Sandals Royal Plantation in Jamaica

The Sandals Royal Plantation in Jamaica is a small and intimate resort. Offering that boutique feel, but with all the service of a big resort; as well as access to the amenities at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort next door. The smallest, coziest, most romantic of the Sandals Resort offerings, this resort takes ‘luxury included’ to a whole new level. Perched 25 feet above the Caribbean Sea, all 74 accommodations are suites. All are ocean view, and all come with a butler to take care of your every wish! In my opinion, this is the best Sandals resort for couples!

Disclaimer: We received an upgrade in return for this blog post, however paid for our original booking. As always, all opinions are my own.

Sandals Luxury with Butler Service

Imagine a fairytale setting where you are treated like royalty. With 2 private cove beaches, five gourmet restaurants, and the only caviar and champagne bar in Jamaica, this resort is truly one of a kind. If you are looking for an upscale romantic getaway centered relaxation and enjoying the indulgent pleasures of a butler, then Sandals Royal Plantation in Jamaica is for you.

We booked our anniversary trip to Sandals Ochi Beach Resort, which is right next door to Royal Plantation. Then got such a good deal, we decided to extend our stay and try both resorts on one trip!

Check-in & Meeting our Butlers

The complimentary shuttle delivered us from Ochi Beach to Royal Plantation just after noon on Friday. I almost felt guilty for the ride as we could have walked the distance in less than 5 minutes if it were not for luggage. The two resorts really are that close together, but completely different from each other in so many ways. When we arrived, we were greeted with champagne and warm smiles and were immediately introduced to our butler, Orayne. He and Ricardo would be our butlers until we departed on Monday. Even though, at this point, I was still not sure what they would do for us. We were escorted to our room and greeted with the a flamboyant welcome message – it was such a sweet surprise.

The Suites at Sandals Royal Plantation

When they say that all rooms are suites and all have ocean views, they are not exaggerating. Our room had a sitting room when you first entered complete with a TV, couch, desk, and chair. The next room had a soaking tub and rain shower overlooking the ocean. Then we entered the bedroom, with a massive mahogany king size 4-poster bed. With a view out over the balcony towards the ocean. There was also a dressing area, closet, and a full bathroom.

I was instantly mesmerized by our balcony view overlooking the Caribbean. After showing us around our room and offering to unpack for us, our butler agreed to meet us in the lobby after we had time to get settled to show us around the resort. He also informed us that he had taken the liberty to make dinner reservations for us at Le Papillon Restaurant for 7pm, but would be more than happy to change it if we preferred something different.

No lie, right then and there I was sold on the butler. John and I are always trying to decide where to eat and when to eat and our first night on site we didn’t even have to think about it!

5-star Service

We began unpacking and within minutes Orayne was back with a surprise. He thought we might enjoy an afternoon snack and he was correct. Talk about service – it was like he had read our minds.

The Resort

After our snack, we proceeded to the lobby to meet Orayne for our tour of the resort. Compared to the 100 acre resort we had just departed from, this resort was wonderfully small. Everything is so close together that you don’t have to go far for anything. Immediately you could feel the intimacy and attention to detail that this resort has to offer.

Royal Plantation Resort Restaurants

Le Papillon

About 10 minutes before dinner, Orayne appeared to escort us to the restaurant. There is no waiting to be seated when you are delivered by your butler. He led us directly to our table, seated us, and took our drink order. He made sure we had everything we needed and wanted before he left us to enjoy dinner. We were seated outdoors, overlooking the water, the sunset, and the live entertainment. I didn’t think the evening could get any better until they delivered our surf and turf. It was one of the best meals during our entire stay in Jamaica!

C-Bar

Given it was our anniversary trip, we decided to treat ourselves to one of our favorite indulgences and visited the C-bar. The C-bar is the ONLY caviar and champagne bar in Jamaica. It is one of the few services at Sandals that is an additional cost, but it is worth it if you love caviar the way we do and are celebrating a special occasion!

Royal Cafe & Grill

The Royal Cafe & Grill is right near the beach, and is a great spot for a light and sophisticated lunch, not far from the joys of the beach.

Room Service

Remember how I wasn’t sure what a butler could do for us? Waking up to our butler, Ricardo, setting our table and delivering breakfast to the balcony was one I could definitely get use to. I always talk about the attention to detail that Sandals offer – like a fresh linen table cloth every time. Its the small things that make them stand out above the rest!

The Spa

The atmosphere and service at Red Lane Spa is fabulous. We enjoyed a hot stone couples massage and then a steam shower to rinse off. I can not think of a better way we could have celebrated our 15th Anniversary. We enjoyed it so much, we enjoyed the Red Lane Spa twice during our visit.

The Beaches at Sandals Royal Plantation

Royal Plantation actually consists of 2 cove beaches connected by a walkway. Both beaches offer hammocks and swings over the water. I have to admit, we spent a great deal of time in this area of the resort. There is a reason that this resort is known to be the ultimate for relaxing and reconnecting with the one you love. It is definitely the place where “love is all you need.”

One of the beaches also had an amazing king size day bed. I would be embarrassed to admit how long we napped here. For people like us that stay busy, this was just what we needed while on vacation.

Butler services are not just for the room, this quality of service extends to the beach as well. Adrian was one of our favorites and he never allowed us to be thirsty on the beach. We enjoyed his company immensely. Lucky for me, John played butler getting our drinks out to the float – he didn’t spill a drop!

The Pools

The two pools aren’t huge, but when you have private beaches, you don’t need big pools! There is one pool that overlooks the beach, with seating and umbrellas. And a spring-fed fresh water pool by the sea that will definitely cool you off if you are hot!

Sunsets at Sandals Royal Plantation

Given that every suite has a view, watching the sunset at the Royal Plantation is possible from so many locations. We enjoyed one sunset and happy hour at the Wobbly Peacock Pub before dinner. And one sunset from the spa tub in our room, while sipping champagne – bliss!

Butler Service Sandals Royal Plantation

For those of you wondering if you would enjoy having a personal butler, I can honestly say I had my reservations. I imagined them being stiff and uptight as you see in the movies, but that is not the case at Sandals Royal Plantation. Both of our butlers were comical, entertaining, and full of personality; while at the same time being professional and attentive. The Butler Service at Sandals Royal Plantation makes you feel welcome and at home.

Sandals Butler Tipping

At Sandals you get two butlers, and it is customary to tip at least $25 per butler per day. But given the lengths that these fine employees go to for your whims, I recommend $50-$75 per butler per day. Leave this for them at the end of your stay, with a thank you note – it will make their day!

Access to Sandals Ochi Beach

When you stay at Sandals Royal Plantation, you have full access to Sandals Ochi Beach Resort next door; with a continuous, complimentary shuttle back and forth. It is the best of both worlds. We did not go back and forth during our stay since we had just spent 5 days at Ochi prior to arriving here, but it is an option.

Therefore, when staying at Royal Plantation, you don’t have just 5 restaurants to choose from, you have a total of 21. There are not only 2 bars, but access to 13. You experience the upgrades and indulgences of Royal Plantation with access to the lively and huge Ochi next door. What more could you ask for?

Why not explore more of Jamaica while you are there? Go waterfall chasing or go on an ATV adventure tour!

Arrive into and depart out of Jamaica in style
with Club Mobay & Club Kingston’s VIP lounges!

Sandals Royal Plantation, Jamaica

I really could not have envisioned a more perfect romantic getaway for our 15th Anniversary than Sandals Royal Plantation. It really and truly was an exceptional resort experience. For 3 days we rested, became rejuvenated, reconnected with each other, and we were pampered non-stop.

Everyone went above and beyond to fulfill our every wish and some wishes we didn’t even know we had. Sandals Royal Plantation is exactly the intimate sized resort that offers a truly personal touch to its guests.

Have you stayed at the Sandals Royal Plantation in Jamaica? If so, let us know how you enjoyed your stay!

I am a certified Sandals specialist, and can help you find the perfect Sandals for your needs. Read more about other Sandals locations such as Sandals Grenada and pick which one you like the sound of!

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