This is a guest blog post by our oldest son, Richie Greer of EFF Lifestyle. He recently stayed at the Sandals Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica for his honeymoon and provided this account.
If you are a looking for a romantic vacation for a honeymoon, anniversary, or other special event with the one you love, consider a stay at an all-inclusive Sandals resort. We recently spent an unforgettable week at the Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and had such a great time, we’ve already booked a stay at another Sandals resort next year!
What’s Included?
Sometimes you’ll book a stay at what you think is all-inclusive resort, but once you get there you find out that most of the amenities have additional costs. Not at Sandals Resorts. Everything we needed for a terrific honeymoon vacation was included! This means transportation to and from the airport, all meals, snacks, alcohol, gratuities, and entertainment. Here are just a few examples:
Food & Drinks
There was never a reason to leave this seaside retreat to satisfy our hunger for delicious cuisine as it had seven waterside restaurants to choose from (again at no extra cost, not even gratuity). Complimentary room service is also included. The best part is food available all times of the day, and you will never have to pay extra!
The resort at Ocho Rios had a beachfront pool with a bar you can swim up to and premium spirits are free. Bars open at 10 am and close at 3 am, meaning you have drinks available almost all day long while on vacation! our room even came with a fully stocked mini bar to take advantage of at our leisure!
Water Sports
There are also plenty of free activities at the resort that are included in your stay. They have a full range of complimentary non-motorized water sports such as kayak, stand up paddle board, snorkel equipment and more! Whether your idea of a day at the beach includes lounging by the sea or playing in the surf, you will not need to carry around your wallet.
Other Entertainment
If that is not enough, there was additional entertainment every day and night. In the afternoons, there were poolside games. Each night you can expect several different types of entertainment like karaoke, a piano bar, and dance parties. Our favorite was The Rabbit Hole, a speakeasy bar where you actual had to know the password to get in! Want to get a little exercise in? The resort had beach volleyball, shuffleboard, basketball, a fitness center and more. Sandals also has some of the best golf courses on the island with unlimited rounds and complimentary green fees.
The Rooms
Obviously rooms are included at the resort, but what you might not know is that there are 3 different room levels so you can choose the one that will fit your desires and budget. You decide how fancy you want this romantic vacation to be with either the club, luxury, or butler level rooms. We choose a villa with our own swimming pool that we only shared with one other room.
What Wasn’t Included?
The only thing we paid for were a few excursions around the island.
Some add ons that we considered, but didn’t choose included couples massages at the spa and a private candlelit dinner on the beach. Our days and nights were already so full with the other activities, we didn’t find it necessary to enhance our stay.
For tips on saving money on luxury travel, click here to read this article on Luxury Travel That Doesn’t Bust The Budget.
