Sandals South Coast, which debuted in 2005, allows groups to see a more secluded part of Jamaica that many visitors haven’t experienced before. The resort is about 90 minutes by car from Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport, a drive made much more pleasant since my last visit to the island following a multibillion-dollar improvement to road infrastructure.
And although an adults-only resort for couples renowned for weddings might not seem like an ideal fit for meetings and events, Sandals South Coast is well-equipped to host just about any type of gathering/group. The resort sits on 50 acres within a 500-acre nature preserve and offers 372 guest rooms and suites, all with ocean views. Guest areas include three themed European Villages—Dutch, French and Italian—and posh over-the-water bungalows with glass-bottom panels and 24-hour private butlers. A new village will be added in 2020 featuring Sandals’ signature Rondoval Suites, round suites that will be surrounded by a river pool.
The resort’s primary indoor meeting spaces are located just off the main lobby: a boardroom and a ballroom that can accommodate up to 250 guests, with the option to divide the space into three separate rooms. Outdoor event options include tents set up on the beach with coffee breaks and air conditioning included, as well as bonfires, firepits, steel drum bands and more on terraces, courtyards and patios located throughout the resort and always with the ocean in view.
The nine restaurants offer many additional event options as well as a wide variety of cuisines. The martini bar atop Eleanor’s is a nice indoor space for cocktail receptions of 50 overlooking the ocean. A favorite among many visitors is the simple, yet effective Jerk Shack set right against the beach. There are only a handful of items on the menu, which is fine because you’re here for authentic jerk pork, chicken or sausage. (Jerk cooking, native to Jamaica, involves dry-rubbing or wet-marinating meat with jerk spice, typically a marinade sauce consisting of allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers.) Other highlights include wood oven pizza at Giuseppe’s and fresh crepes made right in front of you at Café de Paris starting at 5:30 a.m.
The resort offers many water sports and activities on site and snorkeling offsite is included in the all-inclusive package. An popular group offsite option that departs from the resort is a half-day catamaran trip to Floyd’s Pelican Bar, which sits about one mile off the coast in Parottee Bay. The bar is made from scrap wood, and it's a unique getaway option where a group can drink, eat a seafood meal and swim (the water around the bar is about waist deep). The total trip, US$109 per person, lasts about five hours, with one hour at the bar and the rest drinking and relaxing on the boat.
A can’t-miss at Sandals South Coast: watching the sunset from Latitudes Overwater Bar. But by far what impressed me most during my visit was the work of the Sandals Foundation, including efforts to improve the lives of creatures near and dear to my heart: cats. I was fortunate to see several cats during my stay, but not an overwhelming amount by any measure. Just a smattering of friendly and obviously healthy feline friends. And none of that is by accident.
The Sandals Foundation partners with the International Spay/Neuter Network to host clinics that have been responsible for sterilizing more than 5,000 cats and dogs throughout Jamaica over the past nine years. The first clinic in the Whitehouse area, home of Sandals South Coast, took place last year and saw more than 85 cats and dogs spayed and neutered (including 23 cats from Sandals South Coast) by a team of veterinary professionals from the U.S. and Canada, with volunteers including staff members from Sandals South Coast.
Other important Sandals Foundation initiatives include eye care, dental services, child literacy, coral and turtle conservation, infant care, disaster relief and gender equality.
“The Sandals Foundation is the eyes and ears of the neighboring communities. Not only do they bring attention to the needs of the surrounding communities, but once a project is approved, they also play their part to help implement the program,” says Karen Zacca, project manager, the Sandals Foundation. “For initiatives to run smoothly, groups like the medical clinics have to coordinate logistics that range from securing ideal locations to educating all parties of the services being offered and organizing a team of volunteers. Without our resort team, these health and medical programs and animal care clinics would not be possible. As a company and a foundation, we know that healthy community members and the safety and care of all living creatures are the base for a safe community where people can grow and thrive.”
