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Hotel Review

Riu Montego Bay


Based on 86 reviews

Overall Impression: #8 of 26 hotels in Montego Bay.
Quality vs Price: #7 of 26 hotels.
Food / Restaurants: #11 of 26 hotels.
Beaches: #14 of 26 hotels.
Families: #10 of 26 hotels.
Couples: #13 of 26 hotels.

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Traveller pictures (8)

Traveller picture - Riu Montego Bay Traveller picture - Riu Montego Bay Traveller picture - Riu Montego Bay Traveller picture - Riu Montego Bay

Travellers Reviews

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 3.5

Nice location, not good for beach goers. Staff friendly and helpful; meals were good. Limited activities for mature clients and spa facilities need much improvement. Our room was very nice and clean. Drinks were limited to local with no premium drinks available. If the Riu improve their services in these areas I would recommend it as a 5 star, but as an international traveler its definately not a five star property today.

Jessie
Brampton, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-04-13 to 2012-04-20 (7 days)

 RIU Montego Bay

As expected; good food, clean, excellent service. Had to ask twice to spray for bugs .... !

Christine Hollands
Otterburn Park, QC
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-03-30 to 2012-04-06 (7 days)

 The RIU Montego Bay was awesome!

We were a little leary at booking for 2 weeks. What if it wasn't somewhere we wanted to stay? We booked it and enjoyed it! It was a very nice resort. The Jerk Chicken Hut is the best! The resort is only about 10 mins from the airport so you can enjoy more time at the resort. We had a great time! Dan & Sherry

Dan & Sherry
Fullarton, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-03-19 to 2012-04-02 (14 days)

 Riu - Montego Bay

Overall the hotel was nice, and met our needs. Downfalls include stocking of in room fridge with drinking water, which only occurs every second day. Biggest issue is that there are only "2" bathrooms onsite which makes for very long walks from the pools/restaurants. As well, avoid the beach area during evening hours as sketchy resort invaders (salesmen) are prevelant and will approach you. As well our all inclusive had us departing around midnight so unless you pay $100 to acquire a late check out you will be homeless. And with being so close to the airport planes fly directly overhead frequently. A solid 4 start resort, definitely not a 5.

Mathew
Sherwood Park , AB
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-03-23 to 2012-03-31 (8 days)

 Nice hotel, beach not what I expected.

My boyfriend and I came to this hotel. The hotel is very nice and the staff are very friendly and helpful.

The pool is very nice and I liked the set up one side had the bar area and the other side was more relaxed and also had a volleyball net. The beach had seaweed one metre in and we prefer the water to be all sandy where we swim. There are lots of beach chairs so didn`t have trouble finding a spot.

There are 3 a la carte restaurants - did not enjoy the Asian and the Italian was just ok. However enjoyed the steakhouse very much. The Entertainment shows were excellent specifically the Michael Jackson show and the Steelpan players.

We did a day trip to Negril which is about an hour away and the water is beautiful with no seaweed with this day trip we also went to a couple shopping spots and ended at Rick`s Cafe where you can see locals diving off the cliffs and watch the sunset. Would have liked to see Dunn`s River falls, but it was 2 hours away near Ochos Rios. There are many day trips depending on what your into. You may want to check where the day trips are in relation to where your hotel will be and book your hotel near there. I don`t suggest the luminous lagoon tour that runs at night as this was dissapointing we thought there was going to be a part of the lagoon that glows - this was not the case, however if you swim in it your hands and feet glow which was neat to see, but not worth the money.

Overall enjoyed our stay and had the relaxing vacation we were looking for.

Maria
Toronto, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-02-25 to 2012-03-03 (7 days)

 Riu montego bay

hotel was not nearly as good as we expected.employees were not happy, bars were not not properly staffed, very slow service at swim up bar

David Tschirhart
Toronto, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-02-24 to 2012-03-02 (7 days)

 RIU MONTEGO BAY

everything was perfect.

mehdi
Northyork, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-02-11 to 2012-02-18 (7 days)

 Riu Montego Bay

Traveled with my husband. Overall, this was a good experience but this Riu is definitely not as luxurious as others we've stayed at.

Judith
Burlington, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-02-10 to 2012-02-17 (7 days)

 Absolutely Awesome!!!!

We went there for our annual winter vacation. The staff was always helpful, the food was good and there was always a lot to choose from no matter what meal we were eating. We had a garden view room and it was the usual Riu style, no complaints. Sure the planes flew right over the resort, but half the time you don't even notice and if you do you just look up and wave good-bye!! We totally recommend this resort.

Rob
Minesing, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-02-10 to 2012-02-17 (7 days)

 Riu Montego Bay

Love Jamaica. Overall a good time.

Mary F Arezes
Toronto, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-01-30 to 2012-02-13 (14 days)

 Good but not great

We had a lovely time at the Riu Montego Bay however there were some things we did not like about this resort. We are beach people and although the beach is fairly long and fairly deep with shade and ample chairs, the water was not pleasant to swim in. It is weedy and very flat (no waves). Don't expect to go on long walks along an endless beach. There is no where to go past the resort. The upside to that is there are no vendors bugging you while you are on the beach. The resort in north west of the Island so you get sun on the beach until sunset.There is a dive shop on site. They offer lessons to beginners and dive trips for qualified divers. The dive master Stephen is very good. He was knowledgeable, kind and went out of his way to ensure we had great dives. We travelled with two teenage boys. There was only a small handful of other teens there and almost no children. So if you have kids, not the best choice. There is a lot of drinking and a lot of smoking everywhere. Breakfast and dinners were good but lunches were not. The resort is very close to the airport (10 minute drive) so transportation to and back was a snap.The downside to that is the planes can be seen and heard from the resort. The were very low and loud (though I never heard any at night) The rooms were lovely and the layout made it such that they were well insulated from noise. The staff were great. The pool was beautiful. the a la carte restaurants a were not really a la carte, they were part buffet part a la carte. The house wine was not very good but all the cocktails were wonderful! We had a lovely vacation but I would not go back to this resort.

Lyne
Hamilton, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-01-30 to 2012-02-06 (7 days)

 RIU Montego Bay

It was clean, room was nice but the beds were hard (2 fulls pushed together). Service staff were helpfull and friendly. Resort entertainment was very minimal. Good 4 star resort.

Bonny
Calgary, AB
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-01-27 to 2012-02-04 (8 days)

 Nice Resort, Good People

I came to Riu Montego Bay on my own for 1 week. There were mostly seniors and couples there, which was to be expected. The resort itself was nice, the staff were very friendly and lots of fun, the food was okay. I expected more for the price, and if it wasn't so expensive I would definitely go back again.

Kimberley Aikins
Oakville, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-01-28 to 2012-02-04 (7 days)

 Riu Montego Bay

Apparently Riu Montego Bay is 6 minutes from the airport. It took us 3 hours to get checked into our room in the middle of the night. There was one person working the front desk!
Other than that, the hotel was okay, layout was great, not much walking. Food was tiresome as of the 4th day.
The beach was great and the entertainment crew did a wonderful job of humoring the guests.

Craig Michael Slywka
Vermillion, AB
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-01-27 to 2012-02-04 (8 days)

 Riu Montego Bay

The resort was clen and nicely layed, short walking distance to everything. Service sucked, we waited for over an hour in line to check in with very few people in fornt of us. Seems like the staff where not engaged and slow, do as litlle as possible, Not very friendly.

Terrace Louis Koback
Vermillion, AB
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-01-27 to 2012-02-04 (8 days)

 4th RIU and never again

We have been to 4 RIU resorts over the past 6 years and I have to say that this one is the worst resort we have ever stayed at. I will say that the people of Jamaica are wonderful and we will definitely return as we have now been there 5 times. Food sucks and so does the beach :( By the way...planes pass over head every 5 minutes.

Amanda
Kemptville, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-01-22 to 2012-01-29 (7 days)

 Trip to Riu Montego Bay Jan. 15-22 2012

We all had an exceptionally good time at this Hotel. All the staff were very accomodating. the entertaining was overall the best we have ever seen. Food was good with many choices. The resort is the perfect size and the short distance from the airport is a bonus. A great time by all!!

Bruce W Paul
Mallorytown, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-01-15 to 2012-01-22 (7 days)

 Below expectations

Both my husband and I were sick from their food. The food was greasy and did not taste good. I had a hard time finding anything to eat and even when I did, I still got sick from the food. We travelled with our child and also another family and out of the 4 adults, 3 got sick with food. Luckily the children were ok. The staff were very friendly but if you ever need anything and have to call for service, then be prepared that they work on Jamaican standard time and you'll have to wait hours for anyone to show up. It is not a 5 star resort. I've never been to a Riu resort before and have heard of great things about Riu but Riu Montego Bay was very scary.....

Ahchiang
Aurora, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2012-01-07 to 2012-01-14 (7 days)

 David

Clean, but hotel beds were uncomfortable; friendly staff; food was middle of the road

David
Toronto, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-12-24 to 2011-12-31 (7 days)

 So so not as expected

Hotel is very clean and nice. Beach is beautiful but there are seaweeds and jelly fish.

Huong Thi Ngoc Le Minh
Toronto, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-12-11 to 2011-12-18 (7 days)

 As Expected

Everything was good except the following. Not a great selection of food. Lots of choices but most were store bought and cooked on site with little choice of desert. Reminder that the beach is nice but the water is not. Very mucky when u get in 10 feet. and lots of silt.

Stephen Stasiuk
Ottawa, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-12-04 to 2011-12-11 (7 days)

 Mobay was awesome

This was our first time in Jamaica MoBay. It was a very well kept resort. The rooms were 5 star and there was ample amount of food available at all times. We were there during the American thanksgiving and RIU knows how to treat their guests to a feast for thanksgiving. The Asian a la carte was not the best but the Steakhouse a la carte was AMAZING. So good that we skipped the Italien and used the voucher toward a 2nd night in the Steakhouse. Andre the Supervisor was nice enough to accomodate us. Overall the Hip Strip was ok, the people do approach you to purchase from their store but if you walk away and say no thanks they don't hound you. The beach at RIU was awful and yucky. If you are looking to spend lots of time on the resort in the beach on the resort do not stay here. Instead we had to keep taking a taxi to Doctor's Cave and Cornwall beach because it was much cleaner. One day we also went to Negril which the beach was phenomenal including the sunset.

S and J
Oshawa, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-11-20 to 2011-11-27 (7 days)

 Ryu montego bay

Experience correcte

Denise Gamache
Longueuil, QC
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-11-18 to 2011-11-25 (7 days)

 VACANCES

POUR MON ARGENT. BEAU HOTEL. BONNE LOCATION. PLAGE PAS TRES BELLE.
4 ETOILES.

Joseph Omicioli
Mont St Hilaire, QC
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-11-13 to 2011-11-20 (7 days)

 Very Enjoyable!

The RIU Montego Bay provided an excellent vacation. We enjoyed the food, the entertainment, the room, the staff and all the activities and amenities offered. Kudos to the RIU organization for providing such a great experience.

Bill W.
Barrie, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-10-21 to 2011-10-28 (7 days)

 Had fun but a few things could be improved

There are numerous drug dealers on the beach and even had a waiter try to sell us drugs. No Internet access in the rooms. Housekeeping was great. Drinks were good. Food was okay. Pool is good. There are many activities available if interested though we were charged $10 because we lost one tennis ball.

Mictan
Wallaceburg, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-07-24 to 2011-07-31 (7 days)

 Riu Montego Bay June 15-22 2011

This was my first experience at a Riu and I was not wowed but I was definately not disappointed. I am glad we read the traveller reviews before we left. Bring Water Shoes!!! A big must if you like swimming in the ocean. Jamaica is beautiful the resort was nice I would definately rate this a 4 star not a 5 star but it is definately a great price for Jamaica. I would recommend this hotel for friends, and couples. Honeymooners may be disappointed but maybe I have been too spoiled in my years of travel. Definately not a bad resort but definately not a Five Star. Have fun and enjoy your travel!!!

Adriana Gutierrezreyes
Barrie, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-06-15 to 2011-06-22 (7 days)

 RIU Mo Bay May 2011

Overall, the hotel was quite nice. It seems to be showing some wear and tear for such a new resort. Staff were excellent!!!

Richard A Morris
Milton, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-05-22 to 2011-05-29 (7 days)

 Montego Bay Jamaica

A nice getaway, for a good price!

David Johnson
Spruce Grove, AB
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-04-28 to 2011-05-05 (7 days)

 Stay at RIU Montego Bay - April 2011

Great experience!!! I loved my stay at the RIU, as did my husband and my one year old daughter. My only negatives about the resort were the following:
-at the bars, HAD to tip to get good service
-We stayed in room #1230...3rd floor of the building and every day, about 3-4 times a day, we would have to go up and down 3 flights of stairs with a baby and stoller, very annoying!!..as there was no elevator.

Nics B-Singh
Toronto, ON
Stayed at hotel Riu Montego Bay
du 2011-04-17 to 2011-04-24 (7 days)


Legend

Evaluation Of Hotel

  • Avoid at all costs
  • Below expectations
  • As expected
  • Beyond expectations
  • A dream come true

Monarc.ca Popularity Scale

The Monarc.ca popularity scale (#1/15) classifies all the hotels of a single destination according to the number of grades received on 5 and the total number of reviews.

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