I admit it – I was skeptical about staying at another all-inclusive resort. The ones I had previously been to were from a different era, catering to older generations who seemed okay with the meh food, watered-down drinks, and somewhat apathetic customer service. While I like the idea of all-inclusive resorts, sometimes, the execution can leave something to be desired. Still, I relented on a recent trip, if only because my recently scuba-certified boyfriend and I couldn’t decide where to go to log some dives – when we learned that unlimited dives are included with stays at Sandals Resorts, and a new one opened in May, 2023 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Photo: Melissa McGibbon
Discovering Relaxation and Unlimited Scuba Diving at Sandals Dunn's River
Why we visited Sandals Dunn’s River in Jamaica
In love . . . with diving. Photo: Melissa McGibbon
The land of Bob Marley was one of the places on our wishlist, and staying at new hotels is always exciting, so we booked our stay at Sandals Dunn’s River. The resort is a relatively short flight for most Americans. If you live on the West Coast, you can leave your home in the morning and be sipping cocktails in paradise by dinnertime; if you live on the East Coast, you can be there by lunchtime. The new OCJ Airport is a 30-minute drive from the resort. When we drove through the gates at Dunn’s River, we were immediately impressed by the sense of arrival. The palm trees were lit up, the paths well-manicured, and the air warm and salty. We were greeted in the Lapidus Lounge with Jamaican rum cocktails and introduced to our butler, who delivered us to our swim-up suite. Everything was crisp and clean. Chilled champagne and a large soaking tub filled with steamy water and fresh flower petals ready for us made for an impressive welcome.
Admittedly, it was in part due to the coffee
Photo courtesy Sandals
The next morning (and each morning we were there), my partner and I took the 5-minute walk from our suite to Blum Cafe to get properly caffeinated with the freshly brewed Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, harvested and roasted exclusively for the resort. The coffee shop is a new upgrade for Sandals Resorts and features menu options like pour-overs and cold brews. The shop also has an assortment of sweet snacks and occasionally hosts chocolate tastings. After coffee, we went to the on-site dive shop to see about diving, but unfortunately, there was a red flag, which meant the wind was too strong for diving excursions that day. Plenty of other things were on our agenda, including a much-needed post-travel-day gym session. The fitness center is spacious, has all the latest equipment, and large floor-to-ceiling windows with dazzling views of the Caribbean.
Catching the vacation vibes
Photo courtesy Sandals
When we were done at the gym, we took a tour of the property—a perimeter check, if you will. We noticed the thoughtful touches, like water features that prevent too much noise from carrying and plenty of nooks and crannies for lounging privately or with groups. There are nine bars, including a swim-up bar and a stocked bar in every room, so you’re never more than a few feet away from grabbing a drink. The entire resort is designed for relaxation, and boy, did we do some hard-core relaxing. After a quick tour of the Red Lane Spa, we booked a couples massage and spent the afternoon maximizing our zen in the canopy cuddler lounge chairs by the spa pool.
Progressive meals, resort style
One of the really lovely advantages of staying at an all-inclusive resort is that you can do fun things like progressive dinners since all the restaurants are steps away. There are 12 restaurants at Sandals Dunn’s River, and we were only staying for five nights, so we had to be strategic about trying all of them. The first night, we started with appetizers at the Cascata Italian Cucina, visited Zuka’s for some Latin Fusion entrees, and ended at the Dunn’s Rum Club for after-dinner drinks. At some all-inclusive resorts, the quality of food and service suffers due to the nature of the business model, but at this resort, the food was very good, so good that I’m still daydreaming about the hot and sour Thai soup we had at Banyu. The only drawback is how easy it is to overindulge, but we had no regrets, and it’s safe to say we got our money’s worth.
Unlimited scuba diving – the main reason we came
We were delighted to see a hoisted green flag on the beach on the third and fourth days, which meant we were a go for diving. The on-site PADI dive shop set us up with the necessary equipment, and we were on the dive boat with our instructors and fellow divers headed out to sea by mid-morning. One of the highlights was visiting the SS Kathryn Wreck, one of Jamaica’s most popular dive sites. The 140-foot 1950s steel minesweeper ship was purposely sunk by a dive operator in 1991 and rests about 50 feet below the surface. This is an exciting dive site for novices and veterans alike because it offers a unique opportunity to access the ship’s interior without requiring advanced skills, and there are opportunities to see stingrays, lobsters, eels, and nurse sharks. The neighboring coral mazes and caverns offer swim-throughs and swirling reef formations. We didn’t have any luck spotting seahorses, but we saw many tropical fish, including parrot fish, puffers, moray eels, butterfly fish, trumpetfish, groupers, snappers, and colorful sponges.
Relaxing (and reggae, of course)
Photo courtesy Melissa McGibbon
After our dives and daily visits to the Jamaican Jerk Shack, we made time to lounge at the pool and hot tubs. I say “made time” because we had to be intentional about it. There are so many exciting things to keep you entertained that you have to make a point of really relaxing. We discovered Dirty Banana cocktails at the swim-up bar, and I’m a bit upset I’ve gone my whole life without knowing about them. They are made with Jamaican rum, Kahlua, bananas, and chocolate syrup and are very quaffable. Basking in the sunshine, drinking Dirty Bananas, and listening to Bob Marley croon over the speakers felt peak vacation.
In addition to unlimited diving and golfing, Dunn’s River Resort offers nearly 40 featured tours. We didn’t want to miss Dunn’s River Falls, the hotel’s namesake, so we booked a half-day tour there on our last full day. It’s just two and a half miles from the resort and is one of Jamaica’s coolest attractions. Dunn’s River Falls is a 600-foot waterfall with several small dome-shaped falls that eventually flows into the Caribbean Sea. Visitors on group tours join hands and ascend the series of natural pools to the top, where a massive waterfall cascades down into the top lagoon.
After visiting Dunn’s River Falls, we went for another gym session and then to the spa pool and hot tub again. Who goes to the gym on vacation? We do. It’s an exceptionally nice gym, and we had some all-inclusive calories to burn off. In the evening, we visited the restaurants and lounges we hadn’t made it to yet and then took advantage of the guided stargazing at the Coyaba Sky Rondoval Villas. Before we departed the following day, we managed to squeeze in some time at the beach and say goodbye to the friendly staff who took such good care of us during the week.
Our trip to Sandal’s Dunn’s River changed our minds about all-inclusive stays. Because gratuities are included with stays, we didn’t have to worry about pulling out our wallets for every meal or activity. It’s remarkable how liberating it was to park our pocketbooks while traveling. The effortlessness of this trip is now the bar for future trips, and we plan to return as soon as possible. 