It 's complicated , but there I was in a Sandals resort in Grenada , not with my wife Gillian but with my best friend from university , Charlotte Metcalf . By coincidence we had pitched up together to review the 14th in the Sandals chain . Neither of us had been before , but Couples Only ? Weddings on the beach ? Charlotte and I , both hard-bitten travellers , were set to sneer . Sandals La Source has 225 suites spread over three ‘ villages ’ in a small sandy bay . On arrival Ritchie , the manager , tells me his philosophy is ‘ to give guests more than they expect ’ , and at first glance it ’ s hard to tell who ’ s happier – the 350 guests or the 500 staff . Certainly everyone appears to be grinning constantly , as if part of a cult - the Sandalistas . Among Sandals LaSource Grenada 's 225 suites is the Skypool , with this stunning private infinity pool . The three 'village ' luxury all-inclusive resort hosts 350 guests with 500 staff . Our personal butlers , trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers , take us to our ( separate ) rooms . Charlotte ’ s giant suite features a black marble bath and a terrace with plunge pool and Jacuzzi . Meanwhile , I follow my butler , Marcus , up to my Oceanview Skypool Penthouse . Marcus hands me a mobile telephone and says : ‘ Anything you need , I ’ m a phone call away. ’ From my private infinity pool , I look out over the fort , and reflect on what I know about Grenada . It is mountainous , measuring just 12 miles by 21 , with a population of 110,000 , a high level of literacy and land ownership , and one of the lowest crime figures in the Caribbean . The island ’ s recent peaceful history has emerged from two tempests . One was a natural phenomenon , Hurricane Ivan , that struck in September 2004 and destroyed 85 per cent of houses and vegetation , including Grenada ’ s precious nutmeg trees . Sandals La Source is situated on a sandy bay on mountainous Grenada , an island just 12 by 21 miles . Among the resort 's shared facilities is three freshwater swimming pools including this in the 'Pink Gin ' village . The second was political : the 1983 Marxist coup in which Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was killed – a move that prompted Ronald Reagan to land 6,000 US troops on what was part of the Commonwealth . My father was a Foreign Office diplomat at the time , and he recalls meeting the Queen shortly after the invasion . She was furious . Charlotte and I find the scale of the resort overwhelming . There are nine restaurants , several bars , and even an English pub . After some fishing , during which I catch and release a 200lb blue marlin , I land an audience with the island ’ s popular Prime Minister . Dr Keith Mitchell greets us barefoot at his official residence , where we chat about Grenada ’ s future as an eco-tourist centre and its current peace and stability , which he ascribes to his people ’ s inherently cheerful nature . The Sandals resort occupies the heart of Grenada 's exclusive Pink Gin Beach . Writer Nicholas Shakespeare enjoys a pedalo ride with his friend Charlotte Metcalf . The South Seas Butler Suite 's living room opens up to a trellised veranda with a private plunge pool . Back at La Source , Charlotte and I attend a beach ‘ Re-Tie The Knot ’ ceremony . Two couples , from Halifax and Leicester , both married for more than 20 years , arrive for a moving service conducted with palpable delight by Baptist pastor Stanford Simon , looking splendid in lime-green linen . Sandals ( 0800 597 0002 ) offers seven nights at Sandals LaSource Grenada Resort & Spa from £1,629pp . This includes Luxury Included ( all-inclusive ) accommodation in a South Seas Hideaway Junior Suite with Balcony Tranquility Soaking Tub , return flights from London and resort transfers . Valid for travel between September 1 and October 20 , 2015 . There are tears of joy as well as laughter as Karen and Jenny , both in full-length cream and carrying white orchids , walk up the jetty to a small pavilion hanging over the sea to repledge their love to husbands Phil and Kieron respectively . The staff are in white waistcoats and ties for the occasion . The couples have prepared statements to read to each other , giving thanks for the love and lives they share . It is the simplest , most genuine and therefore the most profoundly moving service I ’ ve been to… well , since my own wedding . Charlotte and I weep openly . Sandals is victorious – cynicism is slain .
Sandals La Source in Leicester has 225 suites spread over three ‘ villages ’ Personal butlers are trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers . The resort in a small sandy bay has 500 staff tending to its 350 guests .