Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort and Spa reviews
2363 TripAdvisor reviews
We loved the nestled atmosphere and genuine people!
Melanie K (Toronto, Canada) on Mar 23, 2024
I travelled to Montego Bay (Jewel Grande) during March break (8-15). We had a wonderful vacation! My father is Jamaican and I have been a number of times but this was our first at an all inclusive in Jamaica. Jewel Grande was highly recommended by friends. I’ve consulted with all members of the family and have these thoughts to share. Although a bit smaller than we expected, the experience felt like you were right at home. We loved the nestled atmosphere and genuine people. Pros: amazing food (lots of variety), white sandy beach, warm clear water. The staff are amazing, from Kevin the aerobics instructor who is no joke! Gives you just enough of a workout that you don’t feel guilty drinking so much during the day. The Cabanas are great! You have to pay extra but it makes the experience all the better. Wilford, Dwayne and another young lady are exceptional! Loved the conversations and excellent service they gave throughout the long sunny days (we did two!). The water sports are so much fun. Hendric (and all other lifeguards) are superb! We went out on a pretty windy day and Hendric managed the boat with such ease and made the ride so bumpy and fun, it was the highlight for my daughter! My husband and daughter went for a day tour (horse riding) Nicolette was great with organization. I decided to do a spa day. Charmaine my masseuse massaged knots that I never knew were there. I decided to do the massage outside and it was windy. She made me feel so comfortable and relaxed. That was my highlight! The gift shop lady (we’ve forgotten her name) but she may remember us, we bought lots including a bathing suit cover and we had a good laugh! The Kids Club is great, lots of unique activities both inside and out. The fact that we remember all these names should tell you something about this resort and Jamaicans. Slight negatives that are more structural issues: If you have issues with stairs, this might not be the place for you. The restaurants are located in different locations and it’s a series of stairs to get to any restaurant/back to your room, to the beach, etc. Stollers have to be carried. My daughter wanted me to write that if you have an only child, think about coordinating the trip with another family. The Kids Club was fun but all alone inside, not so much. The pools are quite small (one kidney shape). If anyone is playing volleyball, you’re basically out of luck, most likely nestled in a corner. The water was also very cold. Maybe not bad with the hot days. We’re not pool people so it didn’t matter. The beach, the water section, is somewhat small and only goes to about your upper thigh. I get it, any further and it’s hard to keep watch. Lastly, the nightly entertainment. Yikes! Don’t get me wrong, the young folks dancing are absolutely amazing, so dedicated and enthusiastic. However, not sure Michael Jackson is relevant any more. The shows, which our friends told us about, are the same week in week out and dated. I’ve seen this Michael Jackson show at so many different resorts 20 years ago. Folks looked forward to evenings but you could feel the energy drain after 15 minutes of just looking at endless sachet and twirls. Aside from the fun exciting engaging Reggae night which had an audience member sign along with the main signer (she could hold her own) while we all danced along, the other days were painful to watch. They need a revamp: Afrobeats (Calm down), magicians (kids would love it), bring some of the nightclub (headphone dancing) outside for younger kids, maybe karaoke, comedian, more participation in terms of dancing. Everyone simply wants to let loose. That’s it! Overall, a wonderful vacation. Proud of my people and Jamaica! Would definitely go back!
Best trip ever (so far)
Heather B on Mar 22, 2024
No other trip comes close. My family still talks about the food, fun and staff at the Jewel Grande. There were fun activities and my kids could explore on their own safely. We had a butler and fantastic service with no strings attached. Wish we could go there every year!
A truly grand hotel!
JVW324 (Toronto, Canada) on Mar 22, 2024
I honestly cannot say enough good things about this hotel. It is an absolutely gorgeous resort - the buildings and grounds are beautiful with a top-notch staff to take care of all your needs. We booked a 1-bedroom oceanfront suite which had a very spacious bedroom, large living room/dining room/kitchen area, 2 bathrooms and a washer & dryer. It was perfect for this family of 3 with a teenager. We requested a rollaway bed for our son in advance and it was all set up in the living room upon our arrival. We had a decent sized balcony with breathtaking views over the ocean. It was quiet at night (we could not hear any noise from the neighbouring rooms) even though we were close to the outdoor stage, the entertainment ended very promptly by 9:30 pm so we could get an early night (I like to be up to watch the stunning sunrise on the beach every morning). The room definitely exceeded our expectations. Housekeeping was excellent - they made up the room in a very timely manner each day and it was spotless. The restaurants are the only thing I would not give 5 stars to mainly because the reservation system needs a serious overhaul. As we only had a one bedroom suite, we did not have butler service included with our reservation. Upon check-in, we were told that only one restaurant required reservations (Pier Side) and that we could make those reservations with the concierge. All other restaurants were walk-up. Well, we found out the hard way that butlers are allowed to make reservations at ALL the restaurants for anyone staying in a 2-bedroom or greater room. We had great difficulty getting into most of the restaurants unless we wanted to eat at 9 pm. This was not at all what we were led to understand when we checked in. Samantha (restaurant manager) was very sympathetic to our situation and helped us get reservations at the walk-up restaurants (which we shouldn't have had to do). Luckily, they opened the buffet for dinner on some of the nights we were there so that helped. Also, we found out mid-week that the hotel app allows you to make reservations once you have a room number but that had not been explained to us. It's unfair to give an advantage to guests who have a butler. I had no need for a 2 bedroom suite but that shouldn't mean that I have to race around begging for a restaurant to eat in. As for the restaurants, most of them are excellent! The food and service was outstanding at all restaurants except for Moon Stone. We are baffled as to why the kitchen there is so slow (we waited almost an hour for some of the dishes on the nights we went there) plus the food is honestly not on a par with the other restaurants (overcooked or undercooked dishes). Wait staff were great and I have no complaints about that aspect of the restaurant. The beach is not huge but it is clean and the water staff are great fun. There is some seaweed but it gets cleared up early in the morning and I never found it to be too bad (we have experienced far worse at other resorts in Jamaica). The palapas are very popular so get up early if you want a spot like that on the beach. We did not use the pools because the weather was so perfect and the ocean was lovely to swim in. Our teenager had a great time as there were lots of other teens staying at the same time and many of them became good friends (still keeping in touch). We met some outstanding staff members over our 10-day stay and I would like to be able to mention them all but there are too many to count. I would like to say a very special "thank you" to the following for their friendliness and for going above and beyond to make our holiday amazing: • Tia and Peta-Gaye at the reception desk • Gavin and Evon at Orchids • Jevon Daley (head chef) • Trudyann and Daniel at Ortanique (thank you for my daily smoothies!) • Elvin - water sports (thank you for the conch shell) • Maxine at the lobby bar (that smile!); ask her for a Margarita • Desroy at Moonstones • Shemoya (Moya!) on the beach. (definitely someone we enjoyed seeing every day) • Shaneel (hope your family is doing well) • Samantha at Waves (manager of restaurants; so helpful when we couldn’t get into any restaurants) • Thompson - Silver Palm security guard (you're in good hands with Thompson!) • Tajmar - water sports • Charlene - our amazing housekeeper! • Whitney! - Entertainment staff (so lovely and funny!; thanks for engaging our teen in some activities) • Percival at at Pier Side • Dwayne at Le Bouchon. (He knows exactly what you need without even being asked!) • Asari at Guest Services (thank you for my daily Jewel Times!) • Gregory at the Jamaican Street Party • Carlos - pool technician The staff are wonderful and deserve all the recognition possible. Please bring US cash and tip these great people as often as you can. I could go on about other aspects of this great resort but I think this review is already long enough.
Great Experience!!
Perfect N (Bangkok, Thailand) on Mar 21, 2024
Great, friendly staff with good corporate culture. Nice accomodations with lots of space, and a beautiful secure environment. Grateful for porters like Damien and Theodore, to concierge, Asari, Tia and her team at the check in desk, that made the stay seamless, Kevin for keeping us fit as we indulged, Toby at the Waves restaurant, Stephen for an excellent photo shoot, butlers like Chantelle and many more! Thank you, guys! We feel we were well cared for.
Jewel Grande
Nemanja J on Mar 20, 2024
Loved the hotel ! Beach is absolutely beautiful Lots of activities on the resort.Food and staff were amazing, especially great morning workout sessions available with Kevin instructor. Short 30 minutes very effective workout.Will definitely come back!