Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Wonderful! Can't wait to go back!”
We had a fabulous time at Sandals Montego Bay! It went far too quickly, so next year we may try and stay a few days longer.There were tons of shaded places with beach chairs under them.The food was for the most part excellent. Dinners in the main dining area were just ok, but there are several restaurants to choose from that were wonderful. When you first get in, put it on the top of your 'to do' list to make reservations at "Tokyo Joe's" and the italian restaurant. The tex-mex place was very good, too. You don't need reservations to eat there but it's small, you you may have a little wait. Drinks were of very good quality, too. Nothing was skimped.Others on this board have posted complaints about the airport noise. It is true that the resort is very close to the air port. After the first day or so, however, I didn't even notice the noise any more.The staff bent over backwards for us and was accomodating in every way.They have a great Signature Customer program for returning guests that we're joining. You get points which can be redeemed toward money off of your next trip. Also, once you've stayed 70 days you get 7 days free.They also have deals with Air Jamaica. It turns out that the guy that owns Sandals also owns 60% of Air Jamaica. Sandals guests who travel Air Jamaica get special treatment. Sandals will get their boarding passes for them before they leave the hotel, and bring their luggage to the airport and check it for them, allowing them to get to the airport only about 1 hr before their flight. All others have to be there 2 1/2 hours before. They also get meals, movie and champagne included on the flight. Delta is partnered with Air Jamaica, so if we fly Delta and our connection is Air Jamaica we'd qualify.The only problem we had was that Sandals was doing photo shoots for three days for new brochures and video advertising, so they closed beach access for a few hours on those days. We probably lost about 6 hours of beach/ocean access from it. I did make a note of it on our comment card. But really we had such a good time we weren't too upset.
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Enjoyed it, but……“
Had been to a Sandals before (Bahamas) so we knew what it could be like. On the plus side, a great beach, food very good (not cordon bleu, but of a standard of a restaurant you would go back to), service and staff excellent (I get the impression that Sandals is a good employer.) On the downside, the rooms we stayed in and the others we saw may have been fine when new, but really do need refurbished and modernised - tourists expect more now, and other regions (eg far east and mid east) provide it. And, who in their right mind would build a resort beside the end of a runway? You do get used to the aircraft noise, but you shouldn't have to.
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Irie!”
My husband and I were married at Sandals MoBay. We were there from 9/13/03-9/20/03 and truly had the time of our lives!! As soon as we arrived, our room was not ready and lunch had just started. We ate and enjoyed the live reggae band. We were upgraded from the one bedroom honeymoon suite to the presidential suite. It was beautiful. Every night they came in and turned down the bed, we had a fully stocked bar in room, it was just like an apartment! The night of our wedding while we were at dinner, the maid placed flowers on the bed for us. We mainly hung around the beach and the swim up piano bar. Duncan, Kenroy, and Hector were awesome!!! They made our drinks as strong or weak as we wanted! You have to try the Jamaican Smiles and Yellow Birds. Mai Tais were good too. We did take the tour to Dunns River Falls. That was fun. A word of advice, book concierge! There are so many more perks and services. Money well spent. We are planning to go back on our anniversary. It was breath-taking, and the people there are so respectful. Another word of advice..pack lightly!! All the ladies need is shorts and a shirt, a nice dress or skirt and blouse, and a bathing suit or two. Men-all you need is two pairs of swim trunks, two nice shirts, and a pair of dress shorts and dress pants. REALLY! We honestly had the time of our lives! The wedding coordinator was so friendly and our wedding was beautiful, quick, and to the point. They let us stand in the gazebo as opposed to in front of it with no problem. The stray cats were so cute and were not bothersome at all. The airplanes were not disturbing at all, but then again we live right by the aiport so I guess we are used to it. Just remember to leave all of your problems and stress at home because once you get to Sandals MoBay, its all about Love, Peace, and Respect! Irie man!!! Hope this helps.
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “This was our second visit and it's still awesome.”
We first stayed at Sandals MoBay five years ago on our honeymoon and had a great time. On Spet. 25th we went back for our five year anniversary and stayed until the 29th. The trip started badley when we arrived in Jamaica and realized that USAir had lost ALL of our luggage. We went to the resort and let guest relations know about our luggage and they hounded USAir every few hours. Our luggage arived the next day and things got much better. They also managed to give us our same room that we had on our honeymoon which was pretty cool. The food was great. I read these reviews about how bland the food was and the only thing I can figure is that these people were eating ice or something. The jerk chicken and pork was awesome. We did not have an average meal the entire time we were there. They were all fabulous. The bar service was very good although we found the cups to be smaler on this trip. You can ask for bigger cups and they will give them to you, or you can just go get another drink. All inclusive is great. The only porblem we had was a bottle of wine that we ordered to the room was late. That was our biggest problem the whole time. The staff at Sandals is great. Everyone was so nice and seemed to truley care if we were having fun. It will become very evident how nice the staff is when you get to the airport and deal with the employees there. We went on the horseback tour of the mountins which ended at the ocean. When we got to ocean the guides let us ride the horses (bareback) into the ocean until the water was to the top of their backs. It was great. Then for the more adventerous you can take your horse into deeper water where he is actually swimming. The whole tour lasted 3 1/2 hours from start to end. It is only 15 minutes from the resort. The one bad thing is that the prices in the gift shop are pretty high. They have a regular bottle of sun tan lotion in there for $29.00. You need to remember to pack everything. This was our second time to this Sandals and we will be back. The entertainment at night was so much fun and you get used to the planes flying overhead in about 2 minutes. I would much rather deal with the planes than a two hour bus ride to Ochos Rios from the airport. Go here. You will like it. If you are a repeat customer to Sandals they give you T-shirts, leather Sandal necklaces, and a big bottle of Appelton's rum.
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “We loved this place!!!!”
My husband and I were so happy to have spent our honeymoon here at Sandals MoBay! We arrived on September 20th and left on September 26th. We were sad when we had to leave. We met some great couples and loved the staff here! The playmakers made it so much fun to join in activities and get involved--my husband and I just tried to have such a good attitude about everything and not worry about a single thing. Some people on here didn't that the resort was near the airport, but we thought it was great seeing the planes fly out and land right in front of us! People need to stop being annoyed about the great inventions in this world! Make sure you visit the Beach Bar and talk to Morrison, Shinton, or Brian--they are AWESOME! always singin' and saying "Yeah, Mon!" Make sure you get to know the playmakers, Baby Boi, Ace, Rohan, Sheri, and Carmen--they're so cool and have crazy reggae dance moves! We will definitely come back again--the best advice I have is just to enjoy your time there...meet people, do activities, go on tours, and always think "nothing's ever a problem mon, just a situation."
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Everything is good”
The hotel is great, not ultr-luxury, but clean, good facilities. The food likewise, was not ultra-gourmet, but there was plenty. Great watersports, the beach is fantastic - huge, white, amazing calm sea. The staff are so friendly, especially the entertainments team. I'm not one for joining in sports during the day - would much rather soak up sun with a book, but my husband loved the volley ball, tennis etc. Christmas Day was fantastic, A Jamaican Santa arrived on a speed boat, the ents team sang carols. New Years was the best we've had - huge gala meal, ice sculptures, live band, dancing until the early hours. We made a lot of friends. This isn't a place for people who want a quiet holiday, it's definitely a fun place. We can particularly recommend the piano bar with the sing alongs. Definitely do 2 excursions - Dunns River Falls, and the Catamaran Booze Cruise - it's fantastic!!! Would definitely go back - except this year we're going to Secrets Excellence in Dom. Rep - anyone been who has comments?
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “dissapointing”
very dissapointing room was very out dated. lampshade burnt no closet doors. not worth the money paid. staff very very nice. the property just seemed run down and the hotel looked like it has not been renovated in a very long time. if you go i strongly suggest making sure you are booked on the side of the resort that has been updated recently. the food was just ok. overall nice time but not a nice resort.
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Ya Mon, AWESOME”
This was our first trip to Jamaica. We arrived at Sandals Montego Bay 9-4-03 and departed 9-10-03. We traveled with my sister and her husband and we both got the honeymoon suite with conceirge. The conceirge (Heather) was able to get us in the same area and get us into all the restuarants. We made reservations as soon as we got there and were able to get into every restuarant. One of the highlights of our trip was "Cordell" our bagage guy. He took good care of us our entire stay and made sure we were being taken care of. Our room was located at the other end of the resort by the pool bar which Cordell made sure we stopped by to get a drink prior to taking us to our room. The room huge and beautiful. They came in everyday made the beds and restocked the refrigerator with Champagne(which my sister and I drank a lot of) and water. We loved the food at all of the restuarants. My husband loved the Oleander because it was the only one that was air conditioned. The staff was wonderful and always singing and dancing. They really made you feel like a "princess". The playmakers were awesome and were constantly getting the crowd involved. We got to know "Twiggy,Ace,Rohan and Ziggy" pretty well. They made the trip fun. We played lots of water and sand volleyball and learned how to reggae dance. We also went snorkeling which was great. My husband and I got scuba certified there and can't say enough about how great our instructor Donavan aka Bid "D" was. The nightlife was great, just be prepared to stay up late. The disco opens at 11:00 p.m but well worth it. My sister and I read the reveiws prior to going and were a little nervous, but decided to go with a good attitude. On this trip we were fortunate to see some of the other Sandals resorts and we were glad we choose Montego Bay. We had the BEST time and plan on going again for our 14th wedding anniversary.
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Would not visit again”
Went to Sandals Montego Bay for our anniversary...I'm glad I read up on it so I would semi know what to expect. Had went to Moon Palace for honeymoon and was hooked on the all inclusive until this trip. First of all our room was upgraded to a deluxe suite. Can't imagine what we had before if this was deluxe. It was a nice clean room. We had a view of the construction and were all the way at the end of the resort away from all the restaurants and activities. We were close to the pool bar but it did not open until 11 and did not serve food. Very hard to find a drink before 11:00. Took about 10 minutes to walk to the main area. First two days we walked around in the morning just trying to find a coke. Finally bought a two-liter at the gift shop so we would have something to sip on if we happened to get thirsty while we were in the room. Also the food situation was weird. They urge you to make reservations for their two restaurants Tokyo Joe's and the Italian restaurant. Couldn't get any reservations for Friday night. No problem...until Friday night when we got ready to eat at the other restaurants...they were all closed!! So we had to wait until the Grill opened up at 11. Ate alot of Hot Dogs and French Fries. The Oleander Room which was the authentic Jamaican restaurant was closed on the nights we could eat there or opened when we had reservations at the other ones so needless to say we never really had any Jamaican food. They served lunch in the oleander room from 11 to 2:30 and breakfast from 7-10:30. Never made it to breakfast or lunch. Grill opened from 11 to 5 and then from 10:30p.m. to 6 a.m. So it was the most convenient to eat at. Also it wasn't buffet style so you usually waited about 15 minutes for your food. but that is the jamaican way...No Rush Mon!! . There was alot of time when there was absolutely nothing to do. The shows in the sky room didn't start until 9:30. The disco opened at 11:00. It was a beautiful beach though and I would defiantly go back to Jamaica just not sandals!!
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Very Disappointed”
This was our first trip to Jamaica and first stay in an all-inclusive resort. Jamaica was very nice and exactly what I expected, but I cannot say the same for Sandals. 1. The resort is located on the airport grounds and we were unable to sleep or talk when the planes landed or took off. The windows shook. 2. The concierge did absolutely nothing for us no matter what we asked. (i.e. no room service, no dinner reservations, no tour pamphlets, etc.) 3. The check out time was 8 AM (I have never heard of this early of a check-out anywhere.) 4. The service was C-. I would give it a D but there were two nice/helpful people working there. 5. The food was C. Nothing was terrible but nothing was spectacular. It was edible. 6. We were unable to get 'reservations' at any of the restaraunts. They were all booked from the time we arrived until the time we left. We had to eat buffets every day. 7. The photos in their advertising are very misleading about the size of the resort. 8. The catamaran tour to Margaritaville was terrible. They did not take us to a good snorkelling area and were only allowed at Margaritaville for 30 min. 9. The town around the resort does not offer much in the way of shopping or entertainment. 10. The price is not comparable with the quality.There were some good things about Sandals: 1. Our room was very pretty. 2. The food was beautifully displayed. 3. There were many activities both in and out of the water to participate in. 4. The beach and water were nice. 5. There were nooks & crannies all over the resort for you and your loved one to find privacy. 6. The landscaping was lush and varied. 7. You never have to wait for a taxi at the resort because they have plenty. 8. The whole resort was well maintained with fresh paint and decorations (except for the couches in the main area) and clean. 9. They have FREE SCUBA diving and diving lessons if you aren't certified. 10. You can go to any of the other Jamaica Sandals and eat and visit for free.In summary, we will never stay in an all-inclusive resort again and we will probably never go back to Jamaica.
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “wish i stayed home”
Just returned from sandals montego bay. To put the trip in a nutshell, if sandals offered me 5 nights free I would NOT GO.We booked 4 nights in the beachfront honeymoon gran luxe suite with concierge service.let's strart with the concierge service, what a complete waste of money, they do NOTHING i will repeat NOTHING. we got no reservations in any restaurant. no room service, we called and we were told it is not available. we asked the concierge about a tour and were told to see the tour desk. no easy check-in no easy check-out, it was not bad service there was NO service.The room we stayed in was nice,clean and well maintained however we made friends with a couple who booked a standard room and their room was identical, The food was okay standard buffet style i cannot tell you about their fine restaurants we were not able to obtain reservations.We went on one tour a catamaran ride from 3pm to 6pm, they took us to a dead reef to snorkel and look at rocks, then they took us to margarita ville for 30 minutes then back to the room, i wish i stayed in the room watching t.v. and all that crazy fun for 96.00.the resort itself is right next to the airport i mean right next to it. the first night i could not believe the planes flew so close and they were loud, however by our last night it was the highlight of our trip.The beach was nice and the water was pretty clear the beach bar was fun also. drugdealers come up to you in little kayaks while you are swimming and thank god for them, they made this trip bearable so hats off to all you little kayak paddleling drugdealers you saved the day.Finally the overall service and attitude of the staff was very disappointing.So if you have read this and you still want to subject yourself to this "resort" please do NOT upgrade your room and absolutly, positively, under no circumstance pay for the most insulting waste of money i have ever seen, the "concierge" service.
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “An average place”
Just came back from Sandals Montego Bay, when we got there we were greeted by 20 or more other couples waiting for there rooms, we were offered a drink and told to go view the property and come back at 3:00 to get our room. After waiting 2 hours in the hot sun, we were taken to our rooms, the property is beautifully landscaped but, if you do not care for cats, then this is not the place for you, it seemed as if a truck load of cats had been dropped off at this property, anyway, the room was nice and cute but the mattress had many miles on it, it was sunken in the middle, we requested another room and found the same problem, we gave up! The food was not at all what we expected but, the staff and the entertainment was excellent, everyone was sooo nice. if you are looking for fun and a good party this is the place, if you are looking for elegance try Beaches Royal Plantation or Sandals Royal Carribean. I do not think I will return to this particular Sandals Resort.
— Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Great Vacation!”
My husband and I just got back from this trip with another couple and had a really great time. Here is the low down:Air Jamaica is a great flight to take- it is the shortest and they are connected to Sandals so you can check out easily right from the resort.Some people had to wait awhile to check in, but if your room includes concierge service it is very quick.I don't know how often they offer this deal but when we got there we saw you can upgrade the level of your room for only 100 dollars for your whole trip. Worth it. We got a 2 bedroom suite right on the water and it was the most relaxing perfect beautiful setting. It also came with a minibar restocked everyday (beer, water, juice, soda, wine and several big bottles of alcohol). This is nice if you don't mind paying the extra amount.Only red stripe for beer. BRING a couple of plastic cups! They sometimes had really small cups next to the water/soda fountains and you'll be glad you brought your own!The staff are SO nice and HAPPY all of the time. It is really hard to be in a bad mood here. The swim up bar is small but definitely fun.Make Reservations for dinner the minute you can! They book up quick. Tokyo Joe's was great.We did not see too many guests over 50. It seemed like quite a younger crowd, something to keep in mind.The planes do fly by and are quite loud, but we didn't notice them after the first few.A highlight was the Chukka Blue Horse Back riding tour through rainforest and into the ocean. You'll see a different part of Jamaica this way.Overall this resort is awesome, definitely the best of the 3 sandals in the area. I would highly reccommend it to friends!
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Best Trip Ever!!!”
Just returned from our Honeymoon of 6 nights from aug 9-15. We ariived at the airport and proceeded through customs and immagration( Fill out your immagration card on the plane to make the process faster). We proceeded to the Sandals booth. Prepare to tip the guy who takes your luggage and the bus driver as they do not work for Sandals. Bus took us to the resort. My wife and I stayed in a suite so we had a different check in process. We waited about 30 Mins to check in. Very Nice. Make sure you make reservations for dinner because they fill up very quickly! Tokyo joes is the best resturant but fills up quickly. The food was good, not beef wellington or filet mignon so don't expect that. It was fine for my wife and myself. The beach was nice a good 150 to 200 yards long. There are peddlers on kayaks trying to sell you stuff , but if you say not interested , they won't haggle you. I can not say enough good things about the playmakers(entertainement staff)! They made the trip so much fun!!! Make sure you get to know Chris, Sherrie, Ziggy, Shontel, Ace, Takeisha, B.B., C.J., and Chico!!!!!!! We played beach volleyball and pool volleyball every day. We took slsa and reggae dance lessons and played pool and horseshoes. By playing the games my wife and I met a group of about 8 to 10 couples who we hang out with for the rest of the trip. The water sports were fun too. Kayaks and windsurfing, hobie cat sailboats and other things like that . We took the wet n wild party boat, and that was awesome. Cost about $50 but worth it. You go snorkling and go to Margaritaville with its slide and water trampolines! Beach Party was a lot of fun!!! All in all we had a great time and will go back in the future. The Drinks were good and Bartenders fun . If you are open to a fun time and arent to smuggy , you will have fun. The piano and swim up pool bar are small but lots of fun! I don't know why all these people are bitching about the place , cause we had a blast and will go back for a reunion to see our friends! By the way to help out my wife and I are 25 and 23 years old , becuase Sandals Mo bay caters to a younger crowd! overall rating 15 out of 10!
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “beautiful but some problems!!!!!”
well the first incident happened when we first arrived,our room was not ready and it was very hot and humid we were told at 11am it would be ready by noon. well noon rolled around and it was still not ready so after complaining about 6 times and we were given 6 different times it would be ready we finnally got to our room around 4pm. like that wasnt bad enough we had to wait in line for almost all of the dining even with reservations thats the whole point is relaxation how much relaxing can you do standing in the hot sun waiting to eat every day. the food was very bland and very small portions not to mention almost everything i ordered they were always out of it and if you said anything they acted like you were a trouble maker. the worst dining experience was at the japanesse place they made you stand in line to order your food which they were out of and stand in front of a raging fire to watch them cook it like it wasnt hot enough i think it singed my eyebrows lol. the best thing there was the beach bar and grill they always had what you wanted and you didnt have to wait long and everyone was super nice. the water sports were just the greatest never a wait there either and really nice people operating all of the sports. the entertainment was very good and the piano bar was the best place to be at night people party till the wee hours every one of the staff there made you feel very welcome. be fore warned of the floaters as i like to call them trying to sell you stuff in the water they can be very aggressive but just ignore them and they usually go away and they call all of the women princess look out for them. the room was very nice and clean and our housekeeper was so nice just ask nicely and they will give you anything. overall it was a great trip with the exception of the food service and we plan on going back again but its going to be better next time because we know what to expect and bring some friends with you we think it would make it better if you have another couple to hang out with.hope this gives you a good idea what to expect and if you have any questions email me and i will give you a response about anything you want to know and i mean everything...
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Very bad first impression”
First impression of Sandals Montego Bay terrible because: Reception person offered us drinks, which was good. What was not so good was that she subtly mocked me for my choice of water -- this after 5+ hours of air travel when I was just plain hot, tired, and thirsty -- for water. Because of a sudden rain storm, we waited about 3 hours before being allowed to go to our room. They were not willing to take our luggage (or us!) to our room until the rain stopped! And we only waited a mere 3 hours because that was the point at which my partner insisted we be taken to our room. Also, during this 3+ hours, our luggage was clustered in the resort's main thoroughfare. A staff member told us our bags would be looked after while we had lunch and waited for our room. But while our bags were being "taken care of," a demin jacket I had carried with me to keep warm on the plane disappeared from among my belongings. All this unpleasantness is simply inexcusable from a customer service standpoint, and most of it could have been avoided by letting us into our room right away! My impression was that the Sandals staff were quite aggressive about providing great customer service ACCORDING TO THEIR DEFINITION, but not nearly so attentive about actually considering the needs and desires of the customers themselves. Other observations: Food so-so, expected spicy, got bland (wanted spicy)! Air traffic noise was a distraction! Noise and general chaos in the central lobby area were unwelcome -- we were there to get away from noise and hectic activity. Plus, our room was right above this hectic area and the noise (especially at night during the entertainment), was unavoidable. The noise from the band was so loud we would have had to shout to have a conversation in the "privacy" of our room! The beach was tiny and the sand was NOT the pristine white portrayed in the ads. The carpet outside our room smelled of urine. There was no place to run and 2 of the 3 treadmills in the fitness center were broken. Sorry, wish the positive stuff like the overall friendly staff and the lovely environment outweighed the negative, but in this case it did not...
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Not Ultra Inclusive”
On picking our holiday we was looking to top Moon Palace, Cancun where we had a fantastic time, therfore we picked Sandals for it's supposed Ultra inclusive stance. On Arrival, first thing you are asked for is a credit card for any expensesRooms are OK but donot have a fridge/mini bar which is standard in most all inclusives, this becomes a real problem when you want a drink before 11 o'clock as the bars are not open, only juice at the restaurant.Whilst on the subject of restaurants, they all have varying opening times & we were refused entry to a restaurant at the Royal carribean because our manual was not upto date and i was wearing Jeans which wasn't mentionedAlso you need to reserve straight away especially the Thai at the Royal Carribean, we only got in once in 2 weeksIf you want a quiet holiday this is not ideal considering the airport runway sits literally behind the hotel and there are jets taking off every 30 minsBe aware the bar does stock all international brands only some spirits & no choice of beer just Red StripeThere is a nightclub which is very rarely busy, reason being they finish the entertainment but don't open the club until later by which time people had left, we asked why they don't just open straight away but the manager said " can you imagine my bar bill", this budget consciousness becomes more apparent when they are clearing the bar very early & understaffing barsOn the positive side the staff are really friendly particularly the bar staff at the piano bar, Grant, Oreth & HectorThe playmakers also work tirelessly and certainly earn their money (very talented)In summary OK if you never been to another all inclusive, but if you have a let down after the way sandals is marketed
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “Sandals Montego Bay - Nice but not worth the $$$”
My boyfriend and I stayed at Sandals Montego Bay from July 27 to August 1, 2003. Since this was a quick and short getaway for us, we wanted to be as close to the airport as possible to enjoy the most time having fun in the sun. Taking a direct flight from NY (early morning flight in and last flight out) enabled us to get a full six days! Please note: if you fly Air Jamaica and stay at Sandals Montego Bay, you receive the luxury of airline pre-check-in at the hotel. This was a wonderful treat! Our flight left for home at 5:10 p.m. and we were waterskiing on the beach until 3:30 p.m. After that, we showered in the Sandals departure lounge to clean up and get another drink before getting on our 4:00 p.m. bus back to the airport. Not having to carry our luggage or wait on those interminably long lines as the airport was pure heaven!Coming from Queens, the close proximity of the airport didn't bother us much, although we did find it quite amusing when other vacationers would run for cover the first time they saw a plane taking off so close to our hotel.We were given an upgrade from the low-class economy rooms (these are known as Deluxe on the SeaGrapes block, toward the back of the hotel) to a beachfront cottage after waiting for three hours to check into our room. However, if you have some sense, pack your bathing suits in your carry-on, skip their little welcome party (where they supply a warm glass of champagne and explain how important it is that you attend orientation) and get up on the beach and start enjoying yourself. We never went to orientation (thank goodness). From what we were told, it was basically a sales pitch to take all of the off-property tours.Our room was on the second floor, right next to the swim up pool bar, but being watersports fanatics it was a little too far from where we chose to sit on the beach each day. It was also a far walk to any of the restaurants. The room was clean, the decor was non-existent, the tv was fairly old and the air conditioning never really cooled our room. It seemed that it wasn't big enough to really cool it down.The food in almost every restaurant was mediocre. The jerk pork at the beach bar and the linguine pescatore at La Cucina was probably the most flavorful (a little hot and spicy) things we ate. It seemed that all the food was very bland. Upon arriving at the hotel on a Sunday, we immediately tried to get reservations for the Thai Restaurant at the Royal Caribbean, but they told us there were no openings available until Saturday evening. We explained that we were leaving on Friday, but they told us that Sandals Montego Bay was allowed to reserve only 4 couples per night at the Thai Restaurant. They put us on a waiting list, but we never called. We didn't expect the best food at Sandals, but be warned, nothing at this resort is as it is pictured in the brochures.Last year we stayed at one of the Grand Lido hotels in Jamaica. The prices were comparable to Sandals, but the service, food, decor, and rooms far surpassed anything at this Sandals resort. At the Grand Lido, the staff was much friendlier, hospitable and eager to help. It seemed to take a few days before certain staff members warmed up to us at Sandals M.B.The crowd was mostly younger (20's and early 30's) honeymoon types, but everyone was nice. I kind of wish people would give their age range when they write these reviews because it seems that younger folks really felt they were getting first-class treatment and LOVED the place. However, after talking to many of the young honeymooners, they had not really travelled anywhere else and had nothing to compare the resort with. We are in are mid to late 30's and I guess, just expected a little bit more.Since we are watersports nuts, we went to bed early every night so that we would be up and out on the beach at 7:30 a.m. when the motorized watersports opened. Every morning, no matter what, we never seemed to be water skiing at 7:30 a.m. It always took them two hours to get the boat in the water and ready to go. This was quite frustrating. There were a number of us that would wake up early to do this and there was always some excuse. One full day, they never even took the boat out, saying that the driver's seat was broken. They kept on saying that it would be fixed in an hour and we never saw anyone working on it. Most of us were convinced there was nothing wrong with it. The next day, however, when a bunch of travel agents were down on site to check out the property, we got the ROYAL treatment. We had a manager come out early to give all the beginners water skiing lessons. His name was Barney; he was patient, kind, considerate, friendly, all the things you'd want in an instructor. Mostly everyone in the class was able to get up on the skis after his lesson. It was a shame he disappeared after the travel agents left, because we never got the same kind of treatment. It was as if most of us were bothersome to the watersports personnel. The motorized boat shut down at 12:00 and was to re-open at 2:00 and run until 4:00 p.m. Again, there would be a line of us at 2:00 p.m., but we were told they couldn't find the captain of the boat (meanwhile we saw almost all of them driving the boat). Sometimes they didn't have the boat back up and running until 3:00 p.m., but they sure would close up at 4:00 p.m. sharp.Experienced travelers be warned! It's not worth the money, however if you have a only a short time for a quick getaway the resort is conveniently located close to the airport. It you combine that with the quick pre-check in for Air Jamaica flyers, it can be a lovely vacation!We're going back to GRAND LIDO next month and can't wait!
Montego Bay: Sandals Montego Bay: “A relaxing, great trip”
My wife and I just returned from our 9 day honeymoon at Sandals MO BAY. We had a wonderful time. I believe that it was the most profitable money I have ever spent on a trip. We arrived, and they got us into our room early, and upgraded it which was awesome. The food was wonderful, the drinks were good, and I am sure I gained a few pounds on pina collada's alone. I could recomend this resort to anyone that is looking for an exciting peaceful vacation. I do have a few complaints however, I dealt with alot of the employees and was only impressed by two of them. For all my wife and I have heard about Jamaican hospitality and friendliness, we just did not see it. I was truly disapointed, I know that there are coulples like us coming and going every day, but, I have a job that deals with people and I feel that I am alot more personable than they were towards us. So if you go, spend some time at the piano bar with Kenroy. He is fun, and he makes the best drinks on the place. A couple other things, I several times was singled out by employees and asked for tips, or told that I could "make their day alot better by giving them a present". Which is not terrible in itself, but when that person has not done anything to help you except call you into the corner to tell you this, its a little frustrating. Sometimes it would be nice to tip when someone stands out, but not when I get pressured. Last but not least, is the aircraft! If you are doing much research on your trip you will find that the planes bother some people and not others. My wife and I were perfect examples. She had to plug her ears every single time a plane took off there on our 9 day stay, I only noticed because she had her fingers in her ears! So I hope this helps you on your quest for the perfect destination! OH yeah, and whatever you do, I WOULD NOT go to the Royal Carribean, boy, what a DIVE.