Sandals Grande Riviera Beach Resort, Ocho Rios

We JUST got back from an absolutely wonderful time at this resort and trust me, we ran in to a LOT of issues before we actually got there (airline and resort), but I would absolutely recommend this resort to ANYONE. This resort runs like a well-oiled machine. MY OBSERVATIONS: 1) Pack LIGHT. My hubby and I only took carry-ons and we STILL over-packed. a. 2 skirts, several tops and bikinis, and 1 nice dress/sandals for meals, a good pair of flip-flops and an outfit for travel is all I needed. b. For women, bikini is the perfect resort double for undergarments. Don’t be left without your swimsuit--every time we didn’t have them, we wished we were wearing them. 2) Once you get through Immigration (it wasn’t busy when we were there, so it only took about 30 minutes) Sandals has a lovely lounge, didn’t know about it until we saw it. Lounge has Red Stripe on tap (grab a cup for the road, open beverages allowed) and other soda and finger foods waiting for you, sitting areas and Plasma TVs. ***If you need the restroom, hold it until you get to this lounge. Trust me*** 3) It’s a 2 hour drive from Sangster to the resort, but even after the day of travel, that was one of my favorite parts of the trip. You got to genuinely see a beautiful country that you otherwise wouldn’t. We were supposed to stay in Montego bay, and because of this, we were so glad we didn’t. 4) The porters at the airport, and the drivers to and from the airport are not Sandals employees and make their earnings via tips. 5) When you get there, a Porter is there, waiting to hand you a damp washcloth fragranced with “Cherry Almond” I cannot tell you how perfect it is! And you can have a glass of champagne while you are checking in. 6) Stay on the Riviera (Ocean) side. Everything that you are going to want to do is over there with the exception of the fitness center and the “Main” pool. 7) If you can afford it, have an Oceanview room. The view is priceless, and sleeping w/ the balcony doors open allows you to feel the ocean breeze and sleep to the sound of the waves. 8) Because of this, we were up at 5am every morning, without an alarm (amazing, but that’s when the sun rises). Thus, we got to wander the beach all by ourselves for a couple hours before people started moving about. And even then by about 6:30, employees were out raking the beach, grooming EVERYTHING. 9) Snorkeling was amazing. There is a reef no more than 300 yards from the shore. 10) Housekeeping will clean your room between 10am and 5pm, so if you come back at 3pm and it isn’t done, don’t fret. 11) The Sandals gift shop was very reasonably priced for souvenirs and slightly expensive for amenities, Please consider, those are imported from US so those prices are reasonable in Jamaica. 12) Drink the Ginger Ale/Ginger beer here, it’s AMAZING. 13) Drinks to try: Jamaican (or Appleton) Delight, Jamaican Smile. 14) The day before you depart, an envelope will be at your door telling you when to put your bags out, and when to check out and what time (and where) your bus departs, so you don’t have to stress about that. 15) Someone complained about the check out time. Yes, it’s earlier than when your flight departs, but consider these factors: a. you aren’t the only one from the resort going to the airport. And Sandals times these things for you. b. You still need to arrive 2 hours early to the airport just as you would in US. c. You still have to check-in w/ airline and go through Immigration to depart. d. Our check-out time was 7:30, but departure from SGOR was 8:45am, so we ate a leisurely breakfast and everything first.

I loved the size of the resort. You don't feel like you are stuck on a tiny property. It really has anything you want right there. The beach is not the best but it's much better than Sandals Dunns River. The staff is so friendly. The best pool was the one behind the amphitheater. Be sure to meet the bartenders there. Andre and Kemar? They were alot of fun. Did shots every ten minutes and their toasts were great. This is not a place to party much as it seems everyone goes to bed at 10pm and the swim-up bars close at 6pm. They did have some activities going on each night though. Snorkeling was fun. They have 2 locations and one is a sunken ship. They only take you when the mood strikes them I guess because we never got to go to that location. There is a tour each day for arriving guests to get familiar with the property. I recommend a room on the Riviera side (beach side). The resort is split by a road so if you stay on the manor side you can't just walk out the door and go to the beach. We stayed in the riviera building and had an ocean view. It was awesome. Breakfast buffet at Bayside is really good. They have an omelet bar and pretty much everything else you can imagine. No matter where you go in Jamaica, pack light. All you need is shorts, swimsuits, tanktops, flip flops (also long pants for guys and high heel sandals for women for some of the restaurants.) The restaurants are not air-conditioned. Also in the airport in Montego Bay there are duty free stores so leave room in you checked luggage for some appleton rum. Don't bother to go on the shopping tour in Ocho Rios unless you are looking to purchase high-end jewelry. They do take you to a small craft market but basically everything we saw could have been purchased in the gift shop at the resort. Also, the resort allows people to bring their crafts on the property. A little stand was set up at the beach club and one day a lady had some paintings, shells, jewelry, and carved wood items for sale in our lobby. Dunn's River Falls is really beautiful. We also did the Hooves Heritage Beach Ride. I had never ridden a horse before and I absolutely loved it. The guides were great! I would reccommend this resort. This was my first trip to Jamaica but I can't imagine it being any better.

We got marrie at this resort and the whole experience was great from beginning to end. The people here treat you like gold.... waiting on you hand and foot and getting you anything you need to make your vacation the best it can be. There are plenty of places to go to eat and drink and the night life is pretty good also.On Fridays they have a beach party at night and on Mondays they have a huge party on the Manor side with TONS of food set up everywhere and entertainment.There are also a ton of excursions offered , I recommend the canopy tour! I will definitely go back, I would recommend staying on the Manor side though not the Riviera side.

We just returned from our 1st ever trip to Jamaica and we loved Sandals. Since it is considered the off season right now we got a good price on our stay. We booked with a travel agent so we got the Dunn's River Falls cataraman cruise free. The weather was beautiful and no crowds! The road from the airport was new which was a nice suprise. Our room was in the Rivera Building which is the building on the beach. We were at the beach and in the building with close access to dining so it was worth the $. I wouldn't want to stay on the other side of the street because that seems so far away from everything. They have a shuttle that goes to 3 stops and you can hop on to get to the beach if you stay across the street. My biggest complaint would be the food. I am a picky eater and it seems like they didn't have a large variety of food. They did have inroom sodas but no inroom snacks! The gift shop items are reasonably priced for souvineers but we got 2 post cards and a can of pringles and paid $7!!! Sunblock was $10!! Stock up on that stuff before you go. Other than the food and gift shop I didn't have any other complaints.

we went for our honeymoon & loved it so much we went back for our 2 yr anniversary.....just wish it wasnt 2 hrs from the airport but the bus stops 1/2 way for bathrooms/snacks/drinks....not too bad! it is a very big property so if youre looking for something smaller & more intimate, i wouls recommend dunns river...but we love ocho rios...the food is wonderful, the staff is fabulous & attentive...the drinks are perfect!! not much of a beach but we stayed at the manor pool the majority of the time, we like the manor side better than the riviera side personally :) sorry! both visits we stayed in the villas on the manor side & loved it, they have jitneys to take you places if you dont feel like walking up/down the hills...the best feature of this resort is the late night grill serving nachos & THE best jerk chicken EVER!!! but seriously, we love jamaica! we're going back next april! yippy! good luck everyone!!

We just returned from a six night stay at this resort. We stayed on the Rivera side so I will only talk about that. Our room was clean but old. What you have read about the bathrooms is true. Some of the tiles have cracked and been repaired and the caulking looks as though it was done by a child. The air conditioners are noisy window units, no centeral air. There are no outlets in the bathroom. You must dry or curl your hair at a vanity in the bedroom area where there is no light. There are plastic and metal pipes throughout this resort protruding from the ground and running along walls. The fish ponds are dirty and slimmy. To access the beach you must go up and down several steep steps. If you have any degree of difficulty walking this is not the place for you. The beach area is very small and loaded with seaweed. Night time entertainment is bland. We were in bed watching TV by 9:00 every evening. The wait staff are extremly slow. The food was not bad and although I am not a food critic I can tell you everything at this resort comes from a centeral kitchen with a different spin on it depending on what restuarant you are in. My best friend and his fiance were married during our stay. The staff did not even rake the beach they were married on and did a poor job stopping other guest from walking right through the ceremony. The pool area is right out of the fifties. Overall, if you need a sun fix this resort is ok if you can manage a great deal. If you are used to a Palace or Secrets style of resort dont even think about this place. This is an honest, open minded opinion. I will need do be impressed by someone personally that Sandals has better to offer before trying another of their resorts.

My husband and I stayed at Sandels for two weeks March 2008. We are not really people for writing reviews but we just felt we had to let everyone know staying at Sandels has been our best holiday ever.Myself personally have been touched by the Jamaicam people they are hard working but fun loving. I would like to say a big thank you to Conrad in the Market Place restaurant who looked after us whenever we would go in,but also a big thanks to all the staff it was them that made our holiday.The accomation entertainment and food was all excellent we could not have asked for more. Sharon & Billy From N.Ireland

The butler service was great. The room was relatively clean, but very old. Lots of bugs in the room. It is not worth the price. The food was bad! The excursions were overpriced. It was a hassle to board a bus to go to the beach. The resort is divided by a highway, and they won't let you walk across - you have to take the bus. The beach was small, and crowded. The beach party on Friday night was a joke. I do not recommend this place. When you leave, they take you to the airport way too early - you do not get to decide what time you leave. You sit around for hours. The airport has no A/C, and there is no where to sit.

This was our first time in Jamaica and at an all-inclusive. Overall, we had a blast! Here's the breakdown: Positives: -No tipping! No need to bring money anywhere while you're on the resort - but watch out once you leave it. Bring lots of $1 bills along. -The landscaping was beautiful. Everything was very lush and there were lots of maintenance guys around keeping the flowers blooming! -Lots to do. This is a large resort, so we didn't even have time to do everything we had wanted to do. -Staff is friendly. They may move on the slower "Jamaican time", but they are very nice and most seem to enjoy their jobs. Negatives: -As another person stated, the resort is a little older. It showed it's age most in our room, which was one of the villas. -They could have done a better job keeping the room clean. I don't think they vacuumed the rug next to the bed even once during the week. -As I've already stated, service is slow. I attribute this partly to the Jamaican culture and partly to the fact that the waitstaff isn't getting tipped. -Dinner was lukewarm at times instead of being hot. The San Genarro was a lot better at serving hot food than the Arizona. ps- The road from the airport to the resort is now completely paved and four lanes in some spots. Make sure you stop by the pond with the friendly fish and pet his head. We named him "Blinky"!

Likes: repeat guests often receive room upgrades at no charge, friendly staff, good resort golf course, ability to spend day at Sandals Dunns River (better choice) Dislikes: almost all you heard during the stay is complaints from fellow guests, they make you check out of your room more than 10 hours before your flight, rooms don't get cleaned as well as in the past (this was our third stay since 2001), beds are too high and expect bruising getting out of bed if you are under 5'4'', individual villa pools are in poor shape and in need of thorough cleaning, 3 hour waits for pool towels multiple times during the week, rather than bleach mould in bathrooms they recaulk over it, food isn't as good as in prior years and much less variety than in the past (no bananas, no lychee fruit, no blue mountain coffee), poor service in buffet area (finished buffet meal before water or coffee brought to table that was ordered upon being seated, and it wasn't overly busy), two buffet breakfasts they were out of scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes at 9:00 a.m., we golfed and had to miss breakfast the other days.