Resort Review: Iberostar Rose Hall Suites, Jamaica

White sandy beaches, warm calm water, and the friendliest people…are these the things you think of when you think of Jamaica?

When we told people we were going to Jamaica we heard all kinds of things about how people hated it.  See my post on the myths and truths about Jamaica here.  None of that was true for us.  I blame it on those few bad experiences, and to be honest most of those people hadn’t been there in years even decades.  Our experience was pretty wonderful.

After looking at several other resorts, we ended up staying at the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites.  The location was perfect, nestled between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios.  The ride from the airport is about 15 minutes of beautiful beach front driving.

The resort is an all-inclusive, because why would you travel any other way.  For those of you not familiar with all-inclusive here is what you receive for the nightly price of the room:

• Food- breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, room service, late night munchies…you name it
• Drinks- yes all the drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic your little heart desires
• Coffee shop- it’s like having a free starbucks at your disposal
• Extra services- tailor, clothes rental, airport transportation, bus to and from town, etc.
  

The resort has 3 different hotels in one.  There’s the beach resort which is the cheapest, the Rose Hall Suites which is the biggest of the three (where we stayed), and the Grand which is the most expensive.  If you’re going on a budget the beach resort may be perfect for you.  If you are older and don’t want any kids around you or you’re looking for a more relaxing time without any activities, then the Grand is where you need to be.  Personally I loved the Rose Hall Suites because it had all the benefits of upscale amenities but we had lots of activities going on daily.

Each morning and afternoon we joined in on the volleyball tournaments.  Throughout the day they had various competitions such as cornhole, which my husband and brother won, table tennis, dancing and water aerobics.  Whether you like to lay by the pool or beach, or you like to meet new people and party the day away, there is something for everyone.

Let’s talk about the food, because this is one of the most important things for me.  I’ve been to nice resorts but the food was just okay.  The food at Iberostar Rose Hall Suites was superb!  The breakfast and lunch buffets had something for everyone.  We enjoyed seafood, pizza, pastas, steak, etc., prepared in multiple ways keeping each day a new food adventure.  For dinner there were multiple options.  You can make reservations for one of the many nicer restaurants each night or you could go to the buffet, which never disappointed.  My moto is to always make a reservation and if you don’t like it, go eat at the buffet after.  Fortunately there was only one restaurant that I didn’t care for, but that was only because I don’t eat sushi with raw fish or Asian dishes for that matter.  My husband on the other hand loved the Japanese restaurant.  The food never disappointed and I definitely went home with a few extra pounds.

Night time was just as fun as the day time.  We typically went to the lounge to have drinks, play pool, and even join in on bingo one night.  Later in the night the staff would put on a different show each night at the theatre.  Sometimes it was a comedy or something that required crowd participation.  My husband and I were asked to participate in the “newlywed game night” along with my parents.  This wasn’t your typical newlywed game you’re thinking of.  They definitely made it entertaining and kept us on our toes.  The end of each night ended at the disco, however we never made it there.

The one thing that made the resort was the staff!  I cannot stress this enough.  We’ve been to several resorts around the world and we’ve met awesome staff, however this one was the best hands down.  By the second day the entire entertainment and bar staff knew us all by name.  They included us on everything, made sure our trip was full of fun and laughter, and gave us lasting memories and friendships.  Everyone there was so nice and helpful.  The only complaint I can make is the front desk staff wasn’t the friendliest.  We had a bit of an issue when we got there; they put us in the completely wrong rooms from what we booked and paid for and wasn’t able to move us til the next day because they over booked.  I can understand things may be out of their control so I try and give grace, but they didn’t seem to care or have any sympathy.  In the end it was fixed but just know their front desk staff could use some customer service training.

The biggest question is would I go again…yes, absolutely!  Besides our one hiccup everything was amazing!  I would even love to take the kids back because of how awesome the beach and resort was for everyone.  Check out my Jamaica review for things we did on the island and my thoughts on the island as a whole.

Note: We went in October which is their slowest season.