Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Review

We stayed at this resort twice. Once on the seaside and once on the hill side. Our last trip was November 2017 on the sea side. We really enjoyed the trip and spent a relaxing week hanging around the resort. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate much, but that was out of everyone s control. We did learn a few things that would be beneficial for anyone else visiting.
1. If you have an oceanfront room in the main hotel, bring earplugs. The ocean bar has a very loud DJ almost every night from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM.
2. If you get a promotional credit for the spa do not book anything until you get to the resort. The promotional credit cannot be applied and you will have to get a different service to use up your credit.
3. Attend the nightly shows. There is a show almost every night in the amphitheater mostly put on by the Playmakers. The performers are very talented and the shows are entertaining.
4. Attend the orientation tour. They will show you where everything is and give you some tips.
5. Make reservations for restaurants as soon as you get there. The reservations book up quickly, so the earlier you make them, the better chance you have of getting the time you want.
As I said, we mostly enjoyed this latest trip. There are a few things that were different and not as nice as our previous trip 11 years ago.
1. Obviously, the resort has aged, but it is maintained fairly well.
2. Butler service is way more prevalent than it was the previous trip. We prefer to have a more private vacation and opted for no butler service. There were times when we felt like second class citizens.
3. It seemed they were pushing selling additional services way more than they used to. Throughout the seaside hotel lobby, there were constantly people asking you to book spa services, go on excursions, and book future Sandals trips.

Experience was great. Wife and I stayed on the hillside in a room with private pool and jacuzzi, and it was fantastic. Our butler and housekeeping were great with making sure our room was fully stocked and that we had everything we needed. Our butler also set up our reservations before we even asked her to, which was great. The food was really good, especially at Le Gourmand (the chataeubriand was one of the best things I've ever eaten). Only downside was that the beach wasn't the best; it's a bit rocky and has a ton of seaweed. Otherwise our entire stay was remarkable. There is so much to see/eat/drink/do there, we just wish we had more time to enjoy it more.

It's a awesome place friendly staff i wish i could live there Jamaica rocks

Sandals Grande Riviera Beach is an amazing resort. My husband and I went there for our honeymoon the first week of December 2013. The entire staff at Sandals is excellent, they are incredibly friendly and personable! They really care about you and want you to have the best experience possible. There is so much to do there, they have multiple pools and hot-tubs, paddle boarding, sailing, glass bottom boat tours, scuba diving, hydrobikes, snorkling, wind surfing, and volleyball. That is just during the day, they also have a ton of night time entertainment and activities like; steel drum band performers, talent shows, chocolate buffets, and sooooooo much more!

The food is incredible! They have a great variety of restaurants. They will not let you ever be hungry or thirsty, honestly I don't think a server ever walked by without asking me if I wanted a drink! I recommend the Jamaican Smile :)

The tours that were booked through Island Routes were AMAZING! We did horseback riding on the beach, ziplining, jamaican bobsledding, swimming with dolphins, and climbing dunns river falls! There is a lot to do at the resort but we definitely recommend doing some of the outside excursions as well.

Also we looooved our room! And the cleaning staff was great at keeping it maintained and stocked up. Definitely recommend staying on the riviera side which is by the beach and has more restaurants to offer! You can also shuttle to the hillside for a few of the other different restaurants as well.

Overall, an incredible trip! Would love to go back!

All inclusive resort. Some things are not included. Massage and premium wine and spirits are extra. Butler village lives up to the hype! Not just brochure models here, got schooled on the dance floor by a 60 something! Great time, money well spent. Will definitely vacation with sandals again.

My husband and I don't typically like resorts (we were there for a family function). But Sandals was excellent. There was lots to do, or not do, the food was excellent and the service was stellar.

Terrible place to stay. Loud music and drunks everywhere. Can't even hear the waves at the beach.

It was amazing! The service overall was excellent! I highly recommend this place!

Relaxed and chilling place! Food fab and staff excellent

Everyone should experience sandals at least once. Great time

Great romantic resort. The staff we interacted with were amazing. Food is great.

Gorgeous resort, amazingly friendly and helpful staff, fantastic food and drink.

All of sandals hotel are amazing they treat you like royalty

Shovaign (I hope I spelled that right) was absolutely amazing. He played a few games of HORSE with us at the basketball court and made our day. Top notch all around! Thank you Sandals Ochi!

Fun! Best food is at the jerk shack and Manor. Overall, so much to do and so beautiful.

This place is amazing. I love all the service received and the people working there was amazingly helpful, nice and generous. I love my stay I felt at home. 100 stars!!

Fun
Great service

This is an okay resort, not fantastic, just okay. Extremely loud, not really any place to kick back and relax as there is always music going. Food is also just okay as are the rooms.

What's not to love? Beautiful weather, gorgeous beach, friendly people. Your vacation is what you make it. Food was plentiful and good, drinks too. Can't wait to go back.

Unparalleled service and food. Resort is a bit dated but very clean regardless

This place is one the most beautiful resorts that I've ever been to. The service EXCELLENT and TOP NOTCH. From the food to the Entertainment to the golf course and everything else. I was more than pleased with my stay here. I will recommend this place to all my friends and family. Also i'll definitely will be back next year and following years to come.

The best week of my life. I so cant wait to go back for my 5 year wedding anniversary.

This was my husband and my first time to an all-inclusive resort and our first time to Jamaica and we had an absolutely amazing time. The food, the drinks, the entertainment. All of it was wonderful.
When we arrived at the Sandals airport lounge we were told it would be about 20 minutes until the next shuttle. Our group was called about 10 minutes later for the shuttle, so I would recommend using the restroom right away when you get to the lounge.
Upon arrival at the resort, we were greeted with cold towels which felt amazing in the heat. We were led back to the club lounge where we were provided with cold drinks while we checked in, and then shown to our rooms. We stayed on the beach side in a Riviera Honeymoon Luxury Club Level Villa room. We loved the location close to the beach, pools, and restaurants. The concierge made everything easy for us scheduling our dinners, couple s massage, and excursion based on our wants and needs. Also, the resort orientation led by the concierge was very helpful and entertaining.
There are sixteen restaurants on the property, four of which require dinner reservations. We dined at three of those restaurants, and we loved the food at Kimonos and Kelly s Dockside. The atmosphere at Kimono s was also a lot of fun. Valentino s, the Italian restaurant, was a bit of a letdown. The food there was okay, but the hostess and wait staff were a bit cold compared to the other staff we interacted with at the resort. The pizzas at Bella Napoli were really good, and my husband loved the jerk burgers at the Mariner. Also, the breakfast buffet at the Sky Terrace was good. Peter, the omelet chef, was very skilled and made very good omelets to order.
We did the Tropical Paradise massage, a couple s massage on the dock. It was wonderful. The massage therapists were very attentive and skilled, and listening to the sound of the waves and feeling the slight breeze was very relaxing. After the massage, we were served sparkling wine on the dock. I highly recommend it.
The evening entertainment was fun. My favorite nights were probably the talent show, which included a fire dancer, and the steel drum band, the Silver Birds.
We celebrated our anniversary while at Ochi. On the evening of our anniversary, when we returned to our room there was a piece of cake on a plate that said Happy Anniversary left for us. We thought this was very thoughtful.
As for excursions, I was torn between Dunn s River Falls and the Blue Hole. We ended up choosing to go on the Blue Hole excursion, which also included river tubing and zip lining. We had an absolute blast, especially at the Blue Hole. I highly recommend it.
As for the staff, there were many great people, but a few stood out among the rest: Playmaker Javada was AWESOME. Always super pleasant to be around, and genuinely excited to see people. Whenever he was around, I knew a good time wasn't far off. Bartender Monique made the greatest Bloody Marys. They were delicious and spicy, and she was always friendly to us. Shaneka the concierge (I hope I spelled her name correctly!) was also extremely helpful and friendly. She instantly remembered and recognized my husband and me, and definitely took care of us.

The best vacation ever. We'll be back. My butlers Akeem and Oshea were fantastic

Great place for a honeymoon. Staff is wonderful and the food is absolutely great. Recommended highly for a great great away

Everything has been great so far except for transportation. They have not showed up to our room twice when we asked. When you are walking up and down the hill transportation people try to not make eye contact so you don't ask for a ride.

Great place to relax! The food on property was hit or miss but overall it was a great experience

This resort was awesome. I would highly recommend the butler package. It was our first experience having a butler and it was the best. The make sure every detail of your stay is an enjoyable experience; from the time your arrive until the moment you board the shuttle bus on your return to the airport. The restaurants here are amazing. We loved eating at each and everyone of them. We did not have a complaint about anything. The food was delectable and the service was outstanding.

My husband and I absolutely loved the entertainment crew and the atmosphere was amazing!! DenniLee and Shanet are amazing singers and they done a great job performing the other night! Gernie is a wonderful entertainment supervisor she is so friendly and her talent is endless! Melissa is a great dancer and so friendly. She was one of my faves along with AJ and Melvin.

They are so friendly and will definitely keep you laughing and on your toes at all time. You know what to expect with those two.

They definitely made our first experience staying with Sandals worthwhile and so much fun and enjoyable. The party and fun never stops as long as they were all around and that s exactly how it needs to be!! We will definitely be back to see them soon and we had a great time visiting Jamaica in Ochi Beach Resort! So sad to be leaving Saturday morning!!

One of the best restaurants on the resort. Being a vegetarian, I was delighted with how many options they had to pick from.

A great range of things to do for all adult ages. Amazing staff and the weather is amazing

My husband and I finally took our honeymoon 2 years after our wedding. Our first trip ever the eight years we have been together. We expected a lot more for the money and hype. We did have a good time and enjoyed ourselves but not worth the money in our opinion. We arrived after check in time and were still asked to wait because the room wasn't ready. No biggie we are chill. They bring us to tapas and tell us to eat and come back to the front desk to check in. We go and they refuse to serve us saying they are closed. After talking to them, they finally being us to another resteraunt I believe some kind of grill mariners or something. The food was just okay. We check into our room and the frig had half drank beverages, the a.c. unit is leaking, the frig is leaking, mold and cracks on the ceilings, no water pressure, limited hot water etc. Now we arn't fussy but dang. I've stayed at nicer Holiday Inns. The view and room placement at the resort was just what we wanted, quiet but close to everything. The g
Food was not five star unless you ate at the reservation only resteraunts. That was the kind of food I was expecting everywhere. Hubby and I enjoyed how large the resort was, how friendly everyone was, we loved the entertainment and kept busy playing pool and pool vollyball, etc. Probably first and last sandals. Hubby and I agree for the money it's worth checking out other places. Nothing is screaming at us saying for us to go back. Wasn't bad like I said we had a good time but wasnt the 5 star sandals commercials we were expecting for the money at least. We are not rich by any means, I mean it took us 2 years to even save for this. Obviously we don't vacation much but just a heads up. Its a fun, younger, resort but for luxury I will try something else. I expected to get it all for the price.

My husband and i loved this place. We had such an amazing time and the service was GREAT! The activities included in our stay where so fun and unlimited! The dinning was amazing.. the hostes at Soy was so funny and the sushi was delish.. GiGi at Kimonos was the best cook and was very entertaining! The pool area on the manor side was the best.
Keaton and the other playmakers where so much fun to hang out with.. this is a must resort to go to! We loved it!!!

Do NOT go to this reaort. My sister had her wedding at this resort. Me and my husband went and at her wedding he bit into a bun and chipped his tooth. We spoke to the director at the resort that wanted us to leave the resort to see a dentist. We kindly refused and would seek our own dentist when we got home. Then my other sisters room was broken into by a hotel guest. We were a large family that went to the wedding and wanted to sit together at dinners and we could NOT. LOL can you imagine. They would not let us put a few tables together so that we could sit as a family. The entire vacation was awful. I will never go to a sandals again. I called and also sent a long email complaining to Sandals about my husbands chipped tooth and all the issues we had and they did NOTHING. Trust me, do not go to this resort, there are thousands of places to go, do not spend your money to go to this resort.

I LOVED THIS RESORT!! The customer service was absolutely amazing, the views breathtakingly beautiful!! We will be returning!

The resort was beautiful and every place was clean as a matter of fact i saw people cleaning constantly. Also all employees smile and greet you. The only thing I hated was the resort is about a 2 hour drive which felt like forever. The rooms were nice ac freezing .Food outstanding and they have a insude bus transpirtarion every 10 minutes so you can go to different hotels in the resort with different restaurants to try.There is something to do everywhere!!!! Note if you have mobility issues do not stay at hillside because there are no elevators and you will be taking 2 flights of stairs up to your room. The Sandals experience was worth it !!!!!

Let me first say the room was so small I kept bumping into the bed. For a honeymoon room I would have expected something more than a cheap tiny room with no view at all. The water didn t work, took 2 days to find another room and were told to stay in room until front desk called with the new room number, a waste of 2 days! Our excursions we re delayed then cancelled. The wedding was cheaply put together and not what I expected for $8000. I complained daily and got the same line, we are sorry. Well sorry doesn t fix the problems. We were so glad to leave this place and never going to another sandals again. Some family was staying at a condo about 100 yards down road that was over ten times size of our room for about $1,000 I tried to cancel the rest of my sandals reservation and stay at the condo but sandals with their gread wouldn t refund the unused portion. I really wish I did better research on sandals and saved my money. Sandals added charges to my account daily for things I did not order and they stated they don t give refunds, I received a $50 room credit but had over $400 misc stuff added to my bill not a good way to do business. Buyer beware this is not the nice advertisement you see on tv, it s a dump and should be shown for what it really is. And they lost my luggage, Worst vacation of my life!! Over $8,400 to get $50 room credit SMH !!!!

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.

Great all inclusive resort. Amazing staff. Plenty of stuff to do!

We had a magical time celebrating our anniversary here. The staff always goes above and beyond. The room was lovely, the beaches were gorgeous, the food was delectable, and we were never bored.

My Husband and I will be back! We LOVED our stay at Sandals Ochi. Everyone went above and beyond expectations!

Went here for my Honeymoon. The experience was nothing short of extraordinary. I had a medical emergency my first night here and the resort did a fantastic job handling it: The resort called an ambulance and had an employee spend the entire day at the hospital with me to ensure I was being taken care of and to escort me back to the resort. Upon returning, they provided me with free dinner in bed and checked on a daily basis to ensure we were having a pleasant experience at the resort. I have already booked my next stay here and cannot wait to come back -- on a high level here are the pros and cons of the resort:

Pros:
-Excellent service
-Very friendly staff
-Great food with a wide variety of restaurants to choose from
-Fun entertainment from flame jugglers, to opera singers, to break dancers, to broadway, to a dozen different bands -- there's something here for everyone.
-Tons of events and activities planned by the resort each day with something going on pretty much every hour of every day for those interested.

Cons:
-Though attentive, the service can be a bit slow.
-The resort is split into two halves, which are split by a busy road. Multiple shuttles are running non-stop to take you to the opposite side, but it can be mildly frustrating at times.

I'm only 2 days into my 7 day trip and I LOVE THIS PLACE. What has already happened plus what we have coming up is absolutely amazing.

Regularly visit for functions & love it at Sandals, I'd recommend it

Amazing from start to finish. The guys at this place can't do enough for you. So relaxing. Best all inclusive resort I've stayed in.

It's quiet service is nice and the staff or friendly .

At the airport we were taken to a Sandals room where we were told to make ourselves comfortable for the next 40 mins. Within 10 mins we went to a bus and sat for over 30 mins only to be transferred to another bus where the driver apologized that the turbo doesn't work. The trip took over 2 hrs which should be 100 mins. We could have walked up hills faster then the bus was able to go. The driver made the best of by describing the area. We checked in and tried making restaurant reservations with the concierge. We were told 9 PM was the earliest every night of our stay. It seems like people with butlers were able to get reservations. Kelly Dockside where Daniel the waiter was fantastic. The snapper was the best we ever had. We told the chef who was happy to hear this. Staff at Neptunes were rude and didn't provide any type of service. Breakfast at La Gourmand was good including staff. Tapas staff were great but food is OK for a lunch. We had Thanksgiving at Valentino's where I ordered the Turkey dinner. I received a ham dinner and when I told the waiter he just looked at me and walked away. Bella pizza was quite good. Our room the refrigerator didn't keep things cold and we were told for 3 days they would look into it. We finally gave up. We only had hot water 1 day out of 6 which taking cold showers isn't fun. The toilet seat was chipped and the bathroom had black stains.The place is showing age and needs a good cleaning. Neither whirlpool was working. Staff at the aqua center are rude and seemed to busy socializing when you ask to make a reservation to snorkel. The white night entertainment was good but the chocolate should be in a fountain not a bowl as we lost our fruit trying to dip at the bottom of the pot. Our room had great views but we were over the bar and at 10 PM the music starts until midnight. Stay on the other side of the resort and the music shouldn't be an issue and views will be the same. Everyone responds no problem but nothing is fixed and requests have no response.

Loads of mishaps with the butler service. I love this as a discounted all inclusive. But after having stayed in 4 different resorts and then one a second time with a butler I can 100 say the butler is NOT worth it.

Excellent food, beautiful beaches and grounds, and outstanding housekeeping/turndown service. The food and drinks were the best resort food/drink we have ever had, comparing to Mexico and Punta Cana. Bartender service was the worst service we have ever had (comparing to Mexico and Punta Cana), which is a shame for the price you're paying. The daily upsetting of wine was annoying along with the pushy photography. Overall we will be coming back to the resort for diving, great food, and beautiful scenery.

Overall good experience, however not as good as our experience previously at Sandals South Coast. The service was not quite as friendly and the food, while being more abundant, did not seem to have the same quality. We stayed in the Honeymoon Riviera Garden Cottages and the rooms were a little loud due to the large patio doors not sealing very well. The box spring on our mattress was pretty heavily stained, and the toilet periodically ran water through it; otherwise the room was in very good condition. This resort definitely has a more active atmosphere with plenty of bars to choose from and a healthy schedule of events. The beach is more enjoyable here than at South Coast due to the lack of algae. The proximity to the beach if you're staying on the seaside is excellent, and the shuttle service between the two sides of the resort is convenient and not too much of a hassle. We will definitely be back to Sandals, just not sure we will try this one again.

Just passed through but this hotel was superb. Would recommend it to anyone

We had a amazing time. Lots of things to do there and our butler "Nicole" was the best ! We went for our honeymoon and it's a great location. HANDS DOWN the Beach party was my favorite!

Upon arrival we where not put in the rooms we had asked for, by the time rooms where situated we where a hike up a steep hill to the room or a long walk down to the hop. We had butler service but you wouldn't know it by the lack of service we had gotten out of it. Long waits on the butler and Luke warm service.

We where on the opposite side from the beach so you had to get packed into a small cramped van/bus with a dozen other people and take the 5 minute trip by bus to the beach side of the resort.

Foot was decent, beach was nice once you could get to it.

Hotel was very nice, rooms had a good selection of drinks. Downside was deckchairs were taken by 0700 and sometimes noone came to use them.

Very romantic. Staff was great and so much fun. We had a blast. The all inclusive was more than we expected.

Good place, nice staff didn't catch anything fishing though

Could not have asked for anything better for our honeymoon. The property was gorgeous and very well maintained. All staff were gracious and accommodating. We did have a butler suite and Odania and Richardo were nothing but amazing.

Fantastic stay, everything was perfect for our anniversary getaway!

Awesome resort. Many choices of restaurants and excellent food at all of them. Included at no extra charge: kayaks, paddleboards, scuba diving, snorkeling, premium liquor, rock wall. Only negative thing about our whole week there was that our bed was not comfortable. Everything else was great. Housekeeping staff makes towel animals everyday when they clean the room. The staff on the resort come to the 7 main pools and along the beach to get drink orders. All the staff is very friendly and helpful. A wonderful place to relax and enjoy the Caribbean sunshine.

Great location and services, could have better transportation to and from airport as well as better pricing for stays and guest arrangments like being abkr to bring friends along no extra charge to stay with us

Beautiful property and amazing staff. Catamaran cruise was amazing

If you love plush green gardens and majestic ocean views then you cant go wrong with Sandals Ochi. The resort is huge with so many food and activity options to choose from. I'm positive you cant get it all done in one trip. Great warm staff and there is always fun and a party to be had if that's your thing.

Stayed for over a week. All inclusive resort... WAYYYY worth it. The food, service and friendliness of the staff was bomb.