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I finally had the pleasure of staying at my third and final Beaches Resort, Beaches Ocho Rios in Ocho Rios Jamaica. I spent four nights with my teenage daughter at Beaches Ocho Rios, and we had the best time. I cannot wait to share my full review with you.
Beaches Ocho Rios Review
I have stayed at Beaches Turks and Caicos twice now, and once at Beaches Negril so I was super excited to finally stay at Beaches Ocho Rios.
This is the smallest, and most inexpensive of the three beaches properties. But you will see the same great food, activities, facilities, and service that you know from the brand. Before booking, its important to understand the difference between the three Beaches Resorts to figure out which Beaches Resort is right for you.
At Beaches Ocho Rios you also have the Sesame Street partnership, and the autism certified kids camp. You will find the same luxury, all-inclusive experience with no tipping, no upcharge restaurants, daily snorkeling trips offered, banana boat rides included, non-motorized water sports, the best kids club, and high end liquor and wonderful, Robert Mondavi wine all included.
If you are looking to save money on your Beaches vacation, I highly recommend starting with a stay at Beaches Ocho Rios.
Beaches Ocho Rios is your starter Beaches Resort. It’s the one that you book first, and work your way up, next going to Beaches Negril, and then ultimately to Beaches Turks and Caicos.
Beaches Ocho Rios is a very little kid forward resort. You will see happy kids running amok, although to be fair, my 13-year-old had an excellent time and she loved the resort so much.
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Where to fly into for Beaches Ocho Rios?
Beaches Ocho Rios is a short ride from the Ian Fleming Airport in Ocho Rios. That airport is serviced by daily direct flights on American Airlines from Miami. Hopefully more flights will schedule into Ocho Rios.
Otherwise, if you fly in into Montego Bay, or the Kingston Airport, it will be about a two hour ride to the resort. Round-trip airport shuttles are always included with your Beaches Resort stay.
On our recent trip, we flew into Montego Bay, where there is a Sandals and Beaches lounge upon arrival. Even with the Beaches lounge, I still recommend booking Club Mobay for the VIP immigration expedition services.
Once you clear customs, you can head to the Beaches lounge, get a snack, have a drink, and freshen up before the ride. They put you in a comfortable air-conditioned van for your transfer. And although the ride is long, it is about two hours. It is a straight shot on the highway. They do offer a rest stop half way.
What I loved About Beaches Ocho Rios
We really loved the staff at Beaches Ocho Rios. There is one main pool, which was great. And there is a fun waterpark for a resort of this size. The beach is on a cove, so it is small and calm.
We loved the food and restaurant options. Kid friendly cuisine, but enough variety for grown-ups as well. My daughter especially loved the creperie.
And for a small resort, they had a lot of activities going on. Throughout the day, there were games by the pool and in the evening, there were several shows.
Also worth noting that this is the only Beaches Resort that includes golf. The other area Sandals Resorts – Sandals Ochi, Sandals Royal Plantation and Sandals Dunn’s River guests can also utilize the golf course.
For Beaches Ocho Rios guests there are daily golf clinics for kids and your green fees are included with your stay, as well as your transportation to the golf course. You only have to pay for the cart. This is a great value if you like to golf.
Another highlight of staying in Ocho Rios is the many excursions that you can do. This is especially great with older kids. On a previous trip I hiked the Dunn’s River Falls, and on this trip my daughter and I went to the Blue Hole and did the river tubing experience on the White River.
Nearby there is also Mystic Mountain, ziplining and ATVs.
Rooms at Beaches Ocho Rios
There are two categories of rooms at Beaches Ocho Rios, luxury and concierge. There are no butler level rooms and they are also no rooms that can accommodate more than five guests.
On our recent stay, we stayed in the Caribbean Village Concierge King. I really liked the size and layout of this room. From our private (and large) balcony, we had fantastic views.
My clients have always enjoyed the rooms in the Greek Village at Beaches Ocho Rios. These are all oceanfront rooms with patios overlooking the beach. You can opt for a walk out or a second or third floor room. These rooms are offered with a king bed and daybed/trundle, or two double beds and a single sleeper sofa
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Food at Beaches Ocho Rios
For breakfast each day they have the buffet, as well as the creperie.
For lunch, you can also dine at the buffet, but they have a hamburger/BBQ quick service restaurant and pizza station by the main pool.
For dinner, there are several restaurants on property, including the buffet, the French restaurant Parisienne, Neptune’s on the beach, and the Italian restaurant, Venetian. Not all restaurants are open each night, so be sure to check with the front desk for the schedule.
If you are traveling with littles, be sure to check out the Sesame Street character breakfast, which is offered twice a week. There is a small charge for this, but it is super cute.
Which resort is better Beaches Ocho Rios or Beaches Negril?
Having been to both, I like them both for different reasons. Beaches Negril is a bit larger, and a shorter ride from Montego Bay. Beaches Negril is located on one of the most beautiful stretches of beaches you’ll ever see.
But the waterpark at Beaches Ocho Rios is a little larger, and the price point is definitely more attractive then Beaches Negril.
Of course, if you are looking for Butler accommodations or rooms for families of six or more guests, Beaches Negril will be your best Beaches Resort option in Jamaica.
My pro tip is if you are new to the brand start at Beaches Ocho Rios. While you were onsite book your next vacation at Beaches Negril. You will get a 10-12% discount for booking your next vacation when you are onsite. And once you stay once you will start to accumulate Sandals Select Rewards points that you can use toward your next trip.
Then on your trip to Beaches Negril, book on site for Turks and Caicos, for that nice discount. Sandals and Beaches does not offer any other discounts so booking on site is always the best option.
Does Beaches Ocho Rios have a lazy river?
I saw some conflicting information on the Internet regarding this. Beaches Ocho Rios does NOT have a lazy river. They do have a full waterpark, with a splash pad for a Littles.
At Beaches Ocho Rios are two hot tubs, and two pools – and there is a small pool in the French Village. Check that out if you want a quieter place to relax, with the best views.
Beaches Ocho Rios Pro Tips
I know you will love your stay at Beaches Ocho Rios, but here are some tips to make your stay even better. And when you book your trip with me, I assist you with everything you need for a perfect vacation.
- The Beaches app does not work at this resort. Check the boards for the activity schedule and get a dining guide upon arrival.
- Not all restaurants are open each evening, so be sure to plan ahead.
- Banana Boat Rides are complimentary and are offered each day. Check the dive shop for times.
- Snorkeling trips and glass bottom boat tours (also complimentary) are offered each day. Sign up the day before at the dive shop.
- Check out the East Beach (on the other side of the dive shop) YES, this is part of Beaches Ocho Rios – no one seems to know it’s there!
- Check out the piano bar for entertainment each evening.
- See if you can find the creperie for crepes, smoothies and ice cream.
- Rent a cabana for a small fee – you will have full day butler service!
Beaches Ocho Rios review
Baby girl and I had the best time at Beaches Ocho Rios – we stayed four nights which is the minimum with the travel time. I would have liked an extra day. With an extra day we could have spent more time at the beach and/or did another excursion.
We loved the chill, laid back vibe, the waterpark was a highlight, and I loved the views from our large balcony. The staff and service was phenomenal.
This is a fantastic resort for a multi-generational trip, group travel or a Beaches destination wedding. They have incredible wedding venues along with a very large patio that can handle a large reception. From this patio you have the most amazing ocean views!
The cons to this resort is there are a lot of stairs, so if guests are mobility challenged, this might not be the best choice. I also think if you have been to Beaches Turks and Caicos, you will find Ocho Rios a bit of a downgrade, in that it’s so small and not very modern. And of course the travel time from Montego Bay is something to consider. Again, the ride is not bad, it’s just long.
If you need help deciding if Beaches Ocho Rios is right for your family, be sure to reach out. My travel planning services are completely free and I am a Beaches’ Chairman’s Royal Club Member, which means I am the highest level of travel agent there is!
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