Sandals Negril Vacations

Here is our review of Sandals Negril after our 9-night stay in an RJ room:
The resort is amazing well maintained and extremely friendly staff. We had the best butlers in DR G and Orlando and they were on top of everything we requested before we got there. They made the trip very special and covered all of our requests and changes without any issues. Thanks to the Bulter manager for helping us get these two great people and for making sure our requests were communicated to them. While we were at main pool, she stopped many times to ask how everything was going, nice personal touch. The GM Matthew even remember us from last year in Antigua, which I thought was amazing given number of guests he has meet in past year. The entertainment staff at main pool keeps the afternoons lot of fun and made sure that everyone had a chance to participate in activities.
Room-
We stayed in two RJ rooms and they were different
1. The first one was larger all around from bathroom to closet space to living area. It wasn’t as private as other but it was much quieter.
2. Second room had gazebo outside like showing in add more room to get sun outside but was smaller and near road so there was more noise especially in morning and dinner time
Dinning
Food overall was good staff very friendly. Kimonos didn’t have a great show like we are accustom too but the servers and food were good. Sundowners food was very good. Bayside dinner we had to order a second meal as they were little on smaller side. The buffet for lunch was excellent with different themes and foods each day. The pizza place was our afternoon snack each day and had the friendliest staff. Crema was very good with the cookies and brownies very tasty, one down side was they were always out of vanilla ice cream (which was very good) I got it 3 out of 9 nights.
Resort
The beach and main pools were great, better sun at pools than beach since most of beach chairs were covered, you could move them but with setup would get in way of others. The second pool always seemed empty and lots of room-it’s right next to a bar where Chris works outstanding bartender and person. The watersports team was helpful and friendly, making sure your safety was a priority. The grounds were in great shape and the workers would smile and acknowledged everyone they walked by. I had a light bulb out on patio I let Kerry know and he got with maintenance and it was fixed in 5 minutes.

UPDATE 4/19/24: After they responded to all my reviews on social media saying all the right things people want to read, they never followed up with me. When I finally followed up, they said they had approved a "refund" for the $546 I spent at their medical clinic. Another week went by with no other details, so I followed up again asking when I will received my refund. They responded that I need to sign a release of claims in order to receive the refund. So let's be clear. This is not a refund, it's a settlement. They want me to sign a document saying I won't sue them and in exchange for my promise not to sue, they will pay me a little over $500. They clearly want me to sign a release because they know they are in the wrong here and they want to shut me up. But paying me half of my medical expenses won't do it. Nice try, Sandals. And good luck, future guests.
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I shared a review on a famous travel website, titled "Decent resort but be aware of management practices", describing a tubing accident I had and how the hotel continues to refuse to reimburse me for a little over $900 (nine hundred dollars) for my medical expenses related to this accident (more than half of this amount I paid for their own doctor on their own property!!). On the other site, they respond that they take my complain seriously and are "actively reviewing" my case. Weeks have gone by and I still don't know what that "active review" means because no one has contacted me personally. I hope their response was not merely performative and I hope they are serious about taking accountability. I will update this review when I receive appropriate communication from them.

This was our 1st trip to Negril , 5th trip to Sandals , when we arrived we were moved quickly, nothing seemed friendly as per other trips . (Montego bay (2) South Coast (2) ) So we just went with the flow, as the week went on it seemed like a completely different Sandals, so I started a little digging , and bingo I may have found the problem ! I ask one of the maids extremely nice lady if Butch ever comes to Negril ? Well the answer was and I quote " honey Butch has passed on " I was shocked got the privilege of meeting Butch at Montego Bay he was awesome, we talked a few minutes several times while there. Next time to Montego Bay I passed him and he actually new my first name and ask me to try Butch's steak house , we did the food was spectacular as was the the food at all the Sandals up to that time. Well the bottom line for the trip was a waste of over $6000.00 the worst food I ever had at Sandals, I'm giving up on Sandals at this time . I've been watching other reviews and many also think the food was terrible , this is also from people we met while there. The resort is run by Butch's son and if he is worrying more about the bottom line then the people this man has a problem. Really sorry about this review but I may have had enough ! We were there this time in December of 2023.

Amazing amazing amazing amazing. The whole NEGRIL staff was superb. Especially loved ♥️ the play makers at the pool. Special people

Sandals Negril, Jamaica was the best vacation my husband and I have ever had! We felt safe and welcomed! The staff calls you by name everytime they see you, the entertainment team was AMAZING! Chevy, keno (AKA cornbread), Prince, Quan and Ms. Ashlee were such a highlight to our daily pool parties and beach events! 10 out 10 highly recommend!

This is our first Sandals experience and I don’t think I would book Sandals again. The service has been really bad (restaurant service staff not offering to refill drinks when empty, restaurant staff forgetting ordered items, and staff being unpleasant). All staff do a great job at greeting you anytime you see them but any other service provided by staff I’m pretty disappointed in. Also a disappointment is the food, it’s a huge let down. It’s not very good and the lineups for served breakfast are huge, and the buffet breakfast is just gross. The Brava restaurant and the pizza place so far have been the best for quality food.

The gym has been remodelled and has pretty nice equipment but there are no mats leaving you to stretch and do exercises on the floor, there are no resistance bands, and the water offered is warm.

The pool areas are nice but the smaller more quiet pool is almost always reserved by other guests first thing in the morning and the main pool is pretty loud during the day. The beach is nice and they offer some water activities at no additional charge, which is a nice perk.

Our room faces the road and the one window in the room we keep the blinds closed because it is on the walking path to the rest of the rooms on this row so we don’t get a lot of natural light in our room. But the bathrooms are really nice and the bed and linens are comfortable.

I do love that this place is adults only but doesn’t hit the mark when it comes to luxury.

Don't EVER go there!
this structure does not reflect at all what they describe, the rooms are outdated, dirty, they don't change the bathrobes and they don't put water in the fridge despite it being an all inclusive even after requesting it.
All the staff are rude and surly, the waiting times for drinks and food are endless, the cocktails they make are watered down and of a low standard as is the quality of the wine. The excursions that the hotel plans are very expensive, around €300 per couple for a quad or catamaran ride with 1000 people on top of each other. When we arrived late in the evening after a 15-hour journey, no one welcomed us, we had to kindly ask if we could eat something and they made us sit at the bar where the DJ was playing deafening music and brought us a sandwich. We had to drag our bags to the room and realize that it wasn't the one we had booked! Now we stayed there late at night and the next morning we had to complain, thus losing a good part of the day to get the room we deserved! To make themselves understand a tragedy they make no effort to come to you and only after raising your voice did we get the keys to the room. Low level food and always the same.
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Sandals Negril is our 3rd Sandals. They are all different with each having pros and cons. We enjoyed our 5 day stay. If your flight comes in during Montego Bay rush hour traffic, expect the trip from the airport to take 45 minutes or so longer. If you didn’t notice, the resort is long and narrow and very close to the road. Most of the road noise is blocked by big thick walls so it is not so bad. We were in room 6222, at the southern end of the resort, a newly remodeled room in an old building. There is remodeling going on in rooms nearby but they try diligently to keep the remodel noise down. . The WiFi is almost non-existent on this far end of the resort. WiFi works on the beach, less than 50m away. The remodel looks nice but it is cheap furniture . The love seat in our room’s frame was broken and if you sat in the middle, the bottom touched the ground. All of the furniture looks new but is a low quality. The ceiling fans, which you need, as the A/C works but is not adequate, both wobble and make noise and the switches have to be positioned just right.
When we arrived, the jacuzzi tub was filled with bubbles and rose pedals and a perfect temperature. I was going to add a little hot water but the hot water faucet handle came off in my hand and the drain was broken so that we could not let water out. This was fixed on day 3.
The bed unit is a very tall 4 poster unit. My five foot four inch wife had to come up with a gymnastic move to get in bed. The mattress is either cheap or old.
The maid service is great! Our butler Christopher was awesome! He taught me lessons in customer service and that is a topic I deal with every day at work. The restaurants were all good. Kimonos, Sundowners, Brava were our top 3. The buffet food at Bayside was good at breakfast. The menu is changed daily to a different theme for lunch. Don’t skip the fried chicken.
The evening shows were ok. The kettle drum band was awesome !
The sand is great! The seaweed and debris is raked early daily but it takes them all day to pick up the piles, that can be rather smelly. Pools are great! The local weed vendors are a nuisance roaming the beach as well as a few serenaders looking for tips!
Snorkeling is included and well done but I didn’t see much. The reef is only 5 min out by boat.
The support staff is great!
Spend the extra for butler service, it worth it! (Plan to tip butlers $20-30 per day)
The view from our room was great!!!

The most AMAZING Vacation we've had in years! It was Our 25th wedding anniversary and Sandals Negril made it memorable! Thank you! The only downside was the food! But everything else was spectacular.

What a great time we've been having! Totally worth the short trek to Negril!!!

This is our last time here. Food is subpar. No food authentic to island. Same menu every night. Poor entertainment. No night life.Need new pool sticks and back up sticks. Fans in lounge areas don’t work. Booking put us in economy, so we had to check carry on bags and didn’t get to sit together. The bathroom ceiling leaks through exhaust. This place was too expensive for what it offered. Horribly disappointed. I would have saved $4000 going to Florida. Water doesn’t work at particular times of the day. I was glad to leave

After 13 yrs or more...we are done.

Gorgeous views with so much to offer.

Our experience was overall great. The food and drinks were good and the resort was really clean. Just we’re not a huge fan of how pushy the staff are to get you to pay for extra services.

We just completed our 6 days 5 nights stay at Sandals Negril. Overall experience was a positive one. The beach is very nice, the pool is very small. Food is decent, sandals Antigua had better cuisine in my opinion. We would have preferred more authentic cuisine like oxtail, curry goat, curry chicken, festivals etc, i don’t want to go to Jamaica and have wraps and salads as a buffet option. The crowd is mostly older folks, so if you are looking for nice vibey youthful Jamaica experience, this is not the place. It is very relaxing, too relaxing. Nothing to do at night, the night time entertainment is not good, except for the drumming group! The only reason I am giving this hotel a 4 stars is because of the STAFF. They make this resort wonderful, from front desk, bartenders (shout out to Tyrese and Miguel) , the servers, they are the most pleasant nicest human beings. Always smiling and greeting you in passing. 7.5/10

Rooms dated and quality of entertainment and food barely rates a 3 star. Very disappointing and would never spend the money on a Sandals frustrating vacation again. Not all inclusive make sure you ask lots of questions when booking with the company not all pricing is all inclusive.

This was our first and last time at a Sandals resort. Sandals brand promotes “luxury” which is not an accurate description of Sandals Negril. The resort is underwhelming from start to finish. The lobby is dated and doesn’t exude anything close to luxury and is not welcoming.

We waited for approximately 45 minutes after check-in as our room wasn’t ready even though we had completed all the check-in requirements on-line several days before arrival. We waited in a small room with 4 other couples and had no clue what was going on. Finally, we were shown to our room which was in the oldest building on the property. The room we booked was the Paradise Beachfront Grande Luxe Club Level Room. The entire journey to the room was underwhelming; the stairs were in need of repair and paint, the staff was not friendly or inviting. Any staff we crossed paths with were very unfriendly and uninviting. The vibe was one of annoyance. The room was very dated and nothing like the photos online. The lamp shade on the desk was cockeyed, the floor lamp was broken, the aged deck was missing the cocktail table and towel drying rack, one of the deck chairs was broken, the restroom door didn’t shut all the way and the safe worked intermittently to name a few of the issues. The water in the restroom was not hot and stopped running in the shower for no reason, the restroom sink was cracked and had no stopper in the sink, the toilet water ran until the handle was jiggled. We spoke with several other guests and they all commented about the water issues and staff issues.

We reported the issues to the front desk and asked to speak to a manager. We requested to upgrade our room and we’d pay the difference. The manager on duty talked to reservations and advised they were completely sold out and had no available rooms. They told us to check back the next morning to see if anyone may have canceled or they would try to move us to another room. When we checked back the following morning, we were told that any room they moved us to within the building would have the same issues we were already experiencing as this was the oldest building on the property. The manager on duty this day told us the water had been fixed and we shouldn’t have any add’l issues. That was not accurate - we continued to struggle with cool water or scolding hot water, no happy medium along with random water pressure. The room was not as advertised and did not look like the room we booked online.

The first full day we were on property, we decided to eat breakfast at one of the restaurants that was made to order and we waited over an hour for our food. We found that the restaurants ran out of menu items or we were told items were out of stock. When we ordered a steak dinner, the request was that the steak was cooked medium. When the food arrived, the steak was so tough it was not able to be cut and was not edible. When we ordered an Espresso Martini, we were told that they make their Espresso Martini’s a bit different – it was just Bailey’s & vodka, no espresso.

Regarding guest experience, this was the most disappointing Caribbean experience we’ve had. The staff appeared to be annoyed with our presence and frankly, annoyed they were there to do a job. The housekeeping manager (I think) was about 3 doors down from our room checking on the housekeeping service in another room. As he was leaving, I asked him if he knew if the housekeeping cart had extra washcloths on it. He told me I needed to go ask the housekeeper and he walked away. The best service on the resort is the beach vendors that ask if you want to buy something every 5 minutes.

There were a handful of positives: the sand was soft, the ocean was pretty and the sunsets were amazing. The ceviche at the Perla was good. The crème brulee was good. The massages were fantastic. The team who hosted the wine tasting were friendly and had a good time with the guests.

This was the first vacation that we both wanted to go home the same day we arrived.

So today is March 4th sitting at Perla bar the let tell you the bartenders are amazing can make any drink great customer service. They are great
Anakaye and Kayona. Great customer service. Make sure you say hello. Also make sure you try the food everything is great

My wife and I just got back from Sandals Negril celebrating 25th anniversary. Overall, FANTASTIC! Service was amazing, especially Butler Shanice, she knew what we wanted before we did, Thank you!

Sundowner was our favorite food, which we had on our deck of honeymoon suite 2 nights out of our stay.

Tropical gardens, white sand, amazing people and the Caribbean Sea, absolute paradise.

Our room was amazing, but 4 stars as it could use a refresh. Still freaking awesome though. Can't wait to book again soon!

Best beach in negril