As a Jamaican, it is always important for me to give all things Jamaican a critical evaluation. I am proud of the Jamaican tourism product, as I think the island has much to offer. Gorgeous mountains, clear rivers & waterfalls, fantastic stretches of uninterrupted white sand beaches, the wonderful variety of native dishes, and of course the friendly Jamaican people make this my home away from home.
Jamaica has seen an influx of many international resort chains over the past five years. These international resorts offer their guests a taste of Europe while on the island of Jamaica. On this escape , I decided to visit a resort that prides itself in being, “uniquely Jamaican.”
I remember Sunset Beach Resort way back in the day when it was called Seawinds. It has come a long way since then. In those days, the Seawinds towers were offices and the beach was full of prickly sea urchins. It was definitely not a resort back then. The most popular attraction was its nightclub, of which many famous tourists used to flock to. The Seawinds night club was a place to see and be seen.
The property is now Jamaican-owned and they pride themselves as being a family resort that offers a warm Jamaican all-inclusive service at a great value.
The resort is located at a point on a strip of land, forming part of the boundary for the Harbor of Montego Bay. Its about 15 to 20 minutes from the Sangster International Airport. Almost all room categories on the property give the guests a sweeping view of either the Blue Mountains and the harbor, or the beautiful Caribbean Sea.
Rooms:
Most rooms are standard in size, making them comfortable for either a couple or a family of four with two small children. The resort has been feverishly modernizing each of their room categories. Three floors in the Sunrise Tower and one floor in the Sunset Tower have already been completed. I happened to be in one of the modernized rooms and it was very nice. It came with a flat screen TV and mini fridge as well as a king bed that can be optioned out for 2 double beds if the guest prefers. The other rooms feature 27 inch TVs, coffee makers and a safe. I liked my room.
Bathroom:
In all room categories, the bathrooms are standard with a tub and shower. They have enough space to do what you need to do; no more, no less.
Balconies:
All room categories have either balconies or patios. I had a beautiful view of the Montego Bay Harbor with the mountains as a backdrop and to my left, I was able to see the sunrise every morning over the placid Caribbean Sea. The upper floors of both towers offer fantastic views of the area surrounding the point and your balcony is an ideal spot to enjoy this.
The Beach:
The resort has three beach areas including a clothing optional or, as they call it, the au natural beach. The au natural is merely a section of one part of the beach, but it is found at the far end of the property in a secluded and enclosed section for privacy. In total, there is about 1/3 of a mile of fluffy white sand beach with enough area away from the shore for lots of beach chairs, volleyball and relaxation. There aren’t many beach cabanas, so brings lots of sunscreen.
The Resort:
There are two main pool areas, one for adults-only with a swim up bar (the quiet pool) and the other for everyone else. For the children there is the Pirates Paradise Water Park. Yes, the resort has a water park with a lazy river and sunken ship in it. It is in its own area of the resort so it doesn’t really hinder adults having fun at the pool or the beach, and I must say, the kids seem to love it as do many adults. They could plant some trees around the water park though, because it really gets hot over there with the limited amount of shade.
There is an entertainment area that they call the Jam Down Pavilion (more on that later) plus the usual lighted tennis and basketball courts. The property is spacious without feeling too large. You are never really far away from the main dining areas or the entertainment so you won’t get tired going from your room to a meal.
Restaurants:
There are three main a la carte restaurants on the property with an additional main buffet dining area. There is also a beach and a pool grill. The buffet area has been totally enlarged and modernized. There are views of the sea from your table and with the open spaces that allows for easy access to the food stations.
I ate at the Chinese and fine dining Italian restaurant. I figured since I brought along a jacket, I might as well wear it somewhere! The food at these restaurants was excellent. I especially enjoyed my meal at La Bella Villa. The steak was as soft as butter!
The buffet breakfast offered a wide variety of Jamaican meals along with the standard choices. It is great being in Jamaica and having Jamaican dishes for breakfast, so I complimented the chef for his selection of ackee and saltfish with yam and bananas. Now that's Jamaican breakfast everyone can enjoy.
The beach grill offers one of the best jerk chicken dishes you can get in Montego Bay. It’s good and I strongly recommend sampling it.
Entertainment:
What is a visit to Jamaica without hearing some island music? The house band at Sunset Beach plays each evening from about 8 to 10 pm. They are pretty good and they play a really wide selection of popular songs as well. Of course, they give you a good dose of reggae music, but depending on who the guest lead act may be, you will be regaled by pop or jazz. All of this takes place in or around the Jam Down Pavilion. The pavilion allows for the entertainment to be up on the stage, leaving an area up front that allows the guests to get up and dance, enjoying themselves almost as if they were at a concert. With the Caribbean Sea as a backdrop, the evenings turned out to be an occasion for everyone to ease back and enjoy the island vibes.
If you have a yen to get out and see the sites of Montego Bay, you can get on one of the shuttle services they offer in the lobby or take a short 10 minute taxi ride to the Hip Strip in Montego Bay and enjoy the sights and sounds with the local Jamaican party goers. I am not big on shopping, but Montego Bay seems to offer the best opportunity for bargains. I do collect local artifacts from the countries I go to, so I picked up a wood carving from a local vendor in a store on the Hip Strip.
Sunset Beach Resort and Spa has a fully functional Kid’s Club and one of the better spa facilities on the island. The Kids club is open from 8 am to 5 pm and there is an additional cost for babysitting services after hours. Video games, puppet shows and other activities are enjoyed all day under the supervision of the trained Sunset Resort staff. The Spa offers all of the usual treatments plus a Sunset Body Surprise. It’s a massage and treatment in which the masseuse uses fruits and secrets oils. The guests seem to enjoy it.
The resort is the flagship property for the Sunset Resorts groups. They offer two other resorts on the island, one in Ocho Rios and one in Negril. The Sunset Grande Resort is a 500+ room property 55 miles east of Montego Bay in the town of Ocho Rios. It is a larger resort with six pools and a great stretch of white sandy beach. There is a reef just off shore that snorkelers and divers enjoy visiting for the bounty of native fishes that they can see. Sunset Grande has a water park and the tallest man made water slide in Jamaica.
Sunset at the Palms is a 65 room property 50 miles west of Montego Bay in the town of Negril. Sunset at the Palms is a small, very intimate property in the Bloody Bay area of Negril so it has an excellent beach as this area is part of the famous 7 mile Negril Beach strip. The resort is built in what can only be called a botanical garden as the suites are built on stilts and are surrounded by neatly manicured trees and fauna. This resort offers their guests great cuisine and lots of quiet relaxation.
If you are looking for a moderately priced, all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, a resort that has all the amenities that you are looking for, but offers you a true native experience, then Sunset Beach Resort and Spa in Montego Bay Jamaica will give you all these things and a little more. I enjoyed my visit to this resort. Sunset Beach Resorts surely exceeded my expectations.
For more information on either of these resorts or any of our vacation packages, please visit <a href="http://www.stsvacations.com/">www.stvacations.com </a>or call 866-475-4565.
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