Sandals Grande Riviera Beach Resort, Ocho Rios

My husband and I decided to splurge and spend a little more on a Sandals Resort. While we had a good time, we were often disappointed. First of all, there was a major photo shoot going on, so a major part of the resort was closed every day. In the week that we were there, the beach was closed for two 24 hour periods (who goes to the Caribbean and expects the beach to be closed??), the pools were closed for entire days, water sports shut down, restaurants closed, etc. As an example of the lack of customer service, my husband and I went to relax on the beach after a day of river tubing (it was around 3 or 4pm). Not many people were on the beach, and we were just relaxing in our chairs. We noticed beach staff taking away the beach chairs, while the resort manager looked on (watch out for Claud- he has no use for customers). We stayed put and watched as they literally removed every single beach chair there (at least 75-100), except the ones we were in. Next, they came and raked the whole beach around us, literally up to our chairs. Finally, we were so uncomfortable, that we got up and left (leaving footprints in their perfectly raked beach). Come to find out, they were preparing for the NEXT day, when they had a photo shoot. So when they closed a section, it was for at least 24 hours! When we (and many others complained, we were told it was needed for advertising- would have made more sense to take care of the customers they had there! They ended up sending us 3 free nights to be used in the next 12 months, but that does not make up for 7 interrupted days. Our room was nice, service was almost adequate, but not great and certainly not what we were paying for. It took us a couple of days to figure out where to go to get info, nothing was volunteered. If you are looking for a beach vacation- this Sandals is NOT your one! The beach is very small and closed off by a pier. You can only go out waist high. It was often hard to find a chair by the beach and it was consistently impossible to find a towel. If you could find someone to ask, they would bring 1 (one!). The pools are nice, but very crowded (and therefor a bit rowdy), and again, no chairs or towels. The pool at the Great House is great, as is the swim up bar there! The food was fine, not outstanding, but ok. I would highly recommend the Japanese restaurant (for both food and the experience) and Valentino's. Also, the pizza stands were very good and came in handy many afternoons. Kelly's Dockside is not worth the walk out. We love to snorkel and that was a huge disappointment. You have to make reservations and if you don't do it first thing in the morning, you are out of luck! You go in a boat, out just a little bit and there is nothing to see. There are really no water sports that you can do on your own schedule- everything requires a reservation and a plan- not the way we like to vacation. We did 2 excursions- river tubing and Dunn's River Falls by catamaran. Both were great- make sure to experience the Falls by catamaran, that's half the fun!! Because of the photo shoot, they canceled our Falls trip, luckily we were able to squeeze it into our last day (they did not care at all) We made the most of our vacation, but we were very disappointed, as we expected more from a Sandals. We would not go to a Sandals again. You can stay at nice all-inclusives for less money and get better service and much prettier beaches. We were happy to get away, but would recommend doing your research. The name "Sandals" does not mean service, as we had expected.

I cannot understand how people can go somewhere with 11 restaurants, a full bar in their room, beautiful pools and unlimited activities all in a tropical paradise and complain about superficial inconsistencies. First of all, everyone knows Jamaica is a poor country before you even arrive. I do not think Sandals can control the lizards, bugs and other critters that live in the jungle. There is a hour and a half bus ride from the airport, but they tell you that before you book your vacation. The bus ride is tough after a long day at airports, but you get to see the culture and how people live. Isn't that why you go to another country? It's an eye opener, but the resort is very safe and noone can enter the beach or resort without a resort I.D. Almost every evening there was some type of entertainment (beach party, band, etc.) with a full spread of food and unlimited drinks. I find it hard to believe someone can be disappointed with the food when you have a choice of 11 restaurants and can't find anything you like. This resort has an all night place where you can get homemade pizza, calzones, burgers and fries, chicken, nachos and hot dogs. What can be better than that after taking advantage of free drinks all evening? I will admit the resort is very large, but you have a choice of staying near the ocean or in a secluded villa in the mountains. We stayed in a villa which was private with a small pool, a kitchen and living area. The villa was very open an had a nice balcony overlooking the gardens and mountains. There are two sides to the resort and the resort shuttles are for your safety because you have to cross a main street off of the resort. The buses come every 15 minutes and only take a minute to go from one side to the next. I read complaints about paying for a butler. Who feel the need to book a butler anyway? All they do is reserve pools chairs, bring you food to the room and deliver drinks. If someone can't pick their own chair, eat out, or order a free drink by themselves, than no vacation will make them happy! In summary, the service, food, drinks, pools, location and atmosphere was incredible. I have been to two other Sandals Resortsincluding more expensive ones and this one is my favorite so far. There are so many choices here so just make sure you do some research on room locations and layouts so they meet your preferences.

This place must have totally changed since all the negative reviews. Service and food were terrific. Never had to wait to eat at any of the resturaunts while we were there. us to the beach came every ten minutes or so, not a long wait at all. Rooms were a little old, but the design and furniture made it feel like you were staying in a plantation house. Staff of all departments were great! My wife and I will definitely go back. You must meet the bartender "Bishop" while you are there, he was a riot!!

We went to Sandals Ocho Rios on the Riviera side for our honeymoon April 11-17, 2011, and it was a horrible trip from start to finish. We would NOT recommend Sandals to anyone. When we arrived in our room on the Riviera Side, the room was very hot and humid, so we turned on the air conditioner. We attended the Sunday night buffet dinner on the Manor side lawn. When we returned to our room after dinner, we found that the air conditioner had leaked gallons of water into our room. Our curtains were soaked, and the floor had standing water from the patio door all the way back to the bed. Thank goodness we had put our luggage on top of the bed! I called the concierge number and told them our room was soaked with water, and they sent a maintenance man in 45 minutes. The maintenance man did not bring any towels with him, and he asked me to call housekeeping. I pressed the housekeeping button on the telephone, and the man who answered said he was not housekeeping. He said I needed to dial “0” and ask for housekeeping. I finally reached housekeeping told them what had happened in our room and water was all over the floor, and a man delivered 3 towels to our room. When he arrived with the towels, he talked to the maintenance man in a language I did not understand, laughed, set the towels down on the bed, and then left the room. So, I began drying the floor with the towels myself. The maintenance man helped me move the chair and other furniture to finish drying the floor, and then he left. The next morning, I took a shower and attempted to blow dry my hair. The blow dryer did not work, so I called the concierge number again and told them it didn’t work. I never saw a maintenance man or a call asking me if it had been fixed. This occurred for 3 mornings in a row. The blow dryer did not work for the entire trip, and it was never fixed. Throughout the week, we were repeatedly disturbed and annoyed with the photographers throughout the resort. They interrupted us while we were walking along the beach, laying out in the sun, eating dinner, walking around the resort, literally everywhere!! They would take pictures of us and then start talking to us for 15-30 minutes trying to book a photo session with us. The food throughout the trip was horrible. One of the reasons my husband and I chose the Ocho Rios resort was because he is an avid golfer and golf was “complimentary” at the resort. After spending $137 for 1 round of golf for him, he quickly found out that golf was in no way “complimentary.” He was required to have a $17 caddy and tip him $20-30, then he was charged $60 for a golf cart and $40 to rent clubs. When we arrived at the golf course, there was also a sign by the cash register in the clubhouse that said “Although this is a Sandals resort facility, food and beverages are an additional charge.” So we did not eat or drink anything on the course because it was an additional charge! When we finally arrived at the airport, the driver asked everyone for a tip as they got off the bus. We were confused, because the concierge said we didn’t need a tip for anyone else. The man in front of us getting off the bus did not have a tip for the bus driver. He said “My money is in my bag.” So, the bus driver said, “Well, you can help me unload all the bags from the bus then.” So the bus driver walked onto the bus and went over to a window, opened the window and began handing all the luggage to the Sandals guest who didn’t have a tip for him. Sadly, it was the worst trip we have ever taken and we feel that in no way was it worth nearly $4,000 for the resort and flight costs. We sent all of our concerns to Sandal's and they offered us 2 nights stay at any resort in the next 12 months and said they were "committed to ensuring total customer satisfaction." After everything that happened, only offering 2 night's stay was insulting. It shows us what type of company Sandal's really is....disappointing.

I had read the bad reviews for Sandals Grande Riviera and was very apprehensive as the trip approached. It was too late to book anyplace else. My husband assured me that Sandals has a good reputation with high standards but I am very particular about hotels and was still not convinced even as our Sandals transportation from the airport approached the entrance. It was a very hot day and as we stepped off the bus, we were greeted by staff with rolled, cool, wet washcloths followed by a champaigne reception in the very well appointed, tasteful lobby. After reciving our room keys, we walked to our building and on to our room. As the door was opened and I walked in, my first two words were Wow! Paradise! The view was incredible. The room was so nice. Very clean and so upbeat even though older. The furniture was nice and more like a plantation than a hotel room. The bathroom was older but still very nice and very modern and super-clean. I personally loved the balcony looking over the beach with the constant, soothing sounds of the waves. The staff couldn't have been more efficient and friendlier. The go out of their way to accomodate. We ate at all of the restaurants. The food was not only delicious but healthy. I was so impressed by the nutritional menus instead of the usual hotel junk food. Lots of fish, chicken, vegetables and fruits. The desserts were unbelievably good. The pool swim up bar had the best brands of liquor and plenty of variety with a featured, special drink for each day. They are not stingy by any means with liquor or food. The evening entertainment consisted of variety and talent. One singer was so good that he had people of all ages up and dancing. We met both the night manager and the general manager. Both very accessible. We were wandering around the garden the first day and the GM came up and introduced himself. We saw him all over the place the entire week we were there. Very hands on. We had a slight problem with our TV the first night as it wasn't plugged in and called the desk. The night manager was right on it. So personable. All in all, it was a wonderful trip and I know we will return to Jamaica and again stay at Sandals Grande Riviera.

This was our second time to this resort and our 6th to A Sandals resort. We returned partly because it is a good value and close to many activities in Jamaica. I have to say even though the resort hadnt changed much since 2008 the staff had. The entertainment staff we AMAZING . We were plesantly suprised by the level of involvment end entertainment they now provide. Deffinately find out where the playmakers are gonna be at night and it will be the happening place. Yes the resort is large and I will agree that parts of it could be difficult for some people but there are ways around them. The Riviera side could use some updating and infact they are working on parts of it. I have heard that the same is true of the cottages . Some are remodeled and some are slated to be redone. The beach is not the Negril seven mile but it will do for short walk and swims. The pool on the manor side is quite nice but we like the beach pool better as it had a volleyball net that we and others used often. The food was regular breakfast buffet stuff but we didnt eat at the ala cart. Lunches were better at the buffet then the grills but the grills are still pretty decent after a day of fun , sun, and drink. Dinners were quite good everywhere and since we were the for 10 nights we tried them all. The oriental was our least fav but others we talked to felt differently. We loved the Reef Terrace and the more casual Italin the most. We only had to wait once in ten nights and that was for the fancier Italian. That is because it is a small restaraunt and doesnt hold alot at one time. So we waited in the bar and listened to the waves ( such a hardship). The bartenders were all pretty amazing , entertaining, helpful, and so on. Wonderful drinks and most would remember what we were drinking when we returned. We spluged and got an oceanveiw room and it was quite nice. but we had previously had the cheapest Riviera room and it was fine too. Mostly we have found you spend so little time in your room that the cheaper the more we can spend on other things. We did the spa and it was not as good as our previous stay but that may be because we tried a different type of massage and it wasnt our cup of tea.Use the steam rooms they are free. I would say they have not maintained the tranquility room very well . There were bugs and the waterfall wasnt working which probably explains the bugs. We enjoyed ourselves and would recomend this as a value vacation in the Sandals chain.

My wife and I just returned from our Honeymoon here. We stayed on the ocean side and did visit the Manor house as well. The Manor house has a newer feel, but you don't see much of the Ocean from there. We enjoyed the restaurants and the Ocean side more including the Arizona sitting out on the dock. When you get there make sure to check the entertainment area for the weeks activities, we missed out on Casino night because we didn't know. If you decide to do Dunn's river have the resort get you a taxi there and climb it on your own. The group one is priced too high, and you do not need assistance to climb it. You will enjoy it more if you do it on your own and take your time. They excursion group will drag you up the falls as fast as you can walk. You don't need the special shoes, but you don't want to climb it in flip-flops either. Have tennis shoes. Also, if you do any excursions and want the videos, split the cost with someone (or better, several people) and swap emails and send copies to each other. Also, DO NOT pay full price for anything, it's all negotiable. Finally bring a lot of singles - you will be expected to tip everywhere, even if you're at an all inclusive Sandals. -The rooms have AC but the buildings do not, be prepared to be hot - Try a Jamacian Smile when you're at the bars - Try the Jamaican Jerk chicken in town (off of the resort) - Bring lots of $1's to tip - All prices are negotiable, be ready to walk away - they will take less - Split the cost of DVD's from excursions with other travelers and swap emails - Don't expect a lot of tropical fish or great snorkeling near the beach - Dolphin adveture is a lot of fun - worth the money for the expensive pkg. - Dunn's river is AMAZING - Skip the zip-line, not as great as it sounds YOU MUST VISIT the bartender "Bishop" at the Manor house and ask him "Why not?"

I honestly can't comprehend why so many people write complaints on here. I have been to to Sandal's Ocho Rios and loved it. I was at Whitehouse too and would recommend that higher though. But regardless Ocho Rios is great. People who complain just seem to be looking for something to complain about. Quit being miserable and try to enjoy yourself at a great resort with great service. But no matter where you go I guess there is always that one person who complains, and is maybe looking for a free trip or something... You will not be sorry for going to this great place. It is a little drive from the airport but I enjoyed seeing the view of the villages so that didn't bother me. The only thing I can come up with is competing resorts are faking bad comments, or there are a lot of miserable people around who don't know how to have fun or relax without complaining about something. Don't let these negative reviews factor in your decision about going to a great resort. I've talked with many other guests on my couple of trips and I never heard anything but good things from all of them.

the waiter at the reef terraces restaurant no quality service,

Lizards in villa- We called several times to have the critters extracted and was blown off most times we only had one incident the was taken serioulsly after insisting action be taken. Also, several milipedes cockroaches the size of a small dog huge worms in tub and red ants in bed. Private pool is NOT private we had to share with three other couples. There was no room service as stated in website only a paid butler service could have that luxery. Only four small bottles of water were provided and when requested it was completely ignored. Concierge would repeatedly hang up the phone as if we were black balled. Several employees told us that we were NOT in the "honeymoon" plantation villa and after inquiring with the the front desk about the grade of room we were really in the management only asked that we give names of those that told us this information. I will NEVER visit another Sandals or any of its franchises again nor will I refer anyone to them as a reputeable business. Everything seemed very inaccessable, inconvenient and bothersome.