| Iberostar Rose Hall Grand Resort |
Dan ~ Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
 December 4 2009
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 ).
-
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.
-
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
Top of Page
| Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Candace ~ Salt Lake City, Utah |
October 2009
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.
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Glenn & Diane ~ NF, Canada |
May 2009
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!!
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Gina ~ Chicago |
March 2009
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
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
R & G ~ NL |
March 2009
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.
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Serge ~ Burlington , Canada |
March 2009
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 !
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Glenn ~ Dawson Creek, BC |
March 2009
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 $2 an hour and they do appreciate it..jamaicans are a quite unique poeple in their attitude and patriotism which i found quite refreshing. overall a great resort and staff..had a wicked time there..
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Brad ~ Keswick, Ontario, Canada |
March 2009
The staff were great except the life guard who was arguing at another staff in front of the guests. The ladies were all great and a pleasure for us to get to know.
Room service tooks 2 and a half hours to deliver. We went 4 days without a coffee pot which we asked for twice daily. We could not book a restaurant except Japanese ??? we didn't go there but we were able to convince the hostess to let us in without a booking but with a tip.
We never got all of the towels, washcloths, etc. A little mystery each day. The facility was beautiful.
Local call were 3.00 each for approx 2 minutes and the exchange rate at the hotel was approx 25% less than the actual rate. Everyone took US$. All in all a great vacation.
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Sharon ~ Pennsylvania |
February 2009
Arrival: Jan 28- Feb 1
After sitting on the runway for two and a half hours to be de-iced, we did not get to the resort until 2:30 pm. We expected a pleasant reception, but felt like we were an inconvenience. We were given two welcome drinks, but NO smiles!
Rooms:
The room was very beautiful and we paid extra to have an ocean view which was well worth it. However, we asked to have our room changed because the large group of people on the balcony next to us were very loud and the cigarette smoke was heavy. They did move our room but it took an hour and we did not get to bed until after midnight. When we left, since the hotel was fairly empty, they gave us a late check out. However, when we came back up to the room, we were locked out because they did not adjust their records to show our late check out and our card was automatically diengaged.
Restaurants and Bars:
If you don't like to eat were people are smoking, stay away from this resort. Lots of people smoke! The breakfasts and lunches were great with lots of choices. I was expecting a large variety of seafood and saw mostly fish and calamari. No scallops, scrab legs, clams. There were mussels once and we missed the lobster that they served the night before we got there. What they had was good. But the desserts were usually pasty, recycled from the night before. They usually had one decent one and the ice cream bar was nice!
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Nice pool and beach. We especially enjoyed the beach. It was very relaxing! The chairs weRe not too comfortable, however. You got one card for a towel and had to use it for a towel. So if you wanted to lay on a towel, you could not have one to dry off with. Not good!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The man that took us on a catamarand (He said we would be fine, but we never did get wind and mostly floated) talked us into going next door to his brother's souvenir stand. BAD idea. Pushy, weed smoking strange people trying to sell over priced items. It was scary. They kept pushing up into a corner and aksing for money. Why did an IBEROSTAR employee send us there?
Other Comments:
Every day the maid took our lines, but never gave us wash cloths. So every day we had to call down for them. We requested an iron to go along with our ironing board, but never got one. We requested the door to our balcony be fixed since it would no lock, but that never happened. We paid big five start prices, but got three star service from the desk. Any one who worked for tips was very pleasant.
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Ken ~ Brantford, Canada |
February 2009
Arrival:
By Skyservice from Toronto; delayed by 10 hours with bogus excuse; cramped seating; too many passengers continually walking and milling around; awful in-flight food Upon arrival they lost our baggage (left in Toronto); it arrived 24 hours later Check in was relatively slow, given it was 10:30 p.m. and very few travellers
Rooms:
Our room was Oceanview ... beautiful, well cleaned and bar stocked. It s a new hotel, and therefore in good shape; a/c was great
Restaurants and Bars:
Bars everywhere and good service; food was the best we've had at an all-inclusive; great variety and buffets; a la carte was great at Tony's Steak House
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Grounds are beautiful and well-maintained; beach was beautiful with lots of loungers and mix of sun and shade; lots of spots to relax around the grounds; pools very nice
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Took shopping trip to MoBay; first stop a 'crafts village' .. we were swarmed and felt very uneasy ... worst experience of hasselling we've ever had; other shops were fine.
Other Comments:
Beautiful resort ... lots of praise for Iberostar chain. We would definitely go back.
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Serge ~ Canada |
January 2009
Arrival: Christmas break
Arriving 2 hours late due to major storm in Toronto. (Dec. 20. 08. for 10 days) Montego Bay Customs/Airport need major improvement. Nearly 2 hours to clear customs is a bit to long .
Rooms:
2 year old Resort ! Rooms are fearly new and standard. Cleaning is basic.
Restaurants and Bars:
Restaurants are basic, clean, good food. Nothing extraordinary , like Punta Cana. Christmas dinner regular!
Beach bars: terible drinks ! Watered down. Bartenders do not mix drinks properly. In 10 days no Bartender mixed proper Margarita drink.!
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach: Artificial with trucked in sand. Recomend wearing sandals when swiming.
Pools: 2 years old an tiles are missing everywhere. Pool deck slipery and cracked everywhere.
Grounds: In a need of a major TLC. Wery pool lanscaping maintenance.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Basic, not like other resorts.
Tours: Ochio Rios, Shopping terible no bargins, better deals at the duty free at the airport.
Montego Bay: No fency shoping.
Other Comments:
Resort lacks IDENTITY ! Need more Jamaican flavour ! JA MAN ! After leaving we felt we have not been to Jamaica. ( We will remember our first visit to Montego Bay and Jamaica as a major delay and frustration at the Montego Airport
Iberostar is Spanish based and management is of a Spanich origin. It blends very well in Punta Cana and Majan Coast, but it needs a major impruvment in Jamaica.
We will not be going Back !
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Dave ~ Omaha, Nebraska |
December 2008
November 27, 2008
Rooms:
Clean and comfortable
Restaurants and Bars:
Well-stocked, clean, service was excellent
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Clean, and well-attended
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Well-done.
Other Comments:
I went there for a wedding. They charge $10 PER PICTURE for pictures that THEIR photographer take of you at that wedding. Half the pictures they took were blurry, under-exposed, or over-exposed. That was simply unacceptable.
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Tom ~ Ridgewood, NJ |
May 2008
Almost there,will be one of their Crown Jewels when finished
First let me address all the people who wrote bad reviews about IRH,we didn't experience any of those problems.This is Jamaica after all, and the Jamaicans have a unique way of dealing with life.......This resort will be one of the best when
completed.The food,entertainment, and the activity staff were all very good.The beach and the water were outstanding.The 3 coral reefs just outside the swim area were teeming with fish
and all sorts of coral.We took the kids scuba diving for the first time, and the instructors were great,2 fun dives down to 40 feet, plenty of fish ,coral,sting rays,and even a 10 foot nurse shark.
Golfing was great on the nearby courses, white witch was tight,cinimmion hill was beautiful,and fun, shot an 81.
The local shanty town next to the resort,was fun to go shopping
and meet the locals, just say NO,and you will get along fine,they had some interesting carvings and the usual bob marley stuff.
We had a junior suite,that was beautifully keep clean,and well stocked by our maid every day.
We will be going back,can't wait to see the finished product.
Top of Page
| Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort |
Carol ~ Ontario |
May 2008
Rooms: We had standard Garden View Room, we traveled with our 2 kids who are teenagers, they also have suites. No charge for the in-room safe. King size bed or 2 doubles, has private balcony, with table and 2 chairs and pull-out laundry rack to hang towels, swim suits. Satellite TV with great movie channels. Large tile/marble walk in shower or tub with shower, shampoo and body wash are in dispensers in the shower. Rooms were cleaned daily and bar stocked with Red Stripe Beer, soft drinks and bottled water every 2 days. Water is safe to drink from the tap.
Restaurants: Cajun, Steak House and Japanese a la carte which were all excellent. We booked the restaurants the day were arrived and had lots of choice of days/times.
Bars: Lobby bar, beach bar, swim- up bar and the theatre for the night entertainment had a bar.
Beach and Pools: Large infinity pool which was like 2 large circular pools together with swim-up bar at one end. Beach is white sand just 20 steps away from the pool. Towels- towel service, one towel is given to you on arrival and you trade it in whenever you want for new towel or towel card. Lots of lounge chairs by the pool and on the beach. Nice big almond trees for shade on the beach if you prefer. Many palapa's around the pool and on the beach for shade.
Grounds: Beautifully landscaped, lazy river running through with fountains and goldfish.
Activities and Entertainment : Activity staff work had to keep you entertained if you want to be, contests around the pool, aerobics on land and aquacize in the water, rifle and pistol shooting, beach volleyball, large beach chess board with 2 foot chess pieces, bocce ball, kayaks, scuba lessons, snorkeling, pool table and ping pong table, parasailing. Kids club for the younger kids. Many tours could be arranged for snorkeling, scuba diving. There were about 12 kayaks, single and double, no real time limit or worry about how often you signed them out in a day.
Tours : We went on the 1/2 day Dunn's River Falls excursion- was $50 per person through our Air Canada Rep. Bus pick us up at the front door, were the last ones to be picked up and the first off. Trip was guided and well worth it. We took a waterproof camera and gots lots of pictures, you are guided up the falls and require water shoes, you can rent them there for $5 U.S. or buy them for $15 U.S. Guides expect a $5 tip.
Departure and Check Out : No problem with check out- took 2 minutes. Front desk staff always friendly and helpful.
Conclusion: U.S. cash was accepted everywhere and change was in U.S. dollars. Internet cafe with about 6 computers, cost $5 per 30 minutes, they assign you a password at the front desk. Beautiful resort, food was excellent, service was great. Staff are very polite and friendly and although they emphasize that a Jamaican minute may be a bit longer than ours, we were not kept waiting. Great resort for all ages, there were many people with infants and small children, handicapped people in wheelchairs, teenagers, middle aged and elderly. Elevators accessible and working well. You would never have to leave the resort if you didn't want to. There are 2 gift shops and a jewellry and photo shop on site. Medical treatment available on site. Our Air
Canada Rep was available daily from 9-12 a.m. and asked us to let him know if there were any problems with our stay, and we had no complaints at all. Would definitely recommend this resort as a 5*.
Top of Page
|
|
