sandals Barbados property means it's a larger, more crowded operation than quieter Sandals resorts
Summary
Sandals Royal Barbados has a higher guest rating, while Sandals Royal Barbados has more restaurants, while Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun is the larger property, while Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun has more dining venues, while Moon Palace The Grand - Cancun offers more activities.