Beaches Ocho Rios

The biggest letdown was the kids club for babies 0-24 months. We tried leaving our son there twice for short visits, and the staff seemed almost annoyed when we dropped him off. They didn't do much to distract or comfort him, so he didn't enjoy it. Our older kids had a good time in the kids club and Xbox lounge, though, and the nanny we hired for one evening was friendly, attentive, and asked the right questions. The resort worked well for our family and felt like good value. Our boys loved Pirates Island water park, with pools for little babies through older kids, and even the adults had fun on the bigger slides. The beach was sandy and the water really warm. We also ate well, especially when we chose local dishes like jerk chicken and pork and fresh local fruit. Cocktails and wine were better than at many resorts we've visited, and the blue mountain coffee was excellent. Our room was always very clean. Some of the finishes look a bit dated, but we knew it was an older resort. There were plenty of staff around, and everyone else we dealt with was friendly and helpful.

My kids were having so much fun they didn't want to go home. We had a great time playing volleyball with locals and drinking fresh coconut water by the beach, and the friendly, helpful staff made it easy for me to relax while the kids did their own thing around the resort. The food was good, though I wish there had been more authentic dishes to choose from. Our room stayed cool with the door shut, but the AC unit had a small drip. I'd definitely come back.

The food was mediocre at best, and our table at the French restaurant had small worms on the tablecloth. We asked to move, but the waitress just brushed them away. There were also too many pushy, obnoxious vendors around. A lot of the stay was disappointing. The AC in our room didn't work properly, the cold water faucet didn't work at all, and the wine and beer we requested never arrived. The refrigerator was poorly restocked. At the pool slide, staff mostly sat under the cover joking with each other. Nobody offered us drinks, and they picked up ours before we were finished. Since it was my first visit, nobody explained which restaurants were open when or where to find that information. The airport in Ocho Rios had no flights for us to fly into. For a four star resort, this felt like two stars at best. Never again.

DJ at concierge really made the trip special. From check-in through check-out, he took great care of us and showed so much kindness to my son. We had a wonderful time on our son's first trip abroad. The resort was easy to get around, very accommodating for a toddler, and he loved the characters. DJ was outstanding and made the whole visit unforgettable.