Sandals Royal Plantation Ocho Rios

Sandals - Royal Plantation (SRP) in Ocho Rios, Jamaica December 4th - December 8th, 2022 (split stay with SRC) -For reference this was our first time at SRP, 4th time to Jamaica, and our 7th Sandals trip. Arrival day. Airport experience- We live in SoIL and typically fly out of St. Louis. We arrived at the Lambert International airport at 3:40AM for our 5:10AM flight to Orlando. We flew Southwest which required us to either use a kiosk or check-in at their desk. We walked right to a kiosk where we were able to obtain our boarding passes. We do Not check bags. We have Global Entry, which comes with TSA Pre✔️ There was no line for this. We landed in Orlando about half an hour early. Take off was a few minutes late, but we arrived to MBJ on time. We did Not have Club Mobay this trip and I was significantly stressed over it, as we've always had it and it was a Sunday arrival. I attempted to book it months ago and it was already sold out. We turned the corner to see that the lines were Not bad. One agent directed us to one line where another turned all of us around. Minus that minor hiccup, the customs and immigration was quick (<10min) and I would say Club Mobay wasn't "needed". However, I will Always recommend it and will be booking it for our future trips. I'd rather have it and not need it vs need it and be stuck in the hot airport without. We were in the Sandals lounge quickly, bags tagged, and walking to our shuttle in roughly 10min. Based on prior guests' experiences we chose to take the shared transfer provided by Sandals. We were with one other couple in a smaller van. Driver was courteous, ride was 90min, A/C worked great, and we would recommend and take the shared transfer again. SRP arrival- We arrived to SRP around 2:30PM where staff came out of the woodwork for us to graciously greet our transfer. We were taken into the lobby after identifying our bags and brought yummy drinks while we waited on our butler. We booked our complimentary couple's massage as a member of the spa staff was in the lobby. Based on prior guests' recommendations I requested Gladstone and Sherril, which is who were assigned. (You may request a butler team and/or room prior to your stay via butler preferences, when making your booking, or by calling Sandals. This is Only a request, but doesn't hurt to ask.) I was surprising Cara with a room upgrade to the villa. I told our butler representative via email prior to arrival this was a surprise. It was Not relayed, but Gladstone didn't say anything and I was able to pull him to the side before going to the room. It was all good, but keep this in mind if you're pulling off a surprise. He actually said "I know you requested 314, so we'll be moving you in the morning when the guests checkout." which was perfect because we didn't completely unpack and we knew the repack in the morning. Gladstone showed us to our room. We were in the Marquis GO category, 214. (for our first night only, as I was able to snag the villa for the remainder of our stay and surprised the birthday girl!) There are only 3 GO rooms - 114, 214, and 314. These rooms are massive and in a nice location. We're happy with it, although there are minor cosmetic updates that wouldn't hurt (around the sinks especially). Gladstone then took us on a mini tour which ended at Royal for lunch. I had the coconut shrimp and Cara had the jerk chicken. Service and food were good and we were back to the room for a nap in no time. I'd say we were at lunch for an hour, maybe a bit less. We had 6:30PM reservations at The Terrace. Gorgeous outdoor setup. Nice service. I had the clam chowder, salmon with mashed potatoes, and the chocolate lava cake. Cara had the crab cake, mixed grill, and cookies and cream shortbread. All food was yummy and we were back to the room just before 7:45PM. After being up and traveling since 1AM we skipped entertainment and called it an early night. Our first full day started with breakfast at The Terrace before our complimentary couple's massage. We arrived right at opening, as we had an early spa appointment. Cara had the buffet and I ordered pancakes with hash browns. Food and service were good. We were on to the spa in no time. Kayan(sp?) and Shirley were lovely in the spa! This was the only location we've had a locker to store our items, vs changing in the room. We had robes and sandals to change into and then given champagne to toast Cara's birthday. This was the Best of the massages I've personally had at Sandals. The only thing I would mention here is it is also the only location they've used a beeping alarm to alert when the time has lapsed. We signed for the minor service charge and tipped our massage therapists before heading back to the room. When we came back to the room I called Sherril to let her know we were finished at the spa. She'd coordinated with Delgardo and set us up in the villa's cabana before the villa was ready for check-in. She had it beautifully decorated in "Happy Birthday Cara" and it was a perfect start to our beach day. We relaxed with yummy drinks from Romaine, enjoyed lobster thermidor from Sherril, and were able to get into the villa a bit early. She pulled it off by asking if we'd like to tour the villa before the next guests were checking in. Delgardo played it off and Cara was none the wiser until we went into the main bedroom and Sherril and Delgardo began singing Happy Birthday. From there Delgardo took it away and we didn't leave the villa. After a tour of the villa he sat down with us to discuss dinner prepared by Chef Martin. When staying in the villa you may visit the restaurants or have a private meal where You completely choose the menu. We had a quick dip in the pool before soaking in the hot tub. Then he brought us a poolside snack. We settled into our room, showered, and relaxed a bit before getting ready for dinner in the villa. He decorated the table beautifully. Our menu: Appetizers- Jerk chicken spring rolls and bacon wrapped scallops Entrees- Surf and turf Dessert- Birthday 🎂 and an apple pie tart Next day- We had breakfast on the patio, then lounged in the pool with drinks brought to us by Delgardo. Lunch was also on the patio, and we were back to the pool. Before dinner we sat in the loungers and watched the sky change beautiful colors. We saw a few cruise ships return to sea. Then, we were visited by the bats LoL - which is why we did not have our dinners outside. Delgardo snagged us sushi🍣 from the Ochi and we had a casual dinner inside. Next day- Began with another patio breakfast thanks to Delgardo, followed by lounging in the pool. We had several guests around🐦🦎 Brie with crackers, kiwi, and grapes for a mid morning snack. We had a variety of frozen drinks to try poolside. I had a visitor🐝 Fish and chips and loaded nachos for lunch. We headed up to the resort gift shop where we met Arnold and had a lovely chat. (I point blank asked him about the villa being torn down with the renovations and he said "I cannot guarantee the villa will be available once Dunn's River is complete." We mentioned we'd love to do another split stay in September and he was hesitant to say if we'd be safe to book and for certain be in the villa. We would absolutely rebook the villa, but with the uncertainty we'll be keeping our original SRC booking for September. It will definitely be a bummer once the villa is gone, as there's no other room option like it at Sandals. We were assured the new reno would "make it worth our while and loss" and "knock our socks off". but as a couple who enjoy our privacy, private pool, and true relaxation we will absolutely miss having the villa as an option). Found another resort kitty, Kelly. She actually followed us back to the villa and hung out on the patio. We were back to the pool until dinner. We'd discussed with Delgardo our menu and came up with: Soup, chicken alfredo with garlic bread, and tiramisu. This was made by Chef Tingle. Amazing! Our villa dinners were absolutely some of the Best we've ever had. Kelly🐈 followed us back up to the main resort. We checked out the main resort at night. Ran into Sherril to thank her again for all of her coordinating with Delgardo to pull off the villa surprise. Next day- Another patio breakfast thanks to Delgardo. We took our 👒 photo we always take on our trips. And lounged in the pool before it was time to change and get ready for our private transfer to SRC. Our car was in the villa driveway at 11AM and we were off. Private transfer was set up through Sandals, no additional fee. Miscellaneous- Weather- we were at SSC/SRC last December and it was Much hotter then. We were both warm, but not hot and sweating during this trip. Cara actually felt the villa pool was a bit chilly, as it isn't heated. I thought the ocean was a bit cooler than last year too. We didn't notice the lack of open beach/pool chairs. There was a red flag all but our last day and the water was murky so no snorkeling. There was a vendor setup on the beach, very polite and quiet. Staff were Very warm and welcoming. Resort was decorated for Christmas and was very pretty. We've saw 4 resort kitties. They'll leave you alone, but are friendly if you make first contact. They all looked Very healthy:) Food was good. I don't recall being told they were out of anything. I can easily see why it's a favorite for many. We'll be back, but we're interested to see the renovations and additions that are said to come next year/2024. Read less

With Sandals Royal Plantation, you have the best of both worlds, a lovely small resort and the ability to scuba dive at Sandals Ochi and dine/get coffee and baked goods/enjoy rum flights at Sandals Dunn's River. The rooms at Royal Plantation have been beautifully updated/redecorated. Daily afternoon tea was a highlight of our weeklong stay and we enjoyed the Italian and Jamaican theme dinners; bingo in the Wobbly Peacock; the French ambiance (and delicious dark chocolate at the end of our meal) at Le Papillon; tie-dyeing our complimentary Sandals t-shirt; playing croquet and the fitness center, which is open 24 hours. While Butler service is highlighted at Sandals Royal Plantation, it was staff members like Nataki, Doneil, Nicola, Trevaro and Wilton, who really made our stay special. Rather than having to ride a bus, the individual shuttle to and from the airport made our trip feel even more luxurious and relaxing. It will not be 35 more years before we visit a Sandals resort again! Read less

We had a great time! First, I will say if you want a quiet resort this is for you! We typically do not fall into this category (not even a little) however, we stayed in the Plantation Villa. The villa is spacious, larger pool than the resort pool, own hot tub, 3 master suites, large living area, private cabana on beach, beautiful spacious back yard. We wanted for nothing!! You do get private staff and 24 hour security. Michelle was our housekeeping and became quick family! So friendly! We had Delgardo and Keanu as our butlers. They were both great! Keanu went above and beyond for our group! He honestly made this one of the best vacations we have had! We are diamond members and have been to most of the sandals. The villa had plenty of privacy and we were able to be a little loud since it’s secluded so the quiet resort did not bother us. Everyone was in bed by maybe 10pm so we would go to ochi and visit the speak easy and bars. They have a shuttle that will take you back and forth, most nights they were great and went above and beyond to get us! The only hiccup was one night we waited over 1.5 hours at the bus stop. We called three times and they still never came. On scheduled times. The ochi front desk was rude on the phone but the hopper bus driver (bus all within ochi not the transfer bus) felt bad and ended up driving us over. (We forgot butler phone…oops) Being able to go to two resorts really lets you see how amazing the service is at the Royal Plantation, everyone was smiling and would say hi to you when they walked by. At the Ochi resort, much busier, we found the staff not very friendly or accommodating. The food at RP was also great! In the villa you can have a private chef dinner! Hands down best food ever!!! We had Javier the first night, unbelievable ceviche, sashimi and chicken! We had Christine the other night who prepared a wonderful dinner with to die for desserts. We have 99% of the time loved our butlers at the sandals resorts but Sandals needs to understand the asset they have with Keanu. It is because of his service we booked the Villa again for next July and plan on having couples come to celebrate my husbands 50th. This is the first time we have repeated one of the Sandals Resorts. It’s never easy ending a vacation but this one truly felt sad and that we were leaving our home and new family. Keanu even came on his day off to say goodbye and help us pack up. I don’t write reviews…I usually forget by the time I get home and get back to everyday life. I couldn’t wait to sing the praise of the Villa Team. And the over all friendly staff at RP. Read less

How do we begin to describe one of the Best,if not THE BEST, vacation ever ! The Sandals Royal Plantation is an older,well established getaway for adults only. We met couples who have been back six or seven times ! Everyone was so friendly and helpful above and beyond their calling. A particular mention to our butlers, Anthony and Robert, who pampered us in every way and Nareisha who tended to our room, keeping it just like the first day we arrived ! So many people, the beach butlers(Trevardo and Romaine etal…) and every server in every restaurant, Garnet in the Wobbly Peacock. Thanks to fantastic entertainment provided by Nataki and Brandon on the Terrace and in the pub and Jevhoune and Fabian on the glass-bottom boat for an interesting history of Ocho Rios ! Food was first class, lobster tail and filet mignon at Papillon, Jamaican cuisine on the Terrace and pizza delivered to us on the beach by our butlers and breakfast in our room overlooking the Ocean ! WE WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK ! Cheers Read less