I had a bit of a tough time (maybe more than a bit) when I stayed at this property in December 2010. More than one of their buildings were offline due to hvac and electrical issues which, as I reported earlier, caused a fair bit of chaos for the rooms division.
Beyond the rooms challenges, many aspects of the property were excellent and some of the more detailed trip reports in this thread were very consistent with my findings.
Two notable differences: the beach won't be for everyone. It's big. It's private. That much is good. It is a bit rough. The sand is a dark brown, and has a bit of a dirt-like consistency. The water is Asiatic green, not the blue/clear water found in some parts of the Caribbean. When we were there, there were pieces of lumber floating in the water over several days - many with rusty nails. I presume this was an anomaly while we were there - but you couldnt be certain your kids wouldn't get hit by one so we didn't go in.
The pool is not heated. The water temp was high 70s to maybe low 80s. While we were in every day (used to swimming in long island sound), considering how many kids were at the property, there we surprisingly few in the pool. There is a hot tub, but it is meant for 8 to 12 people, and obviously isn't for swimming. It was very full pretty much every day - mainly with kids lamenting that the main pool was too cold and their parents wouldn't let them go in the ocean.
These are the facts. As to whether it's a good beach or not, that's in the eye of the beholder. The pool situation is one you need to understand when considering a trip, too - as quite a few people at the property expressed frustration with the pool temp. I was there in December. Visitors in the summer probably won't have any issue with the pool temp.
I am pleased to say that management took my during-the-stay, and after-the-stay, comments very seriously and i have had a bit of a dialogue with them since my stay. My family has decided that there were so many good facts about is property that we are going to give it another try. With a bit more refinement, this has the potential to be one of the top resorts in the Caribbean.