TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This was the most beautiful trip we have ever taken. The resort is absolutely amazing and the location is perfect: direct access to the sea, the stunning white beach of Negril, excellent beach facilities, beautiful rooms, great food, and fantastic entertainment. At first, the price may seem expensive, but it is absolutely worth it because the resort offers an incredible all-inclusive experience. Food, international alcohol and drinks, and especially entertainment and sports activities are all included, making the overall value exceptional. We also want to give a very special mention to Andrea Bruce at the reception desk. She helped us enormously during our stay. Since the resort is mainly frequented by English-speaking guests from the United States, and Canada, the local Jamaican staff naturally speak English very quickly and fluently. Even though we speak English regularly, as non-native speakers we sometimes had some difficulties. Andrea was incredibly kind, patient, welcoming, and always available to help us. We are truly grateful to her for making our stay even more enjoyable. We will definitely return!

A true Gem....from the Couples Lounge at the airport where you could use the private washrooms & enjoy a complimentary refreshment / pre-packaged snack (chips/nuts) before making your way to the transportation van, to welcoming arrival and efficient check in at the resort. Our week at Couples Swept Away (CSA) truly left us with wanting nothing more than - well.....more time with the extremely friendly and genuinely happy CSA team & of course more time to enjoy the beautiful property! - With well maintained & manicured grounds - the property was clean, lush, well lit in the evenings, easily "walkable" - and mobility friendly. Each building is equipped (rear of building) with stocked ice cooler & filtered water....very convenient to fill reusable water bottles left in guest rooms for guests to use while staying at CSA and take home when leaving. Dinner reservations were made with ease, we enjoyed dinner at both Feathers & Lemon Grass (reservations required) once during our stay, the other evenings we were happy to experience the entertainment & delicious food the buffet & Patois Patio. **men must have long pants and collared shoes to dine at Feathers** Lunch options - The Palms (buffet), Sea Grape Cafe & Cabana Grill - not one bad meal or poor service ever experienced during our stay. The resort has options for everyone.....we heard one of the chefs (during lunch at Cabana Grill) happily working with a guest to ensure the guests gluten free dietary restrictions were met. Beach is stunning....it is cleared each morning, crystal clear/calm warm water.....lots of lounge chairs & shade offered - 9 or more palapas were added during our stay *remembering that this island was devastated by hurricane Melissa - and it takes time to rebuild*. You can safely walk the beach for miles. Rooms - excellent! beds so comfortable, buildings are quiet - we were on lower level with neighbors on both sides/above & never heard furniture moving or footsteps above...housekeeping kept our room neat & tidy daily, thank you for that! Morning room service for coffee/tea & continental style options available - we ordered fresh fruit, coffee & tea to our room each morning, pick your time, menu items & enjoy the treats in the basket that arrives to your door or porch. Multiple returning guests at this resort.....which speaks volumes & I can promise - we too will be returning! Michelle @ front office, Ashley & Kadie @ The coffee Cafe, Ashely @ Patois Patio and "Joy" **at Cabana Grill (you know who you are:) - you each deserve an honorable mention for your smiles & exceptional service....thank you - keep being AMAZING!! Brian & Sandra S

Our stay at the Couple’s Swept Away Negril couldn’t have been any better! From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel welcomed and taken care of. The resort is absolutely beautiful, with one of the best beaches we’ve ever seen—white sand, crystal-clear water, and the most relaxing atmosphere, what feels like right in the jungle. Not to mention the unforgettable sunsets on the beach each day. We loved the design and how authentically Jamaican the hotel was. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and just steps from the beach. We loved how peaceful the entire property felt and also super safe. The food was excellent with plenty of variety, and every restaurant delivered great service and delicious meals (we loved the Friday night Jamaican night at the Palms the best). The cocktails were also perfect with specials everyday by the beach and always fresh and perfectly made. The entertainment, water sports, and activities gave us so much to do everyday, we didn’t need to leave. But there was also so much space to just relax and enjoy each other’s company. The active centre is really amazing, lots of activities and spa facilities on offer. The gym is indoor/ outdoor and is truly perfect, it is for sure the best gym I have ever seen! We used this every morning. What really made this trip special was the warmth and friendliness of the staff, specifically Ashanti, Aaliyah, Marky and Shania. They went above and beyond to make our holiday so memorable. If you’re looking for a romantic, stress-free Caribbean getaway, Couples Swept Away is definitely the place. We can’t wait to return!

Staying at the couples resort we found staff very accommodating to all our needs. The beach was beautiful which is very important to us . There was however a lack of choice for supper experiences . Having a buffet, one restaurant with two others that need reservations and they were each closed one night of the week.At other resorts when a restaurant was closed the space was utilized for another restaurant to give guests more options. The food however was excellent at all venues.

I have been dreaming of coming to Couples Swept Away since it opened…so my expectations were high…especially considering the price we paid. My husband and I have been to 5 star All-Inclusive resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic and Cuba…so I will compare this resort to our previous experiences. For reference, Cayo Coco Cuba was the cheapest vacation and Couples Swept Away was the most expensive resort. We are in our late 40s. Accommodations - 8/10 - My husband and I usually stay in a room with a tub for 2 on the patio or balcony - which really adds to the room experience…but Couples Swept Away doesn’t have that amenity. But honestly, we didn’t miss it. Our top floor Garden Verandah Suite was charming, authentic and airy. We LOVED the wooden shutters and vaulted wood ceiling . Our corner room #2201 had an amazing treehouse feel….it didn’t overlook any other hotel rooms so it felt incredibly private with lush tropical views. However, it was not perfect. It is loud in this room category. The frogs at night were almost deafening. But somehow we managed to fall asleep to the chirping….but you may want to bring earplugs just in case you can’t sleep. However, the motorcycle noise at night will wake you up and scare the crap out of you! The shower spitting water all over the floor also needs to be fixed…everyone complains about it so it is obviously a problem that management refuses to address. Just an annoyance and an inconvenience. But overall, we loved our room! However, we lucked out with a corner room on the top floor of a 2 story building (less stairs than the 3 story building and more privacy than the first floor walkout rooms…which a lot of guests love). It really depends what you want from a room. Some of the Garden Verandah Suites might have less road noise than others based on their location…just so you know. We were going to upgrade immediately if we weren’t happy with our room and we chose to stay. Grounds/Property - 10/10 - This resort is GORGEOUS. It is just as pretty as the previous resorts that we stayed at in Punta Cana and the Mayan Riviera. Lush gardens. Winding paths. Tropical flowers. I love an old established resort with mature trees and lots of greenery. This resort is STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL. Singing Anthony the gardener also made us smile everyday which was a bonus! Beach - 10/10 - soft sand - blue water and beautiful sunsets. Negril beach is beautiful to say the least. Again, the sunsets are breathtakingly gorgeous. Ocean Swimming - 10/10 - Soft white sandy bottom with very few hazards to watch out for. No water shoes are necessary but you still have to watch what you’re stepping on as there are random chunks of coral and the occasional critter. We saw lots of starfish and stingrays right in front of the resort…so that was exciting. The water was warm and relatively calm in the morning and had gentle waves in the afternoon. It was wonderful! Beach Experience - 8/10 - overall we had a great beach experience. We spent more time at this beach than any other resort because it is BEAUTIFUL and tropical with all the palm trees (something that Cuba does not have). We never went into the pools….which says a lot. HOWEVER….management needs to listen up - because the beach area has SOO MUCH POTENTIAL!!! First of all….where are the Bali beds?! A couples resort with no beach beds for 2 is insane to me! It’s the epitome of romance! The resort that we went to in Cuba cost 1/3 the price of Couples and they had endless beach beds AND beach service. There were employees in Cuba whose job it was to help you find a beach chair or bed and then proceeded to DUST off the Sand, spread your towel out and go get you a drink…all day long. This service is non-existent at Couples. Couples advertises red flag service. I call BS on that one. On our last day we finally saw one red flag in a tree….was it the infamous red flag service? I have no idea because no staff member offered me a flag or mentioned the service. Such a disappointment from a girl who has been dreaming of coming to this place since it first opened. Expectations were definitely NOT met. You can do better Couples! Also, the workers need to be out on that beach CLEANING and TIDYING up the chairs BEFORE the guests come out in the morning. Honestly, it was DISGUSTING. Towels and dishes and garbage everywhere all along the Couples Swept Away beach every morning. Management should be ashamed of themselves. Also, management needs to have designated smoking sections marked with signage. Such a simple solution to solve the problem for nonsmokers and smokers alike. We can all coexist in paradise without nonsmoking guests being annoyed by the smoke and the smokers not having to explain that the nonsmokers are indeed sitting in the (unmarked) smoking sections. This should be enforced by the staff not the guests. We all just need guidance from management with a simple sign. And if Couples wants to take it to the next level of luxury…replace all the beach furniture with quality chairs, beds and cushions. Management just needs to take a walk down the beach to a few of the neighbouring resorts who have matching furniture and colourful matching accessories. Like I said - the potential is there. As for the beach solicitors/locals selling their goods and services ….hey - this is their country with their own way of making a living. I believe that we as guests in their country need to assimilate to their culture. Respect and politeness and a firm “no” is all that is necessary if you are not interested in what they are selling. And if that doesn’t work, a quick nod to security and they will help move the seller along. Was it annoying at times? Yes but it didn’t ruin our vacation. Not all Jamaicans are like this…just like how not all Canadians are loud drunks. Overall we enjoyed our interactions with the locals and met more residences than any other country we have visited. Food - 7/10 - If we could have eaten at Lemongrass and Feathers more often during our week stay, we would have rated them a 9/10. The buffet was good but very small. The fish tacos on the beach were good and we also enjoyed the jerk chicken at Scotch Bonnet. However, the reservation system for the 2 reservation only restaurants was AWFUL! Worse than budget friendly Cuba. In Cuba, we checked in and the staff had already pre booked all our dinner reservations for us. If we wanted to change to a different time we just had to ask. Seamless and perfect. In the Dominican Republic, our butler booked all our reservations for us after we told him which restaurants we wanted to go to. No problem. In Mexico, we were able to book every night at the al a cart restaurants the day we checked in. Done. No stress. Not at Couples Swept Away. We stayed 7 nights and we were only able to get into Lemongrass ONCE and Feathers ONCE. The worst experience out of all our resort experiences. Pretend that you are at a budget all inclusive - now get in line at Customer Service…or call and PRAY that you get to enjoy at least 1 reservation during your entire stay. And you don’t do this just once…you have to go back because you can’t book more than a few days in advance. Come on Couples! Do better! At this price point more restaurant options need to be available to EVERYONE not just returning guests. I give Couples restaurant reservation system a ZERO out of 10. On a positive note - we loved having entertainment playing during dinner at the buffet…well, the band/singers anyway. Shows were hard to watch when you are eating and getting up to the buffet. Live music performers during dinner is lovely…although sometimes loud at times. Just fix the restaurant reservation system…it’s awful. Pools - 4/10 - I knew when I booked CSA that the pools were not great. In my opinion, what makes a good pool is a tropical, freeform shape with lots of room to spread out and a swim up bar. We didn’t go into the pools at all because they were small overall…with the swim up bar pool being extra small…which was disappointing. They are also overlooked by the restaurants which kinda makes it an uncomfortable experience if you don’t want to be on display and watched by people eating…if that makes sense. However it was nice that the hot tubs were open all the time…although they are also overlooked…so not much privacy for intimate couple time. Service - 8/10 - The service that the workers are instructed to give is good. They don’t go above and beyond but it’s good. However there are more resting “grumpy” faces here than at any other resort that we’ve been to. These employees should be placed at the back of the house if they can’t fake a smile for the paying guests. Again, I blame management for not training these employees for their service roles….and then making sure that the employees are always making guests feel good about being there. When you can’t even smile at the friendly guests, you should not be working at the front of the house. Included Activities - 10/10 - this is where the resort shines….perfect….no constructive criticism needed. Okay…the fitness facilities are not air conditioned…someone made a very bad decision at the planning stage and no one with common sense said “That’s stupid.” Now they are stuck with this huge mistake. Other notes.. Lack of air conditioning in the restaurants and common areas sucked. My husband was hot and uncomfortable everywhere he went. I signed up for their Loyalty Rewards Program after I booked the resort. This was a waste of time because they didn’t give us any of the alcohol that we requested during pre-check-in. We had to re-request it after we got to our room and we received it the next day. No booze, except beer, in the room for 24 hours. Nothing is done for you during special occasions. I celebrated my birthday here and receive nothing…if that’s important to you. It wasn’t a big deal for me…just unusual for a 5 star resort. Final thoughts…I am soo glad that my husband and I finally made it to a Couples resort. The rooms, resort grounds and beautiful ocean water were exactly like we imagined. We went there to spend a romantic vacation together on the beach…relaxing and enjoying the ocean. However, the couples vibe that we were expecting was not there. It often felt like spring break with loud groups of friends…as opposed to the intimate couples in love experience I was expecting. We would not return because we have been to better adults only all inclusive resorts that know how to spoil their guests and make them feel special - for a MUCH LOWER PRICE POINT. I hope this review helps!