1st Time Non-AI.....Coco or Treehouse?

Wife and I just got back from another great stay at Sandals and had the pleasure of going on the Pub Crawl this past visit. Made us want to experience life outside the AI. We are bringing our 12 & 15 yr old daughters with us next year (along with a group of other friends and their kids), staying at Beaches for 7 days and then would like to stay non-AI for another 4 days so that we can all experience a different aspect. We want something on the beach with a pool so I think I have it narrowed down to either the 2 bedroom with loft at Treehouse or the 3 bedroom suite at Coco La Palm. Any advice on making the decision?

Any words of wisdom for our 1st non-AI experience?

What can we expect to pay for frozen drinks, sodas and beers at the beach bars? I saw a review for Treehouse that said the drinks were expensive, like $7-$9.

I know we will go to Xtabi for dinner one night as the girls will think the caves are awesome. If we bring our suits can we swim there prior to dinner and then is there a place to change? Any other recommendations for dinners at beach restaurants?

Finally, do people stroll the beach at night in the Coco or Treehouse area or should we plan to avoid that? I would like to stroll along and see some of the live music if possible instead of taking cabs.

Thanks much in advance for any help / insights. I'll attach some pictures for payment :cool:

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I've never stayed at Coco but never heard anything bad. I have stayed many times at Treehouse, will again for 2 weeks in August, and I can not recommend it highly enough! I have also put many a friend and family member there and never heard a discouraging word. Gail, the owner, is a creative and conscientious hotelier and posts here on the board. We are not big drinkers so I'm not much help there but your room will have a fridge so you can stock up on soda and beer for inexpensive refreshments. Yes you can walk the beach at night but use common sense. Do it in a group and bring a flashlight or two. Coco is about a 10 minute walk south of Treehouse and that is a great stretch of beach. I don't think you can go wrong either way. Enjoy!

Most of the non AI places will have room fridges, and stocking up is really inexpensive. I saw one board member that actually had a blender in her room for her frozen drinks.

The non-AI route is actually cheaper than couples/sandals (i am considering the cost of drinks/meals here as well) We are doing a week at a non AI resort where I will have an entire two bedroom 2 bath house and it is cheaper than my second week at couples in a fairly standard room. Even dinners, lunch, etc is not that expensive if you are not hitting places like ricks and the like.

Give the cliffs a shot for a real change of vacation pace. No beach to walk, but it is an entirely different experience.

Wife and I just got back from a week at Coco, our 4th trip there, this past week there were more families than normal, teens and some younger. What I like and heard from the families was the food at Coco is reasonable, great fries, pizzas, burgers, etc and the drinks are reasonable, what a lot do is go to a grocery and get colas and snacks, ROOMS HAVE SMALL FRIDGES, and beer is 1.70 at chances or 2.00 at Wild parrot, both close to Coco, if you checkout negrilonestop they have good sales for coco and other properties but considering the large beach area, pools, rooms are just a few steps from the beach, I recommend Coco.....

I would suggest Coco. They have a great beach and there are many great restaurants all over the beach, along with great food from the vendors. Yes, it's safe to walk the beach at night and very close to places that have live music at night.

Stormy49...the fridges at Coco are actually quite large for a hotel room! The beach at Coco is the best on 7Mile. TreeHouse is very nice....I'd say the rooms are certainly more upscale than Coco. Each has a great beach bar. The food at Coco's beach bar is very good. You can't go wrong with either property...

The price of frozen drinks varies WIDELY on the beach. If price is an issue, you want to wait for happy hour where you can readily find 2-1 frozen drinks on the beach.

Yes, bring your swimsuit for Xtabi! Let them know you are having drinks/dinner when you get there and there are no worries about swimming/snorkeling/cliff jumping! Dinner there is a great cliff experience.

I don't see too many people walking the beach at night.....just sayin...

right, we got everything we needed into the fridge and still had room, I hit CAP button by mistake, Coco has a grat happy hout 2 for 1 drinks, ok frozen drinks.

I have stayed at both places many times..just last week at Treehouse..both are great places and in my opinion ..you cant go wrong with either one..

Good inquiry. Wasn't the Pub Crawl with Lenbert a good time? We've done that a couple times. My wife and I have stayed at both places. Both are good, The continental breakfast at CCLP is good , what with the deleicious breads & fruit, and then you can upgrade for I believe $5.00. The breakfast at Tree House is really good. The variety! You look forward to what they will be serving the next day! The happy hour at Coco is 2 4 1's. They get other guests thast show up for that. It's a toss up. Both are good. Respect.

realxeption, we just got back from staying at GP, and walked the beach almost everyday...you may want to know that, although I've heard nothing but good things about Treehouse...the amount of beach there wouldn't fit 3 toyotas