Bahia Principe Escape Runaway Bay: Great, but with flaws

The resort is beautiful, clean and well kept. The beach is great for small children, but not so much for adults who like to actually swim, as there is really no water above waist height, and the nude beach, which does have deeper water, is very rocky. The food was good, and all but one al a carte were excellent with one exception when we waited over 1 1/4 hours for mediocre food. Entertainment is low-key - not the big shows you get at some resorts. We stayed on the "luxury side" and found th [... read more]e adult pool on the other side more quiet and less crowded. One thing we didn't like was how big the resort was and they way it was laid out - the buildings were very confusing to navigate, and because the resort was so big, and spread out so far along the beach, there was a lot of walking to get anywhere and it was very easy to get lost if you wanted to get to the lobby or the shops. We have stayed at Bahai Ambar, and Esmarelda in the DR and they were way better. The problems meant you didn't get a 5 pus star experience for a 5 star plus price. There were some big problems. We were on the 7th floor and the elevators broke down EVERY DAY. One day there was no water, and the toilets did not flush as a result. Not pretty. The restaurant by the water on the luxury side never had what it needed - always something missing at the table (salt or cups or spoons or napkins) and they were regularly out of items at the buffet - plates, bowls, etc. and service was very disorganized. One person brought water, another coffee, another something else, and they never "got it together". You might get coffee but no water, or wait 20 minutes for coffee and then have 2 people bring it. Really - let me pour it myself and i would have been much happier. Also the bar service was poor - one small pool bar and you had to line up with a lot of noisy people just to get a pop or juice - we don't drink - and it was a long wait while special mixed drinks were prepared for groups. The main dining room Jazmin was great without any of the other problems.

Mangos Boutique Beach Resort: Wonderful Boutique Resort

The resort is lovely, small, with lots of character. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Rooms were large and comfortable. Beach was cleaned every morning of seaweed and garbage. Check in was fast, food was great! Pool and hot tubs could have used more attention.

Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica: Very very impressed with everything that they had to offer

I would definitely go back, the food was fantastic the entertainment was fantastic the waitresses at cleaners the bartender's everybody was simply amazing. The beach was so clean and beautiful I loved the village ,the entertainment in the evening they had.. I love me excursions they where fantastic it was the best trip ever.

Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton: Great resort

1. Beautiful grounds that emerged in glowing blossoms as the week progressed, yet with fewer grounds men than seen at other large resorts. 2. Many security patrol the grounds. 3 The evening showtime was great - No 2 in 10 years of Caribbean trips, with so many classy costume changes and performers 4. Good range of restaurants, but pre-booking time is essential to avoid long line ups at peak periods 5. Staff very friendly.

Catalonia Montego Bay: great return visit

great return visit. very friendly staff. excellent food with lots of choices . beaches and pool are great and well maintained. rooms are showing some signs of wear and tear but were always very clean. evening entertainment was very good .

Grand Decameron Cornwall Beach: Relaxing Holiday!

A beautiful resort with excellent service, great food & beautiful rooms. We went with another couple & ended up with the 3rd floor suite (RM 1301) lg king size bed & a spectacular balcony that could easily accommodate 20 people, awesome view of resort & sunsets. We also had adjoining rooms which was perfect. There where a few bugs to iron out as in any new resort, they had problem with boiler system so no hot water for 2 days & had to let the shower run before it got hot. The buffet was very goo [... read more]d, beach restaurant had excellent jerk chicken wings, at night it is the a la carte, we had the beef tenderloin which was excellent considering beef is not like ours here in Canada. The beach is a natural beach with crystal clear calm water. The resort is small which we liked, pool was great, beach bar service & lobby service was excellent. The only other complaint would be that rooms near the lobby you would hear the music into the evening. We stayed at the Riu Montego Bay when we where last in Jamaica, this resort is very comparable, but different environment, Riu is larger so more variety of food at the buffet, but we would definitely return! We booked with Amanda Griffith , she was very professional & answered all our questions, defiantly will be recommending her & will book with her again!

Melia Braco Village: Amazing time!!

This hotel was absolutely beautiful, the food was great, and the people were fantastic. The beach is a bit rocky on one side, so we didn't use it much, but the other side of the pier offers a great place for snorkelling! A bit of an older crowd for most of our stay, mostly Canadians. Perfect place for a romantic getaway!!

Riu Reggae: Great Resort!

A lovely boutique style hotel. The rooms were very spacious and clean. The grounds were very well groomed and with time the greenery will be beautiful. A la carte restaurants(4) were excellent, particularly the Steak House and Doce Vita. Lots to do around the pools if you wanted activity.

JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar: Ya mon! No Problem!

This famous Jamaican expression best describes your vacation at Iberostar Grand Rose Hall. Nothing was ever a problem, in fact, "what more can we do for you", should be their slogan. One should have suspected that to be the case as soon as you stepped into the vast beautifully marbled lobby, and in the background hearing a pianist tickling the ivories while expertly delivering song after song. It all starts as soon as you are handed your room key and your "day butler" (there is also an aft [... read more]ernoon/evening butler) greets you with a smile, you quickly get used to, and says "what can I do for you to make your stay special". The three butlers we had (Kharsen, O'Neill & Duran) did exactly that..... Our room, was divided into 3 sections (a beautiful bathroom with a jet hot tub, a large sleeping area and a balcony with a sofa, table and swinging hammock style seat) overlooking the ocean with a view of the sunset. My wife has a number of allergies, the most difficult requiring a gluten-free diet. Even though she was careful the first evening, she did not feel well overnight. Our butler, Kharsen hearing of this sprung into action approaching one of the main chefs, Charley. Charley took it upon himself to make individual lunches for my wife each day, and then went out of his way to discuss my wife's gluten requirements with each of the a la carte evening restaurant main chefs, we had chosen for the remainder of our stay. Each night the main chef would approach our table and discuss directly with my wife what she would like, and how she/he would prepare the meal. Kharsen and O'Neill would stop by each shift to see if my wife required anything. Duran for our anniversary, arranged a romantic evening highlighted with rose petal hearts throughout our room. Lastly, worth mentioning is that Kharsen, even on his day off, called our room as we were packing to leave in a few hours, wished us a safe trip home and asked one last time if we needed anything. A big thank you to Cardella and Gesha for keeping our room clean and spotless each day. Cardella's smile and cheerful good morning was a great way to start the day. The only activity we participated in was the Aqua Fit class in the ocean and the Aqua stretch class in the pool. Richard or as he was better known "Adonis" or "Diesel", was a great instructor keeping the class progressing at the right pace with his great sense of humour and direction. After class, Keon, Sherika and Ricardo quenched our thirst with incredible drinks that seemed to get better each day. Lastly, I wanted to finish with a novelty......how many resorts offer all the sunscreen and tanning lotion you may require. This resort did. But they also added an interesting option, they offered the option to have one of their staff apply the lotion as well. Anishka, with one of the friendliest smiles you will ever see, was kind enough to apply the sunscreen upon request. Thanks to the "what more can we do for you attitude" of the Iberostar Staff, my wife and I will be returning next year, and we will gladly recommend this resort to anyone who asks.

Sunscape Splash: Great Place

Very warm and welcoming staff. Good food. Very nice table servers. Good table service. Pleasant room. Would have liked a small table in the room. Enjoyable pools. I've seen better beaches. The only drawback was the beach - weeds and leaves, etc.

Riu Reggae: Rui Reggae

Very clean new resorts. They work hard to keep all the eating areas clean and good food. Felt more catered to couples between 25 and 50. No nightlife at this particulater resort but offered close by. Overall a good trip but my husband and I like quieter resort so for us a little noisy. Ha. We're getting old.

Iberostar Selection Rose Hall Suites: Back Again To Iberstar Suites

We have been to many resorts and islands, yet we have never been back to the same place twice, until now. I had my friend Eric Mclean from Eric’s Chillout Tours (876-790-3154) pick us up at the airport and bring us to our resort. When I go to Jamaica I always call Eric in advance for our airport pickup, he also gives me the price when I call. Using him, we beat everyone to the resort, Eric had a beer for my wife and me and anything else we need. In the middle of our 2 week vacation we use [... read more]d Eric to take us for an afternoon trip to the mountains. He is a safe and knowledgeable driver. If you use him, tell him Wayne sent you and he will give you a good price. The Iberostar Suite is a friendly, large, clean and well run resort. My friend the Desk Manager Andrae got us the same room as last year. It was dead center top floor, king size bed, and a tub. I called Andrae for the same room about 3 weeks from us leaving and I got what I requested. Plus a well stocked fridge with a bottle of good Appleton Rum. They also gave us matching T-Shirts for returning. Last year Orlando checked us in. When he saw us checking in, he was all smiles welcoming us again. These 3 guys made us feel like we were home again. It only rained one night in the 2 weeks otherwise the weather was very good. We did the beach everyday and it was great. There was always a nice spot with shade near the lifeguards, Bruce, Norris and Sanjay. I talked and joked with these guys everyday. They are knowledgeable about the ocean and Jamaica’s culture. I did some snorkelling off the beach in front of where we sat and WOW, fish, stingrays, coral and no boat ride required. I tried many different drinks but my favourite was Ice coffee with Baileys, and Tia Maria or Kalua. The bartenders are first rate; they make and serve the drinks quickly with a smile and a few words. Staff like Christopher, Radane “Jellybean”, Glenroy, Jules, Doreen (the hardest working waitress on the island), Nicole and the rest ensured our glass (or Bubba) was full. There supervisors (Hugh and Raymond) remembered our names and always came over to make sure the drinks and service was first rate and it always was. This resort has the best Chef’s in the world. I have never had such good food anywhere. We only ate suppers at the buffet because of Managers like Patrick, Isaiah and Jermaine they make sure the staffs are always making meals that will not be forgotten. When I did not see lobster tails on Valentine Day like last year, without asking Isaiah put some on for me. I have never met such nice people who work so hard for so little. We like to eat outside at the Buffet with the smell of the ocean and view of the palm and coconut trees all around. I loved that. My friend at the Pasta Bar Courtney made me a dish of pasta with shrimp, garlic and vodka. I did not need to go to any of the a la carte restaurants. We had lunch at the steakhouse because of how open it was. The service by, Nadine, Clifford, Brandese, Renae, Gavin was top notch. If you want coffee and Baileys for breakfast just a nod to these people and I got it. The entertainment team was also good with OMG, Peaches and Rick Hollywood. They talked to us every day on the beach. We came to relax and they understood why we played no games. The live music (from 7:30 to 9:30) in the bar was fantastic. We requested songs and they played them. We walked to the other resort called Iberostar beaches to watch different entertainment. I liked this, from Suites we can use there stuff, but they can’t use ours. We watched the late show once. We like to go to bed early and get up early and here we did. The property was spotless and always being cleaned with workers likes Orlando who never stopped working or smiling when I would say hello. The beach was kept cleaned and raked every day. I had so much fun everyday talking and joking with the valets Dale, Ricardo, David and Hyron. These guys made it feel like I was hanging out with my buddies back home. I go to Jamaica a lot because of the music and everyone there speaks English. These people have a spirit not found anywhere else in the world. Iberostar is “No problem man” Wayne

Riu Ocho Rios: Beaufitul resort.

We were on the deluxe side (oceanview) of this resort and it was beautiful. The rooms were spacious and clean and very nice all way around. The pool was amazing - I specifically liked the infinity and swim up bar pool. Lots of very nice lounge chairs to sit and relax on at the beach and around the pool. The food was one of the best I have had during any of my travels. My only vice is that you were not allowed to make a reservation at the a la carte restaurants - it was first come first serv [... read more]e - so if you preferred to have a late dinner you would sometimes miss out. However no complaints about the food at all. The staff is amazing and super friendly and they are all absolutely beautiful people :). We decided to go off the resort to do a bit of site seeing to get to see some of the Jamaican life style and culture - we used an off site company called "KnowJamaica" which is owned and operated by a Mother and Son team born and raised in Jamaica! They are truly awesome people and provided us with a fun filled day. Their prices are very reasonable and also Javia (the son) is very easy on the eyes! (tee hee). Jamaicans are truly beautiful people. Check out their website - www.knowjamaica.com! If you see some pics on their website of 6 crazy looking Canadian women having fun - well that very well could be our group! We were smiling from ear to ear and had a wonderful day. It was money well spent!

Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton: Amazing resort,amazing people!!

I was so sceptical about booking because I was unsure what to expect based on reviews;however, from the moment we got to the resort we were not disappointed with our choice. From the service to the food to the cleanliness , all around amazing experience!! Head to the adult Coral bar and get a drink from Rodney, he is a phenomenol bartender , such a kind soul!! Everyone made you feel right at home and so welcome, the customer service is on point. We will definitely be returning!!!

Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica: Beautiful but!!

This resort is absolutely beautiful.the rooms,view,grounds,beach is amazing.but,the tv and hairdryer did not work in my sons room.he was moved to a different room because we booked king bed rooms and he was given a room with 2 double beds.in our room the toilet ran continuously.we phoned 3 times about the toilet.it ran all day and all night.all week.asked for an extension cord for my husbands cpat breathing machine.it took 4 phone calls,2 nights and then we had to go y the front desk to try to g [... read more]et one.he could stop breathing without it.the a la cart restaurants were really good.beautiful place but please fix things that are broken

Sandals Jamaica Dunn's River: Friendly staff!

We just spent 10 days at the Jewels Dunn's River Resort. We enjoyed the small size of this resort, and the rooms were very comfortable. Our maid was amazing! The entertainment staff did a great job during the day, but the night entertainment was lacking. The "Bling Disco" was kept way too cold and smelled very musty. When ever they had a "special dinner" planned on the beach or pier, the buffet dinning room was closed! My husband & I travel quite a bit and we've NEVER been to a resort were the m [... read more]ain buffet is closed. When the buffet was open, they'd make you stand in line to give your name and room number before you we're seated. The lady working that post was NOT friendly at all. In 10 days, we never say her smile once!! There were two peacocks and several loose cats at the resort. That was nice for an animal lover like me. The cats would quietly sit by you and wait for a hand out... no jumping up, loud meowing or rubbing up against you. Very polite cats! Lol The biggest disappointment of Jewel Dunn's River Resort is that the beach is so small! You can ONLY walk the water front of this resort cause there's a pier blocking one side and a high chain link fence on the other.

Sandals Inn: Super Holiday

This is the sixth time we have visited this resort and it still maintains the charm it had the first time. Quiet and intimate yet allows you to visit the other 2 resorts via a shuttle. Due to the high repeat of visitors we were able to connect with people who have been coming over the years. While it is not the normal 5 star rating that the other Sandals location have it still provides the typical Sandals philosophies and amenities.

Sandals Jamaica Ocho Rios: Disapointment

There is not enough room here to list all of the problems we had with Sandals Ochi. 1. Concierge Check-in, took about an hour and a half. 2. Reserving dinners, took 2 days to get this done, with lots of arguing with concierge. 3. Room was in the "babbling brooks" section, water not running, disgusting smell, trees being cut down all week, brooks empty of water. 4. Dislocated my finger while there, nurse had no water, ice, bandages or interest in helping. 5. Almost no drink service, and whe [... read more]n we went to the bar, mostly ignored by bar staff. 6. No seating at pools unless you get up at 6am to claim your spot. 7. Dinner service very slow, waited 3 hours one night for dinner. 8. Twice ordered Crown Royal, whatever came out of the Crown Royal bottle was not Crown Royal, some sort of scotch. 9. In room bar was the cheapest alcohol I have ever seen. 10. By far the tiniest resort room I have ever seen. Overall, our group will not be going to Sandals again.

Riu Reggae: Riu Reggae Review

We had a fantastic stay at the Riu Reggae! We were a little nervous after reading some of the other reviews but it was a great week! The food was 5 star and the hotel was immaculate in cleanliness. We were so impressed with just how clean the facilities were. The beach is small, but the pools are huge and very nice (2x swim up bars) We didn't like the line up's for dinner. However, the food was worth the wait in the end! Also we were sort of disappointed that they did not have pool side  [... read more]/ beach side drink service but again, it's a smaller resort and beach area so the drinks are only steps away. We noticed that there were not many "ocean view" rooms and those who had a garden or street view had sort of a nasty view. We didn't mind because we did not spend a lot of time in our room but if we were to go back, we'd opt for an ocean view. The room however was very nice and modern, comfortable bed and working AC.

Sunscape Splash: Fantastic holiday

The staff were exceptional and the service was outstanding. The room and facility was very clean. Food at breakfast was extremely good however the lunch buffet needed some variety. The a la cart restaurants were very good. Beach and water was extremely good. Although advertised as a family resort, there were sections for adults only which made it nice. Entertainment was good. I would definitely return to this resort and would recommend it to friends.