Food and Drink
As a vegetarian, I normally struggle finding food I like and can eat when abroad so, often end up eating salad and chips every day. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself able to choose from an array of dishes both in the a la carte and buffet restaurants. Breakfast was particularly great with everything you could ever want- I was a big fruit, egg and bagel fan myself- although not all together, I hasten to add! The hotel had 7 different restaurants so you never feel like you're eating the same foods or even in the same environments but if you do find one suits you better, it's good to be able to go back to with no limitations.
Gym
The gym was incredible... one of the biggest hotel gyms I've come across. It had enough to do various full workouts without having to think too much out of the box. We went 6 times in total giving a good rotation between arms, legs and core and even managed to vary the routines within the focus which proved the high quality of the gym. Like everywhere else, it was kept clean and generally well maintained, offering towels, fruit and water for guests.We also liked to reward ourselves after a workout with a stop at the smoothie/cafe/dessert bar in reception to pick up a Banana Nut Blast Protein Shake which, I highly recommend if you find yourself visiting!
The hotel also offers the likes of pilates and boot camps on the beach but we didn't get round to trying these out... maybe next time ;)
Beach
I'm usually the last person to spend time on the beach, the sand sticking everywhere, the salt water and the sea creatures... it's just not for me so I was a little apprehensive when I realised there were very few sunbeds around the pool and instead were all on the beach. With encouragement from others, I did find myself entering the sea and actually going to the furthest point within the closed off section within the first hour of settling on the beach. Although it was terrifying for someone afraid of the sea, like myself, I ended up enjoying it and paved the way for the rest of the holiday. The sea was so clear that it helped to reassure me, the salt water wasn't irritating (unless of course, it got into the eyes or mouth) and the depth was manageable throughout the whole section and actually, remained pretty shallow going further out too.The beach activities were also a lot of fun with paddle boards, kayaks, sail boats, a floating bike (kinda thing) and a 'big mabel', there was plenty to choose from. As a premium guest, you could use the majority of the non-motor activities for no extra fee and could even use the sail boats if you've had lessons before or can pay for one lesson and then use them for no extra cost for the remaining visit. The 'big mabel' was particularly entertaining which allowed up to four people to sit on the inflatable seat and be pulled along by a boat. Whilst some guests fall in and some stay on, I think this mostly depends on the drivers and whether they want to tip you in, we had said we didn't want to go in and they stuck to this whilst my brother and dad fell in on their go. It was terrifying at times but so much fun and something I'd love to do again!
Staff
The staff were incredible, they certainly made the hotel and the experience better. As a whole, they were friendly, attentive and good at what they do. The bar staff made great cocktails both on and off the menu, many of which would also be good to talk to as well; the chefs clearly knew how to make delicious food; the housekeeping staff ensured rooms were kept clean as well as other places around the hotel; the maintenance staff kept the hotel in tip top condition, regularly topping up paint, checking things are functioning and fixing anything broken; the waiters and floor staff ensured you were looked after throughout your meal; the entertainment team put on great performances that differed from a typical all inclusive to show the likes of fire dancing, excellent singers and bands, musical quizzes, trapeze artists and many more; the sports staff helped you access the likes of kayaks, paddle boards and even a boat ride to the island; lifeguards ensure the beach is well kept and safe; you even get a welcome and send off with a group of staff... the whole staff community is just amazing. They really know what they're doing and encourage smiles whilst they do it. Of course there are a few exceptions like with everything but for the most part, they really add to the experience.
Room
We stayed in the premium section so although I saw one of the other rooms, I only saw it briefly so can't comment on specifics related to that (although it did look fairly similar). The room we stayed in had a king size bed, sofa area, table and chairs, tv, two large wardrobes, a safe, mini fridge (items at no extra cost) and an ensuite room with a shower. The balcony area had a view of another hotel building, the pool area, the beach to one side and a water park to the other (I don't believe this is in use anymore). All in all, the room seemed to be of high quality and well kept (check the video down below to see the room!) It certainly made for a lovely stay.
Concerns
The only real issue we found was with the premium section as it was originally sold to us as being adults only which resulted in one particular guest not being able to attend however, when we got there it was not the case at all... the premium section, beach and pool area had plenty of kids around which was pretty annoying given the circumstance. Originally, members of our party moved from one building within the section to another due to excessive noise which again wasn't great. We also found it difficult to get sunbeds within the premium section sometimes and found supposedly exclusive areas to not really be exclusive as well as there being less available to us as we had believed based on original bookings/enquiries. As lovely as the rooms were, I don't believe it to be worth the extra money as there is very little difference in what else you get and the rooms elsewhere are just as nice- plus you can get adults-only rooms if that's what you desire. The exclusive features mentioned aren't really that exclusive as other guests have the same opportunities either deliberately or accidentally. However, it's important to note that this is a misselling from the UK rather than a fault with the hotel in Jamaica. Within the premium section, certain rooms are also rather noisy as well but this depends on the room and I suppose the guest's awareness/sensitivity to the noise.
You can see more of the room and hotel generally in my video below...
If you fancy seeing the wedding we went out for, you can see that here...
And if you want to see the final video including the things we did outside of the hotel, you can see that here...
Azul Sensatori Jamaica was an amazing hotel all in all and made for an excellent holiday destination as well as being a beautiful setting for the wedding. It's definitely somewhere I'd love to go back to so highly recommend it as a destination if you're looking for a Caribbean break. Although it's all-inclusive, it doesn't lose the 'Jamaica' feel and wouldn't be the same if it was picked up and placed elsewhere.
I hope you enjoyed this post, if you did and want to see more from me, you can follow my social media links in the top right hand corner to see when I next upload. Thanks for reading!
Love, Steph x
P.S. Sorry for the delay in uploading this, it's been pretty busy recently but I'm trying to get back into it over Summer and start regularly uploading again! Once again though, I am generally more consistent over on my YouTube channel so if you want to see what I'm up to there, you can click here!
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