Sandals Ochi Review

Hi everyone!

Today we are going to take a break from the height requirements series. I've seen a dip in engagement on those. Plus I understand they are a, you only need it when you need it situation.

So today, let's do something more exciting for both you and me! A review of my favorite Sandals Resort Sandals Ochi!

Sandals Ochi Beach Resort is located in Ocho Rios Jamaica. It is Sandal's largest resort at over 100 acres! It also has 16 restaurants, 11 bars including 3 swim-up bars, 105 pools (counting the ones in rooms), and 22 whirlpools (once again counting ones in rooms!

My wife Mary and I stayed here in October 2021, and January 2022.

In October we stayed in room 7446 which was a V1- Butler Village One Bedroom Butler Suite and is located in building 60.

This was also our first time staying in the Butler Category!

Food and Drink

Let's start with my favorite part of any Sandals stay first!

Vista Gourmet/Sky Terrace

In the morning this is your breakfast buffet. Some of the items did differ daily which is always appreciated.

The orange juice on the resort is freshly squeezed and incredible.

The Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is also the best! (I like mine with some of the raw sugar and rum cream!)

Some of my favorite items were the pepper steak, hash browns (think tri-taters from Arby's, the hash browns on cruise ships, or at Knoebels Amusement Resort, banana pancakes with Nutella, and the parfaits. They did also have mimosas and bloody Mary's available.

I was also impressed by the number of local items on the buffet.

As for dinner, I cannot recommend the surf and turf enough, the Caribbean lobster tail that comes with it is my absolute favorite lobster tail. It is small but so well seasoned and cooked!

Valentino's

We have only had dinner here.

The signature cocktail here is called the Italian Kiss. It is very good, very sweet. It reminds me of a chocolate-covered cherry.

The daily risotto the day we went was cheese. It was very good, although a bit al-dente for me.

For my appetizer, I had the arancini. This was my first time having this and it was so good! Would absolutely recommend it!

For dinner, we both had chicken parmesan. The chicken was cooked excellently. I thought the sauce could use a bit more seasoning, but my wife really liked it as is. Would order again.

For dessert we had the panna cotta, tiramisu, and the torta caprese. Neither of us liked the panna cotta (but seems to be a theme for us that we don't like cream/custard-like desserts) We both liked the tiramisu (it did not even come close to the one at Sandals La Toc, but was better than the one at Sandals Royal Caribbean). My wife liked the torta caprese, but I thought it was just okay.

Soy Sushi Bar

We did not eat in the restaurant, but our butlers brought Mary some California Roll by request. It was some of the best sushi she ever had. (Note this is a great perk of butler service, as we tried to get sushi to go for her at Sandals Royal Bahamian and were told that the restaurant does not do to-go/take away orders!)

Reef Terrace

Some of the best views of the resort in my opinion.

Two notes for reef terrace, 1) cats. We have been to the Caribbean at sandals before so we know to expect cats and appreciate them keeping the mice away but just a heads up there are a lot of cats at this outdoor restaurant and they do come and stand on their hind legs with paws on your chair. Not a big deal for us but I see how some people may be upset especially if they are allergic. 2)Spicy is a common theme at this restaurant.

The signature cocktail has scotch bonnet-infused watermelon alcohol and is very very spicy. This was the one signature drink we would not order again but if you like spice this is for you.

We had the BBQ jerk wings which were good.

We had the signature pork loin, twice-cooked fried chicken, and ribeye.

The fried chicken was very moist and good but was light on the seasoning.

The pork loin was very good, especially with the sauce.

The ribeye was okay. Good flavor but a lot of fat even for a ribeye (think skirt steak).

They only have one dessert here the island sampler which we really enjoyed and loved the concept of one small plate with all of the desserts.

Southern Table

We only did the breakfast buffet here once and preferred Vista gourmet /sky terrace for the breakfast buffet.

Lunch was some of the best across the resort.

We did the kung pao chicken, it was very good and the burger was very good as well.

For dinner, we did the wings, Buffalo meatballs, fried chicken, steak, red velvet cake, and bread pudding.

The meatballs were the winner for us. Everything else we had was okay. (Wife hated the bread pudding though)

The peach sweet tea signature cocktail here is a must!!

Mariner for lunch.

Seems to be our favorite place for lunch across the board at all sandals we have been to.

Had jerk chicken quesadillas and a fried shrimp roll. Both were excellent. (Bonus here vs other sandals is we were able to order the quesadillas here with just the jerk chicken and cheese in them, no peppers or onions (not sure if they have onions but definitely peppers) both other sandals we have eaten mariners at we were told they can't do that.

Highly recommend.

Dinos/Bella Napoli going to group these together because I'm not sure which one we had but I am referring to the one located by the jerk shack on the hillside. The pizza was good, very thin which is nice because it's not very filling so we can eat something else after.

As a bonus, you can get ice cream cones right next to it as well.

One note though, even though it's next to the pool a shirt is required to dine there.

Kimonos

The food was very good. The chef was also kind and made me some white rice with garlic butter because I don't like fried rice.

For the appetizers, we had the duck salad and the app with the scallops. Both were enjoyable but was our first experience with scallops in Jamaica that carried through at all restaurants we ate at. Very small marble-sized scallops not like the giant diver ones you see in St. Lucia and we get in the states.

We had the coconut sticky rice and pineapple roll for dessert. Everyone at the table agreed pineapple roll was the way to go for dessert.

The Saki cruise signature cocktail was very good as well.

Will note as well that the chef didn't do any of the normal performing/ really talk other than saying goodnight at the end after the fried rice. A little sad after how entertaining our chef was in St Lucia during the whole meal but the food was still great so not the end of the world. (Also chef specific).

The Jerk Shack.

Good quick lunch. Must do the fried festival so good order a few! The chicken was our favorite of the three meats. Have not tried the fish in foil yet but have heard it is very good from many people.

Le Gourmand.

Breakfast. This is the al a-carte breakfast option we did three times.

Breakfast was really good compared to the buffets, but bring your patience very very slow two of three times.

Dinner was very good.

Enjoyed the signature Aphrodisiac cocktail.

Was our first experience with escargot. (We are pretty picky eaters me especially but we are getting more adventurous as we travel to sandals because it's included so if you don't like it you can just order something else and didn't spend $20!) The flavor was good I just couldn't do the texture.

Scallops were good but once again marble-sized vs the large diver style in St Lucia and the Bahamas.

French onion soup. Best my wife has ever had and every table around us said the same thing.

We both had the chateaubriand and was very good. (La toc was way better though and you got a whole filet there).

We also had the duck and while we didn't enjoy it (first time trying duck) but have heard from friends we made who eat duck regularly that they really love it.

Had all the deserts except the Crème Brulee.

The only one we didn't like was the apple wrapped in pastry.

Can't recommend the flourless chocolate cake enough.

The Manor

This would be my least favorite of the dinner options I have had on property. We had steak and thought it was just okay.

We still have not been able to experience Neptune's, Kelly's, The Great house, Tapas On The Rivera, or Valentino's for breakfast. There are just so many restaurants here which is great!

Room service was excellent across the board! Loved all my burgers and the fried fish is amazing. Mac and cheese with pulled pork and nachos were good as well but we kept going back to the fish and burgers.

The only exception for us was the chocolate cake. Way too boozy for us.

Private candlelight dinner. (Extra Cost)

We were able to book this for half price when we rescheduled our trip last year due to covid.

I think everyone should do it once especially if you can ever get it at a discount.

By far the best meal we had but going forward we would just enjoy the included food in the all-inclusive package.

Everything was delicious and the lobster was huge!

Favorite drinks

Appleton 12 years aged with ginger ale.

Red stripe.

Dirty banana

Purple rain

Hummingbird

Electric lemonade

Blue mountain coffee with or without rum cream

The guava pineapple juice that is in the fridge in your room.

Try all of the signature cocktails all are very good (other than the spicy one for me personally)

And the resort's signature cocktail passion of paradise.

Additional Thoughts And Tips

As soon as you step into the Sandals lounge everything will be all right!

Get yourself a red stripe and trust me grab lots of snacks. They are free and you will be thankful to have snacks in the room particularly if you are in a luxury-level room and don't have access to room service.

And even if you have a butler, keep in mind they are assigned to a few other couples as well.

The shuttle ride to the resort was an hour and a half (with a few minute stop after the first hour). Do I wish it was shorter? Yes of course. Did I mind? No, not at all. I treat it like a free excursion that allows you to see the real country you are in vs the wonderful bubbles of happiness sandals have created.

It also makes me appreciate all of the things we have at home and how good we have it in our home countries.

When we arrived at our section of Ochi at the hillside lobby we were escorted to the club sandals lounge to check in (was our first split stay so didn't know how to do check in on the app because we didn't have a return flight on our Ochi departure date), enjoy a welcome cocktail which was Passion of Paradise and very tasty, and meet our butler and get the phone and get escorted to our room for orientation.

Our butlers were Dwight and Alrick and they were wonderful. Dwight in particular was the shining star of this resort of all the staff we meet. Alrick was great as well though. Note please communicate your expectations with your butlers. Our first day with our second butler did not meet our expectations. We felt like we were not checked on, and asked for Reservations for the week (which were made) but weren't updated on. We had a polite and friendly conversation with Dwight who we connected with right away and just let him know some of the things we weren't satisfied with and that we would just like to be checked on every few hours to see if anything was needed. From that point service from both butlers was great and we got a call every few hours to see if we needed anything.

Yes, it was awkward having a butler at first but just know they will do as little as you like and the awkwardness goes away quickly. They just want to be there and help make your vacation as wonderful as possible. They will do as much or as little as you want and the touch they add to the day was wonderful. Apart from the golf cart rides back up the hill which were so very appreciated, the things I liked best were the surprise snacks and cocktails, the way they decorated our room for our anniversary was incredible, and the escorts to dinner were our favorite. They ensure you have a great table and it was usually decorated with flowers as well they get you the menu and your first drink so you don't have to wait. But the best part about it is the time just to get to know them. I feel we became friends and although we will likely do club for budget reasons (would rather book more trips as the cost difference can be a lot. For example our upcoming 3-night trip is double to have a butler vs club) we will be sure to try to find them and catch up for a few minutes. We will cherish our week with them forever.

As for the resort. It is split up into 3 sections and is on both sides of the street. I know this is a big downer for a lot of guests.

There is a bus to the other side called the hop that runs every 10 minutes and had no negative impact on our trip having to cross sides. There is so much to do on both sides and I loved this resort.

My favorite thing about St. Lucia and Montego Bay is the ability to resort hop. For this, you take a few-minute shuttle to the other resort. I think of this in the same way!to I will say though if you have accessibility challenges this resort may not be for you but we did meet some great friends, one of which had a cane and they have been to Ochi 25 times in their lives. They found a room that works for them and they stay in that room every time they come.

As for the room.

I read so many reviews on trip advisor talking about A/C not working, no hot water, gross rooms, etc. Room 7446 had none of these issues. A/C worked great, the water was actually extremely hot, the bed was comfortable and the amenities and view were great. The only bad was some paint cracks around the window and sink which was no big deal. Would request this room again in a heartbeat if we ever do butler again. The not-so-mini-bar was also great and had a bottle of Appleton signature, Johnny walker black label, gin (I believe Hendricks or Tanqueray sorry I don't really drink gin after I stopped making long islands), a bottle of the Robert Mondavi red and there was a bottle of Robert Mondavi chardonnay in the fridge (I believe it is normally the Pinot but we requested the chardonnay), and there was a bottle of champagne on ice on check-in. Also if you have trouble sleeping like me I definitely recommend bringing whatever helps

you sleep because the tree frogs were very loud.

The dining was really good across the board (see yesterday's post for in-depth details). Not the best we have had at sandals but better than others and not one bad meal.

The beach and pools were great and I loved that you can snorkel right off the beach.

Entertainment was great, particularly the sax player on Sunday night at the seaside. I wish we spent more time on that side of the street. The Rabbit Hole speakeasy was also a ton of fun.

We had a 30-minute couples massage that was complimentary due to a promotion when we booked and it was wonderful. Just know there is a service charge (was $18 and change which is a tip for the ladies) we tipped an additional $20 each as well. We were offered to increase the time but we declined.

The private candlelight dinner was very good and by far the best meal of the week. I think everyone should do it at least once but going forward unless it was part of a promotion I would just eat at one of the included restaurants.

We did go to the Sandals select returning guest dinner and really enjoyed our meal (much better than the one at Sandals Royal Caribbean a week later even though the menu was the exact same).

Loyalty and travel were great in helping us book our next trip but there was a hiccup with our staff member's understanding of how the 5000 bonus points for booking during the week of your SSG anniversary worked, but it was resolved!

The nurse and the doctor that was called in to help my wife with her severe ear infection were also both incredible!

Excursions We did Dunn's river falls catamaran and it was so so good. Be sure to bring waterproof shoes it is slippery and a hike but you really do feel accomplished when you get to the congratulations sign! We snorkeled, went to the falls, and partied on the way back. I felt it was a lot of fun and well worth the money.

Dolphin, stingray, shark show at Dolphin Cove Ocho Rios This one was a miss for us but to be fair the island routes lady really did try to talk us into the more expensive package where you get to swim with the dolphins. Looking back we would have enjoyed the excursion a lot more if we did that. With this one, it is strictly admission and lunch. We could see dolphins, birds, rabbits, iguanas, and sharks in the water. We did not see the stingrays and they did not do the shark show the day we went which was really disappointing. The lunch was really good though. Jerk chicken (we both thought it was way better than the jerk shacks), red beans and rice and mixed veggies, and a cup of punch. It was still nice to get off the resort but pay the extra and swim with the dolphins. It was a 5-hour excursion and we were able to see everything we were allowed to do with the cheap version in 30 minutes.

On our January visit, we stayed in a Honeymoon Hideaway Cottage GC. This was a club-level room with a similar layout to the butler suite we stayed at in October. By this I mean it was a four-suite building rather than a traditional hotel-style building. While it did not have butler service, I actually preferred this room a lot more, and will likely be the category I book on all future trips to Ochi. It is perfectly located on the resort and is of course much more cost-effective than a butler room.

In a wrap-up, Sandals Ochi Beach Club is my current favorite Sandals Resort.

I know it is referred to as "Sandals love it or hate it resort"

I love Jamaica and the Jamaican people. Thank you so much Dwight and Alrick for a great stay!

I love the Sandals lounge at the airport, and the snacks are so good.

The resort is huge! I've been here 10 days and still haven't eaten or done everything that could be done. Talk about return trip appeal!

Yes, it is on two sides of the street. As I mentioned, not a big deal for me and they are transferring you in an air-conditioned and sanitized shuttle every ten minutes.

The food and drink were overall some of the best at any Sandals I have been to. In particular, I have not had a better room service experience at Sandals.

If you require a super modern room, this is not the Sandals for you. If you have stayed at Sandals before, you know what you are getting. But I will say the beds are very comfortable, and the in-room inclusions at Sandals are the best of any hotel I have ever stayed at.

Also, I wanted to mention, this is Sandal's lowest-priced resort. So if you are value-minded, or are like me and would rather take multiple trips per year vs going all in for the top room category or nicest resort this is the place for you!

I can't wait to return to Sandals Ochi Beach Club!

I hope you found this helpful or interesting!

If you are interested in a trip to Sandals Ochi or any of the other Sandals or Beaches Resorts, please send me a message on Facebook messenger.

This is not a sponsored or approved post and are my own opinions.