My husband and I traveled the first week of August to the Ritz Carlton Rose hall and upon arrival at the airport, we were taken to the lounge and offered some punch and bottled water. We had mentioned to the concierge there that the Ritz never responded back to our emails/requests (we had previously emailed the Ritz about airport shuttles, receiving a spa menu and guided tours) - our questioning seemed to have raised a red flag and the concierge apologized, told us that she made a note to the hotel and then sent us away in our own private car - which was a nice touch.

When we arrived at the hotel, two "guest service relations" managers greeted us by name, with champagne, and told us that they would take care of our every want and need. We have stayed at numerous Ritz hotels before (both in the U.S. and Caribbean), and this was probably the warmest welcome we have ever received. Our room was not ready, so we decided to have lunch at Mangos and get a look at the resort. When our room was ready, we were welcomed with a bottle of wine and a cheese and fruit plate with a welcome card. Continuing throughout our stay, many workers seemed to know us by name and greeted us as if we had stayed there before. There was even a certain point where it did seem to be a little much... they would call each night to make sure we had a good day, or find us by the pool or beach to see how we were doing (this was all very nice, but we sort of just like to chill and be left alone sometimes...!)

During the first week of August, Jamaica celebrates their new year. However, if anyone is ever trying to plan a trip around this week, it should be made known that tours do not operate fully or are cancelled completely. My husband and I were interested in doing a Dunn's River Falls and a day trip to Negril during our stay and although the concierge could help us booking these, they seemed to be holding back some information. We were told that we could schedule any tour for any day, Sunday - Thursday (we visited the desk on a Saturday). After being unsure of what tour to go on, we decided to think about it for a day because we had a few days, right? .. Well, we returned on Monday to schedule a Negril trip for Tuesday and we were told that the rest of the week's excursions were cancelled because of the Jamaican Independence Celebrations (and that it would be "crazy" to travel on those days). We had asked how long they knew this information, because we would have scheduled a trip to Negril for that Monday. They said that everyone knew the tours would not be operating well in advance.. One could guess that I was a bit disappointed as well as a little pissed off that no one divulged this information previously.

When asking about getting a private driver, it was not recommended... and it seemed as though whenever we asked about anything that the Ritz was not offering (or the tour guides hired by the Ritz), they would act as though they had no idea about other restaurants, tours, etc. So, my husband and I decided to do some of our own digging. While visiting the shops at Rose Hall, we asked a few very friendly workers about places to visit/things to see. The staff at the Ritz told us that Doctor's Cave beach was nothing to see... however, all of the locals highly recommended it. The Ritz also could not offer us suggestions for great restaurants other than their own at White Witch, but the locals could. We found that once we left the resort and really began talking to the locals, they were a wealth of friendly, useful information. A lot of the workers at the Ritz are locals and it has me wondering why they aren't allowed to suggest anything outside of the resort....

We ended up scheduling a trip to Doctor's Cave beach and paid $50 to go a very, very short distance to a MUCH nicer beach. However, we did feel a bit manipulated as "foreigners" - basically we were quoted a certain price for a cab ride, but once in the cab, the price was higher; and then we were pretty much stuck with that price. While at Doctor's Cave, we actually saw where they took the people out to snorkel - and were very thankful that we did not pay for that excursion, as it was just few yards further out into Doctor's Cave Beach. I would say that Montego Bay's strip is a little bit shady and there are pushy vendors everywhere. Doctor's Cave Beach had decent snorkeling, but I will be honest and say I was a little weird-ed out when I was offered "a smoke" while in the water...

How to make the rest of this review short but filling you in (if you made it this far)....

Room: We had an ocean view room and it was always clean and very well appointed. We did not have Bulgari products at this hotel, though... which made me a little sad and there were also no slippers... :(

The Beach at the Ritz: It is beautiful to look at and pretty clear.. however, the rocks ARE a problem. I love the water and tried so hard to get in, but it was almost impossible on your feet. The water sports guys are AWESOME and will take you out on the hobie cat and can give you a gentle ride - or one that will have you screaming (thanks guys!!) .. but as for wading in the water.... you're better of by the pool...

Pool: The pool was a pretty good temperature, but it seemed as though the pool may not have been chlorinated. We went swimming one evening (when the pool is virtually dead), and I saw clumps of hair and other debris floating around... maybe the filters weren't working?

Food: We payed for the "all inclusive" (or equivalent) package, and I would highly recommend against it. The menus were all the same, the food became mediocre at best towards the middle of our stay and if you wanted anything off the menu, you got 20% off. We felt as though it was a rip-off. It was nice to have unlimited drinks - but who can drink that much? White Witch (which is not included in the package) was wonderful (food, service and ambiance) and we would recommend it to anyone!! It was definitely worth it...

The breakfast buffet at Horizon's was also wonderful (probably the best meal), but watch out for their smoothies if you have food allergies. My husband is allergic to mangos, and depending on what waiter you get... you may or may not get what you ordered (when my husband alerted one waiter of his allergy, he replied with an, "oh well, whatever".. but another day, a waiter not only created a special smoothie for my husband, but also washed the blender before doing it...)

One evening, we were told that we could not be seated at Horizon's because they were going to be seating another large group and we did not have reservations... and we felt that it was slightly unfair because the man told us that he didn't want to seat us because they wanted to close (like.. what?!)

Mango's was pretty good at the pool for lunch, but again, who wants to eat the same food for dinner as they had for lunch??

The jerk shack was PHENOMENAL!! We could have had lunch there everyday!

Room Service: was expensive and not at all good.... breakfast was okay.


Spa: My husband and I both had the 50-minute sweedish massage and it was wonderful. Coranine (I think that was her name) was so friendly and helpful - I wish I could have taken her back home with me!

Half Moon Shoppes: The Ritz recommended against traveling there (we were told that there were not many shops there), however, the ATM at the resort was not working and we needed to get more cash for tips and knew that Half Moon had an ATM. We were told that it would be a long, hot walk from our hotel to the shoppes, but left anyway ... and found that a in a quick 10 minutes, we were there visiting many quaint shoppes. We were also interested in getting a look at the resort (they offer parasailing and the Ritz does not... and the Ritz will NOT help you in scheduling this. they will, however, tell you to call information and that local calls cost .90... ridiculous)... The people at Half Moon were very nice and informative (which made us wonder if we should have stayed there..)


All in all, the Ritz did have excellent service and was like home, as always. If you are looking for a sterilized, clean, relaxing vacation while also being a little manipulated.. this is the place to be!


One more thing: The vendors will haggle you even at the resort - please do not give your name to them, or you may have one yell your name when you turn down their cheesy shot glasses (I did buy some very nice wood pieces and jewelry) ...

Enjoy Jamaica - it truly is a beautiful place if you get to go out and explore it!! If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me!

We stayed here for some of our honeymoon in Jamaica. We were married in Negril and our honeymoon was a wedding gift. I like Montego Bay, but I love Negril. With that being said, the grounds are well maintained and very beautiful. The hotel is beautiful and the service was awesome. The people are what made this a nice place to stay. The beach is man made. Therefore it was very rocky and not nearly as clear as some of the other local beaches. Although the view was spectacular while sitting on the beach, swimming was virtually impossible. The beach bar and grill served excellent food and drinks, but the restaurant food was just ok. Everything was priced as if you were in the U.S. at a nice hotel. For example, my husband's cadillac margarita (top shelf) Yikes, that is a lot of $ for one drink, but I must say they made them strong!

There is a nice piano bar downstairs but it seemed to fizzle around 11 or so....It is really expensive to get into town from the hotel. But the concierge will tell you which restaurants have free shuttles. We went into town a few times using those shuttles because it was about $60 to get from the hotel to MoBay and back. The pool was really nice and there was always a seat available. The hotel was only about 30% occupied so nothing was really crowded. I liked the ambiance of the hotel, but it doesn't give you the real feel of the country or the people. The hotel has many rules and regulations that the staff must adhere to. When we asked what bars the locals go to, they would only tell us about the tourist attractions like Margaritaville. We did eat dinner at Scotchies which is only a few mins away by cab. The food was good and inexpensive, yet the cab ride was $20.

I enjoyed this hotel, but I will probably not return only because I can do everything I did at this Ritz, that I could at one here in the states. I go to another country to enjoy their food and culture. You don't get a lot of either one at this hotel. If you want to pretend like you are at home, while being out of the country, then this hotel will work for you....


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I am writing my review on the Ritz Carlton as I am staying here... So far, this is by far not a Ritz Carlton. This hotel should be aligned with an average 3 star Hilton, at best. The hotel has very low occupancy. We have seen a total of probably 50 other guests in a 476 room hotel. If people aren't staying here- there is a reason behind it. We dined last night for $88.00 which included one appetizer, one salad, and one entree. The food was good but not worth the cost( if we both ate an entree and shared an appetizer- the cost would have been well over $100.00- budget $50.00 per person for dinner, at the least. They do not post their menu pricing on their website- there is a reason behind that. We did lay out at the beach under the stars after dinner and that was beautiful. This morning, we found that there are not coffee pots in the hotel room( really?). I called down and a nice gentleman brought one up for us. I then opened the pot to begin making my coffee and what do I find- BUGS IN THE COFFEE POT! Are you kidding me? If they are going to try to save on costs and only provide a coffee pot upon request, it better not have bugs in it! I just placed another call because it has been a good 40 minutes since my last request for them to bring us a new one. I was told that it is taking longer because they are checking to make sure there are not bugs in this one either. I take it this is a consistent problem?Wow! On top of this all, SPRINT DOES NOT HAVE SERVICE HERE. We were assured by the Front Desk and Sprint that they did and they do not. We spent all of yesterday in our hotel room making phone calls between Sprint and the Front Desk. The issue is still not resolved. The Staff never even called to check on the status. I found out this morning that the hotel rents phones for $50.00 a day- wouldn't that have been helpful to know? The Staff never shared that with us. I will place another post at my departure time and review the whole trip. As for my first day, I would NOT RECOMMEND this hotel.

The thing I hate most about travelling is being RIPPED OFF! But what happens when it is the hotel management, concierge staff and doormen who are controling it?

I realize when you stay at a resort you will have to pay more than the locals to catch a ride into town but $25 each way which is 25 times more? Isn't that a bit insulting? The GM who I spoke to, the concierge and the doormen gave us no help or solutions to help us with acquiring more inexpensive transport into Montego Bay until I complained and asked for a private meeting with him.

He said the reason why they only offer $25.00/person rides into town is because Jamaica is not safe for travel...what did he just say? Yes, he told me the cab drivers in Jamaica will drive you around and take you for a ride, will get you into accidents and then they will rob you! Who the hell is this German GM - Bernd Kuhlen? He thinks like a freaking rascist about the people and country he lives in.

After this unfortunate conversation and hearing his explanation I did not have to hear anymore and left this hotel. I do not tolerate old school thinking, old school business style which is neither positive for the guests or for the people he works with. This guy should be fired.

In the end no solution to our needs provided and his attitude to continue RIPPING OFF the guests for $25.00 dollar tour rides to town continues eventhough there are FREE rides to the overpriced HIGH END SHOPPING MALL 1 km away!