Came home with horrible bed bug bites. Disappointed in the service, facility, and food. Been to Beaches Boscobel two years ago and found it to be much better as far as entertainment, food, and service. Will not go back to Beaches Negril!

We stayed 5 days and 4 nights at Beaches Negril and enjoyed every minute of it, the only problem we had is we wished we could have stayed 5 more!!!! The rooms were immaculate and the staff was GREAT!!! It seemed as if the staff (or anyone for that matter) could not do enough for you, they were soooo accomodating. The food and entertainment was wonderful, not to mention the pool and the watersports....I could go on and on. My husband and I have visited Sandals Resorts twice now, and highly recommend them, you won't find better service or ammenties at any other resort. If you have not been, you won't be disappointed....and if you are looking to book a trip with Sandals or Beaches, don't hesitate or wonder, go with confidence and exictement.......I GIVE BEACHES AND SANDALS AT THE VERY MINIMUM 5 STARS AND IF IT WERE POSSIBLE I WOULD GIVE THEM 10 PLATINUM STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just got back from 17 nights of misery. We only booked this hotel as we have stayed at Beaches at Turks & Caicos and Beaches Ochio Rios and thought this would be as good. Big Mistake!!!
The kids club excluded our 2 year old due a skin condition, in fact if your child even has a cold they will be banned and only allowed back after you have paid $120 to the doctor for the OK.

Service was generally very slow & with resentment. Very few sunbeds around the pools, I would guess maybe only 60.

My 9 year old daughter went to the kids club and was almost killed by their negligence when they allowed her on the bannana boat. despite a driver and a lookout on the boat she was thrown off and not recovered. The kids club's supervisers were not even watching nor were the 5 lifeguards. Only a diligent guest spotted her and saved her from drowning.

The kids club had lots of activities including a "scavanger hunt" which the 1st item to find was a used diaper!!!!!!

Having previously visited the caribbean 7 times the evening entertainment was the worst we have ever seen. It was fragmented and cheap.

If you do go, please beware of the Last chance Saloon as it may well be your last chance due the inhabitants that you share the restaurant with. We saw running around the floor giant cockroaches and the food was a health disaster waiting to happen.

Worst holiday we have ever had. If you have any standards go somewhere else. This is just the tip of the iceberg, if you want more details please email me.

First off…I, like many of the other travelers I spoke with on this vacation read TripAdvisor reviews religiously before I went so let me give you the most honest (in my opinion) review I can.

I took this trip with my daughter, 14 and son, 12 during Spring Break April 5-13, 2008.

BOOKING TRAVEL: If you have already booked, GREAT. If not, do not use a travel agent. Beaches will not even talk about any of your arrangement changes with you directly unless you book through them. If you book with an agent, you better have one that A. can answer all your questions or B. is readily available to get the answers they can’t give you.

FLYING: Travel to Jamaica from Ft. Lauderdale was uneventful. I flew Spirit in a ban from Air Jamaica for canceling my flight due to “not making enough money on that route” from FLL to MoBay.

AIRPORT: Okay, the Airport arrival is like arriving in a third world country. Only because there are major renovations going on when you get there. Since most of the flights arrive between 2:30 and 3:30 Jamaican time, you can expect about a 1 hour wait in Immigration during the busiest travel times. I went during Spring Break so it was a long wait. You then drag all your luggage to Customs. If you have nothing to declare, you are finally free. Then you encounter mass chaos at the Beaches/Sandals lounge. We weren’t there for 5 mins before they called our shuttle. People will suggest you don’t get a baggage handler but let me tell you, for $1 a bag, it’s worth it. That’s more room to carry your Red Stripe beer! The flight back is in a more modernized section so it’s not as bad as it looks when you arrive.

TRAVEL TO/FROM BEACHES: It is 1 ½ hr drive. So use the bathroom beforehand as not all drivers stop for a break. Sit back and enjoy the beach side view. You will see quite a bit of poverty during the drive. If you have a weak stomach for being a passenger in a fast moving vehicle, it’s best you don’t look because everyone saw their lives fly before them many times during the ride.

ARRIVAL: As typical with the Sandals/Beaches style, you are greeted graciously and happily with cool towels to cool you off during the check in process. We got to our room right away after we got our towels and a glass of rum punch for me and punch for my kids.

ROOMS: I booked a Luxury Ocean View and actually had an Ocean view. The location scared me at first as I was in the Montpelier building, but it was GREAT! I literally was steps away from the main dining hall and main pool and beach. Sure the bedspreads don’t match the drapes, and yes, it was not the MOST clean of all places, but I have to tell you, for being there 10 years and having thousands of wild kids tearing up the place I was actually quite impressed. The beds were super comfortable, they had Satellite TV channels, and even though it took 1 day and 3 calls to get a roll-away bed, it was great and we still had room for all our stuff. The balcony is a great option! The air conditioner worked too well, we froze ourselves out ever night! No leaking, no mold etc.

STAFF: This is the most incredible staff you can imagine. Every Ting is “no problem, Mon!” It’s great to know they sincerely mean it too. The Jamaicans just seem so appreciative to have a job and even though there is no tipping, hook up the “exceptional ones” because if you ever come back you will have star treatment. In particular, Damien at watersports was great. You have to get on his good side though. Tell him you heard good things about him on Trip Advisor and he will hook you up with chairs and towels daily so you can sleep in. The only person I can say I had issues with was O’Neil the teen coordinator. His actions caused a separation of his minion followers and the other teens. It made for some uncomfortable moments. He’s very moody. And he canceled events quite a bit.

ACTIVITIES: For teens, this was an amazing vacation. There were so many kids in the range of 12-18 that both of my kids found lots of new friends. The “teen disco” is being renovated and I guess depending on when you visit, the Liquid Disco can either be a teen disco or an adult disco. My kids and I really enjoyed snorkeling, glass bottom boat, the “banana,” the waterslide, the pools and more. The nightly entertainment was semi-lame and really there weren’t many places for adults to hang out. Although it was quite relaxing to get drinks and sit in the Aquaduct with a breeze watching the resort life go by. They always have some sort of vendors selling stuff. There was a theme to each day and on Wednesday, after the teens arrive back from a cruise to Rick’s Café, there is a BBQ on the beach and most everyone dines out there to the sounds of a live Caribbean band. Later they have dancing, fire breathers and contests on the beach for entertainment. There are tons of watersports. Lounging at the pool or beach is great. The X-Box game center has X-Box live so that was fun for my son. There is a mini-golf course where you get the equipment to play from the kids camp/nursery.

KIDS: Okay, I gave a breakdown for teens. I can’t tell you much about any other age group other than visual observations. The kids at the kids camp seemed very happy and the staff seemed happy as well as patient.

FOOD: Okay, the food is not the BEST but it works. Yes, you have the SAME offerings for breakfast each day, but there are so many choices, you can go continental one day, fresh fish and special order omelets the next or French Toast and Bacon the other. Breakfast is ALWAYS in The Mill. It is an open air buffet restaurant. Now the brochures lead you to believe there are more options than really exist. Okay, the Café Carnival is literally a little window that serves pizza slices that pale in comparison to Pizza Hut. I believe they have wraps and pasta there too. They only stay open until late afternoon. The Beach Grill also doubles as the Last Chance Saloon at night. Typical lunch fare and a Tex-Mex menu at night. It was Okay. The grill also offers food during the day and late late night until 3 a.m. for snacks. (hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, etc). Overall the food is pretty bland and unless you are at the buffet, the portions are small. Kimono’s was not as hard to get into, you just may have to eat late. I got reservations the 2nd day I was there for that evening at 9:00 p.m. It was cool and a fun entertaining show depending on your chef. The Seville now only serves ages 16 and older and they selectively choose whether or not they will allow you in with kids under 16. The Mill is buffet and open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Kimono’s and the Beach Grill are also open for lunch. Overall the food was Oka;y. Not my favorite part of the trip as I prefer “HOT” to “LUKEWARM” but it’s Jamaica so I found alternatives that made me happy.

BARS: The swim up bar at the main pool was great. So was the piano bar. No long waits. Tell them you like your drinks strong and you will get it. You won’t find $2,000 bottles of Hennessy but the booze is good and it works. It would be nice to have more “adult” places to chill in the evenings, but you make the best of what is offered.

SPA: Not worth the money. Get your mani and pedi done at home. Mine began chipping away after 1 day.

EXCURSIONS: Okay, listen to this part GOOD… DO NOT book any excursions before you know your options. 1. The shopping trip is a WASTE OF MONEY! You are on other people’s time and you spend more time at the duty free shops than the craft market, which is where everyone really wants to go. Get a driver to take you down town and you can use your own time to shop and be a tourist. Besides, you give your money to the locals. 2. If your heart can take it, do the Canopy Tour (zip line) it was so fun and incredible and the Chukka guides, Hollywood and Rayon were AMAZING! I couldn’t stop laughing! 3. I hired a private trusted drive to take the 3 of use to YS Falls. It saved me more than $100 dollars! And he was so nice and helpful and informative during the drive. We learned the history of Jamaica, etc. Now let me tell you, YS Falls is beautiful! You can rope swing into a waterfall! Later he took us to this hidden treasure I had visited once before called the BLUE HOLE GARDENS. It’s amazing, you will need to see my photos to appreciate the beauty. 4. DO NOT PAY for a shuttle to Margaritaville or Rick’s Café. They both offer FREE shuttles! Call them! Beaches charges $20 per adult.

TIPS: Scotia Bank downtown dispenses both US and Jamaican currency. Beaches does not take cash ANYWHERE, not even the gift shop. Bring bug spray with deet! They will get you and feet, ankles and calves fall prey to the hungry bugs. Get your beach towels (found in bins around the pool and beach areas) and claim your chair around the pool. The beach chairs were readily available and so were shaded spots, but it’s Jamaica, do you really want to set in the shade? Walk down the beach. There are great gift shops, lots of vendors and the opportunity to parasail, jet ski or get scooters (though it’s not recommended). Visit Margaritaville with the kids. They have huge water trampolines to play on while you sip on one of 52 flavors of Margarita’s.

FACTS: If you look remotely underage, they will not let your children leave the resort without a parent. Speaking of underage, there was a lot of alcohol offerings and smoking pot among the teens. Be forewarned. If you have teens, have them check in with you every 2 hours so they never feel to comfortable to get mixed in with that stuff. In Beaches defense, it’s the older 18 yr olds that secure the booze for the minors. There are not major issues that resulted from this, but it was done, so now you know. Don’t be naïve.

OVERALL: The trip was great. We had so much fun. It was also very relaxing. The best parts were the people, the watersports and the excursions off site. If you have teens, they will have a great time, guaranteed! I have the email address and Phone Number for Kenny the private driver I hired. He’s with Juta tours so he’s certified and traceable if you have worries. He’s really a nice guy and father of three! And his prices will blow those away of the excursions on the resort! Email me for his info. If I left something out that you want to ask about, pleas email me!

Hope this helped! - PS EMail for a link to more photos. I took them of the entire resort!