Help us choose the best resort

[bimmerdom]

Not sure which Couples Resort is best for us, any advice?

We are 35 year old and 10 years married this summer, looking for a relaxing holidays without KIDS at the end of June!

- We like great food, a la carte variety, in beautiful settings
- 24 hour room service would be nice
- Snorkel is very important, we love it. Do all couples resorts offer free snorkeling tours? Which one is best?
- We'll also be interested in the beginner SCUBA dives, we've both done it before but are not certified (and don't care to be)
- We'd like a nice room with balcony, with jacuzzi would be even better
- We are beach people, so a nice beach is preferable.
- Air Canada flies into Montego Bay, something not too far away from airport

[melly]

The only hotel with 24 hour room service is CSS- the others only have partial breakfast/continental room service.

All hotels offer a la carte restaurants as well as buffets.

There are different types of rooms in each hotel- all are not the same. I believe all if not most have balconies, but few have jacuzzi's (more expensive rooms) - so you should be able to find this at any hotel. Whether or not one is available at the time you prefer is another story.

All 4 couples are a 1-2 hours from the airport. None are in Montego Bay.

All hotels offer scuba and snorkel free of charge.

I am going to CN and CSA for the first time in April- but reading the MB and the website frequently has given me a wealth of information on Couples. From what I read- the beach is more favorable on the Negril side versus Ocho Rios. However- there are plenty of people who like the beaches on both. They are both wonderful. Negril is just known for better beaches.

[Pamela]

You'd be happy at any of the resorts. Spend some time on the Couples web site reading information on accommodation and dining options, take the photo tours, look at the maps and panoramic views and pictures thereon, read posts on the MB, and look at photos posted by guests on the photos mega thread. There will likely be something about one of the resorts that appeal to you in particular; that is the resort that you should select.

To address a couple of your specific requirements:

24-Hour Room Service: None of the resorts offer 24-hour room service. A continental breakfast is available in all room categories at all four resorts. In addition, room service is available at CSS from 6 am to 11 pm. At CN, in-suite dining for dinner is available for guests staying in a suite, but the dinner must be arranged one day in advance.

Sangster Airport: Couples provides transfers to all four of its resorts from Sangster Airport in Montego Bay. The drive to CSS or CTI will be about 2 to 2.5 hours, while the drive to CN or CSA will be about 1.5 hours. If you want to avoid the drive, you can book a flight on TimAir. The flight time to Boscobel Bay (for CSS and CTI) is 30 minutes, and the cost for two people round trip is approximately $800. The flight time to Negril (for CN and CSA) is about 15 minutes, and the cost for two people round trip is approximately $400.

Beaches: CN and CSA are on Seven Mile Beach. CN is on Bloody Bay, which is approximately two miles in length, and it shares the bay with three other resorts. CSA is on Long Bay, which is approximately five miles in length, and it shares the bay with numerous restaurants, bars, and other resorts. You can walk along the shore line beyond the perimeter of your resort, but you can't pull up a beach chair and get comfortable on another resort's beach property. Similarly, if you're on the beach at CN or CSA, guests from other resorts (including children) can freely walk along the shoreline at your resort.

CTI and CSS have smaller beaches, but the entire expanse of beach is enclosed within the property, so the beaches are completely private. This means that you won't see guests from other resorts, but it also means that long walks on the beach aren't an option.

[Amy]

We all have our favorite Couples resort, but that doesn't make any one better than the other. Check out this board, look at the pictures and Panoramics of each resort, check out the different menus and activities - the go to the one that calls to you.

For all of your requirements above, CSS would probably fit best, since they are the only ones to have room service for all room categories (though it's not 24 hour). All Couples offer snorkeling and the resort scuba course. All of the resorts also have jacuzzi rooms.

Couples resorts are in Ocho Rios (CTI and CSS) and Negril (CSA and CN). Both are about an hour to an hour and a half bus ride from Montego.

If you're still not sure, here are some quick differences between them:

CTI - Completely private beach, yet small; separate island for nude sunbathing, 5 restaurants including Bayside that sits on the water; the most inclusions (Dunn's River, catamaran cruise, horseback riding in addition to the others). Only 5 buildings with rooms so the resort is very compact and intimate (though 3 are connected). Everything revolves around a central location. Just underwent a $30 million renovation - new rooms, new decor, new pools, etc.
>
> CSS - the newest to the Couples resort, but not the newest built. It used to be a Grand Lido then Couples bought it. Also has a completely private beach. Separate beach for nude sunbathing. Resort is spread out and built on cliffs. It's split into 3 different levels, lots of steps throughout. Lots of foliage and hidden spots. Does not offer a catamaran cruise. 3 restaurants but room service. All rooms are suites with mini bars. Rooms are more hotel like as far as the decor.
>
> CN - Sits in Bloody Bay which it shares with 3 other resorts and public beach access. Separate section of main beach used for nude sunbathing. Individual buildings throughout the resort for the rooms. All on beach level. Somewhat spread out. Huge main pool with swim-up bar. Rooms decorated in bright colors. Room service only in select room categories and it must be ordered a day in advance. All rooms have mini bars.
>
> CSA - Sits on 7 mile beach. Separate buildings for rooms that are cabana like, dark wood and white linens. Resort is spread out along the beach but all on beach level. Only resort with rooms right on the beach where you can walk off your first floor patio into sand. Night Club. Some rooms do not have televisions or mini bars. 5 restaurants. No nude sunbathing option. Huge sports complex across the street.

Keep reading this board, look at pictures, see what each resort offers and go with your gut! As long as you're at Couples, you can't go wrong. I'd be happy to share our pics if that would help (amy.welch@hotmail.com).

[bimmerdom]

Thanks, 24 hour room service is not a "must", just something nice to have

We're not nude bathers (although there is always a first time, right?)

Which resort has the best snorkeling?

[Amy]

Which resort has the best snorkeling?

I think they are about the same. CTI and CSS snorkeling go to some of the same reefs, as do CN and CSA.

[rocket dog]

We honeymooned at CSA 2 years ago, and we we astonished at the snorkeling. It was AMAZING! Now, we had only been snorkeling twice before, mind you (in St. Thomas and Bonaire). We thought Bonaire had great snorkeling (and it did), but the snorkeling at CSA just blew us away. We saw stingray, jellyfish, all kinds of coral, all kinds of fish, and all in less than 8 feet of crystal-clear water. If you're a seasoned snorkeler, you might not be quite as impressed as we were, but for us it was the highlight of our trip.

We had waited until late in our stay to go snorkeling, and we were kicking ourselves for not doing it earlier so that we could have gone more often. We also wish we had gone on the night snorkeling trip, as we heard that was really cool too, with lobster and octopus and other night denizens of the deep coming out to feed.

Oh well, I guess we'll just have to go back again someday! :-)