Club Med Sandpiper Florida (2008)

All Inclusive resorts in the United States are virtually non-existent, but we found a good one in Florida – the Club Med Sandpiper – for an early summer vacation. We had a great time at this resort! We enjoyed the sports activities offered and the excellent meals at the buffet – all included in our resort fee. Below we describe the highlights of our four night stay here.

By Tim Larison with contributions by Anne Larison, Andrew Larison (age 14) and Josh Larison (age 14)


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Sports Activities

The Club Med Sandpiper is best known for the many sports activities it offers.  This is a great resort for an active sports minded family like us.  In addition to playing some old favorites we tried a few new sports – each with the special “Club Med” touch.

Golf –

For me the highlight of the sports activities was a nine-hole “pitch and putt” course.  Playing on the par 3 course was great fun!  The course had sand traps, water hazards, and well manicured fairways and greens.  It was the perfect course for introducing someone to golf like Anne, Andrew, and Josh.

I hadn’t played golf in over 25 years – playing this course each morning and afternoon renewed my enthusiasm for the game.  It was challenging to try to get “par” on the short holes here and work on my pitching, sand game, and putting.  After playing a round with the family in the morning I returned each afternoon to play another round.  I liked how I could play the course over and over again at no extra cost.

Another highlight of the golf program here were free group golf lessons by an LPGA pro.  We attended the lessons on two mornings (one on putting, and one on chipping/pitching).  After our lessons we could see improvement in our games on the pitch and putt course.  I made one par on my first round of the week; on my last round I made five pars thanks in large part to the golf lessons.

The Club Med Sandpiper also has a Championship 18 hole course for an additional fee.  For us beginners, we stuck to the “pitch and putt” course but with some additional work on my game I may try the regular 18 hole course next time!

Anne says:

“Other than miniature golf, I had never played ‘real’ golf before.  The Club Med setting was the perfect place for me to learn.  The first day we played the ‘pitch and putt’ course I was pretty bad.  Fortunately as we headed out onto the course I put a few extra golf balls in my pocket, as I left a few in the water that round.  By our fourth day I wasn’t too bad!  I even got a birdie (beginner’s luck).  The lessons helped tremendously.

In addition to practicing on the pitch and putt course, you can go over to the 18 hole course and practice your putting and driving.  The driving range has clubs available at no charge and buckets of balls for only $1.00.

I definitely have a better appreciation for professional golf!”

Andrew says:

“The golf course at Club Med was pretty cool.  It was just a pitch and putt course so it didn’t take much skill to get a good score. There are a lot of rivers, ditches and sand traps you can get your ball stuck into.  To avoid crowds, go right when it opens in either the morning or the afternoon.”

Josh says:

“The golf course was really fun.  You chipped your ball to the green and then putted the ball in the hole.  On one hole I chipped the ball in the cup from off the green!  The lessons helped me to play better – they were for all skill levels.”

Tennis –

Club Med Sandpiper has a large tennis complex with 19 courts open for play every day.  In addition to playing tennis most anytime you wanted during the daytime, the resort also offered tennis lessons and tournaments between guests.

We played tennis several afternoons here.  Rackets and balls are provided for free as part of our resort fee, as well as court time.  We enjoyed some sets of “family doubles” (Anne and Josh vs. Tim and Andrew).  Josh and Mom played some additional games while Andrew and Dad were golfing one afternoon.

We did not take advantage of the tennis lessons, but in observing the instructors one morning working with a group of guests the program looked to be very thorough.

Anne says

“I have always enjoyed tennis.  The courts are in good shape, not excellent.  Some of the courts we played on could use some updating – the lines of the court need resurfacing.  The equipment was in good condition.  I would recommend if you can to bring your own tennis racket.  I found the Club Med rackets to have a larger grip than mine at home and there were no racket size choices – one size fits all.”

Andrew says:
“So many courts you could play on so you always got to play.  If you didn’t want to play there are 2 or 3 chairs in each court for you to just sit and watch. “

Josh says

“Tennis was a lot of fun because there were so many courts – it was never full.  All the equipment you needed was provided.”

Sailing –

The Club Med is located on the banks of the St. Lucie River – a large river perfect for a variety of water sports.  While I was golfing one afternoon Anne and the boys took advantage of the sailing lessons which they report on below.

Anne says

“Being from the land-locked state of Colorado, sailing was new to me.  There are two opportunities daily for sailing lessens; once in the morning and again in the afternoon.  The river is large but not like learning to sail in the ocean.  I felt safe and appreciated the lessons from the instructor.  It was fun, and had we been staying longer I would have spent more time on the river.”

Andrew says

“Our Mom took lessons on how to sail the boat and then took us out into the open water.  After almost hitting like 3 signs and having trouble turning the boat we finally made it back to shore.  It was still pretty fun regardless.”

Josh says

“Mom learned how to sail the boat and then she took us out for a ride.  It was fun!”

Sailing was also a popular activity for other guests.  One day a few boys (10 to 12 years old) were waiting for use of the ping pong table while we finished our game.  I asked what their favorite sport was at Club Med.  “Sailing!” was the enthusiastic reply.

 

Archery –

Club Med has an archery range complete with instruction.  This was another sport I hadn’t played in many years (since my days of youth summer camps in Colorado).  It was fun to be reacquainted with this sport – I even had a few bulls-eyes along with some errant arrows.

Anne says

“Here’s an important tip:  If you are a beginner at archery, wear your arm guard!  I didn’t wear an arm guard the first time we tried archery and I paid the price with a large bruise on my left arm from the bow string.  A nice feature of the archery range is that the targets are large and on wheels.  The targets can be moved closer and farther depending upon your skill level.”

Andrew says:

“This was a really easy activity for me.  I hit the target around the center almost every time the very first time I tried it”

Josh says

“Yeah, right!  I saw Andrew miss the target a lot!

This was my first time doing archery and I found it to be very fun. The instructor there was very good at teaching how to do it, and she gave us some helpful tips too.”

Swimming –

Club Med has a large pool complex – with a family pool, lap pool, and an adult pool.  We found the pools to be uncrowded during our stay.  This is not a resort with elaborate water slides and hot tubs – it just has your basic pool and lounge chair setup.

Next to the adult pool massages are offered for an additional fee.

Anne says

“We found plenty of pool chairs available and these plastic lounge chairs were covered with water-proof padding.  You are not sitting on uncomfortable plastic strips.  The pool is large and the water temperature was great – cool enough that it felt chilly when you entered, but not too cold to prevent you from wanting to stay in the water.  Perfect for the hot days of Florida.  Each afternoon at 12:15 there is a pool game – including water polo, water volleyball, a swim race and even a dance contest!”

Andrew says:

“The best time to go swimming is shortly after lunch time because there was no one at the pool.  I expected a hot tub in the pool area but there wasn’t one.  Anyway the pool was not too deep and the water was fairly warm.”

Josh says

“The pool was great because the water wasn’t cold and it was never too crowded.”

Circus –

One unique activity that the Club Med Sandpiper offers is a Circus School.  We did not participate in this sport, but we saw several guests enjoying learning how to swing on the trapeze and walk a tightrope.

Anne says –

“I seriously thought about trying the trapeze.  By Thursday I was pretty sore from all the golf and tennis.  Perhaps next time…”

 

Other Sports –

Club Med Sandpiper has a variety of other sports in addition to the ones I mention above.  The minor sports we enjoyed were Ping Pong (there were 2 ping pong tables near the buffet – we played every night after dinner), Bocce Ball (on a lighted court – we played this on a couple of evenings), Basketball (another lighted court where we played at night), Pool, and Horse Shoes.  There were a few we didn’t try, such as Inline Skating and Beach Volleyball.

Besides sailing there are a number of sports offered on the St Lucie river.  We saw other guests enjoying water skiing, wave runners and a number of personal water craft.  The resort offered tours of the river on different types of boats.

Anne says

“In addition to sports there are many fitness options.  There is daily Yoga Class every morning.  The other Fitness classes include: Step ‘n Box, Conditioning ‘n Sculpting, Aqua Splash and Total Core.  A weight room is available to guests ages 16 and older.”

Andrew says:

“The ping pong tables were pretty fun and we played on those after dinner.  They also had some fun extras like basketball and bocce ball.”

Josh says

“My favorite games to play were Ping Pong and Pool. We played Ping Pong a lot in the evening and Mom and I even tried a Ping Pong tournament. The Pool table was also great, but it was crowded a lot.”

Food and Drink

Club Med has one big buffet where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily.  We found the food quality to be excellent.  I especially enjoyed the made to order omelet bar in the mornings, the special themed dinners (Italian night, Mexico night, etc) and the soups offered in the evening.  For those watching calories there were healthy selections at a large salad bar.

Club Med also offered a “Murder Mystery Dinner” in a private dining room during our stay.  We signed up for this only to discover later that this was for guests 21 and older only.  Anne and I decided to pass on this dinner in order to eat with the boys on our last evening – we were glad we did as the buffet that night was the best dinner of the week!

The resort has a large bar, open in its own building from 10 am to 1 am each day, which features unlimited alcoholic beverages included in your resort fee.  Anne and I are not big drinkers but we enjoyed a few Pina Coladas (Tim) and Strawberry Daiquiris (Anne) here.  Andrew and Josh liked the unlimited free soft drinks provided.

Anne says

“I had some reservations when we first learned there was only one restaurant for the whole stay.  I can say now that I have no complaints about the food.  There was a wide variety of food, especially for lunch and dinner.  Not only were there many entrée choices but there was usually a carving station in addition to the chef making the specials of the day, which usually included a fish option.  There was also a third specialty station that offered special salads, seafood or sushi.  I found the quality of the food very good and for dinner they had amazing dessert options each night.

“Since we did visit during a week when the resort occupancy was low, I can’t speak for how the bar service would be for busier weeks, but we never had to wait to get a drink.  There is a soft drink machine for self-serve at the bar, also.

Food is not available 24 hours but between lunch and dinner a portion of the restaurant is open as a snack bar.  Between 2:30 and 6:00 pm you can find hamburgers, hotdogs, fries, cookies and ice cream and drinks.”

Andrew says:

“Every meal they had something different to eat in the buffet.  It was awesome because you had unlimited soda so you could drink it anytime of the day.”

Josh says

“The meals at the buffet were really good and the quality of the food was excellent.”

Our resort room

We had side by side standard rooms during our stay.   Each room was good sized – much bigger than your average hotel room.  Andrew and Josh’s room had two single beds, while Anne and I had a large king bed in our room.  Each room had a large sitting area with a comfortable couch and chairs.  We played cards late into the evening one night in the sitting area of the boys’ room.

The tv was small for such a large room (a 12 inch tv mounted on the ceiling) but we didn’t mind too much – we had more than enough to fill our time rather than watch tv!  The internet setup could be improved.  There was wireless internet offered in the reception building but not in the individual rooms.

We found the housekeeping to be efficient and thorough – on all but our last day our room was cleaned by the time we finished our morning round of golf.

Anne says

“The large couch in the room is actually a day bed — large enough for a child to use.  A family of 6 could fit easily in 2 rooms at this Club Med.

The closets!  Wow, they are very large walk-in closets with two sets of shelves in addition to the hangers.  The room includes a small refrigerator and a safe.  There were bottles of water available and replaced on a daily basis.”

Andrew says:

“Our room was huge; it had a huge couch, two chairs, a TV, and two big beds.  It also had a patio that you could walk out on.”

Josh says

“Our room was very nice.  It had two beds, a couch, two chairs, and a TV.  It was a very big room which I liked!”

Kids Club

Club Med has an extensive kids program, servicing kids from 4 months old through age 17.  We decided on this trip to participate in the many sports as a family, so Andrew and Josh did not attend any of the teen programs during the week.  Anne and I did take a tour of the kids’ facilities given by the assistant director of the program.  We were impressed with the facilities and the many programs Club Med offered for children.  For example, there was a “Peanuts” room (for kids from 4 months to walking age) with special programs just for that age group.  We thought this would be a great program for a young family – Mom and Dad could participate in the many sports activities of the resort knowing their kids would be well taken care of with the excellent children’s program staff.  The infant program here is better than I have seen on any of the cruises we have taken.

We also liked how the staff tailored sports programs for each age group.  For example, there was a program offered on the resort’s soccer field.   One of the kids’ club counselors played competitive soccer in college and designed the program.  It involved more than just throwing the ball out and letting the kids play – there was teaching to help the kids learn the finer points of the game.

The resort also had several performances during the week where kids put on a show for their parents.  We enjoyed watching a “hip hop” show put on by a group of 6 year olds one night.

Anne says –

“I was also impressed with the children’s program.  The children’s program is closed on Wednesdays each week and we were told the staff uses this time to thoroughly clean the facility.

A few other small things I noticed when Tim and I were touring the facilities is the staff were spraying sunscreen on a group of the little ones prior to their going out for their swimming time.  Also, the ratio of staff to children is monitored.  The little ones also have their own separate kiddie pool that is fenced in and away from the other larger pools.”

The Staff

A review at the Club Med Sandpiper would not be complete without mentioning the young energetic staff.  We found the sports instructors to be excellent – taking time to provide individual instruction on their sport with helpful tips.  The staff had an upbeat attitude; we were greeted with warm welcomes and smiles wherever we went.

 

Anne says
“Club Med is a French outfit and those that work here are referred to as GOs (gentils organisateurs) and the guests (who pay a nominal membership fee – good for one year) are referred to as GMs (gentils members).
I noticed at most meals that the GO’s who ate at the same time with the GMs would ask to join and sit with guests at their tables.  There were tables for 4 but many tables accommodated larger parties.”

Getting there

Club Med Sandpiper is located in Port St Lucie, Florida.  The closest airport is the one at West Palm Beach (about a 50 minute drive).  We instead flew into Orlando – we found the 2 hour drive from Orlando to the resort to be an easy one down the Florida Turnpike.  The toll was $8.75 each way.

We found a stay at the Club Med Sandpiper to be a good addition to a Disney World or Orlando area vacation – the driving distance to the resort was not a problem.

Summary

We were pleasantly surprised by our stay at the Club Med Sandpiper.  While not as big or lavish as some resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean, this Florida based resort is a good option for sports minded families.   We especially liked the “all inclusive’ nature of the resort.  For families who like this type of vacation, and who want to avoid the higher airfares to Mexico or the Caribbean, the Club Med Sandpiper is a great choice.

Anne says

“We were fortunate that on our four day visit we encountered nearly perfect weather.  If you go during the warm months in Florida, be sure to wear a hat and put on sunscreen.  I would also recommend bringing bug repellent.  We didn’t have many bug problems, but on the last evening of our stay we were sitting outside in the evening watching a show and we received a few mosquito bites.

I would describe Club Med as a summer camp for adults.  If you would enjoy an active outdoor experience, you would enjoy Club Med.  I would highly recommend Club Med Sandpiper for family reunions – there is something for everyone!”

Andrew says

“Our time at Club Med was one of the best vacations we ever had.  You never ran out of things to do in the resort, you were always busy.  If you like sports and endless all-you-can-eat food then going to Club Med would be the best thing for you.  It’s like a cruise without the boat basically.”

Josh says

“Our vacation to Club Med was great! There were so many sports and activities that you could never run out of things to do there. Also, the food in the buffet was delicious and there was different food every night. This was a very active vacation, so families who like sports should definitely give this a try!”

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