BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Kelly from Mt Wasington, KY

"The staff was quite aloof and unfriendly. The wait staff did not even bring our drinks while eating, on the beach, or at the pool. The food was lousy. Restaurants were buffet style and tasted poorly. The bed was hard and towels and sheets were rough like sandpaper.The beach was horrible, not enough sand; the water was cloudy and had slimy moss that you stepped on with 3 inches of muck that you waded in and seaweed - absolutely gross! Planes were close and loud. Entertainment was bad with only one night of 6 with a decent show."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"Very tacky hotel for being only 4 yrs old."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Gwendolyn from Edgewood, Maryland

"Rooms aren't really clean!!! It was my daughters 21st Birthday....she had a blast. Rooms need attention! Better bedding, and towels, the smell in the rooms almost made me sick! It smelled musty at all times...."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Georgia from Windsor, Ct.

"I stayed in building 1. Entertainment food and staff was great,Kids were not happy the pool closed at 7p.m. there was nothing else for them to do.The room smelled of mildew,had to wash all the clothes I did not use,the sheets always felt damp,The mattress was hard. I never brought food in the room and I had lots of Roaches and Ants. Complained numerous times,they said they would take care of it,nothing was done.I thought staying at a more expensive hotel would be better,The kids liked the hotel we stayed last year better which was much cheaper and our clothes did not smell and we did not have roaches.Still upset over all the money I spent."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Lorraine Suttles from Mechanicsville, VA, VA

"This was the second trip for me and my adult children to Jamaica. After reading several reviews we were a little cautious because of negative responses. This is very close to the airport so we expected the planes to be flying over - on our first day there, 30 planes flew over very low, however, after that only 5 -10 a day generally between 9 am and 6 pm. Did not disturb us as we spend a lot of time on a beach near a Naval Air Station where planes start at 5am. The food does become tiresom after a couple of days. Our best dinner was at the Asian Restaurant - we had a reservation but did not need it as the place was nearly empty. Our rooms were very nice and kept clean without tips. I think staff were always eager to please - they have great attitudes. I think we would consider staying here again."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Breona from Northport, AL

"We traveled here last week and had a great time! The staff was friendly and accomodating. The room that we paid for was not ready on our arrival, but we were able to move the next day with no problem. The locals are also warm/friendly people. We met a particular man and he was good to us. He was so kind to take us on an all day tour and show us around Jamaica. That was the highlight for us. The food was just ok. This was our first trip to an all inclusive and I read many reviews before booking this trip. Everybody was pretty much right about resort food. We did enjoy the 'Jamaica Night' with the local foods and music. The weather was great, the excursions were also nice. Views were great. However, other reviews mentioned the smell in the rooms. They are correct and that stinch is present in everything that was in the room. The beach was nice, but the seaweed and the slimy feeling on the bottom was absolutely gross!!!! Pool area was also nice, wasn't too crowded. We were only able to get reservation for one restaurant, but there was a great host that allowed us to dine even without a reservation (of course a tip helped). Although this is an all inclusive resort, please take some tipping money. The staff works hard and they deserve it. There was one thing that I didn't like...the locals tend to beg and hound you to buy something or give them money, even when you are on the beach trying to relax. This became very annoying by the end of our trip. The entertainment was fun and there was something going on every night. Someone else mentioned the mosquitoes, and they were right. I was almost eaten alive sitting on the beach or our balcony at night, bring the bug spray. Overall, we enjoyed our stay and will return to Jamaica next year. Would recommend for anybody to experience going here."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Leisa from Fountain Run, Ky

"The staff is wonderful and the entertainment is fantastic!!!! The beach is not what we expected it was dirty and was not a pretty beach at all. If you are wanting a five star resort this not one! The beds are very hard and the pillows like a bunch of foam balls in a pillow case. The rooms just need a little more updating the base of quality is there but if they would just finish it up with quality."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"hotel and vacation was very nice the food was very good also would go back again"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Vanessa from Brooklyn, Ny

"Love love love the entertainment. The staff was so kind and cool. The rooms were spacious and beautiful. The greatest pool ever. I made sure I tipped so I suggest other ppl tip cuz these ppl work hard for us. Don't be cheap tip in American. Don't change ur money. Keep in American and buy liquor in the hotel or at the airport duty free. Much cheaper than outside. Be careful of the over charging taxi service. Over all the best place for relaxation."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler J Cooper from Oxford, Al

"Riu Montego Bay Resort was very nice and we enjoyed our trip very much and would go back in a minute. We were only able to get reservations at one of the restaurants which was disappointing.........but we had already found out on previous 'all inclusive trips' that is normally the case. Reservations fill up very quickly. The local people were all very friendly and accommodating. Last year we traveled to Punta Cana, DR and stayed at the Riu resort there and liked it so much we wanted to try another one of their resorts. We were not disappointed."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Olive Roche from Ny, Ny

"everything was really ausome until we got to the room the odour of stale moldy air was stifling had to wash all my cloaths that i did not wear as the smell was on them too. Need to solve this my husband was eaten alive by the mosquites bring bugspray if they bother you . Staff ausome and the food delicious, the entertainment out of this world dedicated crew they just gave it their all ;;;;;;l all day and all night what a super friendly crew. Now the beach was just terrible with all that ugly seaweed, really disguesting the beach in negril not like that at all . anyway i had a blast thanks the moldy smell in the room has got to go before i stay there again thanks"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Sue from Newport, Vt

"The weather was beautiful and the food was good. The resort was not the cleanest. The room had a terrible smell to it. We had to keep the door open when we were in the room to air it out. It had a mildew, moldy smell in it. The dampness in the room made our clothes damp and smelly. We had asked for a room near the rest of our party with a king bed and got a 'family' room with 3 beds, on another floor. NOT IMPRESSED!!! The beach was horrible, we couldn't go in the water it was slimy and mucky bottom. Because the beach sucked so bad the pool was very crowded. Oh and by the way, there was not 4 pools as stated. The harrassement of people trying to sell you things on the beach was totally ridiculous. These people were locals and while there was staff members on the beach watching they did not stop them. The staff on the other hand was friendly and nice. Always a smile. The entertainment left alot to be desired. All of this was done by the staff as well!! There was not much to do on the resort. We did travel to Dunn River Falls which was fun. But there again it was an added expense (worth it though) and the begging for tips was outrageous. Where as we dont mind tipping we dont like getting chased and harrassed until we give them money. This was not at the resort itself but anywhere else we went. We were very disappointed in the resort and would not stay here again!!!! "

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Larysa from Brooklyn, NY

"We just got back from Jamaica last week and First off I'd like to say that our stay at this hotel was EXCELLENT. The staff was amazing and the entertainers were beyond talented and friendly. The food was awesome, especially Jerk chicken. The aerobic classes by the beach and in the pool every morning - it was a blast . The only thing we didn't like was the seaweed at the beach."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Sherry from Toronto, Canada

"Was totally discussed! Had to change rooms due to an investation of cockroaches, the 2nd room wasn't much better, needless to say my quality of sleep was terrible. Combined with the uncomfortable beds and either flat or lumpy pillows. If the rooms are crawling with cockroaches - WHAT IS IN THE KITCHENS!!! Never saw them vacuum the pools, especially the swim up bar pool. Could not see the bottom of it - I guess it is a combination of drinks being spilt, lotion and of course urine! It was my birthday while away, so my daughter attempted to do something special. Customer service said all they did was cakes, so my daughter order a cake for me which we never saw. Our alarm clock was broken so we asked for a wake up call for our travel day to return home - never got that either, thank God my daughter set her alarm on her phone. It wasn't enough to deal with bugs in the room, out by the pool at the tops of these white pillars were earwigs as well as cockroaches. Do you need more? NEVER EVER WILL I RETURN OR RECOMMEND - WHAT A DUMP!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Larysa from Brooklyn, New York

"I just got back from Jamaica and all I want to say - EXCELLENT. The staff was amazing and the entertainers were beyond talented and friendly. I loved how they got everyone involved in all the activities there . The music was great and the shows were amazing. The hotel is literally 10 min away from the airport. Can't complain about noise from the airport. It didn't bother us at all. The food was amazing, no need to make a reservation at the restaurants. My only disappointment was the beach - too much seaweed. But the pools were great. Its sooo sad to come back home. DEF RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL TO EVERYONE."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler

"The property is beautiful. The problem is the staff are agressive in trying to sell you everything. We almost drowned in a scuba activity because the weather was poor and the operator refused to cancel and refund."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Chevette James from Milwaukee, WI

"I had a wonderful time.... The resort was very nice, there were a lot of things to do. The staff were very friendly and accomodating. This is my first international trip, so I don't have any other resort to compare it to, but I loved it, and I would go back again and again. My only gripe is that there should be a better way to keep the food hot, most of the time the food was kind of cold (but then again, I like my food HOT). :) I loved it!!!!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Leticia from Englewood, New Jersey

"best experience ever! the staff was amazing and so helpful. I def recommend it. great for families lots of activities to do."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Sharon from Richmond, Va

"Everything was super, except for the beach water it goey, slimy and mossy."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler The Jones Family from Baltimore, MD

"We got married the Riu. We had a great time with a few minor glitches. The ROOM....as we was walking through the hallway of the hotel towards our room, we noticed an awful smell. As we entered the room, it smelled just as bad as the hallway (like a bad mold smell). The housekeeper was in the hallways and we asked for some air freshener, but they came in and sprayed the room themselves. Well it didn't help. We ended up asking around and was told about a mini market across the road from the hotel....went walked over and bought some Clorox bleach and air freshener (wow...cleaning while on vacation) but it helped and room no longer had a bad odor during our stay. While we was wiping down the room, my husband found a dead frog under the sink that appeared to have been there for quit a while (which made me question whether the rooms are properly cleaned). The FOOD....I must say that the food was pretty good....better than I expected. I had an issue with the lunch buffet at the steak house. For one, its outdoors and flies are flying around the food and on the plates (YUCK). You have to make reservations for some of the resturants for dinner (which isn't that easy to get) and after eating at the steak house twice for dinner, we didnt think that it was worth it. We much rather ate at the buffet resturant because it was more food to pick from. The STAFF...everyone was nice. My husdand and I was shocked at how nice everyone was...The customer service is awesome. The ENTERTAINMENT....we felt that the resort was a bit boring. We was hoping that they had jet skies, but instead they had paddle boats (BORING). The shows at night was also a bit boring to us. The Michael Jackson show is ok, but of course, that was on our last night there. The WEDDING....that was the BEST part of all. The coordinators did an excellent job. The only problem I had is that the locations of the gazebos were a little too close to the public. We would have liked for it to have been a little more private instead of being a few feet away from the beach goers. The resort has its ups and downs but we would definitely go back again......with a bottle of bleach and air freshener :-)"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Rhodes from Lake Orion, MI

"Other than the beautiful weather, there was nothing good about this resort. The rooms smelled, the food was bad, the service was terrible,the place was dirty. There were constantly people trying to sell you things, including drugs, from the beach. Non-guests were allowed on the beach, I even saw one man empty garbage in a shopping bag, claimed it was to feed his dog. Worst of all, the resort is next to the airport, so there are planes flying very low over all day long. Furthermore, we lost 2 days of a 5 day trip due to the absolutely horrible flight reservation with American Airlines. "

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler ALFRED GORDON from CANYON LAKE, CA

"Could not ask for better service, friendlier staff. Very humble people. One area of concern was tiny roaches were found in the room. That needs to be taken care of. We are planning our next trip to Jamaica."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Quynh-Giao from Montreal, Qc

"This hotel is well managed. We do appreciate the efficiency and the staff smiles. Our only negative comment is that the Hotel pool and beach is small for the size of the Hotel. We do however appreciate the good food and the good management on site."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler A Recent Traveler from Baltimore, MD

"We chose this location because it was 4yrs old. I wont rant b/c it was not that bad of an experience thanks to the friendliness of the staff. However the cons: The hotel issued actual door keys not a key card but 1 door key with a $20. deposit for and additional key that may or may not match. The bed was extremely hard, I guess they figured that you'd get to drunk from the rum to realize this. Finally the food left a lot to be desired. We fought for reservations at two of the exclusive restaurants at the resort and was terribly surprised. In most all exclusive resorts the 'exclusive' restaurants are a step away and two to three steps above the common area buffets in the quality of food and service. With this in mind we got dressed up to go to a chinese buffet, really. Our second reservation was at the Steak House. Imagine waiting in line and notice that your exclusive meal is being carted in before you eyes in hot boxes. The dinning area for the steak house converted nicely from the lunch buffet but the kitchen was closed. The steak was served prison style from the hot box. Maybe I thought that 4yrs young meant new cutting edge amenities and services and that just wasn't the case."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Linda Hartman from Montclair, NJ

"This was a nice experience. Plenty to do, and the jerk chicken pit was the best jerk chicken we had ina long time... The rooms were clean and comfortable. The morning beach aerobics class was jammin, mon! The beach wasn't very good, though. The water was murky with grass and goo underfoot...that wasn't so good! I wouold recommend th chain but probably not this location due to the beach water. I would def stay again!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Jeffrey C Trelfa from Alpena, MI

"The resort was GREAT! The staff AMAZING!!! Wonderful time!!!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler L from Chicago, IL

"This was our first trip to Jamaica and our honeymoon. We had an absolutely amazing time! For average people like us, a fireman and a teacher, we were absolutley thrilled with our experience. The resort is beautiful! The grounds, beach, pool area, restaurants, and rooms are very nice and clean. The staff is constantly working hard to keep it that way. The rooms do get a little humid, but what do you expect being on an island surronded by water. Your room will get cleaned everyday, as long as you put the green door sign out. They do a really nice job cleaning and will leave you towel animals and mints. The staff was unbelievably friendly, such nice and helpful people. There is NO pressure to tip. Yes, they have signs everywhere saying tips are appreciated; we tipped becasue we wanted to. The people work so hard, how could you not want to tip them? The only thing we werent too thrilled about was the food. The Asian buffet, Italian cusine, and buffet were just ok. The steak house was good, but the best meal was the jerk chicken on the beach. We looked forward to it everyday, it was delicious!We used Jamaican Tours Unlimited for our snorkling, zip lining, and trips to and from the airport. They were very cautious drivers and gave us a lot of history on the island. The snorkiling was amazing and the CHUKKA ziplining tour was phenominal. I was scared to zip line, and they made my exprience a safe, relaxing, and fun one! We also went to Margaritaville once at night and once during the day to do the water activities. The food was great and the water actiivites were a blast! We used Collin taxi service and he was so friendly and told us about everyhthing we drove by. Also, we went in March and we did not see any 'SpringBreakers', there were many couples and families. Overall, we had an amazing experience.It was so relaxing, and a great place to go to for our honeymoon! We will defintley go back! They were wonderful, I highly reccomend staying there!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler S & J from PA

"Here is my detailed review: RESORT I really liked the layout of this resort. It wasn't too spread out that I got tired of walking from our room to the main lobby etc. FOOD We aren't picky eaters so we were satisfied with the food. We loved the 'Jamaican' themed night at the buffet. One thing I will say is that immediately after checking in, you should make reservations at the a la carte restaurants if you want to eat there. They book up fast! DRINKS Some people said they found the drinks to be watered down. We did not, but I mean you can order as many as you want and you can tell the bartender to make it a 'double'. One thing I read and recommend is to bring your won container/cooler cup. My husband brought a huge 'bubba keg' and we didn't have to keep getting up from our lounge chair on the beach to get more drinks. STAFF Some reviews found the staff to be rude, we found the exact opposite! Everyone was friendly, efficient and helpful. ROOM Some reviews said that there were bugs and a musty smell. The rooms were spacious and the decor was nice. Some reviews said the mattress was too hard, I did not find this, but I preferm a firm mattress. One thing I liked was the umbrella that was in the closet. It rained one night and we definitely got use out of it. The only negative thing I have to say is that the tv/remote could be updated. There weren't too many channels and the remote didn't have numbers on it... But really...who stays in their room at an all-inclusive resort?! Perhaps upgraded rooms have better tvs? BEACH True there was more seaweed than a few of the other beaches that I've been to but it was very nice and relaxing. You MUST try the jerk chicken and sausage that they grill right on the beach in a hut! ACTIVITIES The staff definitely work hard to engage the guests in activities but they are not overbearing. They had water aerobics, games and different shows each night. They also had a live band. AIRPORT/PLANES I would guess maybe 5-10 plans fly overhead each day, but it didn't bother me. I would rather stay at a resort close to the airport than travel 2 hours to get to the resort. I didn't notice any planes after dark. Overall this is a great resor and we would DEFINITELY come back. Highly recommended!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Arganna &telfair Nixon from Gaithersburg, Md

"e xceptional service,cleanliness of the highest standards and lots of food choices. no call brand liquer and just average mattresses."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Gary Trim from Jamaica, NY

"Food is fantastic. Staff is very friendly. Weather was great. Would definitely go back again."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Brian from Charleston, SC

"Overall first experiene in Jamaica was excellant. This was a nice hotel. The staff was awesome. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The entertainment staff was the best. Nightly entertainment was great. Pool was great, beach was so so. Beings it's a man made beach, the sand only extendes about 10ft into the ocean. From there out, it was like swimming in a lake. bottom felt clayey under your feet. The Jerk Chicken at the shack on the beach was out of this world. The only negative was the website claimed unlimited domestic and international beverages. The only beer was Red Stripe and the liquor choices were very limited. Mostly local with the exception of Smiroff Vodka, Beefeater Gin, Dewar's Scotch and Kentucky Gentleman Bourbon. I was expecting to see more choices but we made due."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Michael from Rockland, Idaho

"So, my wife and I went for a week, and I have to say that it was simply exquisite. The whole resort was very nice, well landscaped, comfortable, and an overall awesome place for a vacation. I had never been to an all inclusive resort, and I really like the way it works. We were given wristbands for our stay, and everything was included. There were no hidden 'resort fees' and I was really never bothered much for anything. There is no limit on food, alcohol, or resort activities. Quite literally, you can have lunch, drink at the pool, have lunch again, go to the beach, get drunk and forget you had lunch, so that you can have lunch again. The entertainment was great, and I was never really bored. There were always things going on, water polo, volleyball, bingo, contests, etc. The nightly shows were top knotch, and I was never disappointed. Even the pre show activities (giveaways, contests, trivia challenges, etc) were a blast, and the staff was always fun. I loved how most of the staff members would literally climb a tree to get you a fresh coconut if you wanted one. Some other comments on this site may say that the beach is not the 'best in the world' but who cares, it was great, I never had a problem with it. As for negative, there always is a little bit, I have a few suggestions. For one, it was a very big resort, and I did not really care for walking all the way to the lobby to skype with my daughter back home on my laptop. Even the crappiest hotels have wireless internet in the rooms these days, surely they can do the same. Additionally the Food was definitely plentiful, and you never went hungry, however, most of it tasted the same, and it became kind of like eating at golden corral every day. I guess you just have to confirm your reservations a week prior. The problem is the international call to do it. The resort was amazing, and I was not disapointed. Honestly, no vacation is perfect, and I get sick of perfectionist reviews on this site. The place was well worth it."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Lyn from San Diego, CA

"This was my first trip to Jamaica. Seven days was not enough time for me. beautiful clean hotel. I'll give the good first. I loved the layout of the pool. The jerk chicken on the beach was awesome!! The staff was always courteous and friendly. Please tip your bellman/porters. My bellman carried four heavy suitcases at once down three flights of stairs like it was nothing. I liked that it was all spreadout. I never felt overwhelmed by people. We arranged all our excursions through Jamaican Tours. We went on a Sunset Catamaran Cruise, Parasailing, climbed Dunn's River Falls, and the bamboo river raft was relaxing. All was great but our horseback riding got cancelled because no one else signed up and they needed eight people. The tour guides share a lot of history and knowledge of their island. I would have liked that Margaritaville be part of the sunset cruise. I didn't want to go back to the hotel. Bring a lot of dollar bills. You will tip tip tip. Although we tipped a 20 here and there. Now for the bad. Unfortunately Jamaicans don't know how to cook beef because they don't eat it. The rooms smelled musty all the time. My clothes still smell after washing them. I think mildew must have set in them. I went three nights without a pillow case on one of my pillows. I finally had to ask. There wasn't any fan in the bathroom. It took me a few days to figure out the light switches. The mattresses could have been better. The beds were very hard. You will enjoy this hotel and please don't lock your roommate on the balcony like what happened to me."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Amy from Boston, MA

"Good value for the money. This was our 2nd time. The beach is short and the bottom of the ocean mucky, but we just walked as far as we could (knee deep) and then took the plunge into the water, which was a great temperature (not too cold, not too warm). I'd suggest not going in March, like we did our most recent visit, unless you like to party with drunken coeds on spring break. There's a lot of amenities which we took advantage of (beach volleyball, ping pong, sailing, kayaking, paddle boat). There's also an out of the way hot tub which most people don't seem to use. It's in the Spa--you need to go into the spa, into the restroom, and the hot tub is in a really relaxing room at the end that faces the pool. There is pressure to tip, so make sure you bring lots of ones beforehand. One cashier helped herself to my change ($2). Remember to head to the jerk chicken stand by the beach for lunch about noon to 2--this is the best food on the resort."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Bill Carlisle from Londonderry, NH

"We really enjoyed our stay. We travel frequently and found this resort to be in our top tier of facilities. We found the beach to be among the best we have ever experienced with lots of places for sun and shade with ample palm trees. We found the rooms very clean and we liked the in room bar which was replenished every other day. The food was average when compared to other resorts.Not bad but not excellent. The staff was very friendly and the entertainment at night very good. We would absolutly return to this hotel and would recommed it to others."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Wakely from Brandon, Mb

"Our trip to Montego Bay was great, right from getting through customs and the shuttle to and from the hotel. The rooms were great and very clean. There is noise from the planes flying over the resort but you get use to it. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The beach was a bit of a disappointment as you need water shoes due to the weedy bottom. If you want to snokel, you have to go out in a boat which costs $30.00 per person. It is definetly worth the $30.00. The taxis are very expensive compared to Mexico."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Cindy from Richmond, Va

"We had a great trip. We stayed in a beachfront 1st floor room that was spacious and clean. It was nice to not have to worry about the steps. The food was great, especially on Mexican night. We are beach people so did not go to the pool but one time but appeared to be clean and fun. Lots of seating in the shade and sun. The beach was wonderful and warm each day We took the all day excursion to the Falls and Zip liining. A great experience was had by both of us. We would go back to this resort again!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Bonita McCurry from Calgary, Ab

"We had a great time. Food was great, rooms were very nice and the drinks were cold."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Gary And Tammy Gibson from Thunder Bay,Ontario, Canada

"This resort was a very good choice for u.The beach is nice the food is good the staff is great the entertainment was a lot of fun. Also, the hotel was only minutes from the airport which was a bonus! Overall, we had an enjoyable and relaxing getaway and anniversary! We would recommend this trip!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Tanya Johnson from Alexander City, Alabama

"The Riu was great! As this was our first stay at a Riu, we would definitely return there for future trips. The staff, food, entertainment, and accomadations were excellent! Was disapointed in the snorkling/Margaretaville excursion, though. The boat and staff were certainly not first class as all other encounters were. Infact, on our way back to shore, the captain actually ran into the smaller boat with two people in it! Luckily, no one was hurt. I am surprised that the Riu would have this type of excursion associated with their resort."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler HotShot from New Windsor, New York

"when you book the trip try to book your restaurants dates when you check in. and pick up the excursion packages. although this is an all inclusive trip you have to get out of the hotel to have some fun and mingle with other people from different hotels."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Dana Kent Hume from Calgary, Alberta,Canada

"The resort is very clean, the staff are great. The food is superb, lots of variety."

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Tanya from Alexander City, Al

"An overall excellent experience for our first time to Jamacia and first time stay at Riu Montego Bay! Only significant disapointment was the snorkeling/Margaritaville trip on the Riu boat :( Could barely get the boat cranked and going. Additionally, the appearence of the boat was a big disapointment !! :( Not very well kept up. Although the snorkeling trip was fair, not a lot of confidence in the captain. He ran the boat into a smaller boat on our trip back in to shore and didn't seem responsive to what was going on! Additionally, Riu should be more observant of what goes on at the beach in the late afternoons....esp when the wave runners show up. Was a very enlightening experience for us! Riu is a classy place.....would encourage management to be in touch with the above information/opinions. Thank you for providing such a wonderful winter vacation!!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Serina Barnett from Troy, MI

"The hotel is good for the money. Doesn't look really appealingwhen you first drive up. Was a little disappointed at first, after staying at another resort in Jamaica last year which was fabulous! The buffet dining was really good. A lot of variety....something for everyone. Wasn't impressed with the Asian and Italian restaurants. The room was decent. They really need exhaust fans in the bathrooms especially with all the moisture. The nightly entertainment was good. The bamboo river raft excursion is nice and worth the money. The glowing water tour is a RIP OFF....DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! Water was only 3-4 ft deep and there were no fish or anything glowing to see, but a lot of mudd instead!!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Patti McCauley from Toms River, NJ

"Perfect weather, plenty of beach and pool chairs, NEVER book a first floor rooml. The money conversion can be confusing when reading 'extra' menus, like massages. It doesn't tell you that the tip is ALREADY included, and where I come from it isn't, so I ended up tipping twice, and they don't THANK YOU? The soda was always flat at the bars, if you want a good one, get it in the bottle. There is NO room service, so if you bring food back to your room, there is no where to put the dishes when you are finished. You can't leave food or moisture from drinks on any of the counters, it attracts bugs. The room floors can be very 'sticky' from the moisture, so bring something for your feet, you won't want to walk barefoot, and most of all the phone service, whether using the internet or telephones is terrible. There is a lack of communication with the staff when you inquire about most things. I would recommend RIU as a great vacation for the inclusive deals, but don't think we will go back to Jamaica. It was better in the bahamas!"

BookIt.com® Verified Traveler Kimberly from Stratham, NH

"Staff: Very friendly, make you feel welcome and wanted in Jamaica! Beach: Small, can't walk long stretches of beach, but vendors don't bother you on beach. Crowds: Busy on Wednesday....did not like that the Rio allows people to use their facilities from the cruise ship for the day. Including food, drinks, beach, and pool. Makes things a lot more crowded. If the cruise people want to go to an all inclusive they should have. Riu should respect that for guests. Rooms: Large, clean, beds are hard :(, double sinks, nice balcony, full mini bar! Food: Good, great salad and veggie choices. Italian and Asian Rest. were our favorites. Steak house, not great...meat is fatty! Overall Ground, well kept, beautiful entry! Bars: Great service, at least one is open 24 hours of the day Pool: Get down early to save your chair, but large pools and clean. Pool games are also fun Available Excursions: Company's available in lobby area to help with this, very easy! Atmosphere: Kids are allowed, but were not a ton of them, and the resort did not focus the attention to be kid oriented which was nice, the kids have their own space available as well with the entertainment staff which is really nice! Plaes do fly overhead leaving Jamaica throughout the day, but we did not find it bothersome. Overall, loved it, would reccommend to anyone! We can't wait to go back!"

"Hi. Just returned from Montego Bay. We enjoyed our stay. The room was clean, the beds weren't as hard as people say they are. There is a musty smell but it is to be expected in tropical weather. The food was great at this resort--especially the jerk chicken. The beach/ocean wasn't that great but nice enough. The pools were nice except for the swim up bar area. too many people cause the pool to go cloudy. the other pool was great. The staff for the most part were friendly and the entertainment team worked really hard and could be seen most of the dat chatting with guests. The resort itself was pretty and it was close to the airport which was really convienent. We enjoyed our stay overall."

"We were incredibly disappointed with this trip. While the pool was nice in size, our hotel room and the service was very poor. We were there for 5 days and 2 of those days we did not get our room made up. We asked the front desk multiple times to send somebody to clean the room and provide fresh towels and it was not done. We had to go to the front desk ourself to pick up new towels. The bed in the room was uncomfortable and had a spring sticking out of it which made sleeping difficult. The mini bar was supposed to be restocked every 2 days, however ours was not restocked until the 3rd day and we were out of water completely. Again, we had to go to the front desk to request water be sent to our room and only after the 2nd time did we actually receive it. Other things in the room that were poor included the bottle opener on the wall was broken and the tv remote did not work and we had to go request a new battery. I would absolutely not recommend this place to a friend."

"My room was clean however my brother and sister in laws toilet clogged 3 times building 5100. Guest staying in building 5 had to be moved due to the sewer order. Beach was not so nice ocean water dirty,slymie, large trench, seaweed. Just nothing good about the ocean. Oh and mucky. Food at Rose hall great and jerk chicken was well worth the wait. Specialty restaurants not worth the time it took getting reservations. I have stayed at 6 other hotel in the caribbean and this is the one most disappointed in. Especially because of the name. All the hotels I stayed in prior are in the same class and have been happy with all. I did read the reviews before going and didn't, believe what I read again because of the name,but was surprised to find the negative reviews were accurate."

"Trip was great. What I didn't like was the rule about men wearing long pants to the specialty restaurants, which I did, but many other men wore shorts. If you make a rule why not enforce it."

"Everything was outstanding. The staff was helpful & SO friendly! The ocean front rooms are perfect!!! The scuba was a bit disappointing but all & all wonderful getaway. My husband & I would go back in a heartbeat-"

"Other then the rooms smelling kinda bad the overall trip was amazing.. Going back soon.."

"It was wonderful !"

"It was good , the food was good , They can put chocolate in the room for the non alcohol drinkers. The staff were very friendly and helpful. the place was clean.
the only downside is that the beach bottom had too much sea weed, which is not a nice feeling around your feet,"

"We stayed 10 days at the Riu and it was the best trip I have ever taken. The staff was excellent, pleasant, friendly and professional, always smilling. The food was next to wow! Everything was good! The shows were super, Micheal Jackson, carribean steel drum band, acrobatics that were amazing. The bar staff were very fast at service and the drinks..you have to try a chocolate monkey or a dirty banana. I think I gained a pound a day. The fishing was excellent, caught my first marlin, 6 foot 3 inches! Book It made things easy for us and were very professional and friendly. Highly recommend this to anyone. This was not our first trip to the Carribean but the absolute best yet."

"We are loyal to RIU, and this location of course kept true to the RIU brand. We chose the Mo Bay location because we had decided to rent a car and drive to Negril and Ocho Rios, Mo Bay was central. Gorgeous waters at the hotel, but the bottom is mucky with plants. The beach is short and you can't walk beyond the Sandals Hotel next door or the other way as there is a barbed wire fence. We knew this though, reading other reviews beforehand. If you're going to Jamaica for beaches, stay at RIU Negril. If you are going for mountain excursions, stay in RIU Ocho Rios. RIU Montego Bay was ideally located for seeing all three cities on our agenda. GREAT, friendly staff, delicious foods, good entertainment... really no complaints other than a slightly disappointing shore."

"The resort was BEAUTIFUL, the staff were all GREAT! The only issue I had was with 'tipping'.

My husband and I only had one suitcase a piece so we did not need any assistance taking our luggage to our room. The guy INSISTED that he take our luggage to our room. After he delivered it he ASKED for a tip. We only had one towel in our room upon arrival so my husband called the front desk to ask for another one. When the gentleman arrived with the towel he ASKED for a tip. Now, we don't mind tipping but please sir, allow us to OFFER! and then don't get a NASTY attitude when we choose not too! We tipped our bartenders and the persons that were responsible for transporting us on the shuttle because that was our choice.

Our advice: take a pocket full of one and five dollar bills."

"At times I felt pressured to 'tip'. This was a big turn off."

"I have been to Jamaica Montego Bay 9 times, I went on in November 2011 to celebrate my 50th Birthday never stayed at the Riu, but I would do it again and again... I LOVE Jamaica and the RIU was the Best!! I had No Problems at all...."

"Just want to say this was our 3rd time staying at Riu Montego Bay the last 2 times where wonderful. I want to say The Staff was wonderful!!! Everyone was so nice and they go out of there way to make sure you are having a wonderful time"

"I always stay at RIU if there is one available. Great stay as usual but our mini fridge was never restocked and we were promised it would be restocked every 2 days. We wound up calling the front desk and were promised it would happen but it never did. I still would stay at this faciltiy but they really need to work on this part of their customer service."

"It was over all a good trip. We had a good time. We love Jamaica! The only complaint we have is RIU need new and better shows. They do the same show each and every time we go to RIU."

"This was my first time to do an all-inclusive. The rate here is one of the best in Jamaica. I am giving my honest assessment per my expectations. I am an easy person to please and don't expect to be pampered high society like. I'm just an average Joe. We booked through bookit.com. I had to change 3 times so the first time I booked it was $109 a night per person, about 2 weeks before departure. No discount for my 7 year old. The second time I booked it was $79 dollars a night. The third time I had to make a change bookit didn't have any rooms for sale. I called RIU resorts direct and got a $90 a night per person rate. Rates fluxuate constantly evidently. Arriving in Montego Bay after customs the bookit counter was in the far back....counter no. 21. Showing our travel voucher they directed us to the bus in the parking lot. A guy helped with my bag. After which he said, 'If you want to tip me it's ok.' He wasn't pushy, just not proper etiquette. I didn't have any change at the time and told him that I was sorry, I didn't have any change. We had to wait about 20 minutes until the driver got word from dispatch. The RIU Montego is about 5 minutes from the airport. It was the first stop. The driver proceeded to 2 other hotels.

These resorts are tourist 'factories'. Check in may take a few minutes depending on how many buses come in at once. Rooms are available at 3pm. We arrived at 4 pm a little too late to reserve the Italian, Asian or Steak Restaurants. (will comment on that later)

Upon arrival the front desk staff distributes free Jamaican punches as you wait. A shot of Jamaican Rum was added upon request.

Check in was relatively quick. You will receive cards for your pool towels and a do not remove bracelet will be placed on your wrist. (sorta like Disneyland. This is what gives you access to free restaurants and facility use) I'm told this was not necessary at some of the higher end resorts...Beaches, Sandals, etc.

Room was about a 3 minute walk to the lobby. These places are huge and I was informed that RIU is actually one of the smaller ones. We stayed in a garden view room. The building had 3 floors and no elevator. We were on the 3rd floor. I believe the ocean view rooms had elevators. Bellman will carry your bags and will insist it is their job. I only had a golf bag so rolled it to the building and carried it up 3 flights of stairs myself. So if you have lots of heavy bags, avail the bell service. Room was very clean. Slight musty smell upon arrival. This is common in any tropical climate. Just leave the air on. 2 twin beds are put together to make a king. I guess there are no king beds in this facility. Even the hotel manager voiced his complaint with me about that. lol Pillow are, well, hotel pillows. I found these to be some of the flattest I've ever use though. Hotel manager is from Dominican Republic. You can often find him in the lobby or just ask desk. He is more than glad to help.

The safe is a good size. It fit our 15 inch Mac book, another notebook, Camera, and addtional big lens, passports, wallets etc. Just enter your 4 digit code and press # and it locks. The code will display a couple seconds so u can see it. Just enter the code to open the safe.

You will have to haul a key around or leave it at the desk. The door knob is in the center of the door (weird) but it's just a handle you don't have to turn it. To open the door just turn the key a quarter turn away from the look. To lock the dead bolt it has to be turned a full 2 1/2 turns, seems like forever, to dead bolt the door. Can be a little hassle. The door does lock automatically without the dead bolt, again 1/4 turn only.

Plenty of cable channels. If you have kids be careful of channel 5. Has soft porn on at night. Don't know why this is necessary at a resort like this.

Rooms have small alcohol bar with 4 bottles upside down. Tap serve. Fridge has sodas and beer all of which are restocked every day.

You are given a towel card for each person for a pool towel, available poolside. If you loose a towel card they will charge you $20. So, don't let you small kids be responsible for these by any means. (a slight inconvenience.)

Restaurants: All are buffet style except for the steak. The Asian, Steak, and Italian need to be reserved before 4pm. I found it actually needs to be done earlier or reservations will fill up. The standard Rose Hall buffet is by far the best with the most options. We didn't have reservations for the steak restaurant which starts at 7pm but were able to get seated no problem. Just see the manager about 7:15 and if there are seats he will get you in. This can be done at the Asian and Italian restaurants as well. We walked through and looked at those two buffets. Just didn't compare to the Rose Hall buffet. We did this two nights in a row no problem. We found the steak to be very flavorful. Just make sure they cook it to your liking. Lady next to us ordered a medium well and it was still mooing. There are only three options, rib-eye, sirloin, (come with potato and a veggie, there is a salad bar.) and seafood kabob (shrimp and talapia...wasn't that great) If you are really hungry, I recommend eating some at Rose Hall first, I think they open at 6:30. We waited a looong time each night for our steak. 30 minutes at least. Not a top of the line steak but not low budget either. We felt it was as good as our Outback steak back home. We were very happy with the flavor and texture.

Breakfast and dinner can be had at the Rose Hall buffet. Breakfast had fried eggs, poached eggs, made to order cheese omelettes, bacon (not every day) juices, etc.

Lunch is at the steak restaurant area near the pool. Pizza, fries (these were pretty good fries, had to go back for seconds) chicken, some Jamaican dishes, salad bar, fountain drinks, etc. Jerk chicken is roasted a few feet away on the beach. (a good roast chicken) Have to try it.

Dinner: Rose Hall buffet has the best offerings. More people attend that one. Plenty of options. Not high end but not low budget.

Between meal snacks: This definitely could have been better. Tuna sandwiches and nacho chips and cheese are available in the sports bar. I was expecting more like buffalo wings to order or other snacks especially late at night. I guess since the buffet times are so close to each other this is not a major thing to consider. Burger King is right outside the door of the lobby. But who wants to pay right?

Beach:Not to big, nice sand. Swimming area does have some seaweed and muck in some areas. Paddle boats, catamarans, and kayaks are available. You have to walk over to the dive shack and sign a waver for each user before availing these.

Miscellaneous info:
Planes fly straight over the resort but didn't hear them at night. Might depend on your room location.

If you need to buy diapers the gift shop only sells small. Also, Blue Mountain Coffee is $44 lb. in the gift shop. Across the highway across from Burger King is the Whittey Plaza I believe. 3 minute walk. Just be careful crossing the street. There is a grocery store there and we were able to get diapers and Blue Mountain coffee for half price.

RIU is one of the few tipping resorts. Tip the bellman, tip the hotel driver if you like. Tip the bartender if u wish. Beaches and Sandals do not allow tipping whatsoever from what I understand.

Just ask groundskeepers for a coconut if you like and they will cut one down for you.

Golf: I golfed Cinnamon Hill. Called the course direct. $119 with transport. A hotel drive will take you. White Witch is about $149 a round. Hotel driver said that if you tell them you paid 'this much' at Cinnamon Hill yesterday they might give you the same rate...competition. Iron Shore is right across the street from RIU next to the shopping center. I'm told that is quite reasonable. Around $50.

OVERALL: A pleasant experience. Very affordable. Food was average or above average. Many options at the Rose Hall buffet. Wish there were better late night snacks. I definitely would stay here again.



"

"Everything was excellent! The staff was kind and helpful."

"The staff was eager to please and very friendly. The shows were GREAT and the resort grounds were well kept. However, the rooms were not in the best condition. Our first room's view backed up to a retaining wall in the furthest building. We were moved to another room that was conveniently located with a nicer view. The 'new' room had roaches and another guest said their room had mold. The food was average at best. Big thumbs up for the fresh juice bar at breakfast."

"Overoll very good experience
Nice place and friendly staff
One bad note
Steakhouse very bad.Very large room for improvement"

"to cleanliness score... I must clarify -- Roaches in the tropics are indeed a big problem.. . I witnesed them exterminating regularly .. but still my fear to transport them in my luggage wa great...

The workers did an excellent job and itis truly 'eye candy'...

Spent 8 nites there...

foods much to oily for me...

beach area too limited"

"Had a great great time would love to come back. All of the tours was great and all the worker at the jamaica tour's were great they really help us out a lot the cool running tour its a must do you will love it. And the 4x4x tour is a great one too. Its called the chukka safari. i would like to thanks all the tour guilds who were great. And the staff an all the entertainment were very good. The hold staff on the dance team need a standing ovation. they were great, Would love to come back in May for my husband birthday. so if you can work somthing out for me let me know. P.S. GREATTIME"

"My husband and I visited the resort for our honeymoon in November 2011 and it was a wonderful experience. The staff was very friendly and the daily shows were amazing. I would only suggest if you've been on a diet and looking forward to eating dessert, don't. The only restaurant that had good dessert was the Italian restaurant. The restaurant food was really good as well. Overall we had a wonderful time. The staff was also good when we wanted to visit places outside of the resort. I highly recommend the Margaritaville cruise and visiting the Dunn's Falls. If I can climb the falls anybody can...trust me (smile)"

"I stayed at the RIU in Ocho Rios in June and loved it, but this property was an altogether different experience. First and foremost, they had roaches....lots of them. I asked and was given a different room...no surprise...the new room had roaches as well. The food was just ok at best. We weren't hungry, but we were never satisified. In addition, the staff wasn't nearly as friendly. I definately would not recommend this hotel."

"first time time in jamica and loved it.staff was super nice.love to go back."

"The place was great. It is a great time if you like to do things with other people. They had great bars and a nice dance club. They had fun events all day long. I had a blast.



If you are wanting to get away to be alone this is not a good place for you to go."

"
A fabulous 4 days. Wish we could stay longer"

"The resort was beautiful!!! Really pretty lay out and seemed like a post card. The rooms were nice and spacious and having the view to overlook the ocean is just breathtaking from the moment you wake up to sunset. The food wasnt anything to rave about. It was tough to find something that tasted decent. However that being said, the jerk chicken on the beach was excellent as well as the jamacian beef patties. Everything else was blah! The resort had great options to keep there guests busy- from the entertainment at night at the resort, to the excursion options which we did, to the beautiful spa, and obvioulsy the pool and beach- just great! The staff were very pleasant to deal with as well."

"The Riu was super clean. The room was very nice, especially with the veranda.
The staff was very friendly and helpful with the exception of a minor issue with the front desk.
The beach was okay.
The grounds were well taken care of.
The food was average at best.
The Italian Restaurant was much better than the Steak Restaurant.
Did not try the Asian since we were limited to two restaurants because we were only there 4 nights.
The bartenders work hard and are willing to accommodate any requests but there were no top shelf liquors and the only beers were Red Stripe and Red Stripe Light."

"The good- place/rooms/beach/staff/jerk chicken/drinks
The bad-food(ok) bed in room(like sleeping on the floor

Great pick for the $!"

"It was a beautiful resort, very relaxing, food great. I had an enjoyable vacation. I hope to go back to the RIU, one of the best resorts I ever staye at."

"The staff was very friendly, clean rooms, food good but all Buffet style

Only complaint all the liquor is Jamacian, got tired of Rum and Red Stripe

A little of seaon, would like the nite club to open earlier than 11pm

All in all a great time though"

"I loved the property. I didnt like the idea that all the restaurants were buffets and reservations had to be made. The rooms were very spacious."

"It was beautiful and relaxing! The food, liquor, weather, beach and the shows were tremendously enjoyed. Loved the fact that the resort provided umbrellas, yes it did rain during my stay which wasn't a determent."

"I just came back yesterday and i trully enjoyed my stay. The staffs were very professional, very friendly and the service was great. Thanks for making my vacation a pleasant one."

"I am glad everything was perfect the service of the hotel just amazoning, love it"

"Very nice resort, had a wonderful time. Would definately recommend it. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Didnt want to leave."

"Overall, the length of stay vs. the value, you just couldn't go wrong. When we arrived, the staff had no record of our reservations. We were asked to be seated in the lobby and waited for at least 30 minutes and my husband went back up to the desk as he had reached the end of his patience. The staff decided to go ahead and check us in at that time (?). We had also called customer service for extra pillows during our stay and it was an entire day and 3 calls later before we received the request. FYI: The beds were extremely firm/hard. I would suggest mattress pads to soften them up! "

"My fourth time there (9/23-9/28/2011). I have now dubbed the Riu Montego Bay my home away from home."

"Two couples, along with my wife and I, all had an excellent stay at the RIU Montego Bay. The staff, service, and scenery were amazing. The food was slightly above-average (nothing to brag about) but better than most all-inclusive resorts we have been to. I was very pleased and will definitely return!"

"We stayed at the Riu from 9/13 to 9/19/2011. The Riu (pronounced RIO) Montego Bay is an excellent hotel with very friendly staff. Hotel and surroundings are beautiful and the Riu provides entertainment every evening and during the day by the pool. Beach is clean and water is fantastic. There are many water activities/sports you can engage in from scuba diving and snorkeling to sailing. Any of these activities you must pay for and are NOT part of the all inclusive plan. Even though we were on an all inclusive vacation I would suggest you bring at least $50 one dollar bills for tips. Our bus driver took us from the airport to our hotel (a very short trip) and before I could reach into my pocket to get his tip he is announcing 'tips' 'tips' 'tips'. Also, tipping the bartenders gets you special treatment. I was waiting behind three people who wanted drinks and were trying to get the bartenders attention when the bartender saw me in the back and immediately asked me what I wanted to the chagrin of the folks in front of me, why, because I had tipped the bartender earlier in the evening. (For the record I pointed to the people in front of me to serve first). Jamaicans and the hotel employees don't make a lot of money so anything is appreciated. DO NOT GO TO THE CRAFT MARKETS in town. Unless you're used to high pressure tactics and enjoy saying NO, I would recommend against going. The people are poor and EACH and every craft shop owner wants you in their shack to show their wares and get you to buy something...anything. (BTW, I was told by another Jamaican that most of the goods they are selling are made in China and Pakistan). The hotel allows a limited number of vendors each evening to bring their wares onto the hotel grounds for selling to the hotel guests. Literally, across the street from the Riu, Montego Bay is a brand new mall, just like you're used to here stateside that has the same crafts at better, more reasonable prices to include cost of liquor with no high pressure to buy. Buy your liquor here at this mall to bring back to the States. Remember, you must put this liquor in your checked baggage. I would save plastic bags to wrap the bottles in to protect your clothing should the bottle break, as the baggage handlers don't care what you have in your baggage. I had a bottle break and most of my clothes were protected but not all. All in all a very nice enjoyable vacation until the very end in Orlando, Fla. when the TSA took my alcohol from my inspected/ checked luggage for no reason. I have filed a claim and am awaiting an explanation. I figured the TSA were getting ready for their Christmas/Holiday party. I hope this helps any traveler who plans on going to Montego Bay and specifically to the Riu, Montego Bay. "

"We had a wonderful time during our stay at Riu Montego Bay. The staff are so happy all the time and willing to help you with anything. The buffet had a wide variety of items for all meals. Reservations for the restaurants were easy to come by. The pool is amazing and very clean. The pool offers a swim up bar which is very nice for the long, hot Jamaica days. The beach was amazing! Water so clear, relaxing, clean! The free watersports were great as well as the jerk chicken meal offered on the beach. All the drinks were great, no slacking on the alcohol. I only have two complaints...the sports bar is very, very hot after 9pm, and our stay wasn't long enough! "

"Stayed at the Riu hotel in Montego Bay Jamaica for four nights and I don't really have any complains. The staffs were very nice, alot of entertainments ( day & night ). Overall it was a very relaxing experience and I would recommend this hotel to my friends. "

"We really enjoyed our stay at Riu Montego Bay. Beautiful resort, great pools, enjoyable nightly entertainment, sports bar to game and shoot pool, great food. Of the three 'reservation only' (but still all-inclusive - free) restaurants we really loved the steak house. The asian one was the only disappointment. It was a bit too exotic for our tastes. But we simply left and went to the Rose Hall buffet for dinner, no hardship there. Most of the staff overall went out of their way to be friendly and management was very attentive. We ran out of bottled water and one manager noticed my husband bringing glasses of ice water to our room. He seemed very upset by this and within 5 minutes he arrived bearing an armload of water to restock us. The open bar in the room was awesome. Any problem we called in they responded and gave us a call back to verify that the matter had been resolved to our satisfaction. We even asked to change rooms because we have ocean front and were given a ground level room. The view was not impressive and we asked to be higher up. Not a problem they saud and we were accomodated within 30 minutes. Love the concept of this hotel chain. I may never cruise again. This is better!"

"My husband & I stayed at the Riu Montego Bay Jamaica from 9/1/11 to 9/8/11. We originally planned to go for a friend's wedding but also used it as our honeymoon. The staff was amazing! They were extremely friendly & helpful. Our room was always clean. We had a new towel 'animal' on our bed every day. The food was wonderful. We had dinner once at Little Italy & it was the best meal ever. The buffet was also very good and had a variety of foods. The only 'complaint' I have is I wish there had been internet service in the room instead of only in the lobby. But that isn't keeping us from booking another trip. We're already looking into making this an annual family vacation."

"Great resort! Recommend to anyone. Staff was extremely friendly and responsive. Did the spa, one of the best massages ever! Was my friend's birthday and they treated her amazingly, provided her with a birthday cake on her big day. Will definitely recommend and hope to return! Could not have asked for a better vacation!!"

"This has been the BEST experience by far, this particular Resort exceeded my expectations to say the least. ALL of the staff was extremely pleasant and courteous. They went above and beyond to make sure that you was having a great time (Thank You ALL). We had a garden view room, which was a beautiful scenery, and was very well maintained- nice and clean at all times. The outside/property maintanence was well kept up... If you are planning on a get away, pure relaxation, good times, and a slice of pure heaven..... RIU is the place to go, book here at this hotel and you will not regret it!"

"Although I am posting late, over a yr, i can still remember my trip as if it were yesterday. The only negative thing I had to say about my holiday to Jamaica and stopping at the Riu Montego Bay is that we had to come home!!!!....Need I say any more, apart from Loved it Loved it Loved it. Jamaica Riu Mo Bay highly recommended for all the right reasons. "

"Our stay at the RIU, Montego Bay, Jamaica, was beyond words. We were there from May 25th to May 30th. I did not want to leave but we had to. This resort is extremely clean, well managed, food was GREAT, and a lot of it, rooms were very clean and comfortable, our view was great and everyone treated us with the upmost respect. We were there as we were celebreating our 50TH Wedding Anniversay, and we will never forget the fun we had at the RIU. The customer service desk was occupied by a lady (Nordia), who was the most respectful, helpful person no matter what we asked of her. She depicted the attitude of the RIU management toward the guests at thier resorts. A GREAT BIG THANKYOU TO ALL THE STAFF AT THE RIU, Montego Bay , Jamacia."

"This was the best vacation I have experienced out of the U.S.
I am taking my husband back next year and we are going to party it up. Clean rooms, neat landscaping, and tasteful food. "

"This was my first time visiting Jamaica as I had always gone to Mexico before. I LOVE JAMAICA. The Riu Montgego Bay is gorgeous. The food, the staff, the pool, the beach everything was perfect. I was only there for 6 days and 5 nights but had the time of my life. Next trip will be for 2 weeks. Hopefully going back in the fall. Would love to make this a vacation destination twice a year. Thank you Jamaica and all the staff at the Riu Montego Bay for making this a vacation I will always remember."

"Absolutely amazing!!! i cant say enough wonderfuls words to describe our vacation. the people there are fantastic, friendly, funny, accomodating...everthing. nightlife they provide on the resort is fabulous. the dancers and reggae band are so, so, so, talented and entertaining. ochos rios-dunns river falls was great also. i want to move to jamaica so bad now;) i just got back yesterday and am already looking on line to get back there before the end of the year!"

" I have to say the fun meter was at 10 at all times. I believe that the entertainment staff was the best; my son had a great time because of them. We will definitely be traveling to MTB in the near future. The food, drinks were excellent, the Jamacian Hospitality was much appreciated. Thank you, ya Mon. "

"Our stay there was great!! The food was excellent the drinks were too. The staff were friendly an helpful an our rooms were well stocked an clean.The shows at night was wonderful. We booked again for April. Cant wait to get back!!"

"The RIU was a great resort and the jerk chicken on the beach was one of our favorites. The entertainment was very good and the staff very friendly. The rooms were clean and the food is a pretty good variety. I would definetly recommend this resort to anyone. "

"We have stayed in all inclusive resorts in several locations including Crete, Mallorca, Dominican and more. My wife and I do independent and extensive research so that we can limit our disappointment based on our requirements and past experiences. The RIU Montego Bay is first rate. After reading the reviews on this website and others we decided to go for it. We were extremely happy. We have two young boys 4 and 6 and were concerned about their experience. For the last 5 days of our vacation we heard something that we had not heard in the previous 5 years - ``Mommy and Daddy can we go to bed?`` They had so much fun they were completely exhausted by early evening. Believe me that is an understatement. We have just read the review posted yesterday on this site. I can agree completely with everything said. However, even then it does not do justice to the experience. On reading the reviews we were a little concerned. Especially about the comments concerning the beach. I can tell you that the only possible complaint we could find about the beach is that it might seem short to anyone who wants to go for a morning jog along the beach. Other than that is it very clean, safe and very well landscaped. There is an abundance of lounge chairs with enough room for privacy as well. We did not feel crowded. I prefer shade to avoid too much sun exposure while my wife prefers total sun. We easily found a spot any time of the day where we could both be accommodated and have a clear view of our boys as they played freely along the beach in and out of the water. If we had one complaint it would be that there did not seem to be a lot of children proportionally to the number of guests. However, that had little or no impact on their vacation experience. In fact, they were much more upset than us about having to leave and wished we could have stayed longer as well. They only other complaint was that some of the traditional Jamaican cuisine was not readily available. For example we stayed 6 days and 5 nights in which we arrived late on a Sunday and left midday on the Friday. However, some of the menu choices we were interested were only served on the weekend. Even then we would not have changed a thing because there was no lack of food choices local or Western cuisine. It was difficult to decided on what to try and we were rarely disappointed with the preparation. On various evening we had an abundant variety of seafood choices from Caribbean grouper and Kingfish to sushi (just to name a very few). Meat choices from Ox, goat, beef, chicken and pork prepared multiple ways at each meal to satisfy all tastes. The same applies to fruits, vegetables and pastries. If you are there for the complete all-inclusive experience, then again you will not be disappointed. There was nothing mini about their minibar. Full size liquor bottles, with plenty choices of mix along with bottled beer and water in the room. We were very comfortable on the room's terrace in the evening for a night cap. There are several bars well located and always a short walk located all over the premises. Service was prompt and with great energy and vigor as it seemed they actually enjoyed getting you a drink as soon as possible. There were more variety of exotic cocktails than possible to try in our short visit. I did have one personal disappointment. The free wireless is only available in the lobby and has extremely poor bandwidth to the point where I could not even use skype. My only solution was to get a Vonage ip account for my iphone and that was also very poor quality as a result. I found it very frustrating that I was able to get a better wireless signal from the Sandals resort across the bay. So if your are an internet junkie like myself you are out of luck. The pools, premises and rooms were very safe. I would extend one tip. Do not hesitate to leave a tip for the housekeeper along with your requests on your first full day. We not only got extra towels we requested but found on more than one occasion some nice flowers as a thank you in our room."

"Very nice hotel , but would not consider it a 5 star, more like a 4 or 4 1/2 stars. The oceanfront is not appealing at all. One big disappointment was not having a coffeemaker in room. There were no bottles of lotion and only one small soap. The people are very friendly. We will return one day, but probably to Negril where the beach is supposed to be nice.r "

" VACATION TRIP TO RUI MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA ON NOVEMBER 30, 2010 THRU DECEMBER 11, 2010, I TRAVELED TO MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA AND STAYED AT THE RUI MONTEGO BAY. LET ME TELL YOU, I HAD A BLAST THERE, THE HOSPITALITY IS UNFORGETTABLE, THE WHOLE STAFF TREATS EVERY VISITOR AS THOUGH THEY ARE KINGS AND QUEENS. THE BAR WAITRESS WAS SO KIND AND SWEET AND GIVES YOU THE ATTENTION AT THE BAR IN THE MAIN LOBBY. THE TOUR ADVISERS ARE THE KINDEST LADIES YOU WOULD EVER WANT TO MEET. THE HOSPITALITY BLEW YOUR MIND AWAY. ON MY ZIP LINE TOUR GUIDES WERE VERY ATTENTIVE IN MAKING SURE YOU WERE SAFE WHILE ZIPLINING. I TRAVELED BY MYSELF AND HAD SUCH A BLAST, THAT I HAVE TALKED TO MY TRAVEL AGENT TO SCHEDULE MY VACATION SAME TIME NEXT YEAR, FOR THE SAME LENGTH OF TIME, SAME HOTEL, 'RIU MONTEGO BAY. I DID A LOT OF TOURING AND WOULD RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE TO DO ZIPLINING, GO TO DUNNS FALLS, AND ATV RIDING. YOU WILL LEARN HOW RICH JAMAICA IS IN RESOURCES AND ABOUT JAMAICAN CULTURE. DO THE BOB MARLEY TOUR ALSO. BOB MARLEY WAS AN INTERESTING PERSON, AND I WAS ABLE TO SEE MOST OF JAMAICA BY TOURING. I NEVER HAD A BORING MOMENT. THIS PLACE IS BEAUTIFUL.. WHEN YOU GO TO RUI MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA WEBSITE, WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU REALLY GET. BEAUTIFUL, THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE JAMAICA, YOU MEET PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. THANK YOU EVERYONE AT RUI MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, FOR SHOWING ME A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL TIME, IN YOU BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. 'YEAH MON', NO PROBLEM. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!"

"We have just returned from this fabulous resort and we absolutely loved it especially all of the staff who were all very friendly and helped us to enjoy ourselves. The hotel was very good, nice and clean everywhere. Food was excellent in all of the restaurants, with a good variety. Jerk chicken on the beach most days, delicious! It was our third time in Jamaica and we hope to be back again soon. "

"this has got to be one of the nicest hotels i have ever stayed in. The entertainment crew made the holiday.. they were amazing. The staff are lovely and the food is great, i would definetly recomend this hotel. "

"Incredible hotel, great staff and entertainment. Would return again. If you are looking for a great hotel, this is it!"

"I have been to a number of Hotels and I will tell you they have nothing on Riu Montego; this was my best experience ever at a hotel. The entertainment was top class second to none. I will most definitely return for another trip."

"it was six of us ladies that stayed from June 14th to the 19th. We had the best time in our lives, we are still talking about it. We are trying to come there Sept 3-5, It is hard trying to find reasonable package fare but we are trying hard. Hope to see you then. Keep up the good work and much blessing to you and your staff."

"My sisters and I stayed at the Riu for my 30th Birthday for 7 days. WE LOVED EVERYTHING. For our first time in Jamaica we loved it. The staff was so kind and helpful. The best part was the manners everyone spoke with a smile from the time we got up to the time we went to sleep. We were treated like Princesses. I feel in love with the country and especially the hotel..... I can't wait to go back.... The Riu was AMAZING !!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"My husband and I absolutely loved Jamaica. Our hotel room was very nice and clean and we were right on the ocean which is what we love. It had a fully stocked bar so if you wanted a drink you had a choice of liquor right at your fingertips and didn't have to run to the bar to get it. The food and service was very good. The hotel employees were very very friendly and polite and fun. Warning if you accidentially break something in the store at the hotel, its not run through the hotel the employees that work there get very mean and make you pay for it. So don't break or drop anything in the hotel store. I didn't like the seaweed at the beach they need to get rid of it. I did love how they had aerobic class in the morning in the water at the beach, it was a blast. The entertainment was ok, they did a lot of repeated shows, or similar, but at least it was something. The one show they had and it was a Michael Jackson impersonator he was absolutely fabulous. We will definitely come back to Jamaica and would highly recommend it to everyone. "

"This was our first time to Jamaica, and the Riu hotel, coupled with its awesome friendly staff, great food, unlimited drinks, exceptionally clean resort filled with entertainment truly ensured that we had an unforgettable and authentic Jamaican experience. The best Jerk chicken ever. From beggining to end....the welcome drink, the tour desk, the entertainment at night, the faboulous DJ at Pacas disco and a place to eat 24/7. We were truly in Paradise. We know without a doubt that this resort will definetly be there for us next year if not sooner. I cant wait!"

"We stayed at RIU Montego and LOVED IT! It`s so beautiful there and everyone was friendly and we felt very safe. Food is good, drinks are plentiful. Every night they had a show-very talented dancers and musicians! Shopping nearby and our driver stayed with us while we shopped. DO take the Zipline tour which is very memorable! Our room was cool and comfy..do bring bug spray with you as the mosquitoes are out at night! Small casino was fun too! Lots of beautiful weddings while we were there also. You wont be disappointed with RIU Montego!"