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If you’re looking for an adult only all inclusive vacation in the Caribbean and prefer a small luxury resort, check out Sandals Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios. Royal Plantation has only 74 rooms and every suite boasts a gorgeous oceanview, stocked in room bar, pillow menu, robes and slippers and other luxury touches.
The food at Royal Plantation is gourmet and the service top notch, but the ambiance is relaxed and casual. In fact, what sets Royal Plantation apart is the focus on pampering without pretension. It’s a little hard to describe, but oh so easy to enjoy!
Let’s start with the food. During a recent stay I enjoyed a wide variety of foods and flavors including island specialties like grilled lobster, gungo (a spicy bean soup), patties (pastry stuffed with beef), Jamaican hot chocolate (made with coconut milk and cinnamon), and of course jerk chicken and pork.
To balance the local dishes I indulged in more traditional gourmet fare like delicious pork tenderloin with orange sauce, crusted salmon, veal roast and a perfectly prepared steak with garlic mashed potatoes.
Favorite lunch offerings were fish and bammies (fish and chips with a Jamaican twist), homemade soups and yummy ice cream sundaes. But the mid day highlight was Friday’s fish fry where we prepared our own meal under the watchful eye of celebrity chef Peter Fraser, aka Resort General Manager.
Wearing a chef’s hat, Peter helped us select a fillet of just caught red snapper marinated in a puree of olive oil, garlic, thyme and onion. We added vege’s like okra, carrots and scallions, a dollop of butter and splash of white wine. Then sealed it all in foil pouches and popped them on the grill. The finished product was fantastic and even the non fish eaters in our group ate every bite!
So enough about the food you say? Let’s talk about the all inclusive!
Royal Plantation has two lovely soft sand beaches fronting the turquoise Caribbean Sea. On the main beach, butlers cater to your every whim. Champagne at 10a, fruit at 11a and a cooling mist of rose water at noon… no problem mon! Need something special? Just raise a flag for service.
The second beach, a few steps away, has sailboats, kayaks and watertrikes for guests to enjoy. You can hop on the snorkel boat a couple of times a day for a trip to a nearby reef or stay dry and see the fish through a glass bottom boat.
Landlubbers will enjoy complimentary golf at Sandals Golf and Country Club, tennis, giant chess, table games, billiard table and more. Add an award winning spa, fun off property activities like swimming with dolphins and ziplining and even a complimentary Catamaran sail which many guests decline, preferring the more personal beach butler service to the “booze cruise”.
Royal Plantation is for discerning adults seeking a relaxed beach or golf getaway, romantic anniversary or luxury honeymoon resort. Book online or call Linda at (800) 321-7907 with your questions about the perfect Sandals Resort for you.