The most impressive thing about the resorts is the quality and variety of the food – the price includes brand-named drinks, unlike a lot of other all-inclusives. The biggest surprise was the strength of the rum punch! Each resort is really different – Montego Bay has a real party atmosphere, the Royal Jamaican is more refined, and Beaches is great for families and singles. Accommodation standards are high but I would recommend clients trade up from the lowest priced rooms, the others are worth the extra. The packages aren’t cheap but clients won’t be disappointed.
I have stayed in an all-inclusive resort in the Cayman Islands so I understood the concept and was interested to see what the properties in Jamaica were like. I was aware that the food was often a buffet service which some clients don’t like. We’ve sold a growing number of these packages in the past five years and have had a lot of repeat business – especially from families who find them very cost effective. I have done a Sandals training session and knew the properties varied but it was hard to fully appreciate the differences.
Flying with Air Jamaica is a real experience – on-board aerobics, a fashion show and entertainment all the way from a typically laid-back Caribbean crew. The resorts are all completely different in character but with unbelievable choice. The kids’ clubs are open all day. The resorts are very cosmopolitan. Even if you are staying at one of the smaller resorts, you still have access to the facilities at the more expensive ones. The only negative points are that they don’t accept group bookings and everyone seems to go to bed early. By about 10pm we were the only ones left in the bar!
I have sold a lot of all-inclusive holidays before, but had never been to one. People like them because of the unlimited food and drink but I have heard mixed reports about the quality of the catering. Obviously, I thought the bigger properties would be significantly better than the lower-star ones, although I thought they would all be very Americanised. I was worried that all the beaches would be full of skinny model-type women in skimpy bikinis. I wasn’t really sure how I would fit in and didn’t want to feel out of place and uncomfortable.
The Sandals resorts are excellent. The standard of accommodation, facilities and catering are far better than I expected and the choice of food and drink is absolutely amazing. Any of my fears that the meals are basic or restrictive have been completely dispelled – I can recommend them now without hesitation. There are also masses of activities and extras included in the price and, having seen what you get for your money I think the cost is justified. Jamaica is far greener than I expected, and the sights – such as Dunns River Falls – are spectacular.
I had never been to an all-inclusive resort, or to Jamaica before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from either. Clients seemed to think of Jamaica as a typical Caribbean destination – dominated by images of palm trees and beaches. Some had a few worries about safety and thought there were areas you couldn’t go – but that didn’t really seem to put them off. I wasn’t worried about that, I felt sure that if you were careful, it would be fine. We have sold more all-inclusive holidays in recent years but clients worry that the choice of food and drink may be limited and that they are expensive.