Sandals Dunn's River Villagio Golf Resort Spa Reviews

This was our first time in Jamaica and our first time with sandals - we will be back!

The journey to the resort from Montego Bay airport was quite long - about 2 hours with a stop halfway for a beer on a creaky old bus. But as long as you're aware of this in advance and are psyched up for it, it's ok. The resort itself is fab. Very lively - quite a few Americans drop in for a long weekend. Our room was nice, we were in a concierge room so we had a bar in the room - litre bottles of whatever we wanted. Room service is included so we ordered food at midnight for a feast - but food is available all the time anyway, so you'll NEVER get hungry - or thirsty for that matter. We really liked the snorkelling as we've never done that before and we were taken out on a speed boat to see the beach where one of the James Bond films was shot. The drinks are a bit too strong - too much rum and not enough mixer - so you need to let the bar staff know how you like it. I was a bit disappointed that the cocktails aren't fancy - i.e. in coconut shells with an umbrella or even a garnish - just a plastic beaker. The staff are, however, very attentive and I don't really have any complaints. The food is very good and caters for all tastes. The tepanyaki restaurant is quite an experience, so if you go you should book there one night. The resort itself is fairly small but it is high quality. It had plenty of choice for us for a week. We had a great time!

I had never thought of visiting Jamaica before but i am so glad now that i did. It is absolutely beautiful, far nicer than i ever would have expected. I have stayed in a lot of hotels before but this one is exceptional. The staff are friendly and so helpful. They treated me like an absolute queen - the hotel provide the type of service that you expect to see in a romantic film. The location was idyllic & the room was gorgeous. Nothing was too much for the staff, they were always on hand to tend to your every need. This hotel is so plush & luxurious you wont be disappointed. I would recommend it to anyone.

…… I stayed at the SANDALS Dunns River Villagio in Jamaica. As a travel agent for over a decade, I have stayed in some beautiful places and some fantastic hotels in the world ……. but this was by far the best!!! I have had great service in the past but at Sandals the service was exceptional. The rooms looked great in the brochure and they certainly had the wow factor upon arrival. We were met at the airport and guided directly into the ‘Sandals Lounge’ were we able to freshen up and were handed refreshments whilst our luggage was taken ahead of us. After a comfortable transfer we were then met at the hotel lobby were again we were met with refreshments (champagne), had a brief explanation from a member of staff and were than shown by a very friendly porter to our room. Not only did the porter take our luggage into the room, he showed us where every thing was, opened the curtains and balcony doors, explained the procedure with the mini bar and reassured us that there was ‘NO tipping’ and we should not feel uncomfortable about it. That is 1st class service which I had never experienced before. Every inch of the hotel and its grounds were immaculately kept. Staff are polite and friendly, would always ask if you wanted to join in any activity but there was no pressure what so ever. Food was 24hours and as a fussy eater myself, I went without nothing! Food was fantastic and if they didn’t have it, they got it! Activities and excursions were extremely well organised. A shuttle bus ran frequently to other Sandal properties along the coast. To top our fantastic holiday off, we were asked to be witness for a couple from New York for their wedding ceremony. It was so romantic and beautiful. Their wedding photographs were top class and they were made to feel very special throughout their stay. There were never two weddings close together, so as bride & groom they were never made to feel that their precious day was shared with other wedding couples. Top class hotel!! 12 out of 10!!!!

Just got back from a week staying at Sandals Dunns River, would recommend to anyone looking for a luxury holiday or Honeymoon. Got upgraded free to a suite consierge room with seaview and bar in you room and was very clean.

We booked this hotel for our honeymoon as we wanted to try the Sandals experience. What we got was a beautiful hotel, lovely beach and pools but basic food. The breakfast and lunch buffets were fab absolutely everything you could dream of but the dinners in the restaurants were really really average. We annoyingly did not go on any excursions either as they all seemed to require enforced fun which we didnt really fancy ie races up and down the falls, singing around a campfire etc.For the prices you pay I think there should be a real improvement in the food as for example the Italian resembles something from the frozen section of Tesco's and the gourmet white service was not even as good as Tesco's Finest range... The oriental restuarant was more of a visual than taste experience as it was all cooked in front of you with lots of camaraderie but the actual food was nothing special.

Don't get me wrong the hotel itself was clean and luxurious, it was great not having to tip and the beach and pools wonderful. The guys at the bars though were pretty useless when it came to making cocktails, you seemed to get the same thing pretty much everytime and there was no coktail menu which was a big disappointment for me!

Having done Sandals I would not do it again, you are paying for the name and not having to tip. For the money you can pay you can get a far better experience elsewhere!

This was our first holiday in the Carribean and, having read some of the reviews on this site I was not sure what to expect. However, I can only say that this was probably the best holiday we have had.

On arrival in Montego Bay we sailed straight through customs etc - no problem. We were met by the Red Caps, local men who work for tips by helping holiday-makers with their luggage. If you let them help you they only ask a small tip of about 1 or 2 dollars and this is their way of making a living. We took about 50 dollars in 1 dollar bills just for tipping.

Sandals have their own hospitality room at the airport where there are cold drinks, beers and snacks provided. Then we were straight on the bus and travelling to Ocho Rios. It took about 2 hours to get there but that included a rest stop on the way to stretch your legs etc. I didn't think the roads were as bad as other reviews led me to believe.

The welcome at Dunns River couldn't have been better. A cold flannel, cocktail, then straight to the room. We had a Deluxe room overlooking the pitch and putt course which was lovely, very clean with new furnishing. We understood the resort had just been refurbished at a cost of 25 million and you could certainly tell.

To keep it short, the resort was superb, the food good and the beach and pools excellent, but most of all the staff, from the room maids to the Assistant Manager, Cinzia, were brilliant. They were so friendly to everyone, nothing was too much trouble and you genuinely felt that they enjoyed their job, singing whilst they worked all the time. It was the staff that made this holiday so special.

I would definitely recommend this resort to anyone who would like a relaxing holiday, in glorious surroundings, with excellent service.