Last year I reviewed Couples Sans Souci. I said I hated to give it 3 stars because I really love the place and I would definitely go back. This is our 9th or 10th time at Couples almost equally distributed between Negril and Sans Souci. This year we chose Couples Negril. Just like Sans Souci, I hate to give this place 3 stars but I have to.
The ride from MBJ to the resort was in a small uncomfortable van. Not sure if the air conditioning worked. The seats were so close together my knees were always touching the seat in front of me and I'm only 5'5". So we get there and check in. We are "Passionate Love" Romance Reward members. There was no goody bag for us with our pre check-in reservations. Nothing. We get to our room, that was fine. Second floor in building #1. Room was clean, plenty of towels. We had dinner at Lychee which was pretty good. Hostess and server were not too friendly though.
The next morning, we got our beach chairs before breakfast. The resort, I think was maybe 50-70% occupancy, at least that what it felt like. We wanted shade which wasn't that easy. I think the hurricane knocked down lots of trees. Still plenty of them but I seem to remember a lot more shady spots. It wasn't long after we sat down that we experienced a problem we've had before...smokers. Some were upwind from us and the smell was really bad. Years ago there used to be a no smoking section on the beach but not anymore. So I went to front desk and also guest services to ask if smoking was allowed anywhere on the beach. They all said no. They said they would send someone to check it out but we never saw anyone. Our last day there we spoke to the manager who said they shouldn't be smoking on the beach but there is nothing in writing anywhere. He also said that he wasn't going to go out there and tell someone not to smoke on the beach. Wow!
Housekeeping was hit or miss. The bedroom itself was always done well. The air conditioner worked a little too well. We always had to throw another blanket on the bed. Sometimes we didn't get wash cloths or a bath mat. A couple of days into our stay, the faucet was almost hanging over the sink. We told housekeeping and the front desk. It took the manager on our last day to fix it.
Food was also hit or miss. Oteheite on our 1st visit was good. Our 2nd time, the entree was good but that's about it. The bread beforehand was stale. The server forgot about us so we left before dessert. As Helleconia, for lunch, my husband and I each ordered the island burger. She brought his and forgot about mine. The next day, we went back there for lunch and, instead of bringing me my burger, she threw a bag in front of me with the beef patty. The next day I wanted to see if they would get three strikes. This time they got it right. The burger is yummy. Cassava terrace for breakfast is pretty good. I love the man who makes my omelet. After 2 days, he remembered exactly what I wanted. It made me feel special. The lunch and dinner buffets there were pretty good. I could always find something I liked. Service there was also good.
My husband took some tennis clinics and enjoyed them and the round robins. He said the instructor was pretty good and very friendly.
Evening entertainment was pretty much the same every night. Singers and people would get up and dance. Not really exciting. On Christmas day, the Silver Birds played on the beach and were fantastic as always. Then Santa showed up and gave out gifts to everyone who sat on his lap. Good times!
I gave Couples Negril 3 stars because I've been there when the service and the food was better. The bartenders were great, always smiling. The people at the spa were great. Had some wonderful massages. The servers in the restaurants, well, I think half of them didn't want to be there. Same for the front desk. Also, if this is Couples, why was a husband, wife and their daughter there?! The daughter was a smoker. Oh, remember my goody bag that I didn't get at check-in. We went to guest services the next morning and he took care of it. At check-out, the front desk said that we owed money. They said they didn't have me listed with my Romance Reward perks. Guest Services said it's listed, it's right there. Went back to the front desk, they said, "Oh yeah, there it is".
I understand about the hurricane. The grounds were pristine. But I just want the workers to look happy even though they may be hurting inside. I don't want to feel guilty because I'm there. Would I come back? Definitely! There's a lot to love about Couples Negril. Maybe they'll finally update the bathrooms.
