Description: Nestled between the scenic Jamaican mountains and turquoise Caribbean waters, Rose Hall Resort & Spa truly inhabits a more exclusive ocean-front location than other Montego Bay Jamaica resorts.
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carol >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Apr, 2010 | Leisure | Family
1 people found this review helpful
I went with 2 other adults and 2 teenagers (age 12). the people were very nice, but the hotel should have had fresh drinking water in lobby . I could nevr get a couple of lounge chairs on beach with unbrella or under tree, because the same people would get up everyday at 4am and take twenty chairs!!!
The water park was too babyish. The beach was much to small - no where to walk - and the water should have been cleaner. It was not like I expected.
the water was too rough to snorkle and the water sport people only stay till 12 noon then go off to another resort.
I did not care for room accomodations. We got the adjoining rooms but rather thatn a king size bed with rollaway we would have preferred two doubles with a roll-away!
They should have sunscreen protector for hair in shop ( or salon). They ran out of 50spf spray.
The golf course was too pricey! The food was fair. I would not go back.
Your Arrival
Have fresh drinking water available in lobby upon arrival and departure ( or when lounging)
Lines too long to check in. thank heaven I was Hilton member
Rooms
Rooms were nice, but we had a 5 people and no one wanted to sleep on roll -away bed. For that much $, I can't blame them. the room with two double beds was very nice and kept very clean by housekeeping, who were friendly, and trustworthy
In bathroom, body lotion should have been included with shampoo and conditioner and a shower cap.
Restaurants and Bars
House wine was disgusting - all watered down, and my brother in-law ( who is a beer drinker ) said the beer ( Red Stripe) was terrible!
and if you orederd water at the bar , they never had a lime or lemon to put in it and I like to drink ice water all day.
The food was ok - as far as restaurants, the food was poor/fair - anything that I wanted to order would have cost me a lot extra, and that's not righ for the $ we paid. Also all the restaurants were booked when we checked in. We did end up eating at once place becasue a person gave us his reservation. ANd the 3 Palms we had to eat 8:30 at night ,which was much too late for anyof us.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was too small, and crowded with beach chairs - it was horrible! and we could never get chairs together with an unbrella - the same people had them reserved every day ( they must have run down there at 4am everymorning to put towels on chairs - we noticed the same pople all week with the premium chairs and unbrellas . It wasn't fair!!!
The water park was too babysish for teenagers. We thought the slides would have been higher.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Activities were only "ok" . the water sports were hard to reserve , since the people left at 12noon or everything was booked when we got there
Other Comments
Spa massage was not worth the $ /this resort is maybe good for traveling with very small children , but not teens or pre teens
security was very good
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The staff made up for the bad weather
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
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Jim Rorison >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Jan, 2010 | Leisure | Family
1 people found this review helpful
We stayed the first week of January, 2010 at the Beaches and were both blown away by Jamaica and its people. Prior to leaving we were both skeptical of traveling to Jamaica due to its reputation of crime and violence. We are both police officers and have had more than our share of encounters with aggressive people of Jamaican descent. This trip has totally dispelled this skepticism and we are already planning a return trip with our extended families.
We arranged for a private transfer from the airport that ended up being a waste of money. I figured that after such a long flight from Calgary with my 18 month old daughter it would be better to buck up and get to the resort as quick as we could. Well, the people with the free transfer arrived about 5 minutes after we did, so we didn’t gain much of a reprieve other than not waiting behind a line to check in.
I had tried calling the hotel directly the day before to ensure there would be a crib available so we wouldn’t have to drag our play yard down for Riley and they simply told me not to worry that it would be looked after when we got there. Upon arrival check in was quick and friendly and they were calling for housekeeping to have a crib put in our room. We had upgraded to an ocean front suite to ensure a bigger room and also give us a view when we were waiting for the princess to finish up her afternoon nap and evening sleep.
For you parents traveling with infants or toddlers, the crib was clean and in good repair. We brought our own sheets and blankets which worked out well. Having said that the crib is rather small, so if you have a large child they might be able to get out. I saw my daughter trying to put her leg up on the railing to escape, something she never tried at home that I am aware of until that moment.
The room was very clean and the bed was a comfortable king size, nothing like the hard beds in most resorts in Mexico. There was lots of closet space as well as drawers for clothes. The bathroom had lots of counter space and included a hair dryer that Christine said worked well, so you don’t have to bring your own. The only fault I could mention, because we spent time on the balcony while Riley slept was that when sitting down on the balcony chairs the thick stone railing blocks your view of the ocean. Trifling for sure but when you’re reading book or just sitting you have to stand up to see the ocean or look at the beach.
The food at the Beaches was great, although they don’t have as many food stations as they do at the Bahia Principe in the Mayan the quality was very similar. Breakfast included the usual omelets, real sausage, crispy bacon, and a donut making station that we managed to stay away from. We ate lunch each day at the outside buffet near the Dive Centre and I know I ate mine and someone else’s share of jerked chicken each day. They offered chicken, turkey and beef burgers as well as a variety of salads.
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Jamaica was Beautiful, Sunwing was the Problem!
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
User Rating:
Lillian >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Dec, 2009 | Leisure | Family
2 people found this review helpful
I travelled to Montego Bay on December 27 with my daughter and son for a week. We had a great time in Jamaica at the Rose Hall Beach Resort, a resort that is only two years old. It shares the beach with the Rose Hall Grand and the Rose Hall Suites, both more costly to stay at. The Beach Resort was elegant, spacious and well laid out. Someone was always cleaning so it was spotless! Staff was friendly and always smiling. There were children but not as many as I've seen elswhere.
Your Arrival
We went through the airport quickly but waiting for other passengers to board the bus was time consuming. It was almost 11 when we arrived after a short 20 minute drive. Check-in was slow as only 2 people were working on the desk. My son got us a drink from the bar while we waited. They did serve a light meal in the restaurant for late arrivals.
Rooms
Nicely done and clean. One of the nicest I've been seen in the Caribbean. There was a view of the ocean even though it was a garden view room. We were even able to watch City TV from Toronto.
Restaurants and Bars
Food was good in the buffet and was also very good in the three a la carte restaurants.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Pools are big and there is a swim up bar. They are good but don't compare with the pools at the Sheraton in Cabo San Lucas.
Beach was good but there was always some seaweed and sea urchins. Cuba still has the greatest beaches!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Visit Montego Bay, especially Margaritaville. Great Fun!
Norman, the cab driver gave us a great tour of Montego Bay and came back and got us a few hours later.
Do the glistening waters/snorkeling tour at the hotel. Amazing!
Other Comments
1. The a la carte restaurants insist on long pants for men. My son only had jeans, I had assumed he had packed long pants so he wore dress shorts to dinner. The Japanese restaurant was very rude about it so he had to go and put jeans on. The night before the Steak House said his shorts were fine.
2. When you stay at the Rose Hall "Beach" you are not allowed on the other Rose Hall properties even though the other 2 resorts can visit and eat in the Beach restaurants. If you try to look in the other resorts they are rude and ask you to leave. Money counts here!
3. We had brought Starbucks insulated mugs for drinks ($20 each), the maid removed them from the room thinking they were garbage, even though they were sitting on a desk away from any other dishes. We never got them back. Starbucks in Jamaica? Front desk was of no help and said we had to deal with the maid ourselves.
4. There are Sea Urchins in the water and not just on the rocks. My son stepped on one the first day and it was quite painful. Apparently it happens all the time. Wear water shoes!
5. We arrived at the airport on time for a 9:45pm departure on the Sunday night but there was no indication Sunwing was coming, resulting in mass confusion. The Sunwing rep had been at our hotel while we were waiting to leave for the airport. They finally checked us through only to continually delay the plane, first 12:45am, then 3am, then 7am. At 12:30am the Sunwing rep said the plane wasn't coming and we would be sent to the Holiday Inn. Many passengers were angry and we were never clearly told why the plane wasn't coming.
We met with another Sunwing rep at 10am the next morning who said weather had held up the plane and we would be flown out but not until 11pm that night. Many passengers were upset about this late departure.
We did have another day in Jamaica at an all inclusive so that was the good news. The Holiday Inn doesn't compare with the Rose Hall resorts but they do have a great beach.
***** The lack of communication from Sunwing was very poor and I heard several passengers say they will never fly Sunwing again. Hope this info is informative for other travellers.
Overall I would return to Jamaica and the Rose Hall.
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We were treated like royalty by the friendly staff
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
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Dan >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Dec, 2009
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Nov 25 to Nov 28, 2009
Airport arrival was uneventful. We took a taxi for $30 and we arrived at the Grand in under 30min. Checkin was 3pm, but they allowed us to register and have lunch/drinks early - room was ready by 1pm. We were greated with a drink while at the registration desk, and a cool cloth hand towel to 'cool' yourself.
Rooms:
We stayed in an oceanview room (not ocean front). It was fantastic - the room was clean and looked exactly like the pictures on the website. We had a king sized bed, linen sheets, A/C was perfect, beautiful bathroom. There was nothing to complain about, and if you put the 'do not disturb' card in your key slot they really did respect that. People were very friendly - including the butlers. A++.
Restaurants and Bars:
We ate at the Surf/Turf resturaunt - food was 'good' and nice atmosphere. Another night we ate at the Japanese resturaunt, it was also 'good to better'. We ordered room service one night, it was fair (food was luke warm). Bars were stocked well, good drinks, service was slow at times - but that is to be expected. The buffet was clean - breakfast was super, lots of variety. Only sub-par feature for us was there was not much variety for lunch buffett and there was not as much fruit as expected.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Grounds were very clean. Pool was perfect! Beach was sub-par - it was rocky and the waters were not clear. They roped off a swimming / snorkel area for you to use to avoid getting hit by motorized craft. On a positive note, they palm lined beach umbrelas were a hit, and the reclining chairs were great. We've been to other beaches in the caribbean (St.Thomas, St. John, Bahamas, Punta Cana, etc..) but the BEST beach we've seen was in Punta Cana, DR. The other thing to note is that from 12noon to 3pm they did activities on the beach (water arobics, volleyball, horse shoes) and played LOUD dance music so you had better bring your iPOD with you or come early or later to enjoy the somewhat silence of the ocean waves. I wouldn't say this was 'bad' - it is just worth noting for those who wanted a different beach experience. On the beach, the staff came around asking if you wanted drinks or small sandwiches.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We were only there a few days, no excursions this time. We enjoyed the beach and pool, and many drinks. We did try out the spa, had a sweedish massage that was perfect - prices were reasonable..
Other Comments:
This was a brief trip to celebrate my wife and my 10yr wedding anniversary. We stayed at the Grand to avoid the familys; it is adult only. We were treated like royalty by the friendly staff - by the time you leave you will swear every staff member is trained to leave you with a wide smile and say 'yes sir' and 'yes ma'am' as if you were a VIP. It was a treat - come to this resort and you will see what we are talking about. We were given a bottle of champaigne for our anniversary day ( bring a copy of your marriage certificate and make sure it is for during your stay period of days ).
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This is the 2nd time we stayed in an Iberostar resort, and we were not dissapointed. We will continue to stay here as we were treated so kindly.
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One more thing - this resort caters to Europeans, so you are allowed to smoke and the beach was friendly to topless bathers (we only saw one). The other guests were friendly and seemed to have a nice time too. Overall, rate: A
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It was even better than imagined!
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
User Rating:
Candance >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Oct, 2009
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival: August 2009
After visiting the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa online, it was exciting to arrive and discover it was even better than imagined!
Rooms:
The rooms are small but have a lot of character and are clean.
Restaurants and Bars:
The restaurants and bars all served amazing food and drink and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach area and pools are incredible! The kids had a great time in the lazy river and on the waterslides and I especially enjoyed the beach. One employee in particular, Berton Hudson, was so friendly and helpful---I learned to windsurf and had many amazing hobie cat rides out to sea. I hope the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa realize what an exemplary employee they have in him!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We went on a zip-line tour. It was very expensive, but extremely fun.
Other Comments:
I've been doing a bit of research and have discovered that the lifeguard staff at most of the resorts only make the equivalent of about $50/week! Please bring tip money! Most of these people, who are always so happy and friendly, have families to support which, even in Jamaica, cannot possibly be done with that kind of income. It is my hope that someday the Jamaican government along with the tourism industry, will raise the standard of living for all these hard-working citizens.
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We will surely be back there again in the future!!
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
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Glenn and Diane >
1 contribution(s) Canada
May, 2009
1 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Apr 27- May 11
Everything went smoothly, arrived approx noon. Reception staff are very friendly and it was great being able to communicate plainly in english.
Rooms:
Average rooms, clean and well air conditioned. Bar fridge stocked every second day which was a pain...fixed with a small tip and friendly chat with maid.
Restaurants and Bars:
Food was great!! Steakhouse was excellent. Buffett was well tended and a great varity of tastes. Hats off to waiter Shane and Marco on the food line.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Grounds were well tended and very clean. We are beach folk so can't say much about the pool...seemed like everyone there was having a good time. The beach was one of the nicer we've experienced. The bar service on the beach was great, as we hardly had to move to refresh our drinks. Thanks to Shaneka, Leroy and Paul, they made our stay there worthwhile!!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We stuck mainly to the resort but did do the sunset catamaran cruise from 6-8, which was worth the trip. We stayed in town after the cruise and walked down the strip to Margaruitaville. Found that place a little overrated...lousy service! We took the shopping trip shuttle to Rose Hall Shops...too many jewellery stores!!
Other Comments:
We have visited the Dom Rep 3 times as well as Cuba and this is the first Resort that we would consider going back to! The people of Jamaica are truly an experience worth checking out and we will surely be back there again in the future!!
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Wedding at the Rose Hall Beach Resort
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
User Rating:
Gina >
1 contribution(s) United States of America
Mar, 2009
1 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Feb 12 - 16
Check-in was good. Even though it was holiday weekend hotel checkin was fast
Rooms
I was there for my brother's wedding and out of the entire party I was the only one who paid an addition 200.00 for an oceanview room. But come to find out everyone had the exact same room without paying the addition charges. I was furious. I requested a room with two beds and I got a room with 1 Kingsized bed. They were able to relocated me to another room but the changed room was missing the safe. I waited for two hours for them to come in and install the safe. The air conditioner never reached a cool temperature. And we had to call and wait for wash clothes everyday. The mini fridge was not working properly
Restaurants and Bars
The restaurants were just ok- Exact same thing onthe buffet everyday. The wedding reception was held at the steak house I made the mistake of ordering the steak it was horrible. The japanese retaurant was entertaining and the food was better.The bars were good. Service on the beach was bad, because the bartender on the beach was very PREGNANT!!!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The staff on the beach were very entertaining. They tried to get people involved with activities. I was impressed that they remembered our names each day. The male staff that cleaned the beach early were very flirtatous which made me uncomfortable when spending time alone on the beach
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
There was a magic show one night. It was awful what a waste of time
Other Comments
The wedding went off beautifully. My brother and new wife were happy with the ceremony. The wedding coordinators did a great job. I would rate this resort 3 stars
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Overall a great resort and staff..had a wicked time there..
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
User Rating:
Glenn >
5 contribution(s) Canada
Mar, 2009
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival
late arrival with delayed flights with air canada..staff were professional and efficent in checking us in Rooms
oceanview room was well worth the surcharge..just turned off the ac, opened the sliding door and listened to the ocean at night..clean and well stocked..yes, we did leave the ocassional tip for the ladies Restaurants and Bars
the a la cartes, japanese, creole and steakhouse were all good..only booked at two..should have booked at steakhouse..heard it was good..buffet was typical..fairly bland and greasy..how come all fish taste the same Beach/Pools/Grounds
our end of beach had vegetation and trees which was nice..local craft village at end with ominous liablity warning for guests brave enough to venture over there. fairly aggressive but nothing like shanghai, just say no and walk away..
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
went to glistening waters..not extremely exciting but very interesting bio-luminesent water..can actually see where fish are swimming by seeing the flash of light. zip lining was a hoot and the dunns river falls hike is tacky but a must Other Comments
depending on your level of advenuturism..go to the highway and flag down your own cab(red plates only) and pay 2 to 3 dollars for ride rather than $25 that the cabs at resort want to charge..negotiate price and ask where cab is going first..cab cost us $10.00 us on the way home..could have got cheaper but just wanted to get going..still only cost us $13.00us instead of $50.00 us..tip the employees people..they only make $2 an hour and they do appreciate it..jamaicans are a quite unique poeple in their attitude and patriotism which i found quite refreshing. overall a great resort and staff..had a wicked time there..
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Overall great resort
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
User Rating:
R and G >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Mar, 2009
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Mar 21 - Mar 28
Arrived 11am Rooms were not ready. Stored luggage. Got room at 1pm.
Rooms
Room was great. Big and fresh. Bath room had nice shower - tub combo.
Restaurants and Bars
Bar service was good, Bartenders were friendly. Buffet was good,clean, good variety. Japanese was our favorite Steakhouse was good had the tenderloin it was tender and tastie, Cajiun was good read all the bad reviews but we were pleqsantly surprised. Had the salmon it was good, friends had pork chops, rib eye, and flan steak. It was all good. Soup was only ok.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was good but not as good as others places we've visited. You can't go for a long walk because the beach ends by the grand. Pools were nice, clean but water alittle chillie. Poolside bar service.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Entertainment crew were great. participated in some of the daily activites. Became friends with Spiderman.
Excursions
Black River/ys fall and rum factory- Long day sires were great we got to see alot of countryside but the roads are curvy and motion sickness is a possability. Negril Beach Sunset tour - Another long day. Beach was beautiful and the sunset at Ricks Cafe was nice.
Other Comments
Overall great resort. Enjoyed the staff and it was a relief that they understood english. Would like to return to Jamaica. Rememeber a vacation is what you make it.
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Our first time in Jamaica!
Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
User Rating:
Serge >
2 contribution(s) Canada
Mar, 2009
2 people found this review helpful
Arrival at Christmas
Air Canada delayed 1 Hour ( not due to bad weather ??)
Rooms
Clean, suficient.
Restaurants and Bars
Clean , good food selection,
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Showes wear ( Resort is only 2 years in operation )
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Basic / minimal / Bars were serving waterdown drinks and we found that bartenders did not know how to mix drinks propery,
Other Comments
Our first time in Jamaica!. Airport delays, 1.5 hours to clear customes coming into Montego Bay aftr we landed. Going home 2 hours in line to check in to the Airport !
We found that movment on the island is restricted and we were reminded by the resort not to trawel withou a tour. Did book a tour to Ochio Rios, Not wort it!!
We will not travel back to Jamaica ! Not impressed !
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