The Stargazer’s Guide to Sandals Dunn’s River


Love is, like all the stars in the sky, eternal.

At Sandals Resorts, love between our guests flourishes from sea to shore, and now we’re ready to chart love in the stars with the launch of Sandals’ first-ever Stargazing Concierge at Sandals Dunn’s River - a stellar new experience for couples booked in the Coyaba Sky Villa Swim-Up Rondoval Suites. With a new resort comes new opportunities, so grab your star-aligned lover and book a stay in the resort’s newest suites complete with an open-air rooftop in the sky, offering unparalleled access to the heights of Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

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Pictured here: The Coyaba Sky Rondoval village at Sandals Dunn’s River.

Introducing the Sandals Stargazing Concierge

Once you arrive at Sandals Dunn’s River, you’ll meet your personal Stargazing Concierge, a personalized butler experience to help fulfill all of your celestial dreams – from decadent desserts under a canopy of stars, to bottomless bubbly, and more. All you need to do is give your Stargazing Concierge a ring and have them set up a romantic rendezvous for you in your Coyaba Sky Villa Rondoval Suite. From behind the lens of a state-of-the-art telescope, your Concierge will also help you identify constellations and meteor activity in the Ocho Rios skyscape.

Guests staying in a Coyaba Sky Villa will find themselves in a suite that reinvents modern luxury. The villa promises Caribbean views from every angle, not only from the heights of the rooftop hideaway, but from the intimate confines of the suite, which features captivating views of the tropical garden sanctuary and private pool just beyond the doors.

In this new villa design, indoor comfort meets outdoor luxury, giving guests direct access to a sprawling river pool and ample lounge space on a sun-soaked open-air terrace. Inside, the villa features a pillowy king-size bed, mere steps away from a private outdoor sanctuary, walk-in shower, two soaking tubs, and more. In addition to the Stargazing Concierge services, guests staying in this villa will find 24-hour in-room dining, a personal butler, and in-room check-in.

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To commemorate your starry night, this summer for a limited time, guests who request a stargazing set-up through their personal concierge will receive a complimentary star map from The Night Sky - a gift to help remember the moment when the stars aligned above the Ocho Rios skyspace.

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Photo credit: AnupatPisitpokin/Shutterstock.com

While the Caribbean is most commonly known for its crystal-clear waters and white sands, what many don’t realize is that Jamaica is an ideal stargazing destination. With the summer solstice in our rearview mirror, the night skies have grabbed the attention of travelers, with its stars and planets magnificently visible to the naked eye. Ready to chart the stars from your Coyaba Sky Rondoval suite?

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Pictured here: A 'Sandals First', the Coyaba Sky Rondoval Villas are designed for an out-of-this-world experience, day or night.

Oh, The Things You’ll See

On a clear night from your Ocho Rios vantage point, Mercury is the closest planet in sight, currently 194 million kilometers away from Earth. In optimal conditions, you’ll be able to spot the passing of the International Space Station every two days. Using your suite’s telescope, you can spot the Milky Way, Orion’s Belt, and the Big Dipper.

To help guide your gaze, download the Night Sky app, which uses interactive AR to help you identify stars, planets, constellations, and other cosmic sights. You can also simply ask your Stargazing Concierge, too - that’s what they are there for!

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Pictured here: Your personal Stargazing Concierge will arrange a romantic evening beneath the stars upon request.

Tips for Stargazing

New to stargazing? Here are some tips:

  • The key to clear stargazing is high elevation and cloudless skies - so the timing has to be just right during your stay at Sandals Dunn’s River!
  • The best time to stargaze is during a new moon, before moonrise or after moonset. Study up on your star maps before booking your stay to maximize your stargazing experience.
  • Give your eyes time to adapt to the darkness. Astronomers say this process, dubbed “dark adaptation,” can take up to 30 minutes.
  • Put the phones away. Bright blue light from the screen will hinder your night vision - so unplug and look up!
  • All of the planets are visible with the naked eye, but not at the same time. Venus is the brightest planet in the sky.
  • How to tell the difference between planets and stars? As a rule of thumb, stars will appear to twinkle.

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Pictured here: The Coyaba Sky Rondovals come with their own private pool and are just steps away from a beautifully winding river pool.

Making the Most of Your Cosmic Stay

When the sun shines and the stars rest, guests in a Coyaba Sky Rondoval Villas can enjoy a private soaking tub for two, a sun lounging area, and direct access to a sprawling river pool. Beyond the villa, the new resort is home to 12 Global Gourmet™ restaurants – with 10 concepts entirely new to the Sandals family – as well as nine bars, including the Sandals Dunn's Rum Club, where Jamaica’s signature liquor is shaken and stirred into authentic, expertly mixed craft cocktails.

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Pictured here: The Papa Doble cocktail - a masterful mix of maraschino cordial grapefruit juice and white rum, served at the new Dunn’s Rum Club at Sandals Dunn’s River.

Constellations and stars tell stories centuries old. These moments of light in a dark sky are unwavering and stable, right above your head on your best days and on your worst. Here in the romance business, we know that love can look a million different ways. Any attempt to number the possibilities of love would be akin to numbering the stars. Our mission is to continue evolving our definition of romance, implementing inclusive and creative romance opportunities for couples in love. The Stargazing Concierge experience at Sandals Dunn’s River will leave you with a souvenir like never before– the key to an entire universe and memories that can be continuously retrieved just by looking up. Let the stars guide you home.




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Courtney Young

About Courtney Young

Courtney is a New York based writer and lover of travel. She is passionate about the exploration of cultures and the preservation of our planet. Her Caribbean destination of choice is Turks & Caicos.