Our trip to Jamaica
It feels both a million years and just yesterday that we were in Jamaica. It was our first time visiting the country and we had kindly been invited on a press trip with Sandals to experience three of their resorts over a week In January. We had such a fantastic time on the press trip and although we’re not usually all inclusive kinda people (we love to explore and hotel hop) but I would definitely say that Sandals is unique when it comes to the all inclusive hotel world. In this post I thought I would run through the places we stayed and talk through why we had one clear favourite out of three hotels we visited on our trip. First up Mo-Bay or as everyone else calls in Montego Bay!
MONTEGO BAY
We arrived at the Montego Bay Sandals resort in the evening after a 10 hour flight from Heathrow Airport. The journey to the hotel was, I kid you not 5/10 minutes, the hotel is so close to the airport you could probably walk it.
We checked into our rooms getting a brief look before getting ready for dinner, which the lovely Sandals team had organised at the Sushi restaurant Soy.
The food here was delicious, the fish was so fresh and we tried all manners of sushi. If you’re not a fan of raw fish there are also tons of cooked fish and other Japanese style options available.
The next morning we woke super early, just after the sun rose and head down to breakfast. This is always my favourite time to scope out a hotel. It’s quiet, empty and touched by that perfect morning light. We also got given a full tour of the resort by the in-house PR team later in the morning which was useful. There’s so much to do on the resort such as water activities (most of which are completely free) a basketball court, a table tennis area, many bars and pools and of course the beach!
I’m terms of beach, if you’re after long stretches of white sand that’s not quite what you will get from Montego Bay. The sand is beautiful but it’s not wide or walkable past the end of the resort. The water was stunning and Crystal clear, something that I found was the same in all of the resorts.
One thing you can enjoy beachside at Montego Bay is the delicious food from the Jerk Shack. My favourite was the fish in foil with a side of hard bread and of course served with an ice cold bottle of Jamaica’s famous beer Red Stripe.
One thing that we LOVED about Montego Bay was the amazing balcony bath tubs. These were gorgeous! They fit us both in easily (It’s usually tricky given Dan’s 6’2 and I’m plus size) and were a perfect way to enjoy the sunset overlooking the beach with a glass of bubbly.
We really enjoyed our stay at Montego Bay, it definitely had something for everyone and the proximity to the airport is definitely a pro for some people. But for me the sound of the airplanes overhead was too jarring (although you do get used to them pretty quickly) If you are a person that enjoys a more relaxed vibe and don’t mind travelling a little from the airport then I definitely recommend our next stop at Sandals Negril as the place for you.
NEGRIL
It takes just over an hour by car to get to the Sandals in Negril and I personally loved the drive. It gave us an opportunity to see the beauty of Jamaica which is so lucious and green and full of colour.
When we arrived at the hotel we were offered ice cold drinks and cold towels which was very welcome in the gorgeous Caribbean heat. As soon as I walked in I was massively impressed with the style of the hotel. It was much more in keeping with traditional Caribbean decor and I loved it.
We were taken to the guest lounge where we were allocated our rooms and I couldn’t quite believe when we were told that for our three night stay we would be enjoying the beach front, swim up rooms.
Wow what an experience this was! There’s nothing quite like opening up your balcony area to your very own private pool. When we arrived there was a bottle of champagne on ice and a gorgeous fruit plate to be enjoyed. It was also so great that our group could all hang out together by just stepping into the pool from our rooms as we were all in the same block.
In terms of beach, it couldn’t have been better for me. The sand was soft and white the ocean was beautifully blue and it was so peaceful. My favourite time was at sunrise when the water was calm and soft, I loved going for a morning swim before breakfast which I would then have at the restaurant ‘Barefoot by the Sea.
One thing that I adored about Negril was the beautiful sunsets, they are up there with the best I’ve ever seen and were very much enjoyed with an Ice cold beer. All of us in the group had lovely evenings watching the sunsets together especially from the large hot tub area right next to the pool.
As with all the Sandals hotels water sport activities are included but if you fancied doing something different in the evening you could book something with Island Routes (an activity company owned by Sandals). This is an additional cost but a nice thing to do if you fancied a break from the resort. We took the sunset boat trip (which was worth it for the sunset) and to enjoy the sea breeze on the boat but honestly I’m not sure if given the chance I would do it again. It was pretty repetitive as the route was the same there and back, it would have been amazing if we had the opportunity to stop off and swim at any point. But other wise it was a nice thing to do over a few hours.
Over all I personally adored this resort. The Caribbean restaurant Sundowner made delicious Caribbean food. The beach and swim up room was so special and having a butler who did lovely things like bring you a Pattie by the beach as a surprise was quite a treat. I felt the size of the resort was more intimate and easy to walk around and for that reason I would definitely come back and stay again.
SANDALS SOUTH COAST
Sandals South Coast was the last stop on our week press trip and just another hour drive from Negril. After enjoying our final morning of breakfast beach side we packed some patties before setting off on the road.
When we arrived at the resort we were immediately overwhelmed with the sheer size difference, it was huge and so spacious. It felt completely different to Negril and perhaps offered a more luxury vibe than the other hotels especially with the Maldivian style water rooms.
I loved the style of the beach decor in this hotel, lots of gorgeous neutrals and relaxing spots to enjoy sunbathing. There were also many large pool areas some more busy and active than others. With this resort all the restaurants were in one area which felt like a little village. I think one thing to consider about this area is the sheer size of it meaning depending where you stay you could be looking at a long walk from the restaurant areas.
One thing we really loved was the infinity bar which overlooked the water which was a really nice way to enjoy the sunset with drinks before heading off to dinner. There was also beautiful fire pits that you could sit around Once the Sun went down. (This is also available at the other resorts too)
One thing that is clear in all of the sandals resort is that romance is a key part in making their hotels unique and special. One evening the lovely PR team from sandals arranged for all of the couples on the trip to enjoy a romantic dinner by the beach at sunset. This is something all guests can book which I think is such a lovely touch, especially if you wanted to celebrate a special occasion.
To end our week stay we were also treated to the most incredible group dinner on the beach. It was honestly the most beautiful set up! It certainly made me think just how beautiful the weddings at the Resort must be which such beautiful settings.
The week spent at the Sandals Resorts was really special and I feel so grateful to have experienced it with such lovely people. One thing is glaringly clear from being at all three resorts is that the staff there are some of the kindest people I’ve ever met and that the general family vibe ethos is prominent in everything they do.
If I had to pick my favourite out of the three it would be Negril, it had such a lovely vibe and the beach and the sun rises and sunsets will be imprinted on me forever.
I hope to make it back to Jamaica one day and see more of the beautiful country, but for now a ice cold glass of red stripe from Asda will have to do.
Callie x