The special visitor was to arrive at 8pm. We waited in our room and there was a knock on the door. I asked our seven-year-old son Scott to go and see who it is.

t’s not every day you open the door to see your favourite Sesame Street character Cookie Monster (you can choose from one of 10 Sesame Street characters) paying you a visit for a bedtime story and lullaby before tucking your child in for the night.

A resort photographer is on hand to capture that special moment and we made sure we had a cookie waiting to feed our special friend at the end of his visit.

It was 15 minutes Scott will never forget and was just one of many memorable experiences on a recent trip to Beaches Ocho Rios, an all-inclusive family resort in Jamaica.

Getting there was relatively straightforward. We flew from Manchester direct to Montego Bay airport in Jamaica (flight time of 8 hours 40 minutes) and then enjoyed a complimentary transfer to the resort which took about 90 minutes.

On arrival we enjoyed some wet towels, some champagne and fruit punch and were shown to our room. We stayed in one of the Greek Beachfront Concierge Terrace Suites with a wonderful view overlooking the beach and Caribbean Sea and to the children’s delight, the room was decorated with multiple balloons.

They are an excellent size with two double beds and a large sofa bed, a large en-suite bathroom and a terrace area outside with table and chairs and a sun lounger. Fridges are well-stocked and if you ever need anything, you can pop into concierge and request alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks.

After a quick unpack it was time to play. Firstly we headed to the beach where all the water sports are based — kayaks, windsurfing, paddle-boarding, snorkelling, Hobie cats and our favourite, the banana boat rides. Daily scuba diving is available for certified divers and courses are offered for an additional fee.

However, it was at the Pirates Island Waterpark where Scott and Eva (13) spent most of the day. With kid-friendly pools and 11 waterslides, there was plenty to keep them (and me) occupied.

There’s two pool tables if you need some time out of the water and you can order drinks straight to your sun lounger. And at the entrance to the waterpark, official vendors will be there on different days selling everything from paintings and Jamaican-style pottery to necklaces and bracelets.

The main swimming pool is situated in the middle of the resort. It has a swim-up bar for adults and is right beside the main stage where the entertainment takes place every evening.

From Sesame Street stage shows to live music and cabaret shows, there’s something for everybody. Indeed, we were lucky enough to be there on the day Jamaica celebrated 60 years of independence when all the staff wore special Jamaican outfits and produced a spectacular show and a fitting celebration.

For the singers amongst us, there’s karaoke — my wife Samantha and Eva gave a rousing rendition of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer!

There’s also plenty to entertain the kids out of the water. There’s tennis courts and a basketball court on site and 15 minutes away, Sandals Golf & Country Club with complimentary green fees and round-trip transfers included.

If it’s time for parents to enjoy a little relaxation on their own, there’s five different kids’ camps available, all with separate facilities.

These cater for babies right up to teenagers aged 15 to 17. Teenagers can also go to Trench Town during the day, where they can hang out and watch TV, listen to music or play electronic basketball or laser hockey while Club Liquid is on from 10pm to 11pm where tweens and teens can go and hang out without their parents.

On this type of holiday, it’s great for the children to get away from their tablets and devices but thunderstorms can pop up occasionally in Jamaica and that proved an ideal time for Scott to visit the X Box Lounge which is open from 9am to 10pm every night with several consoles and games.

The most impressive aspect to Beaches is the variety of restaurants. The Bayside Restaurant is where you’ll enjoy an outstanding buffet breakfast. Not only is there a hot food station with sausages, bacon and hash browns, but you can make your own omelette, there’s a smoothie station, and a wide variety of tropical fruit, bread and pastries and cakes. The Bayside is also open for lunch and dinner.

Our favourite restaurant was Neptunes which serves Mediterranean cuisine outdoors — not only was the food great but we had the best table in the resort, right at the end of the pier under the gazebo.

If you ask, one of the waiters will bring you some bread to feed the fish within the deep blue water beside you. There’s also La Parisienne which serves French cuisine, the Venetian which is Italian and Josephine’s Creperie which, naturally enough, serves crepes but also has a smoothie bar. Beside Pirates Waterpark is the BBQ Park and Bella Napoli Pizzeria. Open from 11am, you can walk up, order your pizzas, burgers or hot dogs and then collect them later and eat at the poolside or back at your room . There’s a bar beside it for drinks and a self-serve ice cream machine.

Of course the resort is catered towards children but there’s plenty for adults too. Samantha enjoyed a visit to the Red Lane Spa on-site which offers a variety of skincare and body care treatments to aromatherapy massages.

In the evening there’s a piano bar (close to the spa) which is for adults only and opens at 9pm. All us dads need some ‘me-time’ occasionally too and my favourite hideaway was the Opa Bar which was a very short walk from our room.

It opens from 4pm to 10pm and has a wonderful balcony overlooking the beach from where to watch the sunset every night. Because it is slightly out of the way, it was never that busy and it’s a great spot to enjoy a cold beer after a busy day entertaining the kids.

For a day out, I’d highly recommend booking a trip with Island Routes who have a reservations desk just at the entrance of the Bayside Restaurant.

They offer 12 featured tours from Beaches Ocho Rios including a dune buggy adventure and powerboat trips but we opted for the Reggae Catamaran and Snorkelling Cruise.

After being transferred on bus to another Sandals resort down the coast, we boarded this impressive catamaran. There was only about 25 of us on board so you feel like you have the whole boat to yourself. After making our way to one of the Caribbean’s best snorkelling spots, Eva and Samantha along with most others got their flippers on and headed out to the reef.

As Scott has only just learned to swim, we decided to stay on board and watch. However, one of the boat’s diving crew very kindly offered to take Scott in and give him a private snorkelling lesson.

Next thing I knew, Scott was snorkelling on the reef along with everybody else. Once back on board, food and drinks were offered to everyone and we headed back as the DJ kept everybody entertained and we all enjoyed a good sing-along.

The trip is expensive at $380 for a family of four but the children loved it and can’t wait to go back snorkelling again.

One of the selling points the resort has is an exclusive partnership with Sesame Street and several VIP packages are available to buy during your stay.

There’s the Night Night, Sleep Tight session which we had or there’s an all-access photo session with most of the Sesame Street characters, a character breakfast which you can enjoy with Elmo and his friends, and if you really want to push the boat out , celebrate your child’s birthday with a one-hour private party with one or more Sesame Street characters.

Throughout the day you’ll see the characters walking about the resort and they are always ready to pose for pictures.

And speaking of capturing those special moments, you will find professional photographers from Snap Shots working throughout the day taking pictures of you and your loved ones.

Their services also include private photo sessions, wedding photography and video services. Then at the end of your holiday, you can visit the Snap Shots shop, scroll through all the photographs that have been taken throughout your stay and pick and choose which ones you would like to buy.

These are wonderful mementoes to remember a wonderful trip. Beaches’ family resorts are on another level to anything I have experienced with the service and friendliness of the staff second to none. We hope to return one day to make more special memories.

Travel factfile

A seven-night stay for two adults and two children at Beaches Ocho Rios, A Spa, Golf and Waterpark Resort, Jamaica staying in a Caribbean luxury family sized room double costs from £2,099 per adult and from £915 per child.

Price includes Luxury Included (all-inclusive) accommodation, return economy class flights with Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow Airport and resort transfers.

Price is date-specific and is valid for travel on September 15, 2023, only. Pricing is subject to availability and may change.

To book or for more information on Beaches Resorts visit www.beaches.co.uk or call 0800 597 0002.

Prices are guaranteed at the time of booking, regardless of departure dates, and are secured with a £175 per person deposit.

Package holidays are ATOL and ABTA protected when made through UCHL, the UK tour operator for Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts.