We have just returned from our honeymoon. We had a great time and really enjoyed Jamaica and Sandals. I had read a lot of reviews before going on our trip, so I had a good idea of what to expect. So hopefully, my review can help others.

Ride to resort: The ride is about 1hr and 45 minutes. It really is not that bad. I enjoyed seeing the country side and the local people. The ride back to the airport took two hours and at that point you have seen it all, so it does feel like forever. Anyway, we stopped at a pretty shady rest stop on the way there. My husband and I were starving so we got some over priced snacks, but it really didn't matter. The plantation chips were really good. There were several people on our bus, who got some other snacks (if you know what I mean)
Anyway, when we got to the resort, you check in on the Manor side. Don't forget to tip your driver, they will tell you it is customary. So we were greeted w/cold towels and champagne, which was nice. Then we got on another bus to get to the Rivera side. We were greeted there as well and went to our cottage.

Room: Right away we were disappointed in our lux cottage room. It is not lux it is an average standard room. We had anticipated a refrigerator and the room stunk of smoke. Plus, you could tell it needed some remodeling. By reading all the reviews before going on this trip I had anticipated this. Several people had said don't be afraid to ask for an upgrade. So, right away we went to the front desk and asked for an upgrade. For $100 more a night, we got a pent house suite w/concierge service over looking the gardens. The room was awesome! We had a fully stocked fridge and stocked bar above the fridge. Every morning there were breakfast items in the lobby on our level and before dinner there were tea sandwiches and snacks. The concierges were there to answer any questions we had, to book tours, make dinner reservations etc. We used them as much as we could. We recommended the upgrade to another couple and they did the same thing the very next day.

Food: Be prepared to eat, even when you aren't hungry. For breakfast we ate mostly at the buffet at Bayside. It was really good, and they had a variety of food every morning. Plus the view is so relaxing. We did eat breakfast one day at Valentinos, which was a nice change. Our favorite restaurants were Valentinos, Orchards, and Arizona. Reef Terrace and Bayside would come next. Our least favorite was San Gennaro, we were a bit disappointed. The antipasto bar they had was great, but the dinner portions were way too small, and the menu was deceiving. Plus, I am Italian and grew up in NY so I do have high standards when it comes to Italian food. We did also eat at Kimonos at the Sandals Dunn River resort, which was a really good meal and very entertaining. The portions were the biggest than any other restaurant. We met some other couples that stayed at that resort and they walked us. It is a nice resort a lot smaller, but definitely a bit fancier. There was an older crowd there as well.

Entertainment: This is deffinitely a honeymoon resort. Almost everyone there got married the same day we did or was marrying or got married at the resort that week. With this in mind, you need to take full advantage of what is going on at the resort. The piano bar every night has a sing along. Some of the songs get old, especially the song from Grease. The amphitheater on the Rivera side had entertainment every night pretty much. We enjoyed the bingo night and the couples game show. The talent show was pretty fun too. The Jamaica day party on Friday was nicely done and a lot of fun. Loved the fire guy! We never made it to Nicole's disco on the manor side. Get involved in as much as you can. There is a point system and different events where you win prices. My husband won a bottle of rum playing in a tennis tournament.

Pools and Beach: The best pools by far are on the Manor side. We spent two days up there at the pools. We loved the slide. The pools on the Riveria side don't compare. The Riveria main pool wasn't what I thought it would be. The one by the beach we spent a lot of time in because it had the bar. The beach is good, I knew that it would be small, but it didn't feel overly small. Just know you can't take long walk the beach. The color of the water is amazing though, so clear!! We probably saw about 4 weddings a day either on the beach or on the piers, but they are super fast.

Tours: We went on the booze cruise and had a blast. Climbing the falls was a lot of fun. It had some tough parts, but is definitely worth it. Make sure you bring your own water shoes, or you will have to rent them for $5 each. Plus get a water camera there a lot of photo ops. Also bring a couple of dollars to tip your tour guide, they will ask for it. The snorkeling wasn't what I thought it would be. This was my husbands first time and he enjoyed it, but after snorkeling in the Florida Keys, I was a bit disappointed. There weren't the many colors and fish that I thought we would see. The rest of the booze cruise you drink! My husband took full advantage of that and got quite tipsy off the rum!

Spa: Definitely get a couples massage! It is worth it. You are treated like royalty when you get there and they make you feel very comfortable. It was very relaxing. We tipped our masseuse, but I am not sure if you are supposed.

People: The staff was so friendly and very helpful. They learned our names quickly, especially the concierges. We became friends w/Garfield and Veta Ann. There job was to just circulate the resort and get involved with the guest activities. Don't be afraid to ask questions and say hello, it will make your experience so much better.

Hi everyone, i will make this short and sweet,i spent the last hour writing a review about this great hotel and all the staff and how nothing was a problem,i put in photos also just to see when i sent the post topic everything went blank,so don,t listen to all the moaners this place is just great, take my advise try it for youself
alex

Stayed at SGOR for 14 day for our honeymoon and it was simply great. The transfer from montego bay to SGOR is a bit long but you have the opportunity to take a look at the jamaican coast. We had a cottage room which was ok, we never saw any bugs in 14 days stay. when we had a problem with the air conditioning i called the reception and they provided me with a new cottege room in less than 15 mins. The stuff was great and everything you asked them for they would reply with "No Problem Mon" and would help you for sure. Entertainment people are great, i must mention Bjorn and Vita Ann who were terrific in the way they presented the games etc. if you go there get involved in their activities you will surely enjoy it beside from winning some good bottles of jamaican rum.
We went to Duns Falls which is very nice.. but be a little carefull as it is slippery. in fact i slipped and had to do some stitches in my chin... yet again i would say that the stuff were so helpfull with me.. from the driver to nurse.
Anyway i really enjoyed my vacation at SGOR and i would surely return some day.

I apologize in advance for the length of this review but I want to include as much info as possible to help everyone planning a vacation.

I spent 6 days and 5 nights here for my honeymoon. Giving you a little background- both my husband and I are of Jamaican descent. He was born there and I was born in the U.S. but visited Jamaica frequently. When both of us travel to JA we usually stay at our respective homes. This was the first "tourist" experience we got to have in JA.

We booked the Honeymoon Oceanview Villa with semiprivate pool on the Manor side. We stayed in Villa 49 at the top of the hill which had the best views- other guests would occasionally come up (with their butlers) to take in the view and get pictures. Our butlers were Kismet and Dainey, but we saw only Kesmit for most of our stay.

If you want nonstop partying or whatever, this might not be the place for you. It was a nice, relaxing vacation with no real worries of paying for anything. Maybe that's also because we from Jamaica and living in NYC, we know the deal with the hustles. Just letting you know, as is with all tourist destinations, hotels and outside vendors will always find ways to get you. Just be smart.

The only extra activity we participated in (booked through the hotel) was the Heritage Horseback Ride. The horseback ride was amazing! It's $73 each and when you get to the beach the sell snacks and souvenir items.

We also went to Dunn's River Falls but we just paid for the cab and admission ourselves and met up with other friends and family. The cab ride is $40 and the hotel can call a legitimate cab for you that will drop you off and come back for you at whatever time you specify. The admission into Dunns River for nonresidents is about $8 US. This is a place you can go without a tour group if you are "smart" (for a lack of a better word). If you feel better/safer going with a group, try finding another couple to go with. You don't need watershoes really unless your feet are sensitive or you're afraid of the rocks. For comfort go ahead and wear them, just make sure you buy them at home (at Target or Walmart or Kmart). There is a place to grab some lunch and they will try to sell you a DVD ($40) or pictures of your climb- just to give you a head's up.

There were a variety of restaurants on both sides as well as "grills" where you could get nachos, hamburgers, french fries, popcorn, etc. Our room included free room service but I am not sure that the lower level rooms have the same privilege. The restaurants do serve smaller portions but you could always ask for another dish, go to one of the grills, or order room service. The food isn't really authentic Jamaican cuisine. The flavors, spices, and combinations of ingredients were Americanized quite a bit. That wasn't that big of a deal to us since we understood we weren't at home but at a hotel catering to a wider variety of non-Jamaicans.

The on-site activities were fun and the staff was really friendly.

We had a blast hanging out in the Manor pools, our pool, and the Riviera beach. The beach is small but it's still a beach and it's still relaxing.

I read numerous reviews where people complained about everything!! These people are just too high-maintenance. Some are even stupid! A few examples:
* Jamaica is not a jungle, it's an island. Bugs will enter your room if you leave your windows open all day and night.
* The ACs work just fine. Sandals promotes energy and earth saving procedures but the quality of their equipment is just fine. When we entered our room everyday it was extremely cool/cold.

Please remember that the staff are people too. While we were there everyone was nice and seemed to be enjoying their jobs. However, if you badger the employees and make crazy demands upon them, they will get attitudes- just think of how you would react. While you might be on vacation, remember that these persons are at work. They are trying their hardest to make you happy- just chill out!!!

One last point- the point of a vacation is to relax and have fun. Go on your vacation thinking you're going to have fun and you will. Go with a negative attitude and you will be miserable.

Hope this was helpful to everyone. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.