Pros

  • On a beautiful section of Seven Mile Beach, with a privacy barrier of potted palms
  • Stylish rooms with rainfall showers, double vanities, and name-brand toiletries
  • Courtyard pool area with small pool and hot tub
  • Two restaurants and two bars with a la carte, room service, and all-inclusive options
  • Features include small spa, gym, business center, and gift shop
  • Top-shelf liquor and wine cellar at Bongos' premium bar
  • Free Wi-Fi, parking, and welcome drink
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Cons

  • Those who opt for a meal plan will pay prices per person, not per room
  • Some room furniture may be flimsy or scuffed
  • Some rooms missing stated amenities
  • Mini-fridges are actually wine fridges with set temperature
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Bottom Line

Sandy Haven is an upscale, 35-room resort on Negril's Seven Mile Beach. Rooms have chic, contemporary decor incorporating leather headboards and (slightly scuffed) dark wood furniture; some bathrooms have nice mosaics showers with rainfall showers and luxe toiletries like exfoliating soap. Property offerings include an outdoor spa, decent-sized gym, elegant pool area with hot tub, and either casual beachside dining and drinks or a more formal dinner experience with premium spirits and wine list. It's best-suited to couples or individuals (rooms are priced per person) who want the features of a large all-inclusive, but the relaxation and exclusivity of a boutique.

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Amenities

  • Fitness Center
  • Internet
  • Jacuzzi
  • Pool

Oyster Hotel Review

Sandy Haven Resort

Scene

One of the few upscale boutiques in the area

Originally built in 2004, the property was reborn in March 2012 as Sandy Haven Resort. On an area of the strip lined with mostly value and mid-range properties, Sandy Haven sticks out like a sophisticated thumb (for starters, it's one of the only hotels in the area with a sign that doesn't look decades old). The resort's rustic-chic lobby is an open-air A-frame design with thin but sweeping curtains framing the entrance. Small palm trees in large pots and sturdy, contemporary wooden chairs and couches with large cushions sit around coffee tables adorned with old issues of travel and beauty magazines. Reception is a simple, solitary wooden table with two cushioned club chairs in front. This is also where the two-computer business center and small shop are located. 

Sandy Haven's grounds are carefully landscaped to feel both open and lush, and paved walkways guide guests either to their rooms or out toward the beach. A cream, white, dark brown, and green color palette can be found throughout the hotel in the plants, sand, paint, furniture, and other bits of decor. The result is relaxed, balancing, and effortlessly classy without being pretentious -- although some wear and tear can be seen on flimsy pieces of furniture (particularly in the rooms). At the end of the day, this is one of the few upscale boutique alternatives to the sometimes impersonal, all-inclusive mega-resorts. 

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Location

Walkable location on the Seven Mile Beach strip

One of Sandy Haven's biggest assets is its location. Unlike people at other upscale properties in the area -- mostly the large all-inclusives farther up the street -- Sandy Haven's guests are within walking distance to local restaurants, bars, and entertainment. This gives guests the ability to stay in a chic, contemporary hotel while still maintaining the freedom to explore some of the local life and culture. The hotel is about a five-minute drive (or 30 minutes walk) to the town center's roundabout and just 10 to 15 minutes to the center of the West End. Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport is about an hour-and-a-half by car. 

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Rooms

Contemporary rooms with upscale feel and some scuffs

Sandy Haven's 35 rooms are spacious with partially separated bedrooms, vanity areas, and bathrooms. Don't be surprised if some of the furniture seems a bit scuffed or worn. Interestingly, room size is barely a factor in room category upgrades. Those who bump up to Deluxe Oceanfront Rooms trade walk-in closets for standalone wardrobes and gorgeous soaking tubs. All rooms have air-conditioning, wine fridges posing as mini-fridges, good Wi-Fi signal, flat-screen TVs with cable, private patios with table and chairs, coffeemakers with Blue Mountain coffee, and near-blackout curtains. Dressing areas with dual-vanity sinks, full-length mirrors, and walk-in closets (or tubs) are buffers between the bedroom and bathrooms. Amenities (are supposed to) include umbrellas, name-brand toiletries inclusive of exfoliating soap and conditioner, digital safes, and hairdryers, though certain items may be missing occasionally. Bathroom sections have toilets and walk-in showers with huge rainfall shower heads. Ground-floor Deluxe Ocean Front rooms have patios, though they lack privacy and the ocean views are interrupted by both the outdoor dining patio and the small sea of beach loungers. If possible, grab one on the second floor for a wraparound terrace and better views. 

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Features

Small beach and pool areas, dining and drink options, and on-site spa and gym

Sandy Haven packs quite a few amenities on its small property, with the beach being the number one draw. The resort has a nice patch of sand that allows for multiple rows of loungers, a few beat up and moldy cabanas, and even a hammock stretched between trees -- with plenty of public beach space to spare. The resort has also cleverly placed a row of large potted plants to act as a (successful) barrier between their private beach space and the public beach, making Sandy Haven a welcomed respite from all the wandering and aggressive peddlers. 

At Sandz Bar and The Almond Tree Beach Grille, guests can load up on frozen daiquiris, grab a snack, and watch the sunset. For dinner, guests can head to Bongos Restaurant for premium spirits, a wine list, and, if they're lucky, some great piano-based entertainment. The resort's pool is on the small side and loungers are limited, but there is a small hot tub (guests have to turn the heat on), though this can get awkward if someone is receiving a massage in the spa palapa just off to the side. There are also an adequate gym, small business center, and little gift shop off the lobby. Guests receive a welcome drink on arrival and there's a free continental breakfast served at The Almond Tree Grille. Parking and Wi-Fi are also free.

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Oyster Hotel Review

Sandy Haven Resort

Scene

One of the few upscale boutiques in the area

Originally built in 2004, the property was reborn in March 2012 as Sandy Haven Resort. On an area of the strip lined with mostly value and mid-range properties, Sandy Haven sticks out like a sophisticated thumb (for starters, it's one of the only hotels in the area with a sign that doesn't look decades old). The resort's rustic-chic lobby is an open-air A-frame design with thin but sweeping curtains framing the entrance. Small palm trees in large pots and sturdy, contemporary wooden chairs and couches with large cushions sit around coffee tables adorned with old issues of travel and beauty magazines. Reception is a simple, solitary wooden table with two cushioned club chairs in front. This is also where the two-computer business center and small shop are located. 

Sandy Haven's grounds are carefully landscaped to feel both open and lush, and paved walkways guide guests either to their rooms or out toward the beach. A cream, white, dark brown, and green color palette can be found throughout the hotel in the plants, sand, paint, furniture, and other bits of decor. The result is relaxed, balancing, and effortlessly classy without being pretentious -- although some wear and tear can be seen on flimsy pieces of furniture (particularly in the rooms). At the end of the day, this is one of the few upscale boutique alternatives to the sometimes impersonal, all-inclusive mega-resorts. 

See More Scene

Location

Walkable location on the Seven Mile Beach strip

One of Sandy Haven's biggest assets is its location. Unlike people at other upscale properties in the area -- mostly the large all-inclusives farther up the street -- Sandy Haven's guests are within walking distance to local restaurants, bars, and entertainment. This gives guests the ability to stay in a chic, contemporary hotel while still maintaining the freedom to explore some of the local life and culture. The hotel is about a five-minute drive (or 30 minutes walk) to the town center's roundabout and just 10 to 15 minutes to the center of the West End. Montego Bay's Sangster International Airport is about an hour-and-a-half by car. 

See More Location

Rooms

Contemporary rooms with upscale feel and some scuffs

Sandy Haven's 35 rooms are spacious with partially separated bedrooms, vanity areas, and bathrooms. Don't be surprised if some of the furniture seems a bit scuffed or worn. Interestingly, room size is barely a factor in room category upgrades. Those who bump up to Deluxe Oceanfront Rooms trade walk-in closets for standalone wardrobes and gorgeous soaking tubs. All rooms have air-conditioning, wine fridges posing as mini-fridges, good Wi-Fi signal, flat-screen TVs with cable, private patios with table and chairs, coffeemakers with Blue Mountain coffee, and near-blackout curtains. Dressing areas with dual-vanity sinks, full-length mirrors, and walk-in closets (or tubs) are buffers between the bedroom and bathrooms. Amenities (are supposed to) include umbrellas, name-brand toiletries inclusive of exfoliating soap and conditioner, digital safes, and hairdryers, though certain items may be missing occasionally. Bathroom sections have toilets and walk-in showers with huge rainfall shower heads. Ground-floor Deluxe Ocean Front rooms have patios, though they lack privacy and the ocean views are interrupted by both the outdoor dining patio and the small sea of beach loungers. If possible, grab one on the second floor for a wraparound terrace and better views. 

See More Rooms

Features

Small beach and pool areas, dining and drink options, and on-site spa and gym

Sandy Haven packs quite a few amenities on its small property, with the beach being the number one draw. The resort has a nice patch of sand that allows for multiple rows of loungers, a few beat up and moldy cabanas, and even a hammock stretched between trees -- with plenty of public beach space to spare. The resort has also cleverly placed a row of large potted plants to act as a (successful) barrier between their private beach space and the public beach, making Sandy Haven a welcomed respite from all the wandering and aggressive peddlers. 

At Sandz Bar and The Almond Tree Beach Grille, guests can load up on frozen daiquiris, grab a snack, and watch the sunset. For dinner, guests can head to Bongos Restaurant for premium spirits, a wine list, and, if they're lucky, some great piano-based entertainment. The resort's pool is on the small side and loungers are limited, but there is a small hot tub (guests have to turn the heat on), though this can get awkward if someone is receiving a massage in the spa palapa just off to the side. There are also an adequate gym, small business center, and little gift shop off the lobby. Guests receive a welcome drink on arrival and there's a free continental breakfast served at The Almond Tree Grille. Parking and Wi-Fi are also free.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Beach

  • Business Center

  • Cable

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Free Breakfast

  • Internet

  • Jacuzzi

  • Kids Allowed

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Pool

  • Poolside Drink Service

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Swim-Up Bar

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.