RIU Palace Aquarelle

Beautiful Hotel, Stunning Beach & Excellent Food – But Definitely NOT for Those Seeking Peace and Quiet! We stayed at RIU Aquarelle in Trelawny, Jamaica, in October 2026 for 14 nights. Overall, it's a lovely hotel with a stunning beachfront location, excellent food and spacious accommodation. However, there is one significant downside that would prevent us from returning: the relentless noise and party atmosphere! I've broken our experience into sections to make it easier to skim, hopefully helping others decide whether this is the right hotel for them. 🏨 Hotel & Rooms Lovely first impressions, with a welcome drink on arrival and an attractive, modern hotel. The hotel is designed in a U-shape overlooking the Caribbean Sea, with beautiful ocean views. We upgraded to a full sea-view suite (room 503, top floor), and I'm so glad we did. The views were absolutely breathtaking. Having seen the positioning of some side sea-view rooms, I would definitely recommend paying the extra for a full sea view if your budget allows. The rooms are enormous, with exceptionally large, comfortable beds. There are some surprising signs of wear and tear considering how new the hotel is, but nothing that particularly bothered us. The minibar is stocked with vodka, gin, rum, whisky, and soft drinks, and replenished daily. 🌴 Beach & Pools The beach is absolutely stunning! Powdery white sand, crystal-clear turquoise water and a beautiful Caribbean coastline. The sea was wonderfully warm, even in October. We loved our morning walks along the beach towards the neighbouring Royalton resort. There are five pools, including a children's pool and a waterslide pool, so plenty of choice. Unfortunately, the main pool areas are dominated by extremely loud entertainment, which I'll explain further below. 🍽️ Food & Restaurants The buffet food is really very good. An enormous selection, excellent quality and plenty of variety throughout our stay. The main buffet restaurant overlooks the ocean, making breakfast particularly enjoyable. The à la carte restaurants offer good-quality food, although their menus are surprisingly limited. The steakhouse and Italian restaurant were particular favourites. The fillet steak is WOW! Restaurant booking tip: Reservations only become available the day before. Book as soon as they open, ideally just after midnight or early the following morning, as availability can disappear quickly. The 24-hour sports bar food was disappointing. The menu is very Americanised, and much of the food tasted reheated rather than freshly prepared. Room service is extremely poor for a hotel of this standard. The menu consists of approximately three sandwich options, a fruit platter and a couple of tiny desserts. We were genuinely astonished at how limited it was. 🍸 Bars & Atmosphere There are several attractive bars throughout the hotel. The Cappuccino coffee bar is fantastic, offering lovely cakes, sandwiches and coffees throughout the day. The reception area is beautifully designed, although the adjacent daiquiri bar & neighbouring cappuccino coffee stand layout feels slightly disjointed. There's very little atmosphere in the main lobby and coffee/bar areas, with no background music. A little soft music would make these spaces far more inviting. Staff were generally very friendly and welcoming. Occasionally, service felt a little mechanical, but overall we had positive experiences. 🎭 Evening Entertainment This was one of the biggest disappointments of our holiday. The Michael Jackson show was absolutely exceptional! Easily the best performance we saw, and so good that we intend to watch it again before leaving. The karaoke evening was hilarious and genuinely entertaining. Unfortunately, it only lasted around an hour. It would make a fantastic full evening's entertainment. Sadly, the remaining shows were extremely disappointing. The live bands were particularly poor, often involving shouting into microphones rather than enjoyable singing. Much of the music was heavily reggae-focused, which became extremely monotonous over a fortnight. The dance performances, while clearly involving talented individuals, often felt amateurish in their choreography and presentation. The hotel has excellent entertainment facilities, including two stages and plenty of theatre-style seating. It's a shame the performances don't consistently match the quality of the venue. For a 14-night holiday, we found remarkably little evening entertainment that we genuinely enjoyed. 🔊 THE BIGGEST ISSUE – CONSTANT, EXCESSIVE NOISE! Please read this section carefully if you're considering this hotel as a couple or looking for a relaxing Caribbean holiday. This is NOT a peaceful, relaxing resort. It is very much a party hotel. We specifically requested a quiet room away from the entertainment. Unfortunately, despite having a beautiful suite, escaping the noise was practically impossible. From approximately 11am, extremely loud music begins around the party pool and swim-up bars. The volume is excessive. We're not talking about pleasant background music; we're talking about thumping bass, relentless beats and DJs or entertainment staff shouting into microphones. The pool entertainment intensifies during the afternoon, often continuing until approximately 5.30–6pm. Foam parties and organised pool games add to the constant noise. Because of the hotel's U-shaped design, sound travels throughout the resort. Even inside our room, with the balcony doors shut and curtains closed, we could hear the constant pounding of music. Trying to enjoy an afternoon nap or simply relax in your room was virtually impossible. After a short break, entertainment starts again around 11pm near the beach, and the sound still carries across the hotel. The only place we found any meaningful escape was towards the far end of the beach. We're 44 and 53, and we're certainly not against people enjoying themselves! We love music, entertainment and a good atmosphere. But there should be a balance. The music could genuinely be played at a fraction of its current volume, allowing those who enjoy pool parties to have fun without disturbing everyone else. What disappointed us most was the complete lack of consideration for guests who want some peace and quiet. There simply isn't a designated tranquil area where you can escape the constant entertainment. If you enjoy drinking by the pool, foam parties, DJs and loud music throughout the day, you'll probably absolutely love this hotel. However, if you're a couple looking for a beautiful Caribbean resort where you can enjoy some entertainment but also retreat to a peaceful environment, I would strongly recommend considering somewhere else. Had we known just how noisy this hotel was, we would never have booked it. 🚕 Location & Excursions The hotel is located in Trelawny, which we actually preferred to the busier feel of Ocho Rios. The surrounding area is relatively isolated, so this isn't somewhere you can easily leave the resort and wander around shops, bars or restaurants. Martha Brae bamboo rafting and the Luminous Lagoon are relatively close by. Dunn's River Falls, Blue Hole and Mystic Mountain are further away in the Ocho Rios area, so transport costs can add up. If you're planning lots of excursions around Ocho Rios, it may be more convenient to stay there. We used an independent local driver called Chris, who was reliable, trustworthy and had a lovely, well-maintained, air-conditioned vehicle - he can be reached on whattsap on +1 (876) 365-7661. His prices were generally more competitive than resort excursions. We particularly enjoyed supporting a local business rather than booking everything through the hotel. ☀️ Visiting in October We were initially apprehensive about travelling during hurricane season, but the weather was fantastic! Beautiful hot temperatures throughout most of our stay. A little rain, mainly in the evenings, but nothing that significantly affected our holiday. The sea was incredibly warm. Personally, we found October more than hot enough and couldn't imagine visiting during even hotter conditions. Obviously, weather can vary, but based on our experience, I wouldn't hesitate to visit Jamaica in October again. ⭐ Overall Verdict RIU Aquarelle has so much going for it. The beachfront setting is spectacular, the food is excellent, the rooms are spacious, and the hotel itself is lovely. But the overwhelming party atmosphere and excessive noise completely spoiled what could otherwise have been a wonderful, relaxing Caribbean holiday. I genuinely think the hotel needs to consider guests who want something other than loud music and pool parties from morning until evening. Would we recommend it? Absolutely, if you're looking for a lively, party-focused all-inclusive resort. Would we return? Unfortunately not. We loved Jamaica and would happily return to the island, but next time we'd choose somewhere that offers a better balance between entertainment and relaxation.

Riu Aquarella Jamaica 🇯🇲 great holiday. Weather wonderfull later September, early October.The entertainment staff work so hard here working 12+ hours a day, I didn’t notice any days off, the constant energy and friendliness was constant .The bar staff are friendly. They have lovely servers walking around pool and beach area serving drinks. 🍸🍺🍹 We sat at the Marley adults pool with swim up bar. Good fun apart from the select few who had their own music blasting without consideration of others around them 😂 There is a big family pool and another swim up bar. Water park for the children. We had no problem booking in the specially restaurants, it was quiet time. The steak was really good but noticed the later we booked the chips and Mac cheese was barely warm. Asian was really good but the Italian wasn’t great . Krystal restaurant was beautiful inside and food also good. Italian wasn’t great it was a buffet starter and pasta heavy with powdered garlic 🧄 Buffet has a great selection of food. Jerk chicken hut was nice and sports bar is lovely air conditioning Beach nicer than I thought but you need beach shoes if you want to swim 🏊 there was seaweed about but not too bad. If you walk to the right by the blue tents the water is nicer. We are lucky to have travelled widely, I feel Jamaica 🇯🇲 is so beautiful. Absolutely no upset stomach which is unusual in an all inclusive resort. Food hygiene is good. I would 100% return Jamaican people will welcome you. So friendly. Rooms lovely and modern. Separate toilet which is good. Minibar is stocked daily and optics in your room. Coffee bar in reception is lovely it opens at 10am if you want coffee before,the sports bar will serve you. Use the Riu app for any housekeeping needed we had face clothes brought up within 10 minutes. Gym was adequate 3 running machines, 2 cross trainers and 2 bikes. Selection of weight machines and free weights. Water and seat towels provided. Don’t lose your Riu wrist band as it’s $250 to replace! I got a few bites think it was from the beach at dusk, not too bad though. They offer transportation to another Riu hotel on Saturday evening for either white or neon party . It’s over an hour each way so didn’t go. Shame it’s not in the hotel as not much going on at the hotel if you do t go. Visit Dunn’s river falls and blue hole. Ricks cafe is amazing fun in negril and 7 mile beach is beautiful 🤩 If you need to book a tour or airport pick up I would highly recommend Lyndon of purpose driven tours ‪+1 (876) 850‑5455‬ WhatsApp him, such a lovely guy . Great holiday 🇯🇲🌴🥥💕 YAH MAN 🌴🍹

🌴❤️ RIU PALACE AQUARELLE – JAMAICA 🇯🇲❤️🌴 I honestly don’t want to leave! 😭❤️ What an incredible experience we’ve had at RIU Palace Aquarelle. From the moment we arrived, we have felt so welcomed, looked after and genuinely treated like family. The buffet food is AMAZING! 🤤 There is such a huge variety of food and so many options that you really are spoilt for choice. Every day there has been something different to enjoy, and the quality has been fantastic. The à la carte restaurants are also brilliant, but I have to give a special shout-out to the Steakhouse 🥩❤️ — absolutely amazing! And honestly, the staff are what make this hotel so special. They work incredibly hard, yet they are always smiling, friendly and ready to make your day better. 🍹 Bar staff: A massive shout-out to Courtney, Edwards and Demarco. You guys have been fantastic and always made us feel so welcome! 🧹 Cleaning team: A special mention to Jarrett ❤️. We’ve had some great conversations, especially chatting about all the beautiful nature around the hotel. Those little conversations really made our stay even more memorable. And the room-cleaning team have been absolutely amazing — our room has always been beautifully looked after. 🎤 Entertainment team: Rooster and Richardo — you guys are absolute stars! 😂❤️ You bring such great energy and really help create the atmosphere around the resort. 🏖️ Pool & beach service: And my absolute favourite, Rose! 🌹❤️ What a lovely lady. Her service, personality and smile are everything. She deserves a HUGE shout-out! I also have to mention Lisa’s Bar across the road 🍹🇯🇲. It’s a great little spot for drinks, food and souvenirs, and everyone there made us feel so welcome. And a special thank you to Anderson Jamaican Tours and Courtney, who is Lisa’s husband, for providing us with 5-star travel experiences. From the trips to the service, everything was fantastic and made exploring Jamaica even more enjoyable. 🇯🇲❤️ Honestly, a massive BIG UP to every single member of staff at RIU Aquarelle. You work so hard, you are constantly smiling, and you genuinely make guests feel like part of the family. ❤️ This holiday has been everything I hoped for and more. The food, the entertainment, the beautiful surroundings, the service and most importantly the PEOPLE have made this such a special experience. I definitely WILL be coming back! 🥰🇯🇲❤️ I’m genuinely not ready to leave… 😭😭😭 RIU Aquarelle, you have been amazing. Thank you for making our Jamaican holiday so memorable. ❤️🇯🇲🌴 One Love ❤️🇯🇲

RIU Aquarelle is located in Falmouth Jamaica. Beach is lovely white sand. Lots of chairs, lots of shade, excellent servers serving drinks while you're at the beach. Fabulous. The sea here is very cloudy with sea weed and rocks, coral in the water which in my opinion is unacceptable and makes swimming here unpleasant. You must have water shoes if you go into the water at this resort. All Inclusive meal. The hotel has several a la carte restaurants, steakhouse, italian, fusion and asian. Each is open on a few days with limited hours. We arrived on a Tuesday and tried to get reservations for the Italian restaurant but they were only open Tuesday and Friday and we were unable to get a reservation. Frustrating. We ate at the buffet for every meal although they do have a beach restaurant serving jerk chicken and accompaniments. The buffet serves breakfast 7 am to 10:30, lunch 12 to 3 and dinner 6:30 to 10:30. Breakfast had various breads (bagels 2 of the 5 mornings we were there), fruit, juices, daily porridge, Jamaican food, carving station (ham), omelet station, fried egg station (where they also made basic omelets and cut them up), they had smoked salmon, cream cheese, various other cheeses, spreads, pancakes, french toast and waffles. Lunch was hot dogs, burgers, pizza, Jamaican food, Chinese food, salads, fruits, carving station with various meats changing daily, Jamaican patties and daily changing soups. Various pastries and fruits. If you want whole fruits collect them in the afternoon or evening as they do not put them out in the mornings. I had peaches, plums, apples, bananas and pears. Dinner was pretty much the same as lunch. Rooms We stayed in a swimout room on the ground floor. The room itself was lovely with comfortable king bed. Dresser with ample drawers, closet with safe and ample hangers. TV, Desk with chairs. We had a small loveseat. There was a fridge filled with beer, soft drinks (coke zero and coke), tonic water, and small and large bottles of drinking water. There are also full large 1 liter bottles of rum, gin, scotch and vodka that you can help yourself to free of charge. If you use them the housekeeping staff replaces what you use. The bathroom was a walkin shower with 2 sinks, hair dryer. The toilet however was in a different room down the hall (we didn't love this). Our patio was very large with 2 chairs a small table and 2 lounge chairs. The small pool at the end of the patio had 4 stairs to walk into it but was not large enough to actually swim. Just for dipping I guess. Not sure it was worth the extra cost. The last hotel I had with a swim up room led to an area which was large enough to actually swim. Coffee Bar - open 10 am to 9 pm There is a very nice coffee bar at this hotel located in the lobby which serves barista type drinks, flat white, cappuccino, espress, etc. They have a selection of pastries as well. We really love this addition to the hotel. Lobby Has reception area, large bar, plenty of comfortable seating. Sports Bar - open 24 hours Has hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, fries, lots of TV's showing all the sports, large bar serving barista coffee in the morning and drinks after 11 am. Entertainment We attended 2 shows. The latin show and the silver birds show. The silver birds steel drum show was very good. There are 2 bars in the entertainment area and they do have servers walking around serving drinks. They have entertainment staff at the beach and in the lobby, urging you to come to the evening shows. They also play and arrange volleyball and other games during the day. There are lots of activities going on during the day from early morning yoga, etc. We didn't partake of any of the activities. There are 4 various pools, 2 have swim up bars, all have chairs fashioned from mosaic tiles that allow you to get wet while in the sun. There is also a large water park at this hotel featuring slides for children and adults. We did not go into the water park.

We had a lovely stay at Riu Palace Aquarelle overall. The hotel is beautiful, the rooms are modern and well presented, the minibar is well stocked, and the restaurants are very nice with staff who are generally accommodating. The sports bar was also a great space. There were, however, a few things that stopped it feeling truly five-star for us. It was our anniversary and we had been promised a bottle of champagne and chocolates, but unfortunately these never arrived, which was a disappointing start to the day. The medical centre also felt quite basic and could be better equipped and more welcoming, particularly when it comes to basic first-aid items. The rooms look lovely but are quite basic in terms of amenities — no robes, cotton pads or other bathroom extras, although the shampoo, conditioner and shower gel were good. We also found the area quite expensive to get around, with taxis being particularly costly. The on-site shop is very expensive too, and the additional tax at the till should be made clearer. Most of the bar staff were wonderful, although a few were quite forceful about tips, which was uncomfortable. The hotel could also benefit from a quieter lounge-style bar for guests wanting a more relaxed atmosphere. Some of the pool areas and evening entertainment could be quite loud, and unfortunately arguments and disruptive behaviour from some guests took away from the luxury atmosphere. As this is marketed as a family luxury resort, I also think the dress code should be enforced more consistently, particularly in the buffet and restaurants. Overall, we had a great holiday and Jamaica itself was absolutely beautiful. With a few improvements to the service, amenities, guest behaviour standards and value for money, I think Riu Palace Aquarelle could be an exceptional resort.