Sandals Montego Bay Guide for Travelers
4 Reasons to Visit Jamaica’s Flagship All-Inclusive
Embarking on a journey to Sandals Montego Bay is definitely an experience worth every penny spent. In this review, You’ll see 4 of the top reasons why Sandals Montego Bay might be the perfect fit for your next all-inclusive vacation. We’ll also include everything they offer: accommodations, dining options, activities and wedding packages.
Why is Sandals Montego Bay the Right Resort for You?
Before we start our tour, let’s get straight to the punch. Here are 4 reasons this resort stands tall above others:
Weddings - Exclusive to Montego Bay, the Overwater Chapel presents an idyllic setting for those seeking to celebrate love against the backdrop of the Caribbean Sea.
Sandals Royal Caribbean - The "Stay at One, Play at Two" privilege extends the luxury with full exchange privileges at Sandals Royal Caribbean, effectively doubling dining and activity options.
Beach - This flagship resort is perched on Jamaica's most extensive private white-sand beach.
Cuisines - Boasting 12 restaurants, this resort provides several dining experiences to choose from.
From gourmet dining across international cuisines to exhilarating water sports and activities, this resort crafts a unique narrative of romance, adventure, and relaxation.
Click below for our interactive resort map, then we’ll get started with the tour!
Sandals Montego Bay Guide (Credits: Sandals 2023)
Key Highlights:
Overwater Chapel with stunning oceanviews
Jamaica’s largest exclusive white sand beach
272 Rooms and Suites
Unlimited dining at 12 restaurants
6 bars, including swim-up and overwater bar
7 pools, 3 whirlpools
Stay and Play at Sandals Royal Caribbean
BMW airport transfers in select suites
Arrival and Transportation
Proximity can be everything. Many of the Sandals Resorts in Jamaica require at least a 90 minute drive via charter bus. However, Sandals Montego Bay is located just a 10 minute drive from the airport. Sandals is known for truly being all-inclusive, as they include transportation to and from the airport in the price of your stay.
Most times, Sandals will send a charter bus to pick you up. However, at some resorts, you can opt for something nicer. When staying at Sandals Montego Bay, some of the nicer suites include a BMW transfer to and from the resort. If you’re into this, you may want to check out which rooms include this feature.
Sandals Montego Bay BMW Transfers (Credits: Sandals 2023)
The Sandals lounge is also included in the costs. Once you clear customs and grab your bags, your check in with a Sandals rep outside the lounge near the front of the airport. They’ll take your bags. and you can use the restroom, grab some drinks and relax.
Quick Note: I want to recommend Club Mobay here! When you finally land in the airport, the last thing you’ll want to do is wait in customs and navigate the airport. Club Mobay is an add on package you can purchase that basically assigns you a concierge as soon as you step off the plane. They’ll fast track you to the front of the customs line, help you find your bags, then escort you to the Sandals lounge. Additionally, you’ll also have access to the Club Mobay lounge across the lobby, which offers a bit more to choose from in terms of cocktails and snacks.
For more information on Club Mobay, check out our review: What is Club Mobay and is it Worth It?
Once you arrive at the resort, where you go depends on your booking. Luxury bookings typically check in with the front lobby. Club Level bookings will be led to their concierge at the Club Lounge, where they will provided help with any bookings and reservations, given a short tour, and shown to their room. If you’re in a Butler Suite, you’ll be greeted by your butler and escorted to your room. We’ll cover more on these levels of service below.
Accommodations at Sandals Montego Bay
Sandals Montego Bay boasts rooms and suites to choose from in 4 distinct areas: Oceanfront Village, Beachfront Village, Caribbean Village, and Beachfront Villa Suites with Butler Services. We’ve highlighted a few of the standout options below. If you’d like to discuss available options at Sandals Montego Bay, Contact Us and we’ll reach out!
Additionally, click on the link below for a full list of every room available (with pricing and details) at Sandals Montego Bay.
Sandals Montego Bay Resort Map (Credits: Sandals 2023)
Beachfront Villa Suites
Beachfront Swim-up Millionaire One Bedroom Butler Suite w/ Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub (Credits: Sandals 2023)
Oceanfront Village
Oceanfront Swim-up Butler Suite with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub (Credits: Sandals 2023)
Caribbean Village
Caribbean Seaside Oceanview Luxury (Credits: Sandals 2023)
Beachfront Village
Beachfront Swim-up Club Room with Patio Tranquility Soaking Tub (Credits: Sandals 2024)
What is Included at Sandals Montego Bay?
Sandals truly takes “all-inclusive” to new heights when compared to other resorts. Usually, that term only refers to food and drinks. Check out the list of items that are all included in your stay below:
Unlimited fine dining at 12 restaurants
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and anytime snacks
Unlimited premium liquors
6 bars, including swim-up and overwater bar
Stocked bar in every hotel room
All amenities at Sandals Royal Caribbean
PADI-Certified SCUBA diving and equipment
7 pools, 3 whirlpools
State-of-the-art fitness center
Land sports, water sports, and nightly entertainment
All tips, taxes and gratuities - REALLY! Tipping isn’t allowed in most cases on the resort. However, there are a couple of cases we’ll discuss later (the spa, butlers, and excursions)
Roundtrip airport transfers
Shuttles to Sandals Royal Caribbean
Wifi in hotel room and all common areas
When you add it all up, it’s quite a list of included amenities! This extra mile is what first brought my wife and I to Sandals. The idea of free water sports on top of endless Margaritas sounded amazing. We’ll cover these amenities below.
Restaurants at Sandals Montego Bay
With 12 restaurants included at Sandals Montego Bay, you’ll never feel like you don’t have options. We love being able to stay a week and take our time trying out the menus at each establishment. At dinner, everything is usually a 3 course meal, so come hungry! Once we’ve figured out what we like, sometimes we’ll things up and grab dinner at one place, then drinks and dessert at another.
Quick Note on Dress Code: At Sandals Montego Bay, there are only two levels of dress code that you’ll find at the restaurants. When packing for your trip, you may want to take a look at the dress code for each spot you plan to dine at. Here are the differences in dress code below, taken from the Sandals website:
Resort Evening Attire - Dress pants or jeans for men. Long or short sleeve dress shirts (with or without collar). Dress shoes or sandals. No shorts, t-shirts, sleeveless shirts, sneakers, flip flops or slippers. No hats.
Resort Casual - Shorts or jeans. T-shirts or polo shirts. Swimwear must be covered. Shirts and footwear required.
Bayside
Bayside (Credits: Sandals 2023)
Bayside is the buffet of the resort. Each morning will feature a breakfast buffet, while the lunch buffet will rotate in what is featured. At dinner, they switch things up with a traditional menu.
Type of Cuisine: Buffet/ French Brassiere for dinner
Breakfast (continental): 5:00am – 7:00am
Breakfast (buffet): 7:00am - 11:00am
Lunch: 12:30pm - 2:30pm
Dinner: 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Dress code: Resort Casual
Click Here for Lunch Buffet of the Day
Cafe de Paris
Cafe de Paris - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2023)
Cafe de Paris is a great place to pick up a snack or breakfast pastry. They also have coffee. My personal recommendation: pick up a Café Jamaïquain! It’s the perfect blend of Jamaican rum cream, coffee liquor, cocoa and whipped cream for an afternoon pick me up.
Type of Cuisine: French Patisserie
Open: 6:30am-10:00pm
Dress Code: Resort Casual
Dino’s Pizzeria
Dino’s Pizzeria - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2023)
Dino’s serves up wood-fired pizza in a nice location by the beach. This is mainly going to be a lunch restaurant. However it’s one of my favorites. Every pizza is perfectly cooked and freshly made.
Type of Cuisine: Wood-fired Pizza
Open: 11:00am to 6:00pm
Dress code: Casual Attire
The Jerk Shack
The Jerk Shack - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2023)
The Jerk Shack doesn’t have a huge menu, but it honestly doesn’t need one! On our last Sandals stay, one big mistake was waiting until the last day to check it out. I’d recommend pairing the Jerk Chicken with the Festival.
Open: 11:00am- 6:00pm
Cuisine: Authentic Jamaica Jerk Specialties
Dress code: Casual Attire
The Mariner Seaside Grill
The Mariner Seaside Grill - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2024)
The Mariner is going to serve up your traditional American style food from the grill. If you’re on the beach and hungry for something like a chili dog, burger or quesadilla, this is the spot for you. Recommendation: They also serve Jamaican Patties, which is a staple food in Jamaica. Make a point to try it at least once!
While mainly open for lunch, the Mariner opens up later in the evening for late night snacks.
Type of Cuisine: American and Jamaican Grill
Lunch: 11:00am- 4:00pm
Late Night Snack: 10:00pm-5:00am
Dress code: Casual Attire
Click Here for Late Night Menu
Oleander
Oleander - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2024)
Oleander is the first “resort evening attire” restaurant on our list. You’ll want to dress up a little more fancy for this one (and be sure to make reservations). They have both indoor and outdoor seating, with beautiful views right by the ocean. My personal favorite on the menu is the Blue Mountain Coffee Rub Strip Loin.
Type of Cuisine: Caribbean a la carte
Dinner: 5.30pm-9:30pm
Dress code: Resort evening Attire
Reservations required for dinner
Cucina Romana
Cucina Romana - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2024)
Cucina Romana is your standard Italian food in the evening, but they also serve up breakfast every day except for Friday. Breakfast Recommendation: Crunchy French Toast! Quick Note: While this restaurant is resort casual, they do require a reservation to get in.
Type of Cuisine: Italian – a la carte
Breakfast (Monday- Saturdays): 7:00am - 11:00am (served a la carte)
Dinner: 5:30pm - 9:30pm
Dress code: Resort Casual
Reservations required for dinner
Tokyo Joe’s
Tokyo Joe’s - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2024)
Type of Cuisine: Asian Wok
Dinner: 5.30pm-9:00pm
Dress code: Resort Casual Attire
Stewfish
Stewfish - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2024)
Stewfish serves Jamaican seafood right out on the beach. This is a personal favorite of mine, as I love being able to sit out on the sand and watch the waves as we eat. At Stewfish, while it’s resort casual, you can still slip of your shoes and stick your feet in the sand.
Type of Cuisine: Jamaican Seafood – à la carte
Dinner: 5.30pm-9.00pm
Dress code: Resort Casual. However, bare feet are permitted
Butch’s Steak and Seafood
Butch’s Steak and Seafood - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2024)
Butch’s Steak and Seafood is the other restaurant with a fine dining dress code at the resort. Again, make sure to pack accordingly if you want to frequent this one. I’m typically more of a classic steak guy, but everything we’ve tried on the menu here was good.
Type of Cuisine: Steak & Seafood
Dinner: 5:30pm - 9:00pm
Dress code: Resort Evening Attire
Reservations required for dinner
Soy
Soy - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2024)
Soy was not my favorite, but if you’ve followed this blog much, you know I’m not a huge sushi fan. My wife loves sushi and loved all of the options to choose from. For those of you who might visit and also fall into the picky “non-sushi” category, the Crispy Chicken Kara Age is a safe choice.
Type of Cuisine: Sushi Bar
Dinner: 5.30pm-9.30pm
Dress code: Resort Casual
Cricketer’s Pint
Cricketer’s Pint - Sandals Montego Bay
Aside from the restaurants with nice beach views, Cricketer’s Pint was one of my favorites. After dinner in the evenings, it’s nice to find a place with fun vibes to hang out and people watch over drinks. We came here a couple evenings for a relaxed hang out.
Type of Cuisine: Authentic British Pub Cuisine
Lunch/Dinner: 4:00pm-10:00pm
Dress code: Resort Casual
Bars
There are six Bars/Cocktail lounges found at Sandals Montego Bay
Beach Bar: 10:00am – 5:00pm & 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Main Bar: 10:00am – 11:00pm
Overwater Bar: 10:00am – 10:00pm
Swim-Up Pool Bar/Piano Bar: 11:00am – 2:00am
Cricketer’s Pint: 4:00pm – 2:00pm
Palms Bar: 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Find Them All Here - Interactive Resort Map
If you want to try something different, check out Sandals Most Popular Cocktails. My personal favorite is the Dirty Banana!
Water Sports at Sandals Montego Bay
Hobie Cat Sailing - Sandals
Included in your stay at Sandals Montego Bay is a number of water sports to fill each day. There’s so much to do that you may not want to go off the the resort at all!
Canoeing Kayaking
Hobie Cat Sailing
Paddleboards
Underwater Vision (Glass Bottom) Boats
Wake Boarding
Knee Boarding
Water-Skiing
Snorkelling
Windsurfing
Tubing
Scuba Diving*
Quick Note: You must be certified to take part in the Scuba Diving. If you are not, but wish to obtain your certification, Sandals offers Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) for beginners and PADI International Dive certification at an additional cost.
Land Sports
We didn’t spend much time on the land sports inclusions, as we usually tend to stay near the beach. Still, Sandals Montego Bay offers a good selection of land activities.
Day & Night Tennis (2 Courts)
Giant Outdoor Chess
Basketball
Pool Tables
Croquet
Shuffle Board
Board Games
Table Tennis
Beach & Pool Volleyball
Entertainment
Nightly Shows
Although the schedule may change, Sandals generally keeps a weekly rotation of nightly entertainment. If you’re in the mood to sit back and watch something fun, there’s always something to do.
Sunday - Reggae Fest
Monday - Carnival Party
Tuesday - Island Night
Wednesday - Jamaica Jamboree
Thursday - Encore
Friday - Island Romance
Saturday - Caribbean Night
Cocktail Parties
With the exception of the Manager’s Cocktail Party, some of these are exclusive, in that they are either limited to club level guests or returning guests. Still, we’ve actually met some friends at a few of these that we hung out with throughout the week. It makes a good case for staying club level!
Monday - Manager’s Cocktail Party at 5:30pm
Tuesday - Sandals Select Guests Cocktail and Dinner Party at 6:00pm
Friday - Club Sandals Cocktail Party at 5:30pm
Wedding Packages at Sandals Montego Bay
Overwater Chapel - Sandals Montego Bay (Credits: Sandals 2024)
Weddings and Honeymoons are a specialty at Sandals. Every time we visit, we meet at least 3-4 other couples that are getting married there that week. Sandals runs some great packages for destination weddings at their resorts.
Click Here for Sandals Wedding and Honeymoon Packages
One thing to highlight that’s exclusive to Sandals Montego Bay is the Overwater Chapel. Picture getting married above the water with beautiful ocean views.
This resort also boasts a new Weddings Lounge, with a large Bridal Suite. You’ll go to the lounge after arriving to make the final plans and preparations for your wedding.
Stay at 1, Play at 2 - Sandals Royal Caribbean
Sandals Royal Caribbean (Credits: Sandals 2024)
One of the best included amenities at certain Sandals resorts is the Stay and Play benefit. Typically, if you are staying in a Sandals Resort that is near another one, you can access free transfers to visit the other resort. You’ll want to check the times for transfers ahead of time, but there’s usually a few that go back and forth each day.
Sandals Royal Caribbean has a very different vibe. The thing about this resort that excites us the most is the offshore island part of the resort. Sandals Royal Caribbean is one of the few resorts with an entire offshore island, accessible by boat. They’ll transfer you out to the island, where you can enjoy a private beach, 2 dining experiences, a pool and hot tub, and more entertainment. See below for a list of additional amenities you can find at this neighboring resort:
9 additional restaurants
5 bars
8 pools, 6 whirlpools
Water sports and land sports
A private offshore island
More Amenities Included with Sandals Montego Bay
When looking into Sandals Resorts, most people think “all-inclusive” and look primarily at water sports, land sports, food and drinks. However, there are several other fun things specific to Sandals Montego Bay.
Fitness Center - The gyms at Sandals Resorts are fully air-conditioned and keep up-to-date equipment. They also have certified fitness instructors that will lead you in some great workouts. We ended up here a couple mornings, as we felt the need to work everything off! For those of you into fitness, this is a must visit.
Nurse’s Station - Open Monday to Sunday, 9:00am-5:00pm. A doctor is also on call 24/7, but doctor’s visits are extra. This is not something I looked into before coming to Sandals, but was a life saver! My wife got something lodged in her ear while swimming and needed a lavage. They had a doctor in that afternoon to take care of it. Keep in mind, this is a little more pricey than your typical urgent care. We spent between $300-$400 for the visit. Still, when you’ve dropped a good bit on a nice trip, it’s worth it to ensure you enjoy every minute.
What’s Not Included at Sandals Montego Bay?
This is truly a small list. Sandals takes “all-inclusive” seriously and pulls out all the stops. However, you may still find the need to pay for a few things: Epix pictures, the resort shop, tipping of butlers and drivers, scuba certification, spa services, and off-site excursions.
Epix
Epix is the picture service at each Sandals resort. You’ll find photographers on the beach and throughout the resort each day and evening. They are all gifted at capturing some fun moments, especially when you’re dressed up and getting out at night. You’ll have the chance to stop by the Epix store and pick some photos to take home. However, you do have to pay!
The Resort Shop
The Resort Shop did end up saving us in the end, but it is on the pricey side. They’ll carry every you might need but forgot at home. From clothes, hats and souvenirs, they also keep medicine, toiletries and sunscreen on hand. We ran out of sunscreen on day 4 and had to visit the shop. It did cost around $60 for two cans of sunscreen though!
Tipping Butlers and Drivers
One thing we love about Sandals is that tipping is not allowed, at least in most cases. You’ll find waitstaff, bartenders and most everyone is not allowed to accept any type of tip. However, butlers and drivers are the exception. For drivers for excursions and transfer to and from the airport, you’ll want to bring a tip.
In terms of butlers, only the butler rooms will have this service. They do wait on you day in and day out, so you do want to make sure you tip them accordingly. If you’re curious about how much to tip them, check out our guide to tipping butlers below.
The Red Lane Spa
Every Sandals resort sports a Red Lane Spa. While it comes at a cost, they offer some great services that are more than worth it.
Quick Tip: We love to book a couples massage the first full day on the resort. It gets us in a relaxed mood for the rest of the stay. It’s also good to get a massage in before any possible sunburns from the week.
Click below for a list of spa treatments at the Red Lane Spa at this resort:
Red Lane Spa Services - Sandals Montego Bay
Island Routes Excursions
Island Routes - River Tubing Excursion
Island Routes is the official partner with Sandals for all off-site excursions. I wouldn’t personally recommend doing any excursions that aren’t done through Island Routes. When we’re visiting someplace new, we usually try to get in about 2 new excursions during the trip.
Some of Jamaica’s premiere excursions (like Dunn’s River Falls) are a couple of hours away, near Ochos Rios. However, we have found that there are still some great excursions closer to Montego Bay. Here are some examples:
Luminous Lagoon
Appleton Estate Rum tour
Treetop Zipline and River Tubing Experience
Bamboo Rafting on the Martha Brae River
Click Here for More Island Routes Excursions
What Do I Pack for Sandals Montego Bay?
If you’re coming to Sandals, you’ll want to ensure you bring everything you need to have the perfect experience. Some of this largely depends on what you plan on doing while you’re there. If you’re spending most of your time at the beach, you’ll need plenty of swimsuits. If you want to visit the restaurants that require evening attire, you’ll want to pack a few outfits that are a little nicer. If you plan on doing offsite excursions, you’ll probably want water shoes and some day clothes.
Over time, we’ve learned some of the things we end up needing most for a trip to Sandals. Check out our guide below on what to pack for a Sandals Trip:
What Do I Pack for Sandals?
Our Opinion
Sandals Montego Bay is a great choice for those who are looking for a unique place to have a destination wedding, want an exclusive beach, a number of food options, and still want outside options at a neighboring resort. A huge plus is that it’s only 10 minutes away from the airport in Montego Bay.
I love having the option to check out the private island at Sandals Royal Caribbean. While I might prefer more beach space, it still had plenty of exclusive spots to lounge.
If you are looking to book your Sandals experience, we’d love to help make it perfect! We can help you pinpoint the resort that will best fit your needs, then make sure all the details come together perfectly. Click to contact us below and we’ll reach out to you shortly. (If you’ve already booked, we still offer a free concierge service, so feel free to contact us!)
