Great Family Vacation but...

My family and I stayed at the Gran Bahia from August 26th to September 2nd. Firstly, this resort is even more BEAUTIFUL in person than in picture, seriously none of the pictures do it justice. When we arrived at the resort it was around 3:00pm we were told our room wasn't ready yet and asked to get some lunch and come back. We had to leave our luggage with a bell boy. Another thing - this resort is huge so LOTS OF WALKING! We picked at some food at the shack and went back to check in, only to be [... read more] asked to come back AGAIN. It took almost 2 hours and 30 minutes for us to be finally given a room. The manger offered us an upgrade to the "Golden Club" after all the frustration. However, that was almost another curse rather than a blessing. Our request for two double beds (3 of us in a room) was not able to be fulfilled and we were told that another bed would be made for us in the room. We had to call the front desk 4 times, before someone came around 10 pm to make up the second bed for us. The Golden club promises a safe, which apparentlyy had a broken key in it already, so when I tried to put my key in it broke (I returned the key right away and almost got charged $50 for it). We got 1 robe and 1 pair of slippers, again for 3 people, and never got the chocolate platters or special gifts as promised. Needless to say, the upgrade wasn't much and we still had to fuss over getting any of the benefits that it includes anyways. BUT -- I did rate this resort a 4 out of 5 stars for a reason. The STAFF ARE AMAZING! SO WELCOMING AND VERY HARD WORKING! Our favourites were Jerome and Lamaine who checked on us every day. The housekeepers are very sweet as well. We spent 5 of the 7 days at the pool and swim up bar, the beach while very beautiful is rocky, and the water burns (but it's saltwater what do you expect right). The food was AMAZING and we were happy to eat at the buffet every day but we did do Japanese, Steak house, and Italian a la carte. The Garden Grill steak house was by far my favourite. For lunch, the JERK CHICKEN is a MUST so make sure you go to the snack shack. I would say this resort is extremely family friendly and if you have little ones you will love it. If you're younger and looking for a party this resort will also keep you entertained and Margarita Ville is just a short cab ride away for the nightlife you want. While I really enjoyed my time at the Gran Bahia, we are uncertain if we will give it another try - although we will definitely be returning to Jamaica. We understand that the Gran Bahia is a large hotel but at times we felt like just a number. Our trip would have been more enjoyable without all the hassle especially at the beginning.

Wonderful Resort

The Bahia Principe in Jamaica is a beautiful resort. The rooms are clean and spacious. The food at the main buffet is varied and will appeal to most people. Beginning with breakfast, lost of traditional pancakes, french toast, bacon, eggs and omelets. Lunch at the snack bar was OK ( Jerk chicken was the best part) but midway through our vacation, they closed it down and moved it to the Dolce Vita restaurant. The beach was small and walking along the beach was a short walk. The construction next  [... read more]to the resort was annoying. Getting a good nights sleep may be a real chore with the constant door slamming and shouting in the corridor from drunken guests. This was my first trip to Jamaica's Runaway Bay. My second stay at a Bahia Principe resort. Overall, I had a good time at the resort and I would recommend this resort once the construction is complete.

Downhill

I seems ownership has change since I was there a few year ago. Staff less friendly. No tip, no service. We were forced into booking a meeting and and tour. We skipped it and the resst of the week our service was even worse(swear I got blacklisted). The ac wasn't even that cold. (was before). Tons of noisey construction morning til night. (shook our room) overall it's as if th hotel just gave up on doesn't care anymore. It's sad.

Big, Big, Big Resort

Hotel was very big with excellent food and entertainment. The property was well kept and staff were always courteous and responsive. Had towels issues every single day. The hotel seems to be selling a time-share concept called the privilege club which I found truly annoying. This was the first time ever that I felt harassed on property by the hotel. Not a good concept. Enjoyed my trip though. I would rate the hotel a low 4 stars. Oh yes excellent entertainment.

Very nice resort

Resort itself very big, clean, well kept grounds, amazing pool, beach area was nice. Buffett - Very good quality food. Jerk chicken at snack bar/ beach side, excellent! Staff very friendly, only issue during the stay was with house keeping, two of us in the room but never had enough towels during our stay.

Good resort.

The resort was very nice. The grounds were well kept and the restaurants, swim areas, and staff were excellent. We did have a leaking toilet in our room. That was disappointing. Overall however I was pleased and had an exceptional time.

Amazing trip!!!!!

The rooms was pretty clean everytime, the bathrooms was really nice. Also the food services at the restaurant was great and always served with a smile from the nicest employees. Our days at the pool and the beach were incredibly amazing!!!

The resort is amazing i loved it

Its was the best place ever extremely amazing people were all friendly my guest and i wanna go back soon no place like Jamaica food was delicious drinks were to die for the shops and entertainment was an exciting experience

Overall Good Vacation

Great food. Service was a little slow, but that is to be expected. It was very hot, the beach is beautiful and great swimming. The only disappointment was the on-going construction that went into the night.

Truly a AMAZING resort

The resort was luxurys and very clean, the employer were super social. I had the time of my life and will deffenately be back again. They was zero problem and I was amazed by how perfect my trip was . I highly recommend it .

Not what I expected.

I thought the staff were very rude, the kids had nothing to do, once you tip you never see the staff member again, no towels, the staff are always fighting eachother and when you ask for a drink, most of the time you don't see them. You get no cutlery for the kids and spoons are very seldom.

Very very happy

My girlfriend and I had a very good time here. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. The food was great and the hotel was kept in good shape. The pool was nice but the with all the people, it got dirty as seen from underwater. There was extremely noisy construction happening on site which was really a buzzkill - waking up to early morning power tool noise. Most rooms have an ocean view and have nice views. The maids kept the room very tidy. The room itself was a good size as well. Plent [... read more]y of opportunity for romance. Highly recommended.

Great resort

Staff very friendly and helpful. Food in the al larte was great buffet had a good selection. Could of have more local fruits ie mangoes and coconuts. The resort in general was very clean. Gardens well kept.

Amazing--can't say enough about the local people

Absolutely amazing--movie production amazing-it was unreal The resort was perfect for me as everything was accessible. I could drive my scooter everywhere. I would however change the toilets in the "accessible rooms". Lower the beds and provide a shower bench. Trip Central, Micmac Mall in Halifax made this trip happen for my family. Most importantly, Susan Williams, was amazing at her job and went above and beyond her job to provide the best experience possible for us and we are forever gratefu [... read more]l to her for that.

Second time there!

Hotel has not changed physically over the past two years. Was disappointed as when we arrived we thought we had the same package and inclusions as our last trip but came to find out that was not the case. Had to pay to upgrade to our desired package upon arrival. Food was okay but feel like it may be slipping a bit. Wether once again in Jamaica was phenomenal and if you do go you must go to the luxury adult only as it is really te only way to enjoy the resort to its fullest.

Great Resort

Overall the Gran Bahia Principe was a great place to vacation with the Family. Food and People there are amazing. Rooms are very clean but in need of some updating. The Grill and The Mikado are very good restaurants, the Italian which I was looking forward to the most was not good I would pick another one over this. Overall great first trip Jamaica and I would go back to this resort again.

Good trip

If you don't mind walking aprox. 10 mins to the nicer beach area, then this place is for you. The food was great, service is great. The liquor is watered down, with no blenders for the bartenders to make specialized drinks. Internet is slow with 1 hour of free service per day.

Fantastic Resort

This is an amazing hotel Very friendly staff, the food was great, there were a lot of choices. The A'lactate has a very nice ambiance. The entertainment was good I enjoyed every minute of it. The ground is beautiful and the welcome on arrival was special. My only negative review is on housekeeping. One say we had no change of towels, the next say no face cloth or shower gel. It was constant calling down for housekeeping to get it right. other than that beautiful resort. I am already recommending [... read more] it to my friends The

Great Value

This was our 2nd visit to this resort in a year. Overall it was a fantastic trip. The resort is huge but well laid out and easy to get around. It was very clean and well maintained although starting to look a big worn in spots. The food was great with lots of selections at the buffets. We really enjoyed the smaller adults only Palmyra buffet for breakfast every morning. The beach restaurant was also awesome with the best jerk chicken I've ever had. For the a la cartes we chose the Grill, Mikado  [... read more](show table) and the Don Pablo. We loved all of them and actually cancelled our reservation at the Picasso so we could go back to the Don Pablo!! The pool is huge and very clean. There are lots of shade palapas but we still had go down every morning before 7 to reserve one with our towels otherwise the only loungers available were in the sun. The portion of the pool closest to the lobby was party/play central with lots of activities and music. Closer to the other end is much quieter and faster service at the pool bar. The beach was great, we went as far as you could go as it was the quietest with a bar and bathroom nearby. We only went to 1 show at the square (they have one every night at 9:45). It was a bit cheesy but entertaining. Missed the Michael Jackson show on Sunday but heard it was great. No problems with maid service or lack of clean towels....all was good there. Asked at the lobby that they replace our clock because it kept losing time but nobody ever came. Also had a call one morning offering us breakfast in bed because "we were special" so we ordered and were told it would be there shortly. 90 min later nothing so we called room service and they had no idea what we were talking about. Frustrated and hungry we went to the buffet! Service for the most part was just alright. Not a true 5 star in that capacity, just too slow (even for Jamaica) and unreliable. The staff was quite friendly though and we always felt welcomed. Overall it's a great value for the money spent. We will return again someday I'm sure but not for few years because there are other resorts we want to try out.

Not a Five Star

The food was not the greatest seem to be left overs from the day or two before, the room was not what we booked but did move us the next day, room looked slapped together, tv some time works, overall not great