Sandals Dunn’s River Resort Jamaica
By Eileen Ogintz
The typical vacation conundrum: How to decide where to eat dinner when the group can’t agree.
In our case, two of us want sushi while the third can’t abide sushi and lobbies for Italian. At Sandals Dunn’s River Resort in Jamaica, that’s not a problem. Yes, there are a dozen restaurants to choose from plus room service. But even better, we arrange to have sushi from Hanami sushi restaurant delivered to us at Cascata, the Italian restaurant where our sushi-hater can have calamari and lasagna.
“We make it happen,” said Executive Chef Juan Morrison, who oversees a staff of 160 at the 260-room resort, Sandals newest in Jamaica.
As only the French restaurant, L’Amande, requires reservations, it is also possible to do an around-the-world tasting, appetizers at one place, main courses at another and desert at a third. We started our last evening at Dunn’s Rum Club, a new concept with a curated list of rums, rum and other cocktails and snacks including slow cooked jerk pork belly, the bad dog local spicy pork sausage, braised oxtail slider, golden fried codfish balls, smoked marlin spread and more as we sipped mojitos and Planters punch.
“We try to keep it as authentic as possible,” said Chef Morrison, noting that guests are more interested in trying local cuisine they can’t necessarily find at home. “Guests are more adventurous eaters than in the past.”
They certainly seem to like what they are getting. More than half of the guests at this two-year-old resort have been here before. The resort is so popular that an additional 16 suites—these will be over the water—are already in the works.
And at a special lunch, we met more than 20 guests who have vacationed at a Sandals resort 10 times or more. Mary and Larry Hart, for example, reported that they have been to most of the Sandals resorts in the Caribbean since they came for their anniversary in 1999 — 15 vacations in all.
“We like the service and the people,” said Mary Hart. And of course, the beach.
At this one-of-a-kind lunch, the menu developed just this morning by Executive Chef Morrison and his team, we learned that many who work in the kitchens are the product of a special hospitality training program designed to give young people without resources a career path.
“I consider you my family,” one of the staffers said. “I’m growing, growing and growing.”
Another noted that he was a teacher but much more passionate about cooking, having learned from his grandmother and was glad for the opportunity to switch careers.
We are served coconut red curry shrimp and scallops followed by grilled smoked pork chops and coconut coffee mousse cake for desert that the chefs prepare in front of us. The chefs decided on the menu this morning; it won’t be on any of the restaurant menus anytime soon. And every week when this lunch is held for those who have stayed at a Sandals resort 10 times or more, the menu will be different.
“Steak and lobster can get monotonous, “joked the resort General Manager Deryk Meany.
Earlier, we had met Ginger and Matt Vislocky, who have been to Sandals 15 times, as they waited to go out on a Catamaran, with a staffer sailing. “It’s our favorite activity,” said Ginger Vislocky, who is from Georgia. There is no charge for such water sports, even diving.
“We never ever get tired of coming here. We like the staff most of all.”
There is a wedding today, couples celebrating anniversaries and enjoying honeymoons (we shared our sushi with one appreciative honeymooning couple), families with grown kids (the minimum age is 18—a real plus for many guests who don’t want to be surrounded by other people’s children) and groups like me and my two childhood friends.
The all-inclusive resort seems to work for everyone. There is plenty of variety of activities (we watched people getting a scuba lesson in the pool, for example) food and drinks. The only downside is you might eat too much as there is no charge for multiple main courses or desserts. (Cannoli, Tiramisu, and panna Cota at the Italian restaurant. “Try them all,” urged our server. My only disappointment was they didn’t have an Italian wine without an extra charge.
But that is a small thing. Guests love that you can eat (and drink) when and what you like. You can be active (there were people in the fitness center at 7 am) or pamper yourself (perhaps an outdoor massage) or simply laze at the beach or the pools. (Ready for a swim up bar?)
You can indulge at the restaurants or eat healthily with plenty of options, whatever your dietary restrictions, promised Chef Morrison. “That has changed the dining experience,” he said, especially as younger guests are more health conscious and more interested in authentic local dishes. (Perhaps traditional ackee and saltfish for breakfast, Jerk chicken for lunch and Jamaican fruit cake along with Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee at Blum, the Jamaican coffee house.
“This is what the guests want,” Chef Morrison said. And Kudos to Sandals for de-stressing the vacation experience—even for those who can’t agree on what to eat for dinner.