Ocho Rios | Magical Travels with Barb

It’s been a whirlwind few days in Jamaica and now it’s Monday, our last full day. And it is a full day. We’re off touring in Ocho Rios today, but luckily everything is close by, no long drives.

We start with a tour of the resort we are staying at, Sandals OCHI Beach which I reviewed here.

Next, we hop on our bus to go next door to Sandals Royal Plantation, the All-Butler resort in the Sandals lineup. This is a small resort, only 74 all ocean view rooms tucked into a magnificent coral bluff.

Royal Plantation features Villa Plantana, a private 3 bedroom villa with its own private pool and stunning views.

Sandals Royal Plantation offers many of the land and water sports as all other Sandals and full use to Sandals OCHI next door as well.

Afternoon tea service, private cove beaches, 5 restaurants and unlimited golf at Sandals Golf Club nearby. Roaming peacocks, manicured lawns and Jamaica’s only champagne and caviar bar make this the perfect romantic hideaway.

Back on the bus to nearby Beaches Ocho Rios for a tour of this family-friendly resort. Beaches is for everyone, single, families, groups, girlfriend getaways and family reunions.

Beaches Ocho Rios makes everyone happy! Grownups can unwind with margaritas at the pool while the kids play at the exhilarating waterpark. Unlimited play for everyone, even kids, at nearby Sandals Golf & Country Club.

Beaches Ocho Rios offers all the inclusions of Beaches Negril, unlimited land and water sports, 7 restaurants, 3 pools, teen club, Xbox Lounge, etc…

We ended our tour with a lovely lunch and Sesame Street photo op.

After lunch, we were off to Sandals Golf Club for a brief visit before returning to Sandals OCHI Beach Resort for some free time to explore the resort before our farewell dinner.

When dinner ends, a group of us head out to find the infamous Rabbit Hole speakeasy, we got the password earlier in the day. Jackpot! The Rabbit Hole is a great entertainment venue harking back to the 1920’s style, think HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Good fun and creative drink menu.

Next morning it’s checking out and a trip back to the airport and the end of a great learning experience with Sandals Resorts. As they say in Jamaica…

We had lots of fun and learned a ton!

Soon Come Back!

The Jamaica FAM Trip continues…after a lovely lunch on the beach at Beaches we boarded our bus for Ocho Rios. It’s almost a 3-hour drive from Negril to Ocho Rios, so we stopped in Montego Bay for a brief rest at Sandals Montego Bay.

It was close to 7pm and dark by the time we reached Sandals OCHI, formerly known as Sandals Grande Rivera.

This Garden of Eden is Sandals largest resort…

Recently undergoing a 60 million dollar transformation, Sandals OCHI Beach Resort is the ultimate party and entertainment resort in Jamaica!

OCHI is divided into the hillside and seaside sections, all with lush landscaping. 529 rooms, villas, suites offer fantastic mountain and ocean views and an exclusive all butler village on the hillside. As with all the others, this Sandals also offers Club Sandals and Butler Elite.

The Hop is a shuttle that takes guests between the Seaside and Hillside and OCHI Beach Club. It runs continuously all day.

Gourmet Discovery Dining

With one of the largest assortment of dining options, you won’t go hungry at OCHI.

Hillside: Dino’s Pizzeria (pizza), Great House Cafe (Jamaican), Le Gourmand (French), Manor Houses (Jamaican), The Jerk Shack (Jerk), The Southern Table (buffet breakfast and lunch, American South dinner).

Riviera/Seaside: Bella Napoli Pizzeria (pizza), Kelly’s Dockside (grill – Butler only), Reef Terrace (pan-caribbean), Tapas on the Riviera (international), Valentino’s (Southern Italian), Vista/Sky (buffet breakfast and lunch, seafood dinner).

Club Level and Butler Level also have room service option.

Luxury Included…

As with all Sandals Resorts, a myriad of land and water sports are available, weekly events, entertainment, bars, 7 main pools and 22 hot tubs.

OCHI features one of the best night spots, a genuine speakeasy that will take you back to the 1920’s! The Rabbit Hole offers wonderful entertainment, signature drinks and a fabulous time. The thing is, harking back to the speakeasy time, you’ll need a password to get in and you have to find the place…there is no signage.

I’ll give you a hint…it’s on the hillside. That’s all I’m sharing. It’s well worth the effort of finding it, don’t miss out!

Complimentary green fees at Sandals Golf & Country Club including transfers.

Sandals OCHI is on a15 minute drive from Sandals Golf Club. Green fees and transfers are included which makes this resort a great choice for a golf group or avid golfers. Designed by PK Saunders and rates 4 star by Golf Digest magazine. They offer complimentary “welcome to golf” clinics for adults and kids. Caddies are required for a small fee and club rentals are available and you can room charge.

Available at an extra charge:

The Red Lane Spa offers a complete list of treatment options. (The Red Lane Spa offers a sauna and steam room and hot and cold plunge pools in the zen garden which are free for anyone to use.)Touring offered by Island Routes, laundry/dry cleaning available, private airport transfers, a photo shop, and special occasions options like a candlelight dinner on the beach.

*Sandals has a “no tipping” policy for all team members except Butlers and Spa Therapists.

Overall, this resort is lively and fun with lots going on all the time. A great choice for a group of couples vacationing together, active couples or golfers. Lots of excursions are available in the Ocho Rios area as well, including the famous Dunns River Falls waterfall climb.

Full photo tour on my Facebook page.