Editor Pick
Sandal's Ocho Rios
- June 7, 2006
- Rated 2 of 5 by
inky1 from ny, New York
Sandal's Ochos Rios is a long drive from the airport in Montego Bay, luckily the bus picked is up from our first resort Sandal's Montego Bay at no extra charge. The drive is actually very nice since the roads all run along the water. The roads are a bit bumpy and after it rains there are parts of the road that are heavily flooded, so expect delays if it has just rained.
The resort is huge, divided up into two parts, the Riveria side and the Manor side, or the beach side and the pool side. You'll actually need to take a shuttle bus from one side of the resort to the other. The cost was about $200 per night (they offer steep discounts for the off-season, the price during peak season is about $500 a night). They will probably give you an automatic upgrade. We were upgraded from a lower end room to a villa with a pool that we shared with the suite next to us. Personally I don't think the upgrades are great because it will take an extra 5 minutes to get to the center part of the hotel. We stayed on the pool side of the hotel.
The beach at Ochos Rios isn't great. You'll find lots of pebbles and it's difficult to swim due to the strong current. The sand is very grainy, probably carted in from who knows where. The weather is always good in Jamaica year around, you'll get a storm here and there but it never lasts long.
What's good about the Sandal's resorts is that they offer lots of entertainment and activities. There are pool tables, games, and sometimes they'll even take you off the resort for some shopping. Ochos Rios also includes their golf course at no charge, but you'll have to bring all your own equipment or you'll need to rent everything at very expensive prices.
The food is pretty boring. I'm from NYC, so I'm used to eating pretty good, diverse food, so my opinion isn't worth that much if you really enjoy eating classic American food, such as chicken, pasta, and tacos. I didn't gain any weight on this trip which surprised me because I will typically gain a few pounds every time I travel.
There's a great racquetball/squash court that no one uses, so take advantage of it if you decide to come here. The water sports are lots of fun as well.
We got married here, and the price was included except for a handful of administration fees, hair, makeup, photos, totalling around $500. We didn't invite anyone preferring a very private ceremony. The staff messed up here and there, but overall I would recommend getting married at Sandal's, just not at Ochos Rios. I prefer Montego Bay or Royal Caribbean.
From journal Jamaica Sandal's Wedding