Description: We visited Sandals Whitehouse in March, 2010 and we thought it was the most aesthetically pleasing resort we had ever been to. The architecture was beautiful and the grounds and landscaping were immaculate and well-kept.
The European-themed resort has three main areas: the French village, the Dutch village, and the Italian village. Each has its own pool area and is sectioned off from the other villages. I think the idea is to create a sense of community within those villages. However, the problem was the villages were completely separated from the dining areas (except for the French village which was located next to the grill). The dining/entertainment areas were at the opposite end of our hotel (the French village), about a 15-minute walk. It's a very minor complaint but it got annoying when we got to the restaurant and realized we forgot our camera. It added a half hour of walking to back and get it.
The swim-up bar at the French Village pool closed at 6 (so did the grill) and so if we wanted a drink in our room or in the hot tub at night, we had to walk the 15 minutes there and the 15 minutes back. It was a bit much.
The staff were very friendly and helpful, although unlike other Sandals resorts, we didn't get to know any of them for some reason.
The food was excellent. The surf and turf at Eleanor's was unbelievable. The Asian restaurant was really great, too! I liked the idea of being able to have pizza from the Italian restaurant when I wasn't up for fine dining.
If I remember correctly, many of the restaurants require formal attire so pack dresses, ladies, and pack lots of dress shirts and dress pants for the men.
The beach and the sunset, like Negril, were to die for. You could walk for miles along the beach and get to a deserted point where you basically have the entire beach to yourself. My husband and I spent several hours there a few days. It was beautiful! We also took hundreds of sunset photos.
The night time was very disappointing at this resort. There didn't seem to be one central location bumping with enthusiasm and hype. I'm not even sure if I got to see what the playmakers looked like on this resort. The resort seemed to go to sleep around 9, a sign that the average age of the guests was about 55-60. We're in the 30 age-range and found only a handful of couples in that same age group.
Overall, we were pleased but not overwhelmed. We probably won't return but we definitely recognize the resort's assets. Thank you Sandals!
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