I tricked Amy into bringing me back to my favorite spot in Jamaica this year – let me explain:
Sandals has a loyalty and rewards program where as you move up with more and more paid nights you eventually get a free week with Sandals as a thank you for being a loyal customer. Well, our preplanned trip this fall for our anniversary would land us just one day shy of that free week. Amy desperately wanted to extend our anniversary trip to include the night we needed to secure our free week this year. I held back and said no. Now to cross the threshold for our free week this year she needed to add a trip and we have a minimum of 3 night visit which means another trip in the year. June was our week to add a 4 night trip.
We got the earliest flights we could so our first day was not wasted on travel. We were in Sandals’ lounge in Montego Bay airport by 10:30am so that we could be on the beach relaxing by 1:30pm our first day!
We were of course greeted by our butler and the general manager with such happiness and joy that its hard to describe in words. They make us feel like long lost friends every time we pull up to the port- cochere. Immediately we are spoiled – treated like king and queen of the resort for the duration of our visit.
We had lunch by the beach, said hey to the beach servers and butlers and just soaked in the relaxing atmosphere. After lunch we ran up to the room and changed into our beach wear. Amy secured us some chairs and I ran over to Ochi to sign up to dive as a certified diver for the first time!
We maintained tradition and went to the Wobbly Peacock for dinner – a tradition we have accidentally started with Sandals. Nearly all Sandals have pub designed in the old English style on site. It usually has late night food and snacks. Through the years we would arrive late or were exhausted from travel leaving the Pub as our only option for our first dinner. Now we choose it on our first night out of tradition.
The next couple of days I spent the morning on a dive or two and Amy relaxed on the beach and went to the spa with a credit we get as a loyalty benefit.
On Tuesday night we went to the loyalty dinner – a standard practice on all properties across the brand where we are fed an amazing meal, meet with other Sandals fans and the staff recognizes guests as they climb through the loyalty tiers. We of course made friends with other guests as we do in every visit. We didn’t see anyone from our previous visits this time but hope to see friends this fall.
One evening we went to Dunn’s River Sandals for dinner. We enjoyed dinner and the property there as we explored around and enjoyed the company of our fellow Royal Plantation guests that also went over.
Our last full day I skipped the dive and we just enjoyed a slow morning with coffee, great breakfast and one of the most beautiful days on the beach we have had this visit. For lunch we had food brought to us on the beach, dinner was fine dining at the French restaurant followed by entertainment on the patio. It was a wonderful way to close out our last full day on the resort.
The last morning was also slow and relaxing as we had breakfast, packed up and walked around the resort visiting the staff and reminding them we plan to return soon. We shared a ride to the airport with 2 other couples and then once in the Mobay lounge we spent some time chatting with our new friends from the resort.
My new checklist for leaving the cab at the airport includes – Wife, wife’s phone, and passports. If you follow my travels you will get this joke. If not – please go back to previous posts about our visits here and you will entertained.
Going home is always bittersweet. We have a trip on the books to return and the staff says you must leave so you can come back and be greeted with smiles and hugs akin to old friends seeing each other for the first time in a decade.
If you cannot tell by now – I am a Sandals fanboy and will be a loyal guest for many years to come.
Next travels will be work, Gabriel’s b-day trip, summer vacation with the family then more work travels. Where do you think we will be going and doing?
Seek adventure and get busy living.
-Ben