With Valentine’s Day looming I was chatting with a young colleague when he asked me “So, are you and Joyce doing anything for Valentine’s Day? Or are you pretty much over that?” Whoa! As he’s considering tying the knot, I told him how you should never be “pretty much over that”.
But with two kids, a business to run, and all the other obligations, it can be challenging to keep that romantic flame burning. Here’s my all-in-one, year-long tip . . . book a stay at Sandals Ochi in Jamaica.
Joyce and I visited the resort last spring and it’s not an overstatement to say the place oozes with romance. We were placed in the “Butler Village” as part of our press trip. Perched high up on the hillside, these suites came complete with a full-time team of butlers, Marva and Winston, who gave us a radio to reach them any time, day or night. Room service, shuttle rides, whatever we needed, they delivered.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO3bqrqFkfk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO3bqrqFkfk
One day upon our return from the beach, we found a hot bath drawn and the tub decorated with rose petals -- it doesn’t get much more romantic than that! Our suite had a private pool where we were actually able to read a book without being interrupted by our kids.
We love to walk and enjoyed the stroll to the Great House, the center of the hillside resort area. Sometimes as we left our room, our butler would zoom up in a golf cart as if she read our mind and whisk us away. Marva also reminded us to make reservations at the restaurants that required them, like Kimono’s Hibachi Restaurant (which was delicious). Our stay was on the short side, so we didn’t get to experience all the other dining options, but the Jerk Shack has some amazing jerk chicken. And Kelly’s Dockside was perfect -- dining over the water is a truly unique and romantic experience.
The resort is all-inclusive with plenty of activities for all, though I did break up the romance and went scuba diving while Joyce relaxed by the pool. The dive team was professional and everything was included, a very rare treat. We also took a catamaran adventure with Island Routes. There is an additional fee for this, but it’s well worth it. Holding hands while snorkeling over a tropical reef is romantic in its own way.
The activities are romantic, the restaurants, the rooms and suites, and even the grounds themselves are romantic. The resort abounds with hideaways -- hammocks, king-sized lounge chairs, love seats and more are tucked away throughout the resort and beckon you to sit and snuggle for a bit.
But if you take your romance with loud music and some cocktails, head to the Rabbit Hole, a hidden speakeasy straight from the roaring 20’s. Perfect for dancing the night away.
After days of romance and leisure, your butler will show up at your room with a golf cart to carry you and your bags back to the Great House to catch your shuttle back to the airport. It’s the one time you’ll wish your butler wasn’t so damn efficient.
