Ocho Rios Resorter

My husband and I stayed here on our honey moon in 1998 and it was beautiful and wonderful so we thought we would go back. 11 years later this hotel is showing its age! I would never go here again. The rooms were dingy, the furniture was the same furniture from 11 years ago with ding marks all over it. The bars close way too early now (most at 5pm), the service was not as good and the restraunt quality has gone way down. Definetly not worth the money. The spa wervices are also way too expensive now. We had to get more towels and wash clothes becuase there was only one set when we got there. We ended up called 3 times to get them. The minifridge is limited on the quantity of items you are allowed per day and they would only allow you to have 1 3oz cranberry juice per room??? So we had to split it. Even if you ask for more they will not give it to you. The main bar that stays open with the later hours is way up the mountain side so good luck catching your breath and finding your way back at night. The restaurants don't open until 7pm or later so we were always hungry by the time we were allowed to eat. Very disappointing.

We have been to Jamaica 4 other times. We had very high hopes in regards to this stay. We had seen other reviews about this resort and were very excited about our stay. Arrival at the airport and being escorted into their waiting room was very nice and very painless. Drinks were provided as were restroom facilities. We only had to wait not even a 1/2 hour. The drive to the resort was very nice since they have finally finished with the road work. Upon arrival at the property we were greeted with the customary glass of champagne and checked in. At the same time we booked our restaurant reservations. A gentleman took us to our room in a little taxi like vehicle because we would have had to walk a bit of a distance with our luggage. We had to wait a bit more then we would have liked, but they did finally come and showed us our room which was right on the beach overlooking a small yard. Upon first entering the room you are greeted with a mini-fridge, mini-bar and coffee maker, etc... I immediately noticed that the furniture was nicked and had pot marks in it. The door to the cabinet that housed the mini bar did not even close all the way. Further inspection of the room was nice, but showed some shabby furniture that really needs to be replaced about 5 years ago. The bed was VERY comfortable though and they get 5 stars on that respect. The bathroom was nice and the shower and jetted tub are separate. We never used the jetted tub. Later on in the week though the bathroom seemed to be over run with these little ants all over the place. There were little ants all over the counter tops and in the floor. Also in the shower you could see mildew in the shower grout. We unloaded and relaxed for a minute, took in the view and off we went on our grand adventure. The beach is quite nice, but small and we are okay with that. just be reminded that this report's beach is located in a cove and the water is MUCH COLDER then out in the actual ocean. If you want warm water in the ocean you are better to stay at a resort that is directly on the ocean and not located off in a cove area. This resort is MUCH more laid back then any of the others we have stayed at and for that we give this resort 5 stars for its laid back, small atmosphere. Later in the evening we visited the Bella Vista Restaurant as it was our 1st night and we had no reservations anywhere. Service at this restaurant was HORRIBLE!!! We were seated by the nice lady, but it took them OVER 10 minutes to even come to take our order. We had to finally get up and ask someone if they could come take our order. I understand island time, but this is unacceptable in customer service. The food was so/so and we decided to NOT go back to Bella Vista during our stay. We did go to the au-natural beach the entire time we were there. It was much more quite and not nearly as many people as the other beach. BUT be warned the au-natural beach is not as private as the regular beach. Yes it is private from the property, but NOT from the people on the public beach just about 80 yards away or the people that go up and down the river that empties out right next to the au-natural beach. We ended up hanging out at the swimming pool the entire time. I even saw people in a boat come by with a camera and the security did nothing about it. Be warned this resort has a TON of steps. Depending on where your room is you may to hike a bit to get to the nice restaurant and even the lobby. But if you are in to nooks, crannies and hidden places this resort is for you. We found so many little places that made me think of pirates and treasure. Very unique in that sense. Internet connection is free, but is VERY spotty at best. You eat at the same restaurant for breakfast every day unless you do room service. We stayed during the new year parties and what they tried to pass off as entertainment was absurd. It was embarrasing for me to watch these kids pass off something they called Latin Dancing. It was far from it and I could shake my hips better then that. They had this girl that was supposed to do acrobatics in sheets (I don't know the technical term for it). Bless her, but it was terrible! She did one pose and NEVER did any acrobatics in the sheets. The entertainment for their New Year party was horribly lacking and I wonder if even their entertainment director had screened these people before they booked them. Overall we had a good time, but we were VERY dissapointed in this resort and we cannot understand how this resort has 5 stars and all the praise it gets. We will not be coming back to this resort and we cannot in our right mind recommend it to anyone. The only way we would come back is if they made some major upgrades to their rooms and service improved. And they got rid of the ants in the room.

We travel all over the Caribbean, We were here June of 2008. The hotel was ok, but my son who is 13 was at the waterpark, and was harassed by people who yelled at him through the fence wanting money. The fence is maybe 20 feet from the slides. There are peoples shacks on the other side and they attempt to talk to you through the fence. There is security at night, would not suggest going on the beach at night. The resort is narrow, and long. If you have asthma, or a heart condition, this hotel is not for you. It is by-level and you have to walk tons of stairs or wait over 10 minutes on the slowest elevator in the world. If you enjoy a good beach this beach is nice, but not much of it. Very narrow resort. Slides are shut down at 5pm, so if you have teens, sesame street is not much for entertainment. Did not feel safe letting them leave to go on there own. From one to ten, I give our vacation a 4. I would stay at another Beaches maybe in Negril.

Just got back & I will never go back - the resort is nothing like the pictures they have on their web site. There's no beach whatsoever & if you like swimming goodluck bc they have it roped off at waist high. Out of the 4 restaurants they offered 2 were ok, 2 were absolutely disgusting - the food wasn't bad but the pigeon & chickens everywhere along with their droppings can turn any stomach. We were supposed to have an oceanfront view but what we got instead was 6' piece of plywood to our left and a huge palm tree right in front. Couldn't see the ocean at all. If you are single and looking for something to do good luck bc there's no night life at the resort & if you wanted ot go outside the resort it has to be at their set times & they don't recommend taking a cab bc your safety isn't guarenteed - NICE!!! This is a nice place for children but not for anyone over 18. I will say though the staf was incredible very pleasnat.

Food was good and the rooms were clean. When it rained the hallways flooded. The bars swarmed with bees during day light hours and the staff did nothing about them. It is a family resort so children were running all over the resort. We went out on the glass bottom boat but saw no fish. If you wanted a decent wine with dinner, there was an extra charge. It is an older resort and shows its age.

Look, no one should be fooled that this is a four star resort because it is not, but the price isn't either. The beach is very small but clean and well maintained. The beds aren't exactly pillow top mattresses but they were comfortable enough to sleep in and the rooms were very clean. Hot water was sparse but with temps in the 90's, we didn't mind. The food in the main buffet was not bad but nothing to cheer about, however; the food in the other restaurants was surprisingly excellent especially the Italian restaurant and even the steaks at the Arizona were great. The pool was nice and not too over crowded and the pool bar was great. Red stripes flow freely all day. Our kids are a little older but still had fun on the slides and took full advantage of the water sports. They rode the banana boats over and over, we used the catamarans and water bikes. We even went out on the snorkeling trip. It was a very short trip but I was more than pleasantly surprised with the sea life that we saw. I played golf and the course was great and they provided a very helpful and friendly caddy. The service made the trip worth it and everyone there is remarkably friendly. They say no tipping but a few extra ones in your pocket is still greatly appreciated. It is true that outside the resort you will get a lot of pushy people trying to sell you just about anything so if that bothers you then go to Florida and skip Jamaica but you'll never get to meet * or * and that would be a shame. Lighten up and have some fun Mon!