I came in on Air Jamaica out of
LAX. Upgraded to First which you
can do for not too much at the
time of the flight depending on
availability. Had a great flight
right on time and landed in MoBay
early that a.m. Red eye flights
and Jamaican roads have always
been special to me. Now that I
think about it that is the first
time in almost 30 years no one
tried to sell me something for my
head.
Arrived at Sans Souci a very tired
camper. As it was early rooms
were not ready so was taken down
for drinks and food while waiting
for a room. When I got back up
to the reception area which is at
the top of the tiered resort I
reminded them of my need to avoid
too much climbing as I was
recovering from heart surgery.
The original room was at the top
level but as I expected to spend
my time on the beach level they
put me in a room right at beach
level. I later realized I had
received a nice upgrade to
accommodate my needs. The
reception staff went out of their
way to make me comfortable.
The suite had a sitting area with
TV, sofa and overstuffed chair,
small refrig/bar stocked with soda
and champagne and a sliding glass
door opening on a patio from which
I could walk to the beach, pool,
bar etc. The bedroom area had a
very comfortable layout with
ceiling fan, king size bed,
overstuffed chair and was very
nice. The bathroom had a
separate shower which was quite
large. The bathroom itself was
quite large with a Jacuzzi tub that
would accommodate a few people.
Great place to relax before dinner
with a glass of champagne. The
maid service was unobtrusive.
They seemed to know when I was
out and cleaned at that time.
Never was I disturbed with the
maid wanting to clean or turn down
the sheets.
The beach out my door was a bit
small and not like I’m used to in
the BVI or over in Negril but it
was well tended. We had a storm
while I was there and the seaweed
that had washed up was taken
care of very quickly.
This place is beautiful. It has
been there a long time and the
foliage is worth 10 rolls of film on
it’s own. There are many nooks
and crannies as one walks around
the grounds where one can just sit
and meditate. Several swimming
pools one of which is a mineral pool
with a great view.
When getting the spa treatments
you are overlooking the sea and
hearing the water lap up on the
beach or rocks depending on the
location. The spa treatments
make you feel like you are in
another world. All that beauty
and then the pampering leave one
in a very mellow state.
Bars all over the place. And the
service is amazing. Nothing is
stinted on with nice higher end
brands and the bar staff all had
great personalities and a strong
desire to make your time there
memorable. Now I’m not new to
Jamaica having traveled there and
other islands for the past 30
years and yet this crew definitely
stands out.
Food. Oh the food. Several
restaurants to try plus the 24
hour room service. An ice cream
topped brownie at 2 in the morning
is always nice especially after
those nachos. For dinner there
are three restaurants to choose
from. My haunt became the one
at the top of the hill. Casanova.
Elegant dining. I had trouble
deciding between some dishes so
was treated to healthy servings of
each. The appetizers were
amazing as were the entrees. The
only thing I found lacking was the
wine list, but it was still a cut
above most in the islands. The
white glove service was
impeccable. The beach bar
restaurant turns into a west
Indian restaurant for the evening
for a more casual dining
experience. (I forgot to mention
that long pants and a jacket were
required for the Casanova
restaurant, an indignity I found
worth it for the food and
service). And then what I guess
what one would consider the main
restaurant serving breakfast,
lunch and dinner with dinner
emphasizing an Italian menu. For
breakfast and lunch it is buffet
style and quite a wonderful variety
of food. Omelet bar, smoked
salmon, capers all my favorites.
The pools were great with a swim
up bar and plenty of room for all.
The evening entertainment varied
but wasn’t for those looking for a
wild time, for that you need to
head in to Ochie. Evenings were
sedate with two lavish buffets on
the lawn while I was there. The
desert tents were amazing. The
resort has many other amenities I
did not avail myself of including a
game room, glass bottom boat,
fitness center, snorkeling, sailing,
windsurfing and waterbikes included.
As I mentioned in the beginning of
this report I was somewhat
impeded physically and the place is
tiered with many levels and steps
to get to those levels. I found
quickly that a phone call would
provide me with a ride up and down
the hill very willingly so don’t let
that deter you.
The rooms were great. The food
amazing and the staff as good as I
have ever seen, anywhere.
