Breathless Montego Bay Resort & Spa

Such a great honeymoon spot. Nepaul was AWESOME and we loved hanging on the rooftop of breathless with him! Mr Impressive was great. Very friendly and welcoming. Definitely will be back for an anniversary and hopefully will see these people again!

First and Foremost, I want to say that we have not travelled internationally since the Canadian borders and airports were closed in March 2020. Recently (June 2020), air travel opened back up and my 35th birthday was steadily approaching in October. We decided to vacation in Jamaica because their Covid numbers were fairly low, they had designated a few hotels within the resilient corridor as covid-certified which means they were inspected by the health department and deemed safe with safe protocols, and their airports had been open since June whilst managing the Pandemic. Furthermore, we vacation in Jamaica every year and knew it would be great. Check-in: We were the only people to arrive at 2:00 pm so there was no wait and our room was ready. We were greeted with purple champagne but no cool towels (perhaps removed since covid) Room: we originally booked an allure junior suite but upgraded to the xhale club ocean view right before our flight. The upgrade may not be worth it given that we were not assigned a butler nor did we have servers at the beach. We also did not have turn down service or 24 hour room service. However, the view from our room was spectacular and room amenities were delightful; they included bath crystals, lip balm, and other ‘Gilchrist & Soames’ toiletries. Our xhale ocean view room had a beautiful view of the ocean as well as the main pool. Additionally, the Jacuzzi on our balcony was the biggest that I have seen for a similar room category but I only got to use it a few times. The shower was great; a large glass structure in the middle of the room, 2 rain showerheads and a hand held. There is a marble bench and lighting within the shower as well. Mini fridge: mini fridges are no longer stocked by staff. You have to call room service or use your in-room tablet to request whatever items you wish to have. We usually ordered red strip beer, pop, water and sometimes got pringles and M&Ms. Items are left in the delivery box after the box and items have been sanitized by staff. They ring a door bell to let you know or they knock the door. Goodies: we received a bottle of champagne, a small bottle of rum and birthday cake upon arrival; as well as some sweet treats in our delivery box. However; we would have loved to receive a complimentary Breathless tank top that they sell in the main lobby. We didn’t notice it until our last day and figured at that point there was no need to purchase it. Other resorts are more than happy to give VIP (xhale club) guests souvenirs or items with the resort emblem. Butlers: We were not assigned a butler even though we paid for one. Apparently some were back to work by the end of our week. In the meantime, we had a great concierge by the name of Leon and he did wonders for us. Since we had no butler service at the beach he left bottles for us in our room or at front desk. When we had a few issues with our room, he made sure to have them looked at. Most of all, he planned a surprise birthday dinner for me at the rooftop restaurant for our last night. It was equipt with champagne, a lobster dinner, mood lighting, and appetizers. it was literally a 4 course meal. He really did wonders and we greatly appreciate all of it. Breakfast: it’s hard to critique the buffet because covid has created a new way of restaurant dining. I will say that everything at the breakfast buffet tasted good but there is definitely an issue with food temperature. Obviously omelettes which are made fresh to order are hot but everything else is basically warm. The cold options (Caprese salad, fruit/cheese platters) are a perfect cold temperature and fresh coconut water in a coconut is now a buffet item. Also, all items are behind a glass partition and served to guests by staff. Lunch: we usually got Jamaican patties from the barefoot grill on the beach. I liked beef while my husband enjoyed the chicken. My husband also liked the shrimp burgers. Later, we would visit Altitude or Fish nets. Oceana was just okay. I ordered fish that was drenched in a red ketchup-looking sauce (I don’t really like Ketchup). Fish Nets was usually a better option. You can dine in or have a server bring the food to your pool bed/cabana. The Seafood fettucine and jerk chicken caesar salad were my go to meals. I think I ordered it every other day, if not every day. Altitude (rooftop restaurant) was good as well. I usually did the catch of the day. Dinner: No reservations needed. As for the a la carte restaurants, most of them were good but el patio needs work. It was chaotic and not worth the wait. Portofino serves a good lobster fettucine. Blue Mountain was the only restaurant where I could get braised oxtail so I went daily lol. Bordeaux was just okay for me. The seafood was a bit overcooked but it still tasted good. My husband had the escargots and said they were really good. At night the buffet restaurant becomes an a la carte. One night it was Latin and we did a grilled chicken with shrimp – pretty good and presentation was on point. On our second visit, we were surprised with lobster and our server even gave us a to-go box with a second serving. I wish I remembered her name but she was great. The rooftop restaurant also becomes an a la carte at night. I did the salmon and tabbouleh salad – so good. By now you can probably tell that I really enjoy seafood but my husband likes the red meat options. Regardless of the restaurant, he usually did lamb, steak, oxtail etc. Room service: food comes at a good temperature but I wish it came faster. Also it is no longer 24-hours as it now ends at 10 pm and, It arrives about 40 minutes after your order is placed. The Jerk chicken meal, brownie, and margarita pizza, were our late night staples but they also have a good salad and soup. Entertainment: i am super relaxed on vacations but my husband is the opposite. He was in the foam parties (yes there were multiple), watching night shows (from our balcony, ultimate social distancing), and grabbing drinks from each bar. Alcohol: Bartenders are pretty well versed in drinks. Most of my drinks were good but I will say Secrets made better drinks. However, the altitude and lobby bar drinks were good but the pool swim up bar, for me, was a hit-and-miss. Club lounges: the preferred lounge at secrets was not open and this was disappointing. They say the rooftop area is the xhale club lounge but staff are not checking who is xhale or not; thus, anyone can essentially go up and use the pool, bar and restaurant. The beach: is broken up into sections. The breathless VIP beach is beautiful to look at and super calm because nothing is going on; not even music. It is well organized but the water itself is rocky and prevents you from swimming or wading. Secrets St, James (next door) was not open so we could not go on that beach. In order to get to the Secrets wild orchid beach, we had to walk all the way around (in the direction of the a la carte restaurants) or take a short cut through the bushes – no Bueno and very annoying. Sometimes we would take a golf cart back to breathless lobby. Secrets wild orchid has great beach sections. We took many pictures with the waves and the coves. The water was the perfect temperature and not many rocks in sight. In fact some areas had no rocks so entry was smooth. Multiple cabanas are available and social distancing is in effect. I didn’t see drink service at the beach but they may have it at the pool. All of our drinks were good. Pools: the main pool has 2 sections. The spot for most activities with a swim up bar and a smaller section in front of the dj booth. In the morning and mid-afternoon, the main pool was very calm and peaceful. By 3:00 pm the party starts – the foam parties. Music was always really good and versatile; Reggae ton, Reggae/Dancehall, Hip Hop, R&B, Soca etc. the pools attached to swim up rooms were beautiful but it never looked like guests were using them. The pool at secrets wild orchid is nice but the breathless pool is much nicer. Breathless also has 2 large Jacuzzis; a circular one attached to the main pool and a rectangular one near the lobby. Both Jacuzzis were nice. Excursions: our Air Canada representative was absent from our entire vacation. “Bubbles” did not greet us at the airport, meet us at the lobby or come see us off at check out. We NEVER met her. We called her from Whats app and sent her messages but there was no response. We were finally able to get a hold of her from the front desk phone. We just wanted to know our pick up time for the airport transfer. We thought about sailing out with the water sports staff but it just didn’t work out. Too much mixed up information that should have been clarified by our air Canada rep. Spa: hydrotherapy at the spa is currently unavailable so I did not see the point in getting a treatment. Also, spa services have been reduced to about 4 options – mostly massages. Weather: yes it did rain and sometimes it poured but the rain did not last long. It did not rain at dinner time and we rarely had to leave/find shelter. We knew the forecast was rain and very little sun but it was my birthday week so we took the chance. Grounds - this resort is beautiful, picturesque and manicured. There are hand sanitizing stations at every door entrance and elevator. There are also signs about wearing masks and social distancing. We had a good time and would not hesitate to return. We definitely enjoyed the Montego Bay vibe. sidenote: as soon as the butlers return, the spa restarts hydrotherapy and secrets st james opens - we will be back to this resort.

Booked RD Photography in Montego Bay, Jamaica to photograph my sister wedding day! Ranteen and his team made us feel so comfortable and you can just tell they are an expert at what they do! The resort was beautiful and peaceful; very clean environment. I would definitely be staying here on our next trip to Jamaica.

For those looking for all-inclusive: This hotel has resort fees spanning from $150 - $500 USD per-day per-person. It seems to vary by season. I don't know what it is for a traditional booking. It does give you access to its sister (Secret) hotels that are on either side of this resort. Gave it a 3 rating because of the daily fees.

Had a fun little four day getaway at Breathless. The resort is pretty new and spa-like. The pictures online represent the rooms quite well and the a/c is powerful which is a huge plus. One of the rooms we had did smell a bit musty but nothing too overpowering. The food was top notch- both the restaurants and the jerk cart. Room service is a bit spotty and can take a while. One thing to note is that the beach isn't great. They have a great pool but if you're a beach person, this may not be the resort for you.