Such a deal: Is Sandals or Beaches really worth it for $700-900 a night?

[gerryg123]

I just plugged in a week for the end of June, and Sandals and Beaches are SO expensive -- how can you justify spending so much when the fellow tourists at the beach properties near you are paying 100???

You add up the difference over seven nights, and you have to be really wealthy to enjoy the higher-end properties. Even if you are, I'm not sure it's worth it because the food, rooms and service are just too similar to the more affordable properties.

[MissBlue]

The Emperor Has No Clothes

[northcoast]

I've always wondered about that myself....even if you consider the room at $200, that's $500-$700 a night for food & beverages!!! Can anyone eat & drink THAT much??!! Of course if water sports are included, that might make a big difference, if you use them.

[jasperpso]

I haven't stayed sandals, but a have stayed $300 a night a/i and I don't even feel that is worth it, so I can't imagine it being worth their crazy prices, but never been so don't know.. ill stay at 100 a night place. That's for me.. now when I go other Caribbean places like Riviera Maya, I go.ai, cause I don't like allot of Mexican or Latin American food.. but never paid more then 2-300 a night for 5 star palaces with 12 restaurants..

[rastagal]

To me it's not. I've never actually payed to stay at Sandals but I worked for them for a long time so I did stay there often on "working" trips. I mean don't get me wrong, everything is top notch as far as rooms, food, liquor, and service...but I personally could not justify spending that amount of money. I can see how Beaches is a good option for families, the kids will always have something to do. They cater to a "luxury" market and that is a market I am definitely not in.

[Rambo]

compared to resorts in Fiji, or other South Pacific Resorts....thats like a budget hotel........its all perception I guess??

[Lynntt]

That's kind of what I was going to say Rambo. My mom only does 5 star; when I took her to Atlantis in the Bahamas I kept thinking "for what I'm spending in a day I could stay in Negril for a week". But she doesn't travel often, and she deserves to have exactly what she wants. Also, I travel for fun several weeks every year, and on a teacher's budget I have to watch my money. Most of my friends, however, only take 5 or 6 vacation days in a year, so they don't have a problem paying $500 per night. Our travel budgets are about the same, mine is just really, REALLY spread out! LOL!! The great thing about traveling is there's something for everyone.

[Marko]

nope..............

you can stay a lot of nice places for a week.....on the same beach.....for that $700-$900 bucks a night...

Cool Runnings, Marko

[Rob]

To be fair, at Sandals the $700-$900 a night would be for a couple at the VERY HIGHEST END Butler Service accommodations. There are multiple 37 inch+ plasma screen TVs in the suite, your own private pool(s) and a Jamaican butler to pamper you like virtually no other resort can. If you want an incredible vacation and money is no object, this would be a great choice.

Lets not start condemning others because they can afford things that many cannot or choose not. Live and let live....

[plongdin]

Our first trip to Negril was to Beaches for a family wedding. It was very nice but my husband and I can spend three weeks in Negril for what we paid for one week there. Luckily we disregarded all the warnings we got that it wasn't safe to leave the resort and discovered the REAL Negril outside the walls and for that we thank the destination wedding at Beaches We will be returning for our fourth trip in January and will smile as we pass the Beaches sign on our way to one of the smaller cliff properties that we fell in love with!