Couples Swept Away

I have been dreaming of coming to Couples Swept Away since it opened…so my expectations were high…especially considering the price we paid. My husband and I have been to 5 star All-Inclusive resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic and Cuba…so I will compare this resort to our previous experiences. For reference, Cayo Coco Cuba was the cheapest vacation and Couples Swept Away was the most expensive resort. We are in our late 40s. Accommodations - 8/10 - My husband and I usually stay in a room with a tub for 2 on the patio or balcony - which really adds to the room experience…but Couples Swept Away doesn’t have that amenity. But honestly, we didn’t miss it. Our top floor Garden Verandah Suite was charming, authentic and airy. We LOVED the wooden shutters and vaulted wood ceiling . Our corner room #2201 had an amazing treehouse feel….it didn’t overlook any other hotel rooms so it felt incredibly private with lush tropical views. However, it was not perfect. It is loud in this room category. The frogs at night were almost deafening. But somehow we managed to fall asleep to the chirping….but you may want to bring earplugs just in case you can’t sleep. However, the motorcycle noise at night will wake you up and scare the crap out of you! The shower spitting water all over the floor also needs to be fixed…everyone complains about it so it is obviously a problem that management refuses to address. Just an annoyance and an inconvenience. But overall, we loved our room! However, we lucked out with a corner room on the top floor of a 2 story building (less stairs than the 3 story building and more privacy than the first floor walkout rooms…which a lot of guests love). It really depends what you want from a room. Some of the Garden Verandah Suites might have less road noise than others based on their location…just so you know. We were going to upgrade immediately if we weren’t happy with our room and we chose to stay. Grounds/Property - 10/10 - This resort is GORGEOUS. It is just as pretty as the previous resorts that we stayed at in Punta Cana and the Mayan Riviera. Lush gardens. Winding paths. Tropical flowers. I love an old established resort with mature trees and lots of greenery. This resort is STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL. Singing Anthony the gardener also made us smile everyday which was a bonus! Beach - 10/10 - soft sand - blue water and beautiful sunsets. Negril beach is beautiful to say the least. Again, the sunsets are breathtakingly gorgeous. Ocean Swimming - 10/10 - Soft white sandy bottom with very few hazards to watch out for. No water shoes are necessary but you still have to watch what you’re stepping on as there are random chunks of coral and the occasional critter. We saw lots of starfish and stingrays right in front of the resort…so that was exciting. The water was warm and relatively calm in the morning and had gentle waves in the afternoon. It was wonderful! Beach Experience - 8/10 - overall we had a great beach experience. We spent more time at this beach than any other resort because it is BEAUTIFUL and tropical with all the palm trees (something that Cuba does not have). We never went into the pools….which says a lot. HOWEVER….management needs to listen up - because the beach area has SOO MUCH POTENTIAL!!! First of all….where are the Bali beds?! A couples resort with no beach beds for 2 is insane to me! It’s the epitome of romance! The resort that we went to in Cuba cost 1/3 the price of Couples and they had endless beach beds AND beach service. There were employees in Cuba whose job it was to help you find a beach chair or bed and then proceeded to DUST off the Sand, spread your towel out and go get you a drink…all day long. This service is non-existent at Couples. Couples advertises red flag service. I call BS on that one. On our last day we finally saw one red flag in a tree….was it the infamous red flag service? I have no idea because no staff member offered me a flag or mentioned the service. Such a disappointment from a girl who has been dreaming of coming to this place since it first opened. Expectations were definitely NOT met. You can do better Couples! Also, the workers need to be out on that beach CLEANING and TIDYING up the chairs BEFORE the guests come out in the morning. Honestly, it was DISGUSTING. Towels and dishes and garbage everywhere all along the Couples Swept Away beach every morning. Management should be ashamed of themselves. Also, management needs to have designated smoking sections marked with signage. Such a simple solution to solve the problem for nonsmokers and smokers alike. We can all coexist in paradise without nonsmoking guests being annoyed by the smoke and the smokers not having to explain that the nonsmokers are indeed sitting in the (unmarked) smoking sections. This should be enforced by the staff not the guests. We all just need guidance from management with a simple sign. And if Couples wants to take it to the next level of luxury…replace all the beach furniture with quality chairs, beds and cushions. Management just needs to take a walk down the beach to a few of the neighbouring resorts who have matching furniture and colourful matching accessories. Like I said - the potential is there. As for the beach solicitors/locals selling their goods and services ….hey - this is their country with their own way of making a living. I believe that we as guests in their country need to assimilate to their culture. Respect and politeness and a firm “no” is all that is necessary if you are not interested in what they are selling. And if that doesn’t work, a quick nod to security and they will help move the seller along. Was it annoying at times? Yes but it didn’t ruin our vacation. Not all Jamaicans are like this…just like how not all Canadians are loud drunks. Overall we enjoyed our interactions with the locals and met more residences than any other country we have visited. Food - 7/10 - If we could have eaten at Lemongrass and Feathers more often during our week stay, we would have rated them a 9/10. The buffet was good but very small. The fish tacos on the beach were good and we also enjoyed the jerk chicken at Scotch Bonnet. However, the reservation system for the 2 reservation only restaurants was AWFUL! Worse than budget friendly Cuba. In Cuba, we checked in and the staff had already pre booked all our dinner reservations for us. If we wanted to change to a different time we just had to ask. Seamless and perfect. In the Dominican Republic, our butler booked all our reservations for us after we told him which restaurants we wanted to go to. No problem. In Mexico, we were able to book every night at the al a cart restaurants the day we checked in. Done. No stress. Not at Couples Swept Away. We stayed 7 nights and we were only able to get into Lemongrass ONCE and Feathers ONCE. The worst experience out of all our resort experiences. Pretend that you are at a budget all inclusive - now get in line at Customer Service…or call and PRAY that you get to enjoy at least 1 reservation during your entire stay. And you don’t do this just once…you have to go back because you can’t book more than a few days in advance. Come on Couples! Do better! At this price point more restaurant options need to be available to EVERYONE not just returning guests. I give Couples restaurant reservation system a ZERO out of 10. On a positive note - we loved having entertainment playing during dinner at the buffet…well, the band/singers anyway. Shows were hard to watch when you are eating and getting up to the buffet. Live music performers during dinner is lovely…although sometimes loud at times. Just fix the restaurant reservation system…it’s awful. Pools - 4/10 - I knew when I booked CSA that the pools were not great. In my opinion, what makes a good pool is a tropical, freeform shape with lots of room to spread out and a swim up bar. We didn’t go into the pools at all because they were small overall…with the swim up bar pool being extra small…which was disappointing. They are also overlooked by the restaurants which kinda makes it an uncomfortable experience if you don’t want to be on display and watched by people eating…if that makes sense. However it was nice that the hot tubs were open all the time…although they are also overlooked…so not much privacy for intimate couple time. Service - 8/10 - The service that the workers are instructed to give is good. They don’t go above and beyond but it’s good. However there are more resting “grumpy” faces here than at any other resort that we’ve been to. These employees should be placed at the back of the house if they can’t fake a smile for the paying guests. Again, I blame management for not training these employees for their service roles….and then making sure that the employees are always making guests feel good about being there. When you can’t even smile at the friendly guests, you should not be working at the front of the house. Included Activities - 10/10 - this is where the resort shines….perfect….no constructive criticism needed. Okay…the fitness facilities are not air conditioned…someone made a very bad decision at the planning stage and no one with common sense said “That’s stupid.” Now they are stuck with this huge mistake. Other notes.. Lack of air conditioning in the restaurants and common areas sucked. My husband was hot and uncomfortable everywhere he went. I signed up for their Loyalty Rewards Program after I booked the resort. This was a waste of time because they didn’t give us any of the alcohol that we requested during pre-check-in. We had to re-request it after we got to our room and we received it the next day. No booze, except beer, in the room for 24 hours. Nothing is done for you during special occasions. I celebrated my birthday here and receive nothing…if that’s important to you. It wasn’t a big deal for me…just unusual for a 5 star resort. Final thoughts…I am soo glad that my husband and I finally made it to a Couples resort. The rooms, resort grounds and beautiful ocean water were exactly like we imagined. We went there to spend a romantic vacation together on the beach…relaxing and enjoying the ocean. However, the couples vibe that we were expecting was not there. It often felt like spring break with loud groups of friends…as opposed to the intimate couples in love experience I was expecting. We would not return because we have been to better adults only all inclusive resorts that know how to spoil their guests and make them feel special - for a MUCH LOWER PRICE POINT. I hope this review helps! Read less

Ok, it’s not my intention to criticise the hotel resort on a personal level as it is what it is, horses for courses as they say. This is more of a damming review of our tour operator Tui in promoting this resort as a 5* or 5T holiday for UK travellers. I know it’s conjecture and personal opinion but I wish people would have been totally honest in writing previous reviews and I could have saved ourselves a lot of money. So, if you’re from the UK and thinking of booking this resort read on…. I cannot describe how bad for a British mature couple this hotel is. Firstly, I don’t know what the official criteria is for grading hotels but I’ve stayed in plenty around the world and at best, this is no more than 3*. It is an alternative Cancun for American/Canadian guests who make up roughly 95% of clientele. Again not a personal slur as we spoke to quite a few and whom were very nice and chatty, but the majority are big, loud and gregarious…I’ll clarify. Make no mistake, this is a long and tiring trip from the UK. A 9.5 hour flight into Montego Bay (for Tui) and as the promo says, there are no Tui reps at hand so stumble around until you come across the ‘Couples’ resort waiting area where your details will be taken and a nice cold drink offered. Our 20 min wait for transport slowly morphed into 40 minutes, waiting for other guests to arrive and it was then onto a small mini bus. If you have hand luggage like a small case then consider asking the driver to put it in with your luggage as other than on your lap, there’s no place inside the mini bus to put it…and it’s a long transfer! It’s over 2 hours and an eye opener. Sadly, Jamaica is a poor country and struggling more so after the devastating hurricane of 2025. The journey to Negril is long, uncomfortable and sad. Our eventual arrival at the resort was promising with a nice glass of champagne (it’s not, it’s Prosecco but let’s not get too picky). The checking in procedure is exactly what you don’t want after being up and about for 18 hours. You’ll need, your passports (understandably), personal emails, telephone, UK address, credit card and exact return flight details, form filling and be given your room key bracelet which is actually a very good idea. You’ll also be given a head full of information that at this stage makes absolutely no sense whatsoever about restaurants, bookings and activities etc. Then it’s off to your room you go. Your luggage gets a buggy but it’s Shanks’s Pony for you. The resort is roughly a North - South orientation with reception being at the north end. We were in a Beachfront verandah room 3324 at the southern end. So, if you’re still daft enough to pay and go, opt for a Beachfront Verandah Suite with Balcony. The view, beach and sea are lovely. Our room was very comfortable indeed. Spacious, the bed was comfy, pillows and bedding lovely and a great balcony but hang on… the decor is tired, the bathroom wasn’t finished well and had some strange pebble stone effect flooring in the shower that over time is very difficult to clean and was therefore grubby. It has also been laid poorly with insufficient drop so when you have a shower the water floods the bathroom floor and we had to create little towel dams to stop this happening. Soaking towels every day. The room air conditioning is effective and quiet but, the condensate on ours ran down the inside of the room wall and onto the bedroom floor (another towel). Now the bad bits….Tui sell this holiday as a relaxing, couples only luxury resort with 7 restaurants 8 bars etc. Poetic license or misleading advertising? It has 4 restaurants; 2 of which are the large municipal eating halls you would expect and get on your weekend away in Benidorm the other 2 are the very nice Lemongrass restaurant and the flagship Feather’s restaurant (more to come on these). The other 3 so called restaurants are snack or coffee bars. Never are there more than 3 open at the same time. Do not expect 8 bars. They’ve included beach bars and bars attached or associated with the restaurants. There is only one dedicated bar per se and that’s the one colloquially known as the Piano Bar that stays open after 10. ‘Sounds nice’ you say? It’s not, we tried to get in on two occasions but there’s very limited seating and it is no more than an American Karaoke bar…it was chaos, it reminded me of a bad Blink 182 concert. As I’ve already alluded to, this place is perfectly located and an ideal alternative to Cancun for American/Canadian guests the majority of whom are classed as ‘Returning Guests’ and take priority on the hotel’s ridiculous restaurant booking system. We arrived on the Wednesday and it wasn’t until the following Monday we were able to get into one of the 2 restaurants that you need to book (Lemongrass or Feathers) and that was because we kicked and screamed! Approximately 1200 guests potentially wanting to book maybe 60 covers. My wife tried to book a reservation prior to us arriving through Tui and the hotel but was told, without a room number it wasn’t possible…wait for it, it now transpires, if you’re a returning guest you can. We opted for and thought we were privileged to get into the special, flagship gourmet restaurant Feathers. A chance to dress up perhaps as it does have a dress code and a large chunk of my baggage allowance had been taken up with long trousers, shoes and shirts etc. The table was booked for 8.30 so, with another couple we thought we’d go for 7.30 drinks beforehand at the Patrois bar which is attached to the large Patrois eating venue (I’m reluctant to call it a restaurant). It was all unexpectedly closed. The ‘Piano’ bar doesn’t open until later so the other option would have been a hot, humid 10 walk to the bar attached to the Palms buffet ‘restaurant’ at the north end. Not a popular option for the ladies in high heels but we had an hour to kill. I thought I’d pop into Feathers to say we might be a few minutes late as we were going to the other place for a drink and by the time we’d walked back it might be just after 8.30. The lady at the door was nice and said we could come in and just sit at restaurant bar (who knew) or sit at our table now. We opted to sit at the bar and stick to the plan or so we tried. We kept being asked by several different staff if we’d like to sit at our table as it was ready. We felt so pressured we reluctantly gave in and sat down about 40 mins early. Now, the Feather’s restaurant is advertised as gourmet with an elegant dress code. Credit to the staff having to turn away difficult customers turning up in shorts and T-shirts but men can still get in wearing polo type shirts and ladies pretty much anything. The place was like Denny’s Diner on a Friday night. Tables of American/Canadians who had clearly been drinking all day and you couldn’t hear yourself think. The food was at best, ok. Veg was cold and raw and my wife found a large piece of string in her food. It was all marginally better than the other eating places except, Lemongrass where we found the food very nice but like everywhere else, repetitive. We were never even asked if we’d like wine, we had to ask and then got the usual ‘white, rose, merlot or cabinet sav. In a glass, no wine list, no option. This was the same all over the resort. It was shocking. The other places to eat are too bad to even start to describe, maybe not if you’ve not paid a lot but if you’re from the UK for 2 weeks you have. An American I spoke to couldn’t believe how much we’d paid. We used to laugh to ourselves when we went to the Patois Patio Mediterranean à la carte restaurant as for the 2 weeks, Fish of the Day was always Red Snapper and a change of menu was a different soup or something different in the potato. On the last night, the menu did actually change but all 4 of our meals were totally wrong and when it did arrive, my wife’s grilled cheese was in actual fact normal feta and my meal lacked the mixed greens. We didn’t say anything because after 2 hours waiting we just wanted to get out of there. This is an All Inclusive resort which means you can drink as much as you want or can all day and believe me some people do. It’s a very popular venue for weddings, nice for them but possibly not for you. If you’re expecting couples then think 50 guests from the US attending a wedding where everyone pretty much knows each other and for a week it’s one huge party. I’m talking loud, all day drinking, smoking in swimming pools and restaurants , their own music playing on the beach, swearing and generally selfish drunken behaviour in the evenings. This is no exaggeration and it’s on going, we may have had 2 days when it was relatively relaxed. I’ve been to Ayia Napa in Cyprus, Benidorm and Cleethorpes and it’s not too dissimilar. The beach is lovely, there are plenty of sun beds but very limited shade. The hotel has a few parasols around the pool areas and maybe 10 cabana type sun shades along the beach. Therefore, securing sun beds in the shade starts every day at 4-30 to 5am. The earliest we ventured out was 6.15am and every bed under the shade was reserved with towels. For 2 weeks it was a case of finding a tree or bush and anticipating the moving shade around it. Synonymous with Jamaica, cannabis (marijuana) is rife and the air is full of the smell of it. Despite it actually being illegal (believe it or not) the locals constantly walk up and down the beach trying to sell you some, some of the hotel staff are also branching out and selling the stuff. A polite no is all that’s needed and they move on. The annoying venders are the musicians (of varying abilities) singing or playing in front of you and waiting for their money. Strangely enough, walk up the beach to the 2 very nice hotels up there and you’ll realise the venders have honed their trade and know who’s going to pay them and it’s not the Sandals guests. We brought our disapproval to both Tui and senior hotel management early on and to the credit of the hotel they listened and tried to make things better for us including a very nice gesture for my wife’s 60th birthday. However, as I said at the start, it is what it is and whilst it’s still receiving returning American/Canadian guests with lower expectations it’ll not change. I would like to ask Tui, apart from the flights (obviously) what did we actually get for approximately £10,000? The resort should be re-name ‘Couple Stay Away’. Read less

We stayed for a week at this lovely resort as part of a large wedding party. In general we found the resort to be very clean with staff working throughout the day to maintain this with a smile and always a hello. The staff we met were all outstanding…. Every single one ensured we enjoyed our holiday. Miss Talibud in the breakfast service was simply delightful and we shall always remember her bright smile and warm welcome. She is a superstar. During our stay I injured my foot in an accident (not anything to do with the hotel… my husband did it) and the nurse was fabulous and took care of me even though it was midnight. She checked in with me the rest of our stay after a rather expensive visit to the local clinic. Our room was close to reception and the main road. Yes we did hear vehicles occasionally but it was not an issue. The frogs chorus at night lulled us to sleep. The mini bar was filled at request and a simple morning breakfast was delicious. The food was simple but delicious in the buffet… it was repetitive at times. The feathers and lemongrass were fabulous evenings and we enjoyed the atmosphere, food and service. The beach was stunning and we did find a lounger very early in the morning and this was fine for us. The vendors were up and down throughout the day and no worse than Mexico or the Dominican Republic. Security were keen to ensure that they were not a nuisance. A small smile and no thanks once was enough to be left alone. We did have a couple of experiences with other guests who were extremely loud who over powered the whole restaurant and areas on the beach front. They were drunk and obnoxious to be honest. These are the people who were disrespectful of others and the resort. The staff found it difficult to contain these guests at times and I felt embarrassed for them. We have visited many hotels around the world and yes this was a rather expensive week. Yes there were things that could be improved. But my goodness we had a blast and loved every minute. Read less

We traveled to Couples Swept Away for nine days in April. Our room was an Ocean Verandah Suite and was well worth the money. I was concerned about the condition of the resort before we left home. The management and staff have worked really hard to make things as they were before the Hurricane We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect nine days. The weather was sunny and warm, the beach a beautiful shade of blue, and both food and entertainment were great. Our room was cleaned daily and there was turn down service in the evenings. The little bathroom huts on the beach were also very clean. I would walk the resort path in the early morning, and I would see lots of staff out cleaning the different areas. We did have a few issues with getting reservations at both the Lemon Grass and Feathers. But by the end of the week, we were able to acquire those reservations. Our favorite by far was the Lemon Grass. We attended the Repeat Dinner which was hosted by the resort. As usual we thought food was outstanding and we got a chance to talk to a few of the managers. My husband was curious about the number of different palms on the resort and if there were any plans for additional palapas. He was told more palapas were planned and there were 79 species of palms. Although the resort looks great with the natural look, I think most folks would welcome an area that would provide some umbrellas or palapas for shade. We walked down to the Hi Lo store which was close to the resort. I bought a few Red Stripe beers in their new flavors, lemon and mango. I think both flavors would be a great addition to the bars on the resort. I also purchased Rum Cream and Banana Chips to take home. Both purchases were much cheaper at Hi Lo than at the airport. Be warned that all prices are in Jamaican currency, so a bit of math is involved to figure out your price. We’ve been to Couples Swept Away many times. As always, the trip was a success, and I can honestly say without hesitation that the beach is probably the prettiest I’ve ever seen. Read less

We just got back from a wonderful stay,wedding,and honeymoon. We got married there and everything was perfect! Food was great no matter where we went on property. It was just the two of us so our wedding on the beach was intimate and perfect. The all inclusive activities included snorkeling, water sports, swimming in a cave, among many other activities. I gave it a 4 out of a 5 because the vendors on the beach bother you nonstop , every time you look at them or walk by them . Read less