Question: Guess who's building up the next cove over from Sandals Whitehouse?
Answer:Riu

Say it ain't so! I haven't seen the Riu Negril in person but the pictures on the website look ridiculous - sort of Greek looking muddle.

Lots of development by Spain and Portugal now afoot on island with another megadevelopment in Trelawney
on the North Coast slated. Tho the US tourist market is key, Sandals and Breezes are now expanding outside Jamaica, Bahamas and the DR into Brazil and the beaches of Bahia. The Euro market is the new target.

7 days and we will be sitting on a beach float in the warm sun!!! and a free 2 weeks next year, what more could you ask for! Just heard from a guest's mother that the resort is beautiful, not much shade and only one pool has floats. The beach is great but alittle rocky in some spots. Cant wait till next saturday... we will be there from Feb 19- March 4.

I just have to say this - it isn't negativity but a fact. The Sandals Whitehouse hotel looks like Disneyland. This is NOT Jamaica but a place to pretend you have been somewhere interesting. I just stayed at a lovely villa across the bay from this hotel and we could not have had a nicer experience and we feel it was the real Jamaica. I agree with a previous posting - see Life in Debt and you will understand how these all-inclusive hotels only take advantage of the local cheap labour for their own benefit. Especially, the Sandals group. See what has happened to Air Jamaica if you have any doubts.

As the spa at Sandals is not yet ready to open, spa services can be accessed 15 minutes away at OASIS SPA, Belmont/Bluefields. Licensed and offering a full spectrum of therapeutic massage, yoga, pampering and beauty services, Oasis Spa is run by Canadian Jaci Frazier Daly ([email protected]), former head of spa services at Negril's Swept Away. The Peter Tosh site is a 5 min. walk and horseback riding can be accessed at Paradise Point,10 min.away should Sandals guests like to see what's outside the gates...

Oasis Spa is about 10 mins up the road from Sandals. I had massage, scrub, AND Facial. The facail was the best I have ever had! The staff seem very highly trained for Jamaica. One woman has a Dr of Chinese medicene, another has been trained in asthetics in Europe. I looked at Sandals menu and I think it is less expensive at Oasis.
My goup had our massages on the sea jetty right on the water..couldn't be better.
I agree with Tiverton..get out of Sandals property and there are some amazing deals and amazing things out there. Visit Oasi Spa for sure.

Sandals is extending their soft opening to a "semi-soft" opening. We eave on teh 11th of march - got a callsaying the landscaping mostly done, but the internet cafe, spa and fitness center are not100% yet. Some of the furniture is tied up in customs nad they expect it to be inplace when we arrive BUT just in case, we are being "given" three free nights at any Sandals resort, to be used by the end of 2006. Sadly it is not 7 nights like the previous posters got, but it sounds like they have made significant progress since then. It will defray the cost of a longer stay, or make a nice long weekend at their Nassau resort. The photos posted on the other website by returning travelers are gorgeous!