Sandals Dunns River

One of the best resorts I’ve ever stayed at! Brand new, very modern, clean, the grounds are beautiful! The beach is gorgeous! Our butlers Stanford and Kimeka were so kind and accommodating! We had the tuva sky pool room oceanfront and it was the best room! The food was amazing, especially at the Greek restaurant and Banyu- best dinner we had there! It was our one year anniversary and the photo shoot was great, and so was our candlelight dinner on the pier. This really was one of our best vacations ever thanks to the wonderful staff! I highly recommend this resort! I also recommend going on the fishing trip, the boat was so much fun! I also recommend private car service to and from the airport - made our trip even better! My husband and I will be back very soon! We already booked another Sandals vacation, we want to try another one of the newer Sandals resorts! However it will be hard to beat the quality at Dunn’s River! Thank you for everything! Read less

This was our first visit to Sandals Dunns River, although we have been to numerous Sandals resorts over the past 8 years. The drive to the resort was not too bad. We used the transport provided by Sandals and did not pay extra for "private transport". We were in a nice, comfortable van with maybe 8 other people. The roads were good, traffic not too bad, not a “treacherous ride” like we have experienced a few other times (i.e. St Lucia, South Coast). They will stop for a bathroom break, but nobody on our bus needed one, so we just kept driving. It took about 1 hr 15 minutes. We arrived at the Resort, checked in pretty quickly with Club Sandals. It was around 4 p.m. when we got there. Quick little tour around the resort - very small and pretty compact, so fairly easy to get our bearings. We ate at Galene - the little outdoor lunch place on the beach. Open until 6 p.m., had a nice selection of items. Note: the menu on the app and online is different from what they actually served at most of the restaurants, so make sure you check them out when you get there!! We had the loaded fries with jerk chicken and the poke tuna nachos. DELICIOUS! Our room was possibly the best room we’ve ever had at a Sandals resort. We were in #1420 and it was a Club level room that had an ocean view. We have never booked anything above a Club level, simply because we never like to spend extra on our room, since we really want to be out on the resort as much as possible. The balcony was very spacious and looked over the main part of the resort and out into the ocean. There is a soaking tub on the balcony, but we didn’t use it. There are curtains that can be drawn if you want privacy or you can leave them open to enjoy the view (and people watching). It’s also fun at night, because you can hear some of the live music or even watch some of the evening entertainment if you don’t want to be down there in person. The shower is huge! Two sinks and a separate toilet room. The bed, as always, is SO COMFORTABLE. We only watched TV once for the Kentucky Derby, but the TV was great. Our building housed the main lobby, which was pretty convenient. Although we were told that the resort was booked at somewhere between 91-94% capacity, it absolutely did not feel that way - it seemed very quiet and never seemed “full” or busy at all - which we really enjoyed. There are two pools which feel like they are connected by a lazy river type of area, but technically they are separated slightly. When we were there, one seemed to be more of a “quiet” side and the other seemed more like the “party” side. There was a hot tub on each side. The party pool had a swim up bar. The quiet pool had a bar that was very close, but not a swim up. There were some pool activities that were pretty popular - pool volleyball and daily exercise. It was well attended and not “goofy” - they tried to vary it with yoga one day, Zumba, aqua fit, aqua stretch, etc. Live music - they had a fair amount of live music. It was “ok” - none of the singers were that good, especially the singalong piano guy Lots of bars - there were a lot of bars in many different areas of the resort. Every bartender that we interacted with was so friendly. It also seemed like we never had to wait long for service or for the actual drinks that they were making. They also seemed to have a great selection of alcohol and weren’t out of anything that we were aware of Fitness Center - by far the best one I have experienced at Sandals. Everything is brand new, wide variety of machines, free weights, treadmills, bikes, rowing machines, ellipticals, etc. The view made it so much better, too! It is on the top (5th) floor of building #3 and looks out over the main part of the resort and out onto the ocean. There is music, a few TV’s, air conditioning, etc. Evening activities - something every night. They were “ok”, not great. But also not quite as corny and cruise ship”ish” like they used to have. Restaurants - only needed reservation for the French restaurant and the Jerk Shack in the evening Hanami - we were never sushi eaters before we tried it for the first time last year at a Sandals resort. Now we are hooked. The sushi here was fantastic. We ate dinner at Hanami twice and came here for sushi as our “appetizer” all of the other nights! The manager, Eugene, is SO WONDERFUL! He is so kind, welcoming, friendly, warm and fun to chat with. He was there almost every night and we really enjoyed talking with him and asking him a bit about his life. The chef, JW, and his sous chef, John, are also wonderful and I consider them little sushi artists! Their creations are delicious AND beautiful! They both came up with a few items for us that weren’t on the menu - we just told them what we like and they created delicious sushi rolls for us! Our favorites were the Caribbean dynamite rolls and the Spicy Shrimp Tempura premium handrolls. I also tried Nigiri rolls, sashimi and carpaccio for the first time - all were excellent! Each server that we had was just perfect, but we especially loved Sherdene. We asked for her a second night and absolutely loved her! Cascata - this is the Italian restaurant. The manager here and the desserts are second to none!! Salvatore (sp?) is the manager and he is authentic Italian!! He is absolutely adorable, so welcoming, fun to talk with and just does a great job overall. We really enjoyed talking with him when we came back to the restaurant EVERY NIGHT for dessert! I absolutely loved the Chocolate tart and my husband was obsessed with the cannoli! We didn’t try any of the other desserts because we thought these were so great. We ordered the fettuccine Alfredo - with chicken one night and with shrimp the next and also had the chicken parmesan. I thought the chicken parm was excellent and thought the fettuccini was really good. We thought the appetizers were good - baked meatballs, shrimp bruschetta, fried calamari. All of the servers here were great! L'Amande (French restaurant) - we only dined here one evening. This restaurant does require reservations. We only had the entrees here, as we ate appetizers at Hunami and dessert at Cascata! We both had the chicken cordon bleu and I thought it was amazing! My husband thought it was really good. The bread was amazing!! Again, excellent service. You do need to dress up a bit more for this restaurant - I believe the men need to wear long pants and close toed shoes Blum - this is the cutest little coffee shop! We came here every morning! Our favorites were their mochaccino drink (hot) with caramel + whipped cream and the latte with caramel and whipped cream. You MUST try the bombon. It comes in a shot glass and is condensed milk with espresso on top. It separates into 3 layers and 1) looks so cool 2) tastes delicious 3) is a conversation piece! It is given to you with a little spoon and you are supposed to gently stir it to mix it together, then they tell you to drink it like a shot. We preferred to either sip ours slowly in its entirety or sip most of it and then pour the rest in our drink. It is really sweet and so delicious!! Edessa - this is the Greek restaurant. We were going to eat there one night, mostly because we were interested in the lobster tail. When we got there we found out that lobster is a seasonal item and we just missed lobster season so it had been removed from the menu. We decided to go back to the Italian restaurant instead! Saltaire - this is where we had the breakfast buffet every morning. The food was really good and there was a wide variety. If you can’t find something that you like…..you are too picky!! We were able to sit out on the covered patio to look out at the ocean or people watch at the pool. Each morning there was live music by the pool, so we were able to enjoy that, as well! Jerk Shack - while we love eating meat, we actually didn’t even go to the Jerk Shack once this trip! It seems to be the same at every Sandals, and we always like it, but the other lunch options were just a bit more appealing to us this time. Interestingly, the Jerk Shack was also open for supper at this resort, but required reservations. We chose not to eat dinner there this trip. Pizza - the wood-oven pizzas always are delicious, but they really take a LONG TIME to receive them after you order. Because of that, we never got one this time! It was estimated to take about 45 minutes and we never planned far enough in advance to make us want to do this. Rum Club - fun atmosphere. The oxtail slider was talked about a lot, but we thought it was marginal. In our opinion, the pork belly slider was amazing! Pistachio martini was also fun, different, so good and I thought it was better than the highly acclaimed espresso martini. There is a separate room with a couple of TV’s and a pool table. There was a DJ there most evenings, starting at 10 p.m. Beach - small, but nice sand, very little seaweed and it seemed totally private - no locals or merchants on the beach, which was nice. Lots of beach chairs and more umbrellas than we usually see at the resorts. A couple of “doughnuts” for you to sit in - we just did that once. We went in late April/early May and the water was pretty nice. We never used the water sports this time, but the green flags were almost always up. Pools and chair situation - there is always the age-old problem of people reserving the prime chair locations early in the a.m. and then not using them most of the day, but it didn’t seem like a huge problem here at Dunns It seemed like you could always find a really good spot, even if it wasn’t your “ideal” spot. There were a lot of pool floats that could be used, too. There were not nearly as many butlers as we usually see, so maybe that helped us have a chance to get chairs more easily? Butlers - of all of the resorts so far, this one didn’t seem to have the most benefit. The resort is relatively small, there were lots of restaurants (and only 2 needed reservations) and tons of bars, so it didn’t seem like butlers were quite as “necessary” as they often are at the other resorts. It also seemed like the people in the Rondovals just stayed in the Rondovals - I really didn’t see much foot traffic between the rest of the resort and those. Spa - I splurged this trip and went to the Spa three times!! The first was our couples massage and it was really nice. Nothing “extra fancy”, we just did the basic Swedish massage. I went back for a 60 minute basic facial with Shyann and she did a fantastic job! I went back a 3rd time and happened to have Shyann again - this time I did a 60-minute deep tissue massage and it was amazing! I would highly recommend the spa services and Shyann, in particular. All of the staff working the spa were so sweet and helpful. We also enjoyed some time in the hot tub at the spa, but it was out-of-service for the majority of our stay, unfortunately. Same with the cold plunge pool. I used the steam sauna in the women’s locker room, too. I couldn’t stay in there very long - VERY VERY steamy!! Rain - we probably should have looked at the time of year that we were booking this trip, as we were told once we arrived that it is still in the rainy season. It rained the majority of the time that we were there, which was disappointing, but obviously nobody can control that. Make sure you bring some things that you can do if it rains. We sat on our balcony quite a bit and were able to read, listen to podcasts, people watch, nap, etc. Negatives - the building with the infinity tubs on the balcony - neat idea, but the people down below can see everything you are doing in the pool - there is a glass “wall” so it seems just a little weird. Seems like it is supposed to be romantic, but it’s not at all private. Even if you pulled the curtain, everyone can still see you in the pool. Overall, we were so pleased with our visit and loved the resort. We would highly recommend and will definitely go back again in the future! Read less

We just returned from Sandals Dunns River, and this is my objective review of the resort. We have been to a couple other Sandals resorts in the past, so there is a certain amount of expectation. This review is not to convey our Select tier level, whether or not private transfer and MoBay are necessary, only the resort itself and our experience. We were greeted at the front with staff singing to us, and cool towels. It felt very welcoming. We did have a butler, and was introduced shortly after we went inside to get checked in. With that being said, the welcoming party was overwhelming inviting. Everyone we met was friendly, and one of the first staff even remembered our name after several days there. That to me meant a lot, considering the number of couples they deal with. Our butler team, Ricardo and Dexter were absolutely second to none. We did have a butler team in the past once, but at another Sandals. There was zero comparison. These two worked as a team, and there was nothing they wouldn’t do for you, or help you with. In and of itself, there were fabulous! We read there are other butlers that are top notch, again, that was our experience. The pools were perfect temperature, and plenty of seating around the pools. The grounds were spotless. In fact, I do not believe there was a time that someone wasn’t trimming or cleaning or edging somewhere on the property. All the food we had there was excellent. I’ll leave that part general, as tastes vary amongst everyone, but I was certainly impressed. To have a fork tender flank steak sold me on one of the restaurants. There is definitely something there to eat for everyone. The Asian restaurant was grossly understaffed. We received half our dinner after an hour wait. Extras such as spa treatments and excursions were a bit pricy and come with sticker shock. We did utilize the spa, and it was fantastic, but again, pricy. We also went on an ATV excursion, and it was pricy, but that was definitely worth it. Entertainment at the resort was fabulous. This is NOT the party resort, so entertainment was more chilled out then at some Sandals resorts. That too, is personal preference. There are plenty of bars on the resort, and the bartenders are extremely knowledgeable on your drink requests. There was one thing that stands out more then any other experience on the resort. Deryk Meany, the general manager of Sandals Dunns River needs special recognition. One morning we were out in the pool. This guy, who had earlier given recognition to returning guests, walked by the pool. He stopped and addressed the ENTIRE grounds around us. He announced “Good Morning” to everyone, welcomed everyone to the resort, and continued to talk about how happy he was everyone was having a good time. He was probably out there for ten minutes or so. He was completely sincere, and making his debut really made everyone feel as if he genuinely interested in everyone’s satisfaction. This guy was Mr. Meany, the general manager. I personally did not meet him, but others did. He stuck around and chatted for as long as it took. I have read a lot about Sandals’ founder, Butch Stewart. Mr. Meany really seems as if he is extension of that enthusiasm and sincerity. Butch Stewart once said, "If you treat the guests right, they will return.” This is Mr. Meany’s demeanor. I went as far as to ask several employees about him, and they all said the same thing. He is always like that, and that is why everyone likes him. I get that. In conclusion, trip was the best Sandals trip for us. It is a hike from Sangster Airport, but well worth it. The staff is incredible and upbeat, the butlers we had were phenomenal, and the food and drinks exceeded all our expectations. The overall atmosphere of the resort is upbeat, fun, and enthusiastic. Mr. Meany really has the pulse of Sandals resorts, and it definitely reflects at Sandals Dunns River. Sandals Dunns River represents how Sandals was founded. Read less

Love the resort. Our plunge pool was nice but smaller than expected and definitely not new. Loved all restaurants except Asian. That needs some better food and service. Butler’s not as attentive as other Sandals like cute towel creatures on bed, baths ran, surprise snakes at pool etc. it is relatively new so I am sure it will improve. Definitely will go back the resort is beautiful. Read less

We went for our honeymoon and it was incredible. The whole jerk shack and Blum coffee team made our stay extra special, specifically Ava and Kevin took our pictures and were so welcoming and kind. The teams go above and beyond to make the stay special. The rooms were so incredibly clean!! Floors mopped every night and pool is cleaned nightly as well! And the beach is so well taken care of. Romaine from entertainment treated us like family. And we took an excellent beach shred workout class with Chad that was a super good workout! Can’t forget the incredible out of this world sushi. The service was so fast there and the chef greeted us. Thanks to the team!! Read less