I've been to Sandals Negril 3 times and Sandals Antigua and am now ready for one of the other Sandals resorts. How is Sandals Dunns River? Are there any first-hand reports out there? We are looking at booking a penthouse suite on the concierge level there. Our other option would be St. Lucia - the big one. Also... has anyone been to a Sandals over NYE in jamaica or St. Lucia? Do they do anything special? Thanks! I need to know asap so I can book something!

How was Sandals Negril? We are trying to decide between that and Sandals Antigua.

I was at Sandals Dunns River for a week in April. We had a very nice time. The food and service were very good. The pool was very nice. They also had good entertainment. There are beautiful grounds and landscaping. It is a very lively crowd with a lot of activity going on all the time. The rooms are comfortable, much like I would expect at a Holiday Inn, nothing fancy. People who had been to other Sandals said the rooms were not as "luxurious" as at some of their other properties (Bahamas, St. Lucia). Some of these people had upgraded to the suites as well. We saw them, and I agree, probably not worth the huge difference in price if you are hoping for luxury. Our only major disappointment was the beach. It is very small and it is gated in by a large barbed wire fence. This eliminates the long strolls on the beach we enjoyed when we stayed in Negril. On the other side of the fence is a "Native Craft Market" where we were bugged by Jamaicans all day to buy things if we were anywhere near the fence. Also a very small area of the ocean is roped off for swimming. On the other side of the ropes are a few Jamaicans on jet skiis trying to sell jet ski rides from sun up to sun down. Don't get me wrong--the Jamaicans we met were wonderful, but I just didn't like feeling hassled when I just wanted some peace and quiet on the beach. I expect that when we go into town to shop. However, if you are somebody who prefers to hang around the pool, then none of this will be a problem for you. Overall we had a nice vacation but wouldn't go back because we mainly go to the Caribbean for a stunning beach.

We loved the Sandals Golf resort in St.Lucia. It was wonderful, the food was great and the staff was very freindly. We spent 8 days there in Feb and will definately go back there. Any?'s just email me.

My husband and I spent a week at SAndals Dunns River 3 years ago and we would not go back. I thought it would be much more luxurious. I was extremely disapponted in the beach, and to me, the beaches are the main reason I go to the Carribean. We were only 28 at the time and felt we were the only "mature" adults there. Don't get me wrong - we drink and party with the best of them, but a bunch of 35-40 year olds yelling "toga" as they jump into the pull cannonball style is not by idea of a good way to spend $3,000. WE did still enjoy our week - the pool was nice and some of the meals were OK. WE've come to the conclusion that we're not all-inclusive people - perhaps we'll try Sandals Negril next time. I've heard much better things about that one.

We chose antigua last year because we enjoyed Negril's beach so much and that is supposed to have the next best beach - and it did. We absolutely loved Antigua - I believe it's our favorite. They do not have a lot of ocean-front rooms, but they do have a lot of ocean view ones that sit near the back of the resort on a bluff. Antigua was wonderful - and we also really liked Negril, we're just looking for something different this time.

If you're beach lovers DO NOT GO. While the resort itself was very nice, the beach was absolutely awful and described very well in the above post by Jennifer. We went there for our honeymoon and we were very disappointed. In you like all-inclusives (we've since decided we don't), go to Sandal's Negril.

ok, well i am in the minority here. Dunns River is the 1st Sandals I went to and loved every minute of it. Been back 3X The service was excellent, management great and attentive (Louis Grant mgr)and the playmakers r the best. That said, yes the beach is small and in a cove area, we loved the fence area and when we got enough courage we went around (by scaleing this brick wall that jetted out into the water and swinging around the end of fence to the other side, quite a site) and bought a few things and had our hair braided. I loved the rooms and the 2 floor suites were beautiful. The pools r great, but if you want long strolls on the beach like Negril, this isnt the place, nor is anything else in Ocho Rios. On the other hand the rooms and suites r wonderful at St. Lucia, very private. You have the same beach situation there (small and covey), great pools, lousy playmakers, a little stuffy, good food, slow service, a little bit of a I dont care attitude, managment is nice but not really on the ball. i had 70 couples that went to Dunns and the next year went to St. Lucia. Not one complaint at Dunns, St. Lucia was a nightmare with service issues. Fun, Fun , Fun over NYE at any of the resorts. Enough said.

This question is for Cindy--what is there to "love about the fence area"? I'm trying to figure out what there is to love about a 10 foot tall barbed wire fence blocking views of the sea and mountains. What is there to love about Jamaicans who are by the fence selling drugs, among other things? Oh--I just remembered, you are a travel agent. I just read a post from a woman who said travel agents receive some of the largest commisions from Sandals/Beaches. Maybe if I, too, were a travel agent I wouldn't want negative information spread about a resort that was a large source of profit for me. I always wondered why each and every time I have visited a travel agent I left with a Sandals brochure in my hand. Now I know.

To the above postor...Boy have you got everything figured out...we sure cant get anything by you...Yes we do make a large comm on Sandals...we make so much money that we're all millionaires after we get a few of you suckers to book with us...You have a real problem and need help. You really dont know what you are talking about do you? The fence is no more than 6ft high and doesnt block anything and if I choose to find the experience entertaining whether i am buying drugs, getting my hair braided, or buying a wood carving, thats my business isnt it. Probably the reason you leave every agency with a Sandals brochure in your hand is just to get your bad attitude out of their offices. You dont have to omit your name as I know who this is and if you want to continue with this little tat ta tat, im game.P.s. smarty pants if my purpose wasnt to deter anyone from a Sandals then explain why I said the service at St. Lucia was lousy. Now that was stupid of me. St. Lucia is a better comm.

No, Cindy, I do not have a "real problem" and I don't "need help". It simply seems that a barb wire fence and drug dealers on the beach would be a negative, yet you were able to put a spin on it and actually turn it into a selling point. It just reminded me of a of a used car salesman trying to sell a lemon. Sorry if I offended you by suggesting that travel agents may do this for profit. Maybe you truly do enjoy barb wire and drug dealers. If that is the case, I sincerely apologize.

This responce is for the person who does not want to be known on here only as ???@????.com I am one of those people whom also enjoys Jamaica, we all dont have the negative views on that Island like some people we know, or "excuse me even the one's we dont know" whether I to am getting my hair braided, or buying whatever it is my business . If I am having a good time thats all that counts. I have never left my travel agents office with any brochure in hand that I was not interested in taking. I think Cindy has given a fair rating on all the resort she has spoken of. If she books travel as good as she speaks im sure she is a very good agent, she seems very knowledgeable of the travel business. As for the commission she makes dont we all get paid for the work we do? I dont think any of us work for nothing.

This is for ??????. Maybe I just dont happen to find the negetive in everything. I tend to overlook the small things when the bigger picture is so great. I feel bad that you are constantly on the lookout for those wicked used car salemen, travel agents , amway distributors and yes even all the hidden charges LDB wants to squeeze out of you. We only go around once, why do it complaining all the way. What would you have Dunns do 1.Close the resort cuz there are drug dealers in Jamaica (Horrors do you know the word no thanks) 2. Let the vendors roam the beach hasseling all the guests. or 3. Put up a chain link fence so they cant come on the resort beach and the guest can sit far enough away so they arent hasseled unless they choose to be. I choose door #3. This is no spin just good business. And yes you have offended me. You imply that I would sell anything to anybody just to make a profit. You dont even know me...unlike online agents my clients come into my office, they are my friends, neighbors, relatives. Its my job to make sure they understand what they are getting and I understand what their expectations are for their vacation. I have refused to book certain hotels, cruises or airlines for clients. I would rather lose the sale to someone else than knowingly sell a vacation someone is going to be dissapointed with. I have also asked people like you to go elsewhere and book their travel as there are some people who are just miserable no matter where they are or what they are doing. They cant be pleased. It makes me ill that you are so jaded...Your apology is accepted, but plz dont respond to my posts and I wont respond to yours. I dont like you.