Get Out Of The Cold

Hi Gina

Where do I begin???

We first visited Sandals on our honeymoon in January 2006, we stayed at Dunns River Villagio. We returned and became "Soon Come Back" Sandals Signature Members. Why did we LOVE this resort?

1. Size: It was the perfect setting for a honeymoon. It was intimate and had a great vibe.
2. Restaurants: We never had to make a reservation for dinner and didn't have to wait long for a table. The outdoor pizza oven was one of the best places to eat. With gourmet pizza, gelato & espresso available all day. We were in heaven
3. Beach: It wasn't huge, it was perfect. White sand and calm warm waters.
4. People: Everyone asked how our day was and we often saw the GM walking around to speak to guests.
5. Cleanliness & Overall Ambiance: Everything from our room to the areas of the resort was clean. The ambiance was luxury caribbean, not something made up.

My second visit was to Beaches Turks & Caicos. Unfortunately hubby wasn't able to come with me.

1. The Italian Village Concierge Suites: This suite was the ULTIMATE. It sleeps four+ and comes equipped with an Xbox, bunk beds, a king-sized four poster bed in a separate room, and a fully stocked mini bar with snacks (including mircowave & popcorn!). The washroom was incredible, mahogany wood & marble. The nice touch was the Red Lane Spa toiletries. It's not on my must have list but it did make my trip that more enjoyable.

2. Family & Honeymoon Friendly: I have to be honest before I arrived my worry was that I could never send a wedding or honeymooners here... BOY was I wrong. Sandals/Beaches did an amazing job at planning this resort. Never did I feel that it was less romantic with families present. The resort plan obviously made sure that this wouldn't be the case.

3. Restaurants/Amenities: Aside from fabulous restaurants, there was an authentic English Pub serving Guinness, Bass, etc., plus a nightclub, Xbox Game Garage, all day coffee bistro & swim up bar for milkshakes at the pirate ship. There was enough to please and accommodate everyone.

4. Beach: This is hands down my favorite beach... The white sand felt like baby powder on your feet, the water was warm & completely calm. Perfect for anyone.

5. Cleanliness & Overall Ambiance: Once again another stellar resort by Sandals/Beaches. Everything from my room, the beach, and many other areas. My favorite restaurant is Schooners outdoor patio. Perfect place for a romantic wedding reception dinner.

My next visit was with my hubby for our 4th wedding anniversary. This time we stayed at Royal Bahamian. I found this resort to be very similar in size and ambiance to Dunns River Villagio.

1. Travel: With a flight time of 3 hours & 15 minutes from Toronto. This property was the best for a little getaway.

2. Beach: Gorgeous. We had fish eating bread right out of our hands. The sand and water was very warm. Staying in the manor side, we got to wake up to see it every morning.

3. Restaurants/Amenities: Great restaurants! To my surprise I was even served table-side, caviar at Baccarat restaurant. Sandals Cay, the private island was a nice escape by 7 min ferry. We had lunch & swam in the warm ocean. It has a great view of Cable Beach. Sandals Cay has a pool and many sun lounging areas on the beach & pool area.

Everything I have stated above is the reason why we promote Sandals/Beaches properties. Bottom line is they have something for everyone. Although every resort has its own personality and charm they all maintain the luxury-included brand that is only known to Sandals.

Hi Gina,

Here is an email I received from a couple upon their return from their honeymoon at Sandals Negril:

"We just got back from our awesome honeymoon!! Sandals, Negril took our
breath away and we were treated like celebrities (even though EVERYONE
was on their honeymoon and EVERYONE got married on June 27th!).

When we checked in, we were offered a free upgrade. Great! Except it was
away from the beach. We had booked the beach walkout room in the
Paradise Block where the beach was literally 4 steps away, and the loft
upgrade that we were offered was on the 2nd floor and looked out to the
pool. No thanks. We took our little room right on the ocean and it was
the best decision we made. We'd sit outside every morning having our
champagne and OJ just watching people go by and watching the waves. It
was heaven.

What can I say, the food was extraordinarily good for an all-inclusive.
Some dishes were just plain fantastic that beats really expensive
restaurants here at home. We were very impressed with the food. People were so
beyond friendly and all the "extras" that we got completely made our
honeymoon. We did the couples massage by the beach during sunset the
2nd night we were there. Rented the cabana for a day and closed out with
a private dinner on the beach. Went snorkelling everyday. It was
perfect.

Our room was right across the way from their photoshop and their wedding
centre so one night I was peaking through their wedding centre because I
was somewhat still mesmerized by everything wedding and this cute little
guy invited us in to look around. We started talking and turned out
that they were in some serious trouble because both of their wedding
coordinators were away sick, one was in the hospital and they had 5
weddings the next day. And just so happens that I knew we had our
private beach dinner the next night at the location of one of the
wedding receptions, so he was even more stressed helping us change
places because no one contacted us to change the time nor the location.
When we gave him our last nanme he looked at us and just says "Tina?"
And we were like "uh?" And then it clicked! I read his name tag and he
was the Jeffrey you were talking about! So I said "Tia?" and he got all
excited, "Yes yes!" He said he was going to meet us when we checked in
(but our shuttle was delayed because of construction from the airport to
the resort, took us over 2.5 hours to get there) and then he was off and
came back to the craziness of no wedding coordinators. Anyway, he says
you are a cute lady and asked me to say hi to you :) Everything worked
out in the end for him and although the wedding was pushed back for an
hour due to a thunderstorm passing through, but the sun came out and
they still had their wedding and reception on the beach. Now those
Bailey centerpieces is what I'm talking about!! Just gorgeous!"

Yet another satisfied Sandals Customer!!!

Hi Gina,
I have not gone to a Sandals but I am a css agent and I am going to make it a point to get there in the New Year. These experiences sound wonderful and I can't wait to have my own.
Kim

Beaches Negril Vacation...2009...more than just a Beach!
We spent our family getaway last March at Beaches Negril, Jamaica. Our frist impression of the resort when we arrived via private transfers was very welcoming. From the Champagne glasses and towels to cool you off to the chocoloate chip cookies the kids recieved made checking in EASY!!! For those travelling with young children EASY is what Moms and Dads want in a vacation. It is after all our vacation too!
After check in we were quickly brought to our room (Suite with Concierge Service). To our suprise, this room was very spacious. We even had a King size bed! The pull out sofa was great and the roll away bed was very comfy. The mini fridge/bar was fully stocked with Beer, water, sodas and all kinds of juices for the kids. Now that we're all settled in...Time to hit the Beach! and WOW!! what a Beach!!!I have to say it's the BEST BEACH I've ever seen. Miles and miles of fine white sands, calm turquoise waters and lots of shade. We all enjoyed the floating decks,floating trampolines,kayaks,glass bottom boat rides and more. The pools were amazing and the water slides and lazy river were great even for the BIG kids (aka Mom and Dad). There was more than enough life jackets for the little ones that could not swim, and a water park for toddlers! The sunsets were out of this world...beautiful in every way every color from reds, oranges, pinks and purples. While the boys were out competing in the XBOX game oasis, the girls were dancing the night away with Elmo and Friends to some Caribbean music. Dining was always a pleasure with a variety of restaurants to choose from. We really enjoyed the Teppanyaki Restaurant and it's challenge to eat with Chop sticks! To top things off, we got the Beaches photographers to take some memorable family pictures. As you see, every detail is taken care of for you and this is truly the best way to vacation as a family because it is EASY! I strongly recommend Beaches to my clients that want an excellent, worry free family vacation. It's the only way to go! We all live in a fast paced environment where all we seem to be doing is running around to hockey practices, swimming lessons, school meetings and work. We all deserve to be pampered, taken care of and spend quality time with our families without having any worries on what's coming up next, what we have to cook for diner etc.
Every family should try Beaches once...I can guarantee you'll be back, I was very impressed!

Hi,
First, sorry for my english (I speek more french)
I just came back from a Fam Trip in Jamaica with Sandals and Beaches. It was my first time in this hotel brand. My trip
was WONDERFULL!!!!! I never see hotel like that, everything was nice, beach, people, service, FOOD, rooms....everything.
For sur I will go back with my boyfriend. Like you said....love is all you need and it's true. Sandals and Beaches takes
care of everything. I stay 2 nights in Beaches Negril and 2 nights at Sandals Dunn's river, but I visit almost all of theà
resort they have in Jamaica. My favorite was the Sandals Royal Caribeean!!! I love it because it's small, intimate, nice
and I love the private island!!! And I will love to try the massage by the sea on the little isle!!! My second favortie
was the Beaches Negril, everything is there for children of all age and for adult. At this resort, I did the experience
of Kimono restaurant. It was my first time in this kind of restaurant!. It was fabulous, the cheef was awesome and
the food excellent. The cheef always sing and talk, he was a fabulous entertainer!!! And, on this kind of restaurant,
we have the chance to speek with other people and talk about our last experience so I love it!! I taste everything and
everything was good!! And what to say about the Royal Plantation!!!! It's just SUPER!!!! calm and relax, nice gazebo just
like the movie!
Well, I hope I will go back soon.
Thanks for this fabulous opportunity that you gave me. Thanks to Grace Larmond, Georgia Lihnakis and Omar Joseph and
everyone else!!!

Fanny

Hi Gina,
There is not one time that I have stayed at a Sandals and not have an exceptional experience. There is something to be said about the service, food, suites, resort, watersports and the beautiful beaches.
I can't really narrow down just one experience but what I do want to say is that no other resort can compete with Sandals!

We spent 10 days at Sandals Royal Bahamian for our honeymoon. We really wanted a special vacation for it and were thrilled since it was better then the pictures and what we envisioned.The staff there is what really makes the resort special. From the moment you check in your every need is taken care of. The ambiance,activities and the food was fantastic. I also think the beach is the best beach we have ever experienced. The resort is beautiful and was hard to come home.

I was impressed how impeccable everything was and the food was fabulous. So much to choose from, depending on your mood. Everything from casual dining to formal dining.Another great perk to Royal Bahamian was the private Island. Another resort to enjoy, just minutes away

We tell everyone about our experience. Those who are considering going to The Caribbean or Sandals in general. We can't stop talking about it. You can't go wrong with any Sandals property. Truly "luxury included". We can't wait to go back.

Hi Gina,

I recently had clients that returned from the Sandals Halcyon (oct 3-10) and loved every minute of it. Their trip started on a bad note as their plane got delayed (mechanical issues) and ended up missing their first night at the Sandals Resort. Upon arrival the next day, Sandals staff were so compationate with them and made them feel so special from the moment they walked in.. The hotel even offered to extend their stay at no cost to make up for the missed first night.. Upon their return, I expected them to be angry for the bad start but nothing was said. Instead, both of them had such a wonderful time that they had forgotten about their delay at the start of the week. Honestly, there was no bad comments said at all about the airlines so I know for sure, their experience at Sandals made it all better... I even received a personal phone call from Alison Gitters at the Sandals Halcyon the following day after their arrival to thank me for sending my guest and it was followed by an email. It shocked me but again , it is Sandals we are talking about and that is why we sell it.
I personally travelled to Jamaica on numerous times and stayed at Sandals and Beaches every time! The treatment, service and atmosphere can not be found anywhere else!!! Great job Sandals!!!

Hi Gina,

I'm always impressed by Sandals and their properties. I'm a huge fan which totally helps me sell too. Our agency is a very big supporter of Sandals Resorts International and always recommend Sandals, Beaches and Royal Plantations, and we've never had a complaint from our clients or our agents.
In the past 2 years our family purchased an existing independent agency in our town. Without much experience in this industry but lots of personal travel experience we knew we needed to find something to offer our clients and this community some place with exceptional service. The "all inclusive" had been way over done and now people were getting sick of the "cheap" deals at less then standard resorts.
Since we traveled to St. Lucia and experienced Sandals Regency La Toc ourselves we have been able to show our clients the difference which lead to an increase of 5000% (yes 5000). With the product knowledge we have from our local reps and all the support Sandals/Beaches gives travel agents we're able to focus of customer service and get the client excited for their vacations. We offer our clients a huge level of personal experience from our trips. Since that first visit to La Toc we've now visited all Sandals properties (except Antigua), all Beaches (except Turks--that's our December trip) and Royal Plantations Ocho Rios. With those personal vacations we're able to see the resorts and experience the true perfection of them in order to come home and really sell them. We've experienced both concierge and butler service so we're totally able to explain why it's necessary to have that personalized service on your holidays! (Why save your money for a vacation then cheap out!?) We've only once stayed in concierge, the rest butler level which helps a great deal in selling. Explaining that we've tried it, and loved it really helps to make our clients love the idea.
One of my favorite butler moments was in July at the Royal Bahamian. It was after dinner and drinks and we were heading back to our room, passing the chocolate buffet...I'd told myself I didn't need anything and kept walking--well that's just not right! So once back at my room I was lucky enough to find some delicious cookies left on the bed by the butler, however I couldn't get the chocolate buffet out of my mind, and one quick call later we had chocolate strawberries (both dark and white chocolate) delivered to the room...within about 10 minutes! That's service.
I'm so looking forward to the Nov/Dec trip we've planned as well. With that excitement I tell my clients about my trip to get them excited to book and experience it themselves, everyone says we go on the greatest trips, but anyone can! For December we're visiting Sandals Negril staying in the newly named Millionaire Honeymoon One Bedroom Suite with private plunge pool for 1 week, then off to MoBay staying in Bay Rock for 3 nights and then off from Jamaica to Turks staying in the Presidential 2 bedroom Luxury Suite for a week. Experiencing these vacations really helps our sales. Having the personal tips and piece of advice for our clients has done incredible things to our sales! As you can clearly see, our vacations have paid off remarkably and all within 2 years! Sandals has made some fantastic efforts to keep up it's game in this market. I can not wait for the over water suites in St. Lucia (I've stayed in Tahiti and her Islands, and I know having over water bungalows can really make your holiday a dream come true!)
Vacationing for us and our agents in our office is not just fun and games, we do visit the resorts to gain knowledge and learn about sales techniques. Sandals is always awesome for that, offering lunches and meetings with their staff to increase our sales. The staff at Sandals has always made agents on site feel more then just guests, always so greatful and thankful that we're sending clients to them. Thanks to those people and the resorts, and our reps and these blogs, all the training and products knowledge we've learned from Sandals, Beaches and Royal Plantations we've been able to satisfy our clients. Nothing is better then a returning client with no complaints! What resorts can top Rolls Royce transfers and in room plunge pools that is included in your package!?

Thank you for your advice and blogs!

Deborah Jensen

Hi Gina,

I would like to know if you will make other draw like this one!!!
let us know and thank you for this chance!!!

Fanny