Jewel Dunns River Beach Resort All Inclusive, Ocho Rios

We have traveled all over the world and have found more beautiful places but we have never had a much fun. The staff was great, the food and drink were great but even better we had a blast with the other guests. Volleyball till you drop, lounging in the pool and partying until all hours. There is good food to be had at any hour. Biggest best surprise was getting jerk chicken at 2am with a fresh drink and a bag or two of fresh popped popcorn. We were told they have great pizza but we never made it there. So we are going back again in April to make sure we get some. Having sailed our own boat around the British Virgin Islands we have seen breath taking views. Jamaica has much to offer and Ocho Rios may not be Montego Bay or Nigril but it is a great time for the money. Having seen other resorts in Ocho Rios I have to say The Jewel is by far the best value and most scenic. We also came home with some great and unique souvenirs from the local craftsman as they come to the resort. The locals are also very nice and love to make sure everyone has what they need to party while in Jamaica. They are very outgoing and accommodating. Getting in and out of the country is not as bad as it may look when you arrive. Lines move fast and no need to get upset because you are in paradise and a rum drink is only minutes away. Ya mon can't wait to be jammin' again in Jamaica...Respect. BTW they say that a lot and it is what it sounds like. Treat them like a friend and you will share Respect

In a word, WOW! This place was absolutely breathtaking from the minute we walked in. We arrived around midnight. The lobby was quiet, but we were still warmly welcomed and immediately each handed a "Jewel of the Day" (cocktails, exactly what we needed). I loved this place already. THEN we found out our room got upgraded. They told us it happens all the time in the slow season (Sep-Nov). Awesome. The next day, our first order of business was to see the concierge, RICARDO, about reservations to the Jade Samurai. RICARDO was great. The reservations were a breeze, and for the rest of the week he was an amazingly friendly, helpful, familiar host. We were celebrating both my fiance's birthday and the fourth anniversary of our engagement, so one night RICARDO hand delivered a beautiful dessert plate with two heart-shaped chocolate cakes and "Happy Anniversary" written in raspberry sauce. That was a really nice surprise. The food overall was fantastic, so was the booze selection, both far better than I expected from an all-inclusive resort. The Jade Samurai was the best restaurant. It's a hibachi style atmosphere, which gave us an opportunity to meet some of the other guests. In situations like that, things can either go hilariously or go down the awkward road pretty quickly. It all depends on the chef. We got BUBBA, and I cannot stress seriously enough that if you are going to the Jewel, you MUST make reservations for the Jade Samurai through RICARDO, and you MUST request BUBBA. He's an absolute riot. Easily the greatest dinner experience available. I strongly recommend making multiple reservations to witness BUBBA in action. The service overall was also of the highest imaginable quality. Every single person that works at Jewel struck me as being incredibly happy to be there serving us. The ultimate standouts in terms of supreme awesomeness (other than RICARDO and BUBBA) were bartenders LASONYA and UTON, security guards FRANCIS and WINSTON, groundskeeper MAXWELL, guest services rep FELICIA, trainee SYGAIL, and especially the bellmen, literally every single one of them. Those guys were the best. The experience overall would have been incredible even if we hadn't left the resort, but there was one man that turned this trip from "an amazing vacation" to the "the most magically romantic and adventurous week of our lives". His name is COURTNEY "RUSTY" ROSE, a.k.a. THE MAYOR, and he's our new best friend for life. RUSTY took us off-site to see the real Jamaica. We visited local coffee and fruit plantations, including the Bob Marley Plantation & Foundation. He took us to local bars and restaurants. He introduced us to local artisans through which we were able to handle ALL of our holiday shopping. Our favorite excursion was definitely to the White River. We were taken via gondola-esque bamboo raft down this river into the Jamaican wilderness to a private swimming area. We didn't encounter a single other person the entire time. Talk about amazing. And they certainly don't call RUSTY "THE MAYOR" for no reason. Every time we drove by a bunch of people sitting on a stoop and every time another mini-bus drove by us, it was like we were riding with the pope. Every time RUSTY walked us into an establishment, we were treated like royalty. Now I can't imagine traveling anywhere without a guy like RUSTY. He really made our whole trip, and, to top it off, a few days after we got back to Boston, he called me on my cell to make sure we made it home safely. What a guy. If you're looking for an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica, stay at the Jewel Dunn's River Beach Resort & Spa. If you're adventurous enough to go off-site, book RUSTY as your guide. Mention his name to anyone that works at Jewel, and he will magically appear.

Let me start by saying I have never felt more comfortable or respected as a travler has I had did at the Jewel. The staff was great and although it is all inclusive I did tip all of the staff that did anything for me to show my appreciation, I must reccomend that even though you are on vacation that you try the tennis lesson Joseph is the instructor and I have to say he is one of the most respectul persons I have met ,he made it a point to find my and my group in the resort after our lessons and checked in daily just to say hi and if things were going good he was the most awesome. Now the gems that is what term they use for the entainers they are great kids they love their jobs and always want to get you to join in on all of the activites they have mid day maddness everyday it is the most fun. The gems that stick out the most to me are Nadesha, Antonia Kristen and Jason those kids are great. Now the food is great the rooms are always kept clean and the property is always being manicured, The only disapointment I can think of is the pitch and putt now what I thought it would be. From the time I walked in the door until I left there was never a moment I regreted. I kept my window open all night just to hear the night music as living on the east coast I do not get a chance to hear natural music during the winter. If you dont mind a day of travel and sun rum punch and warmth this is the place to be. It is small and cozy you know that when you meet other people you will see them several times during your stay, where as in the super resorts you see somebody once and if you see them again you are luck. You have got to let Vedal take you for a sail it is great. Do the falls also and do the package with the snorkeling it was a blast but you have got to like party boats on your way back from the falls the rum punch flows like a river.Ask alot of questions they do like that. And remember even though you are all inclusive tips are really appreciated and the service is great. Well worth the money and the time it took to get there, We have already spoken to management about prices for next year. The one other drawback was the 2 hour ride from the airport but once you are there it is paradise. Hope that this helps you to decide to go and if you do you have got to involve yourself with the people that I mentioned they are great

2008 This is the best holiday i have ever been on, we travelled 10 hours on a plane from the UK. Very very excited. We got married here on the 30th May 2008 - they made they day ans everything about the holiday amazing. Our guests were all upgraded to honeymoon suites and we could not have asked for me. Lovely people, lovely weather, gorgeous place to visit and plenty to do or not do if we wanted. Jill - Uk

We were originally scheduled to return to Sandals at Whitehouse in August but were rerouted to the Sandals at Dunns river due to needed structural repairs to Whitehouse . We were cautious because we truly did love our stay at Whitehouse 2 years prior. But we found that Dunns River met all of our expectations and then some. The staff was fabulous and the resort was exceptionally well maintained and the grounds keepers and staff kept it clean at all times. Food was good and the overall service by everyone was outstanding.

After arriving at the airport we found the Sandals repersentives , they checked owr luggage promtly. We enjoyed their waitting area that provied us with cold drinks and a place to sit in a nice area while waiting on the bus about 15 minutes. Then came the bad part where they put us one a bus and left us for 45 min. We were never told why or what was going on. We were aware that the bus ride would take about 2hrs. The extra 45 min. sitting on the bus without a restroom or anything to drink and no clue about when we would departing sucked. Check in was almost rude . Your given a clip board to fill out then given a enevlope with your room number and a key and sent on your way. The staff was good but not very sevirce oriented, to laid back for the money spent. Food was average and severice slow.

We have now taken our vacation for 2 yrs running to Sandals Dunns River and are planning our 3rd. This is a phenominal resort with outstanding customer service. The beach is beautiful, kept very clean, with plenty of lounge chairs for everyone. The rooms are spacious with fantastic housekeeping service. The nightly entertainment is great fun. We LOVE the playmakers at this resort. All of them are totally amazing, making you feel welcome, involved, and like a valued customer. They will bend over backwards to make sure you are enjoying your stay. I couldn't say enough good things about them. They are the main reason we will continue to return to this particular Sandals. We would highly recommend this resort to anyone who is looking for a fun yet relaxing environment free from children and the stresses of everyday life. This has truly become our home away from home!! Welcome to Paradise!!! Tim and Amy Danberry

We loved EVERYTHING about this resort....Yes the bus ride from the airport was long, but once we got to Dunn's River....pure paradise...We loved everyone there...the entertainment team was wonderful, and WE had our own bartenders that were our favorites......KRYSTON...MARIO AND KEMAR.....loved each and everyone of them and if you are reading this and ever go there....let them know that Lisa and Ward say hello.....the whole experience was wonderful... Food was always fresh, pools were always clean, everyone was really really friendly and WE can't wait to go back....Just one thing of advise...........if you are going shopping in the market/ or any tourist places, make sure you bring one's and fives' with you...we made the mistake of bringing twenty's......how can you barter if you have 20's? haha Anyways hope you enjoy as much as we did, maybe we'll see you there!!

I booked my entire trip on the Sandals website, only to get an error message saying that my flights could not be booked. Nevertheless, Sandals still charged my credit card the entire cost of the unbooked flights plus a deposit fee. The error message told me to call customer service to resolve the issue; however, after 3 calls and over an hour spent getting the run around, they told me that the only way to get the vacation I booked was to pay an extra $100. I asked to speak to a manager twice, and both times I was told that there was no manager there. While on hold, I checked the Better Business Bureau and found that Sandals has an F rating. Because of that, coupled with their terrible customer service and their misleading reservations website, I canceleld my reservation. I will never vacation with Sandals again.

We loved everything about Dunn's River Sandals. If we had any complaints it was that breakfast stopped at 11 am. If you don't like to sleep in, then you're fine. The service was friendly and quick. The beach was beautiful and there were plenty of lounge chairs and towels. The two pools were clean and both had swim up bars! We took the shuttle to the other Sandals in Ocho Rios and were so thankful we weren't staying at that one! The reviews we had read about it were correct. Always read the reviews! We loved this place and would love to come back some time. There were plenty of activities that were included. There was always a list of fun things to do. You could choose to do things or to just relax at the pool or beach. The room we paid for was supposed to view the gardens and the mountains, but when we got there we were upgraded to an ocean view! It was beautiful! We just got back last night and can't wait to tell everyone how awesome it was. We totally recommend it!