Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach & Villa Resort - Jamaica

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Beaches is a taste of Paradise! Visited: August 2002 Posted by hearnebc We couldn't be more pleased with our stay at the Grande Sport. It was everything and more than we expected. The people on staff at the resort were friendly, helpful, happy and seemed to never stop working. We were pampered from the moment we stepped onto the property. We were lucky enough to be in one of the villas. It was very comfortable and clean. And the bonus of our own semi-private pool was just a little extra icing on the cake. We did eat in all the restaurants, and did not find any of the menus lacking in any respect. And the presentation, service and quality of the food was world class. There were tons of activities scheduled during each day that took place in various areas of the property, so one was never at a loss for something fun to do. Whether you should choose to spend your day near the Manor House and the pool or take the shuttle to the Beach Club and the pool and grill down there, you will find staff everywhere ready to indulge your every whim. We did take the Blue Mountain Bike tour which was an all-day excursion. It was well worth the money. Find Hank (one of the restaurant managers) and see if you have time on a Monday (his day off) and hire him to be your guide for a day. He was a wonderful man. We can't wait to go back to the Grand Sport. About traveling in Jamaica, don't expect roads like we have in the states and you'll be fine. It does take longer for everything, and believe them when they say to get to the airport two hours prior to flight time. It will take all that time to go through check in and security. If you are planning a trip to the Grande Sport, you will have a wonderful time! 2 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We enjoyed our stay and recommend it. Visited: July 2002 Posted by em_swanson My husband and I visited the Beaches Grande Sport for a week in July and enjoyed it very much. As our first "real vacation" and our only all-inclusive resort experience, we had a great time. Jamaica was a beautiful island, and the Grande Sport offered some of the best of it. There were four restaurants on the property and the food was very good. We each had one meal we didn't care for, but there was a great variety of choices and the quality was good. Although I don't normally consider myself a "beach person," I spent hours each day relaxing under some shady trees in a corner of the beach, which never seemed crowded and was easy to get to by the beach shuttle. Yellow mats were available to pad your lounge chair or float on in the water, and the water trampoline was fun to use the first day and fun to watch others use on subsequent days. SCUBA diving and other water sports were included in the package price. My husband went on three dives and we went snorkeling once. The guys at the tour desk were very accommodating even though we ended up changing our tour schedule a couple of times. We'd heard the Dunn's River Falls tour might not be worth it because of the crowds there, but we went and really enjoyed it. I think most of the people who didn't enjoy it as much didn't climb the falls, which is a must if you go. We didn't expect the craft market and its aggressive vendors on the way out of the falls, but we escaped relatively quickly and with only one bag of coffee and a carved wooden cat. Our one bedroom villa suite was comfortable and the fridge was stocked daily with fresh 7-up, ginger ale, bottled water and Pepsi. We had a room on the upper level, and I enjoyed sitting on the balcony above the pool in the mornings and even saw some mongoose one morning. We also had a couple of small lizards visit our room, as well as a few ants. The A/C worked well in the bedroom, but didn't cool the living room and kitchen as effectively, though it really wasn't a problem. One thing that did bother us a little was the shower, which emitted only a few light sprays. We requested a replacement showerhead more than once, and I think they came and fiddled with it but never did give us a different showerhead. Nighttime entertainment was good at the Nicole nightclub and especially at the theme nights - Beach Party and Caribbean Night. On our last night, we played with the giant chess set on the Great House lawn. One of the best parts of our trip was the bus ride to and from the airport. While a little bumpy (do take your Dramamine), it was fascinating to see the "real" Jamaica along the way, not just the "fantasyland" of the resort. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I can't wait to go back! Visited: July 2002 Posted by rachlm927 My boyfriend and I just got back from Beaches Grande Sport for nine days, and are already planning our trip there next year! We had reserved a “luxury villa room”, but were upgraded to a one-bedroom suite. The rooms were very clean and spacious. The fridge was stocked with soda/water/juices. Our favorite part of the room (and probably the resort) was having a pool a few steps from our door. We spent most of our days at our pool. During our stay, we signed up for the concierge service for $50 per day. For that price we got robes, turn down service, New York Times fax, liquor and beer. The housekeeper replenished our stock when we had empty bottles. We recommend this service if you are traveling with a large group that may finish most of the liquor each night. If not, for a lot less than $50 a day, you can buy beer or liquor in the gift shop at a good price. The resort had an activities desk to help you plan anything you wanted to do. They made it very easy for us. We did Dunn's River Falls ($22, highly recommended) and shopping ($9, great duty free deals). My boyfriend played golf twice ($15 caddie fees+tip) and said the course was beautiful and the caddies were friendly. I went to the spa several times, and thought the service was excellent. The food was better than expected, and each restaurant had a fantastic variety. On one of our last nights, we went to the Italian restaurant, and wished we would have dined there more often. The bartenders were very friendly, and the service was also prompt. Yes, the beach was across the street. This was not a problem for us. The shuttle ride took about 2 minutes, and it never seemed like we had to wait long. The beach was small, but we never felt that it was over packed. At the beach, there was also a huge pool (with pool bar). There was also a very long pier that extended out to the ocean perfect for laying out with a cool breeze! Next door to our beach was the Sandals Ocho Rios resort. I wasn’t impressed. It seemed like it was just a hotel on the beach - not to mention the noisy construction going on at the hotel. Overall, we were very satisfied with the resort. Our housekeeper (Evelyn) was so sweet. She asked us our names the first day, and never forgot them! We thought the grounds were magnificent and well maintained. The resort had a thousand things scheduled each day to do if you liked to keep busy, but it was also perfect if you just wanted to relax. We are counting the days until we go back! 2 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Very disappointed! Visited: May 2002 Posted by connie_40 My daughter and I stayed at Beaches Grande Sport, Jamaica. It was the worst trip that we have ever taken. Our room was dirty and cheaply decorated. The food was just okay. The beach was a huge disappointment. It was so small and dirty that we never even went into the ocean. This is not a place for single people. We couldn't wait to leave. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We loved it! Visited: May 2002 Posted by tlcutolo I read all the reviews out there and thought (based on some of them) that maybe I booked my vacation at the wrong Sandals Resort. I couldn't have been more wrong. To start, the flight on Air Jamaica was great. Champagne was served, so was a full meal. Considering my flight originated from Miami, this was quite unexpected. Especially since I was served nothing on my two tree-hour flights on Northwest to get to Miami - unless you call peanuts lunch! We arrived in Ocho Rios after taking the Jamaica Air Express Flight. It's highly recommended.There was some waiting in the airport to take the flight, but it was only 18 minutes compared to the two-hour bus ride we heard horror stories about. Upon arriving at Sandals, we were served more champagne at check-in - very nice! The resort was beautiful. It reminded me very much of Hawaii. The room was a good size,very Caribbean-looking and clean. We took the basic room, which was more than fine. We know, because we checked out other rooms and other than slightly nicer furniture and a mini-bar, there was almost no difference. The beds were very comfortable and so were the pillows, which was very unusual. The food was wonderful and the bars were always open. Make sure that upon checking in,you go immediately to the service desk in the lobby of the main hotel and get dinner reservations for whichever restaurants you are interested in eating at. The Bayside Restaurant which required no reservations, in my opinion, was the best. The pool area with the swim-up pool bar was a little small, but not crowded. And once you're floating on a raft, it's quite relaxing and you will not mind one bit. The beach which was said to be terrible, was great. It was situated very close to activities and a bar. The water was clear, and was a comfortable temperature. We met two other couples on our way to the resort, and spent most of our time with them. We even attended one of their weddings.The wedding was very nice, the pictures were beautiful and the resort did a very nice job. My husband and I were so impressed, we even talked about renewing our vowes at a Sandals Resort in the near future. We visitied Beaches Grande Sport and we were not as impressed. We also went to Sandals Dunns River, which was beautiful, but it did not give us the relaxed, laid back atmosphere that we were enjoying at Sandals Ocho Rios. One recommendation - if you're looking for a truly relaxing, fun vacation, go to Ocho Rios. If you are looking for upscale elegance and are not into making friends, and acting like a kid again, then go to Dunns River. Also, we found the staff at Ocho Rios was much friendlier! We are definitely going back next year. Next time, we might try a Beaches Resort, and take the kids. 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We loved it! Visited: May 2002 Posted by mimistorey We had a wonderful time at Beaches Grande Sport!! We were married here on May 27, 2002 and everything was beautiful! We thought the food was excellent and the atmosphere was great. Everyone here was so relaxed, even the staff. The staff members were very nice and waited on you hand and foot. The flowers were beautiful, as well as the resort's grounds. We got married off of the pier that went over the beautiful ocean. The minister did a wonderful job and I would not have done my wedding any other way. We brought 17 people with us and they had a wonderful time as well. We would surely reccommend this resort to everyone. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The people were extremely friendly and the resort offered great relaxation. Visited: April 2002 Posted by Sblumkr We just got home from Jamaica, and we found the people of the Ocho Rios area to be some of the friendliest people there are. We ended up with a room upgrade and were placed in one of the honeymoon villas. The drinks and food were very plentiful when at the resturants or bars on the property. For an all-inclusive, they neglected to tell us that to have alcohol in our room, it was an extra charge. We only had a short amount of time to stay, and did not get to do as many things as we would have liked to do. Orchids, the Asian restaurant, was okay at best. But the Manor resturant had some of the best food we have tried. The activities crew was great, and housekeeping was willing to go out of their way for us. Like they said, " it's all good". I'm not sure we would go back to Grande Sport, but we will definitely be going back to Jamaica. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A good time was had by one and all. Visited: April 2002 Posted by THEOGLES We just spent a very enjoyable week at Beaches Grande Sport. The food and drinks were great. All the restaurants offered a buffet and a la cart. Most of the staff was very pleasant and helpful. They had a fantastic selection of sporting activities, if you like that sort of thing. The ages of the guests varied from early twenties to over fifty. Both of the pools, the beach and manor pool were very active with lots of volley ball. Both pools also have swim-up bars and a good selection of drinks. The beach was small, but clean, with plenty of water sports and games going on. There was a five-minute bus ride to the beach and it ran every 15 minutes or so. There was also a lunch buffet at the beach restaurant every day, so you didn't have to leave to eat. The villas had either a private or semi-private pool. Ours was well kept. It was a nice start to each day at our own pool with coffee (there was a full kitchen in every villa). We had a very nice vacation and could be as active or as lazy as we wanted. We could be alone or meet new friends at the many planned evening activities they offered. I would recommend this resort to anyone of any age! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Sandals was absolutely beautiful! Visited: April 2002 Posted by Penpen825 We have been to many Sandals resorts and must say that this property took us totally by surprise. There was not too much mentioned about Sandals Ocho Rios, so we did not expect to love it as much as we did. But it was - by far - the most beautiful Sandals we have been to. It was very lush and tropical and perfectly manicured. There were little paths leading throughout the resort, lily ponds, gardens and we loved the hidden pool. The food and service were usually Sandals excellent - the people here were so friendly. We booked the lowest room, we upgraded to oceanview, then again the next day to Oceanview Penthouse - liteally on the water. We would try a cottage next time, as they looked great as well. There was good evening entertainment and the resident band played day and night. There was also a good mix of crowd - every age. The atmosphere was active, but not party-like. I highly recommend Sandals Ocho Rios. It was a very romantic, beautiful and peaceful resort. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We love Jamaica! Visited: March 2002 Posted by haschnorr We visited Grande Sport in March and the weather was amazing. This was a first for Beaches/Sandals and we were quite happy with the all-inclusive deal - food/drink. The resort was situated on a hill, so if you didn't mind a short walk here and there, it was lovely. I thought staying in the villas was the best. They were two-story units with a pool shared by the four rooms. I recommend booking the bottom floor as your veranda opens up to the pool. The rooms were not exactly like the photos, but they had a small living room and kitchenette which was great. They stocked the fridge with soda and it was nice to make our own coffee or tea in the morning. Each villa seemed almost private and there were winding paths meandering through the hillside lined with fruit trees and lush flowering bushes that made us feel like we were in our own little paradise. At times we felt like we were the only ones there as we rarely saw the other people who shared our pool and villa. The manor house was a short walk from the villas and had several restaurants and a gym. There were activities on the lawn which overlooked the vast ocean, but you couldn't see the beach from the main house. This resort was renovated by Beaches, but still maintained the Old British feel of The Ciboney Resort. Imagine cricket players on the lawn. The manor house had lots of charm with its mahogany interior - think: Casablanca. The beach was a walk down the hill, crossing a street and another short walk down the lower part of the hill. The beach was small, but there was a pool where most people hung out (volleyball courts, beach restaurant etc...) The nice thing about the all-inclusive was that there were always kayaks, waterbikes and sailboats at your service to enjoy the ocean since there was not a whole lot of beach as it was situated between a small cliff and another resort next door (no long beach walks here.) The people were very friendly and everything was "No Problem Mon." Also, Dunn's River Falls was a 20-minute drive through town and a was a must. Our vacation was relatively inexpensive for an all-inclusive, and I only wished our stay was longer than five days. If you are looking for a mellow resort (no children here) with charm, you will enjoy Grande Sport. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Sandals offers laid-back luxury. Visited: March 2002 Posted by gil_pregent This was our second stay at a Sandals resort. Repeat guests are certainly treated with great respect and appreciation. We were even upgraded from the basic deluxe accomodations to the Honeymoon Penthouse Suite on this occasion. Add to this the special Signature Guest treatments and it all equaled a great week. The resort`s atmosphere could be described as laid-back and cozy compared to their Dunn`s River location. It fit our style just fine as the staff was very friendly and helpful, often showing appreciation for having chosen them as your vacation destination. The beach is said to be the nicest one in Ocho Rios and although it was not very big, the water was absolutely fabulous and you never felt overcrowded on the beach. Restaurants on location offered excellent variety and quality. From dinner for two right on the beach to the more elegant setting of the Italian restaurant, you're sure to find one that fits your mood. My only complaint would be in the very restricted selection of wines offered. If you find the main pool to be too crowded and noisy to your liking, as we did, two more pools are hiding within the beautiful gardens so that the two of you can get away. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We loved it! Visited: March 2002 Posted by christinadbrown We were very happy with Beaches Grande Sport. The staff was very friendly and went out of their way to make us feel special. We were married at this resort and were extremely satisfied with our weddingmoon! The food was very good. We only ate twice at one restaurant. There was a lot to choose from. We stayed in a villa. It was very clean - as was our semi-private pool. The beach was very small, but there were tons of water activities that we enjoyed. The fitness facilities were great, too. We were a little disappointed with the Mountain Biking trail, but the other sports lived up to the advertising. We would definitely go back to Beaches Grande Sport! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was a great vacation. Visited: March 2002 Posted by jfrederi We were very pleased with our vacation at Beaches Grande Sport. The grounds were beautiful. The staff was excellent. Whatever we needed, the staff would provide with a smile. The food was also good. With four restaurants, there was a wide variety of foods. We were pleased with our room. We had a private balcony and a semi-private pool. Our room was very clean, but the furnishings were a little worn. The beach was very nice. It was small, but beautiful. We enjoyed the wide range of water sports that were offered. All in all, we thought it was a great place. We would definitely recommend the resort. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Nice vacation Visited: January 2002 Posted by tazzz25957 Jamaica is not for everyone. The ride from the airport was not bad, but it is sad to see a certain lack of development. We did have some great jerk chicken at our pit stop. Wonderful all-inclusives seem the thing in Jamaica and Grande Sport is one of them. The grounds are beauftiful, staff is excellent, accomodations are nice and the beach is lovely. The food is decent, but not great. All in all a nice vacation. Before you go, read about Jamaica because there are limitations to individual sightseeing. As a getaway, it is great. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Absolutely the perfect spot Visited: January 2002 Posted by bwelch We were more than pleased with our vacation at Beaches Grande Sport. The grounds were just beautiful with many varieties of tropical plants. Our one bedroom villa suite with parlor, kitchenette (stocked with coffee and soft drinks) and patio was just perfect and always clean. What better place to enjoy your first cup of coffee every morning than on your own patio overlooking a semi-private pool with beautiful mountain views! We found the meal selection and food to be excellent - well beyond what we expected. We cannot say enough good things about the staff. They were always courteous, helpful and always greeted us with a smile. There were plenty of activities and the entertainment staff did a great job. Although the beach was small, it was kept clean and the waterfront staff were fantastic. Our one disappointment was with the tour desk. It was understaffed and the one attendant was not completely knowledgeable regarding the tours he was setting up for the guests. We can't wait to return to Beaches Grande Sport and have recommended the resort to all our friends. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was love at first sight! Visited: December 2001 Posted by cctiernan My husband and I traveled to Sandals Ocho Rios with our best friends in December, when it got cold and dreary in Washington, DC. It was absolutely wonderful! The staff was fantastic, especially the watersports staff. We were slighly disappointed in the smaller-than-expected beach, and the rooms were not all we thought they would be, but everything else was top-notch. The food was so good I still cannot lose the weight I gained! The four of us loved Sandals so much, we are headed to their Negril resort in November 2002. It cannot come soon enough! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Exceeded Expectations Visited: December 2001 Posted by zrim We booked our stay at Beaches Grande Sport before reading the reviews on this board. We were a bit nervous about what we would find, but it was tremendous. We stayed at a villa high up the hillside, probably about 1/3 mile from the manor house. The view was incredible--brilliant Caribbean laying beyond the verdant landscape of Ocho Rios. Flowering trees and bushes in abundance with humingbirds flitting about. The villa had a shared deck and pool with three other units and there was more than enough space to lounge around. We were astounded by the bar set up in the villa--litre bottles of Appleton Rum, vodka, gin and scotch and a bottle of champagne in the fridge. This is on top of the four staffed bars located at various spots around the property. The beach is small, but our friends had fun sailing and scuba diving. Meanwhile, my wife and I preferred the solitude of our villa retreat. The food is fine--like every other inclusive—no better, no worse. If I want 5-star dining I will go to New York. But in such a lush tropical climate I can handle a few days of good, but not great, food. The staff is friendly and mostly helpful. They have something like 1000 people on staff at various times and places. There are sure to be a couple of folks (in any organisation) that are surly, but they were few and far between at Beaches. Usually a smile and a please and thank you, were returned with excellent service and then playful banter. The staff is generally very proud of their country and their music; it is not hard to receive an impromptu recital at the swim-up pool bar. Sure there are picky little things that could have been fixed--the basketball hoop did not have a net and one day our refrigerator was not restocked with Pepsi. But big deal--you are in Jamaica mon. Just grab an alternative beverage and take a dip in the villa pool several hundred feet above the sea while the cool winds rustle the flowers in the overhanging trees. It was delightful. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The Relaxed Sandals. Visited: November 2001 Posted by raulfung We stayed in this resort for 3 nights after staying at Sandals Montego Bay. The resort is very beautiful, the gardens, fish ponds and trees are all very appealing to the eye. The food and drinks are very good and our room was nice and clean. The only two things that need improvement at this resort are the entertainment and the watersports. We thought the entertainment was quite boring especially when we were playing bingo! The only exception to this was The Culture Club; they were outstanding. The disco next to the beach lacks life and energy. Watersports activities were closed at 5pm even though there was daylight left in the day. Tours offered made up for the lack of entertainment by the resort. The staff was very friendly and helpful at all times. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Fantastic! Visited: October 2001 Posted by sarah_ramsay We loved this resort! After reading some of the reviews before I went I really didn’t know what to expect, but I can’t fault this place. The rooms were exceptionally clean, the food was superb, and all the staff was so helpful. The offer of water sports was fantastic. There was so much variety, which you could do as many times as you liked. The beach was smaller than we thought but still beautiful; we were there at 7am every morning! There’s also a trip to the Dunn’s River Falls, which is something you must do while your there. I am a travel agent in the United Kingdom and since I have been back, I have recommended that everyone should visit Jamacia—especially The Grande Sport. You’ll love it! 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Splendid visit! Visited: September 2001 Posted by byzantium527 The first thing you must realise when viewing a Sandals brochure, is that what you see is not what you get. Much like an advertisement for a fast-food burger, the real thing falls short. Not woefully short in this case, however. My wife and I purchased the cheapest room available (keeping alive those frugal qualities all Western Pennsylvanians share). We were slightly disappointed; the rug was a bit worn, the bathroom smallish, and the overall decor was not the lively Jamaican style we expected. (I do not know what "Jamaican-style decor" is, but I know it wasn't in our room. I believe ours was "1987 Red Roof Inn With Brighter Colors Than Usual.") Well, that's pretty much the worst part of our stay...and that ain't too bad. The food was superb, especially at Valentino's; the service there is white-glove, literally. At the beach grill, burgers, chicken, and fries were served all afternoon and night. There are few things better in life than sitting on a beachside stool, munching on a spicy jerk chicken sandwich, gazing out at the green and azure Caribbean Sea. The watersports were a welcome diversion from, well...sitting on your can and drinking alcohol. I shall not soon forget the snorkeling. The Aqua Bikes would've been fun had my wife done her share of the work; I alone pedalled and consequently spent a half-hour doing circles twenty feet from shore. The trip to Dunn's River Falls was a great experience; everyone links hands and up the falls you go. It’s a six-hundred-foot climb up from the shore, I believe. Bring a waterproof camera with plenty of film. We also went on a shopping excursion to three different markets around Ocho Rios. If you're a prickly individual who doesn't welcome pushy vendors, don't go. Otherwise, it's an eye-opening, welcome trip. Oh yes...about the bars at the resort. I had no problem with them, nor did my wife. I know about three, maybe four mixed drinks off the top of my head. The drinks were served punctually, and with candor. The crisp, light Red Stripe beer is a perfect compliment to the steamy island climate. I know, I know, Red Stripe beer is the only beer offered. It bothered me not one bit. Overall, we had a memorable stay and would visit any Sandals resort again. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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