Sandals Royal Plantation

Where to start. We stayed at the Royal Plantation in February 2026 and this was our first visit to a Sandals Hotel and our first visit to Jamaica. This was in our top three of holidays we have been on and probably number one. The hotel is made by its staff. It is an intimate hotel of around 74 rooms with two beaches swimming pools and 5 restaurants but you also have access to the much larger Sandals next door with its multiple restaurants and regular shuttle however, we loved RP so much we never bothered going. Every room is allocated two butlers and we had Robert and Anthony. They catered for every need and you have the option of using them as little or as much as you want. Robert and Anthony made our stay and arranged everything for us from dinner bookings to providing snacks in the afternoon left in your room. It was nice getting to know a bit about their personal lives and having booked to go back we have requested them again. The room was fantastic and the views overlooking the beach and sea were wonderful. It certainly was not a Fawlty Towers over there between the sky and the land moment [if you know you know]. The food was fantastic in all the restaurants and even with the relatively small number of restaurants we did not repeat a meal in two weeks. If you can stretch to paying extra for a Champagne and Caviar experience we would recommend this and Steve provided the perfect Valentines experience from explaining all about caviar and how to consume it to removing the cork from the champagne bottle using a cutlass. The nightly entertainment is pitched just right for us with a fantastic in house team and also local talent such as reggae singers and steel bands. A special mention goes out to the super talented Nataki Alex and Brandon [ apologies if the names are spelt wrong]. Omar is the manager and he ensures he meets every guest and has the ability to remember everyone's name along with Marvin. The staff all seem to like working here. There are two many people to name but the waiters from breakfast to the pool and beach waiters to the evening waiters were just fantastic. The special meal we had sitting by the water for my birthday was divine with a personal waiter Jevaughin Jackson making the evening perfect. We managed to do a number of trips to see the country including Bob Marley's 9 mile a dolphin swim and a trip to Fern Gully and Ocho Rios. We never had any issues finding a sunbed by the pool or beach. We also used the spa which provides a number of treatments including massages and hair treatments. The room was kept spotless by the excellent room staff who were brilliant. All of the staff seemed to have real pride in their work and work as one big team which is unusual. This is not a hotel for you if you want entertainment from dawn to dawn with nightclubs and games etc but if you want to experience a relaxing and peaceful slice of paradise with just the right amount of live entertainment and activities then we would recommend it. We loved it so much we have booked to go back via Horatio for 2027 and 2028 managing to secure a significant discount. We would like to thank each and every one of the staff for making our holiday perfect

We have just returned from our second visit to Sandals Royal Plantation and it was even better than the first time. Yes, the hotel needs a little further upgrading and perhaps a few more umbrellas on the beach, but the food and facilities were excellent. What makes it so good is the staff - superbly trained, professional and friendly with many recognizing us from our visit last year. Nothing is too much trouble. It would be impossible to name all those who stood out but to name a few: • Omar, the General Manager, who knows the name of EVERY gust • Marvin, Omar’s deputy, who has an eye for detail and is always looking at how things can improve • Lashaun on the front desk who arranged a late check out • Janet who kept our room spotless • Garnet, the barman, who makes everyone laugh • Stefinie and Ornella in the beach restaurant • Fabian, who enlivens every trip on the glass-bottomed boat • Marvin and Bebeato, our butlers, for whom nothing was too much trouble .... and all the others who give the guests a smile and wonderful service. Huge thanks to you all

My husband and I had a delightful vacation at Sandals Royal Plantation. All the rooms had a beautiful view of the ocean, were stocked with drinks, wine, soda and a daily surprise snack. Our butlers, Tamara and Carlos, went out of their way to ensure all our needs were met. They met us with smiles, answered all our questions, and provided helpful advice. The food was delicious and we looked forward to sampling a different restaurant each day. This is a quiet resort that offers relaxation and nightly entertainment. Every single staff member we met were the most friendly people we have ever encountered at any resort or vacation venue. Shout out to Simone, bartender at Royal Grill, for excellence service and cordiality. I highly recommend Royal Plantation to all! Oh, and make sure to book the romantic candlelight dinner for two.

My wife and two close friends recently stayed at the Sandals Royal Plantation resort in Ocho Rios Jamaica. The overall experience was once again fantastic driven in large part by the great people that work here. This was our 6th stay at this property in the past 10 years. This is a very special and unique Sandals property. This is a relatively small (<75 rooms), quiet, and relaxing experience. You will find that there are a very high number of returning guests which is a testament to the caliber of this experience. The facility is a historic resort built in the 1950’s and updated multiple times over the years. So the appearance of the facility is quite different from the newer Sandals resorts. But if you’re looking for a super quiet and relaxing escape, this is the place. As I mentioned earlier, the highlight of the Royal Plantation is the people. There are too many to mention in this review but our butlers, Richard and Duwainey, are truly special. Of note, all rooms at the Royal Plantation are “butler rooms” unlike most other Sandals properties. Finally, I believe that the overall manager, Omar, should also be mentioned because it’s clear that selection and training of all of the staff is exceptional. I would highly recommend the Royal Plantation resort.

To say we were blown away would be an understatement. We have been to 3 other Sandals resorts and while all excellent, cannot hold a candle to this one. From the time we stepped out of the car we felt right at home. It is difficult to call out specific staff because each and every one of them were fantastic. I have never been to a resort where the managers and staff all know your name by day 2 and the senior staff come to say goodbye when you leave. The level of personal care we felt from each and every one of the staff is hard to describe. Our butlers Johovan and Andre were fantastic taking care of all the little details of our stay including special lunches and dinner reservations. Marlyn our housekeeper was fantastic and friendly. Restaurant servers Vanya an Giovanni also super friendly any time we had them. Huge shoutout to bartender Garnett for his warmth, energy and drink suggestions in the evenings. A master of his craft. Beach is small but quite sandy and there is a chair available for every guest (and if there isn’t, just ask and they’ll bring you one). Beach bartenders and servers ensure you are never thirsty. Weather was unusually cold and windy when we were there so we didn’t get the chance to do much water sports or any boat tours but again, the staff was super friendly The resort only has a few restaurants but the menus are varied so we never felt like we lacked options. Ochi is right next door so we went there for one lunch and dinner and your butler will deliver pizza to you from there on request. Gold course is close by and in very good shape. Fairly open which is good to keep the ball in play, but listen to your caddy on approach shots because the greens are TINY. Resort is also QUIET so if you are there for either the pool scene or nightlife you’d be much better served to stay next door at Ochi. Looking forward to our stay next year to visit our new family. This resort, while quite small and not for everyone, is a crown jewel in the Sandals crown.