Great resort

Rooms were nice and clean. My bed was hard though. Service exceptional and the activities people worked really hard to get involvement from the guests. Drinks were really good and seemed to have everything I asked for. Entertainment was all Jamaican music and dance. Could open this up a bit, maybe do skits or something a little different twice a week. No problem finding a chair in the sun or under a tree on the beach. You can walk up to the other RIU along the beach and have a drink free. [... read more] You could have a small bus to take people down to seven mile beach at certain times and pick up times. That would be lovely as there are a few bars along there including Drifters. Enjoyed and plan to return.u

Riu Palace Tropical Bay

The resort was amazingl as always it’s our second time there. The food, service, beach exceptional. And everyone super friendly... Mario had our table for breakfast and lunch ready as soon as we walked in. Thank you Riu 5*

Wonderful resort

We had a wonderful time at the Riu Palace. The staff were very accommodating and pleasant to deal with. Very clean rooms and grounds. We enjoyed the evening entertainment and all a la carte restaurants. Beautiful beach and not crowded.

Boring place with Unfriendly services

We had book 2 rooms - they gave 2 rooms with sewage smell especially when air condition was on. The cleaning lady and luggage porter have to admit these rooms in building 1 stinks. They moved us to 2nd room at 2 am in the morning. 2nd room by the highway - so noisy with cars driving all the time. Don’t go to building 0 or building 1. Front desk took too long to return calls. We had to request to upgrade to ocean view rooms to get away from the smell and the noises. Unfortunately, ocean roo [... read more]m had bed bug. Rooms are not acceptable for guests to live in. They should have Ensure facilities in acceptable conditon before releasing to guests. And I thought this was a 4 1/2 star hotel??? So U can image how vacation went.:( We spoke to manager, they apologized but couldnt compensate anything. At other resorts, they went extra miles to please guests- like repaid with bottle wines or waves upgrade room fee - here nothing!!! The hotel’s entertainment was so boring. Had 3 small pools but one closed down for maintenance. We spent most time at beach. Beach is beautiful, but pool is poor. Hotel had no music during day time and hardly any active entertainment, except at night. No night life either. Bar tender (ladies) not friendly at all. Tipping in US$ not much appreciated - not sure the amount they expected? They were relunctant to make drinks for us too, even though we are not a drinker. We order cocktails and tip them Almost every time they brought to us - but they don’t seem to appreciat - looks grumpy - especially the ladies. The men have a bit more sense of humours. There are 2 riu the one adult side more expensive and the teens side cheaper and have more life than the adult side. We stayed at the Adult side:( Overall I would not recommend this hotel unless management and people’s attitude changed. They need to have more upbeat entertainment to enlighten families and kids and definitely more friendly services!!!. Maybe people here work too many hours cause I saw same people all the time ( eg no rotation of shift, to get fresh service). To be fair, there were exceptional waiters and male bartenders ( eg like Adane - he is really nice bartender at the main bar). They need more of his type of personality. Also, only good part was beautiful calm beach ( if u like the calm part) - pools too small thus hardly anyone use them.

Loved The Riu Palace

We loved the Riu Palace. Incredible staff, the grounds and our balcony view were beautiful. The amazing beach was maintained daily and the water was crystal clear. There were starfish to see while snorkelling, in addition to the odd fish and rare stingrays. Having been to many all inclusive resorts we were extremely impressed with the a la cartes; however, the buffet was the very best of any we have had in the past. We very much appreciated seeing guitarists perform on site. The gym was well e [... read more]quipped and I actually went there three times...:-) Our main concern was the lost vacation time. We lost our whole day flying and bussing getting to the resort and on the way back was worse. Sunwing needs to have returning flights leave resorts later as we totally missed our last day. We got picked up at 9 a.m. and flew out at 2 p.m. Also more flights from Ottawa are needed so we would not have to drive to Montreal. The hotel staff was slow on repairs as our toilet seat was broken when we arrived and although I made daily calls to have it repaired it was still not fixed when we left. There was one security issue I had to report to Chris, the resort security officer. In my absence, one of the para sailing vendors on the beach made extremely inappropriate comments to my spouse as she was trying to sunbathe. When I got back from my scuba diving I could see she was upset about something. She told me what happened and you can imagine my first reaction but he had disappeared. This incident was extremely disconcerting for her as one could imagine. Notwithstanding the above, the resort was fantastic, food, beach, entertainers, water, and staff were the best. In the event you want to taxi to Rick's cafe or Margaritaville be sure to ask for Paul at the lobby taxi stand. Tell them Larry the guitar guy sent you. Enjoy Riu Palace.

Excellent Resort

The hotel is fantastic after the reno's. Staff are wonderful. Grounds kept very clean Food quality has slipped a little since last year. Not as much selection but tastes very good. I don't feel the management treats the staff as well as they should

Great resort

The resort was clean, great food and very nice, fun helpful Hardworking Staff . If I had to make suggestions on how to improve here they are. 1. Sunwing planes are way too small , not sure could handle that again even with purchasing seats with extra leg room. 2. Why are there not more garbage cans on the beaches? 3. The resort has one set of bathrooms on lower level that serve all pool and beach goers they also serve all the restaurants . 4. There should be elevators or dumb waite [... read more]rs to take luggage up to the top floors. Each morning we heard people leaving very early to catch buses for the airport and luggage being dragged down hallways and stairs. Woken up at 5 a.m daily due to that racket. 5. Most important thing for all hotels everywhere is signs on the hotel room doors educating ignorant and inconsiderate guests who let their doors slam when entering or leaving their rooms no matter what time of night . What is wrong with people ?? It’s impossible to Get sleep in hotels especially with tile floors when people just let their heavy room Doors slam behind them plus their sliding balcony doors. The signs should be posted on both sides stating something like “ hold door when closing , do not let doors slam, be considerate of others “ The company that makes these signs and sells them to all hotels will make a fortune and have very happy guests!!

Beautiful Resort

This newly updated resort will not disappoint. From check in to check out everything was flawless. Meals were outstanding. Andre can prepare a fantastic omelette and kept the line moving and the choices for each meal was extraordinary. Lobster even at the evening buffet! Sweetie, Chicken and Chocolate Thunder kept it fresh and hopping on the beach and at the pool so many laughs. Sheldon and Conrad always made sure towels were ready to go and always had a smile and couldn't do enough to make your [... read more] beach or pool time fun. Shayne working both the front desk and steak house (saw him in different locations) was always looking to make sure all your needs were met. Drinks at all bars were fantastic and you never had to wait long for a drink. Our rooms were very large and always clean. The grounds were beautiful and the guys were out there everyday grooming. We walked down to the Negril Riu which is at the other end of the bay, you could definitely see the difference in resorts as the Negril Riu looked very tired. Over all this Riu resort will be a good choice . We were disappointed with our Sunwing rep at our resort but this does not reflect the Resort itself. We will definitely return to Riu Palace Negril.

It was not what one would expect for a riu palace 5 star

Resort was immaculatey clean,staff very efficient. Found this resort lacking in many areas though,no sports bar,24 hr snack shack lacking in variety of food and what they did offer was bland and not apetitizing .Our room had an odd odor that was not pleasant but hard to identify. Food was okay but not fantastic for a 5 star and for what we paid and expected. Hard to enjoy the beach because it was full of people trying to sell u ‘party packs,anything u needed to needed to feel good they had itâ [... read more]€™ every 5 min u were approached,very annoying and felt the hotel did little to stop it, this is the major reason I would not go back or recommend it among all the other things I have listed

Good but not great

I go on vacation to relax and get away from the noise and stress of the big city life. I want calm and a noise free environment. This did not happen. Extremely noisy all the time on the beach. I was trying to read on the beach while a gardener was mowing the lawn with a weedeater. It took 2 hours. The following day, another gardener came with a leafblower for another 2 hours and they did it again 2 days later. Never mind the music and screams from the pool area - I was expecting that. But we hun [... read more]g out at the extremity of the beach in order to have peace and quiet and just read our books and swim. So the constant gardening was really annoying and kept us from really relaxing. The food was exquisite, the service was really outstanding and the room comfortable. The hotel is no longer a 5 stars, more like an ageing 4 stars. And the constant noise coming from boats passing by and the gardeners with their gas tools and their four-wheelers added to a stress I was trying to get rid of.

Riu tropical palace

Resort the best part of the resort we’re the people working there .They our stay very enjoyable. We had dance lesson for Reggae ,did paddle board ,kayaking and went on day trips .In all a very enjoyable time

Riu Palace Tropical Bay

4 out of 5 stars. Food and service could be improved in the restaurants. Beach is excellent. Resort needs more washrooms so that you don't have to walk so far.Lunch buffet offering seemed to be the best food offering.

BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING

The resort was above and beyond expectations. The grounds were kept very well by the hard working staff. The rooms were kept clean and up to standards by the cleaning staff. The restocking could use some help as we had to request things to be brought down for us. The food was amazing and the wait staff went above and beyond for our needs. In particular, Natherene and Crifton were ever so obiliging and Crifton went out of his way to make our last evening special with table decorations. [... read more] We will certainly return for another two weeks in the future. We don't have a bad comment about this visit.

FANTASTIC HOLIDAY

I want to say that the Palace Tropical Bay is one of the best resorts in Jamaica, I would go back anytime. The staff, rooms ,food,and beach there is nothing bad to say about the resort. I plan on returning in the near future. The price is a little steep for my pocket but its worth every cent. The activities for older kids there is none, I have a son that is 15 but he was able to enjoy the beach. The bus ride to the resort was not to my liking, as it was almost 2 hours

Amazing food

Beautiful resort with excellent food and service. The beach is deep and the water is calm - great for swimming. The furniture in the rooms and the entertainment area is old and in need of updating. Our bathroom had a cracked sink and very worn bathtub.

Fantastic Resort

This resort has it all. They have friendly staff great entertainment. The food was terrific and everyday we were surprised by something. Whether is was ice cream served at the pool, to fresh coconuts at the beach to make your own paella. It was my second time at this resort and it seems to have gotten better. The only downfall is the rooms need to be updated but I heard they are going through renovations next fall. Great Trip!

Beautiful resort!

Beautiful resort in large sheltered bay. Great swimming as water is calm and clear. excellent walking beach; vendors at far end. Hotel is beautiful, per Riu standards. Bathroom tub needed new caulking and one bathroom sink cracked. No hot food 24/7 (only fruit and popcorn). For these reasons can only give this resort 4.5 stars out of 5. Food is superior (hats off to the chefs!) and staff are helpful and courteous. Beach is lovely with shade available. Would definitely return.

Still a lovely resort!

This resort in my opinion is one of the best. If you think it is run down they will be updating in 2018. I have seen much worse hotels in my travels. Staff are lovely, grounds are simple but well kept. Food is pretty good. Beach is beautiful!! It is the type of hotel where you can do what you want as long as you are not bothering anyone. Seems to be a place for an older crowd that still likes to have a bit of fun.

Great vacation

Been to this resort many times. Always been pleased with the service and quality, although it is not up to "palace" standards in my opinion. The staff are very kind and always helpful. I have no complaints. The beach at this resort is amazing!!!!

Not a palace

After having returned to the RIU Ochos Rios four years in a row, we wanted to try out Negril and of course picked the RIU Palace Tropical Bay. The good: Free wifi everywhere including the beach Front desk service was great! Check in and temperature checks. Went out of their way to make our stay a great one. Checked in several times. The food in the buffet is good with a lot of variety. Steak house is awesome Fusion was fantastic for food, presentation and flawless service Italian wa [... read more]s by far the best (this coming from an Italian, that says a lot!) Japanese is gross - they ask you to complete surveys on food and service in each a la carte restaurant. The manager of public relations called me to discuss my survey. She continued to check in throughout my stay to ensure we were doing well - that I must say was impressive. She went out of her way, along with the fabulous staff in the Italian restaurant to make my birthday extra special. Beach is spectacular and totally makes up for all the bad experiences The bad: Palapas - they need some - zero shade Music - its dead silent here. With so much amazing music in Jamaica would really feel like you're on vacation with music all over the resort. Two hours on the beach playing the same music every day for 10 days is not my idea of music. I got really annoyed and loaned them my iPod with reggae music on it every day for almost a week! Washrooms - entire resort has only two washrooms and neither are near the beach or the pool. Be prepared to hike to a washroom! Service is in the buffet is terrible - they are so busy talking to each other or on their phones instead of serving their customers. Entertainment team is non attentive and too busy talking to each other or picking up young women - definitely don't cater to married couples. A couple of them came around toward the end of our stay but overall they need some energy pumped into them - they truly make or break the vacation so if they are pumped and happy and ready to have fun it becomes contagious. Rooms near the road will get loud due to the sounds from the road - walls are paper thin and we were awoken each morning by a wood pecker going to town. Clearly not the fault of the resort. Water sports - afternoon refusal based on weather (apparently sunshine and light wind wasn't satisfactory to take out a sail boat) One place to eat lunch and they were staining or painting the walkway which was nauseating at best. The nightly shows are a yawn fest - utterly amateur and completely boring. For those accustomed to the RIU Palace, note that this is definitely not a palace. They are painting it white and calling it a palace. They lack the amenities the palaces offer. Kids area is a small run down park with two swings and a tree house looking structure. Overall - we made the most of our vacation thanks to a breathtaking beach and ocean and a few key people who were really awesome. I will return to Negril but not to this resort.