REVIEW - Couples Resort, Northern Ontario
So we are home from our incredible weekend in Algonquin in Northern Ontario at the Couples Resort and Spa. We had an absolutely wonderful time with some wild new adventures!We arrived Friday night after the 5 hour drive up north, and seeing the incredible ice falls on the rugged rocks along the highway. Once entering Algonquin Park, I was holding the door handle at every turn out out of fear of hitting a moose! They are infamous on the road in that area, but we arrived safe and sound. It's very easy to find with tons of signage.
We checked-in and and went to the magical chateau Sam had booked for us - a huge chateau named "Helice" which was by far the nicest accommodation we have ever stayed in, in all our travels. We had a huge king suite with Venetian style, a 2-sided wood-burning fireplace, a separate bedroom with a king sized poster bed, beautiful furnishings & electronics, a jacuzzi tub in the master. The ensuite had a double shower/steam room and a sauna which thrilled Sam to no end. On our wrap-around porch there was a gazebo and a 6 man hot tub overlooking the lake which for me was the highlight of our chateau. There were many other types of accommodation - smaller chateaus/chalets, suites, rooms - all with lake views, and if it were me booking we would have been in a much more modest room but this was my Christmas gift from Sam and we went a little over the top!
Our stay included all our breakfasts and dinners, and we could choose to dine in the dining room or have the food brought to our room. A 5 star chef prepared all meals and they were amazing. 5 courses with beautiful presentation and very very yummy. We ran into a glitch on our 1st night, the dining room attire was formal wear only! Sam didn't remember this when booking the room. Luckily I had dresses packed, but Sam only had jeans with beautiful shirts and jackets! So after our 1st attempt to dine in the dining room, we were denied access due to this rule - AHHHH!!! How embarrassing!! I flipped out a little stating, "We're in the middle of a forest!!" but nope, they did not waiver. We had our dinner that night brought to our room (which was delicious and romantic with our wood fire burning and enjoying a bottle of wine we brought) and the following day we called front desk and asked about the pants situation. They actually had "Loaner Pants" for Sam to borrow and after some humiliation, we got a pair that fit and were all set for the following night's dinner. Clearly this issue has happened before to have pants on loan!!
On Saturday, we did the most adventurous thing I've done in a long LONG time. DOG SLEDDING!! I don't know what I had imagined, but this was WAY more difficult than I could dream up. Each person got their own sled with 3 crazed dogs attached and it took my full body weight on the brake to stop this flying sled at 60 kms an hour! I fell off on the very 1st turn going over a snow bank and around a corner. I stood up yelling, "I can't do this!! I'm NOT doing this" in typical "Lisa" style, LOL. After some coercion I tried again to get these pups in control and things got
much easier and a it was a whole LOTTA fun! I highly recommend it for anyone that is not faint of heart with good balance! My heart was pounding a mile a minute for most of the experience but I'm so glad I tried! I can check dog sledding off the 'ole bucket list!After a few more amazing meals (some in the the dining room), several hot tubs, some quite time reading books and ice-skating on the lake, we chose to go horse-back riding on Sunday. It was so so beautiful and far easier than those crazy dogs! We went up an escarpment and back down again while the snow gently fell. We took lots of nice pictures.
We really got very very lucky with the weather. There was tons of snow on the ground, but the temperatures were mild, around -1C and warmer in the day. Gentle snowfalls with minimal additional accumulation was perfect for all winter sports. There was also snow-shoeing and cross country skiing available, and on our last night we went ice-fishing! We went out in the dark to our wee hut across the lake which had chairs and a little heater inside to stay warm (and some yummy bevy's to enjoy too) but we didn't catch anything. No bother, it was super fun trying!
We tried to book massages but were a little late and didn't get any appointments, the spa is for sure something to book ahead of time if you ever think of going. The last time we were there we had couples "chocolate" massages and they were yummy fabulous!
So here are my ratings:
Accommodation - 5/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Amenities - 5/5
Customer Service - 4/5
Food - 5/5
Pricing - 3/5
Since the resort is couples only, it makes the perfect get away for parents needing some time alone, or for couples trying to avoid the kids scene. There were many other couples at the resort of all ages. The pricing ranges from $175 - $700 a night, depending on your choice of accommodation. Prices are lower Mon - Thurs as well. You can choose to have a fun winter/summer adventure weekend with all the amazing activities or a quiet tranquil getaway, taking time out from all the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. We will certainly be back at the Couple's Resort, next time with our OWN pants! Haha.
I have created this new page called, "Travel Reviews" so if you and your family are looking to book a holiday, perhaps this will be of some help! Most reviews will be of hotels or cities we have visited, and things we learned along the way. 
BEACHES RESORT - NEGRIL, JAMAICA
January - 2010
I'm sure anyone with children has seen the ads for the Beaches Resorts or has heard about them from family or friends. We took Miss Liv in January of 2010 and here's the review!
We took the early morning flight into Montego Bay airport in Jamaica. Almost all international flights fly into Mo Bay, so a transfer to other cities such as Ocho Rios & Negril is required. Since the bus ride from Mo Bay to Negril is hours long (2 hours) and we knew we be tired from the 5 hour flight, we opted to take a helicopter transfer (30 mins) to and from the airport and Negril. By FAR a highlight of this trip, the helicopter took us over the incredible Jamaican mountains with stunning views you can only see by chopper. Here's the link for the only company on the island offering this service: www.jcvtt.com
Sadly my luggage was lost along the way!! I didn't get it until late the 2nd night, so so sad but we managed with the hotel gift shop where I bought a dress and flip flops. I did have a bathing suit and all important things in my carry-on - thank goodness!
We had booked a concierge room, since we have stayed in 3 Sandals Resorts (their sister chain) concierge rooms and found it to be incredible service & worth the extra $. Unfortunately this time it didn't pan out. They were suppose to send hotel staff to fetch us at the Negril landing strip, that didn't happen so we ended up in a scary Jamaican cab, paying a fortune to get to the hotel, instead of "free" as promised. When we arrived at the resort, none of the concierge rooms were ready for the guests, so we were all huddled into the concierge office. There we remained for HOURS! We ended up going to the pool & hanging out, returning at 5 pm to the office in hopes for our room. NOPE, it wasn't until 6 pm that we all as a huge group (instead of 1:1 service) were dropped at our rooms. Yikes, I was starting to worry. THE RESORT
The resort and grounds are stunning! The lush vegitation and beautiful gardens were incredible & so well maintained. Workers out in the hot sun all day, every day. This cute little old guy would give Olivia a fresh picked flower each day for her hair, so sweet. All the building and structures are also very well cared for, as expected by a 5 star Beaches resort. It's a big resort, sprawling with all different little nooks and crannies, pools, restaurants, shops, etc. but not so huge you need a tram to get from A to B. We loved LOVED the resort grounds, especially those amazing tree frogs at night - beautiful sounds of Jamaica!
THE RESTAURANTSDelicious food can be found for children and grow-ups at any turn. Of course the fruit was outstanding, and there were many choices of fun foods for children which is great. The specialty restaurants you have to book & can dine in once weekly. There is Kimonos (Japanese), Seville (Italian) and The Mill (Jamaican) plus several others that you don't need a reservation for. The day after your arrival, line up in the morning as suggested during your intro. The sooner your book your dinner reservations the more likely you will get the date/time you are wanting. Our favourite was The Seville for the food and Kimonos for the entertaining chef & dinner prepared right in front of you! Olivia ate the most at Last Chance Saloon which is pool side, and has all kid-friendly fare, as well as the Pizza Window which we enjoyed almost daily. The "all you can eat ice-cream dispenser" is a huge favourite for kids. Strangely, there was no room service for concierge! SO strange as all Sandals resorts includes this, but not at the Beaches, another disappointment with the concierge suite.
THE BEACH/POOL
Negril has the nicest beaches in Jamaica. Warm white sands and waters, so crystal clear and filled with little tropical fish. We spent every day on the beach for the morning and then moved up to the pool after nap time. They have Floating rafts out in the swimming area that we really enjoyed with Olivia, especially on wavy days. Sam enjoyed wind surfing, and there are tons of all-included water activities. You can rent a beach cabana that is right out on the beach, with a king sized bed, table and chairs, a butler, and beach toys. Friends of ours did this daily, but since we only spent a couple hours on the beach, we didn't bother. There are toys ALL OVER THE BEACH so no need to bring beach toys!
The Pools were incredible. There was an amazing lazy river which we went in several times a day, however getting the smallest life jackets was a problem, so bringing your own might be a thought for small toddlers. There are also waterslides for bigger kids. There was a kiddie splash pad, right beside a hot tub which was great. 2 swim-up bars on the resort with all blended and delicious caribbean drinks. Rafts and floaties in all the pools, which were a little cool but still so nice in that hot sun. Getting a chair in the morning in your favourite spot is tricky, so Sam and Olivia would go out early and throw down our stuff before breakfast.
KIDS CLUB - SESAME STREET
By far, the highlight of the trip for Olivia was the Sesame Street characters and all the fun kids club activities. She would be exercising with Elmo or on a scavenger hunt with Grover at one moment and baking cookies with Cookie Monster at the next. She LOVED the special breakfast you can book and pay $ to attend when all the characters come and get pics with your tots. Dancing with Abbey Caddaby on the beach at the beach party night was a favourite moment too. They went ALL out with their kids clubs, incredible staff that can watch your child any time of the day. We never left Olivia unattended, but many families did and felt perfectly safe doing so. There is a terrific schedule with all the kids club/characters daily activities. Nightly, there were amazing on-stage shows with the characters, and all the children are on their feet dancing, playing and LOVING every moment. Excellent quality of entertainment for sure. Definitely the BEST part of this trip for our family.
RECOMMENDATIONS
So here is the conclusion to my review: We enjoyed this trip very much due to the entertainment, Jamacian atmosphere, food, sand, sun, friends and FUN! What would we do differently? Definitely NOT book the concierge room, we paid a significant amount more for this and it was dreadful and frustrating. Would we go back again? Not likely since Beaches also has a resort in Turks & Caicos and we heard amazing things about this resort and would rather try that instead. We did meet other families on our resort that were horrified by the other Beaches resorts in Jamaica, and felt that the Beaches Negril was certainly the best in Jamaica. The resort is older and it shows so perhaps it's more of a 4 1/2 star as oppose to 5, and over priced due to this. When I arrived home and emailed my complaints to Beaches customer services about the no pick-up at airport, horrible check in process, disappointing concierge service, & splinters in Olivia's feet, they did offer us a 2 night free stay at any of their resorts, which was very appreciated.
