Riu Palace Tropical Bay

We stayed as a family of 6 at this lovely and welcoming hotel. Check-in was straightforward and we were greeted with a lovely rum punch. Rooms were always spotlessly clean and the mini bar was always topped up. You can use the RIU app to ask for more room items and even room service. The App can also be used to book one of the four à la carte restaurants or transport to the sister hotel for the party nights. We ate at the Italian, Steak House and Japanese. Service at all 3 was good and the food was nice. However, we preferred the buffet where the food was so varied and plentiful. Jamaican food, Asian food, various European food and a whole host of others were all available. The staff at the buffet were superb - friendly and attentive. Andre in the middle section was superb during dinner service and the ladies inside the buffet were so lovely and helpful (inc. Denise, Dianne, Yonesha). I was even shown how to eat jackfruit the right way which I was very grateful for! There are several pools which are cleaned on a daily basis and the water was always very nice. We mainly hung out at the family pool but sometimes ventured over to the activity pool for games and the weekly foam party. On occasion we went into the adult pool where the afternoon games and quizzes were held. Our feedback here would be that it was slightly unfair on the kids / parents with kids who couldn’t go into the adult pool so couldn’t really enjoy the afternoon pool entertainment. Perhaps the hotel could suspend the adult pool rules whilst games and entertainment are in play in the adult pool? The beach was beautiful, as was the ocean, and the staff are continually making it as clean as possible. The same could also be said for the pool area and, in fact, every other space in the hotel. The staff work so hard and we’re always so friendly. My one gripe is more about some of the guests who chose to leave their glasses, cups, litter and empty plates around the pool and on the beach despite their being plenty of stations where empties can be left. Perhaps the signage could be more clear but that’s on the guests being lazy and entitled rather than doing their bit to help keep the hotel clean and help the staff out a little. The grounds generally were beautifully kept and the staff, all over the hotel, were so friendly and courteous. The lobby area was nice and chilled and the bar / coffee shop were well air conditioned and well stocked. The shop was also well stocked if a little over-priced. The entertainment and entertainment team were brilliant and kept the guests engaged and upbeat throughout our stay; and you can tell how much effort goes into the programme they put on for the hotel guests. We particularly enjoyed the beach parties, party nights and the Jamaican steel band, The Silver Wings! The gym was open 24 hours which I appreciated being a very early bird and the towels were always well stocked. The gym was generally very clean and the equipment was pretty decent for a hotel gym. Again, my main gripe would be about guests not returning weights or leaving equipment strewn over the floor. That is simply poor gym etiquette and perhaps the hotel should consider additional signage or having the area occasionally supervised to remind guests about gym standards for health and safety reasons. However, this was more about the guests and not the hotel. Overall, this was easily one of the best Riu’s we’ve ever visited and had an amazing 2 weeks there. I would not hesitate to return.

We had a wonderful time!! Only complaint would be the bed is hard and some bugs. However, it's a tropical island, it's going to happen. When we did address the issue, it was resolved immediately, we were on the first floor. The buffet was amazing, Ive never seen an assortment of food ever, supper was favorite!!!!!!! The rooms were always clean, and linens and bed sheets always smelled great. We met some amazing people here along with some locals. We did Ricks Cafe and never again.... seen an accident and will never plan to go again. The beach is perfect, the vendors are pushy, but we just tell them no and move on. Great place to visit and we will be back!!

We recently stayed at Hotel Riu Palace Tropical Bay in Negril, Jamaica for one week and paid close to $6,000 for two adults and one child. While we had a wonderful vacation overall, we felt the resort didn't quite live up to the price. The beach is absolutely five stars. It's beautiful, clean, and by far the highlight of the resort. We also loved our oceanfront suite. We stayed on the first floor in the building farthest from the lobby. Although it was a bit of a walk, the view was incredible, and we appreciated not having to climb stairs. The room itself was clean but fairly average, so I'd rate it 3 out of 5 stars. One of our biggest frustrations was the towel system. Each guest is given only one beach towel, and if you want a fresh one, you have to walk all the way from the beach to the towel station near the pool to exchange it. It rained almost every afternoon during our stay, so our towels were soaked daily. For a resort at this price point, unlimited towels or an additional towel station closer to the beach would make a huge difference. The food was another disappointment. We're not picky eaters, but the buffet became repetitive very quickly. Breakfast was essentially the same every morning—eggs, sausage, and similar items at multiple stations. Lunch and dinner also lacked variety, and some dishes didn't seem very fresh. Making reservations for the steakhouse was frustrating. Reservations could only be made three days in advance, same-day reservations were never available, and the available times were usually either 6:30 p.m. or 8:30 p.m., which wasn't ideal while traveling with a child. Unfortunately, the steak itself was tough and difficult to eat. On the positive side, the Italian restaurant was excellent and ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip. The drinks were consistently good, but the service near the adults-only pool bar depended entirely on who was working. Some bartenders and servers were friendly and attentive, while others left us waiting 10–15 minutes before even asking what we'd like to drink. We tipped for every round, but it didn't seem to improve the consistency of the service. A few things future guests should know: The drive from Montego Bay Airport takes about 1½ to 2 hours, and the roads can feel rough and somewhat unsafe, so be prepared. If you're using the AMEX Platinum lounge at the airport in Montego Bay, drinks are served by staff—you can't help yourself. Service can be slow, and the food selection is fairly limited. Overall, we had a great vacation because the beach was stunning, the weather was beautiful, and our oceanfront view was amazing. However, for the amount we paid, we expected better food, more convenient amenities, and more consistent service. I'd rate the beach 5/5, the hotel and rooms 3/5, and the overall experience 3.5/5. I also want to give a special thank you to the kids club staff: Ms. Samoy and Ms. Sandy! We left our daughter there for a couple of hours on a few occasions during our stay, and the staff was very friendly, welcoming, and professional. P. S. We saw a cockroach in the buffet area on one occasion and also found a cockroach in our room once.

Myself & my friend visited Jamaica mid April for 12 nights, we are from the UK & booked via TUI. We are both 22 & only the being 2 of us, still very safe. We also used Eazy Breezy Tours, who transported us to & from the airport, safely & reliabley. The service are tropical bay was incredible, the staff couldn’t do anymore for you, you are offered drinks as soon as you arrive, with a ‘bell boy’ then transporting your luggage to your room for you. The rooms were huge & had so much storage aswell as a safe included & an iron & ironing board, all drinks were restocked in the mini fridge in the room, everyday. The cleaners were amazing, changed sheets everyday aswell as spotless rooms, the aircon worked perfectly. There 2 pools & a baby pool, but the beach is out of this world, many sunbeds around the beach & pool area. The drinks were absolutely amazing, the staff took time to remember your preferences. There is no pressure in tipping, we tipped the cleaners $1-3 dollars each day because they were sooo good, when on the beach & round the pool waiting staff bring your drinks to you, we would often tip a dollar, but it does not effect the service when the do not. The jerk chicken hut is a must!!! That is amazing. There are catamaran cruise excursions available onsite, they accept US dollars only for those trips, highly recommended. There are multiple on site restaurants which must be reserved via the Riu app. The breakfast selections were amazing! Very tasty, however the evening meal selection was not as tasty, however it didn’t ruin the most amazing holiday. It is so worth it & you will not regret a thing. There are beach vendors for all different needs, however they don’t hound you, there are the beach selling tents a few hundred yards down from the hotel beach which were great! The on site shop is very expensive as expected, so I would advise to take plenty of snacks, smoking materials etc.

First impression is the hotel looks tired, as tired as you feel after traveling from the UK, taking 2 hours to get through Sangster Airport, and 2 more hours of neck jerking bouncy road driving to reach your destination- the Riu tropical palace. The staff are friendly, like amazingly friendly, all around the hotel, from cleaner to waiter, it’s great- except the ones that aren’t so friendly/customer oriented, really stick out like the bar man you told me I too slow deciding what I want for my drink after ordering the families drink, or the water sports women who offer no help even if opening time before opening time. The rooms, when you reach your tired room with your weary first day been awake close to 24 hours head you’ll notice a room with barely enough pillows for the beds you have, you think the rooms are spacious, they appear spacious yet they are also so very cramped, when you cases arrive and there isn’t actually any space to store them or their contents, The air conditioning seems not to be able to be controlled, it’s on and freezing or off and boiling, the air conditioning doesn’t apply to or work in the bathroom either, and our showers main head won’t stay on without you holding a button. If like us you have a family room don’t expect any privacy or a chance of intimacy with your spouse as the room could not be designed to be more open, less private space than it is, also the resort is in no way designed for kids yet they allow you to bring them, it’s very bizarre, like Riu encourage them to be here, and make them welcome with a slide into splash pool or something or call it adults only. Other big players such as palladium group make kids of all ages feel welcome on their properties in a similar price and class range . Also were on the 3rd floor and our balcony has no cover so when it rains anything on there will get soaked, and being tropical it will rain. Food and drink: Buffets seem fine, yet when you get in to it, it’s actually dreary greasy boring food with the occasional bit of sparkle, breakfast again same as any all inclusive hotel 2 star up- but not a real 5 star resort like it pretends, no egg station to have your eggs cooked exactly how you want, or even just a simple to order menu for breakfast, like we have had in 4 star resorts in Europe. Drinks- why have branded spirits if you’ve told your bar staff not to use or offer them, I don’t want to ask for a nice spirit when you want to serve rubbish once you ask for it appears to be a chore, for the bar staff, very odd. Had similar in higher Greek resorts. There are enough Sun loungers for people, yet no umbrellas on the beach so expect an early fight if you want some near a palm tree for some shade. The beach is very nice and clean, as are the pool areas, just feel a bit dated with plastic furniture which many resorts are moving away from. More on the beach, the water is so warm, the sand so soft, the depth of water very safe, we think it might be warmer water than in the Maldives, but the snorkelling is a little disappointing. The beach sellers become a chore too, they are walking up and down all day long and they don’t seem to stop trying to sell- I get it, but also I want some peace on the beach, as I’m holiday to unwind. Don’t know what else to say, some people seem to love it here and come back year after year, I suppose at one point it was class leading, now to us it just feels outdated and outclassed by many other brands in this “high end” space. Remember it’s big money to travel to places here so look at the reviews for many of its rivals carefully, and skip the ones that just say we’ve been coming here for 13 years it’s lovely- we say the worlds a big place, see more of it. Anyway, we have few days left, and still no intimate moments with the missus on the horizon, as I still can’t believe a room is designed so open with no privacy yet so cramped. The resort is pretty quiet actually which is nice but a road to back of the hotel has some random cars race down it at pretty much anytime, and the hotel room doors do not stop that car/motorbike waking you up. Also there is a little airstrip out the back but the flights are infrequent and in the day only so very little disturbance from that. Hope you like my honest review, it’s not a bad place, it’s just not anything amazing either, especially for how much you have to pay for the privilege.