Azul Beach Resort Negril by Karisma

We booked 2 nights at Azul via one of their official booking partners Agoda.

The rate was very good but not unbelievable, I carried out due diligence to make sure it was legitimate, including calling the hotel to make sure they used Agoda and that suitable rooms were available.

When we arrived at the hotel, the hotel said that they did not have a booking for us on their system.

Despite providing a copy of the Agoda invoice and receipt for payment, evidence of the payment on my credit card statement and showing the booking within the Agoda app, hotel staff refused to honour the booking and allow entry, leaving us stranded.

After contacting Agoda to confirm the booking, we understand they attempted to contact the hotel several times to confirm the booking. Staff informed us this would be futile as their reservations department was closed.

Staff watched on as we attempted to resolve with Agoda but demonstrated indifference, suspicion and disinterest. Further information was sent to us by Agoda and shared but the hotel continued to refuse entry.

My wife is severely disabled and a wheelchair user and we were left to sit in the lobby for two hours with little or no offers of any support or hospitality. No support was offered to provide a dignified wait. However, I was asked by staff to park our car on the road outside the hotel grounds.

After two hours of attempting to resolve with Agoda, Agoda agreed to cancel as they could not contact the hotel. At this point hotel staff offered for us to rebook the rooms at much higher walk in rates than we had previously booked, almost double the cost. This was framed as a gesture of good will.

We declined this less than generous offer and had no other choice but to leave and find somewhere else to stay at 8pm at night.

The experience was further compounded when we complained to Karisma and the hotel.

We were accused of falling for a scam, providing false documentation and told a booking had never been made.

Their rushed internal investigation also reported of their generous hospitality and attempts to support and the offer of a vastly reduced rate that was different to the one actually offered. Karisma and Azul did not apologise or concede any responsibility at any point

After speaking to Agoda, they reported that the hotel had breached their partner agreement and should have allowed us to stay based on the information that we provided. Agoda explained that the booking can take 24 hours to show and staff should have been aware of this. Agoda also reported that the hotel have been penalised for breaching their contract.

Agoda have confirmed 100% that a booking was in place and any suggestions by the hotel that the booking was non-existent is a fabrication. Evidence has been provided to Karisma to show that the booking was real.

I also understand that the hotel may have ignored legal obligations they had to support us, leaving us stranded and scrambling to find our own accommodation late at night, regardless of the fact we had our own vehicle.

This was a total communication breakdown in systems between their partner and booking system but they made it our problem and left us stranded.

Luckily, we were able to locate suitable alternative accommodation that met some of my wife's needs, visitors from abroad may not be so lucky.

Why don't you make it up to date all the room, bathrom...people like me work hard all year..for the best ...food as to have the best cheft....just like PUNTA CANA...please don't want to go back....but I don't have a choice...you have the drease place...make it ...that want to come back...

🌴☀️ Back from Azul Negril… and already missing Jamaica! 🇯🇲❤️

We absolutely LOVED our vacation at Azul Negril! The beach, the water, the food, the drinks… honestly, Jamaica treated us very well! 😎🌴

💎 The water was absolutely crystal clear! We were lucky because our side of the resort had what we thought was the nicest beach and the most beautiful water. Every morning around 9:30, we would see stingrays, and one morning we even had a really cool close-up encounter with a spotted stingray while swimming. 🐠🩵 Definitely not something you see every day!

🏨 Our room was clean and comfortable, and there was coffee in the room, which is always a big plus! ☕️ There are also two coffee shops and several outdoor bars, so you’re never too far from a drink or a caffeine fix! 😂

🌊 One of the biggest pluses for us is that every room has an ocean view, and the beach is literally just a few steps away. You really feel like you’re on the beach all day long! 🩵🌴

🍽️ The food was excellent! We especially loved the Italian and Jamaican restaurants, and the fish was consistently delicious. One little tip: if you don’t want to wait too long, go before 7 PM, otherwise there can be a bit of a wait. Plenty of variety, and we definitely did not leave Jamaica hungry! 😂

🍷 The drinks were also great, with lots of choices and good-quality alcohol. Even the Chardonnay and sparkling wine were really good! 🥂😋

🧴 Plenty of towels and chairs every morning, super sweet and friendly staff, and surprisingly… we didn’t even use our mosquito repellent! 🙌

✈️ A little airport tip when you arrive: Immigration was surprisingly FAST! We were out of the airport in about 30 minutes. 🇯🇲👏 They have basically the same type of computer/kiosk system as in Canada, which made everything very easy.

BUT… then we waited about 1½ hours for the rest of the people to arrive for the bus. 😂 We honestly have no idea what took everyone so long!

So guys, if you’re taking the transfer bus, please don’t go grab a beer, get a taxi or disappear without telling your representative. They are actually waiting for you! 😂🍺🚌

🐬 We also did the excursion to Rick’s Café, with snorkeling and sunset, and it was a really fun day! We never actually saw our Air Transat representative during the week, so we booked the excursion through Sunwing at the resort.

💰 They initially quoted us $90 US per person, but we managed to negotiate it down to $80 US. So don’t be afraid to ask! 😉😂

If you do this excursion, definitely bring water shoes, because some areas can be rocky. And keep your eyes open… we even saw dolphins! 🐬😍

🤿 Our absolute favorite part was snorkeling inside the cave. That was such a cool experience! If you have your own snorkeling gear, I’d recommend bringing it. Otherwise, they provide a mask, snorkel and life jacket — but no fins, so bring your own if you prefer using them.

🌸 And finally, one of those little moments that makes a vacation special…

On our last morning, our lovely breakfast server surprised us by making a beautiful little “Safe Travel” message with flowers on our table. 🥹🌸❤️ Such a sweet and thoughtful gesture, and definitely something we’ll remember!

😂 Now, the one funny-but-not-so-funny thing to be aware of on the beach…

There is one particular vendor, a small and thin guy, who approaches couples saying:

“One Love, One World, Respect.” 🇯🇲❤️

Well… the “respect” part didn’t last very long! 😂

Before you even have time to process what is happening, he puts a bracelet on your wrist WITHOUT asking.

Then comes the plot twist:

💬 “I have a gift for you.” 📿 Bracelet magically appears on your wrist… 💬 “You owe me $5 US.” 😳😂

And if you refuse… apparently you have just been promoted to “cheap French Canadian” of the day! 🤣

So… One Love, One World, Respect… but apparently only if you pay $5! 😂🇯🇲

Honestly, he was the only person during our entire vacation who made us feel uncomfortable.

The other beach vendors do stop to ask if you want something, and if you say no, they usually move on. They can sometimes be a little annoying because you see them every single day, but nothing like this guy! 😂

So just be aware if you see him coming… maybe admire the bracelet from a safe distance! 📿🤣

Aside from that little beach episode, Azul Negril was fantastic and we had an amazing vacation! 🌴🌊☀️🇯🇲❤️