Sandals Resorts are famous for 3 items in the travel business, when it comes to their rooms. They are famous for the number and variety of room categories they have. Sandals Grande Riviera now has 24 room categories. The length of the room names has become legendary also. Try repeating this 10 times, ” Romeo & Juliet Penthouse Sunset Bluff Oceanview One Bedroom Luxury Suite”. They are also known for some incredibly luxurious suites. Here’s a few of the most romantic suites. Find the perfect suite for you to spend your unforgettable all inclusive honeymoon.

Sunset Bluff Oceanfront 1 Bedroom Two Story Villa with Private Pool – BP – Sandals La Toc St Lucia, You’ll love this bluff suite for the views, the privacy and for your own personal pool to enjoy. St Lucia also has many cool activities and beautiful sights to see, like the Pitons, the rainforest and the drive through volcano.

Coco Plum Grande Luxe Beachfront Walkout Suite – WGB _ Sandals Emerald Bay, This beautiful resort is not what most expect of the Bahamas. You won’t see huge cruise ships, crowds or high-rise casinos. This part of the Bahamas is what in the past was only enjoyed by wealthy yacht owners. All the rooms are nice here, but the beach and water here are so beautiful, you should choose a beachfront category.

Beachfront 1 Bedroom Swim-Up Crystal Lagoon Suite w/ Private Lagoon Entrance – 1R – Sandals Negril, This suite has all the amenities, a patio with pool access and 7 miles of beach.

Ultra Luxury Ocean Villa One Bedroom Suite w/ Private Pool – LV – Sandals Grande Antigua, If you can ever manage to leave the room, one of the best beaches in the Caribbean is just steps away.

Ultra Luxury Beach Rondoval Suite w/ Private Plunge Pool and Whirlpool – RP
– Sandals Grande St Lucian, Not only do you get this beautiful room with all the amenities, just outside is your private courtyard with an outdoor shower, private hammock, jacuzzi and plunge pool.

Villa Plantana – VR – Sandals Royal Plantation, This 3 Bedroom villa is very popular and is perfect for an intimate wedding for the Bride and Groom bringing 2 very close couples with them. This is Sandals Resort’s most intimate and luxurious resort. You also have full exchange privileges at Sandals Grande Riviera, which is within walking distance.

If you have any questions about Couples Sans Souci, now is a great time to ask. This resort is intimate with just a little over 100 suites, beautiful gardens and architecture, great service and food, fun, nice calm cove beach, mineral pool, nice spa huts. Do not book this resort if you have bad hips, knees, ankles or feet, lots of steps.

Engagement Season kicked off officially on Thanksgiving. The Bridal Show season starts Saturday. Come and see us.

January 7th, Greenville, SC, Wedding Festivals

January 8th, Atlanta, GA, The Georgia Bridal Show

January 8th, Charlotte, NC, The Bridal Showcase

Don’t forget the honeymoon is the best part!

Thank you Sandals Resorts, Couples Resorts and our very own Hawaii Wedding and Honeymoon Guru for your cooperation.

Engagement season is here and will be here through Valentines Day. This is our busy season and we are ready and excited. One of our own agents was recently engaged. Enjoy Jason’s Story.

Jason’s Tip: Know Your Girlfriend!

Let me start you off with a little background information about my relationship. My now fiancé and I had been dating for 6 years. Neither of us rush things and like to say “we take a good thing slow”. I knew she was the perfect girl for me and had been thinking of a unique way to propose. I have seen the proposal videos at sporting events, flash mob style and even the food court guy. I wanted my proposal to be thoughtful, special and romantic.

I thought. “What would she consider special, what’s her heritage and what fascinates her?” After much thought it hit me…Jamaica! Her family is originally from Jamaica and most of the family weddings are held in Jamaica, PERFECT! Now I had to think of where in Jamaica would be the most romantic. First I needed to secure a resort. At the time there was no availability at the resort I wanted to take her to and I was drawing a blank as to a location on the island that would be fun and that would be new to both of us as we travel to Jamaica often.

What to do now? As I pondered where to take her and where to pop the big question it hit me like a ton of bricks. MAYAN HISTORY! She is absolutely in love with the Mayan Culture. MEXICO!!!! She has never been to Mexico and loves to see new destinations. I was back on track and started my research. I opted to do a split stay among the resorts. Our first resort stay would be as boyfriend and girlfriend. Our second stay would be as an engaged couple. I like where this is headed, now to find the perfect location for Mayan Culture and ideally be able to ask at the top of a pyramid.

After some research on the Mayan Cities and Pyramids in Mexico near Cancun and the Riviera Maya it came down to three choices, Chichen Itza, Tulum or Coba. I know Chichen Itza is incredible and is one of the new 7 Wonders of the World; but you are no longer allowed to climb the main section. I also was looking for something a little more off the beaten path as we are both very outdoors type people. I looked into Tulum and while its more our style; all the pyramids have been closed for climbing due to structural safety. I am starting to re-think the asking on top of a Mayan pyramid and go for the “wow” factor when I read about Coba…This is the one!

Coba is a “pre-classic era” Mayan city making it one of the oldest with indications of the first people to settle around 100 BC. At one time Coba was estimated to have some 50,000 inhabitants (possibly a lot more) and was mainly an agricultural society. Once Coba was discovered it was little visited due to its remote location (about 2+ hours from Cancun) until the first modern road opened in early 1970. To date only a small portion has been cleared from the jungle and restored by archeologist.

I knew this was the perfect location for my move! Not only was it Mayan, but it was one of the oldest, still being discovered and in the jungle. Everything was falling in place for the ultimate proposal. I did a little more research to see why it was still being unearthed and excavated and it turns out that this tourist attraction does not attract as many visitors therefore its harder for archeologist to have the funds. I knew she would love the fact that we would be helping the Mayan city just by going.

I decided to upgrade to the private transfer and private guide. This is well worth the extra money! We arrive in Mexico and so far my fiancé is having an amazing time. The big day comes and I tell her we need to be in the lobby early as I have something planned for us. We arrive out front and there is a Cadillac Escalade waiting for us. I just get that look like “this is for us?” At this point I know things are going good. Oh so you are aware, the driver and tour guide where in on the proposal secret. As we ride along our guide introduces himself and tells us he has his Masters in Mayan history and is going for a Doctorate. I glance over and I see the look of pure joy as she realizes we are heading for something Mayan. The transfer took about an hour and a half from the Riviera Maya and as we rode we learned more interesting facts than I ever have on a history channel show.

Once at Coba we start our tour. It was surreal being in a city once had so much power and population. With so many ruins still covered in the jungle, the atmosphere was very “Indiana Jones” feeling. A few ruins and interesting artifacts are at the entrance. The main pyramid is two miles into the jungle. We opted to walk over a bicycle taxi. The walk was very romantic and along the way our guide pointed out uncovered ruins and interesting facts about the jungle and more Mayan culture and facts about the city. Once we arrived at Noch Mul Pyramid we all stood there in awe. There is this massive structure that you would normally see in the movies right in front of your eyes. I looked over and I saw her face was pure excitement. To the top we go…120 steps to the top that is. The view was incredible, you could see as far as your eyes would let you. There we were standing above the jungle tree tops looking over the world. Unbelievable! I passed my camera over to our guide and turned towards my then girlfriend. I took her hand and went to one knee…I knew the look in her eye and I locked eyes with her as I asked for her to take my hand in marriage literally on top of the world. She said YES and of course sealed it with a kiss. I know she will never forget. She loves to share the story that she was proposed to at the top of a Mayan Pyramid in a pre-classic Mayan City.

Guys, just think about her, what she loves and what is magical to her. Know her and what she enjoys and it will make your proposal as special as mine.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig, Sandals Grande Riviera.

Honeymoons, Inc. is thankful for all of our great destination partners, airline partners, all inclusive resort partners, wholesale partners and most of all, our valued clients. Thank you for giving us the chance to work with you and for you. The chance to work with brides and grooms to plan the most memorable and happy times of their lives is something we will never take for granted. We also can’t express how much we appreciate our loyal repeat clients. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You!

Doesn’t this hammock at Couples Swept Away look like the perfect spot for the after Turkey tradition?

Two of our top all inclusive resort recommendations are Sandals Grande Riviera and Sandals Emerald Bay. You might think because they are both Sandals Resorts; that they are both similar. Not so fast my friend. They both have “Sandals” in the name. Both are couples only all inclusive resorts; and both come with the “Luxury Included®” program. That’s where the similarities stop.

Sandals Grande Riviera is located in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. This is our top recommendation for an all inclusive Ocho Rios Honeymoon. Jamaica is easy to get to from anywhere and thousands of guests arrive daily. Ocho Rios is an island explorer’s paradise. You can visit waterfalls, swim with dolphins, bobsled, ride horses, bike down the blue mountains, shop duty free, and we’ll just stop there, but you could explore this area for a month and not see and do everything. Ocho Rios is also very affordable.

Sandals Emerald Bay is located in the Exumas, part of the Bahamas. Most people think of the Bahamas as Nassau and Freeport, the bigger cities where the cruise ships stop. The Exumas consist of over 360 small islands that are nothing like the bigger cities where most persons take their Bahamas Honeymoon. The Exumas are not the easiest place to fly to. A day with more than 100 persons arriving is a big arrival day. The Exumas are paradise for anyone who loves white sand beaches and crystal clear blue water. These islands are off the beaten path and in the past have mostly just been enjoyed by yacht owners and sailing enthusiasts. Not only is Sandals Emerald Bay our #1 all inclusive Exuma Honeymoon recommendation, the resort is also the only all inclusive in the Exumas. Almost any tour here will involve the water and a boat. The Exumas are not for bargain hunters, this island is more for couples looking for a unique exotic escape.

Lian will be back in the office Thursday, fresh from her stay at El Dorado Maroma. If you have questions about this resort known for barefoot luxury, world class beach and gourmet food, NOW is a great time to ask her, extension 224! This adults-only all inclusive resort is the most intimate of all the El Dorado Resorts and has the best beach. We highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a Riviera Maya Honeymoon.

The ABC’s of finding the best all inclusive honeymoon value.

A. The destination determines the value to a large extent. Destinations like Jamaica, Cancun and Punta Cana have an advantage because they are large. Unlike small islands, these islands have farms and factories and don’t have to import all their supplies. And since they are larger, they have more resorts which means more flights come in. More flights mean better schedules and cheaper airfares. So, you’ll notice that these destinations tend to price much less than the rest of the Caribbean. Value isn’t always price though. Many of our clients rightfully place value in choosing a destination off the beaten path for their honeymoon or special vacations. St Lucia, i.e. is definitely not the least expensive, but where else can you visit the Pitons, rainforest and take a rejuvenating natural mud bath, just like they did on the Bachelor TV series.

B. You can’t just look at the total price of the package. We offer hundreds of all inclusive packages, but they are not all the same. Some resorts have many more dining options, like Sandals Grande Riviera, now with 15 restaurants. Most resorts don’t include scuba diving, but Sandals Resorts and Couples Resorts do. Many resorts like the Riu Resorts require you to wear wristbands, but Secrets Resorts never do. Palace Resorts offer $1500 worth of resort credits that you can use for tours, room upgrades, golf, spa and even your all inclusive wedding amenities. So, make sure you look at more than just the package price. You have to make sure that you also get a resort that’s going to give you the quality of experience you deserve. If you haven’t noticed already, many of our featured resorts are adults-only all inclusives and couples-only resorts. They offer an extra special ambiance that is worth a little extra if you can afford them. You’ll forget how much you spent, but you’ll remember what a great time you had for the rest of your life.

C. Who you book your package can make a big difference. We have a low price guarantee to make sure you get the best value. We also are very familiar with all the resorts honeymoon and wedding programs, so we’ll make sure you get every little bonus and perk due to you. We also have great relationships with the hotels and resorts to insure you get the service you expect. And because we serve a small niche, you’ll find our agents helpful with making room and resort decisions.

We’ll be excited to be at our home away from home, September 18th to September 25th, Sandals Grande Riviera, my personal favorite Sandals Resort.