Sandals Whitehouse Jamaica

AimeeRab

FI and I are thinking about having our honeymoom at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica. Has anyone been there? Good? Bad? Suggestions on thing that we should do (apart from the obvious)?

WVgalinNYC

We went there 2 years ago and really enjoyed it. While it isn't my absolute favorite Sandals we have been to, it has a lot if really great perks specifically the long beach and bring away from all the other resorts. When we booked the trip that is exactly what we were looking for, so our TA recommended it. I have a long TripAdvisor review I can send you if you are interested. We also really love our travel agent, she is really knowledgable on Sandals. Good luck!

lizziemc1775

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_sandals-whitehouse-jamaica-2?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:11Discussion:231814b7-910a-406f-be30-c8ad981eb6d1Post:74c55c85-0924-40f3-b1c1-ac2cdc5df583">Sandals Whitehouse Jamaica</a>:
[QUOTE]FI and I are thinking about having our honeymoom at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica. Has anyone been there? Good? Bad? Suggestions on thing that we should do (apart from the obvious)?
Posted by AimeeRab[/QUOTE]

<strong>My husband and I went to Sandals Whitehouse for our honeymoon at the end of July 2012. I've cut and pasted my review from TripAdvisor below. Overall, it was a nice honeymoon. Would I go back there? No. </strong>

We chose Sandals Whitehouse for our honeymoon because we wanted something a little hidden away with big pools and a laid back atmosphere. We definitely enjoyed our time at Sandals Whitehouse, but will probably pick another Sandals property for our next trip.

Getting There:
Landing in MBJ and getting through customs/immigration was no problem. Our bags were waiting for us at the carousal and we quickly exited to the Sandals lounge. It's a bit hectic and you are separated from your bags, but the shuttle came within five minutes--just enough time to use the restroom and get a cup of Red Stripe. A porter will take your bags to the shuttle; just be sure you keep track of them and ID them at every change. Our drive was "Jonsey" and he kept us entertained during the wild ride to the resort. The roads are bumpy and the drivers are a bit crazy, but I never felt unsafe. My husband on the other hand was white knuckling it the entire way to the resort. This aspect was definitely a turn-off for him as we still had an hour and a half to go before we could truly get into vacation mode.

First Impressions & Our Room:
We were greeted with cool towels and cold drinks. Our bags were handled by Sandals porters, so all we had to carry were our drinks and my purse. If I had more fore-thought, I would have grabbed some bathing suits and essentials from our carry on. Our luggage wasn't delivered to our room for about an hour. We booked a concierge level room which was great! We were taken to the concierge building where we were given information and then taken to our room in the Dutch Village. Our balcony overlooked the Dutch Pool and we had the PERFECT spot to watch the sun set every evening. Our room was clean and comfortable. It did not seem shabby at all except for some nicks in the bathroom tile. As I said, we had to wait for our bags, so we went out to explore and get some food. The grounds of the resort are absolutely incredible. Immaculately manicured, you will get some great pictures! You definitely feel as you in an oasis.

Food, Drinks & Service:
We ate at all of the restaurants during our stay. We never needed reservations or had to wait for a table. Although Eleanor's has a dress code, you can still eat there--albeit on the piazza--if you are not dressed "properly."
Bluefields was great for lunch--just put on your cover up after getting out of the pool. We enjoyed the jerk chicken and jerk pork quesadillas. We also had pizza at Giuseppe's, the Bayside buffet, and burgers at Neptunes for lunch. All of the food was very good.
We had dinner at Neptune's, Eleanor's, Jasmin's, and the Bayside. If you eat at Neptune's, make sure that PRINCESS is your waitress. She is AWESOME! Eleanor's food was spectacular and the maitre 'd, Earl, is wonderful. I didn't care for Jasmin's and the Bayside buffet was hit or miss. Aside from Princess and Earl, we found most of the service to be so-so. Many times we felt as though we were forgotten; food that we ordered never arrived, and drinks were very slow to be re-filled. I know that Jamaica has a slower pace and we should just sit back and relax, but we would get a little aggravated at times.
The absolute best place at the resort is the Martini Bar. The bartenders, Anthony, Shamone, and Daishelley, were AMAZING. If they were working for actual tips, they'd be rich. We started every evening there and kept putting off dinner so we could spend more time at the bar with them. It is not to be missed! Also, the treats at Cafe de Paris are delicious!

Pools & Beach:
We spent most of our time at the Dutch Pool since we wanted a quieter experience. The main pool and French pool can get loud and are full of activity. We didn't want that, so we steered clear. We never had trouble finding a chair or a float. We didn't go on to the beach that much, but it was nice. On some days the water was filled with sea grass, so we stuck to the pool. Although the you have to get out of the pool to get drinks at the Dutch Pool, a staff member would occasionally come around to take your order and deliver it to you.

Activities:
We did the glass bottom boat tour (included), an Island Routes catamaran tour to the Pelican Bar (extra charge), a couples massage (extra charge), and a candlelight dinner on the beach (extra charge). The glass bottom boat tour was very entertaining. One of the boat captains would go out with a snorkel and bring star fish, sea urchins, and other sea life into the boat for you to pass around. The tour to the Pelican Bar was a lot of fun, but a very long day. Don't be duped into paying $15 for a "fresh lobster" dish at the Pelican Bar. Our couples massage was very pricey for what we got. The massage felt very rushed and was kind of awkward as they made my husband and I read love quotes to each other (in front of the massage therapists) before our massage started. The spa also lost power during the massage and we heard the whir of the generator instead of calming music. The candlelight dinner was phenomenal! Highly recommended!! Just use a lot of bug spray!

Overall:
We did have a wonderful, relaxing honeymoon. The staff truly wants you to have a great time and want to help. We just felt that sometimes our questions or concerns were brushed aside with a "no worries, mon." Aside from a few bright spots in service, we did find our experiences at the restaurants were lacking. We loved the all-inclusive perks, our gorgeous surroundings, and the Sandals brand, but will probably try another Sandals resort before going back to Whitehouse.

WVgalinNYC

I sent you a PM with our TripAdvisor review of Sandals Whitehouse.  We've been to a couple other Sandals in Jamaica, so I can most certainly send you those reviews as well if you are interested!  Good luck!