Address - North Kent Ave, St James, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Location - Beach
Distance to airport - 10 minutes
Reviews posted on this page - 3 review(s)
Description: The very first Sandals resort to open its doors and set a whole new bar for luxury and romance in the Caribbean, Sandals Montego Bay still continues to completely and utterly captivate couples' hearts.
Are you the owner of this property? The link to your website could stand here. Please, contact Debbie.
Arrival: October 2009
My friend and I stayed at the Sandals at the end of our work conference in Montego Bay. We unfortunately had only 2 days there, but they were the best 2 days of the entire trip.
The Hotel is gorgeous. The grounds are spotless and it is designed beautifully and intimately to make every area a place you want to enjoy. The rooms are sweet, clean and elegant. The beds are comfortable (hard to find at most all-inclusives). The Air Conditioning worked perfectly. We were upgraded to a ground floor room and our doors opened right out to the Ocean - WOW!
The pools are lovely and clean, the drinks are top quality and fantatic. All the staff was friendly, happy and did their best to help in any situation. As to the food, now that was spectacular. It was as good as any food you would find in a 5 star restaurant in London or Vancouver. Just amazing. Every single meal was a dining treat. I would go back to this and any other Sandals resort in a heartbeat. Next time though, I will bring my husband, as Sandals really is a romantic place for couples and it was hard to be there without him.
Missing Sandals already and looking forward to going back within the next 6 months to either a Sandals or a Beaches which I hear is just as good and lots more fun!
Only thing to note, it is adjacent to the Runway (as a few resorts are in Montego Bay), so you will hear about 12-15 planes going overhead, starting with the first at 7AM and the last at around 7PM.
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Why would I ever return to any Sandals after what they did?
Sandals Montego Bay
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Glenn777 >
2 contribution(s) Canada
Mar, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
1 people found this review helpful
First our stay was for Two weeks March 2007, I was not able to put this Year in due to the program for entering the date.
The Sandals organization decided to close the beach and some bars for 3 days during our two week stay. Why did they do this you ask? They decided to do a photo shoot for their new brochure. They removed all the beach chairs from the beach and advised all tourists they could not use the beach for the 3 days. They also shut down the scuba diving for those days. After dinner one evening we decided to go to one of the bars but they would not let us in as they told us they were doing a photo shoot. Obviously there were a lot of upset tourists who complained to the management, so they decided to offer a free drive to another Sandals (not in Montego Bay). However as you may know a drive to one of the other Sandals is about a 2 hour drive each way. The bus was to leave at 9:00 AM, but didn't leave till around 9:30 AM then the driver had to get gasoline and for some unknown reason this took about 30 minutes. The vehicle they used for this shuttle should have been in the junk yard - here we are at a Sandals Resort being shuttled for two hours in a hunk of junk. Well we arrived at the other Sandals resort close to noon and we were told the shuttle was leaving to return at 3:00 PM. Good grief, only 3 hours to tour this other Sandals property. We had lunch, sat on the beach for about an hour then browsed around then headed back to look for the tin can to take us back. I can tell you it was not worth while.
So, Sandals expects us and others to return to a company that treats their guests like this. No thanks, I will look for another property that doesn't take paying guests for granted.
We usually take three two week trips to the Caribbean each winter and with our travel experience have never been treated like this.
Your Arrival
The arrival was fine at the airport, didn't wait long for the shuttle to the hotel. The registration took longer than it normally takes at other hotels, however you are brought a specialty drink and something to snack on, but really we would like to fill out the registration, get the room key, get to the room, unpack and then get to the bar and snacks. I have no idea why they make you wait for an hour prior to getting the registration card and then wait for your room key.
Rooms
Rooms are great as long as you get a balcony with a nice view, however there are many bad rooms as some of our friends have had in the past and we are lucky that we have in most cases had a reasonable room but not all times, in one case it was by the garbage dumpster, yes the smell was horrible, the noise of the garbage truck at 7:00 AM was not pleasant either, but there are worse rooms believe it or not that our friends have had in the past such as no balcony and your room window faces a wall about 5' away.
The inside of the rooms are usually great however we have also had some bad rooms with poor AC, or a bathroom with only one towel rack.
Even with renovations, they seem to think paint is all is required!!!
As far as room service, well I think it depends on the staff present, one year breakfast was delivered on time (you reserve the night previous) and one year after 2 or 3 calls breakfast was delivered 2 hours after the reserved time. You figure it out.
Restaurants and Bars
We found the food in most cases very good and good variety, however there were times at certain restaurants a 1/2 hour wait after you were seated you were asked if you wanted a drink, but in most cases service was very good but there were exceptions.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
If you don't mind the regular takeoff sound of airplanes over the beach you will be ok - you have to learn to accept the jet engine noise.
As other posters have mentioned, there are weed sellers on the beach (actually in paddle boats) with souvenirs. They don't bother me, I just avoid them.
The pool by the main bar and also the hot tub were both dirty. At a Sandals this just shouldn't be.
We enjoyed the small bar and pool, however if it is busy, you sure have to wait for your drink.
The bar pool hot tub was also dirty.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Scuba diving is great with the good equipment they supply and there is a good sized boat. The dive masters are very strict with regards to diving rules.
There is organized beach volleyball.
Other Comments
The (free) shuttle between the 3 Sandals Resorts in Montego Bay. The shuttle bus is a good size with AC and in good condition.
It does have a schedule but the problem is that it stops running a couple of times during the day at lunch and supper - the reason I am told is the driver needs to stop for lunch and dinner. For sure the driver needs his meals, however is this service not for the guests at the hotels!!!. Why could there not be a relief driver? When you are making dinner reservations at one of the other Sandals restaurants you have to book it around the shuttle times. This in many cases is inconvenient due to availability for reservations and depending on which Sandals hotel you are staying at or which beach you spend the day at.
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The only thing that I have found outstanding is the staff courtesy
Sandals Montego Bay
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tweetiev >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Jan, 2009
1 people found this review helpful
Here we are in Sunny Jamaica Mon....No worries mon....all is good mon.....
Well,,,,,we wish it had started out that way!
When my husband presented this wonderful gift to me at Christmas, it had all the makings of luxury written all over it----Sandals Resort, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Penthouse suite, beachfront...etc...but after flying all night (and me getting like maybe 1-2 hrs sleep tops) we arrive at our destination exhausted, only to stand for an hour and one half in line to go through customs. We are then escorted into a lovely holding room by the Sandals company until our bus arrives. About 1/2 hour later, we are taken to a small bus..(first event) The guy who took our bags 50 ft-wants a tip and wants my husband's attention. As he is talking, I nudge him, and so my husband hands him a twoonie, which is all he has on him. The guy refuses. My husband explains that that is all he has on him right now, Canadian coins. He then says NO COINS-ONLY PAPER MONEY. so my husband walks away as he says to me the lowest Canadian paper is a $5.00 which the guy probably knew and he was not getting that for walking 50 ft with the bags.
We drive for less than 10 min as it turns out our hotel is on the other side of the runway from the airport--(second heads up!)
We are checked into a room where we fill out papers and are told that our room is not ready..as we have arrived in the morning and we can't have the room till 3 pm...(it is about 10:30 am). Problem #3!!! We are very tired and just want to shower and have a sleep!!! So we go out and lay around in some chairs in the lobby-then we attend orientation, which we could hardly hear as she had no microphone and all the while JETS/airplanes kept flying overhead which drowned her out!!!!! ( #4) After this poor attempt at an orientation that was more of a selling job of the tours available, we went and grabbed a bite to eat. The buffet food selection was limited but tasty! As we were finished and were hanging around, my husband made a few attempts to get us into out room. They finally came up and said they got us our room. They tell us the phone in our room is not working, so they provide us with a mobile phone (#5) Great!!!off we go.... BUT...we were taken to not "705" but "621" instead (Problem#6). So not the penthouse suite, but one floor down. Oh my GOD!!!! Ok..now we are getting pissed off. My husband goes and checks out the difference between the rooms with a maid, and there is no difference only that you can HEAR the planes even more up there! So we decide to stay where we are ..later my husband tries the TV , well, the remote does not go to the TV, so it does not work! (#7)
And the planes keep on flying over head!!! Loud noise every 1/2 -1hr!!! Lovely!! Cuz we are RIGHT NEXT TO THE RUNWAY!!!! Did I mention this already? He is furious and very disappointed and so am I. We are also making a comparison to our last stay in the Bahai Principe in the Mayan Rivera, which was awesome!!!
My husband will have to have a chat with the travel agent when he gets back-as she was not our regular one unfortunately.
Next item that came up-no internet service -which he specifically requested and was told there would be in the room. (#8) OH boy!
We decide to go for a walk and we find that the beach is small and to be less than adequate. Very narrow beach (#9), with old and decrepit cement docks. On top of that, there are lots of panhandlers on the beach, selling stuff. Annoying! We-especially my husband-are not happy. As now that I have looked through a book in our room, and noticed the different Sandals resorts on the island, I suggest we switch to another one, like Nigril or Whitehouse, so he goes down to the manager and he finds a room available at Whithouse to which we will go to tomorrow.
We leave the next morning for the airport at 10:30 am to await the next bus to Whitehouse on the southwest coast, only to be informed that the next bus won't be till late afternoon???or if there will be anyone arriving for whitehouse that day AND we could not even wait in the airport!!!! We could have paid a $125 cab fair to get there if we wanted to, we were explained..(PROBLEM #10.)
As we were not allowed inside, we had to sit outside in a cafe. Finally the lovely lady representing Sandals felt bad for us and after 1/2 hour arranged for a bus to take us to Whitehouse- which is a 90 min drive, and they PAID. We had a fabulous driver by the name of Reynolds. We chatted, or I should be more precise and say, my husband and he did the whole way! Very entertaining though.
Whithouse Sandals Resort was definitely more what we were expecting. Beautiful pristine wide long unspoiled beaches!!! NO PLANES!!! No panhandlers and we had a much larger, newer room on the top floor with a spectacular view of the ocean and daily sunsets! This resort is only 3 yrs old where as Montego Bay was the original Sandals over 20 years ago and it sure showed!
Now it has not been with out trouble though,,,,the first thing was that first night as we were going to bed, I said to my husband the room was freezing. So he tried to up the tempurature but nothing changed over the course of 1 hour. Now we try to shut it off...no such luck! (Problem #11) OK-time to call housekeeping!!! The guy comes in 10 min!!! Ends up they have to replace the whole thermostat as it was kaput! We finally get a fabulous night sleep.
The next morning I go to make my coffee and the coffee maker won't work. DAM!!!!! I need my coffee!!! I call housekeeping and they come immediately and take it away---don't leave me another-to fix it. (Problem #12) So we go out for breakfast. The buffet place has closed (10:30) so we had to go to the restaurant next door, which was fine. Food is not available all day here. You have to eat at specific times more or less.
We have compared this resort to the experience we had this same time last year in Mexico at the Bahai Principe in the Mayan Rivera. It does not come close. We spent double the money to come here and it is half of what the Bahai is! Sandals fall short in so many ways. The only thing that I have found outstanding is the staff courtesy. They are very polite and come when needed. We have said we will never come to a Sandals resort again. We would definitely recommend somewhere else or try the Bahai principe in Jamaica if Jamaica is the place you want to go . ( check debbie's reviews & tripadvisor too.)
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