Our Review of Sandals Montego Bay

Sandals Montego Bay, the first resort of the Sandals brand, is a stunning beachfront property just minutes from the airport. It blends luxury with a vibrant social scene, making it the perfect getaway for couples looking to relax, enjoy gourmet dining, and engage in fun activities. With modern rooms, a breathtaking beach, and access to nearby resorts, it exceeded my expectations in so many ways.

What We Love at Sandals Montego Bay

• Close to the Airport: I loved that it was just a 5-minute ride from Sangster International Airport.
• Beautiful Beach: The sand was soft, and the water was calm and crystal-clear.
• Recently Renovated: The rooms and public spaces looked fresh and stylish.
• Great Dining Options: With multiple restaurants, I never ran out of delicious choices.
• Stay at One, Play at Two: Access to Sandals Royal Caribbean gave me even more dining and entertainment options.
• Lively Atmosphere: If you love entertainment, this resort delivers with beach parties and live music.

Cons

• Airport Noise: I could hear planes overhead during the day, but it wasn’t a major issue for me and we got used to it.
• Pool Options: While the main pool was lively, I felt other Sandals resorts had more impressive pool layouts.

Who Would Love Sandals Montego Bay?

Sandals Montego Bay is perfect for guests who love a lively, social, and energetic atmosphere combined with a beautiful beachfront setting. It is perfect for being close to the airport for convenience if you do not mind the sound of the planes taking off and landing.

Before You Arrive

I spent a lot of time researching different Sandals resorts before choosing Montego Bay. The Sandals website and travel forums were super helpful. Booking was seamless, and I highly recommend downloading the Sandals app, which allows you to check in early, see resort maps, and even make a dinner reservations in advance.

Arrival

After landing at the Montego Bay airport, I stoped by the Sandals Lounge and checked in. I grabbed a drink and some chips before heading to the shuttle to the resort. From the airport, the drive took about 10 minutes to get to and once we arrived, we were greeted with a cold towel.

Rooms

I stayed in the Oceanfront Honeymoon Walkout Club Level Room w/ Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub which gave us amazing access to the beach. Most of the rooms at the resort have been updated in the last few years so its hard to find one you won’t like. When we were choosing a room, we found there were three different room categories.

• Luxury Rooms: The most budget-friendly but still comfortable and modern. We like the Crystal Lagoon Honeymoon Oceanview Luxury Room w/ Balcony Tranquility Soaking Tub for providing an amazing oceanview at a good price.
• Club Rooms: These rooms come with concierge service, room service and stocked minibars—perfect for a mid-range option. With the added price, the rooms are nicer and larger.
• Butler Suites: If you want to be completely pampered, these suites come with a personal butler who will do things like save you chairs at the beach or pool for you, make diner reservations and give you a cell phone so you can ask them for anything else you need. We coveted the Beachfront Swim-up Honeymoon One-Bedroom Butler Suite w/ Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub since they have direct access to a pool and are just feet from the sand as well.
  

Beach

The beach at Sandals Montego Bay is incredibly soft, and the water is crystal clear. I spent most of my time lounging in a beach chair with a cocktail in hand, enjoying the gentle waves. The only negative is the planes flying above woke me up a few times as I tried to nap on the beach.

Since the beach is so long its easier to find a chair along the beach throughout the resort than at other resorts Sandals Resorts. We actually enjoyed sitting under some of the trees with natural shade provided by the leaves.

Pool

There are multiple pools at Sandals Montego Bay. The largest pool is pretty quiet and there are several buildings with rooms that have a pool next to it for the swim up rooms. These are usually quiet as well. The main activity pool with a swim-up bar was where the energy was. They have an entertainment team keeping the energy up throughout the day with games, activities and music.

Food

With over 12 dining options, there was tons of variety to choose from.

To start the day, there is a buffet or a la carte restaurant at breakfast as well as Cafe de Paris for specialty coffee, crepes, and pastries. I prefer the buffet at Bayside since you can get freshly made eggs, smoothies and other hot items, enjoy the large buffet and come and go as you please.

Additionally you can always order room service. We had coffee, pastries and fruit delivered each morning for us.

Lunch is casual with several different options.

• The Jerk Shack serves traditional Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Pork and is located near the more lively pool.
• Dinos Pizzaria has a menu of pizzas cooked in the wood fired oven.
• Next to Dinos Pizzaria is The Mariner with classics like burgers, quesadillas and roasted chicken.
• Bayside has a buffet opened each day with a different theme like Jamaican, Asian, French or American.

For Dinner, there is even more variety.

• Bayside Restaurant is open with a French menu
• Butch’s Steak & Seafood serves an American style menu with steaks and seafood.
• Oleander is our favorite restaurant on resort. It was recently reimagined with a refined Jamaican menu. They serve small plates so you can try several dishes. I recommend the Jerk Lobster Kebabs and the Coffee Rub Strip Loin.
• Soy has top notch sea food. We love the appetizers like the Shrimp and Vegatable Tempura as well.
• Cucina Romana serves amazing Italian food with ocean views.
• Dino’s Pizzeria: Perfect for grabbing a quick but delicious wood-fired pizza.
• Tokyo Joes is another favorite where you choose the ingredients of your meal and hand it over to a chef who will cook it on the Wok for you.

Entertainment

During the day, the entertainment team provide fun in the sun at the pool or around the resort encouraging guests to play some of the included activities like volleyball.

Every night, there was something happening—whether it was a beach party, live band, or fire dancers. The show does not go too late, but afterwords there is usually some other type of entertainment like a silent disco party or karaoke. We tend to go relax in our room after dinner or maybe walk by the beach.

My favorite spot in the evenings was Latitudes Overwater Bar, where I could enjoy my drink while watching the sunset.

Activities

There are so many activities included in a stay at Sandals Montego Bay.

• Water Sports: I tried snorkeling and stand-up paddleboarding, both of which were included.
• Scuba Diving: I don’t scuba dive any more but it is a great value add that is included in the stay.
• Fitness & Tennis: The gym was well-equipped, and there were tennis courts for those who wanted to stay active.
• Red Lane Spa: I treated myself to a relaxing massage one afternoon—it was worth it! The spa is small but is nice enough. About what I expect from a resort in the Caribbean.

Excursions

Excursions are the main expense that are not included in the price of accommodations.

Dunns River Falls is the most popular excursion from Sandals Montego Bay. The drive to Ocho Rios takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, passing through Jamaica’s lush countryside, small towns, and scenic coastline. With the help of a guide, you can climb the falls from the base to the top, navigating the natural rock terraces and pools.

I prefer going by Catamaran so you don’t have to drive and you can stop along the way to go snorkeling.

I do not recommend swimming with dolphins or horseback riding in Jamaica.

Visiting Sandals Royal Caribbean

One of the best perks was that I had access to Sandals Royal Caribbean, just 10 minutes away. A free shuttle made it easy to visit, and it was worth it to experience:

• A private island with overwater bungalows.
• More dining options, including the incredible Royal Thai restaurant and the Indian restaurant.
• A quieter, more laid-back vibe compared to Montego Bay.

Comparing to Other Sandals Resorts