Amazing Staff!

This resort is excellent. Nicely decorated and clean rooms. Buffet restaurant had a variety of food options with the Caribbean food being exceptional! The drinks were top shelf. The service impeccable and the entertainment was ‘very good’. Wish there was more Bob Marley Music but otherwise it was great! The beach and weather amazing. Beach did have a few rocks but if you bring water shoes it’s not a problem. Would definitely return!

Beautiful family resort.

Very friendly and clean environment. Well-maintained and organized. Fresh food and delicious in all buffet and restaurants. Staff respectful, friendly, well trained. Beach area clean, but shortage in umbrella and most of them were broken.Overall pleasantvacation

Riu Palace Aquarelle Jamaica

The hotel is located approximately 35 minutes from the Montego Bay Airport. The property is relatively new, the rooms are attractive, and most offer at least a partial sea view, if not a full one. However, the check‑in experience was disappointing, as the staff were not particularly welcoming. Food: The buffet provides an excellent variety of options for all three meals, and we were consistently satisfied. A noteworthy detail: Thursday is lobster night, and the lobsters are large and delic [... read more]ious — though this is not advertised to guests. Booking the specialty restaurants is challenging. Reservations open online at midnight, and availability is limited; booking on a Monday night typically secures a table for Wednesday, but nothing is available for the following day. Waiting until the morning or during the day to book means there will be no openings left. The Steakhouse was a significant disappointment, while the other restaurants were excellent — Krystal was so good we went twice. At the Steakhouse, the rib‑eye steak was no more than a quarter‑inch thick, making it impossible to cook to medium‑rare; after returning it, the replacement was also well‑done. Pepe’s Food was underwhelming, we went once and we chose not to return. The Italian restaurant serves a reduced breakfast buffet from 8h00 to 10h00 - a much quieter and smaller vibe - nice change up from the big buffet which is open from 7h00 to 10h00. Do try the wings at the Sports Bar! We got our morning coffees there everyday. The iced coffee at Capucino in the main Lobby is fantastic and you can also get milkshakes and a variety of cakes, cookies and croissants - all excellent. Pools and Beach: Both the pools and the beach are beautiful, though guests should be prepared to rise early to secure a spot. Bars: The bar-tending team is excellent and consistently enforces the adults‑only policy in the designated areas. Derwayne and Rodinel were particularly outstanding — they remembered our preferred drinks and ensured we were well looked after throughout our stay. They have premium brand alcohols and use shelf alcohol for mixed drinks. There are multiple drink options and you can ask them to make you anything you want. Cleanliness: The property, including the rooms and common areas, is generally very clean. Our room experience varied depending on the staff member assigned that day. One attendant was exceptional, while the other was less attentive and did not consistently replenish towels or facecloths for two guests. Gift Shop and Beach Vendors: There are two gift shops on site, though the prices are quite high relative to the quality of the merchandise. There is sun lotion available at the gift shop and it's buy one get one free so it comes out to $15 USD per bottle. A short walk down the beach, past the Royalton Hotel, local vendors have tents offering a wide variety of items at more reasonable prices — some of the carvings are truly impressive. A few vendors also walk along the beachfront with smaller items for sale. We opted to take a taxi from the hotel entrance to a small mall five minutes away, which had an excellent selection of goods at very competitive prices. We highly recommend asking for Tracy Hudson or Sherlet Black — both are warm, trustworthy, and made us feel completely safe and well cared for. As a note, tours booked through the operators inside the resort are significantly more expensive than those arranged through the taxi services just outside the main entrance. We did a couple of tours with Tracy and Sherlet and they went above an beyond to provide excellent service, stayed with us and made sure everything ran smoothly at the venues. The Luminous Lagoon tour lady tried to double charge us and Sherlet was not having it, she called over the owner and everything was settle within a minute. Final Thoughts: A vacation is ultimately what you make of it. Jamaica is wonderfully relaxed, and even on cloudy or rainy days, the weather was enjoyable. The vast majority of people we encountered — truly 99% — were friendly, welcoming, and full of joy, so it’s best not to dwell on the rare exceptions. I would go back to Jamaica in a heartbeat - but I would try another adults only RIU Palace next time around - this one is not a "true" palace in terms of amenities, room service (limited offering) and specialty dining experiences due to the horrific "midnight" booking system.

Amazing beautiful resort

Back from 7 days stay At the Riu palace Aquarel Very enjoyable clean amazing grounds Beautiful beach Amazing buffet choices of food Very helpful staff from the beach to every corner of this beautiful safe resort Recommended to all my friends

Riu Palace Aquarelle

When we went to the Riu Palace Aquarelle (Jan 30 - Feb 13), we were not sure what to expect following the re-opening after the hurricane. When we arrived, we saw that was still some visible damage to the property, but nothing to lessen the experience of the resort. We did see that the resorts next door were trashed and will not be open for awhile. The room was spacious and clean with a balcony. The bar fridge was stocked daily and the cleaning staff did an excellent job of cleaning. The bu [... read more]ffet was very good with plenty of options, we were able to find something different almost everyday. The serving crew did a good job attending to your needs. Overall the al-a-carte were just ok at best, the Asian was by far the best of the four. The pools were nice with plenty of chairs and shaded areas. It was never a problem finding a spot. The beach also had shaded areas and plenty of chairs however parts of the beach was washed away from the storm. There was also significant amounts of seaweed that washed ashore, however the grounds crew tried very hard to keep the beach clean The entertainment crew did an great job keeping people busy during the day and the dance shows at night were good. The Michael Jackson tribute show was the best. The only negative about the entertainment was that at times things got a little loud around the pool or at night. Overall all the staff that we met were extremely friendly. I found that it was amazing that some of the staff were able to remember your name after meeting you once. Our expectations were exceeded and would recommend to anyone considering visiting Jamaica to spend their time here. We always like exploring different area/countries, however this is one that we would return to in the future.

Beautiful resort!

This is such a beautiful resort, the grounds and views are breathtaking. Our room was beautiful, we had a great view of the ocean. Bathroom was fully stocked with everything you need, including full size shampoo and conditioner, body soap and lotion. The mini fridge was restocked daily. The TV was a little confusing to use. The house keeping was fabulous. She even made us a towel swan. Room severice was great, i do wish they offered coffee after 10:30 am though. The entertainment was out of this [... read more] world. They work hard and put so much effort into a perfect performance. They even have thier very own Mrs. Rachel lol Riuland. We played bingo every night. The host the first few days was absolutely hilarious. The waiters/servers were friendly. I did find some of them to be tip hungry but that was only a few of them. The bartenders were great and made amazing drinks. They are definitely not shy with the alcohol haha. The buffet was absolutely amazing. They definitely know how to cook, with new varietals everyday. I did find booking with the restaurants a bit hard as they open reservations at midnight the day before. I managed to get a booking at the steakhouse but I never received an email confirmation therefore we weren't able to go. The next day I got a survey asking how the dinner was, so I clearly booked it. The pools were nice but cold, not heated at all. It didn't help that we went the week of the cold front and it was already cold outside so getting into the pool was hard already. They play lots of games for adults and kids to. The beach was beautiful. There was lots of seaweed when we arrived but the next day the workers were out at 5 am cleaning it up. They do this daily, and the beach looks beautiful all day. The water was super warm. I do suggest wearing water shoes as there are some rocks that get washed up. The only thing I can complain about was the weather and because of the weather we were kinda bored at times because again we couldn't bring ourselves to tan on the beach or swim in the pool or use the water slides as it was way to cold outside and in the pools. We will Definitely be returning and I will definitely recommend this resort to everyone I know. 5 stars hands down

Not quite a palace but great

The hotel was very clean and very large. The rooms were exceptional and we had a wonderful view of the pools and the oceans. The food was great at the buffet and at the specialty restaurants, although we did get to try only 2 because of the app which did not work all the time but we did eat a lot.any way, so it was not missed. Entertainment staff tried their best during bad weather, to provide indoor entertainment during the day.. We were happy about that.

It was a nice resort

The resort itself lobby rooms and surrounding areas were very nice one of the nicer resorts we have been to in awhile. The buffet was a hit and miss sometime, but the Jamaica food was really good and was very happy to see it every night. The Al a Cart were not good at all with the exception of the Steakhouse which was just OK for me but the family seems to like it. The others were not worth the booking and we had to go to the buffet after dinner as things were just not eatable. Want to g [... read more]ive a especial shout out to Josh our waiter at the Steakhouse for taking great care of us and Melvin the lifeguard for always getting us our umbrella's as the palm trees on the resort did not give enough shade at all. I am recommending this hotel but we will not be back last time we will do a resort with kids Adult only from now on.

Perfect for Families

I found the hotel to be immaculate, with exceptionally friendly and helpful staff throughout. From the front desk to the gardeners, lifeguards, towel attendants, waitstaff, bartenders, housekeeping, and security personnel — everyone greeted us warmly and consistently checked in to see if we needed anything. The entertainment team was energetic and kept the atmosphere lively and engaging. One area for improvement would be better enforcement of designated spaces for children. A dedicated kids-o [... read more]nly pool or stricter supervision in shared areas would help maintain a more balanced experience for all guests. The buffet offered a wide variety of options, which is understandable given the volume and duration of service. However, the temperature of the food was inconsistent — getting a truly hot meal was hit or miss. The à la carte restaurants could benefit from more attention to quality and authenticity. While the Italian appetizer buffet was enjoyable, the main courses lacked flavour and finesse. The Asian restaurant was particularly disappointing, as the dishes didn’t reflect authentic flavours and fell short of expectations. The steakhouse stood out as the best dining experience — the steaks were excellent. That said, securing a reservation was unnecessarily difficult, despite many empty tables. Expanding the selection of side dishes would also elevate the overall meal. Unfortunately, I experienced the loss of a sentimental piece of jewelry from my room, which was deeply upsetting. Aside from that, I would say the resort is well-suited for families looking for a fun getaway. Personally, I’ll be seeking Adults Only accommodations in the future to better suit my travel preferences.

Disappointment for a Riu

The food at the buffet was horrible. It was over cooked, salty and then too sweet. The water park was no water park it was 4 slides. Fake photos. The cleaning staff and reception was excellent. The pools were amazing . The entertainment staff did their best to keep the fun going and kids occupied. The beach had lots of rocks and seaweed. Some of the wait staff was excellent And some ignored you unless you tipped them.,or seemed as you would .

Home away from home!

The Riu Palace Aquarelle is an amazing resort to stay in while visiting Jamaica. It's safe, clean and entertaining to the max! You won't get bored with their variety of restaurant options and bar spots! It was so sad to leave after befriending all the staff, truly felt it was home away from home. Highly recommend 10/10 ?

Depends on what you’re expecting

Large resort. Decent rooms. The rooms get cleaned everyday but are never really clean. Staff can either be happy to serve you or seem annoyed. Pools are the party spot. Beach is clean. Rocks in the water make swimming impossible. Food is redundant with no themes. À la carte’s are a hassle to get into and really aren’t that great. I had a good steak with some stale fries at the steak house. Food allergies aren’t really respected. The gluten free selection is literally one piece of dried up corn [... read more]meal “bread” and that’s it. I was told there would be gluten free options in the Japanese à la carte, but was actually kicked out and had to eat in the buffet by myself. My body/stomach suffered all week. No real dress code for the buffet. Women wore their pajamas for breakfast daily. Check in took 2 hours with mistakes made by the resort. But checkout was a breeze.

Great resort

This resort has it all, friendly and helpful staff, comfortable room, bed, etc., excellent food with lots of variety. The beach is beautiful but waves were too strong for swimming most days and very rocky a few feet in from shore.

Wonderful resort

As always, Riu always shines with good staff and good food. Check-in was easy, the rep at the desk was SO helpful and accommodating, letting me pick what floor to be on and being very transparent with their availability. I asked if they had availability to upgrade to an ocean view room which there was and it was totally worth the extra money. However, there was an issue with room service on night, it was delivered to us 2 hours after ordering at midnight and we had fell asleep by that time.  [... read more]Room service menu is very limited, your options are literally caesar salad, club sandwich and nachos (basically corn chips with cheap queso sauce, you get the tiniest bit of pico di galo with it) The beach does not compare to the Riu Tropical Palace Negril, like at all. But I knew that going in so I adjusted my expectations, but it was worse than I expected. We did not swim in their beach we would walk down past the Royalton to Ocean Springs and swam there, much less seaweed and rocks. The entertainment team was fire, they did a Michael Jackson night and Jamaica night which were the best shows. The hotel is brand new, so everything is pristine and beautiful. The rooms are clean but the two double beds are small, there was three of us so one of us ended up using the pull-out sofa to sleep on.

RIU Palace Aquarelle

One of the best resorts we have ever been to. Very clean rooms and resort. Cleaning staff always on the job. Buffet was great a vast variety of food at all three meals. Loved the breakfast omelettes and vast amounts of fruits. Dinner Seafood selection was the best. Also variety of Jerk chicken and Curry goat was awesome. The staff was very attentive at all times. All of them made an effort to ensure you were having an excellent experience. This is one of the main reasons this resort stood out.  [... read more] Bar service at the entertainment venue, pool and beach areas was great. Nightly entertainment was fun to watch and the live reggae bands were excellent. Pools were great 4 to choose from, something for everyone. Water park and Slides for the kids were secluded and swim up bars for adults were great. Highly recommend this resort.

Great all around resort

The resort is very family or adult friendly. There was great entertainment for all ages. The children pool for our 2 yr old granddaughter was perfect with appropriate water slides and entertainment. The large waterslide park was great for the older kids in our group. OK maybe I was in their too.lol All pools and beach areas were well monitored by lifeguards and staff. The staff were all helpful, happy and fantastic. The rooms were spacious and clean. The food in the buffet was great. Great vari [... read more]ety with a Jamaican section, salad bars fruit bars and different daily themes and entrées . We enjoyed the buffet so much that we never had to go to the specialty restaurants for change.

RIU Aquarelle Oalace

The hotel was clean and so were the grounds. Friendly, helpful staff. I found the floors inside the hotel were slippery. No matter what type of shoes you wore; flip flops, sneakers. The food was very good and something for everyone’s taste. There was one night, Thursday with the Latin dancers which was disappointing.