Riu Palace Aquarelle

Our stay at this hotel was not what we expected. We stayed at the hotel for 9 days and 8 nights. Everything is very early, including meal times, events, and activities. Breakfast started at 7:00 a.m. and ended at 10:00 a.m., and dinner started at 6:00 p.m. and ended at 9:00 p.m. These schedules should be different because, as a family, we are looking to relax and enjoy ourselves, not always be on time and rush to have breakfast or dinner. This caused us stress and poor treatment from the staff because we always went at the last available time, and the employees treated us very badly and disrespected us simply because they wanted to leave as early as possible. This should never happen, because in a hotel of this category, guests should always be treated with respect, and their schedule decisions should be respected. We were never able to watch a complete show because they started at 9:30 p.m., and we were having dinner at that time. On our second-to-last night, we went to the Asian restaurant. First, they did not want to give us a table because the manager of that restaurant said that the whole family had to be there. This should not happen because I am enjoying my vacation, I am outside my country looking to have a good time, and I am not looking to follow any schedule, but simply to have a good experience. After waiting 10 minutes, they gave us a table. The waiter who served us disrespected me because I was the one ordering the food, and he did not let me decide how to do it or how to order it. After that, he served the food angrily and threw the plates down in a very bad manner. Waiters should be very respectful to their customers and should follow the guest’s requests regarding the food. Finally, when we finished eating the appetizers and main courses, we wanted to have dessert, and he lied to us. He told us that he was going to ask the kitchen and that they were going to prepare it. We waited for half an hour, and I asked him if they were going to give us the dessert, and he told me no. This made my family and me very angry because he was dishonest and treated us badly, and we felt deceived by this waiter. In my opinion, the hotel should take serious measures regarding the staff and the service they are providing to their customers, because they do not know how to treat guests and they do it with disrespect and a bad attitude. On the other hand, we also had very bad experiences with the activities outside the hotel. In Jamaica, taxi transportation is very expensive. A 20-minute ride costs $120 dollars. Taxi drivers and car services try to take advantage of tourists. You should always ask the price before getting into a taxi or van. It is a country where prices are negotiated. As a family, we did not do many excursions, only the Luminous Lagoon excursion, which was very good and fun. We booked it through Booking and got a reasonable price of $50 dollars per person. On our first transportation ride around the country, we were overcharged because they charged us more than what the ride actually costs. On the fifth night of our hotel stay, our room was not cleaned. We had to go to the front desk and ask five times for them to clean our room. This cannot happen because hotels of this category should have services available to guests 24 hours a day. At the “Splash Water World” water slide park, we had an accident with my youngest daughter. My daughter went down one of the water slides and, when she fell into the water, she stayed in the pool for a few more seconds without leaving the area where people land after going down the slide. Then, a boy went down and hit my daughter very hard on the head. I asked this boy why he had gone down, since there was a lifeguard indicating when people should go down the slide, and he told me that the lifeguard had left and that he went down without realizing that my daughter was there. This should never happen. The lifeguard should never leave his position, and if he has to leave because of an emergency, the water slides should be closed until he returns. As happened to my daughter, this could happen to anyone. The hotel should take measures regarding the water slides because a much more serious accident could occur. At the beach, we were denied umbrellas because every time we asked the lifeguards, they told us there were none available, and then we would see them giving umbrellas to other tourists. This is discrimination and favoritism toward other guests. This should not happen because I am paying the same amount as those people, and we have the right to have an umbrella. The service for renting equipment to use in the sea, such as kayaks and boards, is very poorly organized. To rent one of these items, you have to complete a form, wait for the receptionist to receive the form you completed, then they have to give you some kind of ticket, and finally you have to see if someone is using the equipment. In addition, they do not have many kayaks, boards, etc. Renting a kayak, for example, should be something simple: you go there, they write down your room number, and they give you the water equipment so you can enjoy it for a while. Finally, at this hotel, only English is spoken. For tourists who do not speak English, it is extremely difficult to communicate because they do not understand the activities, they cannot order food or services, and they are not understood. The hotel should have most of its employees be bilingual, or at least have employees who speak another language and not only English. In conclusion, our experience at this hotel was far below what we expected. The problems with the schedules, staff treatment, cleanliness, safety, and organization made our vacation more stressful than it should have been. We hope that the hotel takes measures to improve these aspects and provide its guests with a service that matches the category of the hotel and the price they charge.

What a great week at Hotel Riu Palace Aquarelle. I visited August 3-7, 2026. This busy family resort is a 30 min ride from the Montego Bay airport. The quick in process was quick and easy. ROOM - My ocean view king room (622) was spacious and clean. I think all the rooms faced the ocean. The mini fridge was stocked with water, sodas and beer. FOOD - There are plenty of food options. White Bay buffet, the kids favorite spot, was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We also dined at two of the specialty restaurants, Kyoto - Asian and Napoli - Italian. I enjoyed them all. The specialty restaurants require reservations which can be reserved 24 hrs in advance via the Riu app. GROUNDS - The grounds are beautifully maintained, featuring, three pools, a kiddie splashpad and water slides. The beach has plenty of seating, crystal clear water and absolutely NO seaweed! The ocean breeze is EVERYTHING! ATMOSPERE - The atmosphere was very festive as they were celebrating Jamaica's Independence Day. Each pool had a different vibe, quiet, adults only or the main pool. We didn't have any difficulties finding a spot. The main stage started the evenings with interactive activities which kept you entertained until the nightly main events. STAFF - A massive shoutout to the HARD WORKING staff; from the lobby to the beach everyone I encountered was pleasant and helpful. The cleanliness - even the pool restrooms were pleasant. There was plenty of everything - towels, chairs and of course drinks! I was sure to show my appreciation as I realize the staff may still be recovering from Hurricane Melissa. I enjoyed my stay and would definitely recommend this resort.