Couples Sans Souci Review - would return, but...

Wanted to share the review I posted to TripAdvisor...

My husband and I stayed at Couples Sans Souci from 30April-7May, 7 nights in Deluxe Oceanview Room in Dahlia Block, room D08.

Room and bathroom were spacious and was kept clean; a/c worked well; on our corner balcony was a rattan table and two chairs and a furniture unit housing our coffee maker and mini-bar bridge, which was a bit weird it was located outside our room! It was stocked per our request including carafes of house white and red wines, which were enjoyable.

Service was overall satisfactory, but no one person really stood out as exceptional. Did not have any problems getting loungers at the pool or beach nor securing any shade and resort seemed to be quite full.

Food was good, plenty of variety (although it seemed dishes were basically the same, only the sauce changed!) and we liked the a/c option for breakfast and lunch at Pallazina. We chuckled on the amount of pumpkin being served - ust have been a glut crop this year as it was everywhere, in many forms! Enjoyed the Mimosas available at breakfast as well. Bella Vista grill for lunch was good; we enjoyed our evening meal here too. We ate at Casanova twice and enjoyed both meals. Wine service tended to be sporadic. After dinner liqueurs were enjoyed at the Balloon Bar but two nights they did not have Grand Marnier; how can you run out and not replenish your stock? Perhaps if bartenders stopped serving premium brands to staff members there would be availabillity for guests!

Our main beef is there really is no restaurant option available on BBQ and Gala nights; yes there is room service, but you must order the entree you think you might feel like that evening before 2pm that day! What is up with that? We do not enjoy the mass buffets on these types of nights and we realize most resorts offer this type of weekly 'celebration;, but would prefer a restaurant option.

We would return to Couples Sans Souci... but really only if Couples Negril or Swept Away were not available. These two were our first choices but they were booked up, so we opted to try Sans Souci; glad we did.

Any questions, let us know.

Denise & Stu

Has it changed? When we were there last Aug (for the third time) you could order room service whenever.

no one really stood out? there are four members of staff that my wife and I still talk about for making our stay great.

Last year at CN they were out of olive juice in the martini bar before dinner. I agree that they should sufficient stock on hand to replenish when needed. We really missed our Grey Goose dirty martini before dinner.

We also avoid buffets so prefer to have ala carte options available. When we stay at CN or CSA we often use the beach party night to go off property, especially if we cannot get a reservation at the restaurant that is open.

It's easy to find great food in Negril close by but not so sure about Ochi.

Thanks for the review and glad you had a nice vacation!

We're heading to CSS in September after spending our last four vacations at S. Thanks for posting. My husband is a fair haired boy who burns easily. I was glad to hear there was ample shade. Nice review....

Interesting...hubby and I will be at CN this August after first trying CSA and then CSS......

What's with the comment that the staff are drinking the premium liquor? Did you see something? I hope a statement like that wouldn't be made without proof, but I also hope that the staff is always abiding by the rules.

AAS, yes you can still order room service anytime at CSS BUT for an entree, you must order by 2pm on that day, so states the room service menu for supper. RANDYMON, if this has changed, please update and advise.

PS... we also stayed our 2nd week vacation at S and I posted this review on TA as well; mentioned it in my Couples review but alas it got edited out... not sure why though.

Denise

caviargal, at least at CN or CSA there is a restaurant option for these mass buffet nights, but unfortunately not offered at CSS; but at least now we know and we wanted others to know just in case they feel the same about them as we do.

"We would return to Couples Sans Souci... but really only if Couples Negril or Swept Away were not available. "

The end of your review cracked me up it sounds just like me but in reverse!

We would return to CN, CSA and CTI if Sans Souci were not available!!!

Great there is a fav for all!

No one stood out? You mustn't have met Jhaenel, Dalton, Julia, Miguel, Maureen, Kaneisha, Margaret, Michelle, Kadyian or Kirk...

Hi - Sorry about not catching a bad post. Message board rules prohibit discussion of competitive resorts. That is the reason for my editing.

My wife and I stayed at CSS March 13-20. I would also
like to echo nearly everything said in this review. The resort is beautiful..probably the most beautiful grounds of any of the resorts we have stayed at. We were shocked however, that each of the bars had a limited supply of each type of liquor so they would run out after you would have a couple of drinks requiring switching to something else. (This is hard to explain without sounding like a lush) But apparently each bar has a limited supply of top shelf liquor and when it is gone, it is gone! We have never experienced that at any resort before. I put this concern in my review when we left but it must not have been taken seriously. We also agree that while the food is excellent, don't expect any variety on the breakfast menu...don't worry, you will love it anyway. We also could do without the Gala night but all the resorts do that. We did attend the repeaters dinner and the food was good but next time we will go to a restaurant instead. We liked visiting with the other repeaters but we can do that at a restaurant or on the beach without the speeches. The staff was great and we did become fond of several of them. One last comment about CSS it is not the place to go if you are looking for party time excitement. Jamaica is a great island and we will continue to return annually and maybe to CSS someday.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deniseatbeach

caviargal, at least at CN or CSA there is a restaurant option for these mass buffet nights, but unfortunately not offered at CSS; but at least now we know and we wanted others to know just in case they feel the same about them as we do.

---

I know and this is one reason we prefer those two resorts. Not to mention the beaches at both.

I agree that we do not really care for the big buffet nights. At CSA , the night of the beach party, we we much happier eating at a restaurant. I have read the same complaint on the trip advisor board about all the restaurants being closed during these buffet nights, and I just wonder what the reason is that there is not a restaurant option?

We were at CSS last Dec. for 13 days (and are booked for CN this Dec.). It was our first time at a Couples, but we have travelled to approximately 20 other all-inclusives (including S).

We loved CSS - yes, they ran out of my clamato juice (I am a Ceaser drinker) - but the very accommodating bartender at the bar by the front lobby just got on his radio and by the time I went up to my room and back, he had as many clamato juices that I could ever want ready for me to take back to the bar at the beach. Sure, I wondered why they ran out period, but bottome line they were extremely helpful and accommodating.

Several of the employees stood out to us - can't understand why not a one did for you.

Because of rain, the gala was moved in doors for us, but the food? Wow, if you couldn't find something that appealed to you....... and the desserts? Wicked!

Breakfast may have been the same every day but I can't think of one item that was omitted - the variety was spectacular.

Anyway, we can hardly wait for Couples Negril this year because our stay at CSS was so remarkable :)

We really enjoy the Gala and Beach Party buffets and always find plenty of good options and appreciate the variety. It has been our experience that if a bar happens to run out of a brand they usually send someone to replenish the supply soon.

We love the big buffet nights at CSS. The food is great. The variety is super. There is something there for everyone.

Just a thought about the buffets that maybe it's not so much the food as the germs from other folks getting their food or germs from sitting out. But they are entitled to their beliefs.

It is apparent as CSS still offer the two big buffet nights as they are very well accepted by guests and I truly appreciate that; just would prefer a restaurant option for those, who from the responses to our post, feel the same as we do.

For the replenishing of the premium brand liquors, there was no effort made to search out additional supply, which for a resort of this caliber, is very surprising there was not more stock on hand. One night running out is acceptable... but to not have it available the following night, is not acceptable.

For those who have had memorable staff moments, kudos to you! I can name several staff members who we conversed with, joked with, who offered expected service etc... but again no one went beyond what we considered to be their job and what they were paid to do. Usually each time we return from our vacation, we can name a few who went above and beyond what we considered their "job" to be. This is not a complaint as what we got is what we expected... we were just not 'wowed' by anyone - and at other resorts we would have deemed worthy of a great tip.

Please do not take any of these comments to deter from a stay at Couples Sans Souci, it is simply our experience and observation.


Again, we would return....

One last comment about CSS it is not the place to go if you are looking for party time excitement. Jamaica is a great island and we will continue to return annually and maybe to CSS someday.[/QUOTE]

Say it isn't so, WIJamericans! Our past trips to Jamaica have been to "party central" resorts. We love to laugh and have a good time....and sometimes be obnoxious. I'm not talking about puke in the pool obnoxious (we are all adults and should behave in a way that does not negatively impact the people around us), but I am hoping we meet people who are not afraid to laugh and have a very good time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kathymjollie

One last comment about CSS it is not the place to go if you are looking for party time excitement. Jamaica is a great island and we will continue to return annually and maybe to CSS someday.

---

Say it isn't so, WIJamericans! Our past trips to Jamaica have been to "party central" resorts. We love to laugh and have a good time....and sometimes be obnoxious. I'm not talking about puke in the pool obnoxious (we are all adults and should behave in a way that does not negatively impact the people around us), but I am hoping we meet people who are not afraid to laugh and have a very good time.[/QUOTE]

CSS is not a party central resort IMO. It is intimate and romantic. Perhaps consider a switch to CTI.

Thanks for the advice, Caviargal...I think we'll check out CSS. I have no problem with intimate and romantic as long as there is some laughter along the way.

I love CSS no place in the world I would rather go. (would rather be going there than CN going to this summer) and I hate the GALA night. I always order room service. I believe that the reason a la carte is not open that night and beach party night is because even at capacity there is only 300 people there. I have personally never seen it close to capacity. I don't think they have enough people to justify opening a resturant or the staff the properly run it and the GALA. (JMO)

To kathymjollie: One of the two bars will have always had a late night crowd going. In 20 night I have only made it to bed before One once and that was because one of the couples at the beach bar was being annoying. I think the party is what you make of it.

Thanks for the information, HAWGFAN. I am so ready for this vacation!