Sandals Royal Plantation

This last minute getaway was the best decision and I can’t wait to go back! The hotel property is beautiful with breath taking views of the ocean. We were greeted by the sweetest island breeze as soon as we entered the lobby and that sweet feeling was replicated throughout our stay by the kindest most attentive staff (a sign of great leadership evident in general manager, Omar)!! Our butler, Delgardo was exceptional and went out of his way to make us feel most welcome with his friendly banter, jovial spirit and commitment to executing every detail with the utmost care (in room birthday decor, coconut drops, sour sop juice, breakfast of escovich fish and the best most romantic dinner I’ve ever had)! He thought of everything and helped me realize birthday dreams I hadn’t even thought of (smile)!! Thank you, Delgardo! The food was incredible and I was struck that every staff member seemed to know my name (probably because they were conspiring to pull off the best birthday surprises!! lol) Thanks to Brandon for teaching me how to tie die a t shirt and do all the reggae dances! I am approaching pro level thanks to him!! Thank you to the wonderful staff! Taneisha and Nick

This review is long and very detailed and written for and by first time guests at this resort. I included the things I would want to know, so please forgive all of the details. This was our first time at a Sandals resort, we had been to another all inclusive in Jamaica and had a wonderful time. We choose the Royal Plantation because it was advertised as small and very quiet. When we arrived at the airport there is a dedicated Sandals lounge area where you are welcomed, offered refreshments and you can wait while they arrange for your transportation to the resort. We had a private car, but I am not sure if that is because of the resort or because we were the only ones arriving at that time. We flew into Montego Bay and the resort was about 90 minutes away with moderate traffic. When we arrived at the resort we were greeted by the staff who sang a welcome song and took our luggage. We were offered a comfortable place to sit and refreshments. We completed check in and the manager escorted us to our room because our assigned butler was escorting guests to the neighboring resort for dinner. The room was beautiful, spacious and very very clean. There was a sunken living room area with an ocean view, a couch, small table and a bar and coffee set up. Before you go to the resort there is a questionnaire that you fill out to identify your preferences for the bar including alcohol, juices, sodas and bottled water. This is all included and the bar is restocked each day. The coffee is Blue mountain and the coffee maker is a small 2 cup pot. There is also a tea kettle and a selection of teas. Our ice bucket was filled for us and was always full. There are real cups not paper. They provide robes and slippers and the room has a fantastic air conditioner and ceiling fan with remotes. There is a French balcony, but if you do not turn off the AC when you open it the room can get condensation and the floors which are all tile can get slippery. I would suggest using the slippers or bringing your own if you prefer. The bed is very comfortable with plenty of pillows, you can choose pillow types in the questionnaire before you arrive. There is a large closet and plenty of space in the dresser and end tables. I have a cpap machine and they supplied distilled water. The bathroom is large with a double sink and a separate area for the tub and toilet. The mirrors light up and there is also a makeup mirror. There are plenty of soft towels. The products are from the spa and are good quality and are refreshed as needed. The shower had good water pressure and easy to use temperature control. The bath tub is large enough for 2 people to soak. There were enough hangers and space in the closet, there was an ironing board and iron as well. There room is cleaned each day and turned down and refreshed in the early evening. There is a television, but we did not turn it on so I am not sure about channels. There is a desk in the room as well. As we were settling in, our Butler arrived. At this resort each room has a team of butlers. Ours were Neil and Chase. We have never had butler service before and did not really know what to expect. Neil was very friendly and gave us an overview of all of the room's features. He showed us the cell phone that we would use to communicate with him and Chase. You take the phone with you where ever you go. He explained that the texting could be delayed and encouraged us to call at any time for any reason. He explained that he could help us unpack, but we declined. He also explained that he would arrange all of our dinner reservations and excursions if we wanted them. He would also arrange dinner reservations or a visit to the Ocho Rios and Dunn's river sandals resorts if we wanted to go there. Many guests took the shuttle to the other resorts, we did not because we were very happy to stay at Royal Plantation. Neil then escorted us to dinner at the Terrace restaurant. Each morning Neil or Chase would find us and check in on our plans for the day and where we planned to have dinner. They made sure that everything was perfect in our room and that we had everything we needed. At first we were a bit intimidated by having butler service, but they were both so natural and friendly without being obtrusive. Each afternoon they left snacks in our room from cheese plates, to fruit to pastries. On our first evening they had a bath drawn with flowers around the tub, and the water was still hot when we returned! On my Birthday they decorated the room and had a birthday cake waiting for us! The resort is beautiful and very quiet. There is a very small pool and two hot tubs and two separate private beaches. The pool and hot tubs are open 24 hours a day. The pool chairs filled up very quickly in the morning. The west beach is right next to the Grill beach bar and restaurant. The east beach has the water sports area and allows smoking. We had no problem finding beach chairs each day. Towels are provided at the pool area and on each beach. The resort really caters to couples so the beach chairs are set up in pairs. There are beautiful gardens throughout the resort and you can take a garden tour each morning. The beach is very clean with calm water due to a reef protecting the area. We brought water shoes but did not need them in the soft sand. There are kayaks, double kayaks, paddle boards and hobie cats available each day and they are included. Ian took a hobie cat sailing lesson from Joyvan and was very impressed by his skill and said that he was a wonderful teacher. The lesson's are included as well, you just sign up at the water sports area. There is a glass bottom boat tour and snorkeling tour each morning and your butler can sign you up, both are included. You can also request snorkeling gear and snorkel on your own as well. They also have floaties available as well. There is very little seaweed and no rocks in the water. There are beach butlers who bring you drinks throughout the day. The beach service is excellent! Each time we finished a drink a beach butler appeared. We also saw several people getting food delivered to them on the beach. There is a self serve coffee station with coffee's teas and cookies right near the lobby. there is also a soft serve ice cream machine in the Terrace near the Wobbley Peacock pub. We had breakfast each morning at the terrace restaurant. They have a nice buffet as well as a full breakfast menu. On Thursday nights the terrace has Italian night and Friday night was Jamaican night. Both of these nights were wonderful. The terrace is also where they have nightly entertainment, mostly singers. On one night they had a fire show. The entertainment was generally short, sedate and good quality, but not elaborate like we have seen on cruise ships or other resorts. If you really enjoy nightlife, I would suggest taking the shuttle to the other resorts for the evening. For lunch, each day we went to the Grill beach bar. The Terrace also serves lunch. The lunch was good, mostly sandwiches, salads, wraps and burgers. They have daily specials and the quesadilla was particularly good as was the shrimp BLT. They are very careful about allergies at every restaurant which was great! For dinner there are several choices. The Terrace for steaks and grilled options, the Grill offers seafood choices in the evening and the French restaurant offers French specialties. There is also pub fare at the Wobbley peacock. All the food was good, and for us there was enough variety. The service was fantastic in each restaurant, we had Garfield and Andre who were standouts. The general pace of this resort is slower than others with a focus on quality so expect each meal to take some time. There were never crowds and we never had to wait for a table. There are room service options 24 hours a day and room service is included. People generally wore beachwear with cover ups during the day and sundresses and shorts with Hawaiian shirts in the evening. The French restaurant was more formal, nicer dresses and slacks with short sleeve button ups. I saw a few cocktail dresses but no gowns or jackets. However, I don't think you would feel out of place if you chose to dress more formally at night. There is a spa, and the spa staff will come by once each day to ask if you would like services. They are very friendly and there is no pressure. We did not use the spa. There is a small gift shop and no vendors on the resort or beach. They will come by each day and offer popsicles made with fresh fruit. Some have alcohol, some do not. They are delicious and included. If you like to shop, I would recommend taking a shopping excursion. There is an excursion desk in the lobby. The excursions from the lobby are not included. The resort is beautiful with all ocean view rooms and has 3 floors. There are stone stairs to the beach and some to the pool. I did not see any elevators at this resort. I saw only 2 guests with wheel chairs and I would recommend asking about any mobility concerns before booking. We are both fairly active and the stairs could be a lot for us by the end of the day. There are 2 covered smoking areas and smoking is allowed on the east beach. We did not smell any pot smoke at this resort, but that could have been due to the constant light breeze. Several guests mentioned an excursion to a marijuana farm, and said they enjoyed it. The drinks are strong but we did not encounter any guests who were obviously very intoxicated. In general, the guests were middle age and older couples, with a few younger folks. In general they were quiet, interesting, friendly and polite. Most people we spoke with had been to this resort before and have loved it! Unlike other resorts we have been to, Sandals has a no tipping policy. It was explained to us that only the butlers and beach butlers are exempt from this policy and that tips are part of their compensation. The tips recommended online are $20-$50 per day for Butlers depending on what you request. We also tipped for each drink from the beach butlers. There was no tipping in restaurants or bars. Check out was easy and they arranged transportation to the airport which is included. We had a private car and got an interesting tour of the island. In our past experience we found the Montego Bay airport a bit chaotic and this time we got the Club Mobay lounge. For $35 per person it was well worth it! They had a quiet place to wait with drinks and a nice snack buffet. Overall, this was one of the best resorts we have ever visited. If you enjoy a resort that is beautiful, quiet with excellent service and an amazing beach I would go to Sandals Royal Plantation. Thanks to Omar, the manager and Neil and Chase our amazing butlers and all of the wonderful staff!!

We spent a week at Royal Plantation in April. We visited with another couple, who had been there previously. We travel at least 2-3 time a year to all-inclusive vacation destinations in the Caribbean. I can honestly say the service at Royal Plantation is top notch. It starts with the butler service (Gladstone & Sherril), to the other butlers for our friends (Adrian & Alrick). They were wonderful! Always reaching out for any reservations, needs, or any way they could make the stay more accommodating. I will thank more people individually as we go, but the biggest props go to the General Manager, Omar Robinson. Out of all the resorts we have ever attended, I have never seen an employee who knew every attendee by name. He was involved in the daily activities, and I cannot express enough how much we appreciated his attention to our daily activities. This alone made this resort rise above any previous destination, and Sandals Royal Plantation should never let him leave. The resort itself is very quiet. It has a small pool, and a hot tub/spa. The beach is small, but very beautiful. The rooms and the views are gorgeous. Spend time at the eatery down by the ocean, or at the Tipsy Peacock for cocktails. The service is unmatched. I know I will forget names, but everyone was pleasant and always trying to make your vacation the best possible. Jlee was always very attentive as a server and Garnet was a great bartender! We played golf at Upton Estate Country Club a few times. The course is beautiful, and hilly. The caddie service was a first for us, but Zandre was awesome. Piece of advice, stay in the fairway. You also have access to two resorts Ochi Beach Club, and the Great House Estate, up the hill. You have transfers every hour from Royal Plantation to each, and every ten minutes between the two provided by iHop. It makes it very easy to attend the various restaurants and pools. The transfer drivers, shout out to Omar in particular, and Winston as well, were wonderful and entertaining. Ochi closer to the beach has a smaller pool with a swim up bar. The beach by the bar is rocky, with a lot of broken sea shells. Not easy on the feet. They had a convention that week, so it was pretty tame. The swim up pool/bar at the resort up the hill has a very lively atmosphere, and we enjoyed that each day. This is your typical resort swim-up bar, where Johnoi served some great icebergs. Entertainment team and music made it a very entertaining atmosphere. The Jerk Schack is worth attending every day, which we did. We are scuba divers, and the one knock on the resort, the dive shop was not the best. We checked in, were told "all good." Then on the boat, we were told we did not check in. I spoke with the same person I checked in with, to get the sheepish look of "my fault." Before that, the same person told our friends we did not check in. The next day we booked two dives. Before we left, we checked in for two dives for the following day and were told "all good". The next day, when checking in for the second dive, we were told we had not signed up for that dive. Thankfully, there were openings. Unfortunately, this all occurred with one dive shop operative. Divers understand there will be a dive briefing, guide, and expectations. It was very relaxed, and people missed the briefing, did not have dive buddies, and who was the lead guide was a question mark on almost every dive. We are experienced divers, so we're all good, but stating, "If you don't have a dive buddy, were all family, so watch out for each other" is not a safe practice. The teppanyaki, and Soy restaurants were excellent. Shout out to Rafiki and Jeffrey at Soy. The seafood restaurant down by the water was a WOW, and the Red Snapper is a must have for seafood lovers. A neat evening spot is The Rabbit Hole. It's a speak easy at the Ochi. Very cool old school spot to enjoy some music and a cocktail. The atmosphere is worth the stop, even if you are not a big drinker. All of the bars and bartenders were very accommodating. We have used TripGuy Travel for over twenty years. For anyone looking for feedback, input, or peace of mind when booking, I would highly recommend their service. Mitch Toren has been our point of contact for years, and his staff, Laurie (and too many to name) have been wonderful. We did a private shuttle back to the airport through Reggae Tours, booked by Mitch at TripGuy. We have used this service multiple times in Jamaica, and we have never been disappointed. They are professional, courteous, and it was like a tour guide through Jamaica. The bottom line: This is a beautiful resort with some of the best service we have ever encountered. It is a quiet resort, but the access to the other two resorts give you several options during the stay.

A highly personalised stay which was exceptionally delivered under the leadership of Omar and Marvin who are actively involved in all aspects of the property and have daily check-ins. Our Butlers, Marvin and Bebeato delivered world class service. Without the exemplary service of the staff here the resort wouldn't necessarily be 5* in itself as there could be improvements to the hard product - the showers; premium wines to include a rose; food other than the French and some musical accompaniments such as a saxophonist or additional entertainment during the day. For all of this Ochi, especially hillside, provides supporr as does the piano bar for singalongs and the rabbit hole which are unique additions to make the most of your experience here and to enjoy with like-minded guests. Cymanthia and the wedding team here were very accommodating and provided additional support in changing the date to make the most of the Jamaican weather and Shanice's candlelight dinner which she prepared for us was delicious. Thank you to all of the team, a highly memorable stay which will be with us forever.

Excellent hotel, a few improvements re showers instead of baths would be good, the staff and management are excellent, service is brilliant. 6th visit for us and enjoyed every minute.