Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa

Jamaica

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We didn't have a good experience at Sandals. Visited: December 2009 Posted by kalbers We decided to book a trip to Sandals Whitehouse for February 2009. Our flight was good, just 45 minutes through Customs. We got our bags, and headed off to the Sandals lounge. The staff at the Sandals lounge told us to check our bags with the bellman. My husband took care of this. Several minutes later, he had not joined us. After 15 minutes, I spotted him on the phone at a desk in the lobby. I walked up and he said "let me let you talk to my wife, she booked it". It was the Sandals Whitehouse executive office telling me "the booking company you used has gone bankrupt and did not pay for your trip". After arguing, I said "Expedia has not gone bankrupt!". She said "our records show you booked with Marquis". She kept saying we booked with this Marquis company. I kept telling her I was positive I used Expedia! I gave her our confirmation number, and she told us she'd call back. Fifteen minutes later, she called and it was straightened out. However, if I had not been persistent, we would have been on a plane back home! I was upset, embarrassed, and stomach was in knots. Others on the bus got arrival packets and shown to their rooms. Not us. We asked, and a couple minutes later, were given packets, and shown to our rooms. Our keys didn't work, so the bellman let us in and said he'd be back. When he came back, the keys still didn't work. He told us to go eat, and he'd find us. Two hours later, after we were finished with dinner and watched the sunset, we decided to find someone to let us in (still had no keys). Our room didn't have an ocean view, as Whitehouse catch-line "all rooms ocean views" says. However, we didn't come for the room. I emailed Expedia when I got home, and they don't use third-parties so the error was Sandals'. The Whitehouse manager said since I didn't come to the office while I was there to complain, there was nothing they would do. Why would I go to the office to raise heck about an issue with the booking company? I sent complaint e-mail to Sandals, but they don't seem interested. With Sandals reputation they could have handled better. 0 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was nice, but I suggest you watch your valuables. Visited: March 2007 Posted by tomvill Our stay was nice enough until we went to check out and found our safe had been opened, and my fiances wallet and some of my camera equipment had been stolen. We contacted the front desk, and the manager and security personel came up to our room to take a written statement. We were promised to have the money returned that was stolen via a Visa credit, but this hasn't happened as of yet. The breakfast and lunches were great. However, the dinners were very inconsistant rating from poor to great - even at the same restaurant. The property was in good condition - relatively clean, and we had no problems with bugs, AC, or malfunctioning plumbing. The television did go on the fritz, but it was fixed in short order. The beach did have a lot of debris, but I guess that's to be expected. It was regularily raked and cleaned up, though. We did find the staff relatively helpful at times, and some were very friendly. However, having our money and some camera equipment stolen definitely put a huge damper on our considerations of ever visiting a Sandals again - even though we did get back the camera equipment and an empty wallet when the gardener found our stuff in the bushes. If you do visit Sandals Whitehouse, only take the bare minimum of money, and do not take any decent photographic equipment or electronics. Even though you have an in-room safe, it's just not worth it. The best thing we enjoyed at this resort was the little French bakery that served up some tasty treats and cold soft ice cream. I can't recommend the pizzas for lunch, but the Bayside's buffet for breakfast and lunch was very, very good. It was a very expensive visit for us - and a lesson well learned. Also, beware and don't bring any valuables and put them in the safes. We would have given Whitehouse four stars if it wasn't for the theft. 22 users found this review helpful. 14 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was very good. Visited: February 2006 Posted by bigal7310 The food was good, but not great. The ride from the airport was long (45 minutes) and very bumpy. The rooms were very good (it was all new). The French Village pool was very noisy the week we were here. There was a noisy drunk group of about 12 who were loud, dirty talking in a mixed company setting. We were glad the swim-up bar closed at 6:00 pm. We should have complained to management, but we didn't. The staff was great. 7 users found this review helpful. 16 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We thought this Sandals was not worth the money! Visited: July 2005 Posted by tanassa We stayed here as part of our honeymoon, and we were not overly impressed. While the facilities were lovely and quite luxurious, the food was not all it should have been, and was quite forgettable. This resort seemed better suited to a slightly older crowd, one more interested in relaxation rather than fun, exciting, inspired romance. The 'Disco' on a Saturday night was completely empty, and the resort was like a ghost town by 11:00 pm. On the up side, the beach was absolutely beautifulL. As a Jamaican myself, I've seen some of our best beaches, and this one was definitely at the top of the list. All in all, it was a vacation I would repeat when I was closer to retirement age than in my 20s. But my husband and I still made the best of it and had a good time. However, we're in no rush to go back. 12 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the perfect place for relaxation! Visited: May 2005 Posted by arm9833 Although the transport from the airport isn't the greatest, you forget all about that once you arrive. The property had only been open three months when we stayed, and they were not operating at 100 percent as yet. But that still took nothing away from our vacation. The beach was enormous; with lots of privacy. Because of the location in Jamaica, you don't get the locals wandering up and down the beach bothering you and trying to sell you things. In eight days we were only approached once and that guy was on a jet ski! The food, atmosphere, rooms, and entertainment were great. The only real downside to the location of this property were the excursions. None of the well known "hot spots" are close to this hotel, so you'd have to plan a entire day per tour. 13 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Beaches provided food, fun and relaxation! Visited: December 2003 Posted by eebuch1 My husband and I spent the first week of December here and we had a fabulous time! We arrived at night, so we didn't see much of the grounds at first, but how wonderful to wake up the next morning to all the gorgeous foliage and view of the ocean! We stayed in one of the villas, which was tons of room for just two people. We spent a lot of time on the balcony, especially the day it rained. We were pretty close to the main house, so we walked sometimes. But when we did call a jitney, we made sure we were ready first, because they were there by the time we walked down the steps, every time! The only day service was a bit slow was the day it rained, which was understandable. Yes, there were bugs and some lizards around the villas - you're in the tropics - but we didn't have any in our room. And as for walking to the beach, we did it several times with no problems whatsoever. When we did take the bus, if there was extra staff, they were just hitching a ride to the beach or back to the main house, not for "safety reasons." Not once did we ever feel anything but completely safe. We enjoyed all the food. My husband made sure to have "Irie fries" at the beach every day! We ate at all the restaurants, and loved them all. And the staff - they were great. They were so accommodating and friendly, we couldn't believe it! We spent one afternoon hanging out at the pool bar with a bunch of couples we'd met, and the bartender, Mario, went through their drink list and made me one of just about every frozen kind they had, and some not on the list! We had a great time, met a lot of great people, and would definitely return. 7 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? WAS BETTER AS CIBONEY/ STAFF WAS BETTER BEFORE Visited: August 2003 Posted by montuorogermann1 I spent my honeymoon at ciboney in June of 1995 and LOVED IT!! The staff was so warm & accomodating, they truly made you feel pampered. This August , at my recommendation, a friend of ours(Susan Martorano) and her fiance decided to vacation at the new Beaches Grand Sport resort. While they thought the property & the rooms were beautiful, the service obviously was NOT anywhere near as good as it had been when it was Ciboney. Some of the staff were downright rude and it took several calls to have the AC in their room replaced ( it was actually the maid who finally got it replaced ). It seems they were not very accomodating and were more interested in making the extra $ for the excursions that were not included. I felt bad that she did not have the same GREAT experience that I had when it was CIBONEY. I would think twice before returning or recommending the new Beaches Grand sport 2 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This accommodation was very bad - poor quality. Visited: June 2003 Posted by xstarplayer Believe it or not, our upgraded room was full of bugs and lizards. We were told that all rooms had this problem and a room change would not make any difference. What a way to spend seven days in Paradise! The beach was not on the resort, yet accross the street and not in safe walking distance. The bus ride to the beach always had at least three staff who would make the ride along with the driver for safety reasons. The beach was okay, we were only there once. It was not very clean and we thought the food was horrible. The staff tried to make guests "happy", but it appeared they, too, were in need of a vacation. We would never ever come here or wish this place a vacation for the most disliked person I may or may not know. 7 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a nice time. Visited: May 2003 Posted by sarah_knott The trip from the airport was horrendous - at one point the suitcases piled up at the back fell onto my head! We were late leaving the airport and it took over two hours. We didn't arrive until 1:00 am, so effectively lost one day of all-inclusive. On arrival, we were upgraded to a villa which was large, but we never used the pool because it was not big enough for a swim. It was a five-minute walk to the main house which was okay, except for when it rained and then you waited ages for a jitney. On reflection, we should have stayed in the house. The food was not as good as I had hoped, but it was okay. We could get burgers and fries 24 hours a day, which was handy. The drinks servings were generous and they used premium brands. The size of the beach wasn't a problem apart from not being able to go for a walk. But, it was a hassle if you forgot to take anything with you because it obviously was not a quick run back to your room to fetch it. The activities staff was excellent and very friendly. There was always something to do. But many guests didn't want to join in, so some events didn't go ahead which was disappointing. It rained nearly every day. And on the last day, it did not stop so they showed movies in the ballroom, but the films looked like they had been videoed from the TV screen. The quality was very poor. There was always a show and/or games in the evening. The steel band was particularly good. There was also a nightclub, but most evenings it was very quiet. People didn't seem to want to stay - maybe because the music was mostly R and B, rap or reggae. The gardens were lovely, but everything appeared a little worn and I wouldn't say that it was a luxury resort. 2 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We will not be back! Visited: April 2003 Posted by beerbrewer The couple we came with was put in a villa on the other side of the resort. So we spent the first few hours of the next day getting them move into a villa next to us. The front desk would only give us one key to our room. The phone in our friend's room did not work and they advised the front desk every day, it never got fixed. It would take up to 20 minutes for the shuttle to get to us after we called. None of the bars opened before 10 am, none of the bars had lemons or limes. The beach is small, it has 2 bars and both close at 4pm, yes I said 4pm. Around 6pm the beach staff would shoo you out and put up signs saying, “Pool closed for treatment.” The pier at the beach was made of rotting wood. There was a gazebo that had a hanging wicker chair in it. I went to sit in it to find the seat was blown out of it. Not one hot tub worked properly, either they were too hot, too cold or the jets did not work. Tiles were missing in the pools and tubs. I went to the juice bar, they had several juices promoting fresh vegetables, I asked for one only to find the juicer did not work. Do not believe the promotion photo that had a pile of fresh fruit near the juice bar. Now for the big complaint, the staff boarders on being some of the rudest people I have ever met. We went to Orchids for dinner one night (they ran out of some items on the menu). Before seated, one has to wait in the bar. My girlfriend asked for a glass of wine and the bartender would not give her one because he did not have a glass (come on). She got one from a waiter and gave it to the bartender and he still did not want to fill it up. At dinner, we asked for a bottle of wine and they would not give us one. After sitting for ten minutes without wine, she got up and took a bottle form the waiter station. The service at the bars was mind boggling. Many times we would stand at the bar for 15 minutes before anyone would ask us want we wanted. If we asked for a blender drink we were made to feel like we were putting the bartender out. Nicole's disco ran out of beer 3 nights before 12am! The smell of smoke was so bad even the smokers were going out side to smoke. No rock music played at anytime. There was really no piano bar; there was a bar with a piano in it but no one to play it. In the new video game room we found that half of the games did not work. Lock your money and passports up because we ran in to two people that had things stolen from their locked room. The hotel was of no help and acted like this had never happened before. 2 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? An absolutely wonderful experience. Visited: August 2002 Posted by tccf My husband and I just returned from the property a couple of weeks ago and are already wanting to go back. We had such a wonderfully relaxing time. The property really was beautiful and the staff was exceptional. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. We were upgraded to a suite with a semi-private pool and we loved it. The service was wonderful, the food was excellent and I definitely would recommend this property to anyone. We only stayed four days, but wished we stayed longer. Anyone going must try the couples massage in the European Spa. We had a marvelous time and can't wait to go back again. Even the 2-hour ride to the property wasn't as bad as some people made it sound. We actually enjoyed seeing some of the country. There was just so much to do - or you could do nothing at all and you would still truly enjoy this resort. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? They employee the greatest staff in Ocho Rios! Visited: August 2002 Posted by swjisland I would like to thank each and everyone at Beaches Grand Sport for going the extra mile to make us feel right at home. As a travel agent, you hope for the best for your customers every time you book them a vacation. Well, I didn't receive a single complaint from any of them, and by the time we had to leave, they were planning their next vacation at Beaches Grand Sport. Deanne,thank you and your wonderful staff for making my job a pleasure. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Beautiful Hotel, but a little lacking Visited: July 2002 Posted by KARLAWHITE_26 My husband and I just returnted from Beaches yesterday and I wanted to write a review as soon as possible to advise future travelers of a few things. First of all, the hotel and the staff were wonderful and the property was absolutely beautiful. We booked a Plantation Suite and were upgraded to a one-bedroom suite. The room was very big, open and well-maintain. They came in during the day and turned the AC off, which, if you had been out all day, it made it quite hot. I would advise leaving a note for housekeeping or putting the "do not disturb" sign out. The trip from the airport to the hotel was horrible. When we got there, we found out we could have taken a hopper plane for about $50.00. I would strongly advise doing that. The one and a half hour bus ride was two and a half hours for us, which cut our first day there short. We knew the beach was across the street when we booked this hotel, but since hubby and I usually prefer the pool, we did not think it would be a big deal. Well, we were wrong. The beach was small and had tons of things to do, and to us was the best part of the whol property. If you keep in mind that no one gets in a hurry in Jamaica, you will be fine. Just expect delays and wait for room shuttles. Overall, Jamaica was beautiful and I will definitely go again. I will probably pick a hotel in Negril because I want to be right on the beach and be able to walk down the beach at night if I wish to do so. If you have a trip booked to Beaches, I have no doubt you will love it like we did. The resort was big and there were tonds of people everywhere. The only kind of secluded place was in the hotel room or villa complex. 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a wonderful time. Visited: May 2002 Posted by aoliver My husband and I went to this resort with another couple last month. We had a wonderful time. I was a little skeptical because it was not right on the beach, but it was no problem. It gave you beautiful views of the ocean from all over the resort, since it was built on a mountain. There were constantly buses running back and forth and the ride was only a few minutes. The beach was small, but that was not a problem either. It was never real crowded. There was still room for volley ball at the back of the beach and a pool bar was right there. I thought the food was okay, but not great. I thought it was better next door at Sandals, but my husband said I must have just been real hungry on that trip. Maybe it was because their lunch buffet was right on the beach at Sandals and there was limited food on the beach at Beaches. I don't think we ever ate at the lunch buffet since we were usually down on the beach. We thought the resturant downstairs in the Plantation house was the best. They had steak that was pretty good for the Caribbean and their soups were very unique and good. We had a villa with a pool at the top of the mountain and the view was beautiful. This pool was considered semi-private, but no one else could see us and we never saw anyone else from the other two rooms there. We went shopping on our own. We've taken the tour before and they rush you. The hotel got us a taxi van. You pay up front for your round trip. The driver left us there, and then came back to get us when told him to. He was there right on time. If you get a cab, ask for Neil. He was so nice. He stopped at a couple of grocery stores on the way home so we could buy Budweiser and a few other things (there was only Red Stripe at the resort). He'd get the staff to search the back if we couldn't find what we were looking for. Food shopping in Jamaica was quite an experience, not like your local supermarket. My husband and the other couple took the booze cruise. My husband said it was a waste of money. They take you to a reef to snorkel but there's a great reef right there at the resort for free. They will also take you out on a boat to a reef for free. Then they take you to climb the falls, but you can do that through the resort for free also. They leave in the morning so you don't drink much, plus you can do that at the resort for free also. We took the glass bottom boat ride which was nice. They took us down the coast a little ways and showed us all the different resorts and floated over the reefs. The staff was wonderful. They were very friendly and entertaining. All in all, we had a wonderful time and will definitely return. You can never go wrong with Jamaica mon! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It is an excellent vacation. Visited: March 2002 Posted by KMatus I must say that I read some of these reviews and am shocked. I don't know where these people stayed previously, but hey, to each his own. When I went to Jamaica, I did not know what to expect. I had never been here before, but my boyfriend had. He loved it, and that is why we went. This place was absolutly beautiful. The food was great and the service was second to none. The first day here, we met our driver, Jonathan. He was amazing, and he became our friend for the rest of the trip. He took us all around the resort to take pictures and never complained. One thing I must say to all who will be traveling here for the first time. When you go to get your bus from the airport to the resort, many people will ask you if you want some "smoke". I would suggest saying no, but once again, to each his own. Things were very aid back here, and service was kind of slow, but why would you care? You are here for a vacation - not a business convention. So sit back, relax, and ask the bartender for a "Jamaican Delight". 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Not quite what was advertised! Visited: June 2001 Posted by randybennett If you are expecting a luxury-style resort you will be disappointed. The premium oceanview room was no better than a Motel 6 type room with, I must admit, a beautiful view. The restaurants were adequate at best, however, the Manor had exceptional service and very good food. As for the beach, it was about a half a mile away and you must take a shuttle bus from the hotel. This was also where the Italian restaurant was located. The staff was very nice and helpful, but still did not overcome the many inadequacies of the hotel itself. Basically, the information provided by Beaches does not reflect the whole truth about its resort. Despite the disappointment with the hotel, we still enjoyed our trip very much. The people of Jamaica were wonderful. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Worth only half of what is charged. Visited: May 2001 Posted by jyarbrough Both the food and service were second rate. We paid for an all-inclusive package at the Great House and were moved to a Villa without even being asked. It was supposedly an upgrade, but there was no food, water, soft drinks, or booze. They offered this extra for $50 per night even though we had already paid for all-inclusive. Lunch consisted of burgers and fries by the pool each day since the restaurants were not open. If there was one, it was moved each day and we never knew which would be open or closed. The staff was not very professional and we served ourselves most of the time from buffet or pool bar. The restaurants had the same menu day after day and food was not up to par. Mongoose ran about the property and around the Villas. The air-conditioning was nonexistent except in the Villa bedroom where there was a window type unit, which did not work well. The Villa had louver openings with no screen. Snails, millipedes etc. were always found in the room. A clerk in the store charged a customer for a magnet she dropped and broke and she had tried to charge me the day before because the one I picked up was chipped. The staff was not friendly or helpful when asked questions and got irritated if you did not know. No real orientation of the property or options other than a canned five-minute spill about the rock wall, pools and some of the watersports (some for a fee and some were included). There was no room service as brochure described. Property lodging is in poor condition. The hotel was closed before reopening in December, but no renovations were apparent. It rained three days out of the five we were there. The only good memory is the spa, which appeared to be renovated and was nice. I had absolute the best massage I have ever experienced here. Mercedes was the masseuse; she was remarkable and showed that she was an expert in her field. On the last day I asked the chef at the Italian restaurant to grill the snapper and shrimp (normally steamed) with my spaghetti which turned out to be superb. I would not recommend this property until the staff is more familiar with friendly, professional service and the food is served in a more professional manner and tastier. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was great. Visited: April 2001 Posted by rootie This was a great vacation in every way! It was much more than we expected. The staff made the vacation most enjoyable. The accommodations were very comfortable and clean, and the food was very good. The beach was a little small, but nice. They went out of their way to make us feel welcome and pampered. The grounds were beautiful and kept very clean and groomed. We will be going back! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Loved It--Going Back! Visited: January 2001 Posted by Rose490 Our first impression was okay, but as our stay continued we liked it more and more. The help was very accommodating and the food was great. The only thing that they could have included was a stocked refrigerator. It was the most romantic trip in my 36 years of marriage. My husband loves Hawaii, but when I asked which place he liked better, he had a difficult time choosing one over the other. It is the greatest here. We are going back for Super Bowl week again this year. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I had the time of my life! Visited: January 2001 Posted by nahamilton I just returned from Ciboney 5 days ago, and had the time of my life. The food and accommodation were excellent. The grounds were well kept, and the employees had a "No Problem" policy. Todd Hewitt is the manager. Believe me, if you need anything, he will provide. All-inclusive is the way to go! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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