Located in beautiful Ocho Rios, Sandals Ochi is an all-inclusive resort nestled along Jamaica’s coveted north coast. The property sits a little over an hour and a half east of Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and is a popular choice among couples and adults-only travelers. Read on to learn more about my experience staying at this fan-favorite property.
The Vibe
Oasis on the hillside. Sandals Ochi has a unique layout in which the resort is organized into two sections: “Hillside” and “Beachside.” While not easily walkable, the two areas are connected by The HOP, a 24/7 shuttle service operated by Sandals, and it takes a little over five minutes to drive from one section of the resort to the other as they’re separated by a busy street.
I stayed on the Hillside section of the property and found the grounds to be quite nice with rolling terrain, immaculate landscaping and charming, villa-like accommodations. I visited mid-September, which is an off-season for Ocho Rios and the crowd at Sandals Ochi reflected this with light foot traffic and a generally laid-back atmosphere.
In my opinion, the Hillside section of Sandals Ochi would be a great fit for anyone who doesn’t mind staying at a hotel that isn’t directly adjacent to the beach and is OK with taking a shuttle to get to said beach.
How I Felt
I was in town for a conference and felt a little pressed for time during my visit as I needed to adhere to a tight schedule. The hotel’s limited restaurant offerings and hours on the Hillside made it difficult to plan around early mornings, while room service was tasty, but unpredictable as far as timing went. The limited hours may have been due to visiting during the off-season, but my travel companions and I agreed that while the property’s vast layout would be OK for someone on vacation, it was a little frustrating to navigate as someone traveling for work.
The Digs
I stayed in a One Bedroom Poolside Butler Villa Suite and, while simplistic in design, it was quite nice with a designated working and sitting area with balcony access and a small kitchenette in one room and a dedicated bedroom with a closed off door in another. Attached to the bedroom was a small bathroom with nice lighting and a somewhat temperamental shower (the water was either really hot or really cold). Intimate in size, my villa housed four total suites, and my room was on the second floor. Adding a feeling of exclusivity was the private pool located on the balcony-facing side of our shared villa, a spot meant only for guests staying in our building making it the perfect place to take a dip in the bathtub-temperature water and catch up on a few chapters of my book.
The Agenda
I was in Ocho Rios attending the 2026 JAPEX Forum, an annual event hosted by the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association and the Jamaica Ministry of Tourism. As members of the media, my travel companions and I had packed schedules with two full days of conferencing and two additional days spent exploring Ocho Rios and the surrounding area with the larger group. Because of this, I unfortunately didn’t have much time to explore all that Sandals Ochi had to offer, and I only made it over to the Beachside section of the property once for dinner.
The Eats
Speaking of dining, I tried four restaurants during my time at Sandals Ochi. Mornings started at The Southern Table, the buffet-style restaurant on the Hillside section of the property, and the spread fell in line with what all-inclusive travelers might expect with fan-favorites like oatmeal, pastries, fresh fruit, eggs, breakfast sausages, made-to-order food items and more. Oh, and strong coffee, of course! We grabbed a bite at The Jerk Shack one afternoon, a lunch option on the Hillside serving a limited menu of jerk chicken, pork or sausage; fish; fried dumplings; sweet potatoes; and bread. The jerk chicken here was my first on the island and it wasn’t half bad!
The evening we finally made it over to the Beachside of the property included dinner on The Reef Terrace, a venue perched on top of a bluff with a beautiful view of the ocean, providing amazing sunset photo ops and an all-around lovely atmosphere. There’s no reservation required for dinner, but guests shouldn’t expect to be seated at the restaurant or neighboring bar before 6 p.m. The food at The Reef Terrace was good, and I tried the Island Garden Greens Salad to start and the Shrimp & Vegetable Run Down as my main.
During our last evening at Sandals Ochi, a few of us returned to The Southern Table to have dinner on the restaurant’s open-air patio. The experience was punctuated by a hint of frustration as The Southern Table was the only dining option available to guests staying on the Hillside section of the resort, something to keep in mind for travelers who like to have options. I tried the House Salad and the Cornmeal Crusted Catfish, but the real highlight was the Georgia Peach-Carmel Crumble, a yummy dessert topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Who Would Love It
While I can’t speak on the guest experience as far as staying on the Beachside of Sandals Ochi goes, I think the Hillside would be a nice fit for travelers who are new to all-inclusive properties and who don’t mind staying a few minutes away from the water. Hillside rooms are priced slightly lower than those on the Beachside, making accommodations in the Great House Village or Butler Village a solid budget-friendly option for vacationers.
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