Sandals Negril

I spent 5 days 4 nights here at Sandals Negril and I just want to say EVERYONE was AMAZING especially the entertainment team!!! I was very impressed with the hospitality of the team they were fun, enthusiastic and very talented…. Bleu, Bryan, Chevy, Lush, Ashi (I think that was her name sorry if I got it wrong) and the Piano man stood out the most to me. They have very inviting personalities and made sure to check in with us whenever they saw us around the resort. Chantay at the Perla Tovia Oli and Caprice at Kimonos Shavonia at Brava also gave me a great experience on the restaurant side. Everyone over all was great but these individuals stood out immensely to me and my crew. Silver Birds Steel Drum Band was super dope too. 10 out of 10

This resort is absolutely amazing! It is beautiful, the food is amazing, and the staff and entertainment you cannot beat! Bleu and Ashli Ann on the entertainment team are amazing! Food at Perla is the best and Chantay from food service is so wonderful. Tovia from Kimonos truly made of entire experience unforgettable. They are personable, professional, and beyond talented. I cannot recommend this resort enough! Thank you all! We will definitely be back!!

We had such high hopes for this trip, all I have ever heard about Sandals is how wonderful the resorts and services are. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. Our first room had no hot water, the first three days of our trip was cold showers (certainly didn’t pay 4k to feel like I was camping), it took a day and a half to get into a new room. My husband and I got a call at 11pm (we were already in bed sleeping) saying there was another room and asked if we wanted to move at that time or in the morning. We opted for the morning versus having to get up pack all of our things and move at 11pm. The next morning we stopped at the desk and were told to go back at 9:45 and there would be a room we could look at to make sure we’d be happy with the location/view. At 9:45 we were escorted to the new room to see it, it wasn’t clean yet but the housekeeper was already working on it (at 9:45am). We let them know we would take that room, and were told they would move our bags over as soon as it was ready. We went to check out beaches for the day and got back to Sandals around 3:45/4pm and stopped at the desk for our new keys on the way in. Romekie was at the desk, (Rajay) he was AWFUL. He was extremely rude, I’m not sure who decided a guest facing position was the best role for him but you may want to rethink that. He was quick to tell us the room wasn’t ready (when we saw it being cleaned 7 hours earlier), when we questioned it he dialed up the rude. We finally asked for the manager on duty and Romekie went back behind a closed door for about 15 minutes and came back saying our room was ready but Rajay (the manager on duty) was not available. We were pretty adamant about speaking to him and were assured he would contact us (never happened). We got to the new room and the floor was flooded, there was something wrong with the AC unit. That really set things over the edge, hours of waiting for that to be fixed by this time it was dinner time. We were in bathing suits, tired, desperate for a hot shower and had dinner reservations. But here we were standing outside our room waiting. I was assured by Tess one of the managers the dining concierge would be able to help with gluten free menus and reservations as I suffered a medical event related to my allergy while on site. “Anything we needed”. That never happened, went to the dining concierge and she knew nothing about it and was no help. There really wasn’t any meaningful attempt to rectify what was happening with our trip or our disappointment, we never heard from Rajay to discuss how utterly rude Romekie was. Any hopes of ever visiting another Sandals are gone.

Full disclosure - long time loyal Sandals customers, but we do recognize the good and the bad. A long review - but will break it up by section. First, a big thank you to Nancy Finn of Island Getaways - she is the ‘go-to’ person for all things Sandals. Travel tips: Check in online with Sandals before your trip (yes, they put a $400 hold on your card) Use Club MoBay and Private Transfers if you can Pack a swimsuit and beach shoes in your carry-on in case you arrive early Pack a positive attitude. Use the words your mother taught you - please and thank you Walking through the lower level of the buildings to get around will give you some shade and a nice breeze (if you are getting too warm on the beach and need to go across the property) Use Loyalty to book another trip - you really do get the best discounts Arrival Highly recommend Club MoBay for both arrival and departure. We were met when we got off the plane, and were swiftly taken through customs and immigration (passed many long lines!). We travel with only carry-on, so no waiting for luggage Also recommend a private transfer through Island Routes. It is a $450 round trip MBJ to Negril. Includes water, beer and light refreshments When we arrived at the Sandals lounge our driver was ready for us. Private transfer took about 1 hour 40 mins (but this is really dependent on time of day) With MoBay and Private transportation, I don’t think we spent more than 10 minutes in the airport Arrived at Sandals to a cool towel and waited a few minutes for our butler to arrive (we had also checked in online ahead of time) Next trip we might look into Airlink scheduled air from MBJ to Negril Room We had originally booked a Longshore Beachfront Two-Story One Bedroom Butler Villa Suite w/ Tranquility Soaking Tub (1B), which we have stayed in before - a few notes on this original room: Lovely room, mostly great views (some of them have slightly obstructed views) A little dated and the floating staircase to go upstairs always felt a little treacherous When we saw the new SkyPool suites we upgraded to a Bamboo Grove One-Bedroom Skypool Butler Suite w/ Roof Terrace (RSKY). This was hands down the best designed and most comfortable room we have had at a Sandals or almost any other resort Pros: Comfortable furniture (well except for the weird chaise at the end of the bed) - the bed, sofa and outdoor chairs were extremely comfortable There is a pocket door between the main living area and the bedroom that has a peep hole. So we could take a nap in the bedroom but leave the room open for them to service the mini bar. There is also a pocket door between the bedroom area and the bath area which is good for ensuring some privacy (see more later) His and hers wardrobes and drawers - a really nice touch - with enough space for all our clothes Bathroom was beautifully designed with a skylight and lovely accents. The tub was actually comfortable and the rain head shower was amazing Plenty of reading lights by the bed Cons: The roof terrace is really a neat concept and we might have spent more time up there, but the spiral staircase is metal and when it rained - slippery. TBH we didn’t trust ourselves to go up there after a cocktail, so we mostly used it for morning coffee - it was a great way to get a 365 view of the area Clear glass shower and lavatory room - it looks nice but zero privacy The position of the safe - it was on the floor of one of the closets so you almost had to be laying down to open or close it Butler Service Shout out to Basil and Theda - the definite A-Team of butlers - this is the second time we have had the pleasure of their services We really don’t ask for a lot from the butlers, but the answer was always ‘of course I will take care of it’ The first morning we woke up and took a look at the plunge pool on the balcony - it was kind of gross. We have a pool ourselves and know how fast a pool can turn. We mentioned it to Theda that morning and by noon it was completely cleaned and treated by Derek the pool guy Liaising with housekeeping - we are early risers and as such usually are back in the room in the afternoon to take a nap and freshen up, so we prefer to have our room cleaned in the AM. Pool/beach chairs - I know this is a very divisive topic, but it is nice to have one reserved for you. But during October there were plenty of chairs available. Dining - this is what we like the best about butler service here. We just let them know that morning where we want to eat and when. They escort us to dinner at that time We occasionally will ask for a pizza or some other food from them, but normally we just take care of it ourselves Our room was decorated on our anniversary A beautiful drawn bath awaited us on our return from dinner our final night Pools/Beach Seven mile beach is gorgeous - you can walk down the beach (just check out/in with the guard at the end of the property). The sand is fine and the water is blue/green (not as blue as the Bahamas but still very nice). The vendors on the beach are pleasant. If you chat with them for a bit you can just say ‘no thank you’ The musicians on the beach, well, are not our thing. There was one gentleman with a guitar who seemed quite persistent along with some folks who played drums. Mostly we just avoided them but in the past we have tipped them to ask them to move off and serenade someone else Pools were all clean. The main pool is rather small with limited seating (most of which is in the sun). This is where the entertainment happens during the day. The music is loud but it is a fun atmosphere. The playmakers really do a nice job. Dining Perla: Excellent place for lunch. Everything they had was really good - and always hot. Try the Jamaican Patties Barefoot: Loved going there for a sit-down breakfast. Dinner menu was good as well. Sundowner: A great place to escape the heat. They are open for lunch and dinner and you can dine a la carte inside Brava: Our favorite. Great small plates for sharing - wonderful view Bayside: Lovely breeze for breakfast. A beautiful environment for dinner. The food was good, but I found the main offerings just a little too heavy for the Caribbean heat People I read in some reviews that people were not friendly. We found the exact opposite to be true. However we make it a point to greet people, say thank you and remember their names. Special People Shout Outs Basil and Theda, our butlers were amazing Derek the pool guy to the rescue on the first day Sanvoy (I think she is a manager at the restaurants?) was everywhere! Always with a smile and a quick word of hello Chris the bartender at the Sundowner bar (AM/Afternoon). After the first day always remembered what we were drinking Shaniqua (she didn’t have her name tag on so not sure of the spelling) the massage therapist. She was a great therapist with a fun sense of humor Madonna in Loyalty. She was very patient and helpful with us as we booked a few more stays Outside of the long transfer time, I highly recommend this property. This is the third time we have stayed here - the first being over 20 years ago.

It was our first time out of the country (USA) so was apprehensive at first. But once we landed it was a breeze!! Everyone at the resort was amazing. If I could bring Fiona ( bartender) home with me I would. Shavoy our butler was very attentive and made us feel welcome. Keyon (photographer) took such nice photos of my husband and I. We made life long friends with amazing couples, took amazing photos of the sunsets and the foot was delicious. I can’t wait to go back!