we had originally booked to go to couples ocho rios but were moved to san souci instead.

the downsides....too many steps, not for anyone whos not steady on their feet.

lying on the beach there were renovations going on simultaneously in d block and b block. unfortunately there were kangos, drilling, hammering and planing machines going all day long...even up until 9.45 one evening. we reported this to guest services and was told it would be addressed. it did stop in the evening....when the managers cocktail party was on or the gala night!!

rooms were ok, a bit tatty round the edges but clean enough to sleep there.

we were expecting the all inclusive trips to be the same as the ones we originally had at ocho rios. but, we were told the catamaran cruise couldnt be done as it couldnt get in to the shore. after much wrangling and getting the virgin rep involved the hotel agreed to let us have the martha brae rafting trip and the hotel paid for that.

casanova restaurant we tried once and hubby...who has guts of steel...was violently ill..we didnt go back there.

we repeatedly tried to book water-skiing lesson, only to be told that the boat was out of action. but, if we wanted to pay $70 for a champagne cruise..it was suddenly seaworthy again.

the good points...

palazzina restaurant...lovely food every time we ate there.

bella vista...great food

the staff are lovely...especially machel, trainee at the palazzina, and nadia, also at the pallazzina.

all in all we found the place boring. the evening entertainment was quite good but the balloon bar ambience was ruined every night with drunks screeching at the top of their lungs at what was meant to be a sing-a-long...i expect loutish behaviour at a cheap resort in spain not at couples.

i would rate this a 3-4 star-purely for the food and the wonderful landscaping.

would i go back? never!

The staff is really what seperates this one from all the rest. They go out of their way on every front to make your stay is perfect. Best yet, they're personable...quite easy to get to know a few of them if you stay here for any meaningful amount of time. If she's still there, Sasha (the program director), is truly a great girl to get to know. Ask for dancing lessons!

My husband and I stayed at San Souci for 2 weeks 31/08 - 14/09

I kept check ing the reviews before we went on our trip and was starting to worry about some of the really bad reviews.

We were married in March and had a disaster honeymoon so we decided to take a luxury trip to Jamaica. We are both 25 and just wanted a relaxing holiday with plenty of Sun/Cocktails!!!
The Jamican people are so chilled out, we immidiatley got into the Holiday mode!

After a long 9 hour flight we arrived at Montego Bay airport, getting through customs was unexpectidley easy! It took around 20 minutes and our bags were waiting for us on the other side.
We were then greeted at the Couples lounge with a much appreciated cold beer! This was such a nice start, we just couldn't wait to get to the resort!
The journey is around 2 hours from the airport to the resort and we stopped on the way for a toilet break and a beer. Our driver was really informative and gave us info about Jamaican culture which made the journey go really fast!

On arrival at CSS we were greeted with a cold glass of champagne and cold towels. The check in staff were friendly and gave us all the resort info.
The porters took our bags to our room, we had E5. On first impression, the rooms was amazing, with a fantastic view of the ocean. The room was a bit dated but we didn't intend staying in there too much anyway.

We were not offered the tour at reception but we were quite happy to explore the resort on our own. The resort is quite big and there is plenty to do! There are a LOT of steps, and they seem never ending after a few too many beers! It's a good way to burn off all those extra cocktail calories though!

The beach is nice, quite small but there were always plenty of chairs. We took a walk round the nudist beach before anyone was on there and it looks really nice. It's a shame it's nudist only! Definatley not our scene!

We found all the staff very helpful and organised, The food was good. We mainly ate at the beach bar and room service. We tried the restaurants once, they were good but not really to our standard of eating out. I guess it depends on what you are used to. I preffered the room service and the Jerk chicken Cesar salad was fantastic!
The entertainment team were really good and the shows were different every night.

We only did the Bob Marley tour which is extra, we went in the jeep. The journey is about 1 1/2 The Bob Marley tour was quite short for the money and we were hassled to buy Marajuana. I didn't feel very safe. Apparently it is legal to smoke only in the Bob Marley place. But it didn't appeal to us so we didn't bother.

We were offered Drugs a few times. And a few people we met bought Majuana for their personal use in their room. Marajuana is illigal in Jmaiaca but seems to be reaily availabel and everyone seems to smoke it. Just a polite No thanks you and they don't bother you again.

After a few days in our room, we really started to notice how dated it was, we had some ants in our bathroom, but we sprayed mosquito spray aroud the edges and they did not return.

There is no tipping at this resort, we did tip quite a lot, i think some staff expected it and some were really happy to help you either way! Which was nice.

I burnt my face really bad and got a throat infection so i had to see the doctor for anti biotics. I was expecting this to be a real nightmare but although it was quite costly, $220 the doctor was really fast and brought my medication with him. I was really impressed with the standard of care, they even called me a few days later to see how i was feeling.

We had the couples massage which was excellant! You can also get some really nice photo's round the Spa area.

A big dissapointment was our return journey, our drive was quite erratic and i did not feel very safe. We also had to ask him to turn the music down as i could not hear myself think! We asked not to stop for refreshments and go straight tot he airport, he didn't seem very happy about this, maybe they get some sort of commission. He then asked us for a tip for getting us there safely?!

All in all this is a nice resort, with plenty of activities. The things that let it down for me are the lack of attention to detail. Sometimes it's just the little things that make you feel more comfortable that count. This resort is in desparate need of modernisation.
We had a great holiday and we met some really nice people. But i think we will be looking for pure luxury on our next holiday. I would rate this hotel a 4 star and i think we paid a bit over the odds for our stay, so it's worth shopping for a bargain! From the UK i think it is cheaper to book your flight and get a hotel deal separately. The have a UK Couples website. There is no holiday rep there anyway so it makes sense!

We stayed at Couples San Souci during the first week of April for our honeymoon. Initially we were booked at the Couples Ochos Rios but after receiving a phone call from our travel rep. had the choice to rebook at Couples San Souci or another resort. We were saddend a bit upon hearing the news but after reading up on San Souci decided to give the resort a try, and boy are we glad we did!

Arrival
From the minute our plane landed at the airport it was bliss. Couples has a wonderful "canteen" at the airport with ice cold beer and other refreshments as we awaited our van ride to the resort. The ride to the resort is about an hour and a half....a good time to soak in the views.

Checkin
Once we arrived we were "greeted" by sparkling wine, a refreshing wet towelette and pleasant staff. The checkin process was seamless.

Room
Next we were escorted to our room. At this point I cannot remember our exact room number but the view was very pleasant. The views vary depending on the floor and block you are assigned to. Our room definately had an ocean view but much of which was "obstructed" by the lush palm trees and plants right outside our balcony. This did not bother us one bit.
The room is comfortable (we have the balcony ocean view suite) nothing too fancy, but well maintained.

The Grounds
I strongly urge you to take the grounds tour to get familiar with the expansive resort. There are many stairs to climb and various paths to take. Even after almost a week at the resort we still found ourselves making wrong turns to get places!!
The scenery of the resort is simply breathtaking. Always new things to discover.

The Beach
Small but comfortable. Never felt crowded. Has a secluded island feel to it. Plenty of included water sports which we took full advantage of!
Nudist beach also belonging to San Souci a small walk away.....we did it as first timers and had a blast (pretty sunsets at the Nudist beach which becomes accessible to non nudists...check the time though).

Pools
Plenty of pools and places to lounge out.

The Food
Never a bad thing on the menu! Reservations are a must at both restaurants....plenty of food. Take advantage of room service on days you just want to sleep in!!

Drinks
Specialty drinks such as margharitas, daquiries etc. tended to have the same taste to them... a bit chalky from the power mix?....so stick to the basics such as Gin and tonic, vodka and orange, whiskey and coke, beer etc. You have to ask for top shelf in order to have it in your drink.

Staff
All friendly.

Spa
The couples massage is a must do!

Just like any hotel/ resort lock up valuables in the safe.

Will be back again!!! Do not hesitate to stay at this beautiful resort!