Well we just returned from a beautiful week stay in Negril Jamaica at Sunset at the Palms. We loved Negril Jamaica and were so sad to come back home. The worst part of our stay was not having our luggage for a day and a half. When we landed in Jamaica half of the passengers on the flight did not receive their luggage. Our luggage never made it on the plane. So we were pretty upset because most of our wedding stuff was in our luggage. That made the hour and a half ride to Negril from the airport very miserable. I felt so bad for the driver because he was trying to interact with the passengers but we were all still so miserable. We tried to make the best of it when we got to the hotel and went straight to the bar. We arrived on Wednesday around 1030 am and did not get our luggage till Thursday around 630pm. We got married at Sunset at the Palms with 32 of our friends and family with us. One tip of advice for anyone planning a destination wedding, have all of you guests stay at the same hotel. It makes everything sooo much easier! At first we didn't mind because we did not want to entertain EVERYBODY the WHOLE time. There were only about 10 of us staying at SATP the whole week. The rest of our guests were spread out at Riu Negril, Riu Tropical Bay, Samsara, Merrils Beach and beaches Sandy bay. We tried to organize a couple of group activities for everyone but had to rely on calling our guest rooms from our hotel because our cell phones did not work (we have AT&T). Make sure you talk to your cell phone provider before you go to Jamaica because you might want to have the ability to use your cell phone to call friends to coordinate activities or trips out there. Some of our friends cell phones worked but no one knew what the charges were for calling from Jamaica so most people only text messaged. Be careful because we did not know that the front desk charges you for evey phone call that they connect you to another hotel. We did not know that until checkout when they told us that we have a balance of $18 for phone calls. I will try to give my most honest review of the entire trip.

Hotel: We arrived to SATP around 2 pm to be welcomed with the cold towels and a bottle of champagne waiting for us at the front desk since we were getting married.The SATP is a really awesome resort and the pictures do not do it any justice. It was beautiful and wonderfully manicured. The hotel was very clean and had a really nice open air vibe. We stayed in room 414 and thought that was an awesome room. We were a little further back at the resort and barely heard any noise besides for nature. Our friends were assigned room 604 and 605 by the main road but were moved to a different room after they requested to be moved somewhere quieter. Don't be afraid to ask for a different room if you are not happy. We loved our room and rushed right in to check it out.

Rooms: The hotel staff had rose petals sprinkled all over the floor of our room, bathroom and bed to welcome us along with a second bottle of champagne. The room was very clean and the five headed shower was very nice and worked perfectly the entire time. We did have some problems with our toilet bowl not flushing a couple of times but the maintenance staff took care of it right away. The day bed on the deck was awesome and the room was basic but nice. The only complaints I had were the lack of storage in the room and how dark the rooms were. My wifeand I are heavy packers so it might have been us overpacking. There was only one dresser with four drawers and the closet in the bathroom to hang clothes up. The room was very dark. At first it was cool because of the ambience but after stubbing my toe on the bed a couple of times and not being able to find my shoes or sandals at night , it got really old. There is only one light in the entryway and the two lamps by the bed. There really should be a light right above the bed to illuminate the entire room. You are immersed by nature so be prepared to see some nature in your room. We saw some lizards on our balcony which I thought was cool. But then we saw a pretty sizeable cockroach on our bed which I did not think was so cool. But hey, you are in Jamaica and surrounded by nature so be prepared to be surrounded by all kinds of creatures.

Staff: The staff at the hotel was very friendly. I think that people will always react and treat you the way you react and treat them. My wife and I are very outgoing but it was not our goal to meet every single person that worked there and get to know them by name. We smiled and said hi to everyone and they did the same. They all kept asking if we were the ones getting married. We met a lot of awesome people that worked there like the bartenders (45 (that's his real name), Greg and Esroy). The front desk was also very helpful and really nice. Do try and tip them because they do work hard. At first we didn't know who to tip and when to tip but you will eventually know who and when.

Wedding: The wedding was beautiful and the staff did a really good job of making it all come together. The only suggestion that I have is to get your wedding coordinator involved. We thought that she would be really involved but she really was not as involved as we thought. We did some practice runs and should have invited her but we thought that she would have volunteered to take part. Also try to ask if the wedding official can be involved as well. We just kind of went with his flow and he kind of threw off our order of the ceremony. We had a sand ceremony and we thought that he would explain the relevance of it to our guests but he just sat back as we poured the sand. We had a garden ceremony and the staff did a really nice job decorating the gazebo area with flowers for us. They also set up the dining area really nice for all 32 of us at the Palm Grove restaurant. The wedding photo and video packege was reasonable ($570 for 24 5X7 pictures and half hour video from Lasting Impressions). The photographer was really cool and did a great job with the pictures. The videographer on the other hand could have done a little bit of a more professional job in my opinion. He spelled my wifes name wrong on the DVD but we didn't get it till our last day so we didn't sweat it.

Food: Honestly the food at the Palm Grove restaurant was not that bad. We got there both early and late and the food was always good and seemed fresh. If there isn't something you want left in the buffet, just ask someone and they will bring some more out for you. They had a good variety of food and did a decent job switching up the menu. I just wish that they had more jamaican dishes at all meals. They would throw in a little curry chicken and goat here and there but I wanted stuff like that and curry goat at every meal. I mean we are in Jamaica after all. We ate at the Lotus Leaf one night and honestly the food was passable and we should have just eaten at the regular buffet. The Lotus Leaf is their upscale dining restaurant and I honestly liked the buffet food a lot better. The Beach grill was awesome and where we ate most of our lunch meals. Leonie was cool and the food was always good. The Grilled cheese, Jerk Chicken, Chicken Melt and Red Snapper were always so delicious.

Jamaica: Everyone loved jamaica!!!! We went out to The Jungle, we did Alfreds a couple of times and Bourbon Beach. Just expect to be offered Marijuana because it is plentiful there. A polite no thank you is all it takes. Remember the locals only offer it because many visitors come to Jamaica looking for it! We did the Wild Thing Cruise and swam to Ricks Cafe (We did not know that we had to swim 1/4 of a mile to Ricks!!!!). This coming from a couple that does not know how to swim but we did it anyways with a lot of help. Once in a lifetime experience is what we call it. We had a rehearsal dinner for everyone at Khristyls restaurant at the Palms hotel. It was right on the beach and they had an awesome bonfire and set up the dining area really nice for all of us. They had a guitarist who entertained us and was actually really good. Just remember that this is Jamaica and everyone is on Island time. It took a long time for the food to come out but they said that they make everything from scratch so that was what took so long. Jamaica can be a little on the pricier side for souvenires and alcohol than other islands that we have visited. Everything is negotiable but after a while I got tired of getting hawked by the local stores staff and owners.


Taxi: The only cab drivers name that you need to know is Garry if you are staying at SATP. He is usually hanging out there all day. We had an awesome time with Garry. He will try to pull a fast one on you but you gotta expect that. He is trying to make his money and tourists pay his bills. Garry knew all the hot spots and knows Negril like the back of his hand. Wherever he took us he would stay with us the entire time and make sure we all got back to our hotels ok. He even got the girls into VIP at the Jungle for free and took the guys to some pretty cool clubs. He always made sure everybody was safe and having a good time which he didn't have to do at all. He also never asked to be paid till the drive back home. Everybody knew him around Negril and he was honestly a good person. I really liked getting to know him instead of switching cab drivers every day. I think he had a really good time getting to know us as well and we told him we would see him next year. Garry was the man and made our trip that much better (He even took us downtown so my wife could get some jamaican patties). I used another cab driver once and got hustled out of some money. If Garry is not in front of SATP ask the front desk to call him. If anyone wants his number let me know, we still have his card. Cab rides can get expensive in Jamaica but when you have a good driver it makes it a lot better. In jamaica they charge about $5 for most car rides but that is per person. We would pile like 10 people in Gary's van and even though we were all going to the same place and using the same gas it was still $5/person each way.

All in all we had a really great time at SATP but do not know if we would stay there the next time we come back to Jamaica. We honestly loved the resort and knew what to expext but our personalities did not mix with the resorts vibe. All of our friends are all so loud and outgoing that I felt bad for some of the other resort guests. The front desk was called to tell us to quiet down a couple of times because people were trying to sleep. We would stay there again but only if it was the two of us and not a group of us. Everybody loved Jamaica and want to come back so we want to get a different taste of another resort. I'm not saying this to discourage anyone from staying here because it truly is a nice resort, just not a good fit for us.

This was our second stay at SATP in as many years and prior to arriving my wife and I were wondering if our excitement and expectations would be met following our wonderful stay last year. I'm happy to report that it was!

Check-in was a breeze - a cold towel with a glass of fruit punch and lots of smiles plus they were actually able to get the exact room that I had requested - very nice! Just after getting to our room we were treated to a comp' bottle of champagne which was a nice touch as returning guests (I assume). It was also very nice to see a lot of familiar faces of the staff from last year - Kurt, Carrot, Esroy, Garth, Kenroy, 45, Omar, just to name a few. The entire staff at SATP from the front desk to the cleaning crew have always made the difference for us and this year was no different so thanks to all at SATP!

There's not really too much to add from my review from last year. FOOD - We're not picky eaters and thought the food was pretty good and on par with last year. Please note the Palm Grove buffet is open-air so I would recommend getting your meals early to ensure the food you get is as fresh as possible. While we were staying in the West End we ate out quite a few times at some recommended local restaurants - Rockhouse, Xtabi, LTU, etc... Although their food was very good and better than what's offered at the SATP buffet, we didn't think they were THAT much better so I don't really get the bad SATP food reviews unless again, you get to the buffets late. If you happen to get bored with the buffets which is understandable there is the enclosed Lotus Leaf restaurant at SATP three times per week plus there are several great places near 7-mile which is a short cab ride away.

RESORT - The grounds, including the beach, at SATP are meticulously maintained 24/7 and really add to the overall experience. The maintenance staff really work hard everyday and do a terrific job! The pool area is one of our favorite places to relax. Ian keeps the water cystal clear and we absolutely love the intimate, tropical, yet social atomsphere. This is a great place to simply relax or mingle and meet other resort guests - mostly couples. Once again we're lucky to have met quite a few guests that made our stay extra special and we can now call friends.

My only complaints would be the jet ski "vultures" that hang out just tto the left of SATP near the dive center and the lazy security guards. The jet ski guys are always speeding around the swim area making too much noise and unnecessary wakes and pestering you for business - "jet-ski!, jet-ski!". That gets old after a while. Although we did noticed a police boat trolling Bloody Bay some days which kept these guys away but as soon as the police boat left they came back. I don't think SATP has much control over this since it's not on their property but they seem to do their best by at least alerting the police. I would also like to see the beach "security guard" do a better job at keeping the beach "higglers" from approaching you while relaxing in your chair. If they're allowed to solicit business on the SATP beach-front then what's stopping somebody from possibly trying to take your beach bag or something else?

If you're looking for a beautiful, romantic, and intimate AI resort and want to avoid a crowded and noisy atmosphere then we feel SATP is an excellent choice if you're staying in Bloody Bay. And just because you're staying at an AI doesn't mean that you're bound to the resort. Get out an explore what Negril has to offer - visit 7-mile beach, do an excursion to one of the falls or Half-Moon Bay, and by all means check-out the cliffs (West-End). If you keep an open mind without too many expectations you're more than likely going to have a great experience. Why go on vacation and be uptight? Keep it light and the heavy can be handled!

My husband and I are in our 40's and wanted to get away together while the kids are at camp. I searched for hours online for an all-inclusive resort. I was looking for the following:non-stop flight from Charlotte, small resort without many kids, beautiful beach, different accommodations (not your normal boring hotel rooms),good food, kayaking, snorkeling. SATP was our dream come true. It IS as gorgeous as the pictures. The grounds are breathtaking. The treetop rooms are wonderful and different. They are built so that when you are out on your balcony with the lounging sofa, it is private and does not look onto other balconies. It is never crowded anywhere on the resort. It is quiet and relaxing. You never have to wait in line for anything. I thought I'd be bothered that the resort is not right on the beach, but it doesn't matter. The grounds are so gorgeous and it takes literally a minute to get to the beach and a resort crossing guard helps you cross the small street to the beach. Everything is convenient........on the beach is the resort bar, lunch grill, and bathrooms. All follow the Asian, natural theme of design. My husband is a health nut and I was worried before we left that he wouldn't like the food, but it was delicious (the buffet) and very easy to eat healthy. You could have multi-grain French toast, egg white omelettes, tons of fresh fruits and the vegetables were great. Snapper is everywhere and was a favorite of ours. The bartender at the martini bar makes great drinks. One night they served their buffet dinner on the beach with entertainment.(reggae dancers and a fire eater and limbo) The food was delicious and it was great to sit at white table clothed tables on the beach at sunset.
We took advantage of the yoga offered in the gym every morning. We were the only guests in there and it was wonderful. When we were leaving, another fitness instructor was coming and she was going to do some sort of classes on the beach.
This is not a good resort for kids. There were all couples when we were there. We saw 1 family with kids. There is some nudity on the beach in Negril and some pot smoking that's discreet.
We do have some minor criticisms, but they wouldn't stop us from staying there again. There is not good light in the bathrooms, the bathroom door lends no privacy, you can hear the cars on the road at night because even when you close the wooden slats over the windows when the air conditioning is on, there is no glass in the windows (only screens) so though it does stay cool, you can still hear the outside. Lots of noisy frogs, too. The Lotus Restaurant did not have fabulous main dishes, but the appetizers were good.

Visit to Sunset at the Palms in Negril, Jamaica on 5/25/08 :

While I was staying at Beaches Negril, I decided to make a site inspection of Sunset at the Palms. It was about 7 minutes down the road from Beaches Negril and approximately 80 minutes from the Montego Bay airport. Sunset at the Palms is part of the Sunset Resorts chain, which has 3 all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica. This resort has always priced out nicely (compared to other properties in the area) and overall gets excellent reviews so I wanted to check it out. Since I was only there for about 90 minutes, my experience would not be as thorough as someone who stayed there for an extended vacation.

After arriving at the resort, I was quickly whisked to the front desk. Even though I was a visitor, they still offered me a cold towel and a glass of orange juice (it was morning), so I could experience their check-in process. I was greeted by Carla and Kimberly at the front desk who were as friendly as could be. My first impression of the resort was excellent! This resort is small, full of lush landscape and the staff seems very friendly. Families are allowed here but they do not have organized children’s programs so they usually do not have many children (there were 6 staying there the day that I toured!). This would be a plus to many seeking seclusion and romance and yet a disappointment to those who want organized activities for their children.

The Rooms-
This resort only has 65 rooms. It was 98% full when I was there, so I only got to see a split level suite (they only have 2 room categories). I will post pictures if I can ever figure out how. This room had two full bathrooms (no tub from what I recall) and a private verandah. The décor fit the rustic yet chic look of this resort. There was a daybed on the verandah which I loved and I was ready to take a nap as soon as I saw it!

The Food-
One complaint that I have heard is that the resort does not have a lot of dining options. They have 2 restaurants (one Caribbean/International buffet and the other being an Asian theme) and a beach bar and grill. They said that they do vary the menus every few days. My husband gets really bored quickly with dining options, so right away I thought that this resort might not be for him. Myself, on the other hand, am happy as long as I am being fed (lol!) and the service is pleasant. They do offer room service to all rooms but do not have a set menu. I was told that when you call to order it, they will give you a few things to choose from that you can order and this will change by the day. Apparently, the resort grows much of their fruit on their own 10 acre garden:)

The Beach-
Other visitors have commented on the beach… It is actually across the street from the resort and the resort has a crossing guard in place to monitor safety. I went over to it with my tour guide and did not find it annoying or scary crossing the street at all. Just remember to bring everything that you need for the day, so you do not have to go back and forth. They have a beach bar and grill over there. The person at the beach bar offered me a drink the second that he saw me. The beach there is a lot more narrow than the beach at Beaches Negril but it was surely fine and still very nice. They actually had a musician playing on the beach and it helped to create a relaxing atmosphere.

The Spa-
The spa area is very small and consists of one treatment room called “The Treatment Garden.” They also have a nail room. Very small but cute. This resort chain owns their own spas versus contracting them out, so I would estimate their prices are about 20% lower than other spas in the area. The technicians were very anxious to book my appointment for me! I have a copy of the spa brochure and would be happy to fax it to anyone if you are going in the near future. The gym looked huge and the equipment appeared to be in great condition!

The Activities:
I was not there long enough to see activities in action but the resort does seem to have standard things like non-motorized water sports, theme nights, tennis, live music at night, movies at night, etc. This would not be a resort to go to if you are seeking a festive nightlife. The pool area was spotless and the water was amazingly clear, which is a huge plus in my book. It is also supposed to be very quiet at this resort at night but in my experience that can vary greatly depending on the guests that are there each week. Meaning that if you have a group of guests who are ready for fun, it will help to make any resort more lively. I was told that people hang out at the pool bar area at night. They also have a Martini Bar near the lobby area but was told that this is fairly quiet at night.

The resort does not have a firm repeat guest program in place yet but they said that they are starting to count May/June as their Returning Guest month(s). Apparently, they are giving returnees t-shirts and are trying a few other things as well.

Although my time here was brief, I do feel comfortable recommending this resort. Everyone was so friendly and it just really has a sense of peace/calm about it. I would feel very happy spending a few days here. I think that my husband would be bored-so I guess if I go I will need to take a friend or something. Ha! For persons who like a lot of things to do, get bored easily, or want extensive kid’s programs this would probably not be the place to be. To each his own! If a person wants more of an adult oriented atmosphere without paying top dollar, this is a great alternative since they do not cater to kid’s and do not have set programs for them. It’s a lovely, clean resort from my observations and we hope that some of you can get to visit it someday. Please let me know if you have any specific questions, etc. as I would be happy to answer them if I can. Happy Travels!

Take care,
Amy