Riu Negril

This is the first review I have ever provided for anything be that a product, service or holiday, good or bad. However, me and my friends returned from this resort on Sunday (yesterday) and have to say that we had a fabulous week at Riu Negril. We were somewhat apprehensive before we went due to the mixed reviews we had read. What met with us when we got there however was as follows: Check In We were checked in by Steve. He was friendly, polite and helpful. We asked for a sea view room however none were available. He suggested we asked at reception the following day in the event one had become available. Our luggage was taken up to our rooms for us without hesitation, and promptly. Room The room had a garden view with balcony. A large king size bed and single bed. For 3 girls, this was absolutely fine. There was sufficient space and the room was clean and tidy. Room Cleaning/ General Cleanliness Our room was cleaned every day without fail. Towels were replenished each day and our fridge was restocked too. The ladies who cleaned the rooms were also very polite and friendly. The hotel grounds were also cleaned and maintained every day. What annoyed us was in fact the OTHER GUESTS who were rude and untidy with leaving their plates of food on top of bins for them to be collected! Meals We arrived at the hotel around 4pm. By the time we had checked in etc, lunch had finished. The only food available was at the Sports Bar. This however is perhaps something which lets the resort down as the ‘snacks’ on offer were not great- nachos with no sauce (hadnt been topped up), refrigerated hotdogs and burgers with odd sandwiches...We had to wait until 6:30 before we could eat anything. We were however very impressed with the buffet on each and every occasion we went to it. Of course there were basic dishes such a pizza and chips which in our view is essential however each day there were always different dishes to try. The food was flavoursome and replenished constantly. The staff were polite and helpful, providing a great service to diners. We cannot comment on the other restaurants as we never got to dine in them; they were always full. It wasn’t until our last night that we were informed of a buzzer waiting list. The grill on the beach was equally good! We were impressed by this too. Drinks The drinks were a plenty. We were always topped up! Scuba Caribe We booked the Ricks Cafe catamaran trip and would 100% recommend it! Absolutely brilliant afternoon out in the sea with snorkelling and plunging into the sea down the slide! The on board staff were great, friendly and safety conscious too. We also made use of the paddle boarding and pedal boats - brilliant fun. Entertainment This is something we cannot speak of highly enough. Spotlight, Emoji, Flava and Mr Fresh are absolutely brilliant. They have incredible personalities and talent, friendly with everyone and go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome and involved. They made our holiday. We enjoyed the time we spent with each of them. They are an absolute asset to the resort. Each day they would put on something different for guests. In the evenings they were mingling with everyone. Its plain that they love what they do and they are full of energy. Overall The decor is a little dated, however the hotel is clean and all staff are polite and friendly - right up to the pool lifeguards and the guys who provided us with fresh beach towels! The 3 of us wish we had booked for longer; we would return here. Please pass on our thanks (and sassy Hey’s!) to Spotlight, Emoji, Flava and Mr Fresh (and T-Pain too!) Lucky, Jas and Gurj x

This was our second trip to Jamaica. We re-booked our trip from the DR about 2 weeks before travel and were limited in choices of resorts. JetBlue Vacations recommended this one, so we went with it. I traveled with my teenage son and adult son and were given 2 rooms in 2 different buildings (they didn't make any effort to keep my family together). The food was horrible. Flavorless, never at the right temperature, etc. The steakhouse (dinner only) is the only place that has a good meal. Breakfast and lunch - the only choices are buffet. Asian is buffet. The Italian place is so tiny, we never got in to try it. They do NOT allow you to make reservations as most of the travel sites indicate! It is all first come, first serve. You can only get Red Stripe or crappy white or red wine with dinner. They don't have any other alcohol choices. There are no elevators, so beware if you are in any way handicapped or have small children (we were on the 3rd floor). Bellman refused to carry the luggage up to the room. He just brought it from the lobby to the bottom of the stairs. It was the same when we checked out. We had to bring the luggage down the stairs before they would take it. The halls in the buildings where the rooms are, echo horribly. Good luck sleeping. It is very loud when drunk people, large groups, or energetic children, walk through the halls. The beds are VERY firm. Families with children, please note that in the "double rooms" the beds are pushed together and share a headboard, so your children are essentially sharing a bed with you. Beach and pools close at 7 p.m., which is ridiculous. Front desk staff is incredibly rude. Not one was friendly. The rooms barely got cleaned, we had sand on the floor and in the beds the entire time. It was an effort in futility to get clean towels and refills for the mini bar (even with their proclaimed every other day refill policy). You are allowed 1 liter bottle of water every other day (yes, you can request more, but we NEVER had those requests fulfilled). Otherwise you spend $2 per bottle in the shops. Make sure you bring dollar bills for tips. Tipping housekeeping, restaurant staff, and bartenders is the only way to receive semi-decent service. Everyone on the island speaks English, which is helpful. Vendors on the beach are annoying, but you get that at most resorts. Just be cautioned if you travel here with young children, marijuana is smoked in most public places as the vendors smoke it in an effort to sell to the tourists. Also, the bartenders will serve the minors, even with the different colored wristband (I witnessed it on several occasions). I had one bartender actively pursue my 16 year old and push drinks on him (fortunately, he declined, for which he was taunted). In the main buffet for lunch, there is wine and Red Stripe on tap and anyone can access it. The only positives are the most of the bartenders are nice, entertainers funny, white sand beaches beautiful and kept clean, the wood trim in the rooms is beautiful. We didn't go in them (when on the beach, we prefer pools after dinner to relax), but the pools appeared to be well maintained. While we were transporting to and from excursions, drivers even told us that we were at one of the worst resorts on the island. Take heed. The locals know. We stayed at the Grand Palladium the last time we visited and it was wonderful! Try them, or any other resort.