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About
3.0
#27 of 30 hotels in Ocho Rios
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Finding an ideal hotel in Ocho Rios does not have to be difficult. Welcome to Sand Castles Resort, a nice option for travellers like you.
While staying at Sand Castles Hotel, visitors can check out Bethel Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church (0.9 km) and Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church (1.3 km), some of Ocho Rios' top attractions.
As your “home away from home,” the hotel rooms offer a flat screen TV, a kitchenette, and air conditioning, and getting online is easy, with free wifi available.
Guests have access to a gift shop and a sun terrace while staying at Sand Castles Resort. In addition, Sand Castles Hotel offers a pool and a restaurant, which will help make your Ocho Rios trip additionally gratifying. And, as an added convenience, there is free parking available to guests.
When you’re feeling hungry, be sure to check out Evita's Italian Restaurant, Rivaz Ultra Lounge, and Caffe' Da Vinci, which are some Italian restaurants that are popular with locals and out-of-towners alike.
During your visit, be sure to check out Konoko Falls & Park (1.1 km), which is a popular attraction within walking distance of the hotel.
Sand Castles Resort looks forward to welcoming you on your visit to Ocho Rios.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Modern
Languages Spoken
English, Russian, Turkish
Location
Main Street, Ocho Rios Jamaica
Sandcastles Jamaica
363 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This location is great 💯.everything else is up in the air more like backpackers dream.I say this to say that 80% of the rooms are individually owned. 80% of the photos that you see of the rooms is not exactly what you're going to get.More than lightly The room is not as clean and not as nice as in the pictures. The beach close at 6:00 p.m. but they will try to get you off the beach by 5:30. You have to pay for the chairs I believe it's $700jmd or $5usd. I'm usually at the beach between 6:00 a.m. and 7: 00am so I guess if the guard is there you can go in just give them ur room number if your staying at sandcastle you don't have to pay to get in. If you are trying to choose a room try to see what angle they're taking the photo from ,and if you see the pool from the room look carefully and it's on the first floor do not choose that room .There will be noise and there will be individuals from off the property coming to hang out by the bar and pool, so if you do not like noise do not choose that room. Room service next to none and whoever is in charge of your room try to get their phone number or ask for extra towel the broom in my before they leave your site if you can . Front desk may or may not be able to help you as fast as you wish them too.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This resort is more of a secure gated apartment complex of several buildings with individual owners of each apartment. We recommend you rent third floor apartments, because of the open air rooftop terraces. Unfortunately, narrow stairs and no elevators available. A great location at the beginning of Ocho Rios, close to shops, restaurants, roadside vendors and walking distance of the town center. The resort is off the backside of Ocho Rios Beach and free to use by resort patrons. You can use the pool with a certified lifeguard on duty, on-site restaurant, and hire a resident tour guide to see the local sites. Most prices are in U.S. dollars, the Jamaican Dollar can be used to pay for things, just make sure you check before you go or order. Bring a good camera, walking shoes, comfortable clothing, various denominations of U.S. and Jamaican currency. Use a credit card for certain payments, refrain from using your bank debit card, if possible, far easier to stop charges made toward a credit card than the latter. Enjoy your stay.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sand Castles is a beachfront resort/apartment complex that can be rented by the owners. It is right on the beach and within walking distance to everything. Be aware of who you rent from. Had very bad experience from the owner of E23 Sandra Edison Noel. Her apartment was outdated and not up to code. If you write an honest review about your experience the host will fabricate one about you to prevent other hosts from renting from you in the future. The host will lie and say you broke things that she wouldn't come to fix. Hard to contact them during your stay. Very vindictive owner. Not all apartments are bad just in my experience this one (E23). Just read honest reviews of people who stayed at the owner's apartments in order to choose one.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Read reviews, not all apartments are bad, good location
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sand Castles Resort is a beachfront complex with an individual owned apartments. Prices and upkeep varies on the owner. Great location. Walking distance to everything. E23 is not nice although pictures are ok the apartment is outdated and needs a lot of repairs. The host has a bad attitude. Do yourself a favor and don't stay at E23.
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Date of stay: March 2019
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SCAM!!! Looked nothing like the pictures. Pretended not to have our booking info and charged us for another room. Lack of communication with the apartment owner. Even if the apartments are individually owned there should be communication between the owners and the reception onsite. Not very clean at all and no daily housekeeping.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked via Booking.com but never received the details of the apartment number, nor how to access the venue. Instead, a few hours before we were to have checked in, we received a call from a very intimidating sounding person demanding more money. Different from the terms settled and allowed via booking.com.
We did not stay there as the situation seemed unsafe. Imagine calling to threaten and bully a potential guest instead of calmly trying to work through a situation to identify any misunderstanding and come to an agreement.
We canceled after being told we would have been refunded but later discovered much higher charges made to our card than expected.
We do not know the apartment number, but the property company and a name with a hyphen are listed on messages sent via booking.com.
Scary and intimidating experience.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed in unit B5. When I booked this room, I was under the impression I was renting a hotel room. However, these apartments are individually owned. The front desk was not very helpful. And I receive my key from security. The property was not as described online , The photos did not match the apartment. The property was extremely dirty and moldy. Highly disappointed..
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I just returned from my hotel stay at the Sandcastles Beach Resort in Ochio Rios, Jamaica. I would like to share my experience if you're considering this hotel. First of all, I choose this hotel because of the reasonable price and I thought I was prepared because I had read other reviews on this website, though they were conflicting. So I really didn't know what to expect. The Pros on this hotel are: you're within walking distance from tons of shops and places like Jimmy Buffet's Margaritville restaurant; there's a restaurant on site; the grounds are very nicely landscaped; there's a pool & bar; you can make reservations for activities in the lobby; the kitchen & refrigator in the room were old but usable and had cooking utensils (though no kitchen towel or dish soap); our small balcony overlooked palm trees; for peace of mind, you can rent a safe deposit box in the hotel office for $3.00 a day; the front desk is open 24 hours a day, the hotel beach is a minute across the street (we beat the crowds and vendors by going early in the day); and the staff was friendly. The Cons are: our studio room was very small though it had a loft with a couch; the air conditioner and ceiling fan both only had one speed; the bathroom was tight quarters with no place to hang clothes; the 2 room lights were not bright; we had to ask several times for clean towels; the furniture was old & worn; I received my $10 beach towel rental refund in Jamaican money when I'd rather have had $10 US money, and the room could use a new coat of paint. Overall, rating this hotel as a 2 star hotel is realistic (I would hate to see what a 1 star is!) but next time, I would definitely spend more and stay at a nicer hotel.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
To all of you who tried to ruin our vacation before we left with all of your horrible reviews, you didnt succeed. My boyfriend and I just returned from Jamaica yesterday, a ten day vaca and wish we could have stayed forever. Sandcastles was an older, but beautiful resort...The pool was a bit small, but did you all forget that their is a beautiful beach and ocean right outside your door? The people at sandcastles were very friendly, the maid service was right on top of things, SMILEY..the bartender, Martin, Tracey, Dave, Rusty, Tony etc...they took care of us every day....All service was with a smile. We werent happy with our first room, but asked to change it and were switched to a room with a cathedral ceiling and a drop ceiling fan...much better. Obviously we ran into hagglers on the beach...but we knew this before we went...You learn how to deal with it. The beach was gorgeous..very safe..There were guards at all entrances..The shows were entertaining at the poolside..The food was good...Definitely recommend the all inclusive plan, you can still go off to eat if youd like.. recommend Evitas or The Ruins. but the breakfast, burgers, and dinners are good and you can the drinks are included also...and they do know how to make a drink..Ask Smiley for "take it off" or the "Smiley Cooler". We went to Jamiaca to relax, party, and see some of its beauty, which is exactly what we did. You can book everything directly through the hotel or on the beach...highly recommend the Cool Runnings cruise to Dunns river..The crew is fantastic, look for Mickey, the catamaran ride is awesome...the beauty of Jamaica from the water is spectacular ,and most definitely the Sunset Cruise...Also look for Hope on the beach for a longer snorkeling trip...The boat is small, but your captain and guide..Lee, will take good care of you....take good care of them. If you are used to 5 star resorts, then maybe this isnt the place for you..But if you arent high maintainance...want to meet great people, an....this is a great place. We met some of the best people from all over the country, and in some instances all over the world...They alll loved it...more so because of the people who we were all surrounded by. There is plenty to do in Jamaica...If you have any questions, you can contact us....and a big F ....U to the a-holes who wrote the previous reviews...if you were looking for pampering..you should have stayed at the Wyndom...Who stays in their room on vacation in the caribbean anyway??? Feel free to email us if you want any other truthful info.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I just returned from a Thanksgiving stay.....o.k...prior to travelling to Ocho Rios, Jam, I read numerous tripadvisor reviews and was somewhat concerned about the property. However, this was a last minute air/hotel weekend getaway for a GREAT cheap price. Following are my impressions. Please keep in mind that when you travel anywhere outside the continental US or abroad, you might consider lowering your expectations a little. Standards vary country to country.
1) Property: It's ok...nothing more or less. However, if you are a traveller who enjoys a large staff/guest ratio where you are waited on hand and foot, this is NOT, repeat NOT the place for you. Prior to booking here, get the idea of a "resort" absolutely out of your mind. This is not a resort in the way you may be accustomed. eg. t.v. remotes are kept at the front desk. the grounds are well kept however...
I think this property is more a 2 rather than 3 star...
Over my four day stay, i got the impression that it is a property which many vacationing Jamaicans choose.
2) Rooms: studio style...I would compare the quality to national chains..eg. Comfort Inn or Red Roof Inns. My room was very clean. The maids seem to work around the clock. My refrigerator was broken....bathroom was small/cramped and just needed an overall facelift....H2O was hot..
3) Dining: I never dined at sandcastles. However, I passed the buffet a couple of times, and it seemed overpriced for what you were offered ($21). Across the street is an adorable open-air cafe named "Coconuts" Great place with wide variety menu. I was told that is moving location nearer cruise port.....
4) Best Feature: CLOSE TO EVERYTHING!! Sandcastles is right in middle of everything you will likely do/see in Ocho. eg. 40 yds from Taj Mahal shopping center...100 yds. from Jimmy Buffets' Margaritaville, 100 yds from craft market etc.... 40 yds from KFC/Burger King..Just in case you get tired of jamaican cuisine. :-) Everything thing is within a 10 minute leisurely walk... REMEMBER, if you stay at a property which is outside of town the taxi will cost approx. $7 one-way each time you travel.
5) Beach: nah...it's sort of a beach for locals..no waves either.. more like H20 in a bay....if you want a property with a crashing beach, specifically ask for that! I've stayed at 2 other Ocho properties and the beach was like sandcastles. Importantly, you can use Margaritaville's beach! That's fun because you can lounge on their beach, hear amazing music, eat and drink....It doesn't get much better than that! You can get up and shop in the shopping center that Margaritaville is located in!
6) Cruise ship port is maybe 150 yds away. Their guest walk along a walkway behind sandcastles.
7) If you have ever travelled abroad, you have experienced people trying to sell you souveniers etc...It's no more or less in Jam. Just ignore them. They won't pursue an unwilling buyer....
8) OVERALL: I wouldn't stay here again if I wanted a true resort experience..This is not a resort. If you want a resort, consider San Souci, Jamaica Grande etc... not here! If I wanted to get away for a cheap weekend, then maybe.
Good luck and great travels!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks I just left....from the looks of things it will be going all year, they seem to be doing it by hand...oh well, it is a nice place enjoy your vacation, we had a great time...need any info let me know
There are more places to choose from in the Ocho Rios area.
PRICE RANGE
C$156 - C$248 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
sand castles hotel ocho rios, sand castles ocho rios, sandcastles ocho rios, sandcastles beach, sandcastles resort jamaica
LOCATION
CaribbeanJamaicaSaint Ann ParishOcho Rios
NUMBER OF ROOMS
174
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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