On your next getaway to historic Montego Bay, Jamaica, consider the Royalton White Sands. Located directly on the Caribbean waterfront in what is Jamaica’s second largest city, the Royalton White Sands offers easy access to the region’s famed white sand beaches.
The Royalton White Sands is a resort hotel that is known for its all-in luxury concept. It’s a sprawling property with amenities and attractions that serve as destinations all by themselves For couples, business travelers and families alike, there’s plenty to keep you busy. If the blue-green water of the Caribbean weren’t so inviting, you would never have to leave the property.
The Royalton White Sands
Your first quest will be to choose one of more than 350 rooms and suites for your stay. This includes special luxury accommodations geared toward families. Some have ocean views. Others invite guests to step directly from their room into the pool areas. Rooms run from 312 square feet to almost 800 square feet for the presidential or honeymoon suites.
The Royalton White Sands is not just for romantic getaways. The resort also puts together special-occasion getaways. One of those includes a $99 – $129 per night kids/family birthday package that includes breakfast, a birthday cake, a family photo and more. As you’ll see, the hotel is built to keep both young and more mature audiences happy.
What to do while you’re there
Whether you are looking for food or fun, you won’t be at a loss in figuring out how to occupy yourself.
The Royalton White Sands offers enough dining options to satisfy a small village. These range from international fare at the Gourmet Marche to fine Italian food at the Grazie Italian Trattoria to the Hunter Steakhouse to more eclectic tastes such as Asian Fusion at Jade and Mediterranean food at Opa! For more casual options, the Royalton White Sands operates a sports bar, a Jerk Hut and cafe/lounge patisserie.
If nightlife is your passion, there is nightly entertainment on the Entertainment Plaza and your choice of several bars — including a swim-up bar where you don’t have to leave the water to get your favorite cocktail.
For families, you’ll want to take advantage of the Royalton White Sands waterpark and lazy river, as well as the Kids Clubhouse, Hangout Teens Club or various other sports and activities such as ping-pong, cooking classes, dance classes, and trivia. Mom and Dad can have a workout in the fitness center. Don’t forget about the Royalton White Sands’ relaxing pools, with white Bali beds, as well as nearby access to the waters of the Caribbean.
Price range
The Royalton White Sands offers all-inclusive packages that include accommodations and food. Prices will vary depending on the time of year. Based on a recent search of the resort’s online reservation system, the packages that include food will run anywhere from $375 to almost $900 per night. Prices will be higher at peak periods and with less advance purchase.
How Royalton White Sands Compares
When it comes to Jamaican resorts, there are plenty to choose from. To make sure we were comparing apples-to-apples, we explored how the Royalton White Sands stands up against other all-inclusive resorts. We also focused on a narrow section of Jamaica — the Falmouth section of Montego Bay, where guests have the opportunity to enjoy both the amenities of the resort as well as the beaches and the calming waters. Hotels farther inland were not part of our review.
How We Reviewed
To select our comparisons, we focused on properties with similar easy access to the Caribbean, versus those further inland. We also wanted to compare the Royalton White Sands against other all-inclusive resorts. Our review centered around information available on the websites for each of the individual properties, as well as popular travel sites such as TripAdvisor and Booking.com.
Excellence Oyster Bay
Excellence Oyster Bay is a similar all-inclusive resort hotel in the Falmouth section of Montego Bay. This is a new hotel opened in 2018 that offers sweeping views of the Caribbean and your choice of a total of 315 suites and oceanfront beach houses. The property is built in Victorian style. Intriguingly, Excellence Oyster Bay was built on an exclusive access peninsula that extends out between the Caribbean Sea and Jamaica’s famous “Luminous Lagoon.”
In contrast to Royalton White Sands, the Excellence Oyster Bay caters to adults with amenities such as five beachfront swimming pools and one on the rooftop, along with four outdoor Jacuzzis. Dining choices are similarly varied, with eight international á la carte restaurant options and one buffet restaurant. Excellence Oyster Bay also operates 10 bars, including poolside and beachside venues. The resort makes it easy to get out on the water, offering sailing, windsurfing, paddleboarding, snorkeling gear and more. Junior suites start at $552 a night, depending on the season, and prices climb to more than $850 for the honeymoon suites. Reviewers on Expedia give the resort a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars, with most noting the newness of the hotel and the quality of the facilities. One reviewer did comment on there being chipping paint in one of the rooms.
Royalton Blue Waters
The Royalton Blue Waters offers 228 all-inclusive rooms and suites. But the resort makes choosing easier by providing fewer options. At the suite level, you’ll be selecting from the junior, presidential or chairman’s one and two-bedroom suites.
But like its sister property, the Royalton White Sands, this resort hotel appeals to families, business travelers, and romance-minded couples. The hotel offers on-site shopping, a teen’s lounge, a theater, and a lazy river. There is also evening entertainment and water sports activities.
The Royalton Blue Waters shares restaurants with the Royalton White Sands, so guests have a smorgasbord of choices. There are eight sit-down a la carte restaurants, a Jerk Hut for Caribbean snacks and numerous bars to allow you to kick back and relax.
Pricing also varies depending on the season and how much advance purchase you allow. A recent check showed all-inclusive rooms going for between $452 and $563 a night.
Travelers on Expedia give the Royalton Blue Waters mixed reviews. Close to 150 people have left feedback on the resort, gaining the hotel an overall rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars. Guests praised the hard-working staff and amenities such as the water park. However, several reviewers discussed problems with air-conditioning, both in rooms and in common areas. Others expressed frustration over repeated power outages and problems with hot water.
Melia Braco Village
Our final comparison is the Melia Braco Village, another all-inclusive resort with mass appeal. The emphasis is definitely on oceanfront views. Most of the hotel’s 232 rooms look out onto the blue-green waters of the Caribbean. Their other rooms offer garden views.
Dining choices at Melia Braco Village are a little more casual than other properties. The choices include waterside fare with traditional Jamaican grilled favorites, and a la carte Italian and Asian. Get ready for busy evenings. The Melia Braco Village operates four different bars around the hotel, each with a different vibe.
Families will definitely find the Melia Braco Village a fun and welcoming place. Attractions include an adventure park and kids club. Active guests can participate in water and land sports and even ziplining.
This all-inclusive resort’s prices range from $355 a night to $515 a night. The exact cost depends on the time of year and also varies with advance purchase.
More than 1,500 people have left reviews of Melia Braco Village on Trip Advisor. Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. Positives include the properties friendliness and cleanliness. One reviewer described their stay as “a wonderful family vacation.” Others said they appreciated the hotel’s newness and vibe but felt some things were not quite up to par. “I was disappointed that there is a delivery charge for room service,” the reviewer wrote, “and that most of the common areas do not have air conditioning.”
Pros & Cons of The Royalton White Sands
Reviews of the Royalton White praise the food choices and friendly and supportive staff. “The staff is on point!” wrote one traveler. “Friendly, courteous and just overall awesome.” Another reviewer praised the entertainment, saying, “You would have to pay serious money to see and hear a performance like that.” Some of the negatives include travelers booked into rooms with malfunctioning air conditioners and those who found some signs of mold in the pool.
More than 6,400 people have left reviews of the Royalton White Sands on Trip Advisor. The cumulative rating is 4 out of 5 stars. It’s ranked by travelers as the third best of six resorts in the Falmouth region of Montego Bay. Over on Booking.com, the hotel doesn’t fare as well. Reviewers there place it sixth out of eight hotels.
Final Verdict
When it comes to all-inclusive Jamaican resorts, it’s hard to make a bad decision. Our review focused on resorts in a narrow part of Montego Bay, which is considered Jamaica’s tourism capital. Without a doubt, the Royalton White Sands is a lovely all-inclusive resort with impressive amenities. For the money, though, your best bet is to go with the newer Melia Braco Village. Its architecture and location are unique enough to get the edge.