Riu Palace Tropical Bay

We’ve just returned from a fantastic stay at Riu Palace Tropical Bay in Jamaica, and we honestly had such a wonderful holiday. From the beautiful beaches to the immaculate grounds and the incredibly friendly staff, there was so much to love.

The beach is absolutely beautiful, and the whole resort is set in stunning, well-maintained grounds. Our room was clean and comfortable, and everywhere we went, the resort was kept beautifully.

The food was great, with several restaurants offering a really good selection of hot, tasty food. The steakhouse was definitely our favourite — although it can get quite hot in there! Our only criticism would be the dinner sitting times of 6:30pm and 8:15pm. We would have preferred a little more flexibility rather than having to choose between two set times.

However, what really made our holiday were the entertainment team. They worked incredibly hard and brought so much fun, energy and positivity to the resort every day. Zeus, O’Shane, Reena, Advance, Trixx, Sanya, and Spotlight (to name a few) were all absolutely amazing and extremely talented dancers. They genuinely made our holiday special, and their enthusiasm never seemed to stop.

A special mention also has to go to Kevin from Scuba Caribe. He was so lovely and helpful, and we would definitely recommend booking your trips with him.

Collette in the dining area and her girls were fantastic too. They were so attentive at breakfast and lunch and always made us feel welcome.

We also have to mention King Bevan and Marlene, who were brilliant behind the bar, along with all the staff around the bar opposite the beach. They were always happy, friendly and fun, and their positive attitudes really added to the atmosphere.

And a big shout-out to Devin, the evening entertainment barman, who was absolutely fab! We honestly never had an empty glass when Devin was around — he was always on the ball and made sure everyone was looked after.

One of the most memorable moments of our holiday happened thanks to Angela Hart, the masseuse on the beach. My daughter stood on a wasp and Angela kindly helped her by removing the sting and then even gave her a foot massage simply out of kindness. That really touched us. Her massage prices are also extremely reasonable, and we would absolutely recommend her if you’re looking for a massage while staying at the resort.

We made sure to show our appreciation to the staff with tips throughout our stay, as they genuinely deserved it. In all honesty, though, every one of these amazing people deserves a pay rise! They work so incredibly hard and go above and beyond every day to make guests happy.

Overall, the staff are what make this resort so special. Every single person works incredibly hard, yet their positivity, kindness and warmth feel completely genuine. Take the time to stop and chat to them and ask about their lives — many of them have incredibly inspiring stories.

We would definitely return to Riu Palace Tropical Bay. Beautiful surroundings, great food, amazing entertainment and, most importantly, wonderful people who genuinely care about making your holiday special.

Thank you to everyone who made our stay so memorable. 🇯🇲❤️

Do not go if you have food allergies, or Coeliac. Food all contaminated, as tongs used for everything. Bacon on Bread at breakfast contaminating it. Chef said RIU would not buy gluten-free flour to make things as its too expensive. Although 5 star and we paid for this. No fresh options, as any option (please see photo) came out of a freezer, warm on outside and still frozen in middle. Staff not educated in food allergies and said things were ok to eat that contained allergy ingredients. Pools cramped and small, only big enough for the guests at hotel. Location on lovely sandy beach. Atmosphere noisy, party busy, adults entertainment, not relaxing or for families. One game included couples and sexual positions with a balloon, straight after Children entertainment, before main show at 8.30pm. Rooms, spacious, however dangerous, safety issue as had water pouring through light fitting in bathroom. Not fixed, as we were told it was a too large job for them to do, we said 12 days with this dangerous situation. Value, expensive for quality of food, small steak, limited sea food. Same deserts, No themed / different buffets. Cleanliness, very good throughout, apart from all toilets. 3 out if 4 toilets did not lock. Service, poor, everything laid back and said things were done on App when they weren't.