Sonesta Ocean Point All Inclusive, Adults Only Resort

A major snowstorm in the Northeast canceled my flight, so I couldn't make my confirmed stay at Sonesta Ocean Point Resort. This was outside my control. When I contacted the hotel, staff explicitly told me to cancel to avoid a no-show fee, and I followed that advice in good faith. After I canceled, they refused a refund, credit, or even the option to rebook for a later date. I'd done what their staff told me, yet they kept my money and offered no solution. Weather disruptions happen, and I expected at least some flexibility or basic customer service. Instead, there was no understanding and no accountability for giving me incorrect guidance. This was deeply frustrating and disappointing, and not what I expect from a reputable resort at this level. I'd strongly caution anyone whose plans could be affected by things outside their control. If a problem comes up, don't count on support. You may be told one thing and then left with no recourse.

Cheryl at the bar made every visit fun. She has great energy, makes a fabulous cocktail, and is the sort of person you immediately enjoy talking with. Our butlers, Dane and V, were fabulous too: attentive, quick to respond, and helpful with activities, transportation, and anything else we needed. They made the whole stay feel seamless, and we felt very well looked after. The room was lovely, clean, and welcoming from the moment we arrived. The pools were fantastic, with space to relax and enjoy the views, and the spa was wonderful for unwinding. Sonesta Ocean Point was beautiful and relaxing, exactly what we wanted for a getaway. The service and atmosphere were outstanding, and the people made the trip unforgettable. We can't wait to come back.

The swim-out suite cost a lot, and we splurged on ten days there for our 20-year anniversary. From the first day, things kept getting worse. My husband and I both got extremely sick after being served raw chicken and raw hamburgers, and spent two days in bed. When we told management, they did make an effort to help, bringing soup and Gatorade to our room, which we appreciated. The food wasn't good, and we ended up eating outside the resort for most of the trip. At Azul on Valentine's Day, we waited 20 minutes for drinks and an hour for our meals. When we arrived, the rooms were very dirty, with sand, fingerprints on the mirrors, dust and dirt on the floors, and marks all over the walls. There was also mold and water damage. Every morning we woke with cold-like symptoms, which improved once we left the room. We booked a couples massage for the 18th at 1 pm. We didn't feel well that morning and asked to cancel, but were told we'd have to pay half because we hadn't given 24 hours' notice. Not wanting to lose the money, we went. After waiting around for half the day, we discovered another couple at the meeting point. The spa had double-booked the massage. They told us they'd booked two days earlier, while we had booked ours nine days before. It was a huge disappointment and wasted time. We also hadn't known that the family side shares the resort. We might as well have stayed on the cheaper side. The resort wasn't luxurious or high-end as the website made it seem. It needs major updates, and we left disappointed by what we spent.

The staff were another strong point. We met lots of lovely people at the bars and restaurants during our week: Jean (12 kids?!), Jaymari (the stories!), Dawn, Kalia, Jayniah, Sidia, Sofie, Ru, Bernard the GM, Jacque (he kept the drinks coming at Azul!), sassy Maddy Baddy, who kept us laughing at Azul, and the sweet Azul host Fantacia. The cliffside setting is Ocean Point's ace card. It looks out over the ocean, Maho Beach, and the airport runway. Walking over to Maho Beach to stand under landing planes, or get a free sand-dermabrasion from the jet wash, is wild. But if you dislike planes, their regular noise and exhaust fumes make this a poor choice for a quiet stay. The mood varied. Some days the edge pool was calm, with nice music coming from the cool rock speakers. Other days the music was loud with a Miami Beach club feel. It could also be taken over by big groups of drunk convention guests, since OP hosts business events. Our room was cleaned well each day, and for some reason we even got turndown service one evening. The restaurants were nice, but common areas looked beat-up, dirty, and like they were falling apart. I did see cleaning, but it was sparse. The ocean location means constant salt, wind, and rain, so keeping up with repairs and paint must be a chore. Still, past repainting seems to have gone right over light switches, fan grilles, and light fixtures, leaving paint all over them. For a 5-star resort, that felt careless and more like a low-rent apartment building. Most meals were great, with only a few misses. The alcohol selection was just okay, there wasn't much beer, and nicer wines cost extra. I understand the Caribbean is rum country. The serious problem for us was gluten. My husband has Celiac disease, which is an illness, not a fad diet. Before booking, we saw that OP menus had GF options, which was reassuring. But once there, it didn't seem staff understood gluten or Celiac disease well. Some items marked GF, meaning gluten-free rather than gluten-friendly, weren't actually GF. We had to ask servers almost every time to check sauces, frying methods, and shared prep surfaces with the kitchen. Even with care, my husband felt unwell after three days and spent a day in bed. He seemed to get glutened repeatedly after he felt a little better, though recovering can take days. On our last day, he was throwing up just a couple of hours before the airport. He made it home without incident, then got sicker, with regular vomiting and diarrhea. No one else in our group became sick, even though we ate the same things and spent a lot of time close together, so this wasn't norovirus or food poisoning. It was an unfortunate end to what had otherwise been a wonderful escape from the rough Canadian winter.