Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach & Villa Resort - Jamaica

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Would I come back? Definitely! Visited: December 2009 Posted by wavyhair77 Hi, my name is Michelle and I'm a Sandalsholic. I'm a three-peat user, and I can't get enough of it. My husband and I travel to the Caribbean about once a year, and we always have a great time at a Sandals resort. We arrived in Ocho Rios on the 18th of December. Once we retrieved our luggage, we went to the luxurious Sandals lounge (I knew about the lounge from other posts) and relaxed with a Red Stripe in our hands and waited for our shuttle. Once the shuttle was ready, the porter (not a Sandals employee) took our luggage to the bus and we traveled about an hour and a half to the resort. As soon as we stepped off the bus, we were greeted with an almond scented fresh towel and a glass of bubbly. The front desk person checked us in and I think our room number was 2717. From our balcony, we looked out directly to the main pool and could see the ocean from afar. About five minutes after we settled in our room, there was a knock on the door. We were surprised with two warm chocolate cupcakes and a pair of t-shirts for the returned guests. Also, there was an invitation to the returning guest dinner. Having been to another returning guest dinner before, we knew we had to go to this one. Each morning, we checked the activity planner and planned our day accordingly. I like to be active while getting a tan, so the planner was great for me. Being that the weather didn't cooperate, we went hot-tubbing quite a bit. Try different ones around the resort. Some are hotter than others, and some are hidden! We ate at the Market Place for breakfast. Everything tasted fresh and there was lots of variety. Hubby has a sweet tooth, and he said Jamaica has the best dessert/bread out of all the countries we've been to in the Caribbean. Each night we had dinner at a different restaurant. We went to Valentino's, Manor, and Kimono's. Also, the beach party was awesome. If you can, stay for the show after on the beach, because it was hilarious. If it wasn't for Colin's help at the front desk, we wouldn't have been able to go to Kimono's at Dunn's River. Originally we had a reservation for 6:30, but afterwards, we realized that our shuttle to Dunn's River didn't leave until 6:30 and we weren't going to make it on time. Colin called and got us a reservation at 8:00. I'm glad he did because our "Blasian" chef was very entertaining. We had three full days of rain, so one day my husband sent me to the spa for a treat. I got the head to toe facial and foot massage combo. My face felt so good, and I was so relaxed afterwards. We didn't get a chance to do any excursions or water sports because it rained so much. However, we did get to hang around the bar and watch people play games to win prizes. The gift shops at either the Manor or the Riviera side both had drawings at 6 pm. You need to fill out a ballot and be present at the shop by 6, and you might get lucky and win some free merchandise. Altogether, we won three bags of Blue Mountain coffee, a Sandals baseball cap, a CD and a t-shirt. We were lucky! The returning guest dinner was great. We were treated to an appetizer of lobster, and the dinner was turkey with all the trimmings. After the dinner, we were given a 1L bottle of rum and a Sandals necklace as a gift. They really know how to say thank you and make you feel special. All in all, it was a great vacation despite the sucky weather. Would I go back? Definitely! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was a great vacation. Visited: October 2009 Posted by jeffrey_97 We had a fantastic six days at the Sandals Grande Ochio Rios. The staff was outstanding, prompt and went way out of the way to ensure everything was "no problem". I read some negative reviews prior about long dinners and poor food. We experienced none of that. The food was on par with expensive Charleston, SC type fair. Dinner was four courses, thus about two hours. That is standard for luxury dining. This wasn't McDonalds...it was a resort proper. The rooms were clean rooms, and the private pool was visited by cleaners twice daily - not even a leaf. Also, the stocked bar remained stocked. Excursions are excursions. Folks at those venues want to sell..but that's what they do. Water was not as pretty as other places, and the reefs were in bad shape (close in). However, that is a Jamaica problem. The Sandals staff is just fantastic. If you're used to luxury and country club perks, they have it here. 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We received terrible service! Visited: May 2009 Posted by bassgroo20 As someone who rarely complains, this is difficult but necessary. I could not imagine worse service than that we received. The bartenders chose to wash dishes before acknowledging our group, not once but always. This was a tipping resort if you want service - even though they advertise otherwise. The food was not even warm most the time, and we usually had to wait for someone to get to our table for abut 15 minutes. The San Gennaro had the best food. Please spend your money in the states. In my opinion, these Jamaican ungratefuls don't deserve money in this economy. We spent close to $5,000 on this trip - and what a waste. I am crying really. I felt like I was a nuisance to most of the staff. All I wanted was service when I am not working. I just dont want to see my fellow Americans waste our money to people who really didn't seem to want my wife or me there. To sum up - don't go! 9 users found this review helpful. 17 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was far from luxurious - don't buy the ads. Visited: December 2008 Posted by sandalsl90 After spending eight days with my fiance at the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios between December 19, 2008 and December 27, 2008, I can honestly say that Sandals' claims of providing you with a "luxury included vacation" are simply marketing hype to get you to part with your hard-earned money. If being served lousy food in a pretty environment is your idea of luxury, you'll be happy at the Grande Ocho Rios. If you expect more for $600-$800 a day, you might want to shop around a bit before buying into Sandal's multimillion dollar advertising campaign. 8 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I thought it was overrated and over priced. Visited: March 2008 Posted by flatrap I thought the food was gross. Also, the drink and liquor selection was poor. I found it to be a tourist trap that was not worth the price. 14 users found this review helpful. 36 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Butler service comes to Sandals Ocho Rios! Visited: May 2007 Posted by jamaicabusiness This fabulous and famous resort known as a top wedding spot now has a new feature: a unique Butler Service that is being offered in their Concierge Suites. I recently had an opportunity to experience first hand this new service. Arriving at Sandals, Ocho Rios one is immediately taken by the lush vegetation and the manicured grounds…this fine property goes from white sand ocean front to hills overlooking the coastline, a rise of over 600’. Upon checking in, my butler, Franklyn, met me at reception. It streamlined the checking in process, and my bags were delivered to my rooms. Upon my arrival, I discovered that all my clothes had been expertly put away. Franklyn then sat down with me and explained the many options I had for my stay. I was handed a cell phone with a direct connection to him, so I could call whenever he was needed. “I will make your dinner reservations for you and escort you to dinner to make sure all is in order, I will take your drink or wine order and get you settled in, if you ever need me, just call on the cell”. This Butler program has been in effect for a year now, and it is very successful. Each candidate is trained by The Guild of Professional English Butlers of London, England. David Roper, General Manager, told me “The success of our program is proven by how many butlers get hired away by guests, it shows how well we train them”. It is so successful that Sandals is now implementing this service in other properties. Since weddings are one of the main attractions at Sandals Ocho Rios, the butler service has become very much in demand. Anyone who has been through planning a wedding knows that there are a multitude of last minute things to do and decide. Having someone right by your side that knows everything and everyone at the resort can greatly help all go smoothly. I came in before sunset from sailing only to discover that the slacks that I had planned on wearing for dinner were wrinkled, now where is that cell phone? Called Franklyn, he came up, took my pants and shirt away and returned 15 minutes later with them pressed to perfection. It was wonderful having someone to arrange all my activities, making sure I got to them on time, press my clothes, serve me coffee or meals in my room - and then, the absolute best, having Franklyn pack my bags. I am the world’s worst packer, so I just let Franklyn do it all and guess what? I had space left over in the same suitcase that I brought in stuffed! I have to learn to fold like that! 33 users found this review helpful. 10 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is a hidden gem. Visited: August 2006 Posted by alexavian56 We spent a week here, and will come back. We had stayed at another Sandals, and did not like it. This one was great. We liked that this Sandals had almost two resorts in one. For our laid back days, we loved the pools on the mountainside. Other days, we spent all of our time beach side. Sure, there were some bumps, and parts were showing their age. However, we felt for our money, this was a good value. 27 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is truly the most beautiful resort I've ever been to. Visited: February 2004 Posted by crissxxx_1 We stayed at this resort and it was just too beautiful. Our room was a "run of the house" room and you would have never known it. Our balcony was like in the middle of a jungle. Who needs the ocean? This was just too unbelievable to describe. It was so lushy and green and there were no bugs, reptiles or anything that crawls there. It is hard to believe. We were really impressed. This was also a party hotel along with being the greatest romantic place I've ever been to. Everything here was first class all the way from dining and fun to accommodations and atmosphere. I will definitely revisit this place again. They also served premium drinks all the way along with fantastic food. This was definitely the place to stay. 24 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I would describe this as the black sheep of the Sandals/Beaches family. Visited: December 2003 Posted by audears Having stayed at several Sandals/Beaches properties, I had great expectations for Grande Sport. These expectations were never met. Instead of a friendly greeting at the front desk, we did not even get a 'hello'. We were greeted with "Checking in? Fill this out, both sides and return it to the desk". Also, a piece of our luggage was lost. When we brought it to the desk's attention, we were told to "look again". After insisting it was not out there, they said they would check into it the next day--not right away. When we demanded to see a manager, however, he was able to recover our lost bag in one hour. Although it was advertised as a very active resort, it was anything but. The facilities were there, but scheduled events were cancelled, or the playmakers never showed up. Although the villa set up was great (two bedrooms, living room , two large bathrooms, large patio, private built in pool with dirty pool floats, stocked fridges), the villa was dirty, infested with bugs (fire ants, ants, moths, roly polys, gnats)-yes some could be expected, but not that many! The floors were swept but not washed, and were filthy. There was also mildew (to be expected in a Caribbean climate), and malfunctioning plumbing. We were lucky, only the sink and tub didn't drain--many were complaining about toilet overflows, etc. The beach was full of debris, unattractive/uncomfortable seats, and the beach grille was dirty as well. The water frontage was tiny, but the sand portion was 'deep'. The food selection was the poorest of any Sandals/Beaches resort, and not of the best quality. One of our favorite reasons for going to Jamaica was the people. The workers here were unfriendly, seemed bored, and three of them (two jitney drivers and a housekeeper) were more than willing to take tips--even stood seemingly waiting for them! We have never encountered that at any other property. The maintenance worker with the loud leaf blower blew by us at quarter of eight am, waking us all up (it was rainy and overcast--would have been a great day to sleep in after arriving at 11:00 pm the night before). All in all, this property seemed to lack the enthusiasm, friendliness, cleanliness, colorfulness, variety, food quality/selection and activity--yes, activity-- of the other Sandals/Beaches resorts we have experienced. We ended up switching to Sandals Dunn's River after a few days--it was wonderful! I'd think twice before staying at Grande Sport. I know I'd never recommend it or return. 9 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Beaches Grande Sport employs five-star staff. Visited: November 2003 Posted by smatisa We had a great time. Twelve of us stayed in the villas, so we were all near each other. The jittneys and drivers were great. The rooms were clean and there were no bugs. But we stayed in November, so they may have been out of season. There was never a wait for the bus to the beach. The trampolene on the ocean was cool. Ivy, the pool bartender, was the greatest allowing us our own music and body shots on the bar, and the best dirty bananas ever. Playing games with the staff was a lot of fun - from volleyball to the mummy wrap - they gave out very cool prizes, too. The food was okay, but good for all-inclusive and there was lots of it. However, there was not much seafood, and no lobster unless you paid for it. That was what dropped them a star in my book. We will definitely be back next year. They had an awesome staff. If you are great to them, they will do back flips for you. 7 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was amazing, I felt like a queen! Visited: August 2003 Posted by amber_xo_rose I felt so lucky to experience such an awesome time. This was absolutely incredible. I'm 19, and my boyfriend brought me here. This has been the best experience so far of my life.... and I will come back. 8 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was fantastic. Visited: July 2003 Posted by suzqt We were at Sandals July 6-13 and had a great time. This was our second stay at this resort. We celebrated our 13th anniversary. The food and drinks were great. The staff was a lot of fun and they even remembered us from our last visit. All I can say about our stay here is that it was great! 8 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a good time here. Visited: June 2003 Posted by kevinb We just got back from the Beaches Grande Sport. It was a lot of fun. We went with another couple and stayed for four days. We had booked Mountain Deluxe Rooms, but when we got there, our friends were upgraded to a villa. It kind of bummed me out, because the staff knew we were together. Then, I asked if my husband and I could be put on a waiting list for a villa if one came open, and they said "no problem". But then they wanted to charge us for it. I told them to forget it. Our room was very clean and had a great balcony. We ended up being very glad we stayed in the great house because everything was right there. The food was okay. We had reservations for San Gennero for Sunday night and, from start to finish, it took us 2 1/2 hours to get through. Service there was very slow. The beach was nice, the water was crystal clear! We signed up for a glass bottom boat ride, but then they would not take us because not enough people signed up. That was disappointing. Yes, some of the staff did act like we were putting them out at times, but most people were very nice and helpful. Warning: The ride to the hotel from the airport was scary! We almost had two head-on collisions before we got there. On the way back, it was raining, and two buses had slid off the road and wrecked. I prayed more on the bus ride than on the airplane ride! Overall, it was fun. Nicole's had a karaoke contest Sunday night and it was great! Be sure to bargain with vendors for better deals on souvenirs. They will also barter...they traded some stuff for our beach towel Dunn's River Falls was awesome! We had fun, but if I go back to Jamaica, I will probably stay in Montego Bay. But if I did go back to Ocho Rios, I would choose another hotel. I would give this three stars. 3 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? What a fantastic resort - we loved it! Visited: June 2003 Posted by texastornado Beaches Grande Sport was perfect for my husband and me. The grounds were beautiful, as well as all the staff we encountered. Everyone aimed to please and were as friendly as ever. We were upgraded to a luxury villa. It was very nice, very clean, and we really enjoyed the extra privacy and peacefulness. It didn't take long at all to get a Jitney ride down to the main house. We were only here for four nights and ate in three of the four main restaurants. Our favorite was the buffet because we could sample everything if we wanted. There were a lot of desserts in the Market Place buffet. There were also two grilles - one by the Great House pool, and the Barefoot Bistro on the beach. If you go, you have got to try the Jerk chicken, of course, and the Irie fries - yum! Grande Sport also served name brand liquor. I made sure to notice! My favorite drink while I was here was the Hummingbird! The rock wall was great, and the weight room was nice. Also, the aerobics room was hot, but the instructor was very cool! The Spa was pretty, though we didn't use their services.They had lots of tennis courts, a basketball court, shuffle board, a huge chess court, and an indoor squash court. They offered anything from mountain biking to scuba diving.. and it was all included! The beach was small, like everyone else mentioned, but we knew what to expect before we got here. We enjoyed the beach. It was very clean and pretty, and the water trampoline was cool. There was lots of room for lounge chairs and it was never crowded. They offered three snorkeling trips a day. It was very enjoyable! They had kayaks (which we used), Hobie cats, Water Tryke, windsurfing and other sports. It was a great trip for us and I have nothing bad to say about the Grande Sport! 3 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was outstanding. Visited: May 2003 Posted by gemmagarbutt My sister and I travelled to Beaches Grande Sport on holiday in May, and had the time of our lives. Everything was how we had expected it and in some cases it was even better. The accommodation was fantastic. We actually had the Concierge service, so our bar was topped up every day, it was great. Overall, the property was just everything we wanted - the facilities, sporting events, and the food was just everything you could imagine. The entertainment team was brilliant and really looked after us. In fact, one in particular was Travis. He was amazing and a very good dancer. I would definitely go back to Beaches Grande Sport tomorrow. 3 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was the best vacation ever - hands down! Visited: April 2003 Posted by socleanmeeks I can honestly say this was the best vacation I've ever had in my life. I know it was so good because it made me want to move here. I'm sure you don't get many reviews from teenagers, but I'm 17 and I fell in love with Jamaica. It was very beneficial for this hotel to have something going on every night. Not only that, but the people were extremely nice and the entertainment crew was excellent. They were what made it fun for me. A few people in particular made this trip outstanding. One was Patricia. I had so much fun dancing with her at the disco and she really was a good person to be around. Another person was Colin. He seemed very into his job and made sure I had a good time. And, last but not least, was Perry. This guy was the life of the party. I'm really looking forward to coming back to Beaches Grande Sport, so make sure to look for me in a couple of months. I know that all good things come to an end, but this was just the beginning! 4 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I can't wait to go back. Visited: March 2003 Posted by dhosking I stayed at Beaches Grande Sport with my husband March of 2003. This place was awesome! We stayed in the honeymoon suite with the private plunge pool and hot tub. The room was spotless. It looked just like the pictures of it. Maid service had everything replaced as we needed it - some things that we didn't need more of. The fridge was always restocked. The first night we were here, it was the buffet on the lawn night (Friday). There was loads of food - and lots of things I had never heard of but decided to try because hey, I was on vacation! It was delicious. The Manor buffet was great. - especially breakfast. You name it, it was there. A carafe of coffee was put on our table so we didn't have to get up and down for a refill. We also ate at the Manor Resturant. The food was great, however, the selection wasn't that large. The poolside grill had great burgers..better than at home! San Gennero's was where we had the best meal. I think it was because we were dining outside..beautiful night, slight ocean breeze, with the waves cascading in - it was so romantic. The food was also good there. Again, the selection (for my taste) was a little lacking. But, I found something I liked and I really enjoyed it. I cannot say enough about the staff. If you just look at them and don't smile, they come running to see if there is something wrong or something they could do for you. Every staff member we encountered was polite, courteous and went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. Just make sure to voice a complaint or problem and they will do what they can to remedy it. The only negative aspect to this resort was the beach. I knew going down it was small, but I didn't realize when they said small they meant widthwise, not length. I was a little disappointed with that. But on the upside, it was spotless, with no garbage, and it was always raked. There was no seaweed to be found. There were no words to describe the color of the water..blues, greens, teals, you name it - it was somewhere in there. Being a beach bum, I was not too interested in the water activities. As far as the nightlife was concerned, it was a little lacking if you are a party animal. 2 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Just a fantastic and relaxing place! Visited: February 2003 Posted by nkoltzan Sandals Ocho Rios was a great vacation. We went with another couple and had a superb time. The people were very friendly and conversation at the beach, pool and/or hot tub was always enlightening. The grounds were beautiful and beautifully kept. We were located in the Bamboo Grove and had a lovely view. The staff was a pleasure to talk with. The food was delicious and the drinks were plentiful. It was just really a fantastic place to vacation. We will be heading back to another Sandals - perhaps Negril next time. Sandals has won us over and spoiled us for any other vacation. We were also impressed with Dunn's River Sandals. They had an impressive pool/ beach set up, but Ocho Rios was prettier. Enjoy it here. You just can't help loving it! 8 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Reconsider getting married here. Visited: January 2003 Posted by jal18 My husband and I were married at Beaches Grande Sport this year. We took a big group with us. I was severely disappointed with the resort in relation to the wedding services offered. I imagined my wedding day as any girl does only to find it horrible and very poorly planned. It rained for three days (don’t go in January) and we got married at a back-up location. They didn’t even bother cleaning up the area or stacking the tables and chairs away from the previous evening. I complained to the wedding coordinator and hotel staff only to be completely ignored. I highly suggest it for a vacation, but don’t go for the wedding package there. Go somewhere else. On a better note, everyone in our party was upgraded with their rooms. The downside is the location of the villas in relation to the main house. It does take awhile to get up to the house if you are staying further out. The beach is very small and I’ve seen much better beaches in Florida! 1 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Sandals Ochos Rios in December. Visited: December 2002 Posted by abcdedcba The trip started off with a bus ride from Montego Bay to Ochos Rios. The ride was pretty slow, and it took about 3 hours to reach Sandals since passengers to Dunns River and Beaches were dropped off first. A new, wider road was under construction which had portions of the highway ripped up and narrowed down to only one lane. It was a little crazy since the Jamaicans used rocks instead of traffic cones and concrete barriers. In addition, sticks from trees and barrier tape (like police use for crime scenes) separated vehicles from 20+ feet drop off the side of the road. If you do not have a faint heart the ride is enjoyable seeing a lot of the Jamaica countryside. We stayed in the lowest class, room which was near the hidden pool. This was a nice location since the hidden pool was nearby, and was little known. We always had it to ourselves. This room provided easy access to the ampitheater, large pool swim-up bar, and the beach. It was a fairly loud location to be from noon each day until 11:00 PM, but was no problem since we were always out, enjoying the days activities. The room did need some updating. The carpet was a little frayed, and the TV was pretty old with poor picture, but the room was kept very clean by the maid staff. The grounds were beautiful with tropical plants and many flowering plants and trees in full bloom. Every morning the grounds were raked, sidewalks blown clean, walkways washed, pools cleaned, etc. All of the employees were very pleasant and ready to meet whatever needs we had. They loved to take pictures with digital cameras for guests so that they could see the results on the LCD screen. They were always more than happy to visit with guests. If you desire to shop local merchants, I recommend that you go across the street to the Coconut Grove Market, which was just outside the gate. The prices here were very good, such as Blue Mountain coffee for as little as $8/lb. The shopping tour took you to a similar location, but the prices were higher. The shopping tour is beneficial if you want to buy duty free jewelry or other expensive goods. Sandals and Beaches shared a local dive center which had a very good divemaster. Dive equipment was provided for those who needed it, but I would recommend taking your own. A lot of their equipment was worn (leaky BCDs, tank valves w/ bad o-rings or would not shut off, improperly adjusted regulators, etc.). I used their BCDs, weights and regs and did not have any problems which made me abort a dive. Night dives were also available with at least 3 people signed up at a cost of $50/each. Highly recommend the wreck of the Kathrine and Coppers Trenches. We would love to visit Sandals Ocho Rios again! 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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