TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

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

Me and my family stayed in the Holiday Inn for 2 weeks. We enjoyed the lovely food, different restaurant choices in the hotel, evening entertainment, cleanliness of the hotel, majority of friendly staff, free self laundry service, close to the airport, the adult area (pool/ bar/ beach), the beautiful beach and the kayaking facilities. The stores across the road from the hotel was also good where we purchased Jamaican souvenirs and snacks, and interacted with the locals, who were lovely. Sam's gift shop was really good, he is very friendly and attentive. Just be very careful when crossing the main roads. Negatives: -The hotel gift shop is extortionate. -Some of the staff members attitude was very hostile. When you asked for items such as laundry bags and drinks at the bar, the interactions with the staff members was unpleasant. -The taxi prices in the hotel are ridiculously priced and extortionate. It feels like they would just make up a high price just for the hell of it. -The hotel explained that the hotel had a free shuttle bus to the Margaritaville area, Monday- Saturday, every hour, which allows you about 2.5 hours in the area. Me and my family went twice. The first time we had an amazing time, we went to the local stores and played in the arcade across the road. However the second time we had a member of staff (name unknown, however a male with locs) he was extremely unpleasant, rude and snappy, which made us feel uncomfortable. He had said that we had been seen in Margaritaville 5 times (which wasn’t true) via the hotel shuttle bus and we we were seen on the hip strip which wasn’t allowed. However nobody had explained the rules to us prior and we were free to roam around the area and hip strip. The member of staff then said for us to return on the shuttle bus we would have to show a receipt which would be proof that we had went into Margaritaville and paid for food/ drink. Once we got to the area, he guided us in with his body and watched us constantly thorough out our time in there. Margaritaville had bad vibes, was too busy and the drinks were over priced by the way. Not a great experience.. when we had returned on the shuttle bus the member of staff only checked my family’s receipt and nobody else’s, which I found was targeting. The hotel needed to explain this better so hotel guests had an understanding of the set up/ rules and also train their associate staff on their customer service skills. He was absolutely horrible! The hotel is clearly a 3*, you get what you pay for. We will probably stay elsewhere on our next endeavours in the Montego Bay Area.

All inclusive it is not! Paid for it through Sunwing. But, empty fridges and no fridge fill up unless you pay an extra $63.00 U.S. each night. Booze is watered down myself and other guests noticed. Will not fill up your containers only halfway. Drinks are all sugary freezies, yuk!! Pools close at 6 p.m. even in adult section. No tequila, only at the lobby bar, which is definitely watered down. Snacks are left over muffins and maybe bananas. Watered down coffee was also a thing there. No air conditioning for the kitchen staff in the specialty restaurants or fans for soaking in sweat bartenders, and waitress. It was horrible for their over worked staff terrible working conditions! I have never seen anything like it! Not a good selection of food and instant potatoes in the steak house. Two different menus one lower budget one for All Inclusive and extra money for the good stuff for all the specialty restaurants. There was one women who took about 5 packages of peanut butter because she said "you never know about lunch". I stayed there years ago and it was the best now its a 2.5 at best!

Very nice room. The food was very good and the people were great. Especially our house cleaning person Shawna and our bus boy Deshawn. They both went out of their way to make things perfect. We stayed in the adult building and upgraded to VIP access, which I would recommend. Our friends recommended this resort after having been there 9 times before. For the price, which is reasonable, I can see why they keep coming back.

Praise the Lord!!! I absolutely love this hotel. This was my third time staying here with my family and every time I come here it gets better and better. The room was wonderful, the food was excellent, the jerk chicken hut was out of this world, the entertainment was so much fun. and the beach was tranquil. Their little island in the middle of Beach was my secret hideaway. We saw some beautiful fish while snorkeling over there. The icing on the cake was that we got to meet the manager at the Wednesday night dinner. She was so hospitality and down to earth. I truly love this place, I wish I could come here twice a year. It really feels like home.