Bahia Principe Escape Runaway Bay: Lack Of Integrity of the Front Desk Management Representatives! and Air Canada Representative

Beautiful rooms, However loud barking dogs from locals living beside hotel at building 27 we did not sleep for 4 nights, ask to change rooms the management said it was all book up the very next day we found some people checking out so we immediatly went to the lobby and insisted we were given that room. The food was very good Service was good Broken elevators in 1 year old building Showers cloging up for days in a 1 year old building

Sunscape Splash: You get what you pay for

The hotel view was nice, however the hallway had a mouldy smell, there were bugs in my bathroom so we showered in the other room we had. Most of the staff were nice except the person who refills your beverage he was quite rude. Food was ok, lots of things to choose from. It's an old hotel but if you're looking for a basic family vacation then you should go. I wouldn't go back, I'd rather pay a bit more for cleaner bug free accommodations.

Bahia Principe Escape Runaway Bay: Looks nice but not

The hotel is a nice looking resort and the rooms are very nice . It ends there. The beach area is small and broken up, not what the pictures show. The hotel is also confusing to get around inside because of the split levels. Less than year old and some of the elevaters won't work properly and get stuck. Service to repair clogged shower drains and other problems is pathetic. 4 days to get the job done. Dogs barking day and night from the neighborhood, along with stinking smoke. Staff that  [... read more]is not too interested in assisting wih a new room request, telling us that nothing is available for a week when rooms are being left by quests who are going home the next day. The food was ok but not great. 2 of 6 restaurants where good. Homeless cats left on the grounds begging for food and getting poolside chairs and towels dirty. ON the positive side the night entertainment was excellent. Most of the staff were very friendly. All this for only 7000$

JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar: Amazing Resort

Iberostar Grand Rose Hotel I would recommend this resort in Jamaica. We had excellent service from the front desk staff which were amazing to everyone else in the resort , doorman, Butler's, pool staff , restaurant staff etc. they made you feel welcome and couldn't do enough for you. I believe you get value in your dollar at this resort

Grand Palladium Jamaica: Needs some work

This was our first time to jamacia and second time to stay at a palladium resort and we were pretty disappointed. The country itself was absolutely beautiful, as was the resort. It was very large and both the beach and the pool were great. We upgraded to an ocean view room which was totally worth it. The rooms were a little outdated. The maid service was inconsistent. We would only receive towels sometimes, other days they would come restock the fridge but not make the bed ext. the walls could u [... read more]se some new paint and the furniture was old and musty. The whole resort could actually use some updating to be honest. We were quite supprised with how the staff made you feel like you were an inconvience. The shuttles rarely came, you would wait an hour or more for dinner even with a reservation. If you didn't tip the bartenders before they took your order you would wait forever for a drink. There was no entertainment around the pool which is odd because most other resorts we've gone to the pool was always the loudest most fun spot to be. The Buffett had the same foods every night and definitely had a cockroach infestation. They would be running all around the counter tops. When I mentioned this to the manager he said we are aware we're taking care of it and walked away. I think with a little attention to detail and maybe a overhaul of the staff this place could be really great.

Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall: Fabulous Resort! Hyatt Zilara Jamaica Jan 14-21 2017

Beautiful and luxurious complex . Rooms are beautiful and provide all amenities needed and more. Staff are very friendly and attentive. Lots of choices of places to eat. All the entertainment is pretty good, would be a little bit better if they had dancing at the outside amphitheater for the adults. Most events are for the children. The Zilara does offer entertainment in their one restaurant in evening, too bad they don't open up the lobby every night for live entertainment for the adults. Th [... read more]e only thing negative I would say is that the washrooms around the Zilara pool and in lobby area are not as luxurious as the Ziva. I would recommend that signs be put up in those areas explaining how the toilets work. As well they all do not hav a garbage can. The pools are beautiful, the beach is small but lovely. All chairs are comfortable for long days in the sun. I don't know if it's because we were there in January but the pool water is absolutely freezing. Hardly anyone swimming. Would definitely recommend and would go their again

Sandals Jamaica Ocho Rios: Not a trip...it's an experience!

Just got back from Sandals Ochi to the freezing cold. Once you get over the 90min bus ride, the pampering starts. Winsome (housekeeping) was an amazing person. Garfield (front entrance) looked out for us everyday. Fruit plates and desserts showed up at our door constantly. The grounds are immaculate and there is always something to do. The beach is never overcrowded and your glass never empty. We never encountered one single unhappy or unfriendly staff member. During your entire stay, if  [... read more]you want/need *anything*, just ask. you won't wait long until your request is fulfilled. If you return home unhappy, it's your fault, no theirs. Can't wait to go back! PS.....if you book through Tripcentral.ca, speak to Jackie. There isn't much she doesm't know about Sandals and her advice can give you a big head start before you get there!! Thanks, Jackie!

Sunscape Splash: Loads of fun

When we first arrived, we were quite disappointed with the room, was tiny, and really not much to look at, we ended up upgrading to a suite and were extremely happy. The resort was very clean and very well maintained. Food was good, although, the food at the buffet was always the same. The à la cart restaurants were fanulous

Riu Reggae: Great New Resort

Just want to start by saying this was a great hotel. The resort was brand new, the bars well stocked and the staff very professional. Check-in was very smooth and the staff very friendly when explaining the hotels facilities. We stayed in a ocean front room. Room was beautiful, bed very comfortable, bathroom large, balcony facing the ocean although the view was obscured by palm trees is was very relaxing being able to listen to the ocean. Grounds were well kept and clean including the washr [... read more]ooms, plenty of pool and beach chairs. You could always trade in your pool towels for fresh ones. Food was also very good with lots of options. Breakfast was served at the outside dining area, lots of fresh choices along with an omelette station, eggs cooked your way station, it would have been hard to not find something you liked. Lunch the Jerk Chicken shack was a popular spot, along with the outside dining area. Dinner there were several choices, Italian, Asian, Steakhouse, Fine Dining and the regular dining room. We took advantage of the dining room great food and many choices, the Asian restaurant a favorite of mine along with the Italian restaurant. Nothing negative about the food or the service provided by the staff. Night time entertainment was very good with a variety of shows. Entertainment during the day was very well planned out and the entertainment staff were always full of energy, friendly and very easy to talk to.

Dreams Rose Hall: Fabulous Resort

We had a wonderful time. Beautiful grounds very friendly staff! Exteremely Accomodating for my granddaughter' said gluten free needs. Food was good. Entertainment was lousy. Air Transat was not great. Changed our original departure from 12:30 to 3:30. Then the plane was delayed for 3 hours. We arrived at 12:00am. Lost half a day. Our return was changed to 8:00pm so we were very happy. Make up for what we lost. The flight was again changed to 11:30. Another day lost. Will notbook Air Transa [... read more]t again. Can we obtain any compensation?

Riu Reggae: Good value

This resort was 2 months new at the time of our stay. The grounds are well kept and it's just minutes from the airport which was a huge plus. The beach is a bit small but there was lots of beach chairs available by the pool and sea. One downfall was the absence of any shade on the beach. The food was good and the drinks were good. No room service which is too bad. There is 1 bar open 24 hours with some nacho snacks from 10pm-7am but we were never hungry and never partook in any of the late night [... read more] snacks. There is one rowdier pool and a quieter one. No hot tub. The spa was nice and decently priced. The gym looked small but didn't use it. The room numbers seem to be falling off but the room itself was clean and we enjoyed the large walkin shower. Bed a bit hard. We had a nice partial ocean view room. We spent time on our balcony and it was nice to hear the hotel reggae music or even the night entertainment. The bar tenders were slow at times and would not remember who was first to be served. The entertainment staff was awesome and the shows were decent. Didn't realize there were some shops within walking distance which would have been nice to explore. The locals will paddle their kayak right up to the swim area and try and sell you their hand made crafts or marijuana. Overall we had a great kid free time and we would go back to Jamaica in a heart beat. We might try negril next time for better beaches.

Bahia Principe Escape Runaway Bay: Relaxing Trip

The room was a very good size and very clean. Although the resort is huge with a lot of people, there are different areas you can go if you don't want to socialize. The grounds, pool and beach area very clean. This is our second time at this hotel, I must say the service was much better the first time, too bad this is a very niece hotel. Enjoyed the shows very much. My husband and I enjoyed the Jamaican night at the Restaurant very much. The turn off for me was the cold food at the bu [... read more]ffet, the warmers are not working. We had a reservation at the Italian Restaurant, the food and service was great. The bar service on beach great not so much in the lobby. If you focus on the little thinks that drives you crazy you miss out on having a relaxing and enjoyable time.

Bahia Principe Explore Jamaica: Not as expected

The Grand Bahia Principe is a beautiful resort but to us it felt cramped and very loud. The rooms are comfortable and spacious. The staff is absolutely amazing but it was disappointing to have to ask for little things like coffee in the room or washcloths. It seemed that every day something was forgotten. This is a wonderful resort for families with children as there are many activities for the little ones. Food was very good both at the buffet as well as the a la carte restaurants.

Grand Palladium Jamaica: Amazing trip!

We stayed at this resort January 11-18th and loved it! The staff was amazing, the resort itself was very clean. Our favourite restaurant was by far the Japanese. Book the show table.. by far the best! Room was very big and had an amazing view of the ocean. The only complaint would be the shower that leaked every time so we would end up with a huge puddle in the bathroom and occassionally would smell like sewage... we found if we kept the air conditioning running it would get rid of the smell [... read more]. The pool area was very big and the resort was not busy at all, we never had to wait for anything. The beach areas were very nice... nice sand and the staff was on top of keeping it cleaned of seaweed. Snorkeling off the beach was amazing.. you just had to swim out a bit. Would definitely recommend this resort and would love to go back again some time!

Melia Braco Village: Gem of a hotel

We were pleasantly surprised when we got to Melia Braco, the registration and getting us to our room was speedy and efficient. When they say Oceanfront they mean it, our room was on the upper floor of a two story villa and we had a full view of the ocean which was outstanding. Our room was large and very clean with a good sized bathroom and balcony with very comfy chairs. There is 24 hour room service which we utilized in the morning to have a pot of coffee delivered (which was always prompt [... read more]) that we enjoyed on our balcony. The hotel is not very big and is planned out like a village, the food is very good especially the Jamaican restaurant. The grounds are so beautiful, they remind me of a botanic garden, there is a very old rubber tree that has to be seen to be believed. Every morning we would see a team of gardeners working diligently on maintaining the grounds. If you love to hear birds singing this is the place for you. Our mini bar was regularly stocked with water, beer and juices/pop, and also snacks. The nightly entertainment was enjoyable, they put on smaller more intimate shows with some very good talent, like Michael David (R&B singer) who had us all swooning. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The beach was not bad, however I wish that they would pay more attention to the portion on the east side (right of the gazebo) as it never seemed to get the maintenance the other areas got, and unfortunately that is where we stayed as it had the most shade and least bit of activity (eg. away from the volley ball court.). It was a bit upsetting to see sea weed and plastic bottles being ignored for 2 days until I complained. Don;t let this colour your decision as this is a lovely property and I believe this was an oversight.

Bahia Principe Escape Runaway Bay: Jem in Jamaica!

We loved this resort from the moment we got there. We were so well taken care of and always asked if everything was ok! Friendly, caring staff always greeting us with smiles! Grounds were beautiful, life guards were awesome and bar staff made sure you had a drink on the go! We would recommend going to Dunns River Falls Tour...best Monday I've ever had!

Sandals Jamaica Ocho Rios: Best vacation ever

I would first like to thank Krista Shaver for helping us book this amazing vacation. Definitely made things so much easier for us to decide where we wanted to go when she found this amazing deal with Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in St Ann's Bay Jamaica. With her help she made sure we had everything we needed to make this a vacation right from the start. We had upgraded our seats both ways which I would recommend to everyone traveling. Well worth the extra money. We also were told to upgrade to the [... read more] mobay club. Which upon arrival we were greated right when we got off the plane to by pass the very very long line. She had let us know ahead of time that it sometimes could take 2 to 3 hours to get through. Again well worth the extra money. From there we had no issues coming in. All in all this took us about 20 mins max from getting off the plane to going through the airport to enter Jamaica. From there we were taken to the Mobay club were we right away were welcomed by all staff. They offered us a drink of our choice and food. It was nice to sit back and relax while we waited for our ride to the hotel. I had read in some reviews before traveling about some having issues with having to tip people. (Which to us was not the case we did not find that people demanded tips right from the start.) We were called from the lounge they had already had our luggage and were ready to take us to the private car they had waiting outside for us. The guy that helped us with our bags had let us know it was $1 a bag which we had no idea but nor did we have a problem giving him the $1 per bag. This is his way of making a living. We understood and were happy to give it to him. We had the whole car to ourselves which was very nice. The driver was very polite and professional. We were told it would be about an hour and 45 mins to get to the hotel but we were told to relax and enjoy the drive. He was pointing things out to us along the way which was nice to see him show some love about his home town. He did let us know that the best jerk chicken to try was at scotchies. Although we did not have a chance to stop and try it you definitely could tell it was a great place to stop very busy. We made it to the hotel and we're greated right away they took our bags and right away gave us a glass of champagne. We were taken through the lobby for a short walk through the garden area to the next building were our room would be. Room was very decent nice and clean. Nice little patio area overlooking the hillside. We ended up at the reef Terrance for dinner that night. Amazing food and a beautiful view to overlook the ocean while you eat. That evening we went down to the ocean bar which is were we needed up most nights before heading off to bed. Food review again there was not a bad meal that we had amazing food at all places that we ate at. We had sky terrance and vista gourmet, Valentinos twice it was that good, the southern table which had the best ribs, kelly's dockside seaside bar and grill that was our last dinner on the beach the Monday night before leaving for home on Tuesday. Tapas on the riviera if you want to grab a quick bite to eat this was the place. Dino's pizzeria pool side which you could order and take to go. Everyday we would see people taking pizza boxes to the beach. Nice little treat. By far though my favourite place would have to be the kimonos oriental cuisine where they cook infront of you. So much fun and a very tasty dinner. The jerk shack on the hillside was very nice for their fish sandwich they had different specials everyday. Nice quick lunch. Drinks were all premium labels as well as there own too. They were not shy when it came to pouring you a drink. Doubles all around. Wine selection was nice for the house all Robert Mondavi. Our favourite after dinner spot though was the rabbit hole. Be sure to ask for the password every night. This place did not disappoint. Service show and drinks all amazing. We had gone 5 nights out of the 7 . We did do one excursion on the Friday at Dunn's river falls. Very beautiful place be sure to bring water shoes not sandles. It was only two hours. We are not one for the all day trips so this was just perfect for us. Entertainment nightly with different themes. Something to do for everyone. Beach and a view for days. We loved both sides to the hotel. Again if anyone of looking for a hotel that has a little something for everyone this is the one for you. Best vacation by far we are already looking to plan our next one. Krista we will be calling you for our next trip thank you again for putting this together for us. Shane and Linda

Mangos Boutique Beach Resort: This resort will not be for everyone.

I read the reviews so I knew what I was getting or at least I had an idea. And I loved it!! Mangos is not a concrete jungle, it is a quaint resort that offers a personal touch that you are just not going to get at those corporate ones. Were there issues? Yes, but I will list them at the end. As you will see from my other reviews, we travel with another couple and usually go to those large corporate resorts and to be honest, one in particular, I would return to in a heartbeat. But I saw th [... read more]is resort and read the reviews so I thought, let’s try something different. I knew what I was getting, but the other 3 did not and at first they were ready to kill me. But that quickly changed. There were only about 30 people at the resort when we arrived, which was disconcerting, but we quickly realized this was to our benefit. No fighting for pool or beach chairs, no line ups for dinner or the bar and making quick friends (for the most part) with the other occupants and staff. We were not bothered by mosquitoes, actually they spray most nights. The staff is what really makes this resort. Don’t get me wrong, we had some bad ones, in particular, at dinner (when they did not even smile once). But the ones we connected with will be in our hearts for a long time. Nicola at breakfast and lunch, Sherice for dinner (always with the wine bottle ready to pour..lol), Franz at the bar (ask for his specialty “green Friday”), Mama at the bar (makes the best Cosmo and is always singing and dancing), Patrice (get her to teach you some dance moves), Omar & Gary are the entertainment team and kept us laughing. Actually, almost every staff member would stop and talk to you once they recognized your face. The food was also different from the large resorts. Dinner spot and menu type was set by the resort at one of 4 locations. Don’t expect to wander around with your plate to a thousand choices (most of which you do not even recognize). Buffets are simple, more like a banquet buffet, usually with a selection of fish, chicken and pork or beef, vegetables, salad, potatoes, rice and desert. Breakfast had your usual fair, including eggs, bacon, sausage and other items that changed around. You could ask for eggs cooked to order as well, although, this was not offered when we first got there. We had 3 a la carte dinners, Italian two nights with different menus, Steak (or other choices) one night. The rest were varied buffets (Jamaican, Fish & Seafood, International, etc). The food is delicious, they have a talented chef. Lunch is always off the menu at the Pool restaurant. They have good regular options and then they add specials every day so you can have other choices. One day we even had a taco buffet, which included chicken and other choices. My only complaint would be that some of the food was not very hot, especially breakfast, so if this is really important to you, stay away. The rooms (205 & 206) were what we called Muskokian (Muskoka meets Jamaica, you will understand if you are from Ontario), the walls and floors are stained wood and due to the low voltage lighting it can be dark. We traded a lamp with our friends as she could not see and our lamp was bright (had regular bulbs). The air conditioning was very good and quiet. There was ample closet & dresser space and the large safe is free (even though Sunwing advertises it as an extra payment). They re-stock the fridge with water, pop and beer daily. The design of the units is based on history of the property, or at least that was what we were told. The bathrooms were in need of upgrade or just some tlc at the least, there are dispensers with body wash and shampoo and I found the lighting was fine. Our balcony was very nice with a view of the pool and ocean. The Pool is a nice size, yes it seems cloudy, but we indulged (even used the slide) and we were fine. The hot tubs are not working and are uninviting, they had a repair person working on them while we were there, but still not fixed. The Beach was cleaned daily (very nice guy) even though you could not tell because we had high winds, large ocean swells and endless seaweed. The beach was long enough to get a good walk in every day and there are beach vendors just past the Royalton Hotels that will ask you to look at their stuff. Be friendly and they will be happy to joke with you and will not pester you or overwhelm you. Going the other way brings you to a beach area used by the Cruise lines and we did not venture past that as it was natural shore which looked like it would be hard to walk. There are 2 shops, a craft shop ran by Maxine (aka Mama) who will endear you with her knowledge of the property and the history of her family in relation to it. She is very sweet and has a very talented son who carved a custom key hanger for us from a picture. There is also a shop where you can buy regular items like Rum, medicine, snacks etc. The issues we had included before we left. I had contacted the resort to see if we could have an adjoining room with our friends. The response was “I will try my best to accommodate your request unfortunately due to availability there is not enough room change available”. I quickly realized (since there were only 30 guests) that this was just not true. The room (which was adjoining) next to us was available and not occupied until 3 days later. Actually the whole unit was empty except for us. Another issue was the water in the rooms. From no pressure at all, to no hot water, it was a hit and miss. They stated there were reasons, but I had read this in other reviews, so I think this is just something to be aware of as expected. There is Wifi, but again, a hit and miss, kinda like the water. I know this resort is a work in progress, but I have a couple suggestions besides fixing the issues I listed. The towels in the room need fabric softener! The grounds need attention to bring them back to their former glory. Not that it is bad, just overgrown. Replace the Sun lounger cushions that need it, they did not bother us, but makes it appear bad. Get your dinner servers to smile and engage with the guests. Supply some safety equipment to the bug spray guy, a handkerchief is just not enough! Would we return…absolutely!

Sunscape Cove: Only good if have kids

The hotel was ok for kids, if you like to do things on your own and not much organization in events and no music in most parts so you hear the guy chipping concrete on the pool deck all day. Rooms ok, nothing special. Food horrible at Buffett but good at al a cartes. Jerk chicken on the beach and drinks were the highlight. Don't stay here if you want a nice beach! Very rocky and seaweed. Good on a budget.

Riu Ocho Rios: Best Bang for your Buck

Grounds- Large area divided by 2 wings but not too large for you to take forever to walk through. They kept all the public areas clean and you could see alot of workers maintaining the floors, washroom and eating areas Restaurants- great Food! The jerk shack, plantation, Japanese and Sir Richard restaurants were amazing. It was interesting that they didn't take reservations for the a la carte but once you understood the system (wait for the dinner rush to end 6/630pm) it was okay. didn't want [... read more] to long for dinners Rooms: stayed in the Deluxe Wing because we wanted more space, free wi-fi and to be closer the quieter (not alot of kids) pool. The rooms were old school colonial style but were kept clean. The bathrooms could use a major upgrade (tub was peeling and ceiling needed new paint) but it was manageable. Extra towels were delivered daily Pools- Great large pools with a lot of space so they never felt too crowded with alot of people in them Beach- the beach could have used some raking and cleaning up the seaweed but it was managable to walk over to get to the warm ocean. Ample loungers available. The Deluxe section had the better quality clean up of the beach and loungers to relax in Service: Very attentive support workers to attend to your needs.