I am insulted by the bad review of this resort, it is most certainly not a dump. My husband and I have been to this resort twice, once in 2005 for a vacation and then last year (2007) for our honeymoon. We went both times in July, this seems to be the cheapest time to go.

Initally we chose this resort because the price compared to other all inclusives seemed very reasonable. In addition, it is an adult only resort which seemed like a great perk. We also liked the fact that off site excursions (that normally would have cost us 100s of $$s) were included - horseback riding, catamaran cruise, trip to downton to shop, glass bottom boat ride, and free golf.

After our first trip I became a faithful follower of the message board. Even now I check it out just to remember :) One of the fabulous things offered on the message board is by the Chief Romance Officer, Randy Russell who reads love letters to your significant other. The morning of my wedding I had him call my future husband and read the letter I had written for him. This is just the beginning of the things Couples will do to make your experience unforgettable.

Yes, I will agree that the ride from the airport totally sucks, but that will be the case at any resort in Ocho Rios. Upon arriving at Couples you are greeted with cool wash clothes and rum punch. The orientation is a must if you are on your first visit, they give the gents a nice tour and the ladies all of the paperwork. Book your events as soon as possible, you can always try to change your reservations but at least you will have them.

The grounds are beautiful. Lush, green, tropical - what more can you ask for? The beach was great, plenty of chairs which also have great floaties on top of them to take into the sea. There are also a few hammocks on the beach and of course the beach bar and grill. The grill is open almost all of the time, has an endless supply of nachos to much on by the pool and also offers other sandwiches and jerk chicken.

Pool was great as well. Again, plenty of places to sit and relax. We NEVER had a hard time finding two chairs together which was a nice treat compared to other resorts I've been to where people were putting towels on the chairs at sunrise!!

The food was fabulous. There is a breakfast buffet that offers eggs, bacon, fruit, etc, made to order omlettes, and other traditional Jamaica fare. Also available are mimosas and bloody marys (who can complain about that?). A fantastic way to wake up is also the continental breakfast in bed. You can hang a tag on your door handle listing what you would like and what time you would like it delivered. Go for the chocolate crossaints!! Yummy!

The Verandah is a nice beachfront restaurant that is air conditioned. We enjoyed our meals here as they offer more tradiational American cuisine. The Italian restaurant (Bayside) is literally on top of the water and offers delicious pastas, etc. Lobster night is Tuesday!! Be warned, it is VERY humid and can be windy. The French Restaurant (Le Gourmet) offers a more romantic, upscale setting. There is a piano player throughout the dinner hour and dress is more formal. The soft shell crab appetizer was phenomenal as was the pumpkin soup (both didn't sound appealing to me before but WOW!). We did not go to The Calabash at all during our 2nd trip as we found the other restaurants so great. You CAN make more than one reservation at each.

On our honeymoon we purchased one of the romance packages that included a private beach dinner. This was absolutely fantastic and well worth the money. We requested the crab appetizer and soup and were pleased to see this on our menu that arrived (with champagne at our request) the morning of our dinner. For dinner we had lobster tail and filet. Our dessert was the best I've seen at the resort and the plate was beautifully decorated.

Also included in our romance package was a spa gift certificate. The twilight massage was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE (yes, this seems to be the theme here!). At sundown you lay down next to your honey at two tables right in front of the breakwall. The massage itself was fantastic but the setting made it that much better. It was simply amazing.

The entertainment in the evenings is usually pretty good. Don't miss the steal drum band, they are awesome! We also had an absolute blast (and WAY too many glasses of champagne) at the piano bar sing-a-long.

Overall, this resort can not be beat. We enjoyed the options we had on and off site. The nice thing about it is that it seems just the right size for the number of people they book. You can make friends with other couples and meet up later but it is big enough so that you can escape on your own. It was honestly the best two vacations I have ever been on and it made my honeymoon absolutely perfect.

I have PLENTY of pictures, please feel free to email me if you are interested.