TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Iberostar Grand Rose Hall 5/7/24-5/12/24 … Summary: This is an older colonial styled resort that has a huge diehard fan following, but it is dated and there are a lot of little things and some not so little things that need improvements. It advertises itself as a 5 star all inclusive resort, it is a very solid 3.5 star I my opinion based on prior stays at different all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean/Mexico. My travel background: I have been to Jamaica 3x previously, but this was my first trip in 15 years since the Ritz Carlton Rose Hall was sold and converted to the Ziva/Zilara resort. I am frequent traveler and go to all inclusive resorts mainly in Cancun multiple times a year. I’ve stayed in budget friendly (Rui/Barcelo) to luxury (St. Regis/Ritz Carlton/ Four Seasons) and “luxury” all-inclusive reports (Grand Velas, Finest/Excellence/ Hotel Xcaret/ La Casa De Las Playas/ Live Aqua in last 5 years plus a few others). I love food and the whole dining experience and will basically try anything, budget eats to Michelin star (only 1 and 2 stars) restaurants and everything in between, I believe in eating farm to table, and nothing should go to waste. I like both authentic ethnic cooking, but I also can appreciate “watered” down versions of ethnic foods. I just basically love food. Club MoBay: Arrival – We landed 1:40pm and thought it was not necessary. The entire arrival hall was empty, but make sure you do your C5 form online PRIOR to landing as that was our biggest hold up and have your transportation details available. The rep was able to walk us by all the kiosk and straight to the baggage claim where we promptly picked up our bags and headed to the club to drop off our bags then to the JTL to check in for our transfers. I think it would have been quicker to have gone to the JTL desk myself without Club MoBay. Club MoBay was great for departure, but not needed if you fly business or first (we had club MoBay and flew business) since you have access to the priority security lane. The food was good, but it was packed. I will most definitely get it again as an insurance policy. Transportation: We got the free transfers with JTL with the direct booking. The gentlemen at the desk said to come back in 10 minutes after getting my details and setting up the transfers back to the airport. He was waiting at the door and escorted us out where we waited just a few minutes for the suv, The trip was a quick 25-30 minutes with a little traffic. The transfer to the resort was a with a smaller SUV and the return was in a suburban. They were fine, efficient, and friendly (too friendly for me personally since the conversation was about all the hardships they face in Jamaica). We have family in Jamaica so we are fully aware of the political, social and economic struggles. Check-in: Arrived at the hotel about 2:30pm. We did not have the greatest first impression since we did not get a welcome drink and just sat down in the “VIP” check-in while a couple finished checking in. We proceeded to watch 2 other parties who came in after us get handed welcome drinks and get checked in while we sat. We sat for about 30 minutes before getting checked in, at least our room was ready. Check out: Uneventful. Grounds/facilities: Beautiful and very well maintained grounds. The ladies bathroom by the pools/port maria only had 1 sink out of the 3 working the entire stay. Room: We booked the oceanfront butler suite. We tried to select our room location per the app/website, but it never worked. I called the reservation line and was told they can only make note of our preference. We were told later the app doesn’t work when we tired to order drinks on the beach or room service. Pros- We got the room type we paid for. The bed was decorated, bottle of sparkling wine and cheese plate was in the room when we arrived which was a nice touch. The AC was excellent and worked quickly to remove any mugginess in the room. It was generally clean with nothing broken. The key on the bracelet was great and really convenient. Cons- The room and hotel are very dated for my taste, dark woods, reds, and golds, but that is personal taste. The room and bathroom is really dark in the room even all the lights on. I had to contact the butlers daily to get towels replaced. We would leave the used ones in the shower so we can reuse them, but they would take them and not replace them. I got to the point I would grab a beach towel on the way up to the room so I had a bath mat to step on or to use as you never knew what was going to be available in the room. There was no hairdryer in the room, only 1 robe, no cotton swabs, no cotton pads, no snacks were ever replaced, the coffee pods were replaced once during the 5 nights. The worst thing was every single day the butlers and the housekeepers would be outside our hallway chit chatting for hours, walls are super thin and you can hear everything in the hallways. We would come back from the beach around 4pm to relax/nap and get ready for the evening and all you heard were the staff in the hallways talking and this would continue until we left the room for dinner hours later. We couldn’t sleep in even if we wanted to as they were in the hallway by 6am even with the double doors since our room was directly across the bulter’s room/office. We would pass housekeepers on their phones on speaker, this was something I have never experience at a high end resort. I am totally fine with people passing the time with a conversation or taking a phone call, but this is supposed to be a 5 star resort. And yes I contacted the butlers for things, but things that should have been in my room and every “request” came with an expectation of a tip. Good luck it you want a shower that stayed one temp for more than 2-3 minutes in the afternoon/evenings. We are talking scalding hot to ice cold and vice versa. I enjoy a nice hot shower after a long day at the beach and didn’t get one in 6 days. For a luxury hotel there was no ability to cast to the tv without purchasing an app called Smart View if you had a iOS device which is just odd. Butlers: There are very few resorts that have true butler service (Beaches & Sandals properties, Ritz Carlton, Four seasons and St. Regis), but there isn’t very much I need at all inclusive resorts anyway. They are not needed here nor did I find them of any value during our stay. Food: The highlight of the trip! The restaurant had zero waits and we were almost seated immediately. Almost everything we ate was delicious especially for an all-inclusive resort. The only bad meal we had was at the Italian across from the theater. The lasagna was a brick and we couldn’t even cut into it. My filet was okay, but the foie gras was the size of a pebble and the sauce so strong I couldn’t taste the steak. Not a big deal at an AI and we just walked over to Port Maria and had a delicious meal of oxtail and snapper. The food was amazing there and my partner said it was pretty authentic. We liked it so much we ate there twice with only had 3 night of dinners we could do on our own (welcome dinner and the wedding took up the 2 other nights). The only issue was the service was cold, unfriendly and not at all what I’ve experienced at any other AI, but everyone can have a bad day so I let that go both meals. The French restaurant was excellent and the service was the exception, the waitress was friendly, funny, and just amazing. It is not high-end French cuisine (la bernardin or le bec fin before they closed), but very decent for a brassiere. The French onion soup was probably the weakest part of the meal as it was too sweet, but the shrimp soup was delicious (not a true bisque as there wasn’t any cream in it), the rank of lamb and filet were perfect. The crème brûlée was okay, very smooth but zero egg or vanilla flavor. The welcome dinner was at the Greek restaurant in the suites and the apps were really good (the groom is Greek and was very happy with the food). It was set menu, and all was fine except the main was small and once again nothing to complain about when you are at AI, we just ordered room service afterwards. Room service was good only took about 45 minutes to arrive. We ordered a burger and club sandwich. The burger was good, but the club sandwich was not what I expected. It was a salami and egg, bread, and lettuce & tomato between 2 slices of toast. It tasted fine, but I was expecting turkey or ham. No harm, no foul. The wedding dinner was buffet style and everything I tried was great. I must have eaten 3 plates of ox tail alone. The breakfast buffets at the grand and suites were nice and had decent variety. The lunch buffet was average at both, but the beach grill on the grand side was the best! We heard that the suites and beaches had better, but that was not our experience. The cook at the food truck tried to hand me 2 grease-soaked floppy patties frrom a warming drawer. I asked for the ones in the case that did not look like someone dunked them in oil. He literally refused and told me that is how they were supposed to be (confusing since I growing up eating patties in NYC and my partner is Jamaican). I had to walk to the grand to get 2 great patties instead of eating with my friends at the suites. That was an odd experience and didn’t try the jerk hut at the beach resort after that interaction. Beaches: The water was so calm and quite peaceful. It was flat like glass every morning and great for snorkeling and taking the paddle boards or kayaks out. The winds would pick up with the heat of the day and it was fun to take the hobie cats out in the afternoons. The beach service was much frequent on the suites side than the grand side. We are early risers for the most part and down at the beach by 7am. On the volleyball court side we were usually the 2nd or 3rd couple there so issue with getting shade. There was always shade available. The vendors were annoying in the mornings in that section closest to the activity hut as they use the lifeguard tower as the office water cooler and gab about everything. I understand this may not bother most, but my easy going partner was even annoyed at the volume and subjects that were talked about and had to say something to security. Security on the grand side usually kept the vendors moving, but on the suites side they were allowed to stay and posted about every 10-20 yards along the entire beach blocking the beautiful views. Our group (mainly staying at the suites) were pretty annoyed by day 2-3 with the constant asking (they wouldn’t “pester” but they would ask every time they saw you) and they would give the kids things and tell them to go ask their parents to pay (the parents sat in the first row watching them play in the water). I never felt unsafe or had any issues leaving our iPads, MacBook, kindles, and phones on the beach. Pools: We are not pool people and never used any of the pool so I can't speak on them, but I think the setup looked wonderful. Service: Here is the honest truth, the warmth and friendliness from my other trips to Jamaica were lacking. My partner is completely laid back on vacation and does not complain about service ever, but agreed we were treated differently. We would have checked out if it wasn’t for the fact we were there for a wedding. There is just an odd undertone of something there with some of the staff, not sure if from the fact we were an interracial couple or the fact my partner is Jamaican understand Patois (and caught them saying not so kind things). I would get treated one way when I was by myself and completely differently when we were together, often by the same people. Things did improve some and we had some great interactions with some of the staff especially the beach grill ladies, the pool bartenders, the activity people & towel hut ladies on the suites side and the wedding staff. Wedding (Suites Side): It was beautiful and the staff were amazing. The bride and groom choose to have the ceremony by the pool and the reception on the roof top. Thank goodness it got cooler in the evening! Just a warning to anyone wearing your good stilettos, there are gaps in the decking and I damaged my new heels so bring some shoes to change into. The food was fantastic and the staff was so fun. They came out on the dance floor to demonstration the dances. Summary: This is not a 5 star all inclusive, not even close, a solid 3.5 star all inclusive. I really wanted to love the resort and so missed the wonderful people I met in Jamaica 15 years ago, but that was not the experience I had this trip. We even spoke to a manager about some of the issues, but they were never addressed. There was also someone at the beach we spoke to about our room that she was a guest relations supervisor going around speaking to guests again nothing changed so just stopped trying and made the best of it.

I would love to thank all the management team who’s made our vacation like dream. Jorge Saez Parra- General Manager. Jimmy Pachecho- Food and beverage Manager Basiene Channer- Guest service Manager Maydene Malcolm- Quality manager Valentine Williams and Cassandra our butler

Just returned from 7 nights at Iberostar Grand Rose Hall. I have stayed at many top level All inclusives in DR and Mexico and this was our first trip to Jamaica. We arrived early and threw on our bathing suits and grabbed some lunch. When they took us to our room it was the wrong room and then they told us our room would not be ready until 7pm but graciously allowed us to use the other room until our was ready. When we finally got our room the main curtain was hanging and the giant rod had fallen. Overall it’s a lovely property with many positives. Our butlers Alain and Rommel were amazing and we loved them both. Other than them the service overall was nowhere near the level I have enjoyed in the DR and Mexico. Many little things that never got done like stocking the fridge in our room and we tipped generously and are kind and thankful to all. The coffee bar was never stocked or checked, we never had snacks in the rooms until we asked and then we got just potato chips. The drinks at the pool were not great but the lobby bar had the best drinks and bartenders. There were many little maintenance things that were just not done like two out of three sinks in the bathroom by the pool didn’t work the entire time we were there. The mirror in our room didn’t work and when they brought the charger it stayed charged for one hour lol. No sign or attempt to fix. The quiet pool was not cleaned well and had odd debris floating several days. The food was above average for an AI for sure. I started with some stomach issues a few days in and returned home very sick. That can happen anywhere of course so not judging. We met wonderful people and did enjoy our stay but truthfully for the price the resorts I have stayed in like Secrets and Excellence are way better in many ways. Majority of the staff were nice but really did not anticipate or try to really go above and beyond in any way. We are not complainers and we are very generous and still tipped people very well regardless and we’re kind to all. Aside from Alain, Rommel and Trishone and Maya at the pool the rest did not make any impression at all. This is a solid 4 star property but they have a long way to go on maintenance and service level. Sad to say I will most likely return to the DR or Mexico. The great things were the beds were fantastic and our massages at the spa were some of the best we’ve had. None of these things detracted from us enjoying our vacation but I will choose a property next that offers more.

The Iberostar Grand Rose Hall is an absolute gem! From the moment we arrived, the service provided by our butlers Romell, Rushane, and Jamie was unparalleled. Their attention to detail and genuine care made our stay extraordinary. Whether it was arranging dinner reservations at the resort's exquisite restaurants or surprising us with thoughtful touches in our room, they went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and satisfaction. The resort itself is a luxurious oasis, boasting stunning views, pristine beaches, and top-notch amenities. The food was delectable, the entertainment was engaging, and the overall ambiance was simply magical. Each day felt like a dream thanks to the impeccable service and warm hospitality provided by Romell, Rushane, Jamie, and the entire staff. I cannot recommend the Iberostar Grand Rose Hall highly enough for an unforgettable vacation experience.

My butlers were outstanding. Very attentive and personable. I was always aware of events and if I n see ended that special cocktail it was there before I could ask. The swim out room was to die for and all accommodations were beyond phenomenal. The lobby bartenders were on point anf can't forget Kash with s "K"