Click here for more photos of Sandals Montego Bay

Sandals Montego Bay is a fun all inclusive “couples only” resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. If you are looking for a resort that is located on a great beach in the Caribbean yet don’t want to be bored by a quiet, stuffy resort that offers little to do, then Sandals Montego Bay is an excellent all inclusive choice.

At Sandals Montego Bay you can play all day in the sun and enjoy evening festivities as well. In addition to snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaks and other non motorized sports that are available and included in your stay, Sandals also has a Mastercraft ski boat at the property and waterskiing and tubing are included. If you haven’t gone tubing in the Caribbean, it’s a lot of fun! On a typical day at this resort, you have beach volleyball going on, several guests sailing offshore, the snorkel boat departs several times daily as does the dive boat and there are always those guests who just want to either hang out in the water or chill on a beach recliner with the drink of the day. The snack/beach bar allows you to eat and drink without leaving the beach, but if you prefer to get out of the sun for a bit, there are several nice dining choices for lunch or you can take in a spa treatment.

The fun continues in the evening and you can be entertained by sitting around the main stage in the lobby of the resort with the nightly entertainment provided or if you prefer a casual socially interactive time, you can hang out in the Cricketer’s Pint. There is also a piano bar where you can enjoy a martini and hang out with snacks like nuts and popcorn.

Many guests who vacation at Sandals resorts  rave about booking a butler category room and having a butler. There are fantastic butler room options at Sandals Montego Bay called the Bay Roc Villas and what I love about these rooms are their location. These rooms are located directly on the beach at the far end of the resort so you have a nice private quiet beach area in front of your room. You are still only a short distance from the Piano Bar and swim up bar/pool and the rest of the resort, but you feel like you have your own private spot. I also really liked staying in the Concierge level rooms in the Palms Building because they are also on the beach and have a nice oceanview. The bathrooms are very standard with the basic tub/shower combo, but the room itself is plenty big with a nice balcony or patio looking out at that beautiful blue Caribbean sea.

I am always asked which is my favorite Sandals All-Inclusive Resort.  It really depends on what type of experience and atmosphere you are looking for. If you want to have fun and be active in a more lively setting, then Sandals Montego Bay is an excellent choice for you. With the highest returning guest rate of all the resorts, you’ll feel right at home at Sandals Montego Bay. Give us a call at 1-800-321-7907 or email me at patty@totemtravel.com if you would like to escape to the Caribbean. We are Sandals and Caribbean Specialists and we would be happy to help you find the right all-inclusive resort for your budget and occasion.

Click here for a slideshow of Sandals Resorts On St. Lucia

As a Preferred Sandals Agency and Royal Chairman’s Club Agent, I sell a lot of Sandals Resorts and I often get asked which Sandals Resort do I like best on St. Lucia? Of course the answer is usually, that depends! Each Sandals Resort on St. Lucia is different and has unique qualities. Sandals Grande St. Lucian might be the best choice for one couple and Sandals La Toc might be the best choice for another couple. There are a few big differences between the three Sandals All Inclusive Resorts on the island and then there are some more subtle differences. Usually there is a perfect fit for each couple at one of the three resorts and figuring this out can be difficult when you are looking online.

Sandals Grande St. Lucian is on the nicest beach of the three resorts and features a large grand lobby. The resort features beautiful views of Fort Rodney and Rodney Bay giving you a very exotic atmosphere. So if you like the feel of a larger, grander resort like you would find in a destination like Hawaii, then Sandals Grande St. Lucian might make the best choice for you.

Sandals La Toc is the most unique of the three in that while this is the largest Sandals of the three of the island, the layout of the resort makes it feel romantic and intimate. While a good portion of the rooms are located in and around the main beachfront section of the resort, some of the resort’s accommodations can be found sprinkled halfway up the bluff and once up on the bluff, there are more accommodations on the bluff with commanding views of the Caribbean. The sunsets are amazing from up here and one of the best days of my trip was enjoying a cocktail at the Sunset pool while the sun was setting.

Many clients still prefer Sandals Halycon because it is smaller with more of a seaside cottage type feel to the resort. Sandals recently renovated quite a few of the rooms at this resort and they look fantastic. The resort even offers a butler category room now and dining at The Pier Restaurant is still a popular dining choice amongst even Sandals Grande St. Lucian and Sandals La Toc guests.

There are also some key differences between room categories at each resort and depending on your budget, one of the Sandals offers the best entry level room categories, another offers better choices at the concierge level and at another, you have the most butler category rooms to choose from.

So if you are having a difficult time choosing which is the best Sandals Resort, you are not alone. We have three Chairman’s Royal Club Agents at Totem Travel, and we are happy to help you find the best Sandals Resort that fits the experience you are looking for based on our knowledge of the differences between the resorts. The choice is ultimately yours, but hopefully we can make it easier and clearer. Give us a call at 1-800-321-7907 and ask for either Patty, Sandi or Linda. Or you can ‘Get a Quote’ on our website www.totemtravel.com and we will get back to you by either email or phone.

Click here for Slideshow of Sandals Grand Ocho

By the end of this summer, Sandals Grande Riviera Beach & Villa Golf Resort will be enriched with new restaurants, a chic new Beach Club, enhanced amenities at the beach and the pool areas. The Red Lane Spa has been refurbished, along with guest rooms and the Riviera Villa Suites!

Sandals Grande Riviera has always been a good choice for a Destination Wedding,  honeymoon, anniversary celebration, vow renewal, (my husband and I renewed our vows on our 35th on the beach at Grande Riviera) or just a great couples get-away. Now it’s a great choice!! Sandals Grande Riviera has added several restaurants, which brings the total number 14! I think a longer vacation is in order! Among the culinary options are Sushi, brick-oven pizza, Asian fusion cuisine and a Mediterranean restaurant right on the beach! Sandals Grande Riviera has also added a fine-dining restaurant on the pier! Dinner at this restaurant, Kelly’s Dockside, will be the perfect romantic end to the evening.

The Riviera Seaside pool area has increased deck space and a new Jacuzzi! New cabanas have been added to the Riviera Great House pool, which features serene music and draperies for privacy. Sandals Grande Riviera’s new Riviera Beach Club will feature a brand-new boardwalk lounge with stylish outdoor furniture. The boardwalk area features romantic fire pits and an observation deck to take in the beautiful sunsets! The Beach Club also has many more cabanas and full service butlers for guests in select suites providing fresh fruits and drinks! How decadent is that?

My favorite accommodations at Sandals Grande Riviera are the Riviera Villas which are tucked into the mountainside. Most of these units are fourplexes (some are duplexes) with semi-private plunge pools. These are great for couples traveling together. Think Destination Wedding! You would all have a private suite, but a great common area around your own pool! Not only that, but all of the Riviera Villas will now have 24 hour room service.

Once the reinvigorating in completed, all of the rooms and suites within both the Riviera Villas and the Riviera Seaside sides of the resort will have new linens, mahogany furniture, upgraded bathroom fixtures, iPod docking stations, and plasma TVs.

Sandals Grande Riviera Beach and Villa Golf Resort is going to be your new favorite destination! With 14 restaurants, beautiful pools, newly refurbished rooms, and suites with pools, how could it be anything else? Oh and don’t forget golf! Greens fees are complimentary, as is the transportation from Sandals Grande Riviera!  As Certified Sandals Specialists, the staff Totem Travel has visited all of the Sandals Resorts, and would love to help you make the right choice for your holiday at Sandals!

Please email: sandi@totemtravel.com; call 425-821-4100, or book on line!

Click for slideshow of the Bora Bora Pearl in Tahiti

Many couples get married in the summertime and get all excited to honeymoon in the Caribbean, only to learn that June through October is hurricane season.  So I am often asked by couples, where can we honeymoon and still be safe from hurricanes?

There are some fabulous destinations where the best weather is during our summer months here in the U.S.    One of the more popular choices is a South Pacific honeymoon.  May through October is the best time to travel to the South Pacific and avoid their cyclone season which is primarily in January, February and March.  Tahiti has the visual “wow factor” and is one of the more popular honeymoon destinations if your budget allows.  From the beautiful island of Bora Bora to the island of Moorea, overwater bungalows are everywhere creating that exotic and romantic ambiance that the South Pacific is known for.

Another fantastic choice and one of our favorites in the South Pacific would be a Fiji honeymoon.  The Fijian islands are home to the friendliest people in the world and some say when you return from Fiji, you are a nicer person than before you left!  There are so many wonderful outer island resorts at various price points in Fiji, so even with a modest budget, you can experience an exotic Fijian honeymoon.  These outer island resorts are sprinkled with individual bures and are pure paradise for those seeking to get away from it all. We have two Fiji Matai Specialists in our office, as well as one Tahiti Tiare Specialist. So if you are looking for someone who really knows the South Pacific, we have you covered.

For those who want a more active and adventurous honeymoon, the climate in most of Australia and New Zealand is perfect during this time of year.  An Australia honeymoon during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months would allow you to experience Australia in their winter. The weather is more temperate allowing you to enjoy the exotic animals, places like Ayers Rock and sophisticated cities without baking in the sun down under.  Our agency owner, Linda has travelled to Australia & New Zealand often and can share with you some of her favorite “must see” spots in Australia and New Zealand.

Romance without the hurricane threat also can be found with a European honeymoon where you can take in the sites of Paris or enjoy a gelato in Rome or Venice.  Some of our clients prefer to incorporate a few countries and major sites and test out romance in more than one country.  We have a Europe specialist who can help put together the European honeymoon of your dreams.

But if your heart is set on the Caribbean, some safer spots are in the southern or eastern Caribbean where hurricanes are less likely to strike.  Some islands that make great choices in this region are St. Lucia or Antigua where you can find four Sandals “Couples Only” all inclusive resorts.  A Sandals honeymoon really takes the stress out of honeymoon and allows you to enjoy great beaches, water activities like scuba diving and snorkeling, great food and drinks,  ALL INCLUDED!  We have three Sandals Specialists in the office and we have been to all of the resorts.   So if you are interested in a Sandals All Inclusive Honeymoon, just give us a call at 1-800-321-7907.  We are happy to help you find shelter from hurricanes and the romantic honeymoon of your dreams.

Because I’ve been to all the Sandals Resorts numerous times and written several articles about how to choose the best Sandals Resort for an adult only all inclusive vacation, I get lots of emails and calls asking my opinion.  Lately, a number of inquiries have referenced a web site which ranks Sandals Resorts from best to worst.  So I found the site, read the list and decided it was time to update my own guide to finding the best Sandals Resort.

First let me say there is a lot of helpful information on the web and Trip Advisor is a fabulous tool when used properly.   With Trip Advisor you are clearly reading one individual’s opinion, each resort review is dated, you can identify trends (and throw out glaring exceptions), and you can somewhat qualify the author’s experience by reading the review carefully and within context.   Unfortunately that isn’t the case with the aforementioned best to worst Sandals list and while I agree with some statements about individual resorts, I disagree with an equal number.

The author of the rank ordered list is anonymous and should you wish to ask a question or request further information, you will find your email undeliverable and no phone number to call.  The printed Sandals Resort reviews are merely a summary of traveler opinions without the individual perspective, date or context.  And frankly that means everything helpful is missing!

The “deals page” mentions 2010 and 2011 as a good time for a discount and links to a dead web site.  Plus the concept of offering the best price on Sandals Resorts is completely misleading as Sandals sets its own specials and promotions and guarantees the same price through all distribution channels, online and human.  Period, over and out, guaranteed in writing!

Most importantly, a list of this sort is out of date the moment it’s printed and with Sandals Resorts this happens even more quickly.  Two new resorts, Sandals Emerald Bay and Sandals Royal Plantation, opened since the list was published and both would be top contenders for “The best Sandals Resort” in my opinion.  Another long time favorite, Sandals Dunns River, is no longer a Sandals Resort because necessary renovations were not agreed to by the owner and Sandals refused to renew their management contract.   Still another resort, Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, has been transformed in recent months with the infusion of tens of millions of dollars and is now Sandals Grande Riviera and Golf Club.  For all intents and purposes this is a new resort with remodeled rooms, additional restaurants and new, very chic beach club.

As I write, Sandals Grande St Lucian is undergoing a huge expansion and will soon offer the Caribbean’s first overwater bungalows.  A new pool area, new restaurants and additional bars are also part of the expansion.  Sandals Whitehouse has announced plans for a golf course and nearby all inclusive Beaches Family Resort and the list goes on and on….

So why write about the best Sandals Resorts?  Because there are a huge number of people who want help choosing the best Sandals resort for their vacation and I answer questions about Sandals all inclusive resorts every day.  But to be helpful I’ll want to know your wish list, your style, your travel timeframe and your budget before suggesting the best resort for a romantic honeymoon or adult only all inclusive vacation.  That’s because there is no “best resort” for everyone but there is a best resort for you!

That’s’ also why Sandals has a specialist program, lists Preferred Agencies on their web site and recognizes the top travel agents every year as “Best of the Best”.  With 13 adult only all inclusive resorts on five Caribbean islands, and prices from about $300/night for an entry level room to more than $1500/night for an over the top butler suite, it can be overwhelming to choose a resort and room category.  But we’ve been to all the resorts and it won’t cost a penny extra to have the help of a Sandals Resort specialist.  So please call, email or book online.  Sandals guarantees the lowest price available and we love to spoil our clients!

P.S.  The same philosophy applies to selecting the best resort in Bora Bora or the best vacation package in Tahiti, choosing a honeymoon resort in Fiji or selecting the best all inclusive resort in Mexico.  We publish resort reviews on all these destinations and regularly write and post pictures on favorite resorts.  So subscribe to our RSS feed or check back regularly.  Happy travels!

Click here for a slideshow of Sandals Emerald Bay

Can’t decide if Sandals Royal Bahamian or Sandals Emerald Bay is the best resort for you?  Not a problem.

Sandals all inclusive resorts has the perfect solution:  Island Hop, at their expense!  That’s right, you can fly into Nassau, about 15 minutes from Sandals Royal Bahamian, spend 4 nights, then fly to Sandals Emerald Bay, a short 40 minute flight, and spend 4 more nights, and the inter-island airfare is free for the 2 of you!!

Sound too good to be true?  It’s true!  And, Companions Fly Free from your gateway city to the Bahamas is also available!  Just book your flights with Sandals, and your companion flies for free!  How much better can it get?  Well, just let me give you some of the high points of each resort.  You’ll be glad that you don’t have to choose between the resorts.

Sandals Royal Bahamian is a beautiful resort with its own private island.  It is one of the larger resorts with 403 rooms, but at Sandals, that means a total with full occupancy of only 806 guests.  At Sandals, guests are all adult couples looking to have lots of quality time together, whether that be lying by the pool or the beach by themselves, or participating in group activities with other couples.  There are 2 main pools at Sandals Royal Bahamian, one of which is unofficially the quieter pool, and one where all the pool games take place.  The Private Island is just a short boat ride away, and gives you access to another pool, a barefoot café called Café Goombay, and a more private beach, with beach beds.  There are 10 restaurants at Sandals Royal Bahamian, and 9 Bars, including swim-up bars at the pools.

Because Sandals Royal Bahamian is near the city of Nassau, it’s easy to take the bus into the straw market, or enjoy the upscale shopping in town.  A water taxi will take you over to Paradise Island to the Atlantis Casino!     Or if you prefer to do your gambling a little closer to the resort, Crystal Palace is a very short bus ride away.

Of course, water sports are all included at Sandals Royal Bahamian, and those who choose to participate in snorkeling and SCUBA will enjoy all of the underwater sights.  Off the resort are many excursions, which are available at an extra cost.  Are you adventuresome?  How about diving with the sharks? A little less adventuresome?  Swimming with dolphins or deep sea fishing are very popular options.

Sandals Emerald Bay is the newest resort in the Sandals family.  Opening just last year, it has quickly become the showpiece of Sandals Resorts.  This is the perfect destination to relax after your busy time at Sandals Royal Bahamian.  Sandals Emerald Bay is on one of the most beautiful beaches you can imagine.  I have included additional pictures, so be sure to check them out.

Sandals Emerald Bay is smaller than Sandals Royal Bahamian, with only 183 rooms.  All of the rooms at Sandals Emerald Bay are suites with either concierge or butler service.   Even though the resort is smaller, there are plenty of restaurant and bar options:  5 of each!  The Drunken Duck, an English Pub, is one of the most popular. There are 3 swimming pools with whirlpools, and a beautiful Red Lane Spa.   The Greg Norman designed, 18 hole, Oceanside golf-course, has been featured on the Golf Channel’s Big Break program

Being able to combine Sandals Royal Caribbean with Sandals Emerald Bay creates the perfect opportunity for a wedding and honeymoon.  You could get married at Sandals Royal Caribbean with friends and family, and then fly away to your honeymoon at Sandals Emerald Bay.  Sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?

Sandals offer for free inter-island flights is a limited time offer, so please don’t hesitate if this sounds like the ideal vacation for you and your significant other!

Please contact Sandi, Linda, or Patty at Totem Travel to get the ball rolling!  We are all Sandals Certified Agents, with extensive training and we have visited all of the resorts!  Get personalized help from a travel expert at no extra cost!

Call Totem Travel @ 425-821-4100 or 1 800-321-7907

linda@totemtravel.com
sandi@totemtravel.com
patty@totemtravel.com