TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This was our second visit to a Sandals resort and we were excited to be visiting another one. Frankly, it did not live up to our expectations and the high standards we had experienced on the previous visit, which was to Barbados. There were several issues which included - The bathroom door around the handle area was filthy The bed was so high, my wife, who is of average height, needed a step to get into and out of the bed -The A/C in our room stopped working. We reported it a number of times -The ceiling fan in the room had one speed which was so slow to be ineffective - Food was just OK - in our 10-day visit, we did not have a memorable meal - Service on one evening was dreadful - we waited an hour for a glass of wine - Trips arranged via the travel desk were very expensive. When we checked the cost of similar trips outside of the resort, costs were 40% less - The extractor in the bathroom did not work - Transit from the airport took a lot longer than we were told. This included a 30-minute unnecessary stop at a restaurant on the way. There are 2 small beaches at this resort so if you like long walks on the beach, this is not the place for you. The staff in the resort are mostly excellent - very friendly and warm When I returned, I wrote to the general manager to make him aware of the issues, purely to help in their improvement. He apologised and offered me loyalty points as a gesture of goodwill, but ruined it by asking me to sign a waiver which would have prohibited me from sharing this input. I declined his offer

We stayed for a week at Sandals Ochi and had a great time. We were skeptical about the negative reviews but have generally had a very positive experience. Accommodation - I was preparing myself for the worst here but we didn't have any problems. We stayed in the most 'basic' room available, everything worked as intended, it was clean and we had a balcony. Bed was comfy, fridge stocked with beer, wine, water, coke. It's not necessarily the 5* accommodation you would have at home, but it wasn't bad. The cleaners were so good, every time we went out we'd come back to a spotless room. Water sports - didn't do as much of this as we liked, but probably our fault for missing good opportunities. Sometimes there will be a red flag on the beach meaning you can't do the water sports - my advice would be to go when it's yellow/green while you can. Just walk up, sign a waiver and grab a life jacket. Excursions - you can book through Viator or Trip Advisor and it's much cheaper than going through the resort. We did the Dunn's River Falls experience, pick up from the hotel, it was £42pp, bring some tip money, also money for either the paid photos (£40) or $15 for a waterproof phone case so you can take your own photos. Had a great time. Didn't book a massage with Sandals as it was about $200, for half this price I'd have probably gone for it. I don't think it can be super popular as we were asked by the Spa therapists 3 to 5 times a day if we have any interest in the spa during our stay. They're dressed in a beigey brown if you prefer to avoid. I think much more people would be interested in a massage if the price was dropped a little. Entertainment - the saxophonist in particular was just amazing, but all of the entertainment was brilliant. There are also a couple places open late night if you wanted a snack. Lots going on, different things at different sides of the resort so you can choose. Drinks - generally quick service, although we've come at a quieter time on the resort so this may change in peak season. Not super strong but I'd say that's just because of the alcohol/juice ratio (they'll put a shot in a big glass). I asked for drinks extra strong and they made them perfectly. Now onto the food part of the review. I've written this part of the review to help other vegans. Overall we were happy with the vegan food on offer, it's not as extensive as back home (UK) but that would be a big ask on holiday outside of Europe. I'd happily stay here again, but it's good to know what you're coming into. Firstly, watch out for the menus - often they'll describe fish/shrimp as vegetarian. We specified vegan and no fish. Breakfast - buffet style, both sides of the resort are the same for the buffet. There is toast, bagels, and English muffins but no butter - I used peanut butter instead. Not ideal but did the job. There is also jam/jelly. There are some cereals with almond/soy milk. Every morning the hot dishes on offer for vegans were some form of potato dish, baked beans, and steamed veg. On the first morning there was a tofu dish which was delicious but then it was never seen again. There's also the French restaurant for breakfast which does walk ins at that time (but need to book for dinner). I had the avocado toast with a side of hash brown and baked beans. Unfortunately you can't custom make from the menu - e.g., I asked for Ackee without the saltfish but this was not allowed. I'm pretty sure it's all pre-made up ready to go, as it wasn't super hot either. There's a nice fruit salad here. Lunch - there's a pizza place on each side of the resort. You can veganise it by removing the cheese, you can make a custom pizza too. I found this to be the best lunch option. There's also a vegan burger at Mariner/Neptune's which is nice enough. We enjoyed the vegan kebabs on the beach from the Tapas place but be warned, the sauce is very spicy. If you're not a spice person they do have other sauce you could request. Whilst there's no vegan butter anywhere you could ask for olive oil with bread instead of butter. Favourite meals were - 1. Italian place. Simple, like Italian food is. Very rich and tasty. Requires booking, try to book all your meals early on before the restaurants get booked up. 2. The Reef Terrace was a lovely dinner option. The vegan jerk chicken was delicious and you have a great view. They accept walk ins. 3. Kimonos Japanese place - I really enjoyed the tofu dish here and they're able to accommodate if you specify your dietary needs. Requires booking. The only thing I didn't like is that you're seated in tables of 12. If you like meeting new people you won't mind, but if you're like me I hope this is a sufficient warning to you. They were helpful and allowed us to eat separately on request however. Desserts - there are no vegan desserts anywhere really. There might have been a sorbet, and there is popcorn but that's it. The restaurants don't exactly feel 5* but we did enjoy them, and most of the staff are lovely and so friendly. If you're worried about poor reviews I would just say don't expect everything to be perfect, it's generally good. I wouldn't hesitate to book this again.

For an all-inclusive resort, this hit the spot perfectly. The accommodations and property were wonderful and made our little slice of Jamaica feel great and welcoming. April week’s stay with good weather and no bugs that we encountered. Food was 4 out of 5 stars as you’d probably expect. Service was top notch! Shout-outs especially to… Neil and Sheldon who were amazing butlers at our cabana stays. Rayjay Davia at Reef Shamario (pics at sunset) Sherica Yanique at Sky Bar Michael and Rudolph at the front desk And Kailando at Soy. Smiles everywhere! Would highly recommend.

Went there for our honeymoon and it was the best experience ever even tho the trip was short ( 3nights).

We had a blast! Room was a bit dated but nice. Staff at this Sandals were even better than usual! Rodolpho at the pool kept the energy. Beach isn’t much to see. We spent our time at the pool. Food was good-great. Depended on the restaurant. Soy for sushi is very good. Kelly’s for seafood, not so good. All in all, a great week!