Our overall experience at The Sunset was disappointing based on the reviews I read here, which were the main basis for my booking. I don't want to spend forever writing a long review (though I just might), but I will highlight some things that are worth considering before you chose this hotel.

1- Accommodations
Our room/cabin was nice. However I did my research to pick a good room number (in the 400's is best) because at-least half of the rooms received complaints while I was there. Some of the cabins are far too close to the eating area, some are by the highway, others look out onto a chain link fence. Complete false advertising and the SATP should be ashamed of itself for charging what they charge and locating room cabins in undesirable locations.
The rooms themselves are fine, occasionally you'll see a lizard which is cool, the birds are loud but nice. The bathrooms are only ok. The six spigots are nice but rarely all work...so whats the point? I found many of the fixtures falling apart and the soap provided Amtrak size. On a scale of 1-5 I'd give the rooms a 3, with a bump up for the little deck each has.
2- Bloody Bay
Sounds sick, but that's where your staying. And those decks are lovely, but the price you pay in Bloody Bay is the Mosquitos and its kind of annoying. There are a ton and while they dont ruin the vacation, it makes for a less than relaxing experience. For the record, Bloody bay is a ten minute (and dollar) drive from 7 mile beach which is Negril. The SATP is NOT IN NEGRIL. Thats a fact.
3- The beach
I actually liked the beach in Bloody Bay better than 7 mile in Negril. It's quieter and there are less vendors (who can make Jamaica very unrelaxing). The fact that you have to cross the street to go the beach is less than ideal, but worth it for the amount of space you have in your living area.
4- The People
For Islanders, the staff at this resort is only ok. None seem too happy to be there, and I found that while friendly, they just towed the company line and didn't really care if you were having a good time. Mostly they are told to say "everything alright mon?" and they do. But none are helpful. In addition the staff by the beach is incredibly shady, varying on prices for activities and making side deals left and right. Huge turnoff.
5- The Food
SATP lost a full star for the food. It was by far the worst resort food I've ever had, and worse yet, most of the time the food had nothing tin common with Jamaican cuisine. The deserts in particular were worse than Entemen's quality and the variety was sub par. They serve a lot of different dishes, which all taste the same varying only by method in which they were cooked....if it was poached wether Salmon or another fish, it tasted the same, fried, baked, etc. For an all inclusive the food was just terrible.
6. Jamaica
Jamaica is a decent vacation destination, but if you want to experience it, stay in Negril. If you want an all inclusive, you are generally staying behind the gates, and in that case, I would go to a different Island where the food (overall) is better and there aren't quite as many drug dealers (pretty much every man, woman and child in Jamaica will try and sell you drugs. It is NOT a good place for children) which leads me to...

On Jamaica
If you are into the partying, and really want to experience Jamaica, stay in town. Jamaica is not cheap. I'd say its on par with NYC prices, cabs, nice meals, etc. Though it is a third world country they pretty much squeeze every penny they can get from you, because tourism is all they have.

Overall, I really didn't have a bad time, but I know what value I can get for my money elsewhere, and I expect a certain level of service when something is rated this well. SATP is a disappointment. I didn't get into reviewing the on-sight entertainment because for the older crowd, they seemed to enjoy it. If you can get a great deal here (I wouldn't pay more than 140 a night per couple) and you are in your late 30's or 40's maybe this is a decent place. But if you are in your twenties, or ever stayed at a resort you truly loved, or from a major city do not go here.

My husband and I recently got married at Sunset at the Palms. I must say our wedding turned out great. I admit that I am a perfectionist and I was a bit concerned during the planning stages because I expected to communicate more prior to the wedding with the wedding coordinator. However, once we arrived on site the planning went smooth. We had a little over 50 guest The ceremony and reception went great. We had a sit down dinner and the food was good. It was a beautiful wedding and included everything a traditional wedding would. From the bride and groom dance to the tossing of ther garter belt. If you plan your wedding at this location I highly recommend the reggae band. It is so much more personal than a DJ. As expected the services of the wedding coordinator, Charm and the other staff at the hotel was gracious & friendly. I would definetly recommend this hotel especially for a wedding or honeymoon.

Jennifer & Aldrick, May 24, 2008

I stayed at Sunset at the Palms from May 2 - May 12 and had the best time of my life. A group of 27 people came down with us to watch my new husband and I say our vows. It was fantastic. Firstly, the staff are incredible (special shout out to Kenroy, Garth, Omar and the girls at the front desk!). They make a point to get to know your name right away and always greet you with smiles and even some Jamaican singing and dancing! I never felt pressured at the resort to tip and felt like I recieved great service whether or not I tipped. You'll probably want to tip the staff at some point though because they do such a great job and are so kind. The resort itself is so tranquil and calming. It really feels like paradise!

The wedding was amazing. Charm and Roxan are both wonderful people and did a great job creating a beautiful wedding for us - I can't imagine getting married anywhere else. We held our ceremony at the garden gazebo and had a private reception in the Lotus Leaf. The tables at the reception were beautifully decorated and the food was really good. All of our group (ages 21-69) had an amazing time.

The best excursion of the trip included a group of 24 of us going to a school in need and donating school supplies. Our Air-Canada representative, O'Neil, helped us organize this excursion and it was an incredible experience. The day we went happened to be childrens day so the kids didnt have to wear uniforms and they got to have a fun day filled with music and dancing. I'll tell you, those kids could dance better than alot of hip-hop teachers I know!! From the moment we got there we had kids surrounding each of us, hugging us and getting us to dance with them. It was an incredible experience that really impacted all of us. We finished that day with a trip to Mayfield falls which definately wasn't what we were expecting! It was a lot of work!! lol! So great though - couldn't have been better!

I also did a canopy tour which was also a lot of fun. Some people in our group did the horseback riding in the ocean and said it was a fantastic time. A group of friends and I went to the Jungle one night which was also a fun experience!

Sunset at the Palms is an incredible resort that is definately unique from all other all-inclusives. I will definately reccommend the resort to others and hopefully will get to go back one day.

I stayed at Sunset at the Palms from May 25th-May29th and it was FABULOUS. The resort is small and EVERYONE-the entire staff is great. They went out of their way to make sure that we were having a good time and anything we needed they were willing to make sure we received it (whether they offered it or not).
I must say that you need to bring skin so soft or bug spray. The Property does some fogging every day at 4:00pm to minimize the bugs, however the rooms are tree top homes and it is the Caribbean so you may see one or two bugs (i.e roaches in your bathroom-because they love water) and tons of mosquitoes. If you bring an old towel or blanket and put under the door then that will prevent the bugs from coming in. The bugs pale in comparison to what a GREAT Resort this is. I went with about 8 friends and we had such a great time.
I do not recommend this resort for single people or individuals looking for a party resort that has a whole bunch of activities. The resort is strictly for rest and relaxation....any activities you want to do, you must go outside the resort. Be careful of those taxi drivers because they will charge you $20.00 to go 8 minutes downtown; you can talk them down to $10-15, especially of you have a group and will use the same cab driver for the duration of your stay. DO NOT USE Respect Tours Operator: Garry--he is a total crook and will do anything to get business. Do not trust him and when you see him, run far away from him. Ask the guy at the gate to call any taxi but Garry. Usually Garry is at the front of the gate waiting for the next victim. He comes off as nice and as if butter can't melt in his mouth, but he is not to be trusted.
On our visit we did so many things, but the Bob Marley museum (9 mile) in St. Ann which was a 4 hour drive--was what had a lasting impression. I think we were better off going to Kingston to see the other Bob Marley museum and see the city. We used lloyd Lewis [--] for our driver while we were there and he was great. If you can, please use him for your entire stay. If you call him directly, he will pick you up from the Airport for $15.00 and take you back for $15.00 ($30.00 pp round trip). Lloyd is dependable and reliable and his van is clean and can hold a lot of passengers. He works under JUTA, but like the other drivers he is independent. Now back to the Bob Marley museum--if you decide to go, Lloyd can take you, but please make sure that he drops you inside the gates or in front so that you can go in the gates. There are some con artists outside (see picture of guy in weed patch) and he will tell you that he works for the resort and take you to the back of his home with some BS Bob Marley story and then he wants to charge you $20.00 for that ten second walk up the hill to look at weed--it is a set up. The people at the museum have on a Bob Marley Museum Khaki shirt.
We found ourselves going off the resort to do everything. The beach is across the street, which is great and other resorts share the beach, so you can meet so many people. There are some vendors on the beach as well. Two years ago I stayed at Jamaica Grande Ocho Rios and that resort vs Sunset at the Palms was night and day. There was so much to do at JG and we never left the resort other than to go to the market, but in Negril there is not a whole lot to do other than Ricks' Cafe, Margaritaville and local spots like Alfreds, Roots Cafe and Bourbon Beach. We spent a lot of money on taxis and doing activities off the resort--bring plenty of cash. Don;t change your money if you do not want to. Jamaicans love American money. Some places gave us $70.00 for our $1 and others gave us $63.00; when we left the exchange rate was 1 US to $83 Jamaican dollars.
Also bring money to tip the wait staff. They work so hard and the brochure says that tips are included, however that is not true. The wait staff make their money off tips and if they did not, most of them would not work there. Sunset is by far one of the best places I have stayed. I came back home feeling well rested and did not feel like I needed a vacation from my vacation. I cannot emphasize how SUPERB the staff is: Sharon-the Manager of Reservations, Mr. Dixon--the executive chef, both Dewaynes (waiter and the Manager of the Wait staff), Brian-the waiter was great. Kadian at the front desk, Richard, Jevon--at the front bar....they were all so sweet and great. The staff is what made the experience that much better. I will definitely be back in a few years.
On a side note: I went every where in Jamaica looking for a great beach bag when I was there two years ago and I met a lady in the US that had her own company that makes these FABULOUS Beach bags. It had pockets and everyone that was with me had me carrying their stuff because I carried it everywhere. She makes them custom, so it can say any island or whatever you want. I would recommend that you get one because you will not find anything that is quality like this and I got so many compliments. Go to elmenns. com or call [--] to get one because the bags are great for the beach or just going around town