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We just stayed at CSS for one week and CTI for 4 days. We are looking to stay in Negril next April and will be booking soon. They are both calling to me. I need your opinions please! Please tell me why one is your favorite over the other. Not sure I want to do another split stay.
Thanks!
I will if you can help me decide for September. We stayed at CSA and just got back from heaven on earth.
We are torn from going back to Negril or to try something new over at CSS. I can tell you we had a wonderful garden room. heard some road noise but did not bother us. We sat in lush plants and birds. We had privacy. Only a 2 minute walk to beach. Beach is BEAUTIFUL but very busy. Always something going on. Every time i tried to nap or read someone was cmoing by to seel or to sing. And yes the vendors did come up to our chairs away from the water. the security was alawys there so no worries about safety. Just very busy. As you walk down or up the beach you will come across other resorts and kids running or more vendors. After a bit we got so tired of saying no thanks. SOme still come up to you and walk with you and push their drugs or jet skis. At one point i wanted to scream leave us alone. But then after i just go into the fun of it and had fun with all the vendors. We had a lot of rain and winds and the water was very choppy. SOme days the sand was all turned up and you could not see the bottom of the water. WHile we were there we had one sunset and it was full of rain clouds :(. At night even the walking paths were busy (this was Superbowl week). We had issues with chairs and getting room on the excursions. We loved the Palms and the openness and palm trees surrounding it. Every morning i walked the 2 minutes to get us coffee and bring back to our room. The room service for pre breakfast was alwayas at least 1/2 hour late so we gave up and got out own. We did not want to waste anytime sitting waiting for them to come late. The lushness was very pretty and at night the lighting is romantic.
The shuttle ride was brutal with so many bumps. Is the one to CSS any better?
The food was great my hubby did not liek the Thai food at Lemongrass for he is a meat & potatoes kind of guy. After a couple of days he got into the groove of trying different food. Lots of enthentic food here lots of spices :) so many things to try.
The pools were all cold. Used the Budda pool once and had a massage.
The swim up bar was always packed and could never get service there. Same people sat all day there.
We found one side of the resort to be noisy and busy, the other side to be quieter.
We loved the shows every night at the Palms till 10p.m and slow dancing. Does CSS have entertainment every night and dancing?
Hi MickeyMinnie, are you from Orlando?
Ok I will tell you that to us CSS was perfect! WE LOVED IT! So as much as I want to try Negril, I too am worried that it will not live up to our experience at Sans Souci. CSS is built into the hills. There are alot of steps to climb, but it is very beautiful. Lots of trees and plants and flowers. You can see the ocean no matter what room you have there. Every room with has a balcony except for the cheapest level. Room service was great! Always delivered at the time we requested.
The ride to CSS is all highway and smooth. I was worried about that too, but not an issue.
The only vendors at CSS are set up on the resort in one place, and they do not approach you. I loved this about CSS. It is totally private. The beaches are in coves, so no walking long walks. We live in Florida so that was not a problem for us as we can do that at home.
The pools were chilly in January but the ocean was fine.
Never had a problem getting bar service anywhere, but not as many guests at CSS.
We loved the entertainment at CSS. Outside of balloon bar on patio by pool is set up for the bands and room to dance under the stars. Different singers every night and all were good. Two nights after Gala and Beach party at ssb pool area they turn it into a disco. Again under the stars. Loved this about CSS.
Hopefully my comments will help you, as I struggled with the same question for our vacation that starts in 7 days! We have been to CSS 3X and loved it! Loved the private beach, didn't mind that it was smaller in size. We only ventured onto Sunset Beach (AN) during the sunset hour, but it was beautiful and natural, like most of the resort. The beauty and peacefulness of CSS are beyond compare; lush foliage, romantic nooks and hammocks, balconies with sunrise views of the bay and spa treatment rooms where you can hear the crash of the waves against the shores. All that and spacious suites with fantastic service, great food, fun excursions and nightly entertainment. I don't recall a lot of slow dancing at the entertainment, but we usually head back to our suite to wind down in private. The bus trip wasn't bad at all. It takes about 90 minutes and I thought the ride was pretty smooth. no matter where you went at CSS, even at peak season, it was never a hassle to get a drink, a place in the sun or a quiet table for 2.
So we are going to CN next week. We wanted to see the negril side of the island, do the catamaran cruise and check out a different aspect of the Couples Experience. CSA seemed to be a bit more busy and more focused on the fun part of "fun and relaxing". Talking with other couples we met at CSS who had been to both CN and CSA, they all suggested we go to CN since we loved the pool atmosphere, are addicted to watersports and are more laid back vacationers. I like the rooms at CSA better, but the other images of CN were calling to us. With all that said, i was worried about leaving our home, so we are doing a split stay and will end our trip at CSS.
Good luck with your choices - I know it's a hard one to make!
You may find the following useful:
http://couples.com/mb/showthread.php...-CSA-Throwdown!
hi Sunny. no we are in Ontario our dogs are named Mickey & Minnie :)
I had just decided to go back to CSA and then i read you post. I am excited to try something new and explore CSS. We loved the Negril beach but we are taking advantage of the fall savings (too good to pass up) and thought in fall we would be okay with not having the best beach. Maybe if it was winter and all snowy here but it will be just after our summer and their hurricane season. Shesh i hope it doesnt rain much. We had rain everyday most days this month at CSA. I am excited for the 1 bedroom beachfront room they are offering for fall. And the jaccuzzi bathtub. Any hints for the room?
What food and activites do u suggest for CSS? Did u do the shopping trip to downtown? Should we do the day pass over to CTI?
Any helpful hints would be appreciated. We will be going early October
It's funny to me to hear CSA listed as the busy one. We return for our third trip in May so maybe it's the time of year we go? We decided to go back as it's one of the most relaxing vacations we ever had! CN seemed busier to us (went on the Trading Places program) - maybe because everything is so centralized. At CSA, everything is spread out. The pool bar does get busy and sometimes we sit there or just hang out by the small waterfall that flows from the pool. The pools do not compare in warmth to the ocean but at 85 degress + outside, a cool pool is definiately welcome!
As for the vendors, a polite "no thanks" and they were on their way. Now - walking the beach past the resort, you might have to be a little more insistent but honestly to stop and talk to the locals is an interesting time. Politeness will go a long way. Plus I kind of enjoy the bands that walk around. Great Jamaican steel drum and really great guys!
Thank you all for your help. My husband has decided that CSS was so awesome that we are going back there for the week and then I have 4 days to try cn or csa. So I think I have decided to try cn.
I had the same problem Sunny23. I am getting ready to book at CSA. I have never been to a Couples resort, but as many have stated one of the resorts normally calls to you more so than the others... I was all set to book CSA then started questioning my decision. I thought the decor and rooms looked better at CN. But the reasons I picked CSA was the larger dinning options (food is very important to my husband and I) and the location. It's a much shorter walk to local places, which I think would be fun to check out, oh yeah and CSA is the only Couples resort with NO nude beach. I was afraid if I booked CN I might get stuck in a room overlooking the Nude beach. Not the kind of moon I want to see when sitting on my porch. :rolleyes:
In the end I just felt like CSA was the one calling to me. Either way, I am sure you will love what ever resort you choose, and take home wonderful memories.
We have stayed at CN and did the Trading Places to CSA. We LOVE CN. We love the small, intimate feel of CN, beautiful beach, outstanding pool, outstanding swimup pool bar. CSA felt like a much larger property when we were there for the Trading Places. It really depends on what you are looking for. Bllody Bay is nice, with only a couple of other reorts on the beach. On the other hand, I can envision staying at CSA and walking Seven Mile Beach everyday, stopping at the various bars and shops along the way.
Do you need to be on the AN beach to see the sunsets at CSS?
Don't believe you're going to see any true sunsets... Though I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Ocho Rios gets the sunrise, and Negril gets the sunsets. This was the experience had at CTI.Quote:
Originally Posted by ella86
I know I have asked this in another post but I don't think it was ever answered. Is CSA much louder compared to CN? When I read posts that say CSA is louder it worries me a bit. It makes me think of a parade coming down the beach or something.
ella86
CSA is very calm and laid back. I dont think its "busy" at all but we go in Oct so that may be why. IMO it has the best of both worlds...you can relax on the beach or your patio, or enjoy others at the bars or nightly entertainment if so desired. :)
We were married at CSS and have been there 3 times. We are now going back to CSA for the third time this April. The two resorts are great in their own way. CSS is smaller with less dining options but a bit more polished. The beach is small and the sand not near as nice as that on the Seven Mile Beach. They do have more and nicer pools if that is your preference. Just be prepared to do lots and lots of steps as most of the resort is built into the hillside. CSA is by no means the hectic busy resort a few have stated. Being so spread out and with such a large beach and numerous dining options it rarely seems crowded. Certainly not a party resort. I refer to it as a very layed back true beach resort. Smaller pools but WOW...what a beach! Morning strolls up and down the Seven Mile Beach past other resorts and small private properties is great. You can't beat the sunsets either as you face west. Another unique thing to try are the Beachfront Suites or Atrium Suites which have screens but no glass on the windows. Hear the waves and peeping tree frogs at night. Wooden slats on the windows open and close for airflow or privacy. The BFS rooms are mere steps from the water. Enjoy.
@ella86/partyoftwo, the sunsets are beautiful at CSS as well. You have to be on Sunset Beach to see them. This is an AN beach during the day, but becomes clothed starting at 5 for the purpose of watching the sun set. It's a great way to start the evening.
The San Souci side is totally different from the Negril side. CSS has the cliffs and grounds. CN has the great beaches. CSS has the romance, but if you're a "Beach Person"; go with the Negril side.
We've been to CN 3 times and LOVED it (hence the reason for returnig 2 more times!), but I'm intested in trying something new. There is also that great deal right now, book 6 nights get a 7th free, so I'd like to decide something soon. What is it about CSS that is so appealing? It looks really lush, which I really liked. That's one reason we preferred the spa side of CN to the other. We really like hanging out at the beach, but don't really need a long walk -just the view. In fact, when we went to CSA for a trading spaces, I didn't really care for the walk we took past the other resorts. So, if we are into natural beauty and lush surroundings, beaches, bars (but not nessarily the night life), and good food, would CSS meet our expectations. Oh, we also like to snorkel at least once, maybe twice a day...
I was torn between CN and CSA and decided on CSA this coming May, because most of the reviews I have read (and I must have read at least 20 on each resort), all were pretty consistent with saying that CSA is laid back, rustic, with a Jamaican village type feel, which is exactly what we like...with CN, the reviews were equally appealing, but I chose CSA...We are not high end, 5 star travelers, and we never set our expectations too high on any vacation....We go with the flow of things, because no one place is perfect...there are flaws no matter where you go, my main concern is our accomodations being clean, good food, good but not over the top activities, great beach, and most importantly, friendly customer service...bad customer service can make or break a vacation, no matter how luxurious it is.
CSA does have that layed back beach village kind of feel. Most of the buildings are 2-3 story house like structures with only 2 units per floor except for the Great House Suites. The vegetation lined walkways weave through these houses helping to lose the hotel feel of many resorts. The grounds are spread out and never feel crowded. We stayed our first 3 visits a CSS and when we started coming to CSA we loved it. I liked the romantic feeling of CSS but don't miss all the steps and small beach. By the way...when you walk out into the water up above your waist look down and you will see live starfish on the bottom. So cool.