Hotel Riu Ocho Rios - All Inclusive

Never have we seen such attention to room and hotel cleanliness and maintenance in such a large Staff were friendly, helpful. The location near the beach was appreciated. The food was a bit above average. Having food allergies I would have appreciated a site to read up on food contents. The rooms were large. Our clothes were very damp by the end of our stay. The heavy wood doors to the rooms needed their hydraulic closers all needed adjustments. A closing door cannonaded down the tile floored stucco halls disturbing the quiet. Rolling suitcase wheels coukd be heard rumbling day and night. The doors could use a rubber damping device to help minimize the closing door especially if the plastic door was open. I was pleased the Riu company contributed funds to their employees after the disastrous Hurricane Melissa. We delighted in tipping the courteous, hard working staff from floor cleaners, and waiters and cleaners. Waiters allowed us to move tables for our family to all sit together. All in all, a great hotel! Thank you!

Absolute Disaster – Avoid This Resort We just arrived and within 30 minutes it’s already clear this place is a complete disaster. The air conditioning is unbearable — extremely loud with constant vibrations that literally shake the bed. Within half an hour we already have headaches from the noise. This is beyond unacceptable and shows a total lack of maintenance and basic guest comfort. The room itself is in terrible condition — dirty floors full of sand and a broken bathroom handle. Clearly, no one bothered to inspect or properly clean this room before handing it over to guests. And how does an “all-inclusive” resort not even have sparkling wine? That alone says everything about the level of service and what kind of “all-inclusive” experience this really is. This is supposed to be a vacation, not a stressful, uncomfortable experience from the moment you walk in. The standards here are shockingly low. Either fix this immediately or move us to a proper room — otherwise this will be escalated and reflected everywhere. Completely unacceptable.

Celebrated a birthday and wedding with family and friends, followed by Mother’s Day. Suitable venue for all age groups.

Had a wonderful time, the staff was lovely but these persons in particular stood out: Oshane/ reggae bar: love his vibe and positive attitude towards work, willing to go above and beyond. no clue what the drink he made was but it was impressive to say the least. Ricardo reggae bar: didnt have much interaction with him but he's honest, easy going and very attentive. Ricardo (sports bar supervisor): good attention to detail, good memory. Tevin Dunns River bar: great memory remembered my order each time. All I had to do was hand over my cup and he took care of the rest, very genuine and always smiling. Ramone (jerk center): oh lord where do I begin, him nice bad, down to earth and hilarious, its he's paid very well or he genuinely loves his job, because this man works flawless. There's this another guy with braces that worked there on Monday, he has great customer service, didn't get his name. :( Jordan entertainment: very helpful and attentive love his vibe. Would definitely go back more for the staff than the food or entertainment they really made my birthday trip worth it.

Lovely hotel, on the beach. Spacious , clean rooms, beach towels provided daily, . Sunbeds available at all times, so do not need reserving. Only thing missing is ice cream at the poolside

RIU properties never disappoint. You always know what you’re going to get across all their locations. This Ocho Rios location is a large property but with enough space not to feel overcrowded. We even went March break time. Lots of chairs at beach and pool areas. Never had to worry about not finding one like other resorts. Food selection and entertainment staff excellent. Shout out to Vanessa. The beach at this location is well maintained and shallow from waist to shoulder height. Great for young ones and others who just want to stand and float around. White sand! We celebrated our anniversary there and the reception staff made our day and stay extra special for it. Thanks Marika and reception staff.

My family (2 adults and 7 year old boy) stayed at Riu Ocho Rios from March 1st – March 8th. Overall, we had a great time and would recommend it for families. Some things to know: -Check in was efficient, and they accommodated our room request as best as they could (we wanted top floor, in a quiet building, got a 4th floor in a quiet building….only 5 floors). -At the infinity pool you cannot use balls or floaties. Great to have a quieter pool, but just something to know so you don’t get in trouble with the lifeguards. You can use balls and floaties in the pool on the other side of the resort. -At the buffet, you cannot get a mimosa with your breakfast, which I found strange as even at lower rated Rius I could get one. What you can do is go to the sports bar and ask for a white wine/orange juice mixed to go (they don’t have champagne) to go. -Staff were overall attentive and fairly friendly. We received exception service from the following staff: Chavis at the buffet, Sherette at the buffet, Tayvon at the pool bar, and Kareme at the Italian restaurant. -Housekeeping did a fantastic job of keeping our room clean (room 3447). -The entertainment team was fun and energetic, offering lots of different activities around the pool! We only saw one night show (Michael Jackson), and it was great. -When it is calm enough, the snorkeling is pretty good right in front of the resort (out in front of the sea grape bar is where we saw quite a few fish). -I wasn’t a fan of the bathroom situation in our room (3447). The toilet was in a separate little room with it’s own door (great), but the shower and sink section was missing a door and only had a cheap see-thru shower curtain to attempt to block it. When you’re paying thousands for a vacation this is not an expected look in the room! -The buffet had a good selection of food, and we all felt the quality was one of the best we’ve had at an all inclusive. We really liked the Italian restaurant, thought the steakhouse and Asian were okay, and didn’t get to try the gourmet. We absolutely loved the jerk chicken at Pepe’s every day at lunch! Thanks for an overall great vacation! Jacqueline and Stuart Bagley

Had a really great time at this all-inclusive hotel! The staff were all excellent and very friendly! The beach was an amazing. The view from the Reggae bar was like a dream.

Ok, but not great. All pools were closed by 6 p.m. Live entertainment was good but only for 3 hours in the evening on any given day. Volleyball court access was time restricted as well. The most off-putting situation was the overcharge for our stay. It has been 3 months and I'm still waiting to be refunded over $1500. Sadly, I have discovered I am not the only person who this has happened to with RIU. I was overcharged, at the hotels own admission. They assured me that the refund had already been issued while I was still at the resort during my stay. Upon checkout I was reassured that the refund had been issued but takes 7 to 10 business days and that was the reason I wasn't seeing it on my credit card. It has now been 3 months. The refund protocol is to contactcs.america@riu.com correspondence was sent. The reply redirected me to contact the hotel directly since the booking was made through them. Countless phone calls and hours spent on the phone to be told the refund was made when it in fact has not, and that is all that I keep being told. There is no higher up to forward or escalate the issue too. There seems to be no accountability. So unfortunate as it is a beautiful property. However, I will not book a stay with this resort here or any where in the world. They seem to be very disingenuous in there dealings.

My recent stay at RIU Ocho Rios was nothing short of fantastic. From the moment I arrived, the staff made me feel incredibly welcome with their warm hospitality and efficient service. The resort itself is stunning, featuring pristine pools and a beautiful beachfront perfect for relaxing under the sun. The variety of dining options exceeded my expectations, with fresh, flavorful meals at every turn. My room was clean, spacious, and offered a breathtaking view of the Caribbean Sea. Whether you’re looking for high-energy entertainment or a peaceful getaway, this resort delivers it all. I can’t wait to return!

Did not have high expectations after reading several reviews around staff being rude but our experience was completely the opposite of this, every member of staff we encountered were professional and friendly, service in the buffet was exceptionally quick, as soon as you're seated someone is over to take your tea/coffee or drink order even during really busy periods at breakfast, bar staff were super friendly, the bar staff on the pool bar keep everyone smiling, I understand everyone's experience is different but I didn't see any staff members being surly or rude. Room was basic but kept really clean by housekeeping and the mini bar was kept fully stocked . The real stand out in this hotel has to be the entertainment team, so hardworking and engaging with all guests regardless of age, for us the absolute star on the entertainment team has to be Fabien, an absolute asset to the hotel, such a professional, an amazing dancer who really cares about the guests experience, a genuinely lovely man. The only small negative would be the food, the buffet has so many options but its the same every day and for 2 weeks can get repetitive, only dined in the specialty restaurants 3 times and honestly thought the buffet food was better as the restaurant food was cold, having said that the staff in the specialty restaurants were really nice. We would return because the people make the place special.

My second time at the RIU Ocho Rios my first trip was in 2025. I had to come back and do it all over again in 2026. It is an amazing resort stuff are lovely. It’s clean entertainment amazing food good overall I would highly recommend it to family couples and friends it offer something for everyone

to make it short there wasn't much more we could ask for awesome food amazing pools beautiful beach outstanding hospitality oceanview from our beautiful updated room what a bang for the buck if your going on vacation this is definitely at the top of the chart for your $$$$

We had a great family gathering at the Riu in Ocho Rios!! It had a beautiful ocean front and well maintained grounds. All staff especially Shereena who not only cleaned our room but made us feel so at home. The buffet was our favourite place to eat overall because of the variety of foods and especially the Jamaican stations with authentic dishes. I ate oxtail, ackee and salt fish, escovich fish and calalloo and jerk chicken and pork at the outside grill off the beach. We danced to the live reggae and latin bands as they were our favourite!!! We also took in Dunns River Falls, the Blue Hole and the Bob Marley museum!! All three are a must see. The transportation was right out front making it safe and easy to get around. Patric was our driver and he took great care of us and made extra stops to pick up goods we needed. It was great for all 9 of us as we could get together for meals and events and still have our alone time when we needed. The gym was fully equipped and my son, hubby and I used it everyday. The kids loved the pools and the slides the best. The adults loved the ocean and the close proximity to the jerk chicken and pork grill and the bar!! We also liked the use of the volleyball court on the beach too!! Great value for all we took part in and there was so much more!!

My trip has mixed feelings i loved the hotel and had been looking forward to visiting Jamaica for z long time.Hotel was big and busy, entertainment staff were fantastic, they really worked hard . Now the down sides, bar staff and food service staff were incredibly rude , unless you had dollars in your hand you were ignored for sometime, on one occassion when i did get served i was left half way through as another customer arrived with money. We were a part of 8 people and if a couple of us wanted to order for the whole party we were told on numerous occassions no multiple drinks , Thank god for my room bar which i made use of as it was less hassle. The anxiety i felt everytime , how much do i tip when i didnt see why i should have to everytime. One waiter we asked to take a group photo said are you going to tip me? Since being home ive spoken to my friend who visits Jamaica e every year and she said she has never tipped unless it was room service. Beautiful hotel and surroundings but staff need a crash course on customer service. No future visits from me im afraid

We were a little concerned when booking at the size of this hotel -(our usual hotels are still closed from Melissa) but were pleasantly surprised. From Check-in, which took minutes, to check-out we had the best time. Our room was immaculate every day, the view was amazing. Food was delicious, we booked the steakhouse and Italian twice during our stay and were not disappointed. The buffet was enormous, so many tasty selections ensuring you don’t have to eat the same thing day after day. My only grumble would be that the labels on the food need to be printed with a larger font, as we (60yrs young) really struggled to read them without encroaching on other guests. The staff were amazing, nothing is a problem for them. They all work so hard to ensure you are happy and comfortable. We stayed on the beach most days, and even though hotel was at full capacity, we did not have problems getting a sun bed. Drinks are decent and even had Coke Zero. The entertainment team work hard from 10am with plenty of activities and shows to keep you amused. Would I stay here again? - Yes, most definitely.

This is a great hotel chain. Only improvement is to clear the whole resort from indoor roaches. There is a whole wing, plus the eatery where there were roach sitings. This issue must be rectified or it will get worse and this 5 star establishment will be a 1 star in no time.

The hotel it self is nice and clean and the rooms are clean . The hotel is a decent size with a children part and only adults part . The staff at the hotel were nice and polite and attentive. If you’re traveling with small children it’s perfect for you . The hotel is kinda out of the way if you want to do activities, the nearest activities is Dunns river and mystic mountain bout a 20 min drive . Now the food at the hotel was so bad , as always food isn’t always the best . But i thought being in Jamaica we would at least get jamaica food , well we did , but the food never has any flavour or was cold , big disappointment. When will these hotel recognise that not having good food is a big let down . We ate out most of the time . The hotel has entertainment every night and has activities to do throughout the day . You have to download the app if you want to dine in the 3 restaurants, we didn’t know about the app and tried to book and was unable to as it was all booked up . Seems like people book the restaurants before they even arriving at the hotel . So we were left to eat at the normal buffet everyday . They do have a sport bar which is open 24/7 and has a microwave inside and snack bar with nachos n cheese or sandwich made with the left over buffet food . I will definitely not be visiting this hotel again , but i will most definitely visit jamaica again .

This was our third stay at this hotel. Never disappoints. Beautiful long stretch of beach with water sports and catamaran cruises for snorkelling and Dunns Falls. Hotel, rooms and grounds are kept pristine. Staff all do an amazing job and. The food options are great and amazing cocktails. Great place place to stay, highly recommend

I travelled to the Riu Ocho Rios with my mum (84) and aunt (80). The hotel was lovely and upgraded our rooms to an ocean view. There were a few glitches, like some confusion with the shuttle pickups, but staff were very helpful overall. We enjoyed the various buffet/restaurants, and my gluten free mother was generally accomodated, especially at the Mandolay restaurant. It was our first time at an all inclusive, and it was a bit hard to navagate at first. We went to an Aquafit class in the pool which was fun. We also had friends come for a day with children, and they enjoyed the kids water park. The rooms were very clean and had lovely balconies to sit on and look over the resort and to the ocean. I would visit a Riu again.

Absolutely loved our stay at the Riu Ocho Rios!! Every staff member we encountered starting from reception, bars, restaurants, entertainment crew right to the cleaning staff were outstanding!!! Thank you for your hospitality, your friendliness and most of all your smiles. A special shout out to Zenita from the Entertainment crew!!!! The only negative comment is we would have like to see a bit more variety at the buffet dinners. It was a little repetitive. Having said that, it was very tasty.

My first experience of a resort and quiet frankly, probably my last. I did not like it at all. Too many people, too noisy and run like a cruise ship. People enter the buffet general dining area with unsuitable clothing. The staff work fast and quick, but are not generally pleasant unless they have served you before and you have tipped them. There is a huge tipping expectations which I find irritating and disheartening. The drinks at the bar were watered down, the wines are not really wines, more like scented water. I almost choked on the appalling red wine that was served in the buffet hall. After that I stuck to the Savignon Blanc which was marginally easy to swallow but devoid of any grapes. No idea what was bottled. I expected an abundant of seafood, and not the constant fried tasteless fish fillet, and not even fresh sometimes. Tasted like leftovers.Yikes. Had prawns but they couldnt be bothered to peel it. Would have preferred crawfish. Didnt get any though. The food was extremely salty. What what surprised me was the fact that when I asked for Chilli or pepper sauce, they had only Tabasco Sauce, and yet Jamaica is an Island associated with scotch bonnet. They cannot even make their own pepper sauce from local produce? How sad. I dont think the hotel management is bothered by the reviews here, as they are always fully booked. And so they should be, with all inclusive marketing package deal. Only people with discernible taste will choose not to stay at this hotel.

Riu Ocho Rios Riu Ocho Rios is not the same 4 years ago it was much better the hotel desperately needs an upgrade checking in was super slow the room was an upgraded one terrible sewer smell on entering over that section The drapes was looking terrible the coach the chair was spread up with a sheet when you sit in it the cushions rolled off the chair and rolled you flat on the floor it's very dirty when I lift up the sheet to see the chair the side table falling apart the hallways smell strong with bleach I had to complain to the housekeeper we felt uncomfortable that night because no flat sheet was on the bed only a fitted no pillow cases only 1 no blanket we had to call the next day to get them house cleaner man only cleaned the bedroom area and leave the bathroom dining room buffet filled with smoke from frying up meats daily I had to run out of there along with other guests its overwhelming food finished quickly no refills foreign meats and fish only no fruits they ran out the food is salty and very greasy and cold the beach is very nice no beach umbrella The Island Routes Rep for the resort Sidia never around have send all information via Whatsapp and no response I had to kept sending messages she is very unprofessional the day before we was getting ready to go home tried tirelessly to reach her she responded late at night with a lie about our pick up time in the morning the bellhop came early for our luggages we waited patiently for our pickup no pick up at the time she told us I called her several times then she suddenly pick up the phone she is very scary I sure hope no one else have to encounter this on their vacation shouted at me lied constantly hang the phone up on me the front desk staffs was helpful at that moment they tried to reach her no response the bellhop tried as well until she finally texted to say the driver was coming for us he had to drive very fast because time was against us traffic was heavy even entering into the airport we almost missed our flight we barely made it The white party at entertainment is good new years eve party started out with a hugh flop trivia games boring a band followed boring until the locals DJ took over it was really good some nights entertainment is good like Jamaica night some not so good latin night needs a bit more to it silver bird band can be boring only the acrobatics is really good the place is clean Just need to be upgraded lobby is unattractive just like the rooms and dining area the bellhops are very nice and professional Sasha from Italian is really professional helpful and nice bartenders are mostly nice not all we would not return to Riu Ocho Rios too much disappointment no Christmas pastries at Christmas No Jamaican fruit cake. Worst we have ever seen it.

The resort, the beach, and my room were amazing. While I felt the bed was very comfy, for some reason my back did not seem to agree and I had debilitating back ache that made movement extremely painful my whole time there. Might just me getting old though. Special shout out to Tamaya and her manager at the front desk for their efforts to get me back into a room when my flight was cancelled. I plan to return sometime.

Food was great. But thats about it. Staff is constantly begging for a tip. Beach is mostly covered with seaweed. Mini bar is not being topped up During the stay. My wife has arranged for a birthday cake during our dinner. Although this was prearranged in advance we were denied the cake and surprise element was destroyed. Staff members demanded a tip to serve a cake. We felt like beggars. We left the restaurant as experience was awful. Reception staff did not attempt to make it right.

We enjoyed the resort from entertainment to activities to room service. Food can be slightly improved. Our trip back was canceled because of snow storm but the manager Selena Lowe was extremely helpful in extending our stay despite full resort and accommodating our needs during these few days

The food was excellent - lots of variety. The staff were delightful. The beach was well maintained. Activities were fun. The Synwing Reps were extremely helpful particularly Nekoda and Trish. The excursions were enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this hotel for a vacation!

A great well run family-friendly all inclusive resort close to many of the famous attractions in Jamaica. Beautiful grounds, beautiful beach, very clean rooms, plentiful and varied buffet, several additional restaurants, pools and bars. A kid zone that will safely entertain your child for 2 hours in the morning and afternoon. The staff are hardworking and kind so please acknowledge them with a smile, a ‘good morning’, ‘good evening’ and ‘thank you’. Remember that many of them have families impacted by the Hurricane late last year. Some resorts on the island are still closed for repairs. RIU had minimal damage as far as I could tell. Jamaica needs the tourism to recover. For myself, the beach was the best part: long, sandy, with a reef offshore making the swimming safe for everyone including children. Lots of beach chairs available as well as towels by every pool. It was our first time in Jamaica and we would go back to this resort happily. I’m glad I ignored some of the negative reviews. I really don’t know how anyone can complain about this resort.

When staying here I had requested a crib for my baby 3 times, one was not brought to the room my baby fell and was admitted to hospital costing €3000 when returning the the hotel I asked for a room without a step and was refused, a ambulance was called to the hotel and a incident report was filed, not once did they come and check on my baby to see if we were ok. After writing to them when I got home I was told I’d get a response on 15-20 days , I have followed up and still no response 28 days later. Shocking service after a baby was injured at the result of not providing a crib after requested on multiple occasions. Would appreciate someone getting back to me regarding complaint ref 398823

The Riu Ocho was my first ever all inclusive experience and I feel like I have been missing out! The drinks are strong and delicious. The food was great and had amazing variety. There are too many activities to try everything and we could have stayed a second week and never been bored. Food - I was able to get resos at all the ala carts restaurants with the Italian being my favorite. But the kids preferred the buffet and there was always new foods to try. Nicardo for dinner is a GEM and went out of his way to make our group feel special. That man deserves a medal. Some of the best service I have ever had and he works hard! For breakfast and lunch Tamesha was our girl. She is wonderful and remembered all the kids drinks and what everyone liked. She set the most thoughtful birthday table for one of our kids and even brought all the kids Jamaican souvenirs. I looked forward to seeing her everyday. Cordesha at the slides also stood out for her personality. She was so friendly and encouraged the kids to try the drop slides cheering them on the whole time. The entertainment team are some of the most talented and hardest working people I have seen. The shows were outstanding and they remembered the kids from the kids shows and always called them out for hugs and high fives. Beautiful people inside and out. The hotel great. The beach is beautiful (even with some seaweed) and the food is better than expected but what makes this experience exceptional is the staff. They work so hard, they care about the guests and go above and beyond to make memories. If you have the means, bring extra money and tip generously. They deserve it.

Staff is friendly, room are clean if a bit tired. Grounds and beach are lovely and well maintained. However the food, well plentiful and varied, is overcooked, cold and just plain bad. This is the worst food I have experienced when staying at all- inclusive resorts, including other Riu resorts, I am so disappointed. Even at the Italian Restaurant, where you need to book a reservation, my Salmon w/dill sauce was served barely warm and the sauce had congealed.

Horrible experience at the worst resort in Jamaica. Staff is very unfriendly and not helpful, food is extremely low quality and always runs out, 'free' transfer to airport not available/denied. This Riu resort is the Spirit airlines or Carnival cruise line of all Jamaica resorts. Problems started at checkin where the worker claimed my credit card signature was somehow not close enough to my signature in my passport. Never had an issue like this and furthermore I could see on my phone that the resort already took my money. Literally no information about the resort was provided at check-in on eg dining, map of the place, or how to get to the room (there are no porters to help with your luggage). Staff unfriendly and not helpful. Room was just OK, looked old and worn out. Roach in room. Food was very poor. Buffet lines were long and looked like a hurricane passed by (most bowls/trays empty and not being replenished). If you are willing to wait 30 min you might get an omelet. Food quality low. Service at specially restaurants was good, but food quality low (poor quality steak in steak restaurant). Bbq shack on the beach is OK, but never available (you can get chicken the whole day but jerk pork only 3-5 and even then only after a very long wait) Entertainment OK. At booking we received free transportation back to MBJ airport and we got a 8 digit confirmation number/code. We asked the front desk and they said check with Nexus (company that handles these transfers for Riu). Nexus stated we are not on the list they got from Riu. The Nexus people were totally useless, lazy, and unprofessional. We had a confirmation code they refused to check in their system or make a call, and instead told us to go ahead and call some number to sort things out. We had enough and just took a JUTA taxi the next day and paid $140 out of our pocket (even though we should have had a free transfer). Another issue is overbooking at Riu Ocho Rios. Our Juta driver shared that he and a colleague had to drive a group of 14 (!) people to another Riu resort at 11 pm because Riu was overbooked and they did not have a room for these people that had a paid reservation. I assume that Riu's Online Reputation Manager will write some useless lines below in response, and not address any of my comments. Not surprising if you have a reputation manager and not a customer service person handling your issues.

I visited this hotel for my 40th birthday with friends and was genuinely looking forward to the stay, but unfortunately the experience was very disappointing. A recurring issue throughout the hotel was the attitude of the staff. Many came across as unfriendly and reluctant to help. In the main restaurant, getting a drink felt like a gamble — staff often ignored guests, and when you did ask for service, it was treated as an inconvenience. I also experienced behaviour that made me feel uncomfortable. I was staying in a room on my own, and a male cleaner repeatedly knocked on my door for reasons that felt unnecessary. I specifically requested a female cleaner and was assured this would be arranged, yet the same male cleaner was sent to my room again on another day. This left me feeling unsafe in a place where I should have been able to relax and ended up leaving the hotel 4 days early! Overall, the stay did not meet expectations, especially for a milestone celebration.

We just got back from an absolutely amazing 10days at Riu Ocho Rios. The hotel is well maintained. All the staff work very hard so you have an enjoyable stay. The food is amazing, something for everyone. Ours was the Jamaican section where we got to try all kinds of Jamaican food. 😋. The beach is very clean and well layed out while we were there. The bar very cheerful. Again I can’t street enough how hard all the staff work. The rooms are well clean everyday. The cleaners always surprised us everyday with their artiste talents. The staff in St Ann’s buffet were always attentive and polite, most of the time. We managed to book a day trip to Dunn’s river waterfall. Unfortunately our TUI representative didn’t mention that we need water shoes, otherwise they don’t let you on. We ended buying some there around £8.00/9.00. We were a small when got to Dunn’s river waterfall, but ended up in a larger group. There is a camera + video man that’s follows you. After you can buy both for €40. Please if you go on the nine mile take socks with you, as you walk around bare feet around the resting place of Bob Marley and family. 🙏🏽. We tried to feed this back to the TUI but they were not interested!! I am a Riu club member I was told there would be a little something in the room by the rep. Never happened. If you not going to do it, then don’t say anything!! We just had couple of very small negative things to say. Sometimes we did get some waitresses who would not attend to us or clear our plates, particularly the side of the sports bar. Which is really disheartening. So we sat across the buffet area. Another was I wanted a bit of rice, as it was the anniversary of my mum’s passing date. But no one would help I kept going from St Ann’s to reception. Finally I did get some, with flowers that the gardeners cut for. On the day of our departure. I had a last urge to eat patties. So I asked the staff in the restaurant if I could take two for the journey. But I was told I couldn’t before opening in ten minutes. I explained we were leaving now. But the man with the green collar said no. 😞 so sad. Overall a brilliant holiday. Please pass on our thank you to everyone. Hopefully we will return with our families in the near future.

We traveled to Jamaica for Christmas with our family. We stayed at the Riu for 5 days. This is the worst experience I have ever had a resort in Jamaica and travel there yearly. On our last night at the Riu, our daughters room flooded due to a malfunctioning toilet from the room directly across the hall from them. The front desk employees could have cared less about the situation. It took for us going to the front desk 4 times before they offered to move them to another room. They originally stated someone would come to clean the room however, they couldn't give a time frame. We asked for a manager and were told there were no managers working overnight. We were then told a manager would be available the next morning by 9am. We were leaving for the airport at 8am and told we could ask for the assistant manager who would be available at 7am. Upon visiting the desk the next morning, a female member of staff who was clearly someone in charge for the day refused to speak with us and instead instructed another staff member to give us a business card with an email address for complaints. Upon arriving back to the states, I filed a complaint and waited 21 business days for a response only to be told they could not assist us, could not change our disappointment but would love to have us visit again in the future. The is NO chance in hell I would visit this this resort ever again! The staff was rude and very unorganized. I wouldn't recommend this resort to anyone. This resort gets ZERO stars.

Stayed here for a 2 week holiday with friends 11/01/26 - 25/01/26 Had the most amazing time, all the entertainment staff work extremely hard to provide you with the best entertainment. Rooms are cleaned daily with fresh towels being left each day, the mini bar is restocked just leave them a message on the app as to what you need. The main buffet has lots of choice only downfall is having to queue for a while, especially at breakfast time waiting for the omelette. The Beautiful Talia in the buffet restraunt who looked after us for the whole 2 weeks was truly amazing, kind lovely and nothing to much trouble for her, she is an absolute star and the Riu should be so great full they have her. They need to sort out the karaoke as they only have it on once a week for half hour which is absolutely no use at all. The white and neon night are amazing so much fun, make sure you save your energy for those because you certainty will need it, loved every second of it. The staff at the swim up bars are really cheerfully happy guys and the cocktails are great. Would definitely return

Really good hotel, excellent food choices. Rooms are spacious and have plenty of towels and great toiletries. Beds are comfortable and everywhere is spotlessly clean. The staff in the main are fabulous, particularly Jason in the dining room. The pools are great and clean. The beach is beautiful and clear water. They work very hard to keep the beach seaweed free. The staff are all hard working. The entertainment is good and fun. On a personal note, I found the pool area far too noisy with both bars competing in their music choices. We sadly had some poor weather and there is little to do unless you leave the complex. We caught a taxi into Ocho Rios both days. The dining area can be somewhat chaotic on opening. The food can be the same but there is so much choice that there is something for everyone, including chips, pizza, pasta, salads etc. Bring plenty of adaptor plugs. You don’t have to smoke in the designated areas, you can smoke by the pool. Yes people smoke weed. There is a protected swimming area in the sea. It takes about an hour and a half from the airport. I would get a taxi to beat the buses and check in online. This is a fun and lively hotel that attracts families, couples and children.

We arrived Jan 14 - ?.. we arrived at Riu Ochos after an almost 3 hour bus trip as they stop at other resorts to drop people off so exhausting. Upon arrival the manager was very unwelcoming and unfriendly. We are a Diamond member but she never acknowledge this. After arguing with her she finally upgraded us and my niece to an ocean view. The rooms are very old and need badly a renovation. Our couch was covered with a sheet so we would not see the stains on it. We have been there 3 times before twice for New Years and it was amazing But now it has changed the staff not so friendly and the buffet selection very poor. On our third day we were offered to transfer to Riu Aquarelle as they were overbooked so we jumped at this opportunity. There were 3 busses transferred there they told us they would take care of the paperwork. But when it was time to leave our return paperwork was not done so we were told to take a taxi to the airport which would cost $120.00. We will never go back to Riu Ocho Rios or ever recommend this hotel to anyone Very very unhappy and disappointed

I have had the most amazing time in Jamaica. I arrived on 15 Jan with family, to warm weather. During my stay there was some breeze and rain but on the whole the temperature was amazing, 28 degrees and higher during the day on most days, and stayed pretty warm all evening. For the RIU managers, supervisors and those in charge - please make sure ALL your staff see this review as they are amazing, so talented and work VERY VERY HARD. Thank you team and can’t wait to come back and see you all. One of the highlights for me was the entertainment team, especially “Jamaica Evolution” night on Thursday’s with the team performing the history of Jamaican dance. ENTERTAINMENT STAFF I want to shout out to the entire team, some of whom I meant on my last couple of vacations at RIU. Andre, Dale, Raejae, Romaine, Passionate, Annalisa, KeeKee, TT, Sabrina and more recently Serina (Siri ❤️). Also to the newer ones I have met this year such as Asheen, Conray, Jordan, Tashima ,Savannah, Asia, Damilla, Natalie - thank you ❤️ The entertainment team and a lot of the other teams really enhanced my holiday as I got to know a lot of them, and so I miss them already. Let me take this opportunity to thank the other teams RECEPTION STAFF The lovely Brianna made us feel so relaxed and happy as she was very attentive and looked after us when we arrived - Thank you ❤️and also shout out to BRIAN (Sept 2023) and ARLINGTON (Mar 2025) who also made us feel so welcome on those holiday dates - Thank you ❤️ POOL BAR STAFF Romone, OShane, Tyrese, Cleon, Lamar, Javaine, Joseph, Troy, Ricardo and all the other staff whose names I didn’t get a chance to ask them - Thank you ❤️ RESTAURANTS, JERK STATION, SPORTS BAR, Waiting Staff & Chefs Arlene, Sheryl, Shanaika, JR, Silanthia, and all the rest of the team - thank you for looking after us every day, and all our food and refreshment needs in the restaurants, sports bar, Jerk station, that you took care of and for providing wonderful food, and a lovely birthday cake for my Dad 🤗❤️ - Thank you ❤️ LIFEGUARDS & TOWELSTAFF Raymark,Rashade, Shanton. Akeem Miguel, and the rest of the team - Thank you ❤️ PHOTOGRAPHERS (Caan, Alex, Jason, Henry) who work in the hot sun to produce the most beautiful, spectacular photos - Thank you ❤️. CLEANERS & MAINTENANCE Shakeisha - thank you for cleaning Rooms 3529 and 3530. For not only ensuring our rooms were clean but also for the wonderful designs you made with the towels, and the cleaners, such as ODane who always cleaned with a smile, all around the hotel keeping everywhere spotless - Thank you ❤️ Also to all the staff who work well into the night preparing the restaurants ahead of service the next morning - Thank you. ❤️ Side note to the guests who stay: please remember the staff are people too, so please treat them with the courtesy and kindness you would wish to be treated with. Remember, it costs you nothing to say THANK YOU and PLEASE. I watched guests not even acknowledge a bar staff member serving them drinks on a very busy day when they were sat at the table eating food by the pool ( which by the way they could have got up and got it themselves as they were just less than inches away from the bar). Let’s start being more considerate when we travel on holiday and be thoughtful to the employees whose “paid” job it is to serve us, which doesn’t entitle us to be rude to them. I continue to stay at The RIU in Ocho Rios BECAUSE of the staff and my wonderful memories whilst here. I may have not mentioned everyone by name but I have been grateful to every one I have spoken to during my time here. This review is for all those who I have spoken to or even just smiled at, who work hard, I want to say THANK YOU. 🙏🏽 ❤️ 💐

We really enjoyed our stay at the RUI Ocho Rios. Sometimes a bit fast and furious but one of the waiter/supervisor waiters stood out in the crowd his name is Travis and he seemed to be in charge of some of the A’ la carte restaurants on site. His politeness and understanding of what we needed made our dinning experience special. Martin & Faith London England..

just got back from ocho rios and we had a fantastic time the staff were wonderful and friendly the hotel is easy and spotless food was plentiful and delicious great bar service and brilliant room cleaning great beach with that Jamaican vibe great gardens and entertainment I was concerned as I had read some negative views but this is not what I found Tui was super efficient as usual we had one trip to Dunns falls and green hole, great day out can't recommend it enough Laurence uk

Beach was great. Room was good. The food and drinks were good. Entertainment was ok. Pools were nice. Staff were friendly. Our only issue came when we were delayed (3 nights) due to our return flight being cancelled (snow storm in Toronto). The hotel seemed to string us along each day saying everything was fine and we could stay in our room. However we were told we had to come back each morning and pay for that night. On the third delayed day we were told there was no room for us and had to be out of our room by noon. They advised there was room at Riu Palace in Montego Bay. I asked them if they could somehow find a way for us even share one room, as we also had my son and daughter-in-law as well as there 1 year old daughter in another room which they also had to vacate. This was at 10am. It is challenging travelling with a baby as all the extra baggage etc. plus we needed a crib. There reply was they couldn't do anything and the only option was to vacate by noon and go to the other hotel. We also had to pay for our transfer. I find it very difficult to believe that a hotel of around 900 rooms could not find a solution for us to stay the last night of our delay. We were left with a very bad taste in our mouths and disappointed. We could have moved on the first day of our delay and settled in for 3 days. Instead had to deal each day several trips to the front desk and the stress of not knowing each night where we would be. The Riu Palace had plenty of rooms available. Overall a good trip but some compassion from the hotel would have been nice. It's not like the rooms were free we had to pay for each night. I also feel that they new our rooms would not be available for the third night right from the beginning. And sending us to the other hotel earlier would have left our rooms empty resulting in loss of revenue. I will also address the issues with the onsite Sunwing rep. (Nexus) on a seperate review as I don't think the hotel can be held responsible for their poor communication and organization.

We are currently staying in Rio Ocho. Before coming, I read a lot of reviews, and honestly, many of them scared me — especially because we are traveling with two kids (6 and 2 years old). But thankfully, everything turned out much better, and we are happy with our stay. Location & Beach: Beautiful beach and great location. The hotel is older, but still very nice. We have a room on the 5th floor, and the view is absolutely gorgeous. Food: Our youngest child has allergies to fish, dairy, and eggs, so we knew finding food wouldn’t be easy. However, she eats macaroni and chicken, and that worked well for us. Staff: The reception girls are very kind and helpful, and the animators are great. The staff in the restaurant, beach bar, and snack areas were not as friendly, unfortunately. Cleaning: We arrived on Monday, and the first room cleaning was done on Wednesday. However, today the housekeeping lady did an amazing job — everything was perfect, and she even made flowers on the bed. My daughters were so happy, which really made our day. Conclusion: Come here with good vibes and a positive attitude — it truly makes a difference.

Trip date: January 09-16 CHECK IN/OUT: We arrived at 2pm. Our room wasn’t ready. They asked us to download the Riu app and said they would email us when the room was ready which should be between 3-4pm. The lobby is beautiful. There is a bar there, so we just parked ourselves by it and had a few drinks. We never got an email to say the room was ready. It wasn’t until 4pm when my husband went to check and they gave us the keys. Check out was super easy and fast, no issues. ROOM: We had a beautiful Oceanview room. The room itself is big. The bed is one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in at an all-inclusive. We both had amazing sleep. The bathroom is big but it is just not designed well. The toilet is facing the door, so if someone opens it and you’re on it, you’re going to get hit. This happened several times to us. It’s just a very weird layout. The shower was nice, good pressure too, but lots of gaps in the door where water was constantly pouring out on to the floors. Our room was cleaned well every day. The fridge was well stocked with pop, water, and beer. There was hard liquor too, but we mainly drank the water. The chairs were the only downside to the room. It looked like it had mold on them. We didn’t use them and kept them far away. BEACH & POOLS: We weren’t too impressed with the beach. Reviews I read, everyone kept saying it was so beautiful. It’s just ok. I’ve been to so many around the Caribbean, I can say this is probably at the bottom of our list. Yes, it looks nice, but there was no shade or umbrellas. You have to rely on the palm trees which can be an issue if you’re on meds and can’t stay directly under the sun for too long. Beach and pool chairs were never an issue to find. Lots of shade by the pools. We are not pool people, and never once went in, but I did lounge there a few times to stay under the shade. I will say though from my observations, the entertainment at the family side pool can be very inappropriate. A few days, some of the entertainers stepped in and stopped the twerking some guests were doing reminding them it’s a family resort, while other days, they just let it happen. I’m by no far a prude, but there were very young children there and it was certainly not appropriate for them to watch that. FOOD & RESTAURANTS: The buffet by far was the best! There is something for everyone, and the Jamaican station was the best! I ate Oxtail, rice and peas and stew pork every day. I miss having that. The a la carts were terrible. We could only get reservations at the Steakhouse and Kulinarium. The ribs at the steakhouse were good, but every single thing at Kulinarium was inedible. We left and went right back to the buffet. The drinks were top notch. The snacks at the Sports bar were good too. ENTERTAINMENT: We are not ones to sit and watch a show. If you’ve been to one all inclusive, you’ve seen them all. They are repetitive and it gets boring. But the entertainment at this resort was on another level. We actually sat through it all and enjoyed every single day. The Beach party and Neon/All white party was by far the most fun we had that week. One of my favorite moments was the National Anthem being sung and everyone standing. It was wonderful to see and participate in. OVERALL: This resort is huge and very clean. The week we were there, they said there were about 2000 guests, which we can believe. It was our first time at a Riu and we had a lot of fun. The staff were all wonderful and we never encountered anyone rude. They are constantly working and keeping the resort clean and all with a smile. If anything, it’s the visitors who are the ones that also put their manners on vacation. Throughout the week, we saw some of the rudest and most ignorant visitors there. From grabbing food with their hands at the buffet, to being drunk and belligerent and overall inappropriate and sexually suggestive in front of children. We left the resort a few times. There is a really good Chinese restaurant, KFC and Juci Patty about a 5 min taxi ride from the resort if you want something different. Just be careful not to overpay the taxis. If you catch a route taxi outside the resort, you’re paying $1.50 CAD as opposed to the $30 USD they ask you for at the resort. I love Jamaica, the food and the people.

While I had significant issues with RIU Head Office and the way my booking was handled—particularly the attempt to cancel or move my reservation on the day of my arrival—I do not believe it is fair to measure the hotel itself against the shortcomings of the central reservations team. I would like to sincerely thank the hotel staff for making my trip memorable despite the difficulties at the start of my stay. In particular, I would like to recognise Romone at the Reggae Bar, Jahvi the lifeguard, Alex the bartender, Titi and Zante from the entertainment team, and Chef Keisha, all of whom were outstanding and truly embody excellent customer service. The hotel itself is very spacious, with a wide selection of pools to choose from. While I found it unusual that the Reggae Pool is located directly next to a family pool as this does make it difficult to fully relax due to noise—the lifeguards were extremely attentive and proactive in ensuring pool rules were followed, particularly with children entering restricted areas. The buffet was one of the best all-inclusive buffets I have experienced. There was an excellent variety of options catering to all palates, food was replenished almost instantly, and the chefs were more than happy to accommodate personal preferences and requests. The hotel consists of both a newer and older section. While the older section is noticeably dated, I feel that overall the rooms across the hotel would benefit from a general upgrade to bring them in line with modern expectations. A special mention must go to the entire entertainment team. Despite experiencing unseasonable rainfall during my stay, they consistently ensured guests were engaged and enjoying themselves, which made a significant difference to the overall atmosphere. Provided the issues raised regarding my booking are resolved appropriately, I would be happy to stay at this hotel again in the future.

Let me start my saying this was my 60th trip to Jamaica. As you can imagine I’ve stayed at countless hotels including 3 other RIU hotels in Jamaica and 4 RIU hotels outside Jamaica. This is by far the worst of the worst. The food was lukewarm at best, never hot. Prison food and banquet tv dinners are better. The only decent food was the jerk chicken served at lunch only. Everyone in my family had stomach issues the entire 10 nights we stayed. Service was mid, which didn’t bother me as much as I’m sure the staff is not in the best spirits with the recent hurricane. The gym is quite dangerous, it rained most days and the gym floor is tile and VERY slick. I fell lifting weights and nobody even made the slightest effort to try to keep the floors dry or god for bid actually have gym acceptable flooring. During the rain I saw several inches of water that collected on the long walk to my room, ended up soaking my clothes and was extremely slippery and again nobody ever attempted to push the water down the holes to help make it safer. If you have any walking issues, don’t risk this hotel. The rooms were pretty nice, the beach is nice, the pools are clean and nice. Lots of activity options. I not only won’t stay here again but also won’t stay at a RIU hotel again after this experience. I’ve been home for 3 days now and my stomach is just now getting back to normal along with my family. I guess on a positive note we all lost a few pounds from the crappy food and stomach issues it caused. 🤮

Just come back from RIU Ocho Rios today. It’s very busy resort, we stayed 2 weeks and been there at New Year’s celebration and enjoyed very much. Our room was okay, we had ocean views room. We only ate at buffet and food was very good and so much to choose!And now about negative .Locals selling drugs on the beach, people smoking drugs in the swimming pool bars, lifeguards cleaning leftovers from drinks and dumping just on the grass by sunbeds , sewer smells so bad by beach bar by the quiet area and going straight to the ocean.We ask for wake up call, reception never phone and they didn’t even apologize. We travel a lot and we are diamond RIU members and like RIU resorts but never come buck in this one!

We had an amazing week at Riu Ocho Rios! We went during Christmas as a family of 5 and the hotel was FULL. Aside from the crowds at the buffet and nightly entertainment, you'd never know that the resort was overflowing with guests because the grounds are so large. Beach - 5 stars! The beach was clean with white sands and clear water. There were ALWAYS available chairs at the beach. I've never seen so many chairs. Our kids played beach volleyball every day and met many new friends from all over the world. Pools were great but small. The water was very cold so we stuck to the ocean this trip. There was no race for the chairs at 6am. We could show up to the pool after breakfast and still find chairs. The towels are plentiful! We never had a problem getting a dry towel like we have at other resorts. The buffet was busy at dinner but we always went early and never had any issues. The waitstaff is also 5 stars in my opinion. They came to our table many times to make sure our glasses were full and were always kind. The jerk chicken line at lunch can be a long wait but it's worth it. We also went to the steakhouse and Italian restaurants and enjoyed both. The Italian restaurant had a large selection of pasta and other items at the buffet before the meal which everyone loved. Use the app to book your restaurants as soon as you check in and get your room number. We went on the Catamaran/snorkeling/Dunn's River Falls excursion offered at the far end of the beach by Scuba Caribe and had a great time. You can buy all of your pictures and a full length video of your time at Dunn's River Falls for $40 which I thought was a great deal! We also had a fun morning River Tubing and visiting Blue Hole. We happened to go pretty early and were the only people there which was a great experience. Our room was always clean and we had no issues with any bugs or broken items. We couldn't seem to get the safe to work and leaving a message in the app led nowhere. We had a family suite in the building by the waterpark so we didn't have a great view. But it was unbelievably quiet and we all enjoyed the peaceful walk to and from the room everyday. The nightly entertainment is outdoors in a covered area which I prefer and we never had an issue finding a spot to sit. It was very well attended so I can see having difficulty finding a table if you go late. All in all we had a 10/10 visit. The only complaint we had was the front desk. I only had to go to the front desk twice - once to ask a question and once to checkout and both times I was met with unfriendly staff. When we checked out, our kids were sitting at a table in the lobby and we were met with a eye roll and a "huff" because they weren't there to have their wrist band cut off. We quickly grabbed the kids but I'm not sure the eye roll and "huff" were necessary. The front desk is the first and last impression of the resort and they were poor impressions. Nothing to ruin a vacation over though. That was our 2nd time at the resort and will not be our last. Thank you for a wonderful week!

Loved everything about my stay. The hotel, the beach, food, clean resort. The staff was very nice and respectful. Great housekeeping. The water slides is a great bonus. Excellent jerk chicken every afternoon next to the pool. It was nice to be able to eat outside with sea view for breakfast and lunch. Nice white Riu Party on Saturday night. There is also a beach party once a week. Not too hard to find beach chairs. Easy to change beach towels during the day. I would come back to this resort. Beware the bus ride is two hours.

Never stay here again. 80 year old mother in a room that was a challenge to get into. And once in she could not get out. Husband and I spent our whole evening missing our dinner reservation as front desk kept lying to us saying maintenance was coming. Asked several times for a new room. You can not put people on a room that they can’t consistently get out of. She did get door open finally and sat waiting for maintenance with my husband while I remained at the front desk until the situation is rectified to a safe standard. Started at 8 pm. Was 9:30 when maintenance finally came after I talked to 3rd person at front desk. Now sitting in room and supposedly gone to get a new door entry system. Two hours since this started. Hope he comes back soon. Never return here.

To me it felt like a prison compound. The security discourage you from leaving the property. When I went outside and got dropped back by my friends at nighttime to ensure I am safe, the security were hostile, telling us my friend and her mom must step out the car, only me and the driver (my friends cousin) can drop me to the lobby. I was shocked. I can with certainty say they would not have asked us this if we were white. When my other friend came (Jamaican) they were also hostile to him as we tried to organise a day pass. I am British Jamaican and have spent a lot of my time in both countries and feel very safe and happy in Jamaica and yet you're made to feel like the locals are dangerous and outside is discouraged. It's neocolonialism at it's finest and I'd never stay here again.

Riu Ocho Rios use to be a nice welcoming resort some how after 4 years it's down graded we had a beach front upgraded room however so disappointed to see how old the furniture are not attractive room not romantic room or drapes the side table falling apart the couch is super dirty they cover it with a sheet when you sit in the chair it rolled off and rolled my wife on the ground no flat sheet or pillow case we had to call for them also no blanket had to call to get all of that a high turn off one person from front desk is super pleasant professional and helpful Elicia all others are grumpy dining room staffs are very pleasant hardworking and professional. Especially Tajmamia and all inside servers not the same for the ones outdoor they are grumpy food is cold limited salty food greasy and over sweetened porridge or hot chocolate worst I have seen it Island routes drivers are nice the service rep. from Island routes Sidia she is very rude unprofessional aggressive lied all the times misleading and we almost missed our fight she is never around you have to send whatsapp msg only don't answer phone she lied constantly she is very miserable when she called rude tone hang up on me Riu Ocho Rios nice beach no umbrella for beach bleach smells so strong in hallways Bellhops are very nice and pleasant also very helpful Jermaine is super helpful all of them actually entertainment is good especially white party I could go and on.

A location that you wouldn't anticipate being so forgotten. The upgrades need upgrades at this point. Many concerns from cleanliness to non functioning AC. Liquor and beer choices were few compared to other RIU resorts in the country. The staff is well trained and respectful other than that, this location needs a lot of love. More than a one Love song by Bob Marley

Stay Dates: December 25, 2025 – January 1, 2026 We have stayed at several RIU properties in the past, but unfortunately, RIU Ocho Rios does not measure up to the brand's usual standards. While there were some bright spots, the resort requires significant attention to maintenance and service. Pros: Beautiful Beach: The natural scenery is stunning and was a highlight of the trip. Service: Certain staff members were exceptionally hard-working and polite: Jodiann, Temika, Kevan, Chavez, and a supervisor named Leightan (sorry for any misspelled names) Dining: The food was generally good, though quite repetitive. Room: We enjoyed having a partial ocean view. Cons: Check-in; The front desk was extremely disorganized and slow. The staff appeared indifferent to the long wait times. Additionally, the bus shuttle played uncensored, loud reggae for nearly two hours, which was not the most welcoming experience. Room Maintenance & Layout: Despite a 2019 renovation, the rooms felt unfinished and poorly designed. The "open-concept" bathroom lacks privacy; the toilet area is cramped, and the shower and sink are separated from the sleeping area by only a thin, dirty curtain. Basic amenities were neglected—our fridge was never properly restocked despite reporting it, and tissue boxes remained empty. Cleanliness Issues: Common areas were often littered with dirty plates, cups, and garbage, particularly on the walk to breakfast. The beach also had significant litter (straws and plastic), making water shoes a necessity for safety. Lack of Beach Shade: There are no umbrellas provided and very few shady spots on the beach. Inappropriate Entertainment: As a family resort, the entertainment was disappointing. Some activities were highly inappropriate for children, such as a "twerking contest" on Christmas Day and staff asking women their bra sizes during New Year’s celebrations. Staff Attitude: Most bar staff were unfriendly and gave guests attitude. At the Italian restaurant, a waiter sat my family at a dirty table and simply said, "This is your table," saying it will be cleaned soon. We expected much more from a RIU property. Unless significant improvements are made to service and facility maintenance, we would not recommend this location

This hotel is poorly managed. Lock on patio door broken, bathroom shower door broken and the water seal on the shower door is gross! Mildew all over the seal on the shower door. There was no iron in the room and one chair on the patio. Christmas Eve dinner was all buffet and chaotic. Long lines and not enough seating. I spoke to the manager of Guest Services who assured me that he would get an iron and a shoot the room. He spent time typing it on a computer but nothing was done. He is ineffective as a manager. Towels are old and discolored This would be a much better hotel with better management

A big shame I didn't get the experience that a lot of people talk about. I had an appalling experience. Unfortunately, my trip coincided with hurricane Melissa, so no amenities for children, was in lockdown and limited food. However, hurricane aside, the staff were extremely rude. I got sworn at by one, eyes rolled by others and received very rude service by all reception staff. Suitcase got thrown right in front of my face by transfer person, causing a wheel to break off. Room mouldy in many areas (inc. furniture). So bad that it transferred onto items left in the wardrobe. Was given weeks out of date crackers during lockdown . Was also given only food containing eggs during lockdown which meant that my 7 year old had nothing to eat during this period due to him having an egg allergy. Following lockdown, breakfast service had nothing he could eat. When asked for some cereal for him was told no. After explaining he has an allergy and he couldn't eat anything laid out because everything contained, was or was covered in egg, I was brought some dry cereal. When asked for milk the staff member was huffing and puffing like a bull. After about 15 minutes we finally got some milk. Third party used for airport transfer confirmed my pick-up but didnt show up, so nearly missed our flight home. Reception staff were not interested to help in the slightest. Acted like they were doing me a favour when asking for assistance to call the company. Unfortunately, the only response I received when raising my concerns with Riu was an apology. Very poor and unacceptable. Evidently their bottom line is more important. Wouldn't recommend based on my experience and wouldn't stay again. A complete waste of money especially given the amount paid for the hotel! On a positive note, waiting and bar staff were generally pleasant. And the hotel kept us with power using a generator. Other than that, a poor and disappointing experience

We really enjoyed our stay at Riu Ocho Rios and would definitely recommend it. Overall, we’d rate the hotel 8/10. Pros: • The beach is amazing and extremely close to the hotel • A great choice of pools • The hotel is very clean • Staff are genuinely friendly and welcoming • Lots of bars with a good selection of cocktails • Breakfast at the Italian restaurant was very convenient for Building 1 and offered a great selection • Included water sports (kayaking and paddleboarding) were easy to access, and the staff were very helpful • The rooms are spacious, well designed, and offer plenty of room • Restaurants can be booked through the app, which is convenient; however, for later booking times we found food sometimes ran out, so it’s something to be aware of • Although the Asian restaurant is supposedly walk-in, it’s best to put your name down early—we were never able to get in. It would be much easier if this restaurant could also be booked through the app Cons: Although there seemed to be plenty of staff around, the hotel felt understaffed at times. • Food items, ice cream, and even basics like mint (no mojitos!) often ran out and were slow to be restocked. This was disappointing, though it may have been due to a particularly busy time of year • We repeatedly asked for tonic water to be restocked in the mini-bar and were told each time that the issue had been resolved, but it never was. It would have been better to be told they had run out, rather than being told it was fixed when it wasn’t. We tried to get our own in the bars but they wouldn’t give it out. Eventually, we stopped complaining as it was clear none was available Finally a huge amount of effort was clearly put in by all Riu staff for the New Year’s Eve celebrations. There was a martini bar, an impressive variety of food options, and even a restaurant set up around the pool. Sparkling wine was available, which isn’t usually offered, and it really added to the occasion. The fireworks were fantastic. Tip: If possible, avoid flying into Kingston Airport—it’s a long 1.5–2 hour drive to the hotel. Despite a few small issues, we still had a very enjoyable stay and would definitely consider returning.

I was disappointment with the customer service I experienced during my stay at RIU Ocho Rios. Unfortunately, the issues I encountered were not handled in a manner that reflects the values RIU claims to uphold for its guests as a five star hotel. During my stay, there was a leak from the air-conditioning system in my room, which resulted in water damage and created an uncomfortable and unacceptable living environment with a pool of water left in the room everyday. This issue was reported, yet the response from staff was slow and dismissive. More concerning was the complete lack of accountability taken for the situation. No meaningful effort was made to resolve the problem promptly, nor was there any clear communication or follow-up to ensure the issue was properly addressed. The poor customer service I received, combined with the lack of responsibility for the water damage caused by the air-conditioning system, directly contradicts RIU’s stated commitment to guest satisfaction and quality service. As a paying guest, I expected professionalism, urgency, and care—none of which were demonstrated in this situation. I believe this matter deserves serious attention, as it negatively impacted my stay and overall perception of the RIU brand! Five stars needs reviewing.

The customer service I experienced during my stay at RIU Ocho Rios was poor. Unfortunately, several aspects of my visit were handled poorly and did not align with RIU’s stated commitment to guest satisfaction. After a long and exhausting flight, the check-in process was unacceptably slow and disorganized. Rather than being welcomed and efficiently assisted, I was met with delays (over 90 minutes delay checking in!) and a lack of urgency from staff. This set a negative tone for the stay, particularly given the expectation of professionalism at an international resort. Additionally, I was extremely disappointed to learn that I was unable to book a New Year’s dinner. This was a significant part of the reason for choosing to stay at RIU during this time. There was no clear communication in advance regarding availability, and when the issue was raised, staff displayed a dismissive attitude and failed to take any accountability or offer a reasonable solution or alternative. The combination of a late and slow check-in process, the inability to secure a New Year’s dinner, and the overall lack of accountability from staff directly contradicts RIU’s advertised values of care, quality service, and customer focus. As a guest, I expected understanding, proactive communication, and a genuine effort to resolve concerns none of which were demonstrated. I believe this matter warrants serious review, as it significantly impacted my experience and perception of the RIU brand. I hope this feedback is taken seriously and that steps are taken to improve customer service, accountability, and guest communication moving forward.

We stayed at the Riu Ocho Rios from Dec. 26–Jan 2 with our 2 teenage daughters. This was our 2nd stay - we had been here in March 2024 for a week and returned because we had enjoyed our stay then. After this week, however, our feeling is that we would not return. There were some positives - the weather was mostly great and the resort has a beautiful view right on the beach. Snorkelling right off the beach is amazing - no need to book a tour. Some of the staff were amazing, friendly and helpful and the New Year’s Eve meal and celebration were very well done. The Riu party and Steel Drum band were also great and we enjoyed ourselves while attending those evenings. Overall, however we’d say that this resort does not come close to measuring up to a 5 star (as claimed in some of their literature). I would hesitate to give it a 3 star rating at this point for the following reasons: Service: This place seems either understaffed, or not staffed with employees who care. We often waited in long lines for drinks, food etc. as there just doesn’t seem to be enough quality staff allocated to these busy areas. For example 1 omelet maker at breakfast, 1 person making the lunch special wraps, 1 place to get a good cappuccino in the morning - usually long lines. Staff don’t ask if you’d like another drink at dinner or lunch and it can take a long time to get even the first one. In many cases when you do ask for something the staff is not polite and it seems as though they are put out. This is not universally the case - but in many interactions we felt like they didn’t want to assist in any way. Rooms: Although the rooms are fairly spacious and the beds were comfortable, they are very dated. Furnishings are showing their age and there are very few areas to plug in anything to charge. The outlets by the bed are very loose and phone chargers won’t stay in. There are 2 USB ports in one outlet, however throughout the room trying to find a receptacle to plug something in is a challenge. Cleanliness: The beach is beautiful but often littered with straws, cups, garbage that is not cleaned very well. Cups and food garbage is often left on tables all day, even around the pool - waiting for a table to be cleared can take a long time. Again - it seems like they are either understaffed - or some of the staff they have could care less about cleanliness. Food: This time around we found that if you don’t get to the buffet immediately when it opened you were out of luck. Food trays were empty, selection was poor, food was generally very disappointing. This was the same for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many times if you got to the buffet, even halfway through, it was completely empty of anything worth eating. Food was also often luke warm at best and honestly not even close to what one would expect in a 4/5 star resort. Once food was gone - it was gone. There was no replenishing of foods, bread, Coissants, eggs etc. and if you did ask for more you were often met with a rude response indicating there was no more. The restaurants were decent but you have to sign up for them and it can be challenging to get a reservation to eat at a reasonable time. Even at the restaurants some of the food is terrible - steaks are fatty or tough, food isn’t replenished in the buffet portion of the restaurant, drinks aren’t refilled. Overall it was a huge disappointment - certainly didn’t go home having gained weight. Overall, the weather was generally warm and sunny (except for the last day), and the swimming / snorkelling right off the beach is really amazing. Some of the entertainment is great and some of the staff seem like they care (like Ms. D - she was amazing). If you are looking for service and great food, however - this is no longer the spot for you. We aren’t picky and we aren’t accustomed to being pampered - however we paid $15000 (Canadian) for our group of 4 this time around and we really do feel like we didn’t get our money’s worth. There has been a marked negative change in this resort since we were here in 2024. I’m not sure if it is due to the hurricane, staffing issues or supply issues. I realize that many on this island have gone through a great deal in recent months, and although the hurricane did not hit this region terribly hard, many of the workers that come from other parts of the island have had a very tough time. We are very sympathetic to this, but we would no longer come back or recommend this resort to others in its current state. Perhaps this Riu resort has allowed itself to become overbooked despite the challenges that Jamaica has faced in the last few months. In that case - it’s on them - and they should not have booked so many customers if they could not adequately serve them. We have been happy with Riu resorts in the past - this is our 5th stay at a Riu and we are booked to stay at the Riu Palace in Cabo San Lucas for March Break so we’re hoping that doesn’t disappoint

I booked with Scuba Caribe to complete a check and sea dive. From start to finish, never been with a dive company so professional, friendly and informative, I completed the mask and regulator skills in the pool and then dived The Arches afterwards. It was first class from start to finish. I had lost so much confidence diving in Egypt, but am so excited to start diving again because of Scuba Caribe. My family also booked the Catamaran trip and again, first class. Amazing and friendly staff who really made our trip and holiday so much fun and very special. Thank you from Caroline, Bonnie and Leveah xxxx

To Whom It May Concern: I would like to share my recent experience at the RIU Ocho Rios hotel in Jamaica. I originally booked a flight and accommodation package at the RIU Negril through the Expedia app. This booking was made prior to Hurricane Melissa, which devastated parts of Jamaica in October 2025. With my travel dates set for December 24–29, 2025, and given my tendency toward anxiety, I contacted RIU customer service several months in advance to inquire whether the RIU Negril had been affected by the hurricane and whether I should consider canceling or switching hotels. I was assured confidently during the call that everything was fine and fully operational, and that I could proceed with my plans to enjoy the RIU Negril. Reassured by this, I looked forward to my trip and the renowned beach in Negril. However, about a week before departure, I received an email from Expedia stating: “Due to technical issues beyond our control, the Hotel Riu Negril, located in the Negril area, will be temporarily closed. Our technical team is already working to restore the hotel’s operations as quickly as possible, ensuring the high standards of quality that characterize RIU Hotels & Resorts. To minimize any inconvenience and ensure an experience even better than originally planned, we are pleased to inform you that we have arranged alternative accommodation options at other RIU hotels. These arrangements will maintain the same conditions confirmed in your original booking at no additional cost: • If you are traveling as adults only, you will be relocated to the Riu Montego Bay (Address: Mahoe Bay, Rose Hall Ironshore P.O., Montego Bay, Jamaica). • If you are traveling with children (minors), you will be relocated to the Riu Palace Tropical Bay (Address: Norman Manley Blvd, Negril, Jamaica).” I accepted this change, assuming my family and I would still be able to enjoy a beach experience in the Negril area, albeit at a different RIU property. However, just hours before boarding my flight, I received another email from Expedia informing me that the RIU Palace Tropical Bay was also unavailable, and that our booking was being transferred to the RIU Ocho Rios instead. This is where the issues truly began. The RIU Negril and RIU Palace Tropical Bay are both considered 5-star properties, whereas the RIU Ocho Rios offers a more basic experience, which I would rate as closer to 3 stars. Among the shortcomings we encountered were: • No room service. • No cocktail service at the pool or beach. • Guests receive one beach towel per towel card, with a $200 penalty for losing the card. • Upon check-in, I was required to sign a document confirming satisfaction with an ocean-view family room (which I was not entirely satisfied with, as explained below). • While the food quality was generally good, meal service was limited to specific three-hour windows for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. • Around midday, jerk chicken was available at the pool, but it involved waiting in long lines. • The air conditioning in our room operated erratically; the wall switch did not function properly. We did not address it on the first night due to exhaustion, but overnight the room became excessively cold. As a result, I caught a cold and spent the remaining days confined to the room. • Although I believe in tipping and we tipped generously throughout our stay, we noticed little appreciation in return—no thank-yous, smiles, or acknowledgment; staff simply pocketed the money and walked away. • My son fell into an uncovered hole on a path within the hotel grounds, sustaining scratches to his leg and face. Although some staff assisted in helping him, no one took action to cover the hole that day or the next. In summary, I do not fault the RIU Ocho Rios for operating as a more modest property. However, I hold Expedia responsible for misleading communication, as their representatives continued to assure me—even while I was boarding the plane—that my original reservation at the RIU Negril remained valid and that I should proceed to that hotel upon arrival. It is possible that this was part of a broader strategy by RIU to overbook higher-end properties and relocate guests to a lower-tier option at the last minute. Regardless, my family, friends, and I are deeply disappointed and have decided that we will not return to any RIU hotels in the future.

The room itself was nice and comfortable; however, the bathroom layout was inconvenient. The toilet is in a separate, very small enclosed space that felt cramped and difficult to use, which took away from the overall comfort of the room. The beach was clean and well maintained, and it was easy to find beach chairs during our stay. That said, this was likely because the resort was noticeably emptier than usual since we visited just before the Christmas break. At full capacity, it’s hard to imagine how guests would be able to find seating without difficulty. The pools are not particularly large. Instead, the resort has several smaller pools, likely to spread out the crowd. However, this setup didn’t work well in practice. The pool bar is literally a bar built into the water, leaving very little space to swim or move around in those pools, making them feel crowded even with lower occupancy. Unfortunately, the food was a major letdown. While you can find things to eat, the execution was poor. We experienced undercooked burgers, and the breakfast buffet was especially disappointing. Omelets are not made fresh to order—instead, they use a pre-made egg mixture that is not appetizing. The à la carte restaurants were also problematic. Not all of them were open during our stay, and reservations are difficult to secure through the app. Since bookings can only be made after check-in, most desirable time slots are already taken. When we did manage to dine at the restaurants, the food felt very similar to the buffet rather than a true à la carte experience. The steakhouse was particularly disappointing, with meat that was very fatty and tough to cut through. Entertainment was minimal. There were no proper shows running during our stay, and the only evening entertainment we experienced was a live band playing local music each night. While enjoyable at first, it felt repetitive and limited. We arrived with high expectations and were optimistic based on past reviews, but overall, the experience was somewhat disappointing for us.

Let’s get straight to it. Yes, it’s all inclusive. No, it’s not my type of place. We were moved here by TUI from the Royalton Negril, a genuinely superior hotel, to the RIU in Ocho Rios. That should have been the first warning. This place is clearly aimed at budget holidays. If you’re after value over quality and enjoy chaos, you might be happy. I wasn’t. Star Rating Reality Check Advertised as 5 star. Actual experience: • Aesthetics: 1 star • Food: 1 star • Room service: 1 star • Reception: 1 star • Facilities: 1 star Adding five 1-star experiences together does not magically make a 5-star hotel. Maths doesn’t work like that. Check-in & “Quiet Area” We arrived on 8th December and were put in what was meant to be the quiet area. For the first two nights, music blasted until 1–2am. We had a 4-year-old with us. Went to reception to complain: • Judgmental looks • Zero help • “Go see your rep” • Dismissed like I’d asked for a personal favour, not basic sleep Customer service at reception was useless. Food – Survival Mode The food deserves its own warning label. Honestly, I’ve seen better organisation at a soup kitchen. And for anyone who doesn’t know , that’s where free meals are handed out to the homeless. That’s the level we’re talking about. • No flavour • Hardly any Jamaican or Caribbean food • Mostly basic US and British rubbish • Restaurants opened “on time” but with empty trays • About 8 food stations, most empty Every meal felt like a live Hunger Games event , fighting large, aggressive Americans for the last scrap of chicken. Some of them could eat for ten families and showed zero manners while doing it. We asked staff if more food was coming. We got attitude. Some days we genuinely missed lunch or dinner because there was nothing left. The food court is far too small for the number of guests. Pool – Antarctic Edition The pool was: • Freezing cold • Never cleaned once in 14 days Yes, they dumped chlorine in. No, that doesn’t remove: • Dirt • Glass • Vegetation I actually found glass at the bottom of the pool one morning. That was the end of that for my family. Lifeguards? Present in body only. Sitting in huts, chilling. A legal tick-box exercise, nothing more. Bar Service – Pick & Choose The bar service was some of the worst I’ve ever experienced. I felt ignored, undervalued, and genuinely uncomfortable. Staff would happily serve people they liked and completely blank others. Before anyone jumps to conclusions: • My wife is Black • She noticed it too She’d get served instantly. I’d be ignored like I didn’t exist. Orders felt like an inconvenience. The attitude stank. It honestly felt like some staff just didn’t like white guests but tolerated them to pay the bills. Credit where it’s due: • Breakfast and lunch waitress ladies were mostly great • One lady called Rasta was brilliant , kind, warm, amazing with my son, and a real asset to the hotel Without a handful of decent staff, this place would’ve been unbearable. Room Service & Cleanliness Room service was… average. • Only top sheets changed • Bathroom often not cleaned • Toilet blocked and nearly overflowed twice We all started getting bitten when sleeping in the bed. When we slept on top of the bed with spare sheets — no bites. Draw your own conclusions. Missing Money Experiment I did a test. Left money hidden under sweets and a receipt. Went out for lunch. Came back — money gone. Several people enter the room (cleaners, drinks staff), so I can’t say who took it. But it happened. Lesson learned: don’t leave cash in the room. Gift Shop – Customer Service Rock Bottom The gift shop is massively overpriced, which I expected. What I didn’t expect was the two young girls working there: • Zero interest in helping • Dismissive • That classic “why are you talking to me” Gen Z look I asked if they sold a plug adapter. You’d think I’d interrupted their life plans. Worst customer service I’ve seen, and that includes the UK. Taxis & Excursions – Tourist Tax Don’t be fooled. • Taxis charge tourists $35 • Locals pay about $1 Excursions are the same story. Example: • Day trip quoted at £450 by one woman • Went back later • Different woman, same trip £300 The first one was “temp cover”. Funny that. Everyone involved in transport and excursions is out to rinse tourists. Be sharp. Final Verdict Would I recommend this resort? Absolutely not. At best, this is a 3-star hotel pretending to be a 5-star. Poor food, rude staff, dirty facilities, weak service, and zero value for money. Jamaica itself is beautiful. This hotel does it no favours.

Just returned from a one week stay at MELIA Punta Cana Wellness and want to share my review of the location. I must admit that I was really worried, and contemplated canceling, due to the negative comments and reviews. My husband and I decided to attend despite the negative reviews, as we had done so at other destinations before and had been pleasantly surprised. We travel south three times a year, always staying at 4 and 5 star locations, so we are experienced travellers (30+ trips to various locations throughout the Caribbean). We upgraded to the level, as we usually opt for theses upgrades as most locations. I will use three headings - Positive, Negative and Room for Improvement. Positive Grounds - beautiful, very well maintained, expansive featuring a variety of gardens, ponds, quiet spaces (hammocks, chairs, swings). The lobby is beautiful. The pictures we took of the lobby really don’t do it justice. Pools - large, clean pool with swim-up bar, along with several smaller, quieter secluded pools. Beach - nice beach section. Some sargassum was present, but access to the water was still possible. The resort has two barriers that likely help to prevent some sargassum penetration. If you like to walk the beach, I suggest that you head to the right as the slope is much less than that to the left, and it is easier walking. Food - what, and where, we ate was great. We had breakfast at the buffet and the Quimera. Good variety, and the food was good. Lunches were usually at the Quimera (very good). We also tried the Yumay grill and the buffet one time, and we found both to be decent. We tried eating the Level beach bar, and it was extremely basic, and rather underwhelming. Our dinners alternated between the Quimera and the Muoi. Both featured very good food and excellent service. The steak was good (remember you are in the D.R) at the Quimera, as was the salmon. The chicken wok and the beef wok were both good at the Muoi. One evening we had room service, and the burger and fries were very good. Note - we are not super adventurous eaters, and tend to stick with norms to avoid the opportunity for illness. Our philosophy is, if you don’t take three helpings of random chunks of mystery meat floating in a sauce from buffet where you reside, then why do it while you are travelling abroad…..eating outside the norm just opens the door for unwanted side effects. Spa - the spa was a great experience for a couples massage, using the steam therapy and sauna, as well as the hot tubs. Staff - for the most part the staff were exceptional; very friendly, very attentive, and doing their best to make your vacation as relaxing as possible. There was the odd time where language barrier was an issue, but with a little effort common ground was reached to clarify a request. My husband and I are both very independent. We do not travel to be pampered and waited on. We do not expect to be treated like a royalty, and find that expressions of thanks and appreciation, and interacting with the staff on a human level always yields a positive outcome. Transportation around the resort - as noted, the resort is expansive. The walk from the lobby to the Level main location is a good ten minutes. It is a very nice walk, as the grounds are fairly level. Should you decide not to walk there is a shuttle that travels between the lobby and the Level quite often (every 10-15 minutes). Bars - the bars were all fairly efficient, the staff were pleasant, drinks were of a good quality, and the facilities clean. Vendors - there are vendors that pass by, but they were all friendly, polite, respectful, and non-aggressive. When you indicated that you were not interested in their offerings they would continue on. We have certainly experienced way worse. Rooms - our room was clean, had been renovated, and was comfortable. We did not experience any issues with AC or hot water. Our bath tub would have taken hours to fill with the slow flow rate, so we didn’t utilize it as we would have. Butler - our butler was helpful with making dinner reservations, and this was all we used him for. We are low-key and independent, so our butler-related interactions were minimal. Quimera Rooftop bar for the Level - what a great place to relax for a few nighttime drinks with entertainment in a quaint setting, with a nice view overlooking the pool.

Me and my Fiancé had a lovely time at Riu Ochi. Before my arrival I had sent a few requests via email and upon arrival the front desk staff ensured these requests were met. Travelling from the UK and after a 9 hour flight I definitely felt relaxed as soon I reached the lobby. Bellman Akeem was super friendly and helpful. We saw Akeem doing some housekeeping duties around the main hotel area too..wow what a hardworking man. We were always greeted with a big smile and exchange of kind words. I would like to give a special mention to the beautiful bar lady Tamareo who served us with the biggest smile, super friendly lady who made our night extra special when she asked the dj in the sports bar to play a song for me and my partner (now my Fiancé) Yes I got engaged whilst there. We would like to say a big thank you to the young man in the Italian restaurant (unfortunately didn't get his name) who assisted my Fiancé during the proposal and who was also our videographer 😂 thank you for capturing a moment I will never forget. Overall we had a great time and we are looking forward to returning in the new year ❤️ God bless to all of the RIU staff we met during our stay your hard work is recognised and truly appreciated. Thank you 😊

Couldn't really fault the hotel or the staff . Food was good and plenty of it , spotlessly clean . But did have a few minor issues. There was no cash machine to get money out , so bring cash to change if you're going to tip . The pool areas were way too loud with their music . Fair enough I may be old but cater for everyone at least. Should have a noisy pool for those who want it and a quiet pool for those who don't . And if you don't like red stripe beer then tough luck , it's the only one offered . Lastly , we were there for 2 weeks , and the 2nd weeks entertainment was a mirror image of the 1st . Same bands , same shows, same artist. Was bored out our minds 2nd week. If people are going on a 2 week holiday which is more often than not , have a 2 week turnaround on the entertainment front

Awful from start to finish , got bitten by a centipede at the hotel although I’m sure that it could have been something else as the cleanliness was below par . Went to reception for assistance but one of the staff was busy having a nap and the other couldn’t give a dam. Waited in reception for over 10 hours with no medical assistance, told to look for food myself even though I have a serious shellfish allergy, rooms smelt damp and overall it was the worst hotel I’ve ever been to.

Worst hotel experience I’ve ever had! My sister made reservations and paid in advance for us for her birthday trip and when we arrived to the hotel after a long exhausting day of traveling and arriving in the evening, we were told that our reservation had been cancelled. They marked us as a no show! We were told in order to stay we would have to contact Expedia (how we booked the trip) and have them send a voucher for our reservation. My sister had the proof from Expedia showing our reservation was still active with the hotel but they would not accept it. My sister called Expedia several times to get assistance and was given the run around stating that the hotel were the ones who cancelled so we would need to take it up with them. After about two hours of back and forth with Expedia and the hotel and no resolution we were told that we could only stay if we paid cash for the night and they would sort it out with Expedia in the morning. After several attempts in the morning checking in with the front desk and turned away each time stating that they were not able to get in touch with Expedia and we would need to yet again pay cash if we wanted to stay. Desperate for a guaranteed place to stay we booked with another hotel. As we checked out and walked up to meet our driver, we were then told that the hotel was able to receive our voucher from Expedia. Can you imagine being stranded in another country and told at 6:00pm when you arrive that your paid for reservation had been cancelled?? Absolutely disgusted in how this hotel treated this situation. My sister is still waiting for reimbursement from the hotel and no one is returning her call or messaging her back. DO NOT BOOK with THEM! They are SCAMMERS!

This was one of the best getaways we had in a while. The total experience was awesome from the airport staff, the employees at the resort and the guest.

Be careful with this resort they scam you. I prepaid on my resort in full. When I got there they said my reservation was cancelled and said in order to stay the night I need to pay in CASH for one night $340 to stay there and they would figure out in the morning. After many attempts to go to front desk manager management which they did nothing but laugh at us and tell us they had no reservation. They said my reservation was canceled. I never cancelled it. They told us I would have to pay the whole reservation again or leave the resort. At this point it was 10 minutes till checkout out. So I desperately called another place in Jamaica and a taxi to come get us. We had to carry all our bags down to front our self no one even answered the phone. As we got in the taxi and had checked out a manager came up to me and said they found our reservation. At that point we were getting in a taxi had checked out and I paid a non refundable fee to a new resort. Be careful the Riu scammed me and still to this day refuse to give me my money back. I will never stay at that resort again. Any response they give to this email is not true. They also tried responding to me with false information.

When I checked into Riu, front desk had informed me that this stay was my 25th visit to Riu Ochi, even though I know I have stayed more then 25 LoL 🙂 I was given room 2302, which had flooding flaws with the shower. Maintenance was aware. I have stayed at many Riu Hotels, and Riu Ochi is the only Riu that does not provide any perks for being a Riu class member. I am a gold member, my next stay will bring me into the Diamond class status. All other Riu's provide a letter/gift/fruit of some sort in room. Riu Ochi- nothing. I mainly wanted to write this review to let Riu know they have amazing staff. Esther from the bar team is a newer employee, she provides top notch service and is very professional. Dwayne from Scuba Caribe deserves recognition as he is so very patient and shows interest in what he does. See you in 48 days Riu ❤️

The resort was lovely and every single staff member was personable, and friendly. The food was delicious and we enjoyed the Italian restaurant and the Mandalay Asian one as well. The length of the beach accessible to the review hotel is incredible. It was easy to get in and out of the water and easy to get back to the pool in the restaurants as well. A big thank you to, Mama Sunshine for making us feel so welcome. To the waiters and waitresses at Saint Ann’s restaurant, especially Renée, you were incredible. To our housekeeping, staff, especiallyVero, our room was always top notch. It was our first time here, but it will not be the last. I would book this Rio again in a heartbeat. Thanks to everyone

After the impact of Hurricane Melissa, our group made the decision to continue with our holiday plans at Riu Ocho Rios. We felt it was important to support the country, its people, and the local economy, even though we had reservations about how the resort’s infrastructure and facilities might have been affected. In the days leading up to our trip, social media posts highlighted some concerning aftermath, so we arrived with cautious expectations. Despite this, we approached our stay with an open mind and were hopeful that the resort would still be able to deliver a comfortable and enjoyable experience under the circumstances. 🌟 Positives Friendly and Welcoming Staff The staff were, without question, one of the best parts of our stay. They were consistently warm, friendly, and accommodating. Their positive attitudes genuinely helped lift the atmosphere and made us feel valued throughout the week. Entertainment The entertainment team did a fantastic job. Performances were lively, engaging, and well-organised, giving both adults and children something to look forward to each day. Our only request would be more than 1 party each week please! Cleanliness Despite challenges after the hurricane, the resort grounds and rooms were kept clean. Housekeeping did a commendable job ensuring the spaces remained tidy and presentable. Food Availability While the quality of the food had some issues (detailed below), the variety and availability were impressive. Meals were easy to access, and the staff working in the dining areas were doing their best given the circumstances. Transportation Transport around the resort and to nearby areas was readily available and made moving around much easier. ⚠️ Areas for Improvement 1. Airport Transfer Issues There was no collection from Kingston Airport, which was surprising and inconvenient given that many visitors were arriving there due to weather-related flight changes. 2. Late-Night Check-In Experience We arrived at 10:45 pm and immediately felt rushed through the check-in process, as the staff were preparing to finish at 11 pm. With four young children in our group, the experience felt unnecessarily stressful. • Porter service was not available at this time; we had to request assistance and wait for help with our luggage. • For future operations, the hotel should have a dedicated system for guests arriving after 11 pm or on delayed flights—this would prevent rushed interactions and allow guests to feel properly welcomed. 3. Lack of Access to Bottled Water Outside of your hotel room, it is almost impossible to access bottled water. 4. No Microwave Access There is no microwave available anywhere on the resort for guest use. 5. Food Quality and Hygiene Concerns Although the food was plentiful, the quality was disappointing: Temperature & Taste • Much of the food was barely warm and lacked flavour. • Members of our group who had visited Riu Ocho Rios in previous years said this was a noticeable decline. • I personally witnessed a staff member receive a tray of raw meat, rinse it in a sink at the food station, season it quickly, and place it on the grill within minutes—this may explain why dishes tasted under-seasoned and lacked depth. Authenticity • Given that the resort is in Jamaica, it was surprising that there was little to no authentic Jamaican cuisine available in the main dining hall. • Even a mild scotch bonnet–influenced option would provide guests with the flavour Jamaica is known for. A simple label warning of spiciness would be sufficient for those who prefer milder food. Hygiene in the Dining Area • Fruits and salads in the main dining room were left uncovered, unlike in some of the specialty restaurants. • As expected, flies and insects were attracted to the uncovered food, which made many of those items unappealing and raised hygiene concerns. 6. Inconsistent Room Facilities There were differences in what each room offered: • Some rooms had access to the usual TV channels only. • Others had access to streaming services like Netflix. A consistent standard across all rooms would improve guest experience and expectations. ⸻ ⭐ Overall Summary Our stay at Riu Ocho Rios had both positive and disappointing elements. The staff, entertainment, cleanliness, and general food availability were definite highlights, and we appreciated the efforts being made in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. However, improvements are needed in guest services—particularly late-night check-ins, access to essentials like bottled water and microwaves, and food quality and hygiene standards. With some attention to these issues, Riu Ocho Rios has the potential to return to the enjoyable, high-quality experience that many guests remember from past years.

Just checked in to Rio Ocho Rios on 11/22/25. It looks beautiful. Not crowded. More services open than when we last checked the app. UPDATE AFTER 2 DAYS: We are still pleasantly surprised by the condition of the property and beach and glad to be here supporting jobs and recovery. But, there are some serious issues here that have nothing to do with the hurricane. We have seen several drug deals go down and guests are openly grinding/cutting pot by the pools. Staff does nothing about it. Some guests are also using very foul language in the sports pool. Lifeguard can’t be bothered to look up from his phone. (But quickly yells at a kid who dated atep in the adults only pool.) The boating/water sports staff have decided to take the week off and hang the red danger flag every day even though seas are calm. The app is inaccurate as to what activities are actually happening and if you ask 2 staff people what’s scheduled or why an activity isn’t happening you get two different answers. The bar and restaurant staff’s have been great. The lifeguards, activity staff, towel staff, water sports staff mostly do nothing although there are a lot of them. We haven’t seen a single person who looked like management walking around the property. Before you slam me for being honest, know that we already tried to politely tell management about these problems; they were initially all “on break” and then evasive and unhelpful. These problems are all easy to fix, but require management will power that seems lacking. Hard to recommend this place.

By far our worst experience. Imagine having no electricity in your room over 4 hours made numerous reports no follow up done by the staff or suggestion for a room change. On top of that roaches running around in the drawers, water leaking from the bulbs, walls and in the sink. Wooooooorst experience and highly unlikely we will ever visit this property again. As frequent travelers, local and abroad with over 25 years of hotel experience at the managerial level at a number of hotel chains. Neither of the staff knew that we could have been secret shoppers. Terrible response and accountability from the managerial and supervisor level.

Stayed 5 nights to assist with hurricane relief. They were very limited, but the place was nice. Buffet Only, but everyone was positive and helpful

I flew in to Jamaica on 11/4 for my mom’s funeral. I was supposed to check in to Riu Ocho Rios. I arrived from the US, rented a car and got turned away at the gate. The security guard was very nice. It was frightful being in another country to find out I have nowhere to stay. No cancellation email or phone call. I had to pay another $2300 to book another hotel. Thank God the Moon Palace had rooms available. I called Expedia this morning to get a refund. I will have to wait for that unfortunately. It is important that some form of management responds to these situations promptly. What if I did not have the extra $ to book another hotel. This is a terrible inconvenience to your guests. Do yourself a favor and call the resorts before you fly in.

This was my 1st time staying at a RIU. The experience was fantastic! The food, the service, the drinks. The only downside I see to this resort is that is BIG, so getting around takes time, keep that in mind if you are traveling with a reduce mobility person. We did call ahead to have a room close to everything and they were able to accommodate however there are 2 inclines to walk up to where we stayed and those were difficult to handle for my mother. The RIU app made it easy to reserve the a la carte restaurants and to make request to house keeping, I wish all resorts worked like this. All staff were super friendly and smiling and welcoming, no matter who we encountered or were there was always a "hello" and a smile, now this is customer service! It's a shame it's far from the airport: 1.5 to 2 hours ( depending on how many drop off's you have to do, really add to your travel day and reduces your beach time.. The main buffet always had a great variety of food but it was not always warm, but that seems to be the standard in all inclusive resorts. The a la carte restaurants were delicious. Bar service was also super! Do ask for your drinks to be mixed in front of you and not taken from the mixes that are pre-made, you do taste the difference. The reef in front of the infinity pools, just outside the roped off area, is simply filled with beautiful fauna. Please do not feed the fish, this is really bad for them and the survival of the who ecosystem. I saw several rays, different kinds of eels, an octopus, puffer fish, frog fish, trumpet and tube fish! I spent at least 1 hour in the water early every morning and it never disappointed. We would certainly go again! We loved out time there, but we would request a different room, closer to the infinity pools. Thank you RIU and all your staff for a wonderful vacation!

The presentation of the hotel is nice and very spacious. Nice gym to work off all the food. Like the different swimming . I have been to many hotels in Jamaica but at this resort I found the majority of staff not to be very welcoming. It was like they didn't want to be there and there was little engagement with the guests ( a part from the entertainment team and one gentleman who worked in the dining room ). The tanoe in my room did not work which I reported before storm Melissa, it did not get rectified and is a great health and safety issue and I had explained that others on the same floor as me had the same issue. The snack box that I was provided with the evening before the storm as a vegan consisted of a cheese sandwich and meat patties ( they were informed of my dietary requirements). I appreciate that staff were under pressure but this is not a mistake that should have been made as it could have made me very ill . On the day of the storm we were told not to leave our rooms until the staff informed us that it was safe to do so. So i waited and waited, whislt becoming very hungry only to be informed at 10.25pm by another guest that they had been serving warm meals by then I was tired so went to bed hungry. But on a positive note staff worked really hard to restore the hotel back to its normal presentation after the storm. They should receive a bonus for that.

Best Holiday ever. I reached back home. 🇯🇲 Reconnecting back with my roots. Chilling with my peoples!🇯🇲 is in the DNA

Regarding Riu Ocho Rios: Due to inappropriate management of hungry crowds, restaurants yesterday, were closed, we have not been given any food, water, drinks since last night 27th october. Food given last night was pot noodles, dry snacks We had to go out and buy hot food to feed our children and family with comorbidities Our neighbour just told us that they spontaneously gave out hot food this evening without notifying everyone that hot food was being given out. So we have not been fed. Our tannoy in our room stopped working, no towels, bed sheet s etc given I am insulin dependent diabetic management does not seem to care for all it's customers. The children are being left without dinner

Worst vacation stay ever!!! Starting at the reception the front desk manager Stacey was very unpleasant, my husband and I thought we were bothering here just our presence there was not wanted. Very very unprofessional. We were given our keys and no explanation on how to reach to the room, tried asking the bellman who was completely overwhelmed by the amount of people that were checking in and he was alone, so he started to say all types of profanities. We found our room with the help of a maintenance man called Basil who saw that we were completely lost and helped us. Please boycott this hotel until management give some communication and costumer service training to these employees.

There is no room service, no robes, the towels are brown so who knows if they are clean, and if you have family who are not staying at the hotel they are forbidden from going in your room or leaving the lobby. The staff is rude. I asked housekeeping for a garbage bag. When she arrived she handed me the bag and watched me empty the garbage into the bag. Never again!!

The best hotel that I have ever been to by far. The vibes, the spectacular view, the activities, it was never ending. My daughter did not want to leave. Definitely one for the family. You will never get bored as there are different activities everyday as well as parties for the family to enjoy on the weekend with different themes.

Been better to this hotel so wanted to go again but unfortunately not a good idea x staff not friendly don’t speak to you very rude. Food very repetitive couldn’t book up the specialality restaurants when open on certain days. So hardly ate any food. Entertainment very poor. Was informed about celebrating my 50 th while out there no interest from hotel to celebrate so didn’t feel happy as they was informed. Music all modern hardly and bab Marley. Didn’t recognise the music been played. So unfortunately want be goin back only best bit was beach and the weather. I got Married out this,hotel about 10 yrs ago and it was great. And wanted to share another great memory but it wasn’t to be big changes since last went not for the best 😞😞

Having read so meny reviees I went to this hotel with an open mind.Boy was we surprised the hotel is big and welcoming from the very first long drive down the palm tree road from the security entrance. Upon arrival treated with a choice of drinks , The reception staff were great polite and curious and explained everything they even set up our phones with the hotel wifi. The porter took our bags to the room he was again polite and always smiling.The room was as I expected it to be and our view was something else the balcony looked out onto the beach and the pools we were in building 2. The food was good we aye alot in the St Ann's buffet and met alot of good staff who work realy hard to make your meal experience enjoyable.The table servers always rememberd you and sat you at the same table everyday if un occupied.They remembered your drinks and always asked polite if you wanted a top up. The chefs deserve a mention at the various cooking stations first class service with a smile. The bars firstly the sports bar ,the staff are truly great I would come down every morning for rum cream latte coffees which they had recommended they would also fill up my flask with milk for the room they all new what I wanted when I approached them.Even my rum and cokes All the other bars gave exactly the same service a big thankyou to all of you. We would like to give out a special mention to the Lifeguards, the maintained men , the gardeners and the hotel security who all do a great job to make this hotel run smoothly. Lastly the unsung heroes the cleaners we found the place to be spotless from room cleaning to general cleaning around the hotel areas.welldone all of you. The entertainment crew put on a good show all day long and at night.They go out of there way to please you.I asked for a certain song to be played poolside and the DJ did it not once but when ever he saw me thankyou. Completions at poolside fun and also the games around the hotel thanks.

We loved our stay, this was our second time staying here check out our vlogs on the Riu Ocho Rios on YouTube @akeenandjenn Beach, food, rooms, people get a thumbs up from my husband and I

We stayed at this incredible RIU resort in May 2024, and from start to finish, it was one of the best vacations we’ve ever had. This was our first RIU experience, and we were blown away by the level of service, cleanliness, and overall atmosphere. It truly set a new standard for what an all-inclusive resort should be. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed into a stunning, well-maintained property with breathtaking views and a relaxing vibe. The entire resort is spotless — there were always staff members cleaning, maintaining, and checking in to ensure everything was just right. It’s obvious that keeping the resort pristine and guests happy is a top priority here. The food was fantastic. There were endless options available throughout the day, and something for every craving. The jerk hut was one of our absolute favorites — full of bold, authentic flavor. The fresh fruit was top-quality and always ripe and juicy. Booking the specialty restaurants was simple, and each had a great atmosphere and even better food. Service across the board — from buffets to à la carte dining — was professional, friendly, and attentive. Buffet managers were constantly checking presentation and quality, and we really appreciated that hot food was actually served hot. As big coffee lovers, we were especially happy to find that the coffee here was genuinely good — smooth and rich, just the way we like it. Our room was clean, comfortable, and offered a breathtaking view. The bed was incredibly cozy, the minibar was restocked daily, and housekeeping made sure the room stayed fresh. Any time we needed something — more towels, extra items — it was delivered quickly and with a smile. The pools are massive, sparkling clean, and the perfect place to kick back and relax. We spent a lot of time just lounging poolside, soaking up the sun without a care in the world. It was exactly the kind of peaceful getaway we were looking for. This is hands-down the cleanest resort we’ve ever been to, and the staff’s dedication to guest satisfaction really stood out. Everyone went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing experience. We’re so glad we chose RIU for this trip, and we’re already talking about coming back. If you're looking for a clean, well-run, relaxing resort with great food and top-tier service, this place is it.

RE: Resort stay 6 days in September 2025 Let me first begin with my previous stay at Rui Negril, many years ago. Everything about the resort was 5-star! From the workers to the cleanliness, to the music, to the food, all 5-star! This experience made me want to experience Jamaica again with a RIU Resort. Based on the experience I gathered some friends, 4 who had never been to Jamaica and 1 who had visited once prior, 6 of us in total. We set our plan 1 year prior to visit the beautiful Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and of course I wanted to stay in what I thought would be a 5-star resort, RIU, Ocho Rios. My experience at the RIU Ocho Rios was FAR from 5 star. 1. Check-in/out desk representatives always had an attitude as if they were doing me a favor. When I approached, they would ask: What you need help with? What can I do for you? Or just stare at me and wait until I start talking. Then when we are finished, ask me if I AM GOOD NOW? Like they are talking to their girlfriend or relative. The staff is all under (seemingly) 30 and have little-to-no polished hospitality client service training. When I asked a question, one person told me to use the user name and password they gave me and “just download the app and read everything”. She did not attempt to answer my simple question at all. She just deflected me to the app. Even the information desk staff was flippid and rude, they would finish their conversation with the co-worker before helping anyone standing in line, right in front of her. A Concierge would have been nice to speak with to assist with my questions and concerns I had about my room and your amenities. And age-appropriate activities for me. When I called down to the desk, after the 5th time of no answer, someone finally answered and when I began to speak, they hung up. I just avoided them and try to figure everything out myself. The front desk staff acted like they were doing us a favor to talk to us, or answer questions. The whole group was frustrated. One of my travel partners, didn’t even get the suite she paid for. If we had the money to leave that resort and go elsewhere, we would have – but we spent thousands of dollars to be there at RIU Ocho Rios and thought we’d give it a chance. Let me make note: the waiters and waitresses were all polite and I commend them all on their kindness. They showed the good side of the staff. 2. Food: Most of the food was very blain/dry. Even the restaurants, the fish/lobster was very dry. I understand that food can’t be too seasoned to please the masses, but none of us can recall a pleasing food experience. PLUS, A ROACH CRAWLED ACROSS OUR TABLE WHILE WE WERE EATING. I HAVE A PHOTO AND VIDEO TO PROVE IT. 3. Bar area: all the bars kept a sour smell as if they weren’t cleaned properly under the matts. Bartenders were addressing us with: What you want? You good? Another? 4. Pool Hours: My window was right above the LOUD pool and band, everyday, I had to leave my room at some point to get some quiet and walk to the completely other side of the resort to read or relax with lower sounding music. I could not enjoy my balcony in the daytime. Then when I wanted to come out for an early evening swim – ALL POOLS WERE CLOSED by 7pm. NOT 1 POOL OPEN for an evening swim or wade in the nice balmy evening air. They told me I had 2 choices, drink in the bars, or go to the show. OR go to my room; that I was not allowed to swim. I felt my schedule for relaxation was being governed by the resort. 5. Music: We came to Jamaica to hear the wonderful songs/music of all the current and great Jamaican artists. WE HEARD NONE. All the music was old American songs, with a reggae beat behind them. And every now and then a Bob Marley song. Guests like my group and others come there from all over the world to experience the authenticity of Jamaica and you serve us American has-been songs/music environment…how disappointing. 6. Furniture: the cushions are cracked at the edges and scratch your legs behind your knees. The chair in my room had a huge stain on it, and the pool table in the sports bar had HUGH stains all across the table surface. I have photos. The tiles in the elevators had cracks. Also room service tried to clean my room at 630pm at night, that is too late. 7. Lobby Etiquette: An element came into the resort for the weekend days that were “really young” and over drank. Some were carried to their room. Some were really overly sexualized in their behavior and wardrobe in front of the children. People are there to cut loose and let go, SO why isn’t there an adult only side…for this. NUMEROUS nights people were laid out drunk sleeping on the lobby couches. Some slept all night, with no wrist band. Seemingly loitering on the property. It made an unsafe feeling for those days. Where was security? Clearly there are little to no funds going into the upkeep of the RIU standard at that location. I will never go there again, nor refer anyone there. It even makes me wonder if the other locations are the same. What happen RIU? You had a forever guest in me until this. Whether this email will cause any change of conditions, who knows, but after my group spending nearly $13 thousand dollars to come there, I could not be silent. This letter speaks for the whole group of 6 travelers. A Not Happy Jamaica Visitor,

Having stayed at this hotel and other RIU properties I had expected a much better experience than I got. Arrival was poor I felt somewhat humiliated by the front desk staff who asked me basically to prove who I was despite having my passport and card. I was asked to login to my bank account and verify that the card used was mine. I had to show the transaction on my account and then they refunded the $1 charged. The excuse being that there is a lot of scamming goes on. Never in my time working in this industry have my team ever asked a guest to do that nor have I ever been asked to do that at any of the other RIU properties I have visited including this one last year. The member of staff was frankly rude and not welcoming. I had requested the 2 rooms be near to each other but this was not possible as they were 2 different categories. I wasn’t offered the opportunity to upgrade the other room despite the hotel only being 70% full. The room was not clean, bathroom glass was covered in scum and scale and the mirror stickers were not even straight. The water pressure was poor and the water kept going hot and cold. The bedroom smelled musty and mouldy and the floor was slippy all of the time. The bed was hard and uncomfortable with only 2 pillows. The cushions were very smelly as was the extra blanket in the wardrobe. The food despite there being a lot of choice was poor quality and like warm. Most of the meat and fish was over cooked and dry. Most of the time the buffet looked untidy and some dishes were empty and not re-filled. Breakfast was better although the temperature of the food was still an issue. One night at dinner my friend was refused service because he was wearing a sleeveless top despite looking very smart and respectful. Other diners were wearing strappy tops and dresses but a male can’t wear a sleeveless top? This is quite discriminatory frankly and outdated as a policy. It’s a resort hotel and not a very good one.. I get a dress policy for the speciality restaurants but not in the buffet which is more of a cafeteria than a dining experience. This was a humiliating experience and the member of staff did not handle it well. At this point I was ready to leave as it ruined the stay for me seeing my friend upset. The bar staff struggled to make basic drinks and either they poured them so strong as if to say don’t come back or made them differently each time. I think I had 3 different versions of a blue lagoon. My gin and tonic was made with soda and then when replaced was too strong.. poor attitude from the staff The entertainment was lacking compared to previous visit and in comparison to Aquarelle. The screen on stage is damaged and flickers and the sound quality is inconsistent. The only positive was the band who were good. Departing was the best past of my stay and I won’t be returning or recommending the hotel. I will thing twice before booking a RIU hotel in the future and certainly won’t stay at Ocho Rios again. It’s a shame as in Ocho there are a limited number of hotels unless you are a couple so next time I will try the Moon Palace as I’m told they are a cut above this property .

I would like to acknowledge Calvin for his outstanding culinary skills and excellent service during my stay at the RUI Hotel, Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  When I complimented him on his professionalism, he humbly replied: “When I make my omelettes, I make them as if for me.” That simple statement perfectly reflects his pride in his work and the genuine value he adds to the guest experience. I would also like to acknowledge the excellent leadership of his restaurant manager, Natalin, whose guidance clearly inspires her team to deliver such high standards. Thank you, Calvin, for going the extra mile and for making my holiday experience one to remember!

I had a four day stay here for a wedding. The scenery, atmosphere, food and vibes were as expected. All the workers were kind and helpful. Buffets open nearly 16 hours out of the day. Resort is right on the beach and they have activities regularly scheduled or you can opt to take tours. Family friendly and safe.

I just got back from a week at the Riu Ocho Rios, travelling with my bestie. I dont have any complaints! Grounds are beautiful and clean. We had an ocean view double bed room in building 3. Beautiful view. Cleaning was done everyday without fault. The beach is very clean. All bars are great and the drinks are amazing. special thanks to Rojaye who made our trip extra fun. You can really feel the difference with workers who enjoy their job and interact with the guests. main pool always has something going on, reggae pool by building 1 is more calm, still there is music and bartenders make great drinks. there is something for everyone here. buffet food was good, always something to eat. the jerk chicken and sausage was my favourite jamaican food. specialty restaurants are ok. i’d only recommend the french and italian. the steakhouse was ok however the steak was so tough and fatty. if you’re a steak lover, you won’t enjoy it. We had beautiful weather. taxi services at the lobby brought us out and we always felt safe. No vendors on beach as it is a private. entertainment team is great! they go above and beyond to get everyone up and moving. Riu Party on Saturday nights are amazing. We had the Neon party. Shoutout to Miguel for always bringing the energy!!! to summarize, i’d definitely revisit this resort with my friends. we all had a great time! please dont forget to tip your bartenders, maid and servers. too often people think all inclusive means they don’t need to leave a tip. the workers work long hours in the heat and deserve some recognition!

I went with my bestfriend and we had an amazing time. The food was great and flavourful always the beaches were gorgeous and the people were amazing. Special shout out to Rojay and Erol who took care of us during our trip and made sure we were always having a great time

I went to Riu Ocho Rios for my stepdads birthday and it was amazing, our room was okay a 7/10 .Thank you Tamesha and Kevon at reception for your amazing service you made our check in very easy. And to my lovely girl Nadine you are one impressive lady you deserve to be a supervisor you serve everyone from the heart, and kept smiling while doing it all I know your job is though but you make my stay at Riu an amazing one I’ll be coming back just To see you, you made my son smile so much just by being you thank you very much and I can’t forget Janet thank you too and that amazing brown bartender from the pool bar you know yourself my boyfriend loves your service you took really good care of him. The food was 9/10 the service was top notch. And most of the staff at Riu was pretty friendly. Thank you guys a job well done.

I went to Riu Ocho Rios with my other half and my families it's was his birthday so we went to celebrate it. At front desk Kevon and Tamesha was so courteous and nice at buffet breakfast and lunch Nadine the waitress was so jovial and dedicated she made our day, she knows how to talk to her guest and make them feel at home , she even entertained us we love her she's fit for a supervisor position Nadine is a courteous lady she make sure we are well taken care of, I give her 100%. Kevon and Tamesha make sure we had a smooth check-in and got our rooms so we could rest assured on a long journey there. We we will be coming back soon, maybe in November, and we are hoping to see Nadine ,Kevon, and Tamesha and Janet too those people deserve a medal for their good work. This is my first time been at Riu Ocho Rios and it was not a bad experience the only problem was that some of the food wasn't good at all we were looking forward to see some seafood and there wasn't any, but overall our experience there was a 9/10

This was our family weekend getaway to celebrate a birthday. We made our experience enjoyable, but there's so much going on in that resort. Checking in was very smooth, and the agent was very professional. The ground and landscape were incredibly beautiful 😍. The room was ok. Some staff were unhappy and grumpy. The locking of understaffed were evident. The service in the buffet was a disaster. The food line needs attention, and service utensils were left in platters of food along the line. Dirty tables everywhere. Guest has to clearing tables to get one to use. The staff were doing all they could, but it was just not enough. The Italian restaurant was good, we enjoyed our meal and the service was good. When we were going for breakfast, we left the tags on our doors to get our rooms clean. We returned at 4:30 pm. to get a little rest before dinner, and our room was still not clean. Again, there is not enough staff to carry out duties. Entertainment was lit. We enjoyed it. Overall, it's a beautiful property but needs attention to details. Service is lacking in so many ways. Hopefully, it will be better next time.

Due to the bad reviews I read prior to my trip, I almost changed hotels. I was concerned about the rude staff, cockroaches, overflowing/blocked toilets, sub-standard food, staff not treating black people well, all which I read in the reviews. However, my daughters persuaded me to stick with RIU Ocho Rios. I am so glad I did as I would’ve missed out on an amazing holiday. From the day we arrived to when we left my family had the best holiday ever. On arrival, we were offered a choice of cold drinks. Our room was ready immediately, as we arrived almost 4 hours after check in. The receptionist who checked us in was absolutely lovely, gave us a warm friendly greeting, explained what we needed to know, and how to find our room, in the family block. She tried to get a porter to help with our luggage, but due to so many arrivals at the same time, they were busy. However, on the way with our luggage we saw a porter on the way back to reception and he offered to help. The superior 2 bedroom family room was beautifully clean, smelt fresh, loads of towels and flannels for 5 of us. Huge wardrobes and large beds, with blankets if needed, plenty drawer space, clean terrace, the bathroom and toilet spotless. It was fantastic, after a long journey to be welcomed with a beautiful, clean, spacious room. Our housekeeper, Jually, was an absolute queen of clean. We adored her, lovely to chat to, always had a smile. We hugged her on our final day, as she was truly amazing. Mini bar, fridge always stocked, and anything I requested on the app was delivered promptly. The app is a great idea. I completed a survey in the app, and mentioned an issue with the sockets not holding the lead to my 4-way adapter, which I had to prop up with my travel kettle to stay in the socket. Within minutes maintenance was at my door to fix it. Honestly, the service was amazing, I didn’t have to visit reception or ask for things more than once to get something sorted. Many reviews complained about the walk to the family block, not a problem for us. For those with mobility issues it would be a concern. We use to cut through building 3 on our way to the dining area, which took you out of the sun, and a slightly shorter walk. I’m glad I requested ground floor, as no lift in the family block. I saw a family struggling to get upstairs with their luggage. I suggest maybe a slope is fitted, if not a lift. At the end of the corridor was an ice machine, which we used regularly. On 3 occasions I had senior staff knock on the door to check if we are happy with everything, which was appreciated. The food in the St. Ann’s restaurant was amazing. We didn’t like everything, but didn’t expect to, but we always found food we liked. We were always full and satisfied, that we didn’t bother visiting the speciality restaurants. We tried everything, we loved the Jamaican Station, as our background is Jamaican. We looked forward to our meals. The variety of soups were delicious, the vast choice of breakfast juices, types of fish, salads, bread, rolls, pastries. We wasn’t too keen on the desserts, the cakes were not great. We stuck to ice-cream, but found they were often too soft, melted. Not sure if there was an issue with the fridge. I have to applaud the dining room staff who have a difficult job, serving, clearing, cleaning tables and resetting them, and responding to the guests and their demands for service. They were pulled in every direction, and we need to be respectful and patient towards them. Finding a table can be an issue if you are not in the dining area within 30 minutes of opening. On one occasion I had to ask a supervisor help me locate a table. Pepe’s jerk chicken worth the wait. I never felt the need to tip, throughout my stay, as when staying AI, I leave my money in the safe. However, I made a mental note of certain individuals who provided excellent service, kindness and professionalism and tipped them at the end of my stay. Whether I tipped or not, every member of staff I encountered provided an excellent service. I loved the young entertainment team, they are an amazing set of individuals. They work hard to keep everyone entertained, always stopped to speak to you. They were outstanding. The beach bash was my favourite, Michael Jackson show, Latino night, the pre-shows and reggae band. I wasn’t keen on the Neon party, not my type of music, which I believe was techno, plus it was too loud. Wish I had ear defenders. The White party, more my type of music, but again excessively loud. The only complaint I have is some guests being disrespectful of the rules, coming to the restaurant unsuitably clothed, women in bikini tops, that at times just covered their nipples, almost bare bottoms. Guests taking food back to their rooms, leaving plates with remnants of food outside room doors covered in insects. There was a man in the sports bar topless, and when advised by the bar staff he need to put a shirt on, he responded I have a shirt, which he held up in his hand, but didn’t put on. Man trying to enter swim up pool bar with a plate of food, another climbing up on the table. In contrast the children were impeccably behaved. Overall, we had the best holiday and came away smiling, and reminiscing about the highlights, which were many. The staff had a major impact on our enjoyment and I am thankful to all of them. I only hope everyone else has the same experience.

I did a weekend trip solo and ienjoyed every minute of it. From check in to check out everything was great I booked an ocean view suite and it was amazing . The swim up bar was great bartenders kept the vibes coming, for dinner I ate mostly from the Buffett and it was really good they had plenty options . Entertainment was great I went to the neon party where I met other persons as well . Over all it was a great weekend trip and I would definitely be going back again