A Travel Agent’s First-time Visit to The RIU Montego Bay Resort
A review of our first visit to the RIU Montego Bay resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on the island’s north coast.
RIU Montego Bay Resort
Why we chose this Resort
This five-day escape from the New England winter was planned with short notice during a busy spring break week. I quickly decided on vacation in the Montego Bay area, as every second counts when taking a quick vacation. A 90-minute drive was absolutely out of the question, as I wanted to arrive at my destination as quickly as possible.
My usual favorites were booked or exceeded my “quick trip” budget, as my trip was planned during spring break. I began researching reasonably priced Montego Bay all-inclusive resorts, which I don’t usually visit or recommend to my clients.
There are three Riu all-inclusive properties next to each other: the Riu Reggae, Riu Montego Bay, and Riu Palace. All three properties are adults-only, a significant plus for four adults traveling together.
The Riu Palace is more upscale than the other properties and offers an all-suite experience. Unfortunately, it was outside the budget for this trip.
The Riu Reggae and Riu Montego Bay are known as “party hotels” catering to groups such as bachelorette parties, birthday trips, and spring break. This is not the vibe I am traditionally looking for on a quick getaway vacation, but traveling with two college-age daughters, I figured it would work out great.
My final decision was the Riu Montego Bay.
Airport Fiasco:
Let’s start by talking about our fiasco at the airport. I made a rookie mistake and included the “shared” transfers from Montego Bay Airport offered through the hotel. We went to the specified desk and were told we were not on the list. After figuring it all out, we were told to meet a specific person in front of the bar outside the doors. We found them and were ushered to a very full bus. We waited for 30 minutes before we were told to get off the bus and onto another bus. We sat on this sweltering bus while others were boarding. Once the bus was full, we were moved another time. This was a 120-minute disaster for a ride to our resort, which should have taken less than ten minutes.
As a travel agent, I know better. I have my go-to guy for transportation throughout Jamaica. I recommend him to my clients because he takes great care of them. His name is Neville Spence, the owner of Island Dream Travels, and his booking link can be found here: Island Dream Tours
Here is my experience and my options of what it was like to spend five days at the Riu Montego Bay.
Check-in
The check-in process was pretty simple. There was not a long line when we arrived. A bellman tended our luggage, and we were handed delicious and welcome rum punches. The hotel has a large, open-air, decorated lobby with several seating areas.
Darian, who was friendly and pleasant, helped us get checked in. After presenting our passports, we were given our room keys and additional cards to exchange for towels at the pool. We were then assisted with our bags and headed to our room.
Our Room
Our room was on the first floor of building #5, one of the beachfront buildings close to the pools. It has a garden view and was situated on the first floor on the back of the building, so we had a small open-air patio instead of a balcony. Our view was of the patio and the buildings behind us, with a walkway and grassy area between the buildings.
The room was clean with a king bed, a sofa and dresser, and a bench/luggage rack with a space to store a suitcase underneath.
We had sliding doors to a small patio area with two chairs, a small table, and a rack on the wall for drying swimsuits.
The bathroom was quite large, with a double vanity and walk-in shower. Our shower was large with no lip and grab bars, so it would not be appropriate for someone who required assistance or utilized assistive devices. The bathroom amenities were limited. There was a dispenser in the shower with shower gel but no shampoo or conditioner, so be sure to pack your own. There were two simple, individually wrapped bar soaps. There was a decent hairdryer.
We love a well-air-conditioned room on a tropical vacation; this air conditioning did not disappoint! I got up in the middle of the night to put on socks and a hoodie, but my husband was quite content.
Housekeeping is provided daily, and our room was always spotless. One evening, we came back to a towel animal.
The room has a large double closet with more than enough hangers (I tend to use a lot), a safe, an iron, and an umbrella.
The room has a coffee maker, a refrigerator with beer and light beer, water, and soda, and a mini-bar with four full-size liquors, which they replenish every two days. Maybe it is because I am over 50, but I can’t imagine even putting a dent in the mini-bar!
The Beach:
We were thankful to find a large beach with ample beach chairs in the sun, and others set back under some trees. There were no umbrellas or cabanas on the beach. There were plenty of chairs by the ocean. We did not experience any “chair hogging” often seen at some resorts.
The water was very calm. There was some seaweed, but it was not excessive. The beach offers a beautiful view of the Caribbean Sea, and the overwater bungalows at the nearby Sandal’s resort. Quite a few vendors at the water’s edge were selling their items from paddleboards and kayaks, but we found them to be pleasant and not pushy if you told them you were not interested.
There was one bar on the beach, which was open most afternoons. Although they do not serve frozen drinks at the beach bar, we made the most of the delicious rum punch and Bahama Mamas. For those who prefer frozen cocktails, there is a bar in the pool area, only a short walk from where we were on the beach. However, there was no beach or pool drink service, which was a bit of a bummer for us.
Pools:
There are five pools on this property, all close to each other. The swim-up pool bar was a popular destination and was usually quite full during our stay.
I was searching for a more chill vibe this vacation, so I migrated toward the quieter pools.
We found ample pool chairs with umbrellas, many pool options, and plenty of space in the Jamaican sun. There is a central bar that services the pools and the beach. There were often lines, but they usually went pretty quickly. The bartenders at this central bar were efficient. At least one of the pools had a lift and a ramp, making it accessible to those with mobility limitations.
The Bars
It felt like there were limited bar options for a large resort. There is a bar in the lobby/theater area, which gets quite busy at night. There is a sports bar with TVs and pool tables upstairs from the lobby, where you get late-night snacks. There is a bar that serves the pools and the beach. There is a bar inside one of the pools and another, which is open for a limited time on the beach. The drinks were good, and the bartenders were busy but friendly. There was no poolside or beach service, so we had to get up and go to the bars ourselves. I didn’t spend any time at the gym, so this was all the exercise I got!
Food
The food at the Riu Montego Bay was decent, moderate quality, but nothing exceptional. As self-proclaimed foodies, we enjoy great food.
There is a buffet and one other restaurant that does not require reservations. The buffet offers both inside and open-air seating. The other is an Asian restaurant available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Three a la carte restaurants require reservations. All restaurants are included and open between 6:30 and 9 pm nightly. Reservations for the restaurants must be booked through the app, but the reservations are only released two days in advance. Making restaurant reservations was one of the most frustrating parts of this trip. When we arrived, the first two nights were already reserved. Reserving four of us in two separate rooms took way more visits to the concierge than they should have. I recommend being flexible about which restaurant you can get each vacation day.
Lunch was available daily at the buffet and an outdoor ‘jerk shack” like a restaurant by the pool areas.
The Rose Hall Buffet
Generally, I am not a buffet girl. A buffet has its place when you want to grab a quick bite, but it is not my go-to when I am looking for a good-quality meal. I did enjoy the large variety of options.
The RIU buffet is called Rose Hall, and it was pretty extensive, with many different stations. It had your traditional omelet station, salad, fruit, Jamaican food, smoothies, juices, pastries in the evenings, pizza, burgers, Jamaican options, Italian and Asian, a decent salad bar, plenty of desserts, and ice cream.
Sophia
This Italian restaurant combines a buffet and an a la carte menu. It feels upscale, and the food is decent, but unfortunately, it is not exceptional.
Kulinarium
Kulinarium is a Jamaican restaurant. We were most looking forward to this dining experience, but unfortunately, we were not lucky enough to get reservations. I understand that reservations for this restaurant are traditionally difficult to obtain, so if you want to eat here, grab those reservations if you see them. It is also a bit difficult to locate. It is down a hallway behind all of the other restaurants.
Golden Dragon
Golden Dragon serves Asian Cuisine. It is the only restaurant besides the buffet that does not require a reservation, but it is a buffet. If you like Indian cuisine, you are lucky because there seems to be a lot of it. Like the Italian restaurant, this dining experience was good but not exceptional.
Steakhouse
This is an outdoor steakhouse transformed at dinner time. It overlooks the pool areas. I was truly looking forward to a burger, and the burger on their menu sounded amazing. Unfortunately, it was anything but impressive.
The steakhouse has a minimal menu. I ordered mozzarella sticks for an appetizer, which were, unfortunately, bland. I ordered their burger, which was overdone and underseasoned. There were four of us dining here; the experience was 0/4.
Pepe’s
Pepe’s is your resort-style jerk shack. We love traditional jerk chicken and were looking forward to eating here. However, the lines were long for lunch every day. By day 4, we left the resort for a “real” jerk shack experience. We hired a driver for a few hours off the resort, and he took us to The Pork Pit for a traditional jerk experience. What a comparison to resort food! I am hungry thinking about it!
Pepe’s is outdoors, close to the pools and beach, and open for lunch only. The lines are very long and slow. The food is pretty good, but it is resort jerk, as opposed to the traditional jerk you would get at an actual off-resort jerk shack.
Entertainment
Entertainment at this resort is certainly not lacking. Entertainment staff members walk around day and night recruiting for different activities. During the day, various non-motorized water sports are all included. There is always a game of bocci, volleyball, or other games to join. There is a fun foam party on Wednesday afternoons. It is a blast, but it can get a bit crazy.
There are DJs and assorted musicians, and there are nightly shows. On Friday nights, there is also a glow party. The staff spends all afternoon on Friday decorating for this spectacle, which is the highlight party of the week.
Waterslides???
Yes! There are waterslides at this adults-only resort! We went over to check them out early, but they were not being used. I assume they open late in the morning. How cool is it to “play” like a child at an all-inclusive resort without dealing with children?
Conclusion
I am happy to have finally had the opportunity to experience this resort. It falls into many of my client’s budgets, yet I have always hesitated to recommend it because it tends to have mixed reviews.
It’s conveniently located, less than a 10-minute ride from the Montego Bay airport. The rooms are clean and recently refreshed, with a mini-bar included; bring your toiletries.
If you won’t settle for less than excellent gourmet food and flawless service, this resort is not for you. Service is acceptable without being exceptional, and the food is decent but pretty average. There is a good balance of places to chill and still have enough going on for activities and fun parties. It is far from “the party resort” I had expected it to be. This adults-only resort is perfect for celebrations such as a girl’s trip or bachelorette party.
As a travel agent, I will now recommend this resort to clients who want a fun, adult-only beach getaway without breaking the bank.
