Beaches Royal Plantation Trip Report - February 22-March 1, 2002 by sjmcfar@attbi.com

Beaches Royal Plantation is a beautiful resort in a great location. The rooms are lovely and the staff is friendly. The atmosphere is very relaxing and quiet. Staff tries to be unintrusive yet there to meet your needs. Having stayed at Gran Lido, Negril, we were pleased that all meals were a la carte --- no buffets, except for the beach party. Of course, it does have a five star rating so these are the things that you would expect. However, there are definitely some kinks that have to be worked out. Staff needs to be trained to problem solve and find out answers to questions that are asked. For example, after asking for a weather forecast for the third time during the second day of rain at the front desk and no one ever got back to me (even on voice mail as promised), it was frustrating. More importantly, not having any merlot or tomato juice for the third day in a row at the restaurant (even though it was available at the beach bar) was annoying. They kept saying they would order it for the next day. We spoke to the general manager before we left and he assured us that these types of issues would be addressed. We hope that this does happen as we would like to return to this resort as we liked the size and ambience. Below are some of the things that I think will be helpful to anyone staying at BRP.

We arrived in Montego Bay from Boston on schedule and asked the Beaches representative about the free flight to Ocho Rios. We were immediately given boarding passes and taken to Air Jamaica Express. Fortunately, I asked the agent if these were all we needed to board and was told that we needed to trade these in for tickets. The plane was scheduled to leave at 1:15 pm, but after several delays and many broken promises we left at 3:00 pm. Upon arrival at the airport 20 minutes later, we quickly realized that the representative in Montego Bay had not informed BRP of our arrival at the airport; therefore, we had to wait 30 more minutes for someone to pick us up. The driver, Junior, was very apologetic and friendly and pointed out various attractions on the way to the resort.

The resort is gorgeous and we received champagne and cool washcloths from the smiling concierge. We received a brief tour of the facilities and were whisked off to our room. Although we had booked “run of the house and were assured by Air Jamaica Vacations that we would be upgraded considerably since there are only 4 lower end rooms, we were assigned to a room next door to the lowest end rooms. The room was beautiful with spectacular furnishings and amenities. Immediately we realized that it was right next to the Bayside Restaurant and above the beach bar, so it was noisy. We could see that they weren’t full and asked for a room in the east wing, however, we were told that they could not move us that day but would probably be able to move us on Saturday; the front desk would let us know. On Saturday, I checked with the front desk and no one knew anything about a room change, but they did accommodate us. This room was also a Premium Oceanfront Suite, but in a quieter location in the east wing.

We had wonderful dinners at Bayside. Service and food were excellent. The soups and escargot in particular are wonderful. Entrée choices from lobster to goose to ostrich to steak were excellent. The roast changes daily and specials twice a week. The variety was a pleasure. There was also a wide variety of liquor all brands of liquor and cordials (even Strega). There was a trio playing, a folksinger/guitarist, or the local troupe. After dinner, some nights, there is a pianist in the lounge or upstairs where there is a cordial bar at varying times during the evening. He is also there for afternoon tea or cocktails.

Breakfast was excellent with escoviched fish as my favorite. Steak and eggs were wonderful, but unless you should ask for eggs well-cooked in omelets. Lunch at the beach bar was good with homemade nacho chips to start. The variety was good with sandwiches, salads, soups, and Jamaican specialties delicious. Sandwich ingredients are slim but cheeseburgers were thick and cooked to order. Bayside had a more extensive menu for lunch including veal cutlets and lamb kabobs. The ice cream is a must as is the cut up fruit in a scalloped cookie shell.

No one really explained the flambé to us, but luckily, we discovered it. You must make reservations and give your order when you make them. They only take 12 people per night. Steaks were delicious but very thin, and the bananas foster “to die for”. It is a nice thing to do.

The French restaurant was a disappointment. We assumed that the food would be best there as it is more formal. There is a set menu with 2 choices of entrees that changes daily. If you want to eat outside you must specify that when you make reservations, as we were disappointed to find out when we arrived. The service is not white glove, as advertised, and the dress code is not as advertised. Jackets were simply put on backs of chairs. We suggested to the general manager that enforce it or don’t bother to have it. We were dressed up and some were in T-shirts. We were told that this was because Sandals overbooked and people were forced to move to BRP and did not bring appropriate clothing. Maybe a Japanese screen dividing the restaurant would help. There wasn’t a wine list. Wine was served from opened bottles and the first night there was no merlot. Also, petit fours were on the set menu and were not served either of the nights we ate there. They were willing to substitute somewhat if you couldn’t eat one of the courses for some reason. The bar up there was never open. As for the food, it was just okay. The veal cordon bleu came without any kind of a sauce and was dry. The escargots were very good. The steak was tender, but very thin.

Tea in the afternoon was served with tea sandwiches, scones, and mini-pastries. All were good. A continental breakfast is served early, but no one told us that it was available. Appetizers were served in the bar around 6. We accidentally stumbled on them one night.

The beach party is a nice buffet. It is nothing extravagant, except for the roasted pig, but it is good. The entertainment was nice…local limbo, juggler, etc.

The watersports were great for us. The staff is very accommodating giving boat rides, Hobe cat sails; kayaks, trikes, sunfish are there for your use. Scuba is through BGS, as is snorkeling. The glass bottom boat was broken, so we went out through BGS. There was not much to see, but the ride was nice. The people at BGS were complaining about their beach, etc. Perry is a great watersports instructor. The pool is small, but with the beach, we never used it.

We went to Dunn’s River Falls. It really is fun to do. You book at the gift shop. They told us to bring a few dollars to rent a locker for valuables, however it was $8. There is a large craft market, so bring money if you go. Water shoes are a must.

We walked downtown. It is safe to do and takes about 20 minutes. The Blue Mt. coffee is half of the cost that they charge at the gift shop. The first place on your right as you walk into the new shopping plaza has the best prices - $12.50 a pound. Liquor is the same price at the airport. You can get a cab back up for $5, vs. the $32 round trip charged at the gift shop for the shopping tour.

The gym is small, but adequate for the size of the resort. All activities, except tennis are at BGS or SOR. I did not use the spa, but everyone said it was great. The Signature amenities: shampoo, crème rinse, shower gel, and lotion can be purchased at the spa. These are in the room when you arrive. If you want any additional during your stay you have to ask. Sometimes you get them or sometimes you get Sandals shampoo and crème rinse. Our housekeeping services were excellent thanks to Marilyn.

We saw Jimmy Buffet perform at the grand opening of Margaretaville. He was fantastic. That night we had a room service dinner which was excellent. There is a table in the room and the waiter serves you dinner with a tablecloth, etc. Hiro received rave reviews.

We brought things for the Mansfield School. Two of the girls at the desk didn’t know anything about the project, but the one who did graciously accepted our donations of pencils, paper, etc..

There was confusion as to arrangements to get back to the US. Air Jamaica does a preflight check-in at 7am. Luggage must be in the lobby, except for carry-ons. If you do not do this you have to leave one hour earlier for the airport. (The airport was not busy when we arrived so this really is not necessary.) We wanted to fly back to Montego Bay, but no one was aware of the 4:20 flight that we had seen on the internet. Finally, after 3 days of asking one of the girls at the front desk, Martin called Air Jamaica Express and found out that it ran sometimes. We took the taxi service provided and it wasn’t bad at all. The ride to Negril is just awful, so we were pleasantly surprised at how quickly the time passed and how interesting the sights were along the way.

Checkout is at 11 am. If no one is coming into your room you can stay for a $50 charge. Showering is available (all cold in the female bathroom) down by the pool. There are no hairdryers there, so bring your own.

A few tips…you really don’t need many clothes. You can go to breakfast and lunch in a nice cover-up or T-shirt. The beach is okay, small, but you can work with it. It is manmade, like most in Ocho Rios, so there are no long walks like in Negril. BGS and SOR were a real disappointment. We opted to stay at BRP for all meals as those who dined elsewhere wished they had stayed at BRP. The other restaurants have limited amounts of guests per night that they will take, so book early if you want to go. The main building at BGS is across the street and up a hill from the beach and a bit of a walk. SOR is right next door and you can walk over at any hour.

All in all this a great place to vacation. I know I have listed some of the problems which may sound like we didn’t enjoy it there, but truly it is the nicest all-inclusive we have been to in Jamaica or Barbados and a good value. We liked it better than Gran Lido and will most likely return. We liked the intimacy, the quiet, and the people we met there. It wasn’t stuffy at all. There were a wide range of people vacationing there, all ages from young honeymooners to elderly from all parts of the country. We liked the option of going to 3 other facilities if we decided that we wanted a livelier day or evening. People were generally happy with the facility but were annoyed by the little things that would normally not occur at a 5 star resort. We hope that BRP will rise to the 5 star rating by providing training for the staff. The GM assured us that it will and he seemed sincere. Keep us posted

Susan