Sandals Royal Plantation All Inclusive - Couples Only

My husband and I had the pleasure of staying at Sandals Royal Plantation this past June in celebration of my birthday.  We spent 7 days and 6 nights at this all inclusive butler service resort.  We stayed in "the Monarch" room on the 3rd level with an ocean view (which is true for all of the rooms!). We had an absolutely marvelous time and booked our next trip ro the same resort before leaving (it is wise to do this as Sandals offers a good discount as an incentive). It is easy to change the dates of your stay so it's advantageous to commit.  The resort is clean, beautifully decorated, and restorative.  The beach sand is smooth and clean and the water is clear and vibrant in color.  There are plenty of beach chairs of various types.  Guests do head out early to claim their favorite chairs but we were able to try out all of the options during our stay without setting an alarm.  Be sure to try out the ocean hammocks and float rings. Food and beverages are available all day and into the night.  Guests can request specific foods and drinks from their butler, including food from the neighboring Sandals resorts.  There are also beach butlers available most of the day. Guests can request room service, eat on the beach or by the pool, or take a shuttle bus to dine at Sandals Ochi or Dunn's River. We only dined at SRP.  Next time we will try out some of the other restaurants at the neighboring resorts just for variety.  Fun fact: Guests of Sandals Royal Plantation are permitted to dine and spend time at any of the Sandals locations while Sandals Royal Plantation is reserved solely for its guests.  It is the most exclusive of all the Sandals resorts. We selected a number of off-site excursions during the booking process.  We enjoyed all of them, especially the river rafting trip along Dunn's River.  It is a relaxing experience.  No hiking required.  Local crafts were available for purchase at the end.  It's a good idea to bring some US dollars (1s, 5s, and 10s).  We came upon local artisans a number of times, both on site and at the other resort locations.  It is hard to say what we liked best about our experience at Sandals Royal Plantation because it was really wonderful from beginning to end.  The universal positive vibe is certainly at the top of the list.  Everyone is pleasant and helpful.  Everyone. We were impressed by the all inclusive offerings (after dinner entertainment: Nataki and Alex were awesome!), snorkeling, and so on.  The performers were all fabulous.  We could have spent our entire vacation on site at SRP and been totally satisfied.  You can sign up for excursions once you settle in.  We would recommend that (but be sure to reserve a spot on a river raft trip). Helpful tips: Sign up for Club Mobay! You will be escorted through the airport, cruise through customs, and have a comfy lounge with food and beverages to enjoy while you wait.  We were especially impressed with the "departure" lounge. We enjoyed some authentic Jamaican cuisine before boarding our plane to go home. Pack lightly (I literally wore a bathing suit, a pair of shorts and a sundress).  Laundry service is available. Keep in mind that your butlers can and will do many things for you.  They will even get food from other resorts, or arrange for specific foods to be prepared for you.  We did not ask for our clothing to be ironed upon our arrival but I am certain we could have. Be prepared to be paid attention to.  Our butlers learned about our preferences very quickly and provided us with a very personal experience. Don't wait until your last night to book your next trip.  We missed a window seat at our last sunset dinner because we were handling these arrangements.  Spend time at the Wobbly Peacock. Wander the entire resort.  We came upon an artisan one day and purchased several beautiful, hand carved bowls and statues at a very reasonable price. You can pay with USD. No need to exchange for Jamaican dollars (but be sure to check the exchange rate!) Get to know the people there.  We truly enjoyed talking with each of the managers on duty during our stay (Omar and Melvin) and had delightful conversations with guests who we saw almost daily by the pool or on the beach.   If you drink alcohol be sure to eat well and be mindful.  Sandals employees go out of their way to see that your cup is never empty for long. Eat breakfast on the terrace at least once.  It is a wonderful buffet worth waking up for. Arrange for a private candlelight dinner by the ocean at sunset. Go on the glass bottom boat tour at SRP!  No need to pay for an off-site excursion.  The glass bottom boat tour includes snorkeling and was one of the highlights of our vacation.  Fabian and Jevhoune were a riot! Go to the spa (even if only for a pedicure with Diana). You will feel really good about your investment in booking your trip.  SANDALS dedicates a significant percentage of each reservation directly in their staff's education, training, and well being. If you have any questions or concerns before your trip just call 1-800-SANDALS.  The Jamaican Sandals reps are helpful and a delight to talk to. Enjoy your trip!

What can I say …AMAZING STAFF, MANAGEMENT, FACILITIES, FOOD..and the story continues… We were supposed to be going to Abu Dhabi and so when the worst happened . Our wonderful travel agent worked her magic and pulled this resort out of her hat… Wasn’t sure what to expect but ..blimey..the whole package is magical.. no concerns or worries at all. If there had been , the team there are super quick to resolve … if you like a smaller, less busy resort- this is the one..you can do what you want to when you want to. The only 2 downsides for us which is nothing to do with the hotel at all but to be aware of… the transfer time from the airport is between 90 to 120 minutes.. long and tedious.. Also if you fly out with Virgin Atlantic- the flight times are not the best at all from London. Landing at 9pm and the transfer to hotel- you don’t get into your room much before midnight 😳 returning to Uk- you dont fly till 11pm meaning landing at 3pm the following day. The best bits are the staff, Omar as GM and his team, our butlers Adrian and Ricky- thank you and not to be forgotten- all the restaurant staff..together you all made our holiday extra special Thank you ..Mandy and Bryan