We have just returned from ten nights at the Plantation, I have to say when we arrived we were less than happy with a couple of things . The bath is tiny . The beach area was not so big either and pool was only big enough for 10 beds which people put books on at 8am all of these things I don't expect from this standard of hotel.

We did then decide to use the swimming pool at the sister hotel next door ,which had sunbeds in the pool which I liked.The pool area was large with a hot tub too.I enjoyed the fact we could use the facilities without having to stay there all the time.
I think the Royal Plantation should not allow anyone to place books on the sunbeds without laying there,being the fact there are not many beds.You could visit for 2 weeks and never get to sit at the pool.

We did on the remaining 4 days of our holiday sit at the plantation pool and it was a very nice area to be in.

Appart from the above the hotel was fantastic !!

The Staff at this hotel are the best I have ever come across in any hotel.The food is beautiful every night.We never had a bad meal at any point on our holiday. The food is fine dining every night, For those who calorie count ,this hotel may not be for you !

The staff at the hotel make this hotel one of the best they are dedicated to their work and love doing what they do . The Butlers we had were very good Shelly and Aaron. Shelly did those little unexpected things like leave a love heart made of rose petals on our bed with a few candles on the floor with petals scattered around,we had cheese and biscuits left in the room for when we arrived in from the pool .Nice touches.She left cake in the room for us and always made sure we had a full fridge full of champagne.

I have to say the entertaimants team and bar staff were also brilliant , They made every night a memorable one .O'Shane was great fun.

We normally have quiet holidays and meet a few people that we never keep contact with on our return but here I would say we have met some very good friends that we will meet up agian with at some point for a re-union.

I bought some duty free items there, Breitling watch and Cartier Ladies bag. Just to make you aware we priced everything up on our return .The prices there are cheaper by 25%. Buy Rum at the airport not at resort.

Overall great holiday ,we will visit again !!! for sure

From the moment we stepped off the plane everything was taken care of. The Sandals employees whisked everyone to the proper transportation to their respective resorts.

Upon arrival to Royal Plantation we were greeted by friendly Sandals employees and offered drinks. Our room wasn't ready, but we waited for only 45 minutes in the Wobbly Peacock pub and munched on a delicious cheese pizza. After that it was smooth sailing (well, swimming and snorkeling).

The rooms are fantastic and look like the pictures. Big, comfy bed, windows that open to let in warm and sunshine, huge closet, nice TV (who needs it though?), mini bar with all the trappings and bathroom with "his & her's" sinks. Daily maid service and evening turndown service work to complete the feeling of total relaxation in the room.

Our butlers, Marvin and Jermaine, were great. They were warm, friendly and simply could not do enough for us. I felt like our butlers, along with all the resort staff, truly cared that my boyfriend and I had a great time.

The beach, while on the smaller side, is quiet, clean and has plenty of chairs and umbrellas. Make sure to chat with Adrian, the bartender. He is friendly and makes fabulous drinks. Also, all of the drinks are handmade. Nothing neon comes out of a slurpee machine at this resort.

This brings me to food. I highly recommend the jerk chicken or fish dishes. Also, anything that has fruits and vegetables is amazing as the veggies and fruits and are ripe, fresh and the best I have had in a long time.

The evening entertainment was great. To be honest I was worried the music would be cheesy. Not.at.all. The music was lively and set the mood for fantastic evenings.

I highly recommend this resort for a week vacation of relaxation, sunshine and warm weather.

If you are still reading here are some quick pointers:

Royal Plantation is not for those seeking a huge party or lively nightlife. It is a relaxation resport.

This resort is unlike other Sandals resorts due to its smaller size (70 rooms).

The food, while very good, is not the best I have ever had. However, it is still very good.

The people who come here seem very laid-back and relaxed.

I don't believe you can find a better resort in Jamaice for this price.

If you haven't already, book your vacation here!

My wife and I spent a wonderful week at Sandals Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios. The resort was beautiful, the people were very well-trained and courteous, and the service was fantastic. Our room was very comfortable, with flat-screen TV, and a free mini bar. This resort is all inclusive, and they didn't "cheap out" on the brands. We drank Beringer wines, Grey Goose Vodka and Baileys. Our butler(s) were terrific - there was nothing that we asked that they didn't positively respond to.

The only things that I would refer to as "negative" at the resort were:
(1) There was a charge for wi-fi. This day and age, that's almost insulting. Increase the cost by $40.00, and include the wi-fi.
(2) The golf course was barely adequate. This is not a resort that avid golfers would want to go to. It was OK, but just that.

Realizing it is hit or miss with butlers, ours were horrible. We did all of our reservations. They never did anything. When we asked for food or snacks in the room, thy just told us to call room service. On the beach we were told to talk to the beach butler.

Aside from that, this resort is tiny to say the least. Pool is maybe 30ft long. Beaches are maybe 40yrds each. They only had activities open four days a week. When we tried to get reservations at the Rivera next door, part of the package, we were told no, they were not allowing us usage of the property accept to golf.

We realize others liked it, but there are certain realities. If you are looking for somewhere to layout and drink, this is your place. If you want to do anything else, go somewhere else. The Rivera offers butler service for $50 less a night and you get more than one place to eat for the week.

Age issue. We were there for a fiftieth birthday. Three of the days we were the youngest on the property. No big deal accept that to accommodate that age group, everything shuts down at 10pm. The bar is open, but it's not big enough to do anything but drink.

Over all, if we go back to Jamaica we will look into Negril. Beach to walk on and a better night life. We met several from other resorts that were going to Negril nightly, a three hour drive, to find something to do.

Food for thought.