Fantastic resort

We loved this resort. It is huge. It was at full capacity when we were there and you would never know as the places you went had no line ups and no crowds. In the room category we had unlimited room service and fully stocked bar and semi-private pool. Our own private paradise away from the rest of the resort. The pools were fantastic however we wouldn't consider this to be a great beach resort. Not that it is an issue as everything else makes up for the lack of beach. Would highly recommend ge [... read more]tting a Butler as the service really puts the icing on the trip.

Fantastic vacation

We had a great time. The drive from the airport to the resort was 1 1/2 hours which was disappointing but it was worth the drive. The grounds and pools were amazing. It was a tropical paradise. The staff were all very friendly and accommodating. All the restaurants were very nice with great views of the resort especially the outside dining. We had a villa up on the hillside with the butler service and private pool. The private pool was a disappointment. We had to call for someone to come and ski [... read more]m the pool and the ratan furniture around the pool was broken with holes in the tables and lounges. We never used the pool area because it was depressing to look at and uninviting, but yet our two neighbours, their pool area was great. We regret not complaining about this but it did not lessen the great vacation that we had. We would definitely go back again but would book in the Riveria Seaside in one of the small villas. They are very private and are surrounded by a tropical paradise and it is very central in the resort to everything. We would also never have a butler again. Nothing personal, we are just private people and like to do our own thing and not be bothered.

Very Good Resort

We just returned from a week at the Sandals Ochi (formerly Sandals Grande Riviera). Sandals is doing a great job of improving the property - there is some construction going on, but it did not interfere with our vacation at all. We stayed in the lowest category of rooms in the great house, and opted to not have butler service. The room size and layout was comparable to a higher end North American chain, with nicer furniture and a balcony - not especially luxurious, but the it was clean and comfo [... read more]rtable. The view was not great - looked over the golf-cart parking. We were almost over the lobby, and initially we were concerned about noise, but through the night it was fine. We are early risers, so the early morning activity did not bother us. If we wanted to sleep in, it probably would have. The food was very good in most of the restaurants - Reef was our favorite spot for dinner. We also really enjoyed the French restaurant and Soy. Transportation between the 2 sides of the property was quick and easy - we never waited more than 5 minutes for a ride. The watersports were amazing. We never had to wait for a paddleboard, kayak or sailboat. We did the snorkeling tour once - we are experienced at this and were a little disappointed with how little there was to see, but we ventured out by ourselves from shore (near the Ochi Beach Club) and had an enjoyable time. I would recommend that only strong swimmers go beyond the roped off area. The beach is divided into 3 areas - we spent much of our time near the watersports centre where there were always chairs in the shade, or in the water near the beach club - not much shade at that end. I cannot say enough good things about the staff. Almost everyone was friendly, helpful and very pleasant. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for many of the guests - many of them were rude and demanding and displayed poor manners. The employees never showed anything but professional behavior when dealing with those guests, for which I applaud them.

When the renos are done, this will be 5 stars

It was our second trip to this resort but we stayed on the hillside, not the seaside. The jack hammering was intrusive and downright awful at times. Other work includes painting and woodworking which of course are not really a big deal. If I had to do it again, I would go to the seaside. It's an individual thing, but I didn't find the butler service to be exceptional; we used it mostly to get around the resort which is not an issue if you are staying on the seaside. I suspect the renovations wi [... read more]ll be done by mid-May and it will look spectacular. The food is delightful; lots of healthy options, including for a Ceiliac. Top shelf liquor is available without extra charge (to an extent), you just have to ask for it. If you are looking for high-end wine, you will have to pay for that. If you are a golfer, bring your own clubs; you can play three times with a cart and caddy for $150 per person. Renting clubs is expensive though; approximately $50 per round. The golf course is about a 20 minute drive away and the shuttle goes every hour. If you are a quick player, you can get a round in 3 hours. (so, get up early, go play and be back on time for lunch and then beach/pool time) The beach is non-existent (almost) other than the Ochi Beach club which is really fun.

An absolute beauty....

This resort is absolutely gorgeous. It is a 90 minute drive from the airport which to us was a fun ride but I noticed some people clearly had not done their research and were moaning and groaning about it. This is not the resorts fault, it is your own :) We stayed in the butler village which felt like a little home in the hill. The room was clean and we had a little patio to sit out on. There is so much to do, many different pools all over the place, if you keep exploring you keep finding them.  [... read more]If you prefer beach over pools this probably isn't the resort for you as the beach portion is quite small. There is definitely no shortage on places to eat. I liked that there wasn't a typical "all inclusive buffet" with mediocre food. All of our meals were amazing, but we didn't bother with the Japanese or French restaurant. When in Jamaica, we love caribbean food so we preferred dinner at the Manor. The portions aren't too big so you can try a lot of different things. At night there are a lot of things going on, loved the beach party and another night had a chocolate buffet party. If you go in with the mindset to have fun and enjoy yourself, you won't be disappointed.

Entertainment at its best

Stayed Feb 11-15. Beautiful resort with plenty to do. The service and staff fantastic. The resort is huge a little to big for our 4 day escape As we felt that we missed out on a lot. I love along stretch of beach and the beach here was nowhere near what I had hoped for. During our stay there was construction all day making for a not so relaxing atmosphere. We stayed on the beach side as we prefer to be closer to the beach. The room itself was clean and comfortable but the moment we walked out to [... read more] the balcony all u hear is a loud air conditioner. All in all our stay was a Good One - Will we be back, No!

Fantastic service!

We had an incredible short stay at Sandals Grande Rivieria! We had a poolside Butler room up on the hillside with butlers Richard and Jeremy. Food was excellent. Staff were all friendly, and service was excellent throughout the resort. Although the actual beach was small, the pools were great. We look forward to returning next year!

Excellent resort and staff

This resort was well groomed and maintained, there were a couple areas undergoing reconstruction at the time of our stay, any noise and inconvenience was kept to the absolute minimum and did not affect our enjoyment in any way. Every aspect of this resort was very professionally handled. The staff were amazing from housekeeping staff to the butlers, all appeared to enjoy their jobs and had a smile at anytime, they made us feel very welcome which added so much to our enjoyment, for this alone the [... read more] stay was worth it. The food was very good at any of the many restaurants and service was never an issue. If you want a vacation in a place that caters to you this one does it right.

Nice resort

We had a nice vacation. Some things to know: but we didn't let it dampen our stay at all. Resort Grounds are under construction/renovations Noisy traffic throughout resort, construction in some areas of the resort, landscapers leaf blowers and gas whipper snipper tools going constantly. Staff golf carts running constantly. Very noisy not peaceful at all while laying at our villa pool. A lot of stairs, resort is broken up. Shuttle to & from both sides of resort across busy roadway. Small beach ar [... read more]ea Staff are friendly Butlers are very helpful. Food is amazing, lots of choices Room service - 45 minute wait. Call breakfast in the night before to avoid the wait. 2 hour drive from airport. Quite long. We did receive the room level that we expected. Honeymoon package was nice. Breakfast in bed or on patio, room decorated with flower petals, champagne, bubble bath with petals, fruit and chocolate. Overall, the only reason we might not return is because we would like to see other places.

Fantastic Trip!

This was our first trip to a Sandals resort and we will for sure be staying with the chain again. This resort is huge! We stayed in a butler room. It was the first time having a butler and it was interesting. We probably didn't use the service as much as we could have but we did enjoy what we used. Best thing they did was set up a housecoat man in our bed. It was awesome! The food was amazing. Our favourite restaurant was the Manor. Yum! We spent most of the time at the Ochi Beach and it was gor [... read more]geous. Wish the towels were refilled a bit more frequently but we always were able to eventually get one.

Beautifull resort

Very pretty, staff are always friendly and helpful, check in takes too long, we pre registered on line, but had to go all through it again. They insist on putting a $400 hold on your credit card. Not fond of that. Food is good, service is good, but won't do a Sandals again.

Awesome Experience!

The food was second to none, the staff were so very kind and attended to our every wish! We originally wanted somewhere that we could explore and not be tied to a resort, this place is big and varied enough that it allows for that. The gym, spa and golf were perfect. The beaches are small but the mariner and water sports made up for the lack of beach.

No Hot Water!!!

Stayed on the beach side of the property between Dec.22-29, 2014. I travel 5-8 times a year and was just in Ochi on Dec.3/14. Room was fine, but by my first morning no hot water, complained by phone, complained by phone later and in person to front desk, still no hot water at bed time. Morning number two, no water at all, phoned and in person again. Water back on, still no hot wTer by late afternoon, finally had a tech come out...that's when I found out that the whole building has no hot water ( [... read more]was in #2055) and hasn't all week. So I was put into a room and put off knowing full well this was an issue all along! Finally had a sit down with a manager, she was skilled at resolving my issue after showing me 3 rooms (two also had no hot water, different buildings...wouldn't take the room w/out trying the taps first). The experience regarding service, quality of food, professionalism was at best mediocre and inconsistent. Things like towels in the gym 2 days out of 7, asking for fridge restocking ignored 4 days out of 7, bathing item restocking requested also mostly ignored, had to tip wait staff to get somewhat consistent service, breakfast items often out of stock, getting coffe/water refills at breakfast was cumbersome, pool towels often out of stock for large portions of the day, list is endless.

Amazing trip to SGR

Just returned from Sandals Grand Riveria and we had a wonderful trip. Resort plantation is beyond anything we have ever seen on our vacations. Staff goes above and beyond to give you a wonderful stay. Food is awesome! Drinks are premium quality. We stayed by the ocean and loved it. We enjoy being by the water and the sounds of the ocean. The beach area is small but the rest makes up for it. We will definitely return to a Sandals resort :).

Not what you would expect from Sandals

Second time to Jamaica, first time at a Sandals. Love Jamaica and I expect we would like other Sandals locations but this one seemed to come up short for us. Ultra all inclusive isn't really accurate. Little things like wifi you had to pay for. We asked to visit the resort adjacent and was told there was a fee. When we went to confirm our visit was told we could not even visit but if we were staying at the other we could come to GR?? just seemed weird. The resort is huge but you do not get that  [... read more]feeling, especially on the beach side. It's very confined when it comes to waterfront with really very little beach front. If you like long beach walks, plain and simple, stay somewhere else. If you have mobility issues, stay somewhere else as there are a ton of stairs on the beach side of the property even to get from one section of the beach to the other. As you can probably tell I'm not a fan but don't let that stop you form Jamiaca or other Sandals in Jamaica but I believe there are far better options...especially at this price point. All the whining aside, the food was good, no complaints there.

Trip of a lifetime.

Absolutely perfect. Impeccable service from every person I encountered during my stay. Incredible food. No desire left unfulfilled. A beautiful resort that was worth ever penny. An amazing experience.