zpenci

Wonderful resort -- exceeded most, if not all of my expectations, which were admittedly fairly low as this was the first all-inclusive resort I have been to. Excellent food, wonderful beach where you can find both quiet spots and spots close to the &quot;action&quot;. Rooms were clean (we had an atrium-grade room), staff were mostly helpful and nice. Happy to answer any questions anyone may have. In the meantime, here are a few pointers I wish I had known ahead of time:<BR><BR>-- Although tipping is supposed to be against the rules, there are indeed a few times where monetary tips are appreciated, if not expected. These are: cab/bus driver who brings you from Montego Bay to Negril and back again (we gave him $10 each way), and the massage therapists at the spa (we gave them $20 each for each of our $80 massages).<BR><BR>-- The dress code for all of the restaurants at night, not just Feathers, is supposed to be slacks, collared shirts and closed-toe shoes for men, and dresses for women. No flip-flops, no shorts, no jeans, no sneakers, no hats, etc. While some people came to dinner in shorts and/or t-shirts, most dressed up for the occasion. Feathers was the only place where this dress code was enforced, but if you don't want to feel underdressed, keep the dress code in mind.<BR><BR>-- Feathers (the more formal, reservations-only dinner restaurant) is good, but a bit overrated. I enjoyed the dinners at the main dining room much more than the one I had at Feathers.<BR><BR>Again, happy to answer any questions.

beachgirl

zpenci,<BR>How was the beach while you were there? Did you visit the fitness center? Was the equipment in good condition? How was the spa - was it a clean and relaxing atmosphere and was your massage worth it?

zpenci

The beach was great. They raked it clean every day, and the sand was as soft as talcum powder. The resort has quite a long stretch of beach, so it's not too crowded, either.

I saw the fitness center during an orientation tour, but did not use any of the equipment while I was there. All of the equipment looked to be top-of-the-line, however, and they had many more machines than people using them.

The spa/massage center was nice, as was my massage. The only downside was that it was right next to the tennis court, and while the &quot;poing&quot; sound of tennis balls being hit can actually be relaxing, the none-too-quiet exclamations of the players was not. I still thought my massage was worth it, though.

Mariarosa

zpenci, thank you for posting a report! I just started looking into Jamaica, and would really appreciate if you can describe your favorite meal and your least favorite meal at Swept Away. Thanks!

zpenci

Hmmm. My favorite meal was probably one of the dinners we had in the main dining room. Started off with a crabcake spring roll, then some chilled watermelon soup, then a trip to the salad/pasta bar, and snapper filet for main course. Desserts aren't very good, so there was no need to save room. Also very good were the breakfasts, where along with the daily staples (scrambled eggs, pancakes, toast/danishes), they would always have a few different items each day.

My least favorite meal was actually our dinner at Feathers, which was still pretty good. The sweet potato soup was too creamy, and the conch I had for the main course was very rubbery. Everything else was ok, though.

Mariarosa

Thank you for the info! I know that it was a strange question, but you can learn a lot about a resort from its strong and weak points. I love fish and if the snapper is good, then we're in business!