This review of Beaches Negril in Jamaica will give you everything you need to know for one of the best (and most relaxing!) family vacations of your life!
Beaches Negril was probably one of my most favorite family vacations we’ve ever taken! If you’ve ever traveled with kids, you know that a trip with kids is just a trip. But this truly felt like a vacation. We loved the resort, the amenities, the food, the activities, the beach, the staff—seriously everything about it! My kids ask to go back to Jamaica at least once a week since we’ve been home. In fact, my 11-year old daughter, Emily, wrote her own review of this trip. Check it out here!
We used Get Away Today to book our Beaches Negril trip, and had the BEST experience! They were amazing at getting us the best price and their customer service was top-notch. Seriously, you won’t regret booking your trip with Get Away Today! Online booking is SO easy and they’ll take care of everything for you. The Beaches website is also super user-friendly if you want to do it yourself.
Why we chose Beaches Negril
Jamaica had never really been on our radar for a family vacation until our Disney cruise that we had scheduled for Feb 2021 with my brother and his family was cancelled due to the pandemic. We were super disappointed and started looking for a fun and safe alternative that didn’t require masks (our autistic son really struggles with masks). We also needed someplace that was wheelchair friendly because my mom was going to be coming with us.
Out of the blue, Emily suggested Jamaica because she read about it in a book, so we started looking more into it and found Beaches Negril, which seemed like it would be a good alternative. And it totally was!
Why we loved it
This was our first time staying at an all-inclusive resort, and it definitely won’t be our last! Even though it can be expensive, it really isn’t too bad when you think about the fact that you won’t need to pay for anything else once you get there. I absolutely LOVED not having to worry about spending extra money on food or activities or childcare or transportation or anything. When you add in the cost of all that stuff, the price point of Beaches Negril really isn’t all that high. I can’t even tell you how nice it was to be able to say yes to my kids every time they asked for a snack or a drink or a particular food or activity.
We also loved that the resort was small enough that we felt comfortable letting our older kids go off and do their own thing. But it was also big enough that there was plenty to do. We set up “camp” each day and the kids would come and check in with us every so often. Or, we’d walk around and check on them periodically. They LOVED the independence (and so did we!) Plus, the staff was amazing at curating fun activities for the kids and keeping an eye on them. For younger kids, you can drop them off at the kids club, where staff members will watch them and provide fun activities, while the adults can relax. Beaches Negril really is a place the whole family will enjoy.
Our kids had their cousins to play with, but they also made friends with other guests at the resort. We’d occasionally find them hanging out in the hot tub or playing in the pool with their new friends. And when we wanted to do activities or meals with the kids, it was easy to come back together. It really was a great mix of family time and adult time (while the kids had kid time).
And I loved that the resort was SUPER family friendly. We didn’t have to worry about late-night noisy parties or vulgar language/behavior from other guests. We don’t drink, but those who did never got annoyingly drunk, so we never had to worry about irritating drunk behavior around our kids either. It was really nice!
Activities and amenities at Beaches Negril
At Beaches Negril, you’ll find 2 good size pools, a lazy river, a couple of hot tubs, some waterslides, a splash pad, pool tables, ping pong tables, foosball tables, croquet and other lawn games, beach volleyball, an Xbox lounge, a kids club, shuffleboard, board games, basketball, air hockey, and more!
You’ll also enjoy FREE watersports like kayaking, snorkeling, paddle boarding, waterskiing, hydrobikes, windsurfing, a glass bottom boat tour, and even scuba diving (for certified divers).
For some extra pampering, the on-site spa offers all sorts of services (this is the one place that is not included in the price, so if you’re wanting spa treatments, plan to budget extra for that). My mom and SIL (and even Matt!) enjoyed pedicures there. They even have an on-site doctor for any medical needs. And don’t forget the fitness center for all your workout essentials.
We especially loved the watersports. Emily, Matt, and I kayaked and paddle-boarded near stingrays! We went snorkeling a few times to different locations, and saw a variety of fish and coral. Emily couldn’t get enough of riding on a water weenie behind the ski boat. And Zach loved the waterpark and pool table!
During the day, the staff puts on various games and activities that Emily enjoyed participating in. And in the evening, Beaches Negril hosts various family-friendly shows and activities. We watched a cultural show one of the nights where we enjoyed traditional Jamaican music and dance. And another night we saw some fun pool-side contests.
We didn’t even leave the resort there was so much to do!
The beach
Beaches Negril is right on Jamaica’s famous Seven Mile Beach, and it’s gorgeous! The area right in front of the resort has plenty of lounge chairs for you to relax on all day. The sand is soft and the water is calm and clear and warm. It was so relaxing just hanging out on the beach. You will see local vendors walking up and down the beach, so bring a little cash if you want to buy a souvenir.
The watersports place is right on the beach too, and the bar isn’t far either, so there’s a lot to do if you don’t want to sit in your lounge chair all day.
Food at Beaches Negril
The food at Beaches Negril was SO GOOD! And since it’s all included, we ate like kings! With 10 different restaurants, our picky eaters always found something they liked, while us foodie parents enjoyed a variety of tasty cuisine.
Each night we ate dinner at a different restaurant—Italian, teppanyaki, sushi, seafood, local Jamaican, and Mexican. All of them were amazing, and the seafood place was right on the beach! For breakfast, they had a buffet with tons of choices, a coffee/pastry shop, and the beachfront restaurant also served a tasty breakfast. For lunch (and all day really), you could choose from the buffet, a walk-up BBQ place, or a pizza joint.
If the kids didn’t like something at the restaurant we were at for dinner, we could always get them some pizza or a burger or something anytime. I can’t tell you how nice it was to always have something my kids would eat at the ready, and to not hear any complaining about food the whole time! And don’t forget the all-day froyo and French bakery. Yum!
Our kids couldn’t get enough of the swim-up pool bars, and honestly, neither could we! We don’t drink alcohol, but the fun smoothies and other drinks were quite delicious. The bar tenders got to know us after the first day, and even taught my nephew how to whip up his favorite drink. He loved that! We often found our kids at the pool bar sipping a drink or enjoying some froyo throughout the day. We even caught them eating pizza in the hot tub with their friends a couple times!
Getting to Beaches Negril
Since we visited Jamaica in Feb 2021, we were required to provide a negative covid test and register for a Jamaican travel authorization online before arriving. The process was smooth, and it didn’t take long going through customs. When receiving a travel authorization, you agree to stay within one of Jamaica’s resilient corridors. (You can still leave your resort, you just must stay within a certain area).
We flew into Montego Bay (MBJ) and from there a Beaches representative greeted us and took us to an air-conditioned lounge where they offered us drinks and snacks. After a quick drink, snack, and bathroom break, we boarded the shuttle to the resort. The ride from the airport to the resort took about 2 hours. Our driver pointed out the sites along the way and gave us lots of info about the local culture, food, history, plants, etc. Upon arrival at the resort, the concierge service helped us plan our dining and activities for the week. They were amazing and the hospitality was top-notch. We truly felt like royalty all week!
Beaches Negril also provided onsite covid testing since the U.S. required us to have a negative test in order to return home. It was super quick and easy.
We were very impressed with their cleaning and sanitation processes. Everything was very clean, and hand-sanitizing stations were placed throughout the resort, especially at entrances to any indoor location or restaurant. The buffets were not self-serve, but a staff member was always there to assist in serving the food. We felt very safe there, and so grateful that masks were not required.
What to bring to Beaches Negril
You really don’t need to bring much to enjoy your stay at Beaches Negril. You pretty much only need a swimsuit, sandals, a couple nice-ish outfits to wear to dinner, sunglasses/hat, and your toiletries. You’ll definitely want to pack plenty of sunscreen because it’s ridiculously overpriced there (I love this kind by Neutrogena…it lasts for hours, it’s reef-safe, and it’s not greasy). And don’t forget the bug spray (I got some nasty sand fly bites). Our kids also brought their own snorkel sets (we have LOVED these!) They do have some there you can borrow if needed. Other than that, just bring yourself ready to enjoy everything at Beaches Negril!
Accessibility
To be honest, Beaches Negril wasn’t quite as wheelchair friendly as we hoped. The staff was so great at accommodating us in any way they could, but some of the facilities were lacking. For example, there were no pool lifts, no roll-in shower, no elevator to access one of the restaurants, no buttons to push that could open doors, and the transportation to and from the airport did not have a wheelchair lift.
They did have some beach wheelchairs available for guests to use and there were ramps to everywhere else in the resort. My mom still had a good time though. The staff really did their best to accommodate her however they could. And after talking with management, they were very eager to hear our ideas for accessibility improvement. So hopefully more of these things will be implemented in the future!
As far as non-mobility related disabilities, the staff was AMAZING with our autistic son. He seriously had the time of his life! The only thing that was too much for him was the teppanyaki-style restaurant. It was just too loud for him and had too much going on. But there were plenty of other options for him to enjoy.
Seriously, I can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed Beaches Negril. You won’t regret booking a trip there—it’ll be one of your most relaxing and fun vacations with kids! And don’t forget to use Get Away Today for the best prices and service! Or visit the Beaches website and book yourself!
What questions do you have about Beaches Negril? And don’t forget to check out 11-year-old Emily’s Beaches Negril review as well!
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How did your mother do the shuttle to and from the resort? We were told we can wheel mom right into shower but website says there is a bath seat and a king handled shower head. That doesn’t solve the problem for someone that needs to be able to stand and step over the tub to get in. Bringing my mother in a year and want to work out the kinks
Hi Amy! For the shuttle, we had to help her transfer onto the shuttle. There were about 3 steps to get in. There was not a wheel-in shower. Yes there was a bath seat and removable shower head. There were also grab bars both inside and right outside the tub. So she did have to stand up and step over the tub ledge. I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions, and I hope you have the best time!!
Looks like a wonderful place to vacation with kids! We have always wanted to try out a Beaches resort, and we loved Jamaica, so it may have to be added to our list!
You won’t regret it!
This looks like a lovely place! I’d also be into the swim-up pool bars. I’ll keep Beaches Negril in mind!
Ah! All inclusive sounds so appealing 😍. Thank you for sharing the benefits and convenience. Sounds like the best family vacation!
It really was! We are dying to go back!
I’d love to visit Jamaica! This resort looks perfect.
What a lovely vacation! I’d love to take my family to Jamaica someday.
We already want to go back! Haha!
Beaches Negril looks like the perfect place to have a family vacation. Fun for the kids and still be able to relax and enjoy!
It really was! Everyone enjoyed it so much!
Beaches Negril looks like a fabulous vacation getaway with the kids and family.