We have just returned from a Honeymoon stay at Couples Tower Isle and overall had a fantastic holiday. There is so much to love about this resort, and with a few improvements it could be exceptional.
After over 12 hours of travelling, it was lovely to be greeted with cold refreshing towels and a glass of prosecco, which was a really nice start to our holiday.
The biggest asset this hotel has is without a doubt its staff. The vast majority were warm, friendly and genuinely wanted guests to have a wonderful holiday, and they really are a credit to the resort. However, we did encounter a small number of staff who seemed quite miserable or came across as though we were an inconvenience. We completely appreciate that everyone can have an off day, or perhaps they had been dealing with difficult guests beforehand, but it was noticeable on a few occasions. Thankfully, these interactions were very much the exception rather than the rule, and the kindness of so many others more than made up for it.
The grounds are absolutely beautiful and immaculately maintained. We loved the complimentary garden tour, which gave us an even greater appreciation of the work that goes into keeping everything looking so stunning. We also noticed how hard the staff worked every day clearing the seaweed from the beach, which couldn’t have been an easy task.
Our room was cleaned to a very high standard every day, with housekeeping regularly checking if we needed fresh towels or more ice. The beds were incredibly comfortable – some of the comfiest we’ve ever slept in on holiday!
The food was consistently good, with Eight Rivers being our favourite restaurant. The soups were absolutely amazing and are a must-try. The coffee bar also became one of our favourite places to visit each day and was definitely one of the highlights of our stay.
We really appreciated how many complimentary activities were included. The water sports were excellent, and the yoga sessions were brilliant too.
That said, there are a few things we feel could be improved.
The hotel itself is starting to look a little tired in places and would benefit from some refurbishment. While everything was spotlessly clean, the décor is dated and our shower wasn’t particularly powerful.
It took around 3 days for the team to realise we were on honeymoon, despite it being on our booking. We got a free massage with being on honeymoon but there was constant attempts to try to get us to upgrade at additional cost. The spa is quite expensive.
The Wi-Fi wasn’t very reliable during our stay, and the air conditioning in the gym really struggled to keep the space cool.
One disappointment was that there was never any fresh mint available for mojitos at the bars, which seemed surprising for a Caribbean resort.
We also would have loved to see a greater variety of fish on the menus. Snapper was frequently offered as the “catch of the day” and, although it was always well cooked, it did become repetitive over the course of a two-week stay. Having a wider selection of local fish would have been a welcome addition.
We had requested dairy-free milk before arriving and then asked several times after checking in, but unfortunately it never arrived during our stay. After such a long journey, this wasn’t the best first impression. Similarly, despite asking on several occasions, we didn’t receive the complimentary branded reusable water bottles until our final day, while many other guests already had theirs.
Breakfast could also be a little chaotic around the egg station. Damoy worked really hard trying to organise guests by asking them to stand to one side after ordering, but not everyone listened. A simple sign explaining where to wait would probably make things run much more smoothly.
One of the jacuzzis was out of service for the entire two weeks, which was a shame.
There was also some renovation work taking place towards the back of the resort. Plaster and concrete debris remained on the ground for several days and, although it was taped off initially, the barriers were later removed while the mess was still there. It didn’t feel particularly safe with guests walking through the area.
The evening entertainment wasn’t really for us. The main show lasted around an hour before moving into either a piano singalong, karaoke or dancing in the lounge bar. We appreciate that this style of entertainment suits many of the hotel’s regular guests, but we think it would be a good idea to have a two-week entertainment programme, as guests staying longer than a week end up watching the same shows again.
Finally, a few more parasols around the pool and beach would make a big difference. The Jamaican sun is incredibly strong and shaded loungers were often difficult to find.
Despite these comments, we genuinely had a wonderful holiday. The friendliness of the staff, beautiful gardens, comfortable beds, excellent food and relaxed atmosphere far outweighed the negatives. We’d certainly consider returning and hope to see some of these small improvements in the future.
Special mentions and thank yous:
A huge thank you to the staff who made our holiday so memorable:
* Ajay – Bayside
* Kacey – Coffee Bar
* Alfred & David – Gardening Team
* Radino – Eight Rivers
* Jahavon & Asanya – Verandah
* Icco & Audrey – Spa
* Sanjay, Danavan & Santana – Bar Staff
You were all wonderful and are a real credit to Couples Tower Isle. Thank you for making our holiday so special!
