Resort Review: Beaches Negril | Negril, Jamaica

by Marian Krueger, in category Hotels/Resorts, Jamaica
Beaches Negril

We’re on our way back to Jamaica and this time — you can bring the kids along!  Nestled along the widest stretch of Negril’s seven mile white sand beach sits Beaches Negril Resort & Spa.  Part of the Sandals family, Beaches Negril offers all of the luxury included amenities you might expect from the Sandals brand while in a setting amenable for couples, friends, or families.  Beaches Negril Resort & Spa was voted the World’s Leading Family All-Inclusive so how you can go wrong when choosing this resort?  Voted year after year as the world’s best resort, Beaches Resorts were voted “World’s Leading Family All-Inclusive” 14 years in a row!

The Great Room

From the Beaches Negril web site:

From the moment you enter the open-air lobby you’ll be caught up by fresh ocean breezes and the vibrant colors of the West Indies. Bringing the outside in, this Negril all-inclusive resort is always open to the breathtaking beauty of the tropics.

The vibe here is totally carefree and about spending time with those you love. Spread out over a lushly landscaped 20 acres, Beaches Negril epitomizes paradise with spectacular gardens beside the sea, a sprawling Pirates Island waterpark, and plenty of activities and amenities for the whole family. For those who want a little tranquility and a whole lot of cool, it all begins with a Negril beach vacation at our Beaches resort.

This family friendly resort will appeal to children of all ages. The resort has a Kids Kamp & Nursery with a wide range of supervised activities. Open from 9 am to 9 pm daily, you’ll feel comfortable leaving your children in a safe environment, especially as they will be supervised by trained nannies.  The children are divided up by age from 0-4 years/ 5yrs-7yrs / 8yrs-10yrs / 11yrs-14 yrs.  The Sesame Nursery provides care for newborns up to 3 years of age.  In addition, there is private nanny sitting available for up to 3 children per room.  I was impressed when walking by the children’s area that there were several staff members supervising only a few children.  They certainly don’t skimp on this area, which should help parents relax fully while they are on vacation.

Xbox 360 Game Garage

If your kids are a little older, don’t worry as there are plenty of activities for the tweens and teens at Beaches Negril.  There is an interactive teens program with a “Trench Town” teen’s center and a teens’ coordinator to coordinate teen activities throughout your stay.  “Trench Town” is open from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and reopens from 6:00 pm – midnight.  This area is supervised and has foosball, basketball machines, and bean bags for kids to hang out and make new friends.  I somehow suspect that they will spend more time in the Xbox 360 Game Garage that is open daily from 9:00 am – 11:00 pm. Strangely enough, although probably originally intended for kids, there were plenty of adults in here playing games and thoroughly enjoying themselves.  Nearby is the amazing Scratch DJ Academy where kids can learn how to mix, blend & scratch on vinyl, CD’s or even their iPod!

Pirates Island Theme Water Park

Probably one of the most exciting areas of Beaches Negril is the Pirates Island Theme Water Park. This 18,000 sq. ft. theme water park features two slides that are each 204 feet long with a 42″ height requirement for these slides. There are also two smaller slides for the younger kids ages 2-4 years old and 4-6 years old, a splash deck, and a 92 foot meandering lazy river.  You can see it hidden behind the foliage in this picture.  What I liked is even though this was an active area, it wasn’t so loud so as to distract those adults that were at the resort without children. That’s always a plus in my book!

One of the two swim-up pool bars at Beaches Negril

It’s true that parents want to enjoy a family vacation with their children, full of activities and memories to last a lifetime.  But that vacation shouldn’t be devoid of anything fun, romantic, or geared for adults.  There are six bars on site and as you can see here, adults are able to enjoy a visit to one of the two swim-up pool bars on property at either the Main Pool Bar or the Piazza Pool Bar.  During the day “Liquid at Beaches Nightclub” is  a “nightclub” for teens/tweens from 9:00 pm – 11 pm, but it turns into an adults-only nightclub for those 18 years and older from 11:00 pm – 3:00 am with a fully serviced premium drink bar.

Let’s not forget about the beach.  The beautiful 1,400 feet (462.72 meters) of white sand beach with sweeping views of the Negril coastline and Caribbean Sea frame a picture perfect view from wherever you stand throughout the resort.  From the Beaches Negril website:

The beach fun does not stop when the sun goes down. Here, you can experience fine dining barefoot, right on the beach at Stew Fish, our latest addition to the already comprehensive restaurant choices.You’ll also enjoy weekly beach parties featuring a variety of Caribbean and food, music and live entertainment.

After relaxing on the beach, you can partake in one of the many water sports offerings at Beaches Negril.  Choose from the kayaks, windsurfing, hobie wave, sunfish sailing, paddle boards, snorkeling, banana boat, waterskiing, knee boarding, and scuba diving.  PADI Discover Scuba Diving: (Resort Dive Course) is available for a nominal fee  This course will be valid for one year and will only allow you to dive at all Sandals & Beaches Resorts.  Full PADI and NAUI International certification is also available at an additional cost.
Fitness Center
If you’re looking for entertainment, there’s plenty to be had at Beaches Negril.  Choose from dance lessons, karaoke, live music, family shows, cabaret performances, and disco nightly. There is even an adults only Seville Piano Bar Sing Along event three nights a week! For land sport  options, choose from basketball, miniature golf, volleyball (beach and pool), outdoor and indoor chess, billiards, table tennis, soccer, shuffleboard, day and night tennis, cards, and board games.  Don’t forget about the Fitness Center, which has a 900 sq. ft. aerobics and workout area and a  900 sq. ft. air-conditioned gymnasium fully equipped with elliptical/total body, treadmills, recliner bikes, and free weights.  A whirlpool serves the fitness center and the entire area has its own surround sound system.  You can then sneak off to the nearby Red Lane Spa for a massage, facial, manicure… you name it!
Beachfront Suite #111
After a full day of fun in the sun, you’ll definitely look forward to relaxing in your own private haven back in your room.  Beaches Negril has 210 rooms and suites, including Concierge and Suite level accommodations. Probably what I really like the most about this resort is that they thought through the way actual families are and made rooms to accommodate them easily.  Lots of resorts only allow four people to a room and so families of five are penalized and have to get two rooms in order to vacation.  Beaches Negril has the typical room choices for four people, but also has their Beachfront Suite that sleeps five, a Beachfront One-Bedroom Suite that sleeps six, a Beachfront Two-Bedroom Suite that sleeps eight, and even a Beachfront Three-Bedroom Suite that sleeps twelve.  You could easily bring your family and maybe the grandparents, aunts, cousins, or friends could join you for a totally relaxing and comfortable vacation in Jamaica.  I was also pleased to see that there were eight ground floor rooms for the physically challenged that all had extra wide doors and modified bathroom facilities.
Kimonos restaurant
Throughout your stay, you’ll get to travel to different countries through the food options available at Beaches Negril. From the best Tex-Mex south of the border to the most heart warming Italian dishes west of the Tuscan sun, Beaches Negril aims to please every member of your family.  Finicky kids suddenly become little gourmands because Beaches transforms family dining into pure fun.  Kimonos restaurant mixes Asian stir-fry at the table with the theatrics of your own private chef.  No matter what you and your family are in the mood for come meal time, this resort has a multitude of delicious options from which to choose.
Cookie Monster!
The atmosphere at Beaches Negril is laid back and easy and families can expect to have fun. but on their own schedule. There are so many other things I wish I had the room to talk about like the Beaches Weddings by Martha Stewart where you can not only enjoy a beautiful wedding on the beach, but a honeymoon in Negril to the Sesame Street characters that instantly make you smile and feel good within seconds of spotting them whether you’re a child or not.  You can enjoy activities on the property or take an adventure tour through the Island Routes activities office.  Whatever you do, you’ll find that there is still more you could have done and as such, you’ll probably be back again.
Be sure to visit the Travel Shop Girl FaceBook page for all of the pictures I was able to capture during my visit to Beaches Negril on May 19, 2012.  If you love Jamaica and maybe haven’t visited with your family, consider a visit to the Luxury Included Beaches Negril in Negril, Jamaica.
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