After having the pleasure of visiting the Riu Negril last spring, my wife and I were excited to try out the Riu's newest adults only resort in Montego Bay Jamaica last week.
We arrived on July 16, 2017 around 2 PM and were checked in swiftly to an awesome ocean view room (room 2049). We were in the center of one of the 2 courtyard's the hotel is divided into, looking over the beautiful palm trees to the ocean. Clean, contemporary rooms, still had that nice brand new feeling. A very comfortable bed, lots of storage to unpack, and a spacious bathroom for all of my wife's belongings :).
We arrived on July 16, 2017 around 2 PM and were checked in swiftly to an awesome ocean view room (room 2049). We were in the center of one of the 2 courtyard's the hotel is divided into, looking over the beautiful palm trees to the ocean. Clean, contemporary rooms, still had that nice brand new feeling. A very comfortable bed, lots of storage to unpack, and a spacious bathroom for all of my wife's belongings :).
We dropped our bags and wasted no time, off we went to explore the resort. We were hungry after our travels, by now it was an odd time around 3:30 so we weren't sure what to expect. As we navigated down to the beach, to my surprise a decent sized buffet was available in the beachside seating area of buffet. We grabbed some snacks and headed off to enjoy the last of the afternoon sun. Unfortunately not long after we stretched out on one of the many available beach loungers, Jamaica's sneaky clouds swarmed in. We walked over to the Jerk Chicken hut on the beach for cover as the flood gates opened and we found ourselves in a tropical downpour. Even in this pouring rain, we couldn't help but enjoy Jamaica's paradise and warmth. We decided to come out from our hiding and enjoy a warm, rainy, swim in the ocean. It was so beautiful to see the rain dance off the ocean, and have it all to ourselves!
(beautiful rainbow just after that storm on our arrival day)
Our initial introduction to the Riu was great, the resort doesn't have a massive beach, but centers itself around its main courtyard leading to the beach. Each of its 3 restaurants and the buffet are situated around the main courtyard, as well as the main lobby, lobby bar, gift shop, and the spa/fitness center. It is easy to navigate, and you're always only a short walk from everything.
(Love the hotels all white, art deco design, and couldn't help a flex in the very well equipped gym)
The restaurants available are gourmet, italian, asian, and the daily changing buffet. Each restaurant is delicious, having their own unique flavors, and beautiful presentation. The Asian restaurant is a buffet, so you may try a vast variety of traditional asian dishes, or try as much of your favorites as you'd like! The Italian restaurant has a preset menu, excluding the entree. I enjoyed a delicious steak and my wife had the fish. Both were prepared to perfection! The level of quality and artistry the Riu puts into their culinary experience is wonderful from all aspects.
The activities/entertainment team really deserve some credit here! Especially Freestyle! He seems to be the leader of a lot of the evening entertainment which was always engaging and usually quite hysterical. I don't know how he is able to go so long! We would see him in the mornings, running various activities, than working on choreography for the evening shows, than performing in shows, dancing the night away during the beach party until late each evening! Always smiling and full of energy from sun up to sundown, he's truly a gem the Riu Reggae should cherish! But the entire entertainment crew really deserves kudos as they make the experience all the more memorable. One day, for example, we were just playing pick up volley ball with 4 people total, and a few of the team members started playing, and before we new it, we were playing with about 12 people for over 2 hours. They really do add to the culture and energy found at this Riu property.
One other perk about the Riu Reggae is the access to the Riu Montego Bay located a small walk down the beach. We didn't get to see it during the day, but strolled down in the evening to enjoy the nightclub. The nightclub was surprisingly packed, had a great DJ, which we enjoyed dancing along with for awhile.
This Riu property really allows a vacation for any type. There is easily space to stretch out, kick back and relax (which we did plenty), to be active, meet other guest, and compete, and also plenty of ways to party!
Our 2nd visit to a Riu property had high expectations due to our experience in Negril and this property exceeds the first visit! From each staff member we received nothing but the best treatment. Our checkin was smooth and we were treated very kindly, having all of our questions answered, all wait staff and bar staff were always accommodating to any request, and always smiling and inquiring about our well-being, and all other staff members were always greeting us with a smile. The Riu really has made raving fans out of us, I cannot thank the Riu enough for accommodating us, and although this was a sponsored stay, as always all views and opinions are my own. What Riu destination should we try next? Comment below!
The activities/entertainment team really deserve some credit here! Especially Freestyle! He seems to be the leader of a lot of the evening entertainment which was always engaging and usually quite hysterical. I don't know how he is able to go so long! We would see him in the mornings, running various activities, than working on choreography for the evening shows, than performing in shows, dancing the night away during the beach party until late each evening! Always smiling and full of energy from sun up to sundown, he's truly a gem the Riu Reggae should cherish! But the entire entertainment crew really deserves kudos as they make the experience all the more memorable. One day, for example, we were just playing pick up volley ball with 4 people total, and a few of the team members started playing, and before we new it, we were playing with about 12 people for over 2 hours. They really do add to the culture and energy found at this Riu property.
One other perk about the Riu Reggae is the access to the Riu Montego Bay located a small walk down the beach. We didn't get to see it during the day, but strolled down in the evening to enjoy the nightclub. The nightclub was surprisingly packed, had a great DJ, which we enjoyed dancing along with for awhile.
This Riu property really allows a vacation for any type. There is easily space to stretch out, kick back and relax (which we did plenty), to be active, meet other guest, and compete, and also plenty of ways to party!
Our 2nd visit to a Riu property had high expectations due to our experience in Negril and this property exceeds the first visit! From each staff member we received nothing but the best treatment. Our checkin was smooth and we were treated very kindly, having all of our questions answered, all wait staff and bar staff were always accommodating to any request, and always smiling and inquiring about our well-being, and all other staff members were always greeting us with a smile. The Riu really has made raving fans out of us, I cannot thank the Riu enough for accommodating us, and although this was a sponsored stay, as always all views and opinions are my own. What Riu destination should we try next? Comment below!