Beaches Royal Plantation, February 15-22, 2002

Introduction - We had never been to an all-inclusive resort because we imagined it to be like an all day fraternity party, with people out control from too much alcohol. It wasn’t until I met Penny, my on-line travel agent, that we even thought about Jamaica. She steered me towards Beaches Grande Sport, and although it really looked pretty on the Beaches web site, I thought it was too big, and I didn’t like that it wasn’t located directly on the beach. The moment I saw pictures of Beaches Royal Plantation, however, I knew that's where we would be going on vacation. The resort isn’t too big (approximately 80 rooms), and from what I read, the food and rooms received above average reviews. Most importantly, it was directly on the beach, so I got a quote and booked the trip.

Departure - We flew Air Jamaica, departing from Logan Airport in Boston. Air Jamaica’s check-in was quick and efficient, but the line to get through security was an hour and a half wait. The flight was okay, despite there being tons of kids on the plane. There were more families traveling to Jamaica then I had anticipated. Our flight left early in the morning, so our complimentary meal was breakfast. We had the choice of pancakes, eggs, or cereal, and they even gave you a free glass of champagne or a glass of Red Stripe beer. We also had a free movie.

Sangster Airport – Although the Customs line was long, it moved rather quickly, and by the time we got downstairs to pick up our bags, they had already been unloaded from the plane. After finding our suitcases, we were quickly greeted by some members of the Beaches staff. When we said that we were going to Beaches Royal Plantation, they carried our bags over to the Beaches desk for us. We had the option to board an Air Jamaican Express flight and chose to do so. The flight takes about 15 minutes, whereas the bus ride takes two hours. Once we landed, someone from the airport called Beaches Royal Plantation, and a van was sent to pick us up.

Check In – When our van pulled up to the hotel, we were at a loss for words. It was more gorgeous than the pictures in the brochure. The lobby is an "open-air" building, and when you look inside, you’re looking directly at the ocean. The landscaping was beautiful as well. The concierge opened the door to our van and said, "Welcome to Beaches Royal Plantation". It was like something out of a movie. We were lead into the receiving area and given cool scented cloths as well as a glass of champagne. After signing a few forms, we were taken on a tour of the property. It was even more beautiful than I imagined, and Beaches Royal Plantation exceeded our expectations. The tour ended with us being lead into our suite, and it was absolutely perfect. Our accommodations included a large bedroom with a canopied bed; the bathroom was just as big as the bedroom and had a Jacuzzi tub, an open shower, and even a bidet. This unique suite came with a balcony with reclining chairs, a table for eating, and a wet bar stocked with coffee, soda, water, beer and various bottles of liquor.

Room Service - Breakfast is offered at the Bayside Restaurant, or you can order room service. Since we had such a great place to eat on our balcony, we always ordered room service. The time it took to get our food varied, but it was usually within thirty minutes. The menu was extensive and included, omelets, eggs of any variety, waffles, pancakes, French Toast, fruit, juices, and just about anything else you could think of. I think our favorite breakfast item was the chocolate croissant.

Dinner wasn't served until 7:00 pm, so in the early evening, we always ordered something from room service. It was convenient having 24-hour food delivery! The fruit plate was a favorite for our late afternoon snack, and the Caesar salad was very good too.

The Royal Cafe - We ate lunch here every day because it's located right off the beach, so it was convenient. You were allowed to wear your swimsuit, so it was nice that you didn’t have to go back to your room and change. The Bayside is also open for lunch, and they require proper attire (ie: no swimsuits). We really liked the variety of food offered by the Royal Café, and we never ran out of different things to order. The seafood club, the burgers, and the seafood salad were all very good. We also liked ordering the crudite and hummus for an appetizer, as well as the fruit plate, which came with some really good banana bread.

Beach Bar and Butler Serivce After getting to the beach and picking out a chair, you were given a yellow flag. Whenever you wanted a drink, you simply stuck the flag in the sand, and the "beach butler" would come over and take your order. There were 2-3 girls who brought drinks to both of the beaches and the pool area. Although the bar was close to the beach, and you could easily walk up to order your own drink, the Beaches staff really did want to pamper you we ended up getting used to it! Some of our favorite drinks were the Pina Coladas, Mudslides, Blue Caribbean Skies, Red Stripe Light, and especially the frozen Rum and Cokes!! In addition to bringing you drinks, every afternoon at 12:00, the beach butlers came around with a huge platter of fruit - melon, apple, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, and grapes. It always hit the spot.

The Bayside Restaurant - We ate dinner every night at the Bayside Restaurant, and there were always plenty of staff members on hand. One person sat you, another person filled your water glass, another person took care of the bar drinks, someone else took your order, a different person brought your meal, and another person cleared away empty dishes. The menu is extensive, and the food is excellent. Chef Hugo changes the menu mid-week, and he always walked through the restaurant to ask how you were enjoying the meal. The dress code is casual elegant the men wore slacks with collared shirts, and the women wore sundresses or pants. Some people were wearing shorts even though you weren’t supposed to. If the weather was nice, the tables were outside on the patio. In the event of bad weather, seating was inside, but either location was very pleasant. Plenty of space was left between tables, and the atmosphere was peaceful. They always had a trio playing live music, usually playing jazz or pop standards. We always enjoyed our meals and never ran out of things to order. I usually started with an appetizer (the shrimp cocktail and oysters were both fabulous), had my entree (the lobster in herb butter and beef tenderloin were especially good), and finished off with dessert (the least impressive part of the meal, but always tasty). They didn't offer a large selection of wines, and I noticed quite a few people complaining about that. I’m not a picky wine drinker and had an Argentinean Merlot that was really good.

We never got around to trying the French restaurant, but their seating arrangement appeared similar to the Bayside. Their dress code was stricter, however, and dinner jackets are required. Although we considered going to one of the other hotels to try their restaurant for dinner, we were so satisfied with the Bayside Restaurant we never bothered to leave.

Beach Party - On Monday night, the resort hosts a beach party. Tables and chairs are set up on the beach, surrounded by flaming torches sticking in the sand. Long buffet tables are set up on the Royal Café patio, and I don't think I have ever seen such an extensive display of food. One table had various types of salad, another table provided appetizers, there was a large grilling area with any kind of grilled meat or seafood you could want, and of course the dessert table offered lots of choices. The food was really good -- I especially enjoyed the grilled crayfish and the banana cheesecake.

For entertainment, there was a Steel Drum Band, as well as three local musicians who stopped by each table and played a couple of Reggae songs.

The Spa - Neither one of us had ever been to a spa before, but I ended up having two massages while I was there. The staff members were very nice, and the only part I didn’t like was putting on a hot robe after being in the sun all day. I wanted to cool off!

Water Sports For water recreation, there were several small sailboats, a couple of sea tricycles, and some kayaks. We became friendly with the guys who worked in the Water Sports booth, so we always had someone to take us out on a boat ride. You can sail by yourself after a brief lesson, but with the inconsistent wind patterns, we felt safer with someone else at the helm. We really liked riding in the motorized rescue boat up and down the coast. It was fun to see the other hotels from the water, and our captain pointed out various places of interest. The hotel also offers snorkeling trips that leave twice daily. I regret that I never went, but I will definitely go next time!

The Mansfield Basic School A hi-light for me was visiting this school. Several months before leaving on our trip, our travel agent mentioned that Beaches Royal Plantation provides assistance and donations to a local elementary school. I'm a teacher, so I wanted to be involved in this endeavor. We brought a lot of school supplies (everything from crayons and coloring books to staples and thumbtacks) in two small suitcases and personally delivered them. The school was about 15 minutes away from the hotel, and two staff members drove us there. The school is a small building - one room, divided into two small classrooms by a partition. The kids were very cute and came running out to the van as we pulled into the parking lot. The teachers and the principal were grateful, and it felt good to be able to give back something to Jamaica.

Check Out and Departure - The night before your departure, you are given a summary of your bill and instructions for airport transfers and baggage pick up. If you are flying Air Jamaica, you have the luxury of being able to pre-check in on the day you leave. This is done early in the morning, but it’s worth it. The Air Jamaica staff checks your bags, prepares your boarding pass and transfers your luggage to the airport. Our flight didn't leave until later in the day, so we were able to enjoy one last day at the beach. Even though we had checked out at 11am, we were allowed to enjoy the all-inclusive benefits. The hotel offers several public bathrooms that you can use to freshen up in before heading to the airport. If you have been at the beach all day, it’s a nice luxury.

I thought the free air transfer was one-way, from Montego Bay to Ochos Rios. I'm still not sure, but I think we could have also taken the flight back to Montego Bay. This is something we definitely want to verify for next time because the shuttle service was a nightmare. The ride to the airport took two hours because the roads are in poor condition, there are lots of animals to avoid, and there is a lot of traffic. By the time we got to the airport, we only had 30 minutes before our flight left, but it was no problem since our bags had already been checked, we had our boarding passes and getting through Security took less than five minutes.

The Staff - When I look back on this experience, I think what made our vacation extra special were the people who worked at Beaches Royal Plantation. Everyone went above and beyond to make sure we were having a good time, and we had a fantastic time. We can’t wait to go back.