Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach & Villa Resort Hotel, Jamaica

This resort opening onto a good sandy beach attracts a mix of unmarried and married couples, including honeymooners. At times the place seems like a summer camp for grown–ups (and some who didn't quite grow up). This is the most low–key of the Sandals properties, and also – at least in terms of acreage – the largest, with special care expended on landscaping. To help guests navigate their way across the sometimes steeply inclined terrain, a flotilla of 27 minivans shuttle their way across the sprawling acreage 24 hours a day. And in light of the fact that about half of the resort is terraced into a steep hillside, guests appreciate the rides. Is it romantic? Most guests think so.

Sprawling across 18 carefully landscaped hectares (44 acres), 2km (1 1/4 miles) west of the town center, it offers comfortably furnished rooms with either ocean or garden views. A large percentage of accommodations here (about 72 in all) are configured as hillside–hugging cottage units, a legacy of the recent expansion onto territory originally conceived as the Ciboney Resort. All units are renovated and upgraded, are reasonably large, with king'size, four–poster mahogany beds, armoires, and armchairs imported from Indonesia, and good'size bathrooms with shower/tub combinations. Nightly theme parties and live entertainment take place at scattered venues throughout this sprawling resort, sometimes (but not always) within a modern amphitheater. An unusual feature of the resort is an open–air disco. The resort's main dining room is Bayside. Other offerings include Valentino's, which serves Italian food; the Reef Terrace, which serves grilled meats and Tex–Mex cuisine, and a more recent addition, set directly on the waterfront, the Arizona, focusing on sizzling good steaks and Lone Star ribs.

Facilities

There are 9 restaurants; 9 bars; 6 outdoor communal pools plus an additional 90 semi–private pools; 4 tennis courts; 2 fitness centers; 2 self–contained spas; 9 Jacuzzis; 4 saunas; watersports; room service in suites only; massage; babysitting; laundry service; nonsmoking rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility.

Nestled between luxuriant hillside gardens and the glistening turquoise waters of the Caribbean, this modern–day Garden of Eden promises a veritable taste of paradise. From championship golf and a renowned scuba program to private strolls along Ocho Rios– longest sugar–white'sand beach; from world–class gourmet dining to stolen moments amid the fragrant, jasmine'scented gardens, this exquisite sanctuary offers something to tempt even the most demanding of souls. Who knew that giving into temptation could be so good for you.