EVA NITRAI

Review of Sandals Grande Ocho Rios

Sandal's perfected the advertising and deceiving i...

Sandal's perfected the advertising and deceiving industry. They sell their resort as the most luxurious vacation that one will ever have. In all honesty that could be not more farther from the truth!! The resort is very outdated thou in my rating I didn't considered it. That didn't bothered me nor the very fact that climbing in the bed requires some acrobatic skills! I am 5.5" tall and getting in the bed was challenging every single time.
My rating of 2 stars is given because of the way this resort operates. I've booked a room with a balcony. Guess what my room had no balcony. It took about an hour to get the room that was paid for. I've always wanted to try Sandal's and at our 30th anniversary we decided to book it. We wanted a vacation to remember. Well it happen but for all the wrong reasons. I have had the opportunity to visit different islands in the Caribbean and I can testify that any other resorts you can get luxury for much less money than here.
Here they use the cheapest raw materials that can be purchased on the market and they serve it in very small portions. If you ask for chicken your portion is 2 drumsticks of the size of chicken wings and be happy. If you try to get more that always ends in an argument because there no way that they will honour your request! All the orders are mostly hit and miss.
The resort has no mineral water, nor a canned club soda! The alcoholic beverages are questionable. I never saw anybody open a seal on a bottle (except on sparkling wine). When you go to eat you have to give your room number. I found this to be a try to intimidate you so one would not complain. If that doesn't work they send in the managers who try to smooth things over. I found this to be degrading because my intelligence was insulted.They are smiling as long as you don't want anything from them. If you have a question or complain they make you feel small and stupid. One example of this: one morning I went to the wending machine to get my latte. There is no freshly brewed coffee on the resort you have to help yourself at the machine. So I started the procedure. The machine could not finish my order because there was no milk. I saw an employee and asked for his help. He came there and explained to me how the machine works. I've asked him to demonstrate it. Well he had no more success than I did. Even than I could not get an 'I am sorry'. Somehow he got into the clear while I ended up being in red. I've got so much lecturing in those 5 days that I don't even want to remember. They are doing it wrong, it's their fault and still they make you feel stupid and they lecture you all the way.
Every single interaction for food or drink was a challenge! On our anniversary at dinner we asked for a bucket with ice and a bottle of sparking wine. After about 2 minutes the server comes back asking what kind of wine we want?!
I am very sorry that I booked this vacation. I've spent a lots of money and got not much except bad memories I would never return here nor visit any other Sandal's resorts. My dear fellow travelers do your home work and try other resorts where you will get value for your money. I feel ashamed that I've let the commercial of a dream vacation fog my judgment and not investigate the place before I booked it. Hope my review will help others not to make the same mistake that I did.