Franklyn D. Resort & Spa Planning & Tips

There's a small gift shop on site that sells essentials like diapers, sunscreen and basic medications. But prices are likely to be more than they are wherever you've come from, so you're best off making sure you have all your kiddie and beach staples in ample supply before you get here. If your kids want to take part in making tie dye t-shirts at the crafts center, pack a few old white shirts, too. Beach toys, snorkeling equipment and life jackets are provided for so you can leave most of the usual beach bulk required for a day in the sand in your own garage. It might be worth bringing you own mask and fins if you really like to snorkel, however, as the equipment is sometimes in short supply. The resort can provide extra nannies for your family at a rate of $20 per day. Private birthday celebrations can also be arranged, so feel free to call ahead of time to coordinate the specifics of your family's stay. While a free transfer is provided from Montego Bay airport, you may have to wait for other guests to arrive before it leaves. Consider booking your own transport via taxi or rental car if you feel this might be a problem.

All about the Extras
Repeat guests to FDR receive a special welcome package with local treats like Blue Mountain coffee and hot sauce. Even if it's your first time, you can count on your refrigerator and pantry being stocked upon arrival with all sorts of snacks and drinks -- a nice perk, especially if you arrive late and need to get something in the kids' bellies before tucking them in for the night. While your nanny's services are only included in the rate between 9 a.m. and 4:40 p.m., you can keep her on longer for just $6 per hour, and nannies will happily head out with your family on daytrips around Jamaica, too, as well as stay overnight in your suite.

Unless your kids have a favorite shovel they can't live without, leave all your beach toys at home. Everything from sand castle tools and buckets to water toys and life jackets can be found on the resort's kid's beach. A barebones gym, near the Teen Center, is stocked with just a few cardio machines and weight lifting equipment. Activities like daily bicycling tours, Thursday afternoon booze cruises that depart from the resort dock and shopping tours to Montego Bay are among the extras included in your package rate.

Kids can also get their hair braided or have manicures and pedicures at a small salon near the gift shop.

If you're visiting for a holiday, you can be sure there will be a slew of themed events, related character appearances and crafts activities. The resort's Easter carnival features an egg hunt and appearances by the Easter bunny, for example. For Halloween, candy is provided in all of the suites so that children can do traditional door-to-door trick or treating. In addition to the holidays, there are several themed events weekly, including a family beach barbecue every Wednesday night with tables set up on the sandy beach, Jamaican night on Saturdays with music and activities staged on the resort's boardwalk and kiddie dress up parades every evening (costumes provided).

Repeat visitors to FDR consistently say it's the kindness of the staff that brings them back year after year. And a request that might seem off the wall at a large hotel chain has a good chance of being granted here.


The Art of Smart Timing
Before planning your trip, check the resort's website, as specials (up to 20 percent off your stay) are regularly offered, as well as deals that allow grandparents to stay for free. The summer months, by far Jamaica's sultriest, are when you'll get particularly enticing deals. February to April is very busy at FDR, with Canadian and American school holidays (spring break) providing a steady stream of guests. Things ramp up again around Thanksgiving time and peak around the Christmas holiday season. All of FDR's facilities and activities are offered year round. Since opening in 1990, the resort has never closed for renovations. Instead, maintenance is done on an ongoing basis. With that in mind, you might want to ask in advance if any parts of the resort will be closed for upkeep. Although summer is hot, the ocean sea breezes keep things pretty pleasant most of the year. The winter months offer particularly beautiful weather, with the cool nights. Keep in mind that June 1 through November is hurricane season in the Caribbean.


Getting there
Donald Sangster International Airport is approximately one-hour east of the resort, in Montego Bay, and air-conditioned transfers in a bus or shuttle are included. The shuttle company that FDR uses delivers guests to other area resorts, too, so you may not be the first ones dropped off.


For Mom and Dad
Adults can enjoy kid-free dining at two adults only restaurants on site -- Overproof and the Pier Italian restaurant -- both of which are positioned on the opposite end of the beach from the family-friendly Verandah restaurant (yes, out of earshot). Private, candle-lit dinners for two can also be arranged on the resort's pier.

FDR's spa, the Sea Grape Spa, is a pared down affair -- little more than a breezy, open-air, one-room building at the end of a small dock a few paces away from the beach. Here, guests can receive couples massages, facials and other treatments. Just don't expect any additional amenities like a steam room and sauna. Additionally, there is a salon near the gift shop where you can have your hair braided or get manicures and pedicures.

FDR has an agreement with Breezes, the resort next door, whereby adult guests can use the larger beach here during their stay. It's a fine place for a run or quiet stroll, and while you're not allowed to use the Breezes lounge chairs and towels you can bring your own towel and lay out in the sand.

Booze cruises, offered nightly, are another chance for adults-only fun, and activities like adult cricket games are often staged on the beach. You can always hire your nanny to stay late so you can make the 20-minute journey to Ocho Rios for a romantic dinner at Evita's or the Ruins Restaurant followed by some dancing in town.