Beaches Negril Jamaica Resort – 2023 Family Review

We just returned from an amazing week at the best all-inclusive in Jamaica for families, Beaches Negril! White sand beaches, calm turquoise water, tasty food, good drinks, kids camp, waterpark, and more!

A trip to Jamaica is an easy getaway from the US. If this is your first international trip with kids, Negril is a great option. If you NEED a beach vacation, Beaches Negril delivers that and more.

We traveled with our 2-year-old daughter, 3.5-year-old son, and grandparents. At Beaches Resorts there are lots of extended families traveling together. Generational travel is a thing; we love making memories with grandma and grandpa. Plus, having an extra set of helping hands with the kids is always helpful.

This was our children’s first trip to Jamaica, our 8th time to Jamaica, and our 7th trip to Negril. We fell in love with the famous Seven Mile Beach on our first visit in 2007.

We later returned and got married on the beach at sunset. This is also where we took our pregnancy announcement photos at Sandals Negril.

Needless to say, Negril is a special place to us. We have been waiting to take a family trip to Jamaica with our kids.

When planning our trip and reading other families’ Beaches Negril reviews, we noticed some key resort and travel information was missing. So, we wanted to make sure we included everything we loved and learned in our Beaches Resort review.

At the bottom of the article, you will find more detailed information on the weather in Negril, transportation, airport lounges, flights, what to pack, and more.

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Most Know Beaches Negril Jamaica Resort

Here is a quick summary of a few things you should know about Beaches Negril Resort and Spa Negril Jamaica before you travel.

Beaches Resorts is owned by Sandals Resorts. If you have been to any of the Sandals Resorts, you can expect the same great service, rooms, and amenities. Beaches Resort is tailored to families, whereas Sandals Resorts is adults-only for couples.

This Beaches property is a smaller Caribbean resort with 197 rooms & suites spread out over 20 acres. All the restaurants and bars are easily reached from all buildings. We brought our Joolz Aer stroller and only used it a handful of times. It mainly helped carry items to and from the pools.

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Our Beaches Vacation Favorites & Quick Tips

If you don’t have time to read our full Beaches Review, here is a quick recap of our trip and favorites.

• Breakfast with Sesame Street Characters – it is an added cost, but it is affordable. All the characters are there, and the kids love it.
• The Mill breakfast buffet was fast and easy for hangry kids and adults.
• Dine at Stewfish at sunset and order the Surf and Turf.
• Get reservations at Yaku at least once and order the steak kebabs.
• Mario at the swim-up bar makes a great mojito.
• Schedule a free family photo shoot on the beach.
• Go for a long walk on the famous 7-Mile Beach.
• Make time to visit the Red Lane spa for a massage or a few body treatments.
• Stay in one of the new Firesky Villas if you are traveling with extended family or friends. It’s a super unique stay where you can all be together in a beautiful 4 Bed 3 Bath Villa with Private Pool.

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Beaches Negril Full Review

Why We Love Beaches Resorts

Simply put, Beaches Resorts makes traveling with kids easy; typically, those words don’t go in the same sentence.

Complimentary kids club, in-room babysitting, kid-friendly options at every meal, frozen yogurt shop, waterpark & splash pad, laundry facilities, fun Sesame Street character experiences, oh and unlimited premium alcohol too.

The staff is amazing. If you have ever been to an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica before, you know how friendly and helpful the Jamaicans are. We always leave feeling like we made so many friends. It’s incredible how the staff remembers your name and make you feel at home.

When looking for a family all-inclusive resort, some resorts claim to cater to families, but no one does it like Beaches Resorts. You wouldn’t believe how many places have a minimum age of 3 for kid’s clubs, limited highchairs, no waterparks/ kids pool, entertainment geared towards older children, etc.

Beaches Negril is the best family Jamaica all inclusive resort.

What is Included at Beaches Negril Jamaica?

Beaches Negril Resort is an all-inclusive family resort. Everything is included in your stay. You don’t have to spend another dime if you don’t want to.

Typically, all-inclusive resorts include unlimited food and drink, but Beaches Resort includes much more than other resorts. Here are some unique activities and water sports included at Beaches Negril Resort.

There are a few add-on experiences for an additional charge, like Private Airport Transportation, Sesame Street Character Breakfast, Night Night Sleep Tight Sesame Street characters tuck-in, Candlelight Dinner, Personal Certified Nannies, etc.

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Kids Camp & Camp Sesame

Open Daily 9 am – 9 pm (Closed 5 pm – 6 pm)

They just updated and opened a new Beaches Negril Kids Camp and Camp Sesame. The new building is gorgeous. There are two buildings, the Kids Camp (Ages 5+) and Camp Sesame (0-4). The new Kids Camp has a huge two-story indoor playground spanning two rooms.

When the kids don’t want to leave, you know the kids club and staff are amazing. Beaches Resorts Kids Camp has programs for all ages with age-appropriate activities throughout the day, every day of the week.

Most hotels with kids clubs have a minimum age of 3. The infant program at Beaches Negril has nurseries with cribs, rocking chairs, high chairs, strollers, and everything you could ever think of.

Don’t feel guilty bringing your kids to the kids camp. They will have a blast and they will not miss anything at the resort. The kids are brought to the nightly Sesame Street Show and daily activities like Baking with Cookie Monster and much more.

Make sure to take advantage of the Kids Camp to visit the Red Lane Spa, take a nap on the beach, or do whatever you choose to do kid-free!

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Beaches Negril Restaurants

We love that the restaurants have great kid options (you can always get a hot dog or chicken nuggets with fries, lol), highchairs, and most importantly, there are other kids, so it isn’t a big deal if your kid isn’t quiet or not sitting his chair.

If you are a planner like me, here are all the menus.

Best Restaurants for Kids:

• Bar B Q Park has hot dogs, burgers, chicken nuggets, and fries.
• YOYO’s self-serve frozen yogurt with over eight flavors and tons of toppings
• Dino’s Pizzeria made-to-order pizzas
• Kimono’s all kids love watching the show that comes along with Hibachi

Our personal favorite restaurant is Soy. If you love sushi or have never tried it, make sure to come to Soy at least once. Our favorite sushi rolls are the Dragon Eel and the Seared Tuna Tataki.

We never brought our kids to Soy; we either brought them to the Kids Club or they stayed back in the room with grandma and grandpa. If my parents weren’t with us, we would have hired the in-room certified nannies which we have done on other trips to Beaches Resorts.

When we went to Beaches Turks & Caicos, it was just us and the kids, so we had the in-room nannies after the kids went to bed and had late-night reservations.

There are 11 restaurants at Beaches Negril and another 7 restaurants at Sandals Negril that the adults can dine at. Enjoy a kid-free dinner at Sandals Negril. You can easily walk to Sandals Negril or go to the lobby for them to arrange a taxi.

If you don’t feel like leaving your room, you can get room service. The room service menu varies based on the room type you are staying in. If you are staying in a Butler Room, you can request almost anything sent to your room. We found preordering our breakfast the night before to be delivered at 730 a.m. worked great.

Make sure to read our full Beaches Negril restaurant review article (Coming Soon) here for more details on all the restaurants. At the bottom of this article, I have more on dealing with food allergies at Beaches Resorts. Our son is allergic to tree nuts.

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Beaches Negril Waterpark

Pirates Island Waterpark at Beaches Negril has something for kids of all ages with a splash pad, toddler slides, bucket drop, lazy river, eight water slides, of which two are giant waterslides (minimum 42 inches), and several other swimming pools. We spent several hours a day at the waterpark.

The only con is the waterpark and splash pad are not connected, and you have to go around and cross two bridges to get to the other. The lazy river is between them, and there isn’t an entrance to the lazy river. However, it does keep kids in just one area so it’s easier to supervise.

There are a few beach chairs by the splash pad but no beach chairs by the waterpark. We just kept our items on our beach chairs on the beach or pool.

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Water Sports

Take advantage of all the included water sports that most family-friendly resorts charge you extra for. The watersports “desk” is right on the beach. Stop in and sign up for the glass bottom boat ride and snorkeling.

You can walk over whenever they are open and take the big water trikes. They are fun to drive in the clear turquoise waters. Or grab a kayak or Hobie Cat! The banana boat rides are a blast if your kids are old enough!

If you are dive-certified, sign up for a few dives at the dive shop. They do one-tank dives, making it easier for families as you are only gone a few hours instead of half the day.

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Seven Mile Beach

Seven Mile Beach is the best beach in Jamaica, hands down. We have a special love for Negril and Seven Mile Beach because we got married on this beach.

The beach is seven miles long, hence the name, and you can walk the beach for miles right from the resort. We like to drop the kids off at the kids’ club and go for a walk on the beach, stop at a local beach bar for a drink, and shop for souvenirs.

Since it is a public beach, beach vendors walk up and down the beach selling souvenirs, fruit, parasailing, boat trips, and more. The vendors are super friendly and will try and make conversation with you. You can say no thank you if you are uninterested, and they will keep moving.

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Rooms at Beaches Negril Jamaica

There are 26 different room categories, some suites with Butler Service or Concierge Service. Some suites have a private pool and private rooftop deck.

We stayed in the new Firesky Villas, which have four bedrooms and are great for large families. Pictured above is my daughter and me playing in the ocean in front of our villa. The current specials have some really good deals.

If you like to be pampered, have your lounge chairs reserved, restaurant reservations made, or have coconut shrimp brought to you on the beach every day at 4 p.m., you’ll want a butler room.

Click here to learn more about Butler Service at Beaches Resorts and what it all includes to see if it is something you want to splurge on. See more below on what to expect with personal Butler Service.

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Beaches Resorts Entertainment

Something is always going on throughout the day and every night, from games, shows, and even a silent disco. When you check-in, you will be given the weekly schedule, including the daily entertainment schedule.

Every night (except Thursday) in the Big Top Theater is the Sesame Street Show at 6 pm. Our kids loved it. We usually went to the show before dinner. On Thursday is the Sesame Street Parade at 5:30 p.m., it’s a must if you have toddlers.

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Free Family Photoshoot

Take up the photographers on a family photoshoot on the beach. Trust us! The most popular spot is on the beach with the Caribbean Sea as the backdrop, but the photographers know of other great spots located throughout the property.

We had our photos taken at sunset with the whole family. I suggest booking a time slot early on in your stay, just in case the weather isn’t the best, kids weren’t cooperating that day, etc.

Photos can be purchased for an additional cost of $20 a photo, or photo packages are available. The photos are delivered digitally. You download and print them at home.

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Bars

We didn’t get to fully enjoy the bars….traveling with kids! We visited the swim-up bars daily, as our daughter loved to swim over, climb up the bar stools in the pool, and order a “pink drink.”

There are two swim-up pool bars, one at the main pool bar and one at the Piazza Pool bar. We stayed near Piazza Pool. It was the closest to the water park and our room.

The beach bar next to the Jerk Shack is a great place to grab a drink if you are at Pirates Island Water Park or on the beach. This bar is open til 10 p.m. and was our go-to place for an after-dinner drink before going back to our room.

The bars are stocked with premium alcohol like Hendricks, Tito’s, Appleton 12 Year, Makers Mark, etc. The only beer they have is Red Stripe, and sadly, there are no hard seltzer drinks.

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Playground

After breakfast and dinner, we visited the playground. It was a great place to burn off some additional energy before heading to bed. There are a few swings, slides, a rock wall, a wobbly bridge, etc.

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Other Onsite Activities

Since we have toddlers, we didn’t visit or partake in the following activities. If you have older kids or teens, they will have a great time enjoying these activities.

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Beaches Negril – Things to Know Before Traveling

What to Pack for Jamaica

Before starting our family, we traveled all over the world (80+ countries) with just one checked bag. But traveling with a toddler or baby requires way more planning and too many bags.

An obvious item is sunscreen. You will go through it. Trust us. We use the regular sunscreen lotion and not the spray. Sunscreen spray doesn’t last nearly as long and goes all over. We also love these sunscreen sticks for faces and ears.

Pack more than enough diapers and swim diapers if you have small children. The gift shop sells them, but they aren’t cheap. Another option is a reusable swim diaper like this. If you use these, bring more than one so you always have a dry one.

Depending on the time of year, the mosquitos and sand fleas on the beach can be bothersome. I am one of those people that bugs just love. I always pack bug spray. This year, I used this deet free oil based bug spray, which worked well. I put it on every night, no matter what.

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Beaches Resort Dress Code

The dress code varies from restaurant to restaurant. Restaurants are either Resort Casual or Resort Evening Attire.

Yaku is the only restaurant that requires resort evening attire. I only pack one outfit that fits the resort evening attire requirements. Often, you will see men wearing shorts, a polo shirt, and sandals in a resort evening attire restaurant, BUT they could ask you to change.

All restaurants require swimsuits to be covered up, shirts, and shoes/sandals. I typically throw on shorts with my one-piece swimsuit or my favorite swim coverup. I have this swimsuit paired with shorts, it looks like a nice bodysuit and shorts.

Resort Casual

• Shorts or jeans, t-shirts or tank tops

Resort Evening Attire

• Dress pants or jeans for men with a long or short sleeve dress shirt (collar not required) and dress shoes or sandals
• No shorts, t-shirts, tank tops, sneakers, flip-flops, hats, or caps
• Women can basically wear anything—dress, capris, dress shorts, jeans, etc.

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Where is Beaches Negril Resort?

Beaches Negril is located on the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean. The resort is 47 miles (75 km) from Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.

On average, the drive from takes 90 minutes but can take over two hours if there is traffic. Make sure to stop in the Beaches Resorts airport lounge and grab a few snacks and a drink for the ride.

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Flying to Jamaica

When searching for flights to Jamaica, look for flights with the airport code MBJ. There are direct flights several times a day from all over the USA, which is key when flying with toddlers.

On our recent Beaches Negril 2023 family trip, we flew Southwest Airlines from Milwaukee to Orlando for a short layover and then to Montego Bay. We left Milwaukee at 7 a.m., landed in Jamaica at 12:55 p.m., and checked into our room by 4 p.m.

Here are a few examples of flight times to Jamaica:

If you have been looking at Caribbean resorts for your next family vacation, Jamaica and the Bahamas are the easiest to travel to. I feel your money goes further in Jamaica.

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Sandals Airport Lounge

After you pass through immigration and customs and have all your luggage, look for the Sandals Airport Lounge. It is just outside the customs area and next to the Club Mobay lounge.

You must stop in here to let the staff know you have arrived. They will tag your bags and let you know when the next shuttle departs.

While you wait, go into the lounge and grab a beer, wine, soda, snacks, etc. We also suggest using the bathroom before leaving. The drive to Beaches Negril Resort is 1.5-2 hours long.

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Airport Transportation

Round-trip airport transportation from Montego Bay to Beaches Negril is included in your stay for free. If you wish to have a private transfer to Negril, this can be arranged.

We choose to have a private transfer. We traveled with four adults, two toddlers, and too many bags. It was nice to go straight from the Beaches Jamaica Airport Lounge and straight into our transfer and not wait for additional passengers.

You can add on private airport transfers before traveling. You have the option of one-way private or round-trip private. If you are going to do one-way, I would suggest adding that to the front end of your family vacation and traveling back to the airport on the complimentary transfer.

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Butler Service at Beaches Resorts

We stayed in the brand-new Firesky Reserve Villas with butler service on our trip in 2023. Our butlers were Neiko and Shanique, and they were awesome. They went above and beyond and made our week even more amazing.

You can use your butler as little or as much as you want. We don’t use our butlers too much. I like to think. Here are a few things we had our butlers do throughout the week.

Beaches Butlers are allowed to accept tips. What to tip varies based on how many people you are traveling with. How many requests a day do you have? Etc. A general rule of thumb is $50 a day per butler for a family of 4.

We suggest tipping a portion at the beginning of your trip and then, based on the service, tipping again at the end. Our butlers were both there on our departure day, and we handed them each their cash tip in person.

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Laundry Facilities

There are laundry facilities available with washers and dryers. Make sure to bring laundry pods if you forget they are for sale in the gift shop. I also suggest bringing some stain spray, those colorful blue and pink drinks stain. I love this stain treater spray, and it comes in a nice small travel size.

Some rooms have an in-room washer & dryer. Our room did, and I used it. My kids are messy, I prefer to stain treat and wash clothes right away.

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Food Allergies at Beaches Resorts

Traveling with food allergies can be scary and stressful. We know…we always have an EpiPen on us and avoid certain places due to a tree nut allergy.

If you have any food allergies, make sure to tell the resort in advance. After booking your trip, email [email protected] with your booking number in the subject line. The resort will work with you on alternative menus to accommodate your allergies. You can also request to speak with the Head Chef upon arrival.

We always travel with two AUVI- Q EpiPens. They are super small, and we put them in this insulated carry case. Make sure not to leave your EpiPen out in the sun/heat. We left our EpiPen in our room and only brought it when we were going to eat.

When you sit down at any of the a la carte restaurants, the server always asks us if there are any allergies at the table. At Mariachis for breakfast, they went out of their way to get my son a croissant that wasn’t in the same basket as the bakery with nuts.

Our son is allergic to tree nuts, ANA for cashews & pistachios. We informed the resort in advance, but we always have been able to avoid them on our own. We didn’t eat any ice cream at Cafe de Paris because they always had Pistachio ice cream. There were also pistachios and cashews as toppings at the Yoyo’s frozen yogurt, but we felt comfortable eating there.

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Fun Things to Do in Negril

If you want to go on a Negril day trip or fun excursions, here are some of our favorite Negril activities.

The most popular excursion is going on one of the catamaran cruises. You can book directly at the hotel or online here, with the hotel’s tour company, Island Routes.

We like the Negril Catamaran sunset cruise. It stops at the famous Rick’s Cafe, voted one of the top bars in the Caribbean. Rick’s Cafe is famous for cliff jump; you can swim out from the catamaran and into the ocean or watch the locals do some crazy high jumps.

If you walk on the beach, you can book parasailing, horseback riding, Tiki Pon Da Sea floating tiki bar, etc.

If you want to get off the property for some adult fun and go through downtown Negril, join the One Love Bus Bar crawl. Visit local bars you would have never found on your own and meet other fun travelers. It has over 1,000 five-star reviews.

If you have visited Negril before and are looking for more things to do in Jamaica and don’t mind a road trip, consider checking out Floyd’s Pelican Bar. It is a floating bar in the middle of the ocean. We’ve been many times, and every time, it is a blast.

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Best Time to Travel to Jamaica

We traveled October 5-12th on this trip, and the weather said it would rain every day. We were a little nervous about it, but in the end, while it did rain six out of seven days, it was always just 5-15 minutes, usually in the late afternoon. We only have one full sunny day. Most days, the sun came and went with thick clouds.

The rain was a nice cool refresher with the heat. It was much hotter than we were expecting. The feel like temperatures were over 100, with the actual temperature in the high 80s and low 90s.

Over our many trips to Jamaica, we have visited during the months of January, February, March, May, June, September, and October. If you ask us, there is never a bad time to visit.

Technically, the best time to visit Jamaica is between December and March, when the weather is most predictable and has the least rain. However, this is also the peak high season where the resort is the busiest and prices are the highest.

• High Season in Jamaica – Mid-December through April
• Low Season in Jamaica – July through October
• Shoulder Season in Jamaica – Mid-April through July and November through Mid-December

Some of the best deals and prices are found during low and should season. Here are the current specials now.

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Average Weather in Jamaica

Year-round, you can expect the temperature between 75°F–88°F, and very rarely will the temperature get below 72°F or above 90°F

The weather in the Caribbean is unpredictable, just like anywhere in the world. We have visited during January and February and several rainy days during our week. Funny enough, our trips in September and October have been the driest but also the hottest…

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If you have read other Beaches Resort reviews, we hope our Beaches Negril Resort review was the best and answers all your questions!

Please comment below if we missed anything you would like to know before bringing your family to Beaches. Is there something you think we missed and should add?

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