Exploring Sandals' & Beaches' Jamaica properties

With winter back in full force across Canada, PAX recently headed south to Jamaica to explore three of Sandals and Beaches Resorts properties and what lies in store for travellers in 2016.

CEO Adam Stewart stated that in 2015, more than $180 million has been invested in the company’s Jamaica properties alone, as evidenced from new buildings and updated rooms to new restaurants and guest programs.

Here’s a snapshot of PAX’s recent exploration of the resorts:

Sandals Montego Bay

The company's flagship resort, Sandals Montego Bay is where it started for the all-inclusive chain in 1981. While the property’s past is fondly remembered and its history honoured, there’s nothing outdated about the resort – from the amount of ongoing renovations and construction of another new building currently taking place, the evolution of Sandals Montego Bay appears to be a perpetual process.

The resort’s close proximity to Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport provides an easy selling point for travellers looking to unwind as soon as they land (later this year, remote check-in at all Sandals resorts will become a reality) and while some properties may see aircraft flying overhead as a detriment to drawing vacationers, the friendly staff at Sandals Montego Bay have turned it into a game, offering a wave every time a departing plane passes over the resort.

The property’s 251 bright, spacious suites fall into 19 room categories, situated in four villages along with several standalone cottages, all facing the largest private white sand beach on the island’s north coast. According to Khadine Daley, Sandals Montego Bay’s regional PR director, the property caters to guests looking for more of an “upbeat” vibe on their vacation (as evidenced by a weekly schedule of nightly entertainment), while suggesting that travellers seeking a more laid-back experience may consider Sandals Carlyle.

“There’s a Sandals for everyone,” Daley remarked.

Weddings are big market for the resort, Daley said, adding that the property sees an average of one wedding a day, with the peak season taking place in June and July.

And for guests looking to explore other nearby Sandals properties, Montego Bay offers full exchange privileges via the ‘Stay at One, Play at Three’ program, allowing guests to experience Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals Carlyle during their stay on Jamaica’s northern shores.

Sandals Negril

Approximately 90 minutes from Montego Bay on Jamaica’s western shores resides Sandals Negril, situated on 1,700 of beachfront.

Arguably, the crown jewel of the property are the two-storey Butler Loft Suites in the resort’s Caribbean Beachfront Village building; couples are greeted by a private patio with a Tranquility Soaking Tub before entering the suite. A floating staircase leads to a bedroom with spacious bathroom (complete with large tub and rain shower), all the while attended by a butler catering to a couple’s every need. Some of the rooms (including this suite) were renovated so recently (the rooms were updated from May to December) that Sandals Chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart had yet to see them, who joined the press group for a closer look at the accommodations.

The resort’s other rooms are just as luxurious, such as those found within the first floor of the Millionaire Suites, where guests can walk out to their own private garden and plunge pool to enjoy the sunset.

Accessibility is also a key consideration at the property, with elevators, wheelchair ramps and features such as lower beds present throughout various suites; specialized beach wheelchairs are also available upon request, allowing all guests to enjoy the sand and sun.

For a change of pace, guests of Sandals Negril can also venture down the shore and enjoy exchange privileges with Beaches Negril.

Beaches Negril

Where else can you enjoy a teppanyaki dinner by the beach and hang out with the cast of Sesame Street?

Catering primarily to families, Beaches Negril – just seven miles down the Jamaican shoreline from Sandals Negril – offers a similar setting to its nearby counterpart while adding a kid-friendly twist. Debbie-Ann White, senior vice-president of public relations and promotions at Unique Vacations, told PAX that the resort also welcomes many couples looking for something different.

Kids of all ages will have something to keep them occupied while mom and dad unwind. Characters from Sesame Street are frequently seen exploring the resort grounds, happy to pose for a picture or put on a show, even providing a special bedtime tuck-in service, complete with storytime (while most of the characters are available upon request, Big Bird is apparently too tall to enter the rooms).

A Kids Kamp and Nursery offer supervised activities for the youngest family members, while older kids can join the Trench Town Teen Centre, hang out at the XBOX 360 Play Lounge (featuring 27 screens and consoles) or test their turntable skills at the Scratch DJ Academy.

And whether their six or 16, the Pirates Bay Waterpark offers outdoor fun including eight slides, a lazy river and more.

Sandals & Beaches facts

• Free WiFi is available to guests of Sandals and Beaches properties (with premium packages available at an additional fee), perfect for travellers eager to share their view of the beach or that selfie with Elmo via social media.
• Sandals’ Redlane Spa and Fitness Centres are found at each of the three properties, allowing guests to both enjoy a little pampering and stay on top of their workout regimen while vacationing.
• With both the beachfront setting and properties primed for kindling a little romance, it’s not surprising that weddings and honeymoons are a large part of Sandals’ market. The WeddingMoons program offers new couples a fully customizable wedding followed by “a dream honeymoon” in one luxury package. All three resorts feature numerous settings for both weddings and photos alike and for couples looking to add a little tradition as they tie the knot at their destination wedding, Sandals Montego Bay also offers the chain’s only non-denominational chapel.
• Watersports – from swimming, boating or just plain floating – are a big part of the Sandals experience and in addition to those activities, each of Sandal’s Jamaica resorts features a PADI Dive Centre for guests looking to explore the surrounding underwater world.
• A variety of dining options await travellers to Sandals’ Jamaica properties, ranging from traditional Caribbean (Stew Fish) to Asian (Tokyo Jo’s; Kimonos) to Italian (Cucina Romana).
• Representatives from Island Routes Caribbean Adventures are on hand at all three properties, offering connections to more than 300 off-resort excursions and activities across Jamaica.