This is a tough one. So many people have so many different experiences at the same place. My wife and I went there for our very first trip to Jamaica in 2009. Being new to international travel we errantly booked at Sandals. Sandals was fine, but it didn't feel as though we left the US. We were glued to the window on the entire bus ride there, but were advised strongly not to leave the resort due to drug related crime. In retrospect I'm sure now that the staff if well versed on keeping customers on the property and not wanting the responsibility of having something go wrong with a guest who left the property. So we stayed onsite. At night the perimeter was patrolled by armed guards, and when we went on day trips we were accosted by sales people and really couldn't get away as we were there with a trip bus so it was awkward. Part way through the week we started to ask local employees where we could go to be with the locals, eat local food, meet and learn about the island. Every person we spoke to suggested Negril. We have been to Negril 10 times since that trip and have never regretted it. So much more freedom, a nicer area with a world class beach. We've met so many wonderful people that we get to visit every year when we come back. We can nicely tell salesmen we aren't interested and continue on our way and have never had an issue with them. The food is out of this world and maybe we could have eventually had this experience in Ocho but based on the beach and local food alone I can't see us ever returning to Ocho. Also if you book on seven mile there is almost no need to take a taxi anywhere if you don't want to, we walk almost everywhere we want to go. Just my humble opinion, but Negril is better suited to a wider variety of travelers expectations.
