Well..this only took us 5 months to write but that's what happens when you come back to the real world.

This was an amazing vacation to a beautiful country, a fanastic resort with amazing people. Our vacation started off with us being upgraded to the Walkout Riversuites and meeting our fanastic Butlers: Denato and Darion. If you've ever considered having a Butler but are nervous that it will intrude on your vacation too much - Don't be!! They are fanastic people who ensure you can have as secluded a vacation as you want or if you are the social type they will ensure you are right in the middle of everything. Denato and Darion made our vacation - they made us feel like Movie Stars. All I can say is talk about withdrawl when you get home and you can't call for another drink. :-)

Michael and Sean - our Captains of the sea showed us a great time when we chartered the Mastercraft for the evening. We Highly Recommend this for a romantic evening! Denato and Darion, our bulters ensured we were stocked with all our treats including Champagne and Chocolate Covered Strawberries! Then they left us in Michael and Seans' capable hands for the evening. It was a great time!

We loved it so much we've decide this will be the place were we will get married in 2009. We can't wait to come back and spend 2 weeks there this time!!

The Double D's ;-)

Thinking about booking or just booked this hotel? Here are some things we leaned while staying there that will help prepare you for your stay. I tried to make this as short and practical/applicable as possible.

1. Flying there
Yes, it will be a long day of travel for most, so just embrace that. Be prepared to stand in customs line at the montego bay airport for up to an hour. The airport doesn't have much A/C so be prepared to be a little hot while standing in line. Don't let this experience ruin the beginning of your trip.

2. The ride to the resort
Driving in Jamaica is crazy. The drivers speed and pass with little regard for anyone else. While on the bus just read a book or get a long nap in (1:30 bus ride approx.) and don't focus on the traffic and how your driver is doing, it will just make you nervous the entire time.

3. Arriving at the resort
Be prepared to hangout for awhile for checking in. They did greet us with a cool towel and drinks. Most of their buildings have no walls, so everything is outside and it can get a bit hot. It usually takes a day or so to adjust to the heat and being in it all the time.

4. Resort culture and staff
Everything is slower there. You're on vacation so relax. Staff will take awhile to get things done or cook your food. Don't stress, just go with the flow. Take a break from the fast-pace life and embrace the slow Jamaican way. The staff are very friendly there and some take time to get to know you. The things they talk about and how they approach you are different from the states. Also, some staff did offer to sell you drugs, I was a little surprised by that.

5. The resort beach
The website photos are a little misleading. They were staged and doctored. The beach isn't that big, it's full of chairs and only one little hammock crammed in between everything. But, the water is beautiful and there are plenty of chairs for everyone. If you want to get the most amount of sunshine and relaxation go to the beach early (8am-9am). If you go early you will be sure to snatch a couple of rafts, which are limited and chair under their limited trees. Also be prepared for an hour of rain everyday sometime between 12-3pm. Pack some cards in your beach bag and go into a lobby and play while it rains.

Also be prepared to see locals come by at least three times an hour trying to sell you stuff on the beach (closely follow by a body guard). Note that the guy selling big seashells are full of different drugs. You will also get bugged by jet ski's and fishing boats coming up to the swimming area. Just ignore them or shake your head no and they will move on. I personally thought their prices were a rip off.

6. The rooms
Some rooms are better than others. We stayed in some older ones and we enjoyed it. Other rooms are brand new with their own pools so check with the hotel to find out exactly where yours is at. The stocked min-bar was great and our room also had great air conditioning. The bathroom was all tiled and felt clean.

7. The pools
Some rooms had their own pool, or a swim up pool and 3 small public pools. We found the one next to the lobby the one with the biggest crowd. Go there if you like to party. Other than that, find a nice quiet spot on the beach.

8. Food & drinks
We ate at all the restaurants and only really like the Italian one (outside). We learned quickly that you should line up 20 minutes before that one opens. The Italian food was delicious and so was the atmosphere. There is another outside restaurant right on the beach and one inside a building right next to it. The portions were small at both of these places, but you can order as much as you like to make up for that. The Japanese place was entertaining. But don't expect amazing Japanese food in Jamaica from a Jamaican chef. The main buffet had a nice selection with decent food for breakfast and dinner. The grill that sits on the beach had decent lunch food. I had the chef make me a custom jerk chicken burger and that was great.

You could get a drink about anywhere. Some places you had to wait longer than others. We noticed that they didn't put much alcohol in them, but that just allowed us to have more tasty drinks. They also have a non-alcoholic sections, sodas and water. The only bar on the beach has a menu with all their drinks up above along the sides of the roof on the inside. That was the only place I could find a drink menu. Have fun and try them all.

Just don't go in expecting 5 star quality food, 2-3 star is more like it.

9. Excursions
The only one we went on was the snorkeling which they take you on a boat right from the resort to an okay snorkeling spot. There wasn't much to see that day, but we had a good time. You could also sail and ski right from the resort beach as well. As for other things outside the resort, you had to ride the bus again for at least an hour and that's why we didn't do those.

10. Overall
It was worth the money we personally paid. I doubt we will go back again to this specific Sandals. But we had a great experience going with our friends. We leaned to relax and let things go and really enjoy ourselves. Just don't expect everything to look like the website and take advantage of all the free food and drinks.

To any and all that may want to experience paradise and as close to heaven on earth as you can get!!! Our experience in Sandals Negril, Jamaica was absolutely the most fun we've had in our adult lives. We were surrounded by mostly young newlyweds from all around the world. We are 46 and 48 years of age, have been married over 22 years, and found ourselves feeling a rebirth of our love and commitment that was even better than that of the young lovers that surrounded us and that we once were. We've raised our children and worked very hard to get where we are. We thought we had as blessed a life as anyone could hope for but have never done anything just for us as a couple. While watching a Sandals commercial one evening we decided to check it out on the internet. It looked extreemly inviting but you know how the commercials show nothing but the best face of things. We decided to give Sandals Negril a try based on the photos. We read feedback that was posted on various sites that was predominantly very positive, with a few less favorable but that is always expected. We threw caution to the wind and went for it. The flight was, as always, not any fun. Not bad but I hate to be cooped up in a plane. We arrived in Montego Bay and were met by the Sandals staff, greeted very pleasantly and directed to a staging area to be shuttled to the resort. Once they took possession of our luggage, we never had to lift a hand to do anything but sit back and relax through the hour and a half ride to the resort. I must say that the overall living standards in Jamaica were a sobering experience and made us appreciate our standard of living. We were a bit apprehensive about how the demeanor of the locals and staff might be towards us visitors. To our amazement the Jamaican people are truely some of the most pleasant, cheerful, and accomodating people we've met. They always sing, smile and cater to your every whim. We did see a large number of the guests whom needed some remedial lessons in common courtesy and manners. They were still treated with great courtesy and treated very cordially at every instance. We heard a few malcontents that we figured would be filling out complaint cards in heaven, ( if they are lucky enough to get there). The beauty and wonderment we lived there is beyond description. We found that when you show common courtesy and take the time to let the people know that you appreciate them and their country, they not only acknowledged it but they went even further above and beyond to make us welcome, comfortable, and happy beyond our our wildest dreams. We have been touched in our hearts by the beauty and wonderment of a land and people that we now consider our second home. The Sandals resort and staff are beyond compare. Anyone who leaves there unhappy or feeling anything less than euphoric is likely an inherantly unhappy person or can't be pleased in the best of circumstances, ( which these are as good as it gets). The down side that we have had to deal with is the huge letdown of returning to reality, and the knowledge that a sizeable chunk of our coming years income is already earmarked for our return trip that we have already booked for next year. Truely phenomonal experience that we long to revisit!!! Randy and Dana Franssen- Hayden Idaho,USA

My boyfriend and I stayed at Sandals Negril for 10 nights at the end of July 2008. Overall, it was fantastic. We would rate it higher than the two other Sandals resorts we have visited in recent years – Ocho Rios and Antigua. We were upgraded to a ground level beachfront concierge room in the Paradise Block. The room was clean and meet all our needs. The bathroom was fine – not luxurious, but perfectly adequate. The air conditioning units do make an irritating buzz, but within a couple of days the noise was barely noticeable. Also, we could occasionally hear concierge trays rattling along the corridor outside – again this was not a major issue and is a tiny gripe which is more than compensated by the vast amount of positive aspects of this resort.

The real strength of the resort is the people. All of the employees go out of their way to help you and are genuinely friendly. There is always an effort to remember you or a kind greeting from everyone. The food is very good. We particularly liked ‘The Sundowner’ and the ‘4 Cs’. We found the choice available and quality throughout the restaurants were excellent. The food at ‘The Barefoot’ was really nice, but the service was notably lacking compared to the other restaurants.

We enjoyed the entertainment at the Beach Party on Mondays evenings. The steel band are fantastic – a real highlight. We also made use of the bowling equipment, shuffle board and pool tables...all good fun. The beach is narrow at the Sandals resort, and with a few showers during the trip, the sand did get shallower in places....however, it is still beautiful and about a quarter of a mile walk to the left of Sandals is the most natural beach... no hotels, just white sands, blue sea and natural vegetation.... heaven! We didn’t feel the need to go on the trips available. My boyfriend went on the deep sea fishing trip. He couldn’t praise it enough. The gardens are also impeccable.

Please do not be swayed by any negative reviews on this resort. People can always find something to complain about if they look for it. I am still revelling in and looking at the photos – it was a very special and memorable holiday.