Sandals Royal Plantation

Sandals Royal Plantation sits on a coral bluff above a private cove beach in Ocho Rios, on Jamaica's north coast, bordered by the St. Ann Mountains and the calm bay known as the Ocho Rios Riviera. This is a five star, adults only resort designed for couples, and it is all inclusive throughout: meals, drinks, land and water sports, and the stocked minibar in your suite. With 74 suites it has the scale of a private villa rather than a large resort, which is what gives the service its unusually personal feel.

All 74 suites look out to the ocean and every one comes with Butler Service, which is the single room level here. Eleven categories run across beachfront, oceanfront, oceanview, pool, tropical garden and private pool views, as one bedroom suites or villa suites. Balconies or patios, room service and a stocked minibar come as standard. Villa Plantana, set above the quieter East Beach, is a three bedroom beachfront villa with its own pool and butler.

Water sports take in kayaks, windsurfing, aquatrikes, a glass bottom boat, snorkelling, Hobie Cats and paddleboards, with equipment and instruction provided. Scuba diving through the PADI programme reaches the reefs, walls and wrecks these waters are known for. On land there is tennis, pickleball, table tennis, shuffleboard, bocce, beach volleyball, croquet, lawn chess, cricket and pool tables. Green fees at Upton Estate Golf and Country Club are covered, along with transport to the course, and entertainment runs day and night.

Two pools and a whirlpool sit within the grounds, with a sun terrace, loungers and umbrellas alongside, and one of the pools is reserved for adults. Red Lane Spa handles treatments, which are restorative and individualised and rooted in Caribbean tradition, from full body and couples massage to facial treatments. The fitness centre is fitted with TechnoGym equipment, and group classes run alongside cardio and weight training if you want more structure to the day.

Five restaurants cover the resort. Le Papillon serves classic French in the evening and reservations are required. The Terrace runs from breakfast through to dinner, while Royal Grill puts flame grilled Caribbean plates a few steps from the sand. Tea Terrace pours black, green and fruity blends in the late afternoon, and Wobbly Peacock is a pub with mahogany furnishings, cold beer and a piano. A Culinary Concierge Desk handles reservations and dietary requirements.

Dunn's River Falls and the Ocho Rios Blue Hole are the two attractions the resort points to first, and Island Routes runs a catamaran cruise to the falls. Bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae, a river tubing and blue hole trip and an all day powerboat adventure can all be booked in advance. Ian Fleming International Airport is a nine mile drive away and Sangster International sixty one miles, with transfers covered either way.