By Mia Matton

 

I recently returned from a family vacation in beautiful Jamaica!  On previous visits, we have stayed at the Grand Palladium Jamaica, Couples Swept Away, Hilton Rose Hall and Beaches Negril.  Having never been to Ocho Rios and capitalizing on my RIU Partner Club points, we decided to stay at the RIU Ocho Rios this trip.  We were there for two weeks with my children and the first week we were joined by some other family members.

 

We have been to Jamaica a few times in the November and early December and had beautiful weather with no rain at all.  That was Negril.  This time in Ocho Rios we experienced several rainy and cloudy days combined with some beautiful hot days as well.   I know that November is still considered hurricane season but now my understanding that Ocho Rios does experience more of the wind and rain then other parts of the island so something to consider when recommending areas in Jamaica for those lower season dates.   Although the beach is stunning, on these particular rainy days, there was quite a bit of trash and debris that washed ashore and it was very disheartening.  

 

As for the RIU Ocho Rios hotel itself, be aware it is a 2 hr drive from the airport.  We stayed on the Deluxe Wing side which is no longer Adults Only and is now family friendly.  We chose that side for a few reasons.  We needed free Wifi in our room and throughout the resort.  We had a great connection at the pool & beach so that was fantastic.  We also needed the Junior Suites with extra space and a sofabed.  Those are only available on the Deluxe Wing side.  We also liked that we could access our own pool and beach area which was MUCH quieter then the Club side of the hotel and less congested.  So that choice depends on your clients’ needs and wants.  The second week we were there, a lot of guests from the other side made their way over and stayed at the swim up bar for days and the staff did not ask them to leave.   Another reason why we liked the Deluxe Wing was that we could make dinner reservations and the Club side could not and was a first come first serve….be advised, that is no longer.  It is new but now Deluxe Wing guests cannot make reservations either, so that was disappointing.  

 

I need to share this story although it is a big negative.  I booked my brother, his wife and their son through Sunwing hotel only (flights were separate with Transat).  When we checked in, the RIU had my brother in their system but did NOT have my sister in law and their son for that same room!   Even though we had the Sunwing booking confirmation printed and pulled up on our phone.  They wanted my brother to pay for them again until they sorted it out with Sunwing the following day but I would NOT allow him to give his credit card.  It was outrageous.  They refused to give them a bracelet but did let us go and eat and then when we came back an hour later, after I got irate with them, only THEN did they let them have a bracelet.  Needless to say, the high we were on when we arrived quickly dissipated leaving us with a bad taste in our mouths.  I was very upset as I had done the booking myself and knew it was their error.  RIU blamed Sunwing and guess what?  The next day we spent time on it as well and the Sunwing Rep blamed the RIU.  Very strange partnership.  It is still a mystery.  It was a rude awakening as to what some of our clients go through when reservations get messed up.  I can see how they would jump to blame the travel agent and if my brother wasn’t my brother, I’m sure he would feel the same and probably not use my services again.

 

The pools were great.  The beach (on sunny days) was gorgeous and expansive, probably the best and longest beach in all of Ocho Rios.  Food was decent in the buffets; the A La Cartes were amazing although sometimes hard to get into or CLOSED on certain days of the week, which was annoying.  The entertainment was quite good at night complete with a steel drum band night, live reggae bands, Michael Jackson show, etc. ;).  Staff was friendly, other than the front desk experience which was awful.  Spa was excellent.  Kids club was virtually non-existent as I find to be true of most RIU’s we have visited.  So very little to no additional amenities for children.  The hotel is showing its age.  Everywhere you look, you can find it.  Needs an update soon which I imagine is a just a matter of time with the way the RIU’s are tackling their refurbishments.

 

On the sunny days, they did clean up the beach and the water was absolutely gorgeous, we would never have known about the trash if it hadn’t rained a few days.   In fact, one of the reasons I picked that location was that my family loves to snorkel.  There is incredible snorkelling right off the beach, tons of varieties of fish, urchins, etc., no need to pay for a snorkel excursion.   You can borrow snorkels from the Water Sports, however, for a limited time.  We actually invested in our own gear and brought with us, so glad we did!  We went on a catamaran to Dunns Rivier Falls and stopped to snorkel and there was nothing different to see.  As for Dunns River, I had debated going as we have a 10 & 7 year old and I wasn’t sure of the safety for the.  It was excellent, highlight of our trip.  My kids had no issues with the climb and there was a 70 yr old couple behind us that were keeping up just fine.  And of course, there is the option to use the stairs along the side if it proves to be a challenge.  For other excursions, my brother and family swam with the dolphins and said it was ok.  A lot of waiting around.   We went to the White River Tubing and we did not go with a group, we went on our own.  Very disappointing, so short.  I am actually surprised by the good reviews.  That was a waste of an afternoon, thankfully it was not too long of a drive or I would have been more disappointed.

 

All in all, I love Jamaica; however, unless I really wanted to be near certain excursions I would most likely not visit the Ocho Rios area again.  I would return to Negril every time for the beach, sunsets and weather or perhaps Montego Bay for the short distance to the airport.  On a side note, I have clients that just returned from Beaches Ocho Rios and although they liked it fine, they also asked me about Beaches Negril for next trip as the beach there is not very good and quite small.

Also, if you can convince your clients to pay for the Club MoBay on the departure, it is SO worth it!!  We had 3 hrs to wait and the alcohol, refreshments and food was free and comfy chairs and tvs, and kid’s area. And it is commissionable for you to add onto a reservation.  The Club MoBay is covered for 2 adults on some credit cards wink wink, as ours are with the BMO World Elite card, not sure about other travel cards.  We were supposed to pay for our kids, but they didn’t charge us which was great! :)