Jewel Grande Montego Bay

I just had to post about our recent stay - April 25 to May 2nd. In a word it was perfection! The resort is beautiful, the food delicious and we had a wonderful time! We went to celebrate our 25th anniversary, and included our teenage daughter with us. This resort is perfect for families, and what initially attracted me to it was the option for separate bedrooms. We even had 3 bathrooms in our unit, so that was great! The rooms/decor are a little worn in places, our couch was very hard to sit in, and i don’t know if it is a pull out for a bed, but it might not be comfortable - but really what pull out is? But still, I found the room very nice and upscale. They are doing updates and even in the lobby you see work being done to the place to update and keep fresh. The beds and pillows are comfortable. Towels were plush. It was nice having a large fridge, and it was stocked daily with pops, waters, juice and beers. We were on the 9th floor of building B - at first I was worried with all the past negative reviews about water issues etc….. but we had zero issues, and that building is quite lovely. We did have a butler and Denton and Aston were amazing, coordinating dinning reservations and taxi to see sights etc….. they were attentive to ensure that everyday we had a plan for the day and were good for food/drinks. They even decorated our room to celebrate our special day. The gardens are beautiful and we loved walking throughout the resort. Really it is the people that work here that make this resort what it is. From Vernon, who is the first person to greet us off the bus, with the biggest, warmest smile, to the wait staff at breakfast - Chantel and Gavin - always making sure I had my feed of fresh mangos everyday. Gary at the Lobby bar - he makes the best martinis - ask for the Side Car - so good! Old Fashioned - also primo at this location. The Hibachi was so much fun! The steak house honestly was some of the best steak and ribs i have ever had. The lasagna at the Italian restaurant is to die for! Loretta at the spa did braids for my daughter, and she went out of her way to make her feel special. The spa is expensive, but I think all resort spas are, they do try to drum up business, but are not pushy, which I appreciate. The coffee here is amazing and I think in every building they have a coffee shop in the lobby, and they will make you anything.. WE loved having morning coffee on the balcony. The Frappuccinos rival Starbucks they are so good, and the ice cream at the shop near the buffet was so yummy and is not to be missed. The Buffet had such a good selection for meals, and we never felt lacking in anything. The food was delicious. The omelet bar is great, but I have to say I was most impressed with the selection of fresh fruits and vegetables everyday. They do have a soft serve ice cream machine, near the activity pool bar, nice for a treat. I loved that everywhere there was the option to dine outside, the weather was gorgeous, so why not enjoy the weather. I will say the AC in the restaurants is not “cold” - it just takes the edge off the heat, so if you are looking for a meat locker, it is not that cold. But the AC in our room was great and very comfortable. The nightly entertainment was lovely - the one night they had a gentleman playing the saxophone - he was so talented. The dance troop that performs every night deserves a lot of credit, they are very entertaining, and my daughter didn’t want to miss any of the shows. Also, the one night they had a chocolate buffet, that was fun. The activities - if you want to be busy are great - and the staff really try to get everyone involved. The one thing is the activity pool lacks shade. But I did enjoy the water aerobics, dance classes etc…. All fun. The other pool has shade, but is cooler - but we are Canadians, so i have been in colder. The beach water sports staff are also excellent. Claude took us on a catamaran ride and it was a highlight. Some days the current had a red flag up, so visibility wasn’t clear, but some days you could see fish swimming around your feet when you went in the ocean! So cool! Yes the seaweed is a problem, but the staff are diligent in trying to rake and remove it. We always found huts or loungers available - although we were not there at peak season, so availability might be an issue then. Also, there were staff coming around to take drink orders on the beach. The resort allows some local vendors to come and set up tables near the beach - they sold some lovely things, jewelry and handicraft items. I liked that we could buy some souvenirs other than the gift shop. We went off site to have family beach photos taken - andradephotography.com - Andrade is wonderful and professional to work with and highly recommend. That was a highlight of our vacation. We will defiantly return to this resort, in our opinion the food was so good and service excellent, we had the most amazing time and rest, why go any where else? I will say though - if you do not like stairs, this might not be the resort for you, we found a lot of walking, but we don’t mind that, so it was not an issue for us, but I would be concerned if you had mobility issues or using a stroller, to get around here, might not be as easy as you think. That is the only warning I would have you consider about this resort. Read less

staff and food were great,we loved being able to just pick and walk into the restaurants with out reservations.(all but asian) rooms were large and comfy,building c is very loud at night as that is where the action is on the deck.the biggest complaint we had was lack of quality alcohol,nothing high end and the poor bartenders had no garnishes to make proper drinks. but over all a great 5 day 5-7 to 5-11 Read less

I don't know where to even begin to state the wonderful time that we had 2 weeks ago at the Jewel Grande. Every single person that works there goes out of their way to make sure that every moment of every day is a day spent in paradise. Food--We ate at every restaurant. Although we wanted to always try the desserts, at the end of each meal we were always too full and had to forgo the treat. Here is our take on the food: Moonstone (Italian)-Had the risotto and snapper. Both very good. Pierside (Asian)--We were lucky enough to dine here twice--one in the ala carte side and the other at the hibachi (need reservations for this--Book as soon as you arrive). The ala carte was great, but the hibachi was amazing. Couldn't finish all that was made. The entertainment of the server was spectacular. He made it a lot of fun. Orchids (Buffet)--Had breakfast here each morning, one lunch and one dinner. All of the food is hot and flavorful. Waves (International)--The most classy of restaurants. Food was great. Probably one of our favorites (outside of the hibachi). The Sugar Cane--A great place for a quick coffee, smoothie and small bites. JERK CHICKEN ON THE BEACH (served every day beginning at 11:30)--The BEST jerk chicken ever. We could not get enough of it. Had it everyday around 2:00. Get the extra sauce and bun served with it. Don't forget to take some of his napkins as you will need them :-) Bars: (When you read about heavy pours, they are not kidding). The Lobby Bar--The best bar. See Gary and you can't go wrong. Swim up bar--We only went once, but it was good as well. Overall: We did not do any of the activities. We did do the catamaran and it was a blast. Bring towels only if you plan to snorkel (included). Only downside for us (may not be an issue for you): I will caution that there are a LOT of stairs in the resort. We were in building A and there is nothing in building A except rooms. Building B and C (the newest building) have bars and restaurants. There was nowhere we could go that did not involve climbing several flights of stairs. The beach is great. It could be just the time of the year that we went (late April), but very little seaweed (staff pulled out what they are able to each morning to get rid of it). Large area to swim or get some sun. We would go back to this resort in a heartbeat. The main thing that makes this place so amazing is the staff. They could not be any more sweet or friendly than they were. Bring some singles and 5s as you will want to give tips often for the service that you receive. Before we left, we looked at the weather for the 7 days that we would be there. It showed 80% rain each day and we were panicked. It turns out it only rained 2 times and both were at night when we were asleep. Bring lots of sunscreen. You will need it. Put it on right away as the Jamaican sun will burn you quickly. (And if you have to buy it there, be prepared to spend $32 for one can). Overall, a 5 out of 5 for the resort and a 10 out of 5 for the staff. Read less

The staff are wonderful everyone was friendly and kind. The property is beautiful and the food was pretty good! We really enjoyed the Jamaican food and definitely felt like the staff was worth the cost. The beach is great as well and sunset is absolutely beautiful. All of the staff were great but I especially remember Vernon and Sharnelle, thank you for a wonderful and enjoyable stay! Read less