Sandals Royal Plantation: Where Even the Peacocks Have Butler Service

As a seasoned travel agent, when it comes to Caribbean beach resorts I’ve seen it all: from hotels where the “ocean view” requires leaning out of your window at an impossible angle to catch a glimpse of a sliver of blue ocean, to all-inclusive resorts where “butler service” means a guy named Ralph hands you a towel—once, and assembly line fashion to you and a group of arriving guests. But then there’s Sandals Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica where an ocean view room means just that, and where all guests have butlers, trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers, assigned to them for the duration of their stay. Janet and I just returned from spending a week at this exclusive resort and we’d like to share some of what we learned during our stay.

Size Matters (in this case smaller is better)

Sandals Royal Plantation is the resort James Bond would visit if he were a real person. Not when he was on a mission of course, but when he grew tired of the international intrigue and was ready to leave both his Walther PPK and his license to kill behind and enjoy a week of relaxation and pampering. You can even fly into the aptly named Ian Fleming International Airport in Ocho Rios, a 10-minute drive from the resort with the included transfers.

With just 74 rooms, Sandals Royal Plantation is the boutique resort equivalent of a secret VIP club—except everyone’s invited, and the password is “all-inclusive luxury.” Every suite has ocean views and, yes, each comes with genuine butler service. That means you can finally live out your James Bond fantasies, with the added advantage of a lot more rum punch.

The Beaches: Two Are Better Than One

Why settle for one beach when you can have two private coves? Here, you’ll find sand so soft you’ll consider giving up shoes forever, and water so clear you’ll start to believe mermaids are real. They’re not, but after a few mangosas…mimosas made with mango juice…who’s cares? And if you get tired of liquid mangosas, no worries man…you’re in Jamaica. The beach butler will deliver a boozy frozen mangosa (and rum...yum!) popsicle right to your lounge chair. When you’ve had your fill of the beach you can head up the stairs to the resort’s main guest services level and take a refreshing dip in the pool. Or of you prefer, relax in one of the resort’s two generously sized free-form whirlpool hot tubs, all with magnificent views of the ocean two stories below.

Reciprocity: A One-Way Street

Sandals resorts have a policy of reciprocity, meaning if you stay at one resort you get to play at many. Sandals Royal Plantation is so intimate, that policy is a one-way street…you can visit other Sandals resorts, but they can’t visit Royal Plantation. There is an included shuttle service that will take you to the two nearby Sandals properties, Sandals Ochi located next door, and Sandals Dunns River, a 20-minute drive along the coast. The shuttle service to Sandals Ochi operates on a regular schedule, and your butler will make the necessary transportation arrangements if you wish to visit Sandals Dunns River.

Dining and Drinks: No Buffets, No Problems

Forget the buffet stampedes—each meal is an intimate à la carte dining experience, and there is a proper English tea daily on the Tea Terrace between 4PM-5PM. For dinner you have five world-class restaurants to choose from, and if you’re in the mood for that extra James Bond touch, there’s even a caviar and champagne bar...the only one of its kind in the entire Sandals portfolio of resorts. If you get tired of the dining at Royal Plantation, which isn’t likely (I didn’t after a week at the resort) your butler can arrange for you to dine at one of the specialty restaurants at Sandals Ochi next door, or at Sandals Dunns River.

If you decide to head over to Sandals Ochi for dinner, consider making a full evening of it. Sandals Ochi is the largest Sandals resort in Jamaica and there is much to explore. After your dinner be sure to plan a visit the “Rabbit Hole,” a 1920s Prohibition era themed club. In true speakeasy style, you won’t find the club, much less be allowed in, without some insider help. It has a hidden entrance and even once you find it, you’ll need to give a password that changes regularly to get in. Your butler will give you all the insider tips you need to get in, but you do have to ask.

Activities For the Energetic and the Expert Lounger

When I vacation at a Sandals resort, I welcome a little boredom. I am the ultimate expert lounger, though I did manage to get to the resort’s well-equipped gym four days during our stay. If a trip to the gym isn’t enough to get your blood flowing there are any number of activities to choose from. You can visit the water sports center and sign up for on- and off-site snorkeling, glass-bottom boat tours, kayaking, paddleboarding and sailing. If you prefer land-based action the resort offers tennis, pickleball, croquet…you can be as active as you want, and best of all it’s included. For divers, or diver wanna-be’s, there is a PADI dive center offering open water dive certification classes for a fee, and certified divers can opt for the included daily two-tank dives. 

Service: Where Everybody Knows Your Name (and Drink Order)

The staff here doesn’t just remember your name—they remember your favorite cocktail, your preferred sun lounger, and quite possibly your childhood pet’s birthday. I’m only kidding about the last one, but the bar staff did quickly learn that I don’t care for a straw in my diet coke. When the staff greets you by name on sight…and they do, from the General Manager to your housekeeper…you feel like a celebrity.

The Downsides (Because No Paradise is Perfect)

Janet and I always make it a point to be honest about downsides, and as ideal as Sandals Royal Plantation is for us, it isn’t right for everyone. Sure, the buildings have a plenty of “vintage charm” but that also means some furnishings are a bit outdated. The resort is undergoing a complete renovation, but it is so popular with return guests it has been challenging for the staff to find enough down time for the work that needs to be done. They are slowly making headway, and over half of the rooms have undergone a complete renovation with the rest scheduled to be completed by early 2026. The great thing about these renovations is they retain the resort's old-world luxury and charm, the things that keep guests coming back again and again.

There is another downside to this resort…it is not particularly friendly to guests with mobility impairment. There are a few handicap-accessible rooms on the resort’s main guest level, but getting to the beach will be a challenge. It is located two flights of steps from the main level, and the elevator only takes you down one of those flights…guests still have one flight of steps to navigate to access the beach.

To be fair, our butler shared with us that they have accommodated guests with mobility impairments, to include enlisting the assistance of staff members to carry them up and down that flight of steps to get to and from the beach. It works for the die hard Sandals Royal Plantation loyalists, but for everyone else there are other Sandals resorts that are more readily handicap accessible.

What’s With Those Peacocks?

Yes, there are peacocks with full run of the property at Sandals Royal Plantation. They are a nod to a bygone era of opulence when peacocks commonly adorned the lawns of 18th century Jamaican estates as symbols of luxury, grandeur and elegance. Even the main bar pays homage to this bygone era with its British colonial styling and whimsical name, The Wobbly Peacock.

Sandals Royal Plantation’s peacocks are free to roam about the property at will, and they are free to fly as their wings are not clipped. So don’t be surprised if you get buzzed by one on its way to the beach. We had that experience several times. What keeps the peacocks from flying off the resort? If I had to guess I would say it’s the superb butler service.

The Final Word

Sandals Royal Plantation is a rare gem—intimate, elegant, and staffed by people who treat you like royalty. If you want a Jamaican escape where the hardest decision is “pool or beach?” and the answer is always “both,” this is your spot. Just don’t be surprised if you come home expecting your partner to bring you snacks on a silver tray.

Book it now—your inner aristocrat (and your taste buds) will thank you.