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Which is best - Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort, Beaches Negril Resort or Beaches Ochos Rios Resort?
If you want a five-star all-inclusive family holiday in the Caribbean, the three 'Beaches' Resorts are a good place to start.
They are run by the same company as Sandals (which is more for couples) and offer two posh resorts in Jamaica and one on a group of islands called Turks and Caicos.
All three of the Beaches Resorts offer easy access to sandy beaches, several swimming pools, posh restaurants, kids' clubs and an impressive range of included activities.
But which is the best Beaches resort for a luxury family beach holiday - Beaches Negril Resort in Jamaica, Beaches Ochos Rios Resort in Jamaica or Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort?
**If you just want the headline without reading all the waffle, we think Beaches Ochos Rios is the best value Beaches resort for a week's holiday. If money is no object or if you're staying for two weeks then I would pick the biggest resort which is Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort**
For our comparison we looked at customer reviews, prices at different times of year, activities and facilities onsite, weather, awards and travel time from the UK.
They are run by the same company as Sandals (which is more for couples) and offer two posh resorts in Jamaica and one on a group of islands called Turks and Caicos.
All three of the Beaches Resorts offer easy access to sandy beaches, several swimming pools, posh restaurants, kids' clubs and an impressive range of included activities.
But which is the best Beaches resort for a luxury family beach holiday - Beaches Negril Resort in Jamaica, Beaches Ochos Rios Resort in Jamaica or Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort?
**If you just want the headline without reading all the waffle, we think Beaches Ochos Rios is the best value Beaches resort for a week's holiday. If money is no object or if you're staying for two weeks then I would pick the biggest resort which is Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort**
For our comparison we looked at customer reviews, prices at different times of year, activities and facilities onsite, weather, awards and travel time from the UK.
What do the three Beaches Resorts have in common?
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Before we pick out our best Beaches resort, it's worth looking at the things that you'll get regardless of which resort you choose. All three resorts include:
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Which Beaches Resort gets the best reviews? Beaches Negril, Beaches Ochos Rios or Beaches Turks and Caicos?
The good news it that all three Beaches Resorts get outstanding customer reviews. In fact, there's very little to separate them based on reviews.
When we checked, Beaches Negril in Jamaica and Beaches Turks and Caicos were tied on 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor and 4.5/5 on Google Reviews. Beaches Ochos Rios was scoring the same on TripAdvisor but was marginally behind on Google Reviews (4.3/5). Hardly enough to write it off, but a slight difference.
When we checked, Beaches Negril in Jamaica and Beaches Turks and Caicos were tied on 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor and 4.5/5 on Google Reviews. Beaches Ochos Rios was scoring the same on TripAdvisor but was marginally behind on Google Reviews (4.3/5). Hardly enough to write it off, but a slight difference.
Which Beaches Resort is the cheapest? Beaches Negril, Beaches Ochos Rios or Beaches Turks and Caicos?
Needless to say, a trip to a luxury five-star resort in the Caribbean is not the cheapest holiday you will find. You probably knew that already.
However, there is some significant difference in price between the three Beaches Resorts and there are also good deals to be had if you have flexibility around travel dates.
For a rough price comparison, we searched on Beaches.co.uk in March 2020 for the cheapest accommodation available for a family of four (2-15 year olds), staying for a week at a Beaches Resort. We searched for the price including flights from any London airport and transfers. Prices also include (nearly) all activities as well as food and drink.
We searched for:
We've ranked them from cheapest to most expensive for each date:
Cheapest price for a family of four for a week in mid April 2020, during UK school holidays:
Cheapest price for a week in early August 2020, during UK school holidays:
Cheapest price for a week in mid-September 2020, outside of UK school holidays:
Cheapest price for a week in early December, outside of UK school holidays
Cheapest price for a week at Christmas 2020, during UK school holidays
As you can see, Beaches Ochos Rios in Jamaica was consistently the cheapest of the three Beaches Resorts in our price comparisons. The difference in price from the cheapest to the most expensive was usually somewhere between £1000 and £4000 per week, with one instance where it was £19,000 (I think the Christmas 2020 date at Beaches Turks and Caicos was a bit of an exception).
Beaches Negril in Jamaica was usually the mid-priced option, although for most dates there wasn't much between that resort and Beaches Turks and Caicos.
However, there is some significant difference in price between the three Beaches Resorts and there are also good deals to be had if you have flexibility around travel dates.
For a rough price comparison, we searched on Beaches.co.uk in March 2020 for the cheapest accommodation available for a family of four (2-15 year olds), staying for a week at a Beaches Resort. We searched for the price including flights from any London airport and transfers. Prices also include (nearly) all activities as well as food and drink.
We searched for:
- a week in mid April 2020, during UK school holidays
- a week in early August 2020, during UK school holidays
- a week in mid-September 2020, outside of UK school holidays
- a week in early December 2020, outside of UK school holidays
- a week at Christmas 2020, during UK school holidays
We've ranked them from cheapest to most expensive for each date:
Cheapest price for a family of four for a week in mid April 2020, during UK school holidays:
- Beaches Ochos Rios, Jamaica - £10,160
- Beaches Negril, Jamaica - £13,429
- Beaches Turks and Caicos - £14,995
Cheapest price for a week in early August 2020, during UK school holidays:
- Beaches Ochos Rios, Jamaica - £9147
- Beaches Negril, Jamaica - £10,200
- Beaches Turks and Caicos - £10,363
Cheapest price for a week in mid-September 2020, outside of UK school holidays:
- Beaches Ochos Rios, Jamaica - £5962
- Beaches Negril, Jamaica - £7397
- Beaches Turks and Caicos - £7795
Cheapest price for a week in early December, outside of UK school holidays
- Beaches Ochos Rios, Jamaica - £6381
- Beaches Turks and Caicos - £7390
- Beaches Negril, Jamaica - £7397
Cheapest price for a week at Christmas 2020, during UK school holidays
- Beaches Ochos Rios, Jamaica - £9469
- Beaches Negril, Jamaica - £12,505
- Beaches Turks and Caicos - £28,617
As you can see, Beaches Ochos Rios in Jamaica was consistently the cheapest of the three Beaches Resorts in our price comparisons. The difference in price from the cheapest to the most expensive was usually somewhere between £1000 and £4000 per week, with one instance where it was £19,000 (I think the Christmas 2020 date at Beaches Turks and Caicos was a bit of an exception).
Beaches Negril in Jamaica was usually the mid-priced option, although for most dates there wasn't much between that resort and Beaches Turks and Caicos.
Which Beaches Resort has the most activities and best facilities? Beaches Negril, Beaches Ochos Rios or Beaches Turks and Caicos?
The first thing that's worth realising is that there is a big difference in size between the three Beaches Resort.
Beaches Turks and Caicos is the biggest resort by far. It has more than 750 rooms across four 'Villages' compared to somewhere around 220 rooms at Beaches Ochos Rios and about 180 at Beaches Negril. In case it helps you understand the scale, a typical Center Parcs in the UK has about 800 lodges.
Because it is so much bigger, it's no surprise that Beaches Turks and Caicos has more swimming pools and restaurants than the other two resorts. However, you'll obviously be sharing them with many more people.
In all, Beaches Turks and Caicos has 12 swimming pools and 24 restaurants whilst Beaches Ochos Rios has 6 swimming pools and 7 restaurants and Beaches Negril has 3 swimming pools and 9 restaurants.
All three resorts have large 'Pirates Island' waterparks with things like flumes and a lazy river to keep children (and dads) entertained. Beaches Turks and Caicos is the only one with a surf simulator, but you won't be bored at any of them.
If this is making your head hurt, the summary is that there is less choice at the two Jamaican Beaches resorts, but there are far less people fighting it out for a seat next to the pools. If you're staying for a week, you aren't going to manage to visit the 24 different restaurants and all 12 swimming pools at Beaches Turks and Caicos. However, if you stay for two weeks then you would probably be able to make the most of the larger resort.
In terms of activities, all three of the Beaches resorts offer a good choice of watersports and land activities but there is some small variations:
Beaches Turks and Caicos is the biggest resort by far. It has more than 750 rooms across four 'Villages' compared to somewhere around 220 rooms at Beaches Ochos Rios and about 180 at Beaches Negril. In case it helps you understand the scale, a typical Center Parcs in the UK has about 800 lodges.
Because it is so much bigger, it's no surprise that Beaches Turks and Caicos has more swimming pools and restaurants than the other two resorts. However, you'll obviously be sharing them with many more people.
In all, Beaches Turks and Caicos has 12 swimming pools and 24 restaurants whilst Beaches Ochos Rios has 6 swimming pools and 7 restaurants and Beaches Negril has 3 swimming pools and 9 restaurants.
All three resorts have large 'Pirates Island' waterparks with things like flumes and a lazy river to keep children (and dads) entertained. Beaches Turks and Caicos is the only one with a surf simulator, but you won't be bored at any of them.
If this is making your head hurt, the summary is that there is less choice at the two Jamaican Beaches resorts, but there are far less people fighting it out for a seat next to the pools. If you're staying for a week, you aren't going to manage to visit the 24 different restaurants and all 12 swimming pools at Beaches Turks and Caicos. However, if you stay for two weeks then you would probably be able to make the most of the larger resort.
In terms of activities, all three of the Beaches resorts offer a good choice of watersports and land activities but there is some small variations:
- Most watersports are available at all three resorts, such as snorkelling, windsurfing, paddleboarding and kayaking. The main difference between the three resorts is that you can only do waterskiing and tubing at Beaches Negril (tubing is where you sit on a tube and get pulled along).
- Similarly, there is some variation in the number of landsports that are available at each resort (volleyball, tennis etc). Beaches Negril has the biggest range with 14 landsports compared to 12 at Beaches Turks and Caicos and 10 at Beaches Ochos Rios.
Which resort has the best weather? Beaches Negril, Beaches Ochos Rios or Beaches Turks and Caicos?
All three Beaches Resorts give you a year round tropical climate and the daytime temperature will never really drop below 20 celsius, even in the cooler months.
However, according to most climate graphs I've stared at, Beaches Turks and Caicos is slightly cooler than the Jamaican resorts (Beaches Ochos Rios and Beaches Negril).
From April to October, Beaches Ochos Rios and Beaches Negril in Jamaica get very warm and muggy with temperatures going beyond 30 degrees celsius regularly. From November to March, the temperature is a couple of degrees lower and it isn't as humid. Personally, I'd visit during this time.
Beaches Turks and Caicos also has a hot and muggy season from around May to October. The winter months (roughly December to March) aren't quite as humid and the daily temperature range is about 20 to 28 degrees celsius.
If you want to read more on this, Climates to Travel has plenty of data for Jamaica and Turks and Caicos.
However, according to most climate graphs I've stared at, Beaches Turks and Caicos is slightly cooler than the Jamaican resorts (Beaches Ochos Rios and Beaches Negril).
From April to October, Beaches Ochos Rios and Beaches Negril in Jamaica get very warm and muggy with temperatures going beyond 30 degrees celsius regularly. From November to March, the temperature is a couple of degrees lower and it isn't as humid. Personally, I'd visit during this time.
Beaches Turks and Caicos also has a hot and muggy season from around May to October. The winter months (roughly December to March) aren't quite as humid and the daily temperature range is about 20 to 28 degrees celsius.
If you want to read more on this, Climates to Travel has plenty of data for Jamaica and Turks and Caicos.
Which is the easiest Beaches Resort to reach from the UK?
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If you're travelling with children, you'll be grateful for the opportunity to spend a little less time trapped inside a plane or being transferred from the airport to the resort.
We worked out the typical flight time from London and added the transfer time:
So, the Jamaican resorts are the winners here, saving you about an hour compared to Beaches Turks and Caicos. Not a huge deal perhaps, and you may actually prefer to be onboard a plane for longer and have a shorter transfer time instead. |
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Which resort has the best beach? Beaches Negril, Beaches Ochos Rios or Beaches Turks and Caicos?
Beaches Turks and Caicos and Beaches Negril are alongside long stretches of beach, whilst Beaches Ochos Rios has more of a private bay.
The experts reckon that Beaches Turks and Caicos has the best beach, although it's obviously a subjective thing. According to the Beaches website, the beach at Beaches Turks and Caicos - Grace Bay - was voted the 'World's #1 Best Beach by TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice awards' in 2018. Meanwhile, the beach at Beaches Negril was in the top 25.
The experts reckon that Beaches Turks and Caicos has the best beach, although it's obviously a subjective thing. According to the Beaches website, the beach at Beaches Turks and Caicos - Grace Bay - was voted the 'World's #1 Best Beach by TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice awards' in 2018. Meanwhile, the beach at Beaches Negril was in the top 25.
How can I save money on a Beaches Resort holiday?
Here are a few tips I've picked up during my research, I'll add other ones when I find them:
- I didn't find much difference in price between booking direct with Beaches.co.uk and booking through a third party such as Virgin Holidays. For example, a week in late September 2020 at Beaches Negril for a family of four was £6439 at Beaches.co.uk or £6426 at Virgin Holidays (a difference of £13). For the same dates at Beaches Ochos Rios, it was £4505 at Beaches.co.uk or £4982 at Virgin Holidays (a grand saving of £23).
- Two weeks are slightly better value than one, as part of the cost involves the flights and transfers. For example, a week at Beaches Negril for a family of four was £6452 in early December 2020 whilst two weeks was £10667. That's a 'saving' of £2237 compared to booking two holidays.
- I'm sure this will annoy parents greatly, but the difference in price between school holidays and the rest of the year can be pretty big. For example, a week in early December 2020 for a family of four started at £7922 at Beaches Turks and Caicos when we checked. A couple of weeks later it has nearly doubled to £14,487. This is obvious advice, but avoid school holidays if you have any option.
Other notable differences between the three Beaches Resorts
- Beaches Turks and Caicos is split into four different villages, including a French, Italian, Caribbean and Key West villages.
- As far as I can tell, you can only book holidays from the UK to Beaches Turks and Caicos for arrivals on Thursdays and Sundays. Beaches Ochos Rios and Beaches Negril have the option of arriving on most days apart from Saturday. I've tried a few different dates to test this out but it may change in the future.
Conclusion - which is the best Beaches Resort? Beaches Negril, Beaches Ochos Rios or Beaches Turks and Caicos?
All three of the Beaches Resorts offer luxury, but my pick is Beaches Ochos Rios as the best value resort for a week's holiday. If money is no object and you plan to stay for two weeks then I'd probably go for Beaches Turks and Caicos which also has the best beach according to TripAdvisor reviewers.
Beaches Ochos Rios scores very well with reviewers (albeit very slightly lower than the other two) and has plenty of swimming pools, activities and restaurants to fill a week or more. Beaches Ochos Rios offers the same range of childcare and an almost identical range of activities as the other two, but was the clear winner in our price comparison, sometimes by thousands of pounds. If you can afford it, you could then spend the saving on an accommodation upgrade.
Beaches Turks and Caicos is the biggest and most impressive resort but unless you're staying for two weeks I doubt you'd be able to try out every restaurant and swimming pool. The weather is another factor - if you struggle with humidity and prefer lower temperatures, go for Beaches Turks and Caicos in the winter months (the same months as the UK's winter).
Both of the Jamaican resorts (Beaches Negril and Beaches Ochos Rios) are about an hour closer than Beaches Turks and Caicos which is another plus point.
Beaches Ochos Rios scores very well with reviewers (albeit very slightly lower than the other two) and has plenty of swimming pools, activities and restaurants to fill a week or more. Beaches Ochos Rios offers the same range of childcare and an almost identical range of activities as the other two, but was the clear winner in our price comparison, sometimes by thousands of pounds. If you can afford it, you could then spend the saving on an accommodation upgrade.
Beaches Turks and Caicos is the biggest and most impressive resort but unless you're staying for two weeks I doubt you'd be able to try out every restaurant and swimming pool. The weather is another factor - if you struggle with humidity and prefer lower temperatures, go for Beaches Turks and Caicos in the winter months (the same months as the UK's winter).
Both of the Jamaican resorts (Beaches Negril and Beaches Ochos Rios) are about an hour closer than Beaches Turks and Caicos which is another plus point.
