Alright, so we decided on the Royalton White Sands in Montego Bay for our little break. Honestly, we’d been looking around for ages, you know how it is, trying to find a spot that ticked a few boxes without costing an arm and a leg. We’d heard some mixed things, but decided to just go for it. Sometimes you just gotta take the plunge, right?
First Impressions and Getting Settled
Getting there was pretty standard. Flight, then the transfer to the resort. When we pulled up, it looked decent enough. The lobby was big, airy, all that usual resort stuff. Check-in took a little bit, always seems to, doesn’t it? But the staff were friendly enough, which is always a good start. They got us sorted with our wristbands and pointed us towards our room.
The room itself? It was alright. Clean, which is the main thing for me. We weren’t in one of those fancy swim-out rooms or anything, just a standard one. It had a balcony, which was nice for sitting out on in the evening. The bed was comfy enough, slept pretty well most nights. No major complaints on the room front, it did the job. It wasn’t huge, but we weren’t planning on spending all day in there anyway.
Food, Drinks, and All That Jazz
Now, the food. This is always a biggie at these all-inclusive places. The buffet was pretty much what you’d expect. Lots of choice, breakfast was probably the best meal there. They had a good egg station, fresh fruit, all that. Lunch and dinner at the buffet were okay, some days better than others. We tried a couple of the à la carte restaurants too.
- The Italian place was decent. Pasta was good.
- The steakhouse was a bit of a wait, and the steak was… well, I’ve had better, let’s put it that way. But it wasn’t terrible.
- The jerk chicken hut on the beach? Now that was good. Proper authentic stuff. We hit that up a few times for lunch.
Drinks were flowing, no shortage there. The local beer was fine, and they’d make you pretty much any cocktail you asked for. Some were stronger than others, you know how it goes. The swim-up bar was always busy, good atmosphere there.
Beach, Pools, and What We Did
The “White Sands” part of the name… well, the beach was nice. It wasn’t the biggest stretch of beach I’ve ever seen, and it could get a bit crowded in spots. But the water was lovely, clear and warm. We spent a fair bit of time just chilling by the sea. They had kayaks and stuff you could use, but we were mostly in lazy mode.
The pools were good too. There was a livelier one with music and activities, and a quieter one if you just wanted to relax. We mostly stuck to the quieter one. Finding a sun lounger could sometimes be a bit of a mission if you weren’t out there reasonably early, but we usually managed. People love to reserve those things with a towel, don’t they?
We didn’t do a whole lot of organized activities or excursions. We really just wanted to switch off. There was evening entertainment, shows and music. Some of it was pretty good, other nights it was a bit cheesy, but it passed the time. The Michael Jackson tribute was surprisingly entertaining, I’ll give them that.
The Vibe and The People
Overall, the vibe was pretty relaxed. Lots of families, some couples. The staff, for the most part, were really friendly and worked hard. You’d get the odd one who seemed a bit over it, but that’s life, isn’t it? Generally, though, service was good. They were always quick to clear plates or get you a drink.
One thing I will say, it’s not a super quiet, secluded escape if that’s what you’re after. It’s a fairly busy, family-friendly resort. But we knew that going in, so it wasn’t a surprise. If you want peace and quiet 24/7, this probably ain’t the spot.
So, Would I Go Back?
You know, it was a good break. Did everything blow me away? Not really. But was it a solid, enjoyable holiday? Yeah, it was. We ate, we drank, we relaxed by the pool and the beach. For what we paid, I reckon we got decent value.
Would I rush back tomorrow? Maybe not. There are a lot of other places in the world to see. But if a good deal came up and I was looking for an easy, no-fuss all-inclusive week in the sun, I wouldn’t rule it out. It’s one of those places that’s good for just switching off your brain for a bit. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
