Beaches Negril, Negril

Beaches Negril
8th August- 21st August 2007

When deciding where to go on our first family holiday abroad, it didn't take us long to decide upon Beaches Negril. Our son had been born 9 months after our trip to Sandals in Jamaica and we thought that this would be the perfect place to take our little Sandals baby!

So, we went forward and booked our holiday to Beaches Negril for 2 adults and a 15 month old baby!
...quick response.

Beaches uses the Sesame Street characters for the basis of their children's programmes. Part of this is a Sesame Street Breakfast that is held 2 times a week, Sunday and Wednesday. It is not included in the All Inclusive experience. It cost approximately £6 per adult and £8 per child. This can be booked online before you leave and it is suggested you do so because there is a limited number that is allowed at each breakfast. ... more

Beaches Negril
8th August- 21st August 2007

When deciding where to go on our first family holiday abroad, it didn't take us long to decide upon Beaches Negril. Our son had been born 9 months after our trip to Sandals in Jamaica and we thought that this would be the perfect place to take our little Sandals baby!

So, we went forward and booked our holiday to Beaches Negril for 2 adults and a 15 month old baby!

~Booking~

We have been to Sandals a few times and are Signatures members (loyalty members club). So, we know a few things about the Sandals/Beaches Resorts. One thing we do know is that travel operators CANNOT discount the rooms on their own. If Sandals/Beaches does, then they can. So, if you book a package holiday, then the price difference comes from the flights themselves. After much comparison, we decided to book a premium room (2nd grade from bottom) with First Choice (see my FC review for more details on this).

~Pre-holiday~

As always, before a Sandals/Beaches holiday, I like to get in touch with the resort, let them know we are coming and ask any questions we might have. This was no different and I emailed the resort 2 weeks before arriving. My questions were answered within 24 hours with a nice, friendly email. I later personally met the woman who answered the email and thanked her for her quick response.

Beaches uses the Sesame Street characters for the basis of their children's programmes. Part of this is a Sesame Street Breakfast that is held 2 times a week, Sunday and Wednesday. It is not included in the All Inclusive experience. It cost approximately £6 per adult and £8 per child. This can be booked online before you leave and it is suggested you do so because there is a limited number that is allowed at each breakfast. The process only took a few minutes book and you just print out the confirmation form. Upon arrival at BN, I confirmed with the sales office the breakfast and a cute SS invitation was given to remind us of the day and time.

~Arrival~

We arrived a day late because of a flight delay (see First Choice review). The airport has gone through many changes since 2 years ago. One thing that has not changed is that immigration is still VERY HOT!!! Be prepared for this as you depart the plane and if you have small children, make sure they have drinks in case the wait is long. We were in line for approximately 20 minutes before we cleared immigration and were able to pick up our luggage. This is a new part of the airport and was air conditioned to our great delight. There are several custom counters and we cleared customs in minutes and made our way through the doors. There are several people pointing you in the right direction and when we said we were going to Beaches, they directed us to the left. Immediately, we were met by staff, our names taken, luggage tagged and led to the air conditioned Sandals/Beaches Lounge. I had requested a car seat for the ride to Negril from Montego Bay and confirmed that they had the seat ready. Which they said they did. Here are large comfy chairs and sofas with beer and soft drinks on tap. Elmo was also present when we arrived and our son's SS experience began immediately! However, as was our experience last time we were there, we only stayed in the lounge about 15 minutes before being brought to our mini-bus.
Please note that porters that bring you luggage from the lounge to the bus ARE NOT Sandals/Beaches employees and should be tipped $1 per case. We usually tip a bit more than that. We know that many Jamaican people make a very low wage and can use any extra money they get.
We loaded up in the mini-van and waited a few minutes. We thought there would be at least one other couple coming with us. However, we were the only ones and we took off for Negril. We already knew how Montego Bay traffic could be at certain times of the day. Well, we ended up at one of those "certain" times of the day and getting out of Montego Bay took us nearly as long to get out of as it did to get from the outskirts of MB to Negril! The driver was quiet and we were fine with that because we had had an eventful two days and just wanted to view the countryside. Please remember that Jamaica is a third world country and among the absolute beauty, there is a lot of poverty!
2 hours later we arrived at Beaches Negril.

~Check-in~

We were taken immediately to the concierge office. We had NOT booked a concierge room. However, the office was nice and cool and offered food and drinks that helped with a cranky baby in tow. It took approximately 20 minutes to get all the details filled out and to be taken to our room. I knew exactly what kind of room I should be getting. I tend to research holiday destinations in minute detail. Our room was exactly what I expected. However, the cot and fridge was not in the room as I requested. I quickly told Christopher, the check-in staff that escorted us to the room. He phoned from our room about our request and within a half-hour our luggage, the fridge and the cot were in our room.

~Room~

We booked the premium room. This is the second category from the bottom. We know from past experience that we don't spend a great amount of time in the room and didn't feel the need to book the higher categories. Our room was on the 2nd floor of the 5th block. It was pretty much at the centre of the resort with easy access to all of the resort.
The room itself consisted of a Super King size bed that we found very comfortable with a large variety of pillows of different hardness/softness. There was a side table on one side and a desk and chair on the other side- each had a lamp. There was a medium size arm chair in one corner and a chest of drawers which included a tv and coffee/tea making facilities. There was a full length mirror and a half mirror. At the half mirror position was a small make-up table with a wall hairdryer. I found the hairdryer worked very well. The decoration was typical tropical colours similar to what is seen on their website. All floors are tiled which is typical and understandable for a beach resort. I would rather tiles than carpet because of the sand and water.
The bathroom lets the rooms down. It is a very basic set up with separate basin area and toilet/bath/shower area. The area to hang the clothes was open area with a two tiered shelf on one side, an over head shelf and an in-room safe. Please note that the toilet/bath area is NOT air-conditioned.
French doors opened up onto a balcony that had drying rails and a simple plastic table and two plastic chairs. The table and chairs really did need replacing because they have been very faded from the sun. However, with a 15 month old baby, we spent little time on the balcony anyway and were not bothered.
The fridge brought to the room was just a simple under counter fridge. However, it worked very well and we had no problems. The cot was a good cot with Sesame Street themed bedding. I thought that was a nice touch!

~Service~

We found the service and friendliness to be very good to outstanding. Within minutes of arriving at the resort, staff were asking our son's name and talking to him. Before we knew it, we would hear staff calling to our son from across the grounds to tell him "HI!" Our son loved this and would always reward them with a big smile. Two examples of their outstanding service are:

1- We ran out of nappies after a week (I don't know how I miscalculated!). I asked a nanny, Pollyanna, where I could get some nappies because they had run out of his size in the gift shop. She offered to go into Negril and pick some up for us. At noon, we gave her the money and later that afternoon, they were delivered to our room!

2- Our air conditioner began dripping water severely one afternoon. I ran front desk to let them know. 10 minutes later maintenance rang to ask about the problem. 5 minutes later a maintenance man arrived and within 15 minutes the A/C was fixed and we never had another problem.

These are just two examples of the service. I could go on and on about the friendly smiles and questions about our welfare. I was very satisfied.

~Nanny Service/Nursery~

Included in the AI experience at Beaches is daytime nursery/nanny care and kids clubs. Because our son was under two, he was in the nursery. We used the nursery every day except for the last two days because of the hurricane (mentioned below). While we were there, several new colour CCTV cameras and monitors were installed in nursery and kids club area. We found the nannies very friendly and gentle with the children. Most of the time there was 1 to 1 nanny/child ratio. Other times it was 2 to 1.
The nursery area was air conditioned and carpeted. It included many different baby friendly toys that my son enjoyed. At various times they did put in videos such as Baby Einstein and Sesame Street for quiet times. They would take the children out for walks around the resort as well. We always felt safe and secure leaving our son there.
Special mention needs to be made to our favourite nanny, Pollyanna. Our son took to her on the first day and by the time we left, when he would see her he would run up to her with open arms for a hug and kiss.
We used Pollyanna on 3 nights for some adult time. It cost approximately £4 an hour after 5 and you could request specific nannies. They would do whatever you wanted them to do. If you wanted them to feed your child, they would. They would also take them to the various shows, walk around the resort or, for older children, take them to the Xbox room.
We found this to be a definite PLUS of the resort. Please note that children WILL usually cry for a short time upon leaving them. But, they usually quit crying quickly after you leave. I knew this from my own experiences of being a teacher. If you are concerned, you can always peek in on them to check.

~Meals~

- Breakfast
o Breakfast is served at the buffet from 7 to 10:30 am. There is a variety of foods served from freshly cooked omelettes to cereal and milk. We never had any problems finding something to eat.

- Lunch
o Buffet is served in the Mill. We only ever had lunch in the Mill on one occasion. On that occasion, I asked for a carry-out container and picked some fried chicken and rice for us. The chicken was delicious! I also liked the option to take the food back to our room.
o Sit down at the Last Chance. This is where we did most of our lunches. Karlene was fantastic and we enjoyed going there every day. Here you have a choice of foods from the grill, pasta bar, pizza bar and some other items. We always found the food tasty and got whatever we ordered.
o Grill/Pasta Bar/Pizza Bar- Here you could quickly go up and get whatever you desired to eat anywhere in the resort. We sometimes got some food from here at different times during the day to take to the room. We enjoyed the ice cream bar.
o Kimono- Japanese restaurant that many people forgot to take advantage of at lunch. They did a fantastic show and a great meal!

- Evening Meals
o Meals could be gotten at the Mill for buffet, Last Chance for sit down and the Kimono (reservations required). The Seville is also available, but only for guests 10 years old and older. We did try the Seville one night. The food was very good. However, the services was VERY SLOW!!
Note: Food is available 24 hours a day somewhere on the resort! Needless to say, I put on a few pounds. Also, please be aware that the food is very child oriented because of obvious reasons. We found that Sandals offered a better assortment of "adult" food and Beaches more "child friendly" food.

~Activities~

There are two pools with swim-up bars at both. Drinks are easy to get with little wait and if you think you don't have enough alcohol in your drink, just ask them to put more and they will. The bar would happily fill up our son's sippy cup with any juice we asked for and in whatever quanity.

There is a fast Lazy river that I found enjoyable and some fountains that our son did not find enjoyable. There are water slides. However, we did not try those out are any of the other water sports. We were too busy with other things.

Beach- BEAUTIFUL! We would enjoy early morning swims and got to find two large starfish during our stay. They also had what I called "ocean paddling pools". These floated out in the ocean and you or your baby could get into them and play or float in a few inches of water. I found this very good for my son who liked being independent.

Tours- My husband booked a Deep Sea Fishing Trip for himself. He went on the early morning trip and they packed him a HUGE package of food for 4 people and he was the only one! He said that the crew was friendly and helpful and even though he didn't catch anything, he really enjoyed himself.

~Sesame Street Breakfast~

Location: Seville Restaurant (air-conditioned)
The breakfast was buffet style with about 6 Sesame Street Characters making an appearance and stopping at each child's table for a hug and any pictures that you want to take. There is the Resort's photographer taking pictures that you can buy later or you can take your own. The entire time the characters come around, appropriate Sesame Street songs are played. Each child received a goody bag which included an Elmo helium balloon (which I had to deflate to get home), a SS sippy cup, a SS character finger puppet, small pack of crayons, SS colouring sheets and postcard. The entire experience lasted approximately and hour. We felt that for £20 that this was worth the money we paid. The breakfast was no different from the normal buffet breakfast. However, the time our son got with the characters and the smile on his face made it all worth it!

~Hurricane Dean~

The last two days of our holiday were marked by the arrival of Hurricane Dean! I have been through more hurricanes than I can count. However, my husband and son had never been through one and my husband was excited to be going through one. I, on the other hand, did not relish the prospect. I know the destruction these can cause and have seen it first hand.
Two days before the expected arrival, the management of Beaches had a meeting to discuss what was happening. They explained very clearly the possibilities and what they have in effect to protect the customers. Many people from Canada and America began making plans to leave the island and they were well supported by their airlines and tour operators. However, the British tour operators did nothing or little. (See First Choice report)
Two Meetings were again held the following day giving more details to the preparations to protect everyone and what we needed to do. It was explained to us that they would be boarding up windows, and removing things from the resort that could become flying missiles during the strong winds and rain.
The entire staff were extremely reassuring and helpful with all the fears we had. We were confined to our rooms once the storm hit. They had provided each person with a large bag of food that included sandwiches, crisps and fruit. They also provided fruit juice and water. They had generators, so they kept the electricity running the entire time. This was very helpful to have lights, water and AC during this scary time. During the storm staff called to check on us and make sure we were ok and warn us that the strongest winds were yet to come.
Once the storm was passed (4 am Monday morning), the staff were out beginning the clean up process! By 7 am, breakfast was being served and by noon people had use of 1 of the pools and the bar was open! Management and staff went all over the resort talking to people and asking them how they were.
The staff that was on the property at this point was volunteer staff. They didn't force any staff to stay or work at the resort because they do have a strong belief in family. So, these people were working because they choose to and we were all very grateful for their time.
I cannot say enough about how great the staff at the resort were!
The Sandals/Beaches have a Blue Chip Hurricane Guarantee. This says that if a hurricane hits the resort, then you get a free holiday equal to the length of your stay. At the time of this writing, we have been told that everyone who remained at all the various Sandals/Beaches resorts in Jamaica were going to be given a free holiday!

~General Information~

This resort does cost more than other AI resorts cost. There is some need of refurbishment and we saw some going on while we were there. We were also told that the resort will be closed for a short while soon for more extensive refurbishment. However, we found the property very clean and our rooms done to a very good standard.
Things to remember:

1- This is Jamaica! Time runs at a much slower rate. Service will be a little slower. However, once you allow yourself to slow down, you don't even notice!

2- This is the tropics. THERE WILL BE BUGS!!!! We have NEVER been to any tropical area and not found bugs. I always find it amazing when people complain about various insects they encounter. This is nature! There are more insects than people in this world! On that note, we did see a few various bugs- beetles and roaches. We did not see any mosquitoes. However, my husband was bitten by sand fleas. My son and I were not ever bitten.

3- Treat the staff with respect! It is common courtesy. However, you will be amazed at how RUDE some people can be to the staff. These people are hard workers. They may not work at the speed you do. However, most live in appalling poverty conditions and come to work at a beautiful resort with enough food thrown away in one day to feed their entire family for one year. If you get to know the staff, you will find them to be the most helpful and friendliest people in the world. A smile and thank you go a LONG ways!!

~Recommendation~

Yes, I would recommend this resort to families. Children are catered to in all regards. I always felt safe and taken care of and felt as if they valued my custom. I would not hesitate to return to this resort again.

I would not recommend this resort if you are just a couple. Sandals is a much better resort for couples because it caters to the adults in activities and food.

Remember..... don't forget to leave your Footprints In The Sand! 

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