If you are heading to Montego Bay Jamaica and are planning to stay at Sandals Resorts, you are in for a real treat! Sandals Montego Bay is so wonderful and although it is the oldest of the Sandals Resorts properties, it has just been renovated and we could never tell this wasn’t a brand new resort unless we were told. Montego Bay Jamaica is such as special place and you are going to just love Sandals Montego Bay!

Fun fact: Victoria has been reading wedding magazines since she was 12 years old. She would always stop and marvel at the joyous couples in the Sandals Resorts advertisements and gaze at the crystal blue water and alleged all-inclusive fun these couples would be having. The wedding magazines would also constantly acclaim Sandals Resorts as one of the best for destination weddings or honeymoons or all-inclusive resorts [or all three!]. We knew family friends who would travel to Sandals every year for two whole weeks. We also know that you can have a free wedding at Sandals and Beaches if you stay for a certain amount of time

Basically, we had never heard a bad thing about Sandals so when we had the opportunity to visit Sandals Montego Bay Resort in Jamaica, we were thrilled and didn’t know what to expect. Now, we LOVE cruising, which is a bit all-inclusive in nature, so we weren’t sure how we would feel about going to a resort in Montego Bay Jamaica and staying there the whole time. [News flash: we actually like it better!]

So if you are considering Sandals Resorts or Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica for your luxury couples getaway, here are our unedited thoughts about the experience from someone who has had an eye on Sandals for 13 years. Best part? Stays at Sandals Montego Bay start at $155!

Luxury Couples Getaway To Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica 

Sandals Montego Bay Resort Jamaica Airport Pick Up

Arriving into the Montego Airport was quick and easy and immigration was surprisingly fast. If it is your first time to Montego Bay Jamaica, you will be pleasantly surprised at how nice and relaxed the airport really is. We didn’t feel rushed at all and everything went smoothly upon our arrival into Montego Bay Jamaica. Actually, the Jamaicans ran the most efficient immigration we have ever come across and had every single window open which made for a quick experience.

After we left baggage claim we were greeted by an airport employee who asked which resort we were staying at and we said Sandals Montego Bay and were immediately handed to a Sandals Resort employee and brought just steps away to the stunning Sandals Montego Bay Airport lounge.

The lounge at the Montego Bay Jamaica airport was stocked with beer on tap, water, and other types of alcohol for couples to indulge in as they waited for an airport transfer. We were booked in a butler suite so if you book a room at the butler level, you will receive a private airport transfer. We were instructed to leave our luggage with a luggage tag as we went into the lounge and to just relax until our shuttle to Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica arrived.

We waited less than 10 minutes for our private transfer to arrive and the car was stocked with waters and sun shades to keep you cool in the Jamaican heat.

Now Sandals Montego Bay is literally located 5 minutes by car from the Montego Bay Airport making the transfer so fast and painless. We really loved how quick it was to get to Sandals Montego Bay from the airport. If this was our real honeymoon instead of a romantic couples trip, we would have been even more excited that we didn’t have far to go! You get a quick glimpse into what life in Montego Bay Jamaica is like and you get to see the beautiful water and stunning hills nearby. If you want to spend more time exploring Montego Bay Jamaica after your visit to Sandals Montego Bay, now is the perfect chance to talk to your driver about the best things to do and see!

Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica Check-In

There are two areas for check-in at Sandals Montego Bay. One of them is for regular visitors and the other is for return visitors who have reached priority status and for those who booked a room with butler service. We had booked a room with butler service so we went to the priority check-in area where we were immediately greeted with a yummy tropical mixed drink. There were a few other couples waiting to check-in to Sandals Montego Bay as well who were also seated in the priority area and none of us had to wait long to be helped.

A Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica employee came in and explained the Sandals “footprints” brochure of events to those of us in the room and then our butler arrived and took us away to our room. Our butler was so friendly and funny and we loved her! She showed us to our room, explained how everything worked and showed us that we had our own personal Sandals cell phone that we could call her on at any time. We couldn’t quite figure out the cell phone but our Sandals Montego Bay butler was patient and helped us until we got the hang of it!

Butler Service at Sandals Montego Bay

We were booked into a super luxe balcony suite with butler service. During our three nights at Sandals Montego Bay we had two different female butlers because our original gal had her day off during our stay. Both of our butlers were so friendly, funny, and kind. They were locals who lived in Montego Bay Jamaica so we loved learning about what local culture was like and their favorite things to do when they were off work!

When you book a room with a butler, you can pretty much request anything from your butler. We even learned a few funny and raunchy stories about inappropriate things other Sandals Montego Bay guests tried to request from our butlers [don’t do this ya’ll!] Both of our butlers drew amazingly epic baths for us, booked our reservations, answered all of our questions, and more. We could have had our butler unpack our clothes and then repack them for departure. Since we were only at Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica for 3 days we opted to keep our clothes in the suitcase, but this is a nice touch for couples who are staying longer and who don’t want to see their clothes lying around.

We could have also requested that our butler put together a dinner in our room or balcony and were so tempted to choose this option but decided to save it for a future trip back to Montego Bay Jamaica. A butler is a luxury service at Sandals Montego Bay that is perfect for when you want to hang out with just your sweetheart and not exactly interact with other people staying at the resort. We highly recommend booking a room at Sandals Montego Bay that comes with Butler Service, especially if you are on your honeymoon or a special romantic trip as it really does add a nice touch of service to your experience.

The food at Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica

We have so much to say about the food at Sandals Montego Bay that we couldn’t possibly fit it all in this post! Sandals Montego Bay has so many food options and 9 restaurants that you will pretty much never get bored! As we said above, we also had the chance to eat a private dinner on our balcony arranged by our butler, but we declined so we could go out and try as many dining options at Sandals Montego Bay as we could!

On our first night, there was a Jamaican BBQ on the beach complete with live entertainment and twinkling lights! This was our first introduction to Montego Bay Jamaica and it was such a fun time! Since Terrence is of Jamaican descent, he especially loved the delicious Montego Bay Jamaican BBQ that was served.

We also ate dinner at La Cucina Romana, the Italian restaurant. The Italian food was delicious and the bread that was served while we waited was so so good! This is also the perfect Sandals Montego Bay dining option for those who aren’t as adventurous with their eating and love simple and delicious Italian food.

The Oleander Room featured Caribbean inspired food during our time at Sandals Montego Bay. I had never tried Jamaican food before but there was a vegetarian option at the Oleander Room so this was my chance! It was delicious and next time we hope to try more food originating in Montego Bay Jamaica. Finally, we ate lunch at the Mariner’s beachside bar and also at lunch and breakfast at the Bayside Buffet. Looking back, we wish we would have had enough time to eat dinner at the Bayside Buffet too!

During warm evenings in Montego Bay Jamaica, Sandals Montego Bay will serve dinner at the Bayside Buffet outdoors overlooking the water. This looked so magical that we are sad we missed it, but we wanted to try a sit-down restaurant during our stay! If you can, try out the Bayside Buffet during your stay at Sandals Montego Bay.

Our favorite? Cafe De Paris, the Parisian inspired sweet shop! Since Paris is our favorite city in the world, we are a hard crowd to please when it comes to Parisian sweets, and Cafe De Paris at Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica was exactly like the sweet shops we know and love on the streets of Paris! We went in there every day for ice cream, pastries, and frappuccinos or milkshakes. We travel a lot and we have yet to find anywhere that compares to Sandals Montego Bay Cafe De Paris sweet shop! It was such a nice touch to have all of these goodies included in the price of your stay at Sandals Montego Bay

The pools at Sandals Montego Bay

Sandals Montego Bay has two main pools for all resort guests. That being said, if you book a room in a building that has swim-up suites, you also get access to all of that and a private pool as well. When looking up other Montego Bay Jamaica resorts, you may have seen these swim up private pools at Sandals Resorts, and they are just as dreamy as they look in the advertisements.

Even if you aren’t booked in a swim-up suite and are in a balcony suite, you get access to that pool. We preferred being booked in a balcony suite so that we could see further out over the Sandals Montego Bay property and so that we didn’t have people splashing right in front of our room. Having a balcony with private swimming pool access was the perfect happy medium for those of us that like our peace and quiet and don’t really like to be near other people when on a romantic vacation.

As a couple, we like to keep to ourselves and enjoy time alone so hanging out at a swim-up bar isn’t our thing. [If it is your thing that is great!] We LOVED the semi-private pool for just our building and it is a signature feature at Sandals resorts. If you like the idea of a private pool, be sure to book a room in a building that includes one. Even better? Our building included a semi-private pool AND a view of the ocean. That being said, you get access to all the other pools on the Sandals Montego Bay property no matter what type of room you book so if the swim up bar is calling your name, you can answer whenever it is open!

The spa at Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica also has a private plunge pool and a private hot tub. We loved the hot tub and used it often because it was located in the shade and is surrounded by koi fish, a waterfall, and lush green landscaping. Pictures really don’t do the hot tub justice as it is quite a magical little cove that wasn’t full of a lot of people. Our tip? Take a yummy Pina Colada and hang out in this shaded haven during your vacation in Montego Bay Jamaica.

Drinking at Sandals Montego Bay

Yes, all alcohol, even premium spirits, are included when you visit Sandals Montego Bay. If you have ever been on a cruise, you will know that unless you book the most expensive cruises out there, alcohol will not be included. That is not so when you visit any Sandal’s Property, including the one we stayed at in Montego Bay Jamaica! Want a boozy milkshake from Cafe De Paris? Done! Want the beer of your choice? Done! Want to sip a Pina Colada in the pool? Extra done! Sandals Montego Bay has 4 bars and you can order drinks with any meal you want! You can also order room service straight to your suite if you don’t feel like leaving to pick up the drink yourself!

What if you aren’t a huge drinker? Victoria doesn’t drink at all and the Sandals Montego Bay staff were more than happy to make virgin versions of any drink on the menu. This was a lovely touch as some places have a hard time coming up with non-alcoholic beverages. Plus, you can never go wrong with a milkshake!

Watersports and activities at Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica

All watersports, even scuba diving, are included in your stay at Sandals Montego Bay. That means whether you want to try windsurfing, stand up paddle boarding, tubing, or water skiing, you can at no additional cost. Montego Bay Jamaica is a haven for watersports and activities of all kind as the climate is temperate all year round, the water is perfectly clear and blue, and there are many other activities beyond the walls of the resort.

Nearby Montego Bay Jamaica, there are options for zip lining, taking a gondola ride on a hidden Jamaican river, climbing the famous Dunns River Falls, going on ATV tours and many more fantastic things to do. Montego Bay Jamaica offers diverse excursions so if you are looking to see more of the area, we recommend leaving the secluded area of Sandals Montego Bay for one of the many tours offered!

One thing we didn’t love? Guests are NOT provided with snorkels or masks unless they go on a snorkeling trip. The water around Sandals Montego Bay is crystal clear and we assumed since we were going to an all-inclusive resort literally everything would be included. As a result, we left our snorkels and masks at home to use the ones provided by the resort. Turns out, masks are NOT provided to guests unless you go on a tour so if you want to snorkel alone make sure to bring your own from home. We really didn’t like this and encourage Sandals Montego Bay to change their policy! If everything is included, why aren’t recreational snorkels and masks?

We were so busy enjoying the resort that we didn’t partake in any watersports, even though we really wanted to. If we were staying for longer than 3 days we certainly would have taken advantage! There were just so many other things to do at Sandals Montego Bay we just didn’t want to leave and miss a moment of it!

That being said, we did partake in land-based activities such as pool, ping pong, and basketball. We really loved that the staff got involved in volleyball and basketball games and really got everyone to have a good time and relax together. We loved getting to know the locals who lived in Montego Bay Jamaica and since Terrence is Jamaican, this was even cooler so we could learn about local life.

The sound of planes at Sandals Montego Bay

Sandals Montego Bay is located literally ON the Montego Bay airport runway. There is Sandals, a road, and then the airport property and runway begins. As a result, many people choose to forgo staying at Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica because they are afraid of the noise the airplanes make while taking off and landing. We think this is a shame!

It was actually quite a unique experience to see the planes landing and taking off so close and while the sound was loud, it only happened a few times per day. Planes mainly took off from 11-5pm and there were only about 10 takeoffs per day. The resort and proximity to the airport were well worth it in our opinion and this was a small sacrifice to make. The planes landing into Montego Bay Jamaica really didn’t bother us at all and we don’t think this should be a reason to skip out on Sandals Montego Bay.

Again, as we said above, we actually thought it was pretty cool to see! Sandals Montego Bay has been in this location for 30+ years and the staff told us the planes are a part of the resort culture and they embrace it! It isn’t every day you get to be that close to planes taking off and landing so we thought of it as a very unique experience during our time in Montego Bay Jamaica.

Weddings At Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica

Did you know you can get a FREE WEDDING at Sandals or Beaches? No, this isn’t fake! When you stay at Sandals Montego Bay for 3 nights, you are eligible for a free wedding on the property. We actually know a few people who have gotten married at both Sandals Resorts and the kid-friendly Beaches Resorts which is still all-inclusive, but child-friendly. Want to know a secret? Sandals Montego Bay is just opening a brand new ballroom and conference center so if you want to get married in Montego Bay Jamaica and you have a large crew, there is a great space for you!

Sandals Montego Bay has on-site wedding coordinators, photographers, hair and makeup teams and more, depending on your wants and needs. There is an adorable non-denominational chapel for those looking to get married in a church so that was a nice touch. The chapel could be decorated however you wanted, but was beautiful as-is too. Of course, there is always the option of getting married on the beach at Sandals Montego Bay which is quite a popular option for couples looking to do something special.

We loved that the wedding facilities at Sandals Montego Bay Jamaica offered as much or as little help as you needed. If you wanted to bring your own photographer, that is no problem! Big wedding? Just eloping? There is a Sandals wedding package that is perfect for you! If you are looking to get married at Sandals, we highly recommend looking into the Free Wedding At Sandals Resorts to see if it applies to you!

Sandals Montego Bay Resort grounds

The Sandals Montego Bay resort grounds were stunningly landscaped. There wasn’t a single leaf out of place and if there was someone was fixing it immediately. The laid back and tropical vibes were the perfect settings for a getaway. If you have never been to Montego Bay Jamaica, the Sandals grounds are truly breathtaking.

The resort was small enough that it didn’t take forever to walk everywhere yet large enough that every couple could find privacy for themselves. We have been to all-inclusive resorts in the past that were huge and it took 15-20 minutes to walk anywhere. We personally prefer a smaller and more local vibe that Sandals Montego Bay had to offer. Whether it was floating in the pool, relaxing in a cabana, swinging on a double swing, or sitting on the beach, there was something for every couple and it was easy to escape to be alone if you wanted to be.

We never ran into an issue where there were too many people all in one place and we didn’t talk to a single other couple during our stay [our preference] and no one tried to talk to us. At Sandals Montego Bay, you can be as involved or not as involved as you want. If you want to make friends with other couples, you can join in activities or hang out at the bar. If you want to keep to yourselves and enjoy privacy as we do, there is plenty of space for that too.

If you really want to know what the Sandals Resorts grounds look like, check out this map of Sandals Montego Bay!

Sandals Montego Bay and visiting Sandals Royal Caribbean

When you stay at Sandals Montego Bay you have access to two nearby Sandals resorts for free! All of these resorts are located around the Montego Bay Jamaica area and are close by. There is a free shuttle that runs on the hour to all of the resorts making it easy to explore all of the other facilities nearby. During our stay, we went to check out Sandals Royal Caribbean because they have a private island and overwater bungalows, something that Sandals Montego Bay does not have!

We were able to eat at all of the restaurants at Sandals Royal Caribbean and we ate at the Jamaican BBQ place located on the private island. Even if you are staying at the Sandals Inn, a more affordable property in the Montego Bay Jamaica area, you still have access to all the amenities at all the other Sandals Resorts in the Montego Bay area. The vibe of Sandals Montego Bay is very tropical and laid back luxury whereas the vibe at Sandals Royal Caribbean was more southern glamour with plantation style accents.

We did not vibe with the decor and design of Sandals Royal Caribbean as much as we did with the design and layout of Sandals Montego Bay so even though the Montego Bay location is closer to the airport, we much preferred the overall ambiance and vibe as opposed to Royal Caribbean. It is up to you and your budget and preferences to decide which Sandals property in Montego Bay Jamaica you prefer, we can only say our experiences and let you take it from there. What we CAN say is that staff told us that everyone from Sandals Royal Caribbean always comes over to Sandals Montego Bay, especially at night, because they usually like the vibe and layout better.

All-Inclusive Resorts Vs A Cruise

Sandals Montego Bay was our first all-inclusive resort experience and we are SOLD! We totally loved Montego Bay Jamaica and we would love to go back again and stay at the exact same Sandals property and even our same suite! The rooms at Sandals Montego Bay were huge and spacious, the view was always of the evergreen water, watersports were included, and we had a ton of dining options.

We have done some luxury cruises that included everything, but the pace of an all-inclusive was just so much more relaxing and we truly loved the experience. This way, you don’t spend any time traveling and once you arrive in Montego Bay Jamaica you are here to stay for the entire duration of your visit. You will be able to see and experience the area from the moment you land to the second you leave.

With a Caribbean cruise, you do visit islands and pretty green water, but at Sandals Montego Bay the water is just steps away the entire stay! Once you add in included watersports and activities around Montego Bay Jamaica, it really is hard to beat! While we still love cruises, we have decided that we love Sandals All-inclusives better!

Closing thoughts on Sandals Montego Bay

We would recommend Sandals Montego Bay to anyone! During our time at the resort and through posting on Instagram, many followers have actually messaged us saying we have convinced them to choose Sandals or specifically Sandals Montego Bay for their honeymoon or anniversary getaway. We couldn’t be more excited because we truly loved this experience and think it is the perfect blend of romance and fun for couples.

If you are on the fence about heading to Montego Bay Jamaica for your romantic getaway or about choosing Sandals Montego Bay over another all-inclusive, we beg you to reconsider. Montego Bay Jamaica is such an easily accessible place and Sandals Montego Bay has redefined luxury travel. You can choose the level you want to be involved and if you don’t want to talk to other guests, you don’t have to and won’t be bothered which we loved.

Sandals Montego Bay is especially perfect if you are a couple who loves adventure during the day and pampering at night. You can go scuba diving or sailing during the day, a sunset cruise in the evening, and relax to a delicious fine dining dinner in the evening. Montego Bay Jamaica really is a truly magical place!

People ask us all the time if an experience is worth the price and we are always honest in telling them if it is worth paying up for or if it was too much money for the experience. We can highly recommend Sandals Montego Bay as worth every penny and we encourage you to look into booking for your future luxury or romantic getaways!

We are sold on all-inclusive and Sandals Resorts in particular and truly think Sandals Montego Bay is the perfect place for a wedding, honeymoon, or couples getaway of any kind! You can’t go wrong with booking this beautiful property in Montego Bay Jamaica.

Have you ever stayed at a Sandals resort or at Sandals Montego Bay in particular? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

Special thanks to Sandals Montego Bay for hosting us for 3 days for the purpose of this review. All opinions are our own and we were not paid for this content.