3 most recent reviews from TripAdvisor
Amazing time at the RIU! 
by Vitannie on May 17, 2013
4 / 5
Hotel
This was my second time staying at the RIU Montego Bay. I had a great time then and now. My sister and I stayed from May 10 thru May 14
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2013. Not enough time in Paradise at all! We had a wonderful time. The hotel is not far from the airport which is nice. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained, the staff is wonderful and fun, and we loved the food, especially the jerk chicken hut on the beach. There is nightly entertainment. The rooms are clean, if not a bit dated. The mini bar inside the room is always a nice touch, ours needed to be replenished but we made a call to the front desk and they came and did it while we were out. The AC worked great, the balcony was beautiful, the beds were a bit firm but I slept fine. Everyday we woke up to paradise. I would definitely stay here again.
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Nice place, but more of a 3* not a 5*
by youngfunfamily on May 18, 2013
3 / 5
Hotel
We stayed at the RIU Montego Bay from April 27, 2013- May 4th, 2013. It was our first time in Jamaica and also our first time staying at a
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RIU resort. We have stayed in other countries and have all been at all inclusive resorts. So with that being said....we have some experiences to compare this too.
Arrivial - We got to the resort about 2:30 and our room wasn't ready...no problem. They gave us our bracelets and told us to grab a drink at one of the bars, or grab a bite to eat at the buffet, which we were more than happy too because we hadn't eaten lunch yet and were really hungry (and thirsty). By the time we got done eating, we checked back at the main desk and our rooms were ready...so perfect timing. We were in the family room building room 1213.
Rooms - Out dated, musty smelling, and had ants. However, none of this really bothered me much. I wasn't in Jamaica to spend the time in my room!!! I do wish they would have had more bathroom admenities. All they had was shampoo. Nothing else. Which any other place I've stayed has also had bath soap and conditioner. And the tvs were the older tube tvs and only 19 inch. But like I said, I am a VERY laid back person and with a positive attitude (because I'm on vacation time) I didn't make it a big deal. The rooms were cleaned daily and the mini bar was restocked every other day.
Food - I found the choices of eating to be good, but not great. I'm not a picky eater so I always found something I liked to fill me. They had mostly the same options for breakfast, lunch, and supper each day. And plenty to choose from.
Bars - They would make the drinks as weak or as strong as you would like them too. Every bartender I came across was VERY nice and would make whatever you asked them too.
Pools - Refreshing! And perfect sized.....not too big or too small.
Spa - I did get the swedish massage and it was just like it is back in the states with my normal chick...so perfect! I also used the gym once...which I'm glad they had it...but I'm a runner and the treadmills faced a mirrored wall. I just couldn't get used to running looking at myself the whole time. So the remainder of the vacation I just ran outside around the resort. No biggie!
Beach - Small, but good. Not sure what all the complaints are about!?!? We've been to Mexico and Dominican Republic and I didn't think the beach was any worse or better than those!
Night life - We did watch a few shows and they were good...the entertainment group really goes out of their way to make you feel involved.
Touring - We did the Dunns Rivers Falls and I would totally recommend it!! We also did the Dreamer and I would also recommend it. We also took a taxi downtown to the Hip Strip...which was just ok. We did go shopping across the street, which I would recommend more than taking a taxi downtown! You can just walk across and they don't seem as pushy! Don't be afraid to ask the workers of what they recommend doing...heck they live there...they should know what's fun to do!!
Over all I would recommend this resort...however don't go expecting a 5* because it's more on a 3* level, but it's worth the money you pay for it. Just go with a laid back attitude and you'll be just fine. If I would have any tips for you I would say TIP!!! Tipping a $1 here or there really goes a long ways. We tipped everyone from our maid, bartenders, waitress, taxi driver, and everyone else you can about think about!
If you have any questions, just message me and I will try my best to answer them!
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Some Good, Some Bad...Prefer not to stay at this hotel again
by onicaizthe1 on May 16, 2013
2 / 5
Hotel
Visited Riu Montego Bay Hotel the week of April 30th-May 7th 2013. The purpose of the trip was for a wedding. There was a group of us (about 25 ppl)
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that stayed at this hotel.
Staff: Excellent! Everyone, wait staff, housekeeping, front desk, spa, maintenance etc was very friendly & very pleasant. Always willing to help. No one was pushy or rude for tips. When I made a request it was accommodated quickly & correctly.
Food: Very surprising that we arrived on a Tuesday & we had to wait until Saturday to get real Jamaican food as that was considered 'Jamaica night'...smh. In the main buffet (Rose Hall), apparently there are themed nights for the food. WHY??? In Jamaica I expect authentic Jamaican cuisine daily! A member of our group had to request ackee & saltfish to be made & bc the staff were so excellent they did make it for us, however, we shouldn't have to ask for a signature jamiacan dish in Jamaica. Jerk chicken on the beach was fantastic! Hamburgers, fries & patties were also yummy and made great snacks & lunch by the pool. Tried the Asian a la carte restaurant & the food was what I expected for asian cuisine in Jamaica. Overall the food did not seem like authentic Jamaican food, but I guess that's what you get when you stay at a spanish owned hotel resort located in Jamaica.
Rooms: I roomed with a 7mth old & a 7 yr old. Room was cleaned daily & special thanks to Donna who did a fantastic job! The building we stayed in (block 2-room 2227) did have ROACHES! In my room I saw 2 during my 1wk stay. I'm glad Donna did such a great job cleaning or there would have probably been more. The roaches hung out after sunset mainly by the elevators and on the ceilings in the hallways. Another group member staying in the same building saw about 4 in her room. Tisk. Tisk. I've stayed in 3* hotels in Jamaica (this was my 3rd visit to JA) & roaches were not lodging there so for a 5* RIU should do more to rid the place of roaches. The bride in our group stayed in block 6 and she did not see any roaches at all. View was of the garden, but I dont really care about that bc I only stayed in the room to sleep, shower, etc. Beds were hard. The hotel did provide a crib, however, I co-slept with my baby & only used the crib for when I needed to shower. There was always an abundance of towels, washcloths & blankets. The air-condition did break down one day/night but the room had a ceiling fan that did the trick. Since I roomed with kids the TV stayed on the Nickelodeon & Disney channels so it didn't matter that the other stations provided sucked. Some nights the shows did get really loud, but the kids had no trouble sleeping through the noise. The mini-bar in the room has a great selection so having a night-cap once the kids were asleep was convenient.
Pool/Beach: The water was great for me at the pool & the beach. Lots of seaweed in the beach, but if you wear water shoes the seaweed doesn't bother you. There were always PLENTY of beach chairs to sit on. Never once did our group have an issue finding seats together and we would arrive at different times throughout the day. There was always a place to sit. If you wanted shade, there was plenty, if you prefer sun, there was plenty. Towel hut is located in a good spot & there were always fresh towls available during the hours of operation. We used the pool that did not have the bar, it was kept clean & we had no issues. Awesome!
Entertainment: In our group there was a mix of older married couples, young married couples, parents with babies/kids and single adults. The evening entertainment was good for something to watch before going to bed. Not all of it was for an audience of all ages, but they did keep it appropriate. The single adults found the trips off the resort to Margaritaville & Pier1 more exciting. For the older adults they walked the grounds, hung out using wi-fi in the lobby or went to bed. Overall, entertainment was good.
Wedding: The purpose of our trip! The wedding was absolutely beautiful!! The bride did bring her own decor & flowers so I don't know exactly what the decor & flowers are like from the hotel. Her wedding spot was the gazebo (not the beach one) and it was lovely. The wedding co-ordinator seemed polite & helpful. The pastor was fantastic! He made us feel like we had known him for years. For brides thinking of/getting married at this resort, I would suggest to do what my friend did & bring your own decor & flowers. It's no problem to set up your things the way you want. The reception dinner was held at the steakhouse. The food was fantastic, really good!
In summary, the pool/beach, and the friendly staff saved this hotel from getting two thumbs down. If you want real good authentic Jamaican food, this hotel won't provide that. If you do not mind cockroaches greeting you Yah Mon! at the elevtors then you can stay here. As for me & my house, we will not be visiting this hotel again. One Love :)
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