Beaches Negril Resort and Spa

I recently returned from Beaches Negril after having our destination wedding there. We took about 9 people with us and we all agreed we couldn't have made a better choice. The Wedding team was amazing, and Yanique really worked with me. Our room was on the opposite side of the resort versus our wedding location and I was nervous walking that far in my dress. She let me get ready in the wedding room and made me feel so comfortable. The entire resort was so friendly, I did not want to return back home where I feel like every human interaction is negaive. The people are so genuine on the island I appreciated that everyone seemed interested about our stay and made sure we were always okay.  The food at the resort was awesome too- our favorites were Kimonos and Stewfish. My husband and I chose to eat at Stewfish for our Honeymoon dinner and we are glad we did. It was something like 6 courses and although I was full, each dish was better than the next and I couldn't stop eating. Roy, the manager at Stewfish that night was so kind. He gave us some marriage advice and our waitor was making sure we took pictures of every dish, ha! There were very very few negatives here- not even worth mentioning because our time was so amazing. With the state of emergency, I was nervous to even go because we brought along our 2 year old daughter. I am so glad that I didn't change my mind because this island changed me. Not a single person in my group was homesick- we could imagine ourselves here forever.The people here are wise, the ocean was just amazing, and we cannot wait to return. 

How times have changed. We have been Sandals chain customers going back a long ways. We just visited Negril and made the choice to book with a higher end chain with cache. On the positive side, the food was very good, the rooms were nice and the water sports were included as advertised. On the negative side, the entertainment was non-existent during the days. Many fun type events were listed on the daily schedule, such as bingo, a foam party and volleyball to name a few. Everyday we show up and everyday no event. When we asked the playmakers about the events they would make up excuses such as “it was at the other pool”, which it was not or “that is tomorrow”. Again BS. For the foam party, they said the foam guy didn’t show up. Worse yet, one of the head playmakers asked how things were at the resort so we told him all this, but he acted like he could have cared less. Their loop app is a joke as well. They say they want feedback but they do not even respond. The evening shows were not overly entertaining and sparsely attended. Good thing hockey and basketball playoffs were shown on the TV or the bar would have been empty. At one time, this chain was a cut above. This gap is almost gone in my mind. If your trip is not about top shelf liquor or water sports, I would look at less expensive options.

We stayed at Beaches with 10 family members ranging from 2 to 73, and there was something for everyone! The room was beautiful, the staff was friendly and their service was outstanding. The beach was beautiful and we did not experience difficulty in getting chairs on the beach or at the pool. The mosquitoes were there but we came prepared with OFF wipes. And, the staff, brought a can of OFF to the rooms! How thoughtful is that??? They think of everything to keep their guests happy. I would definitely return to this Paradise on Earth!

Alright so this is about to be a super lengthy review please brace yourselves ! I love to get into extreme details about every single moment I can remember from the second I land in the airport lol to even thoughts I had before I arrived so here we go. Before choosing Beaches I did extensive research on the most family friendly resort in Jamaica and beaches came up. Between the two diff locations I gravitated mostly towards Negril because as a single mother travelling with a 1.5 year old it appealed to me more. The bus ride from the airport to the hotel was also shorter than the other hotel so I took that into account as well. I also loved that the beach in Negril is more famous and looked amazing from the pics. I mainly chose this resort solely because it’s partnered with Sesame Street, has nannies/kids camp and is geared toward families and small children in general. Literally. I revolved this trip around my son and what would benefit him the most. Even from Canada when I would call to get more info about shuttle service, car seats, strollers on transport etc they were super helpful and reassuring. The only thing that bothered me is the price I paid I found it super expensive and it was half the price in September. I just got back and it’s May. I figured maybe it’s cheaper because September is hurricane season ? And it happened to fall on the week of mother’s day which might have explained the price hike. I didn’t buy the tickets directly from the website although the cost was similar but definitely cheaper booking it through trip advisor. In hindsight I should have booked 2 weeks because to me the money was so worth it in the end and I felt like it ended too soon. Ok so once we reached the airport it was super easy navigating to find the beaches set up area. They informed me that it would cost me a small tip to the people taking my bags so I gave my money to somebody who was there working and he said thanks only to find out it was a different guy taking my bag and he still required a tip. I wondered why the original guy didn’t say “hey I’m not the one getting your bags” since he was the only one around when the lady told me. They said it’s not their business why I gave my money and I still have to pay lol it was pretty petty but I didn’t end up giving the money again out of stubbornness and totally felt bad after because it’s not the mans fault he didn’t get his money just because his other employee wants to be greedy and dishonest he still did the work and a little $5 tip is really nothing but to me it was just the principle. They should tell you exactly who to tip goin forward to avoid confusion. Anyway so I went to the waiting area where there were refreshments and I shrieked out loud when I saw red stripe on tap ! I was in heaven. Like you can actually drink before boarding a bus ? Wait you can even bring beer on the bus ! Canada is way too strict. They even offered more beer outside. They had plenty of free snacks too so I took one of everything for the bus ride. I did end up tipping the driver and some other person who I thought was the original guy who brought out my bags but he informed me it wasn’t him so I still felt bad about the initial mix up. The bus ride was nice loved the music. Good driving. Made stops to eat drink and use the bathroom. So far so good ! By the way I didn’t bother bringing a car seat , the seats are tight anyway for space don’t see how one would even fit. The laws are much looser there it’s just whatever you’re comfortable with. My son was loving being on my lap and looking at the view freely. Now to the arrival. Was warmly greeted and helped to my room - which happened to be at the extreme end of the entire resort. I wasn’t too happy about having to climb up 2 sets of stairs to reach my room knowing I would be doing this multiple times a day with a baby and a stroller. That proved to be a major pain in the butt most days but I was lucky enough to have spontaneous help here and there. Sometimes I resented the walk to the other end but by the end I loved the placement because it was close to stew fish and kids camp anyway. The resort is not very big but it’s just perfect. If it was any bigger it would be more of a hassle in my opinion. My son would sometimes want to climb the stairs and it’s generally safe for a toddler as long as you keep an eye out however on the balcony of the room I could never leave him freely to explore without me there watching closely because there are gaps at the bottom he could potentially slide through. But for the most part the room is pretty baby friendly he never hurt himself once walking around and I had the wooden room don’t know how else to describe it. The room was nice. It was just what we needed. The double beds were nice I would use one bed to put stuff on and the other to sleep (they put a bed rail on one end to prevent the baby from falling since it’s not against the wall) which was super comforting and helpful. Everything was clean. The bathtub was pretty big. I loved the room personally and didn’t have a mosquito problem either like many people have been echoing- never had to get it sprayed once. I understand that the rooms have the ability to adjoin through a connecting door and although it was closed I could hear literally everything the people next door were saying (thank god they would sleep early) because if they were up all night it would definitely affect me. I found generally everything is audible even people outside and that’s because the bathroom window has open shutters and it’s only a screen. But luckily my floor would be dead quiet at night and my son sleeps early so again I’m glad I chose a family resort for this reason. (No disruptive partying or loud music from rooms just families on schedules for the most part). Cleaning service was always good (they spray the room when they’re done cleaning so it literally even smells fresh). Just some days were above and beyond than others. For example some days there was a towel animal others it was just regular. I told a lady once I would leave something for her at the end and she informed me it’s a new cleaning lady everyday. Tipping is not required but if you feel generous keep in mind to leave something small everyday for the different people if you wish. The do not disturb sign works wonders because I wasn’t aware they come to your door and knock first but sometimes let themselves in to give you like a newspaper at a certain time toward night time which threw me off so I started using the sign more when I knew we needed privacy for breast feeding or napping. The fridge and amenities are stocked daily. If you have food in the room you’re done with you can just leave it outside and when they get a chance they will remove it. The channel that’s already on the tv when you turn it on is nice. I didn’t know there is a bar card so go ahead and ask about it because no one will tell you. They can stock your room with champagne and wine courtesy of the resort but you must ask. I have no real complaints about room or room service. They always help when you call the front desk. Some of the cleaning ladies are really sweet friendly cool and nice. Also I never had an issue with my key card. The view was nice too. Only thing that was odd for me was that I was generally really cold so I never needed the AC but all my clothes would seem almost moist because of this. I was told it’s because of the room location. Also laundry services are advertised but the price isn’t so just know it’s $70!! The beach was wonderful. Absolutely no complaints. Except the people selling bracelets can get kind of annoying although the ones advertising boat services don’t directly approach you as much just walk by shouting. Not gonna lie I felt pressured to buy something at least once lol. The beach chairs were for the most part plentiful and all working condition. I had special help on one day from a kind man who’s name I forgot to have a roof over the beds for my son and I. The cabanas seemed nice but a tad pricey for me. Service on the beach would be nice though so you don’t have to keep getting up to go get a drink especially with a toddler but I mean the bar is literally near by. Only problem I found was my stroller not working in the sand. That got very frustrating too. I would recommend a heavy duty safari type one that withstands any climate as I had more of a light weight buggy one. Other than that it was still a good easy choice. But dragging it through the sand had me aggravated although most times nice people would offer to help. I loved the water. It’s quite shallow but great ?? I wasn’t going to go too deep anyway. Very clean. I literally don’t remember any litter. Many lifeguards around. I did not try any of the water sports however I took a glass bottom boat to ricks cafe for $250 USD from one of those people advertising on the beach. Sometimes the chairs would be over crowded but I was cool with it because I had a beach mat anyways. The beach size was just enough and the sunsets were beautiful. The beach was definitely a highlight. The swimming pools are amazing too ! One is smaller than the other but never over crowded. They are extremely clean and love the multiple free beds floating around. Someone was always working hard to clean the pool while everyone was using it which was nice. The swim up bar was cool although sometimes I found it empty when I wanted service with no one there to acknowledge me. The lazy river was cool but maybe needs more of a current to push you forward as I found myself trying to put in the work and the kids water park was nice too just wasn’t my 1.5 year olds preference as the buckets spilling were too powerful for him. Love that they have set kids drinks at the bar. But one thing the swimming pool beds are almost always taken unfortunately except the bigger pool by the mill has a little section with mostly empty chairs. Either that or at the smaller pool you can go high up for more empty beds but I couldn’t really bring my stroller and stuff up there. The restaurants and the food was the personal highlight of my trip. When I first saw the bbq park I was absolutely thrilled !!!!! That’s my kind of joint. That’s when I knew this place was gonna be wicked. Everything I tried from there was amazing and best believe I tried the whole menu. Service varied. Sometimes really good others would forget stuff. The Mexican one next door was delicious too (the enchiladas are to die for). I didn’t like certain things on the menu (like the pulled pork quesadillas, chilled cucumber soup, fish sandwich was ok) but most stuff was good and the nacho bar was cool. Special shout out to Annique for always taking care of my baby and I every time ! Such a sweet heart and paid extra attention to us making us feel special and catered to. Some other servers were good too I just forgot names but she was above and beyond. She also helped us at Stew fish which we went to multiple times for breakfast but never for dinner which I regret. The French toast sticks were my absolute fav!! Loved this place and my son liked the oatmeal and fresh fruits. One night we ordered to go from the kids menu and they even helped bringing it to my room which they didn’t have to. I appreciated that and the food was delicious also. Now onto the mill. I ate here many times and loved various items this place was kind of my go to. Very diverse and rich in selection. Great service too for the most part and was even offered bug spray ! I found to get a lot of bites here. But breakfast was always good - the omelette station was good and so was the man making them very friendly and nice. Loved the fruit selection. Just everything about the food and this resort was top notch to me. I tried the Venetian one night but I did not enjoy the calamari or lasagna. I also found the bocconcini with tomatoes to have too little cheese. But my son liked his little pizza roll. I wish I had time to try more items but my son wasn’t behaving so we had to go. It really is a fancy fine dining spot so make sure you dress up a lot. Good service though. We also missed the Japanese restaurant unfortunately. I would definitely come back just for the food to be honest. And yo-yos was really good too. Oh and how could I forget the pizza station ! This place was awesome. My favourite was the pineapple and ham pizza. I found the jerk chicken one to be too spicy and I wasn’t really feeling the 4 cheese one. Takes a while to get the food though understandably. Ok service there too. I would say overall the service at each restaurant was generally good. Some people stood out more than others and really did go out of their way but everyone does their job at the end of the day. And again I cannot remember some names unfortunately. The cafe de Paris was amazing too - I LOVED the coffee and the crepes but I wasn’t too big on the coffees with liquor in them just the original blue mountain from the side that you get yourself. I ended up buying pictures from the photo shop because how could I resist. Keno was a really good photographer and super nice as well. Another lady working there was awesome too but I forget her name. I found it extremely pricy but bought them anyway. I was happy with them all. Again with the pressure to buy from vendors outside the photo shop and other places at the resort made me uncomfortable at times because I wanna support but don’t want to get their hopes up so sometimes I feel I couldn’t even really look at what they’re selling. Some people had a super easy going approach and it made me want to give them my money. But the ones that point you out and go on and on are the ones where I feel put on the spot. After a while you just don’t want to make eye contact to be honest and feel bad for even walking by. The gift shop had some really nice things. I bought many things from in there. The reception is helpful. I also tried out the massage. I LOVED my lavender full body massage by Natasha she really worked hard on me and I was thrilled with the experience. I also purchased a foot massage. The ladies there were super nice and friendly. I even had a broken nail they gave me glue to fix. Randeno was very informative at the booth where you get the Jamaica pamphlet for all activities and he was very friendly as well. One thing I can say I was not fully happy about was the music. Some days I heard nice songs especially when there was a live DJ and other days I heard a repetition which always included shaggy and then a bunch of songs that are not reggae and dancehall. As a hard core reggae listener I was kind of taken aback when I heard back street boys but I get it that Jamaicans are diverse and listen to music from all walks of life - plus this is a family resort so maybe dancehall doesn’t cut it but I would just prefer to hear only reggae to be honest. I did hear soca which I liked and some days weren’t bad it was getting better toward the end of my vacation but other types of music and songs made me wanna wear ear plugs lol. Especially at some of the restaurants. I would just rather not hear rock or pop or top 40 or country or literally anything that isn’t reggae but that’s just me. And not just shaggy either. But some times I would hear buju and sanchez which put a smile on my face by the pool - plus they had a dancehall/reggae history lesson one day which I really liked also. So it wasn’t a huge deal and not like I didn’t like the music the entire time just sometimes it was annoying that’s all. I could barley make it for the night shows but when I did see it one night I enjoyed the steel pan band. Also the steel pan players on the beach were cool too. Another problem I had was that I arrived on Thursday and no one told me there is a Sesame Street March at 5:30 and it only happens on Thursday’s meaning if I miss it I won’t see it again. So of course I missed it even though I was in my room doing nothing and I just wish someone had just given me a heads up. Matter of fact I didn’t get a tour or anything or welcome of some sort with a description of the activities to do and what not maybe it was on that newspaper but I just arrived so I didn’t know any better or what to look out for. I was really disappointed to miss the march but at least I saw the characters walking around on other days and they interacted with my son which he LOVED. he wasn’t able to pay attention to the night shows at 6 where they perform again so we never got to experience those but I can see how a toddler would love it. The day care was awesome. Left my son 3 times and felt totally comfortable. They never had to call me and were always reassuring when I would call. Very safe and legit. Would highly recommend. He loved playing with all the toys and most kids seemed really happy. That was another highlight for me the fact I could leave him if I chose to. Overall this resort is worth every cent. The food is great. The service is great. And the experience is awesome. Just wear a lot of bug repellent and you’re good. Also do research on the way it’s set up and if you have a baby try to get a ground level room if possible. It’s perfect for families. I had an amazing time.

Alright. I will try to be as concise as possible. Please note that I have been to 4 other Sandals properties both large and small so this will be a healthy comparison. Here are the pros - Staff are very friendly here. More so then most - food is excellent. Mexican, bbq, pizza Dino’s, Italian, soy, kimonos, beach place called stewfish. And the Buffett. Stellar food. Ice cream station for the kids is great too. - bars are well staffed and they are always dancing and making drinks to the music - kids pools and waterpark is great fun - Beach is groomed every morning and it’s 7 miles of white sand with calm warm waters. Vendors are not pushy here either. - Sesame street characters are great and show up for the kids around the resort. - gym is very large and grounds are well kept. - check in and out are quick and rooms are ready go. I actually would have given this place 5 stars if it were not for the following Negatives - Rooms are dated and full of bugs. My wife and baby would wake up every morning with multiple bite marks on their faces. And between my wife and I we must have killed 50 mosquitoes inside the room. We told the staff and nobody did anything or approached us with something that would help, like a room change perhaps lol.. maybe it was just that room? Maybe they like to leave the door open when they change out the linens... who knows... just get ready bring OFF with max deet, a swater, and afterbite. A much smaller negative is really just the fact that the airport transfer is 1 hour and 30 min. Kinda crappy but I get it...not much you can do about that. The last time we faced that kind of airport transfer was in St Lucia to get to the grand. We solved that one by taking the helicopter back. No option here but it is what it is. As I said - the resort is beautiful with amazing food and really nice staff. Just got a terrible room situation that never was solved for us and we approached 2 separate people about the issue. Management Team - we have spent over 50k vacationing with you. You guys really let us down on this one... it would be nice to know what your going to do about it. also seriously...stop using CDs for snapshots...nobody uses CDs anymore. Most computers these days don’t even have the drives...it’s all USB...I think for 5 dollars a photo..you guys can upgrade you systems to today’s standard. I spent 200 getting photos burnt onto a CD...lol now I have to figure out how the hell to read the CD and to get them off it...