January 2010

Hi Penny,

I am so sorry I have not gotten back to you in regards to our vacation. It was wonderful and I could not have asked for a better well planned trip. I would HIGHLY recommend you to anyone and I will be telling all my friends about your services. That is one thing we lack in this "tourist" town is a good travel agent. I will continue to use you from now on. Even my husband commented on how everything just fell into place with no troubles or concerns.

The place we stayed was wonderful. Clean and very professionally run. The help was very kind and attentive. There was the occasional staff member that was off, but we all have those days, but for the most part they were great.

Unfortunately on the plane down there I sat next to a kid that was sick and "bingo" 48 hours later I came down with his sore throat and cold, so I was sick the entire vacation. At least I was warm and miserable.

All in all it was a wonderful vacation. Warm and very relaxing, just what we were looking for.

Thanks again for all your help. You were right about being a little overwhelmed on getting caught up. Unfortunately there is no one to my job while I am gone, and with year end I'm a little backed up. When I get my head back on straight I'll send you some pictures. You may use me as a reference if you like. I would be glad to recommend you to anyone.

Hope you have a wonderful New Year!

Cindy
Traverse City, MI

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November 2009

Hi Penny

The Beach at Ocho Rios was absolutely fantastic! We enjoyed walking the piers and looking into the clear crystal ocean and seeing a few fish swimming by. Of course hearing the ocean hit the rocks and pillars was alway fabulous!

This was the most romantic trip for both of us. I haven't seen my husband in over 9 months, cause of him being overseas in Iraq. It felt great to have some quality alone time. Ocho Rios Grande Village Resort gave us the time to reconnect and fall in love all over again.....and the biggest thing we noticed....the laughs coming through us!

Thank you Penny! We had such a blast and enjoyed every moment together and to have a "second---reconnect" honeymoon.

Please keep us posted on any deals on Beaches...I will be scouring those deals on your emails.
Enjoy the pictures! =)

Amy and Mike
Boise, Idaho

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June 1, 2009

Penny,
I am on the road this week and won't be home until Friday night, so I will send you pictures over the weekend as I downloaded them on another computer.

I know you had a hell of a time setting up the promo for the buy 3 get 1 free Villa promo and that they have discontinued it for now, but let me say if it ever becomes available again it was WONDERFUL...and will make newbies want to return to Sandals. Just when I thought we were seasoned Sandals people and we couldn't have it any better, the private reception and brunch as well as a private bus to and from were super pluses!


I will try to be short on some of this stuff:

1. Private bus was quick and efficient
2. The resort or you requested (if so THANK YOU) upgraded the 5th couple with us to the villa right next door so they were able to be a part of the group and they were given
all the same goodies as us.
3. Since they did not know how many were really return guests, they invited all to the return guest dinner. It was so nice to get our "FREE WEEK" award with family around
us.
4. Private reception...had 2 bartenders, a photographer, a person from concierge, a playmaker with music, and a person to watch over the appetizers. It also had a full bar
set up with an appetizer table for all to enjoy. It was great! We even invited the villa next to us to join in the party which was fun. I of course asked the head of concierge
first and she said it is your party and you can invite who you want.
5. Private brunch...set up very nicely with a buffet table with salad, chicken, yogurt, pastries, fish, shrimp an omlet station with a chef, a table for mimossas, a waiter,
and two women who manned the buffet table to make sure it was fresh...also the photographer again. They actually set up a table for 10 so we all sat at a set table for
brunch.
6. They had a wheel chair in Grace Weeden's room which was not expected...thank you for that detail should she have needed it.
7. Spa credits were not issued to the room when we got there, but as soon as I asked it was taken care of...we all indulged. My sister, her hubby (40's) her son, as well as
Grace and George Weeden (70s) had never had one before so it was a true treat and something all will do again. My nephew was so fortunate to learn early in life to live
and enjoy. I come from a very hard working family, who never imagined a paradise until they joined in vacations with us. They so appreciated EVERYTHING...they
thanked me a million times and I said they needed to thank you as well.
8. Had a private bus back to airport and we beat the crowd by 10 minutes...so it was super.

So...that pretty much sums up the package part. Michael and I never had a desire to go to this property as it is bigger than we like, but for a family trip it was great as we did not have to see each other every minute of the day. An excellent family place. Have to say for the size of it the concierge group and detail rivaled even the smallest resorts we love the most (Dunns River, Royal Caribbean) The semi private pool was a gathering place a few nights for family to meet up and relax and enjoy the in room bars out on the patio. Sure the place is not as pristine as some, but for the size of the place how can it be? I did not expect it to be like the others so I was not disappointed. The jitney, bus thing was a bit challenging as we are spoiled with liking to wake up with the ocean outside our window, but for the price, we had bells and whistles that will make all want to enjoy other Sandals in the future. My sister's husband wants to go again,. as well as his brother and wife will go again next year he said. We are recommending other places if they can swing the price as there are other perks to them. Also without the large group they can experience a resort a bit more updated and closer to the ocean etc. I also gave your name to 2 other couples for the future.


Mr. Roper definitely has a soft spot for you. I have never met you personally I told him, but I definitely have gotten a feel for your style and demands. I am very much the same way. Nothing wrong with wanting your expectations to be fulfilled. Did you know he had a heart attack a couple of months ago? I have nothing to gauge him by, but staff says he has lost a lot of weight. I hope he continues to do well.


If you want any more info on anything let me know....and I will send pics this weekend.


Patti
New York

October 17, 2007
Hello Penny,

Just wanted to thank you for setting up the wonderful trip we had in Ocho.  The upgrades were very nice and the rooms were great.

I have attached one of our pics from the float trip.

Thanks,

Dustin Smith
Frisco, Texas

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Feb. 1, 2007

Hi Penny!

Jay and I just wanted to thank you again for setting up such a wonderful vacation at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios for us! We got upgraded to a villa with a concierge and it was awesome! We spent so much time relaxing, eating, swimming and sightseeing. We definitely can see why it's your favorite resort!

We attached some pictures of us at the beach, on the "Booze Cruise" trip to Dunn's River Falls and our shopping trip at Jimmy Buffet's Margeritaville. We definitely will go back! The people were so fun and welcoming! The "no problem, mon" attitude was just what we needed after our busy wedding planning!

Thank you again -- we will book through you again and recommend you to all our friends! We appreciate you making our honeymoon one to remember!

Happy New Year!

Jay and Becky Berkenpas
Ankeny, Iowa

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Wedding: JAN. 28TH, 2006

JOSEPH GELES & Yvonne Trost
ARLINGTON, VA

 

Dec. 23, 2005

Penny,

Cherie and I had a great relaxing time in Jamaica. Sandals was everything you said it would be. We left the resort only once to shop across the street. That is very unusual for us. We plan on going back ASAP.

The renewal of our wedding vows  surprise was a success.  Cherie loved it. We met a couple from England ( Dave & Nicky). They were our best man and brides maid at our wedding.

Thanks

Les Ticknor
North Vernon, IN

 

April 2005

Penny,

Thank you so much for a wonderful vacation!!! Sandals Grand Ocho Rios was fantastic!!! Because of you, our vacation was truly a memorable experience, for which we thank you! The resort was top-notch where we wanted for nothing. The staff was more than words can describe, the food was awesome and the grounds were beautiful! Again, because of you, we were upgraded to a villa with our own pool without even asking. We had a beautiful view and the villa was perfect. We couldn't have asked for a better time. Thank you again Penny for all of your help-we can't wait to book with you again!

Jody and Corey
St. Johns, MI
 

June 8, 2005

Penny,

Our trip to Sandal Ocho Rios was wonderful. John and I had such a wonderful time. The service was top notch and we are already planning a trip for next June with 4 other couples. We will be booking with you again, so be looking for our email. We can't book until February because of vacation schedules, but we are so excited! I have attached pictures from our honeymoon! The only thing that went wrong was the rain....it rained every day....we didn't know it was rainy season!!!!! YIKES!

Thank you again,

Mandi and John Arehart from Virginia

 

March 17, 2005

Penny,

We just returned from SGOR last night and I wanted to write and thank you for all of your assistance in providing us with a wonderful vacation. If I had to describe it in one word, it would definitely be...... WOW !! Everything was absolutely perfect. The staff, the grounds, the food, the activities, etc. etc... I could go on and on.. Just wonderful ! Carla and I enjoyed every minute and leaving was a sad event.

We're going to have to start saving and return as soon as we can. Hopefully next year.


Thanks Again !!

Flint Matthews
Lincolnton, GA

 

December 19, 2004

Hi Penny,

We had a very great time, and were very impressed with everything, it was like a dream come true. Everyone was extremely nice and we felt like we were in heaven.

I want to thank you very much for everything you done for us you were very helpful and very appreciated.

Thanks again for all of your help. I hope you like the pictures!!!

Richard and Sara
Bainbridge, Ohio

Married October 23, 2004

 

Nov. 15, 2004

Hi Penny,

My husband and I went to Sandals Ocho Rios for our honeymoon. It was one of the best trips I have been on. Everybody was so nice and accommodating. We will be returning for our one year anniversary. I can't imagine going any where else. I have been recommending it to all my friends.

Kimberly Deen
Riverside, CA

 

Nov. 6, 2002

Hi Penny,

Just thought I'd drop you a quick note to let you know we had a wonderful time in Jamaica!

We got to see several weddings take place and Karen was thrilled with what she saw. The meals were very good, we wished we had scheduled more dinners at Valentino's though. Thank you for all your help! I found it interesting talking to others that they knew nothing of the spa credit and they were staying in the same category rooms as us. The spa credit was great, we bought all our t-shirts and stuff from the gift shop with it and still had enough to get 2 back & neck massages. FYI - we got a 2 category upgrade upon check-in without requesting or reminding them we booked through you. They seemed aware of it. As I expected, you are number # 1!!!!!!

Anyway, thank you for all your help on our Jamaica trip, we greatly appreciate your guidance and expertise. We truly appreciated it after hearing other people talk about their planning and agents. We feel we have the best out there, and trust you to always do us right.

Tx again!

Jac & Karen
Rochester, NY

 

October 18, 2002

Hi Penny,

We had a fabulous time in Jamaica. Thank you so much. The people there are just wonderful. We especially loved Antonio and Kim, our witnesses at our wedding. They continued to make our stay there enjoyable the whole time we were there. The wedding was beautiful as was the reception. Not a rainy day in the forecast.

Dunn River Falls was a blast. The water was a bit cold, but well worth it. The day before we left we went on the Blue Mountain Bike Tour.  I think it was my favorite thing about Jamaica. The mountains and all the water falls are absolutely gorgeous.

Next year for our anniversary we definitely want to go back. I think we would like to go to Negril though. We heard that it was a fun place to go also. Tony wants to try some cliff diving. Thanks again for everything.

Mr. and Mrs. Barton
Wilmington, NC
 

August 4, 2002


Penny--

Just got back from Jamaica last night. No pictures--our cameras never got out of the bag--but I thought I would send a short note about the trip to Sandals Ocho Rios.

We had a great time. The grounds are absolutely magnificent, and the food was terrific. You were right--the service was impeccable and the staff was friendly, helpful and eager to make the trip a success. They even gave us a free room upgrade after we said our first room was a little noisy. We stayed in one of the cottages right by the lobby; it was beautiful!

The water sports were great--Kim learned how to sail a sunfish and we went snorkeling and out on the water kayak several times--and the golf course was first rate. (It really is as good as it looks in the pictures). We even met several nice couples and had regular dinners with them during our stay.

In short, Penny, the trip went off without a hitch. Thanks so much for all of your help. We will definitely use your service again!

Peter
Hightstown, NJ
 

May 15, 2001

Hi Penny,
I've been so busy since Craig and I got back from our Sandals Ocho Rios Weddingmoon that I haven't had a chance to contact you.
I've got to tell you, we loved it!!!! Sandals was great. They really know how to pamper you. They took care of absolutely everything. It only took us about 30 minutes to plan our whole wedding and everything went off without a hitch. Orlia was our wedding coordinator - and she just did a fantastic job. Even our maid was great. She had the bed turned down and the towels made into swans on the bed (their bodies were additional towels rolled to look like hearts) and there were flower petals arranged on the floor around the base of the bed in the shape of a heart. The maid even left a nice congratulatory note and had our T-shirts (one said "Just" and the other "Married") arranged in front of the swans. The breakfast in bed the next morning was also wonderful. Lots of good food and champagne brought in with a tablecloth and set up on the table on the balcony. We're telling everyone we know about the place.

I just can't thank you enough for recommending Sandals Ocho Rios. Our wedding was so special and the setting was gorgeous. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful and romantic setting.

I'll let you know when we want to go back (hopefully for our first anniversary).

Yvonne ~ Illinois

p.s. Our Royal Doulton china came on Tuesday. We chose the Jacobean pattern and it's beautiful. I'm sure we're going to pick up another 20 piece set to complete our setting for 8.

.

May 23, 2002

Hi Penny!

We got back from our wonderful trip to Jamaica on Saturday, May 18. I just wanted to e-mail you and let you know what a great time we had. My husband was thrilled with his present. You did such a great job!!

Sandals Ocho Rios was just perfect! We met another couple from Houston that had used you as well and had all the same travel plans as we did. We did quite a bit of activities with them as well and exchanged e-mail addresses at the end of the trip.

My husband was so happy with it that now he is also interested in other islands in the Caribbean, such as Antigua or St. Lucia.

Again, we had an absolutely great time, thanks for all of your help!

Amber
Tulsa, Oklahoma

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May 30, 2000

Dear Penny,

This note comes overdue & I apologize. Life has been hectic ever since we got back from Sandals Ocho Rios in Jamaica ~ where there was "No Problem". We absolutely loved it! They made our wedding day very special and beautiful. The service, food, accommodations and atmosphere were outstanding. At the hotel we were truly in paradise. We took the horse back riding trip, Dunn's River Falls complimentary excursion and went deep sea fishing. It was a great place to stay busy or just sit back and relax - which we did a lot. Thanks so much for taking care of our travel plans. Everything was to or exceed our expectations. The people at Sandals were wonderful! We look forward to returning again someday.

Thanks once again,

Beverly and Peter ~ Akron, Ohio

Sept. 12, 1998

Hi There!

First of all - we had a great great time at Sandals Ocho Rios and it was as wonderful as you said it would be! We really loved the intimate nature of the resort we picked . . . with it's lush jungle, creeks and waterfalls. So much fun not to have to pay for anything once there.

We made so many friends due to the nature of everyone being in such a happy mood and in the same environment. Zoe and I were able to get off by ourselves every night in one of the many small pools.

We did Dunn's River Falls and golfed. There were several other outings we wanted to try but like you said it was so nice to just "beach it" most of the day. The food was great, the drinks plentiful and we're so glad that you talked us into it.

Hugs,

John ~ Spokane, Washington