Upon arrival at the Montego Bay airport, it is very nice to have a lounge and front desk for the Ritz right there in the airport. One thing to be aware of is that they will check you in there, but not assign your room. So it still necessary once you arrive at the property to go to the front desk and 'check in' and get your keys. Since we were using Marriott Honored Guest rewards points for our stay, we weren't given any option as to the type of room we could reserve and therefore were looking to upgrade upon arrival. (It should be noted that we could have chosen any Ritz for our stay and since it was our Anniversary, we chose the Rose Hall location above all others.) We were told all the rooms were sold out and yet when we checked the hotel website only a few hours later, there were several types of rooms available for our stay. We checked many times throughout our trip, only to be told the same thing and never upgraded.

Our room was very nice size with marble bathrooms and a nice flat screen large TV, but our view was of the front of the lobby windows facing the pool/ocean and of a service door just below. We would have gladly paid extra for an ocean front or club level view and it was very frustrating not to be allowed that option. The rooms were clean and I requested extra shampoo and conditioner and were given 2-3 bottles each per day. The mini-bar was well stocked but again...very expensive. We called Housekeeping when leaving the room in the morning and it was always clean up on our return.

The only other complaint we had was that all the food and beverages were very expensive. A bottle of water in the room was complimentary but at the pool was $3. A mixed drink was $10 and a hamburger and fries at the pool were $18. Needless to say if you are paying for your trip, you want to do the all inclusive package if you plan on eating at the Ritz. We ate several meals off site and had a very memorable experience watching the sunset at Richmond Hill for our Anniversary dinner. We found the fine dining to be expensive everywhere and as mentioned in other review, taxis are also expensive. $25 one way to Montego Bay. One thing we were not told about was that if you make reservations at the Sugar Mill at Half Moon, they will send a van to pick you up for free....and that is well worth the trip too. Also if you make reservations at Margarittes (attached to Margarittaville but nothing the same), they have a free shuttle that runs hourly from the Ritz. We did use these shuttles once we were aware of them. We did find a place for Jerk Pork and Chicken just down the road (a $5 taxi ride one way) called Scotchies that is worth the visit. It was wonderful to mingle with some locals and have a Red Stripe and Jerk Pork with all the traditional sides for a very low price....all under a thatched roof bar. Well worth the trip for lunch. The best restaurant at the Ritz is defnitely the White Witch and you should head there for lunch for the view and for dinner for the food and entertainment. Expensive again but absolutely great quality. The Jerk Center on the beach is nice for lunch one day too as you sit at a picnic table with your feet in the sand right on the beach.

We didn't find the pool to be too small but we found that the coves along the walkway next to the ocean were absolutely great for lounging in the sun and private. We had our own cove nearly every day. The key to having people wait on you is to go to the bar and tell them where you'll be and that you'll want drinks and food often and they do come around, especially if you tip the first few days you are there.

The staff was overall very friendly and helpful and it is best to make reservations for dinner at the restaurants onsite as well as offsite. Their guest relations department can make those for you but they do expect a tip at the end of your stay if you use the same person the entire trip.

We did golf several places and the White Witch course is definitely the premier course in the area. The caddies are knowledgable and the course is beautiful with 14 holes with ocean views. Bring alot of balls though because it is a difficult course. It again was expensive at $200 per person per round, but if you are there and you are a golfer, even if it is the only course you play, it is worth the money.

Overall we had a wonderful trip but probably would not go back to Montego Bay because of the cost of golf, food and taxis. We have stayed in Negril and Ocho Rios previously but found them to be too far from the level of golf courses we wanted to play, namely White Witch, Half Moon, Tryall & Cinnamon Hill. Plus we didn't enjoy getting off the airport only to be shuttled for 1 1/2 hours to Negril or 2 hours to Ocho Rios, when the Ritz is 15 minutes away. If we do go back it will be to the Half Moon where I'm sure we'll get more of a Jamaican experience.

I just got back from a long weekend at the Ritz Rose Hall. A girlfriend and I chose this location because she had Ritz vouchers and it was an easy trip from where we live. Overall it was a good experience. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful but as others have mentioned the property is isolated and the beach is small. The rooms are nicely appointed with big bathrooms and a large balcony. During our visit there was a convention that had close to 400 guests. I think the property gets a lot of corporate business. This changes the dynamic of a vacation because you feel like they are taking over the property. The positives are that check-in happens at the airport so you can be taken straight to your room. There are plenty of chairs by the pool and ocean, staff go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. We played tennis one day and I suggest you take your own tennis balls if you plan to play. The negatives are the food is completely average and expensive, no beach to walk on and nowhere to really go for a walk or get exercise outside-the gym was suitable. They do offer an outdoor yoga class which I did not attend. It was perfect for a few days but I probably would not go back if I had to pay full price.

My family and I got a terrific air and hotel combo for the Ritz at Rose Hall. The staff, without exception, was very friendly. The room was clean and the grounds well kept. Two HUGE problems.
First, the food was both absurdly expensive and lousy -- especially at lunch. I am ok with the food being pricey, but it should at least be decent for the price ($18 burger, $15 caesar that included 6 pieces of lettuce).
Second, the resort's beach is almost useless. The part that is swimmable is ugly and small. The resort really should not advertize itself as having a beach -- it is misleading.

The Ritz Carlton made our Jamaican getaway perfect! We ended up heading to Jamaica as it was the only place we could find last minute during spring break with both hotel availability and decent flight time out of DC (3hr direct flight from BWI).

Our air carrier was Jamaica air and we upgraded to first class at the airport for $150 each. It was nice to have a larger seat and free drinks but the food and service were nothing spectacular.
Upon arrival we were greeted by the Ritz Carlton staff and led to their shuttle. The hotel is beautiful and the grounds are IMMACULATE. Our room was tastefully decorated and had a crisp, cool feel to it. I was worried because the rooms are so colorful on the website but the decor really does put you in the relaxed Jamaican mindset. The bed is heavenly and our view was beautiful. Our room faced the inner courtyard and pool with ocean behind.
The staff is friendly and the service by the pool was never lacking. The pool scene here is fantastic with wireless internet should you want to work or check emails as you lounge. Power outlets are scarce so make sure you stake your claim near one early. There was never a shortage of lounge chairs. The hotel was booked to capacity when we were there but it never felt crowded. There are tons of lounge chairs on their beach too if you prefer to be by the sand. Beware the beach is small but there is plenty of room for swimming.
For dinner the White Witch was amazing. The food was good, not fantastic, but the view was phenomenal and very romantic. The front desk can make reservations for you and their shuttle will take you and bring you back. Room service and the hotel restaurants are excellent. We especially enjoyed the complimentary mimosas on your way in to breakfast in the mornings. The spa was excellent as well. The Ritz Carlton made our whole vacation. After our experience exploring the island the first 2 days, we did not leave the resort for the next 4 and we were very happy with this. We NEVER stay on a property, we like to explore but were so disgusted by what we encountered we will never go back to Jamaica unless it is specifically to relax at the Ritz.

If you care to hear about our adventure, here it is... We rented a car our second day and headed out, stopping first at Dunn's River Falls. This is such a unique experience, even if it is super touristy. (Warning- if you let one of the staff take your picture after they offer to do so, they will ask you for a tip). Afterwards, we headed out to the Blue Mountains as we heard it was the most beautiful scenery on the island. This is where our trip began to go south and we experienced a part of Jamaica we wish we could forget.
A bit of warning, Jamaica's roads are the worst we have EVER experienced. They were working on putting in a highway which will help greatly once finished. Our trip ended up being an agonizing 9hrs round trip. Jamaica is beautiful; I will give it that but the people we encountered ruined the whole experience. After 3 hrs of driving we turned off on a small dirt road to head to the top of the mountains, we pass waterfalls and mist covered valleys along the way. This is where the non-stop begging began. From the first stop to take a picture, a small boy wandered up and asked us for a dollar. Mind you we were in the middle of nowhere, with no one around. We got back in the car and he ran after us smiling, yelling "give me a dollar". Then we came across a group of school children who literally blocked the road asking for money. We had to push our way through. Farther along the way we passed another group and they yelled, "Hey Whitey, give us some money". Even adults we passed echoed the same fond request.
We were reaching a point of disgust when we were stopped by this Jamaican man who said the road had washed out and we needed a ground guide to get through. He offered to help, even sharing some of his sugar cane with us. We reached the "wash out" and realize it is not really what we would consider washed out. If you have ever done any wheeling, you could easily make it through. We humor him and let him "guide" us through and thank him, ready to be on our way when he asks us for a tip for helping. We were so frustrated and said the rest of the people on our way here beat you to it; we have no money left. We finally reach the summit only to find the road is blocked by some locals and if you want to go through, you have to give them money or go back down the mountain (an hour and a half trip). We said no thank you; we will go back the way we came.
We have never wanted to get back to a hotel so badly. It took forever to traverse the wretched roads. We made it back around 10pm. We were so happy to see the Ritz Carlton! We got to our heavenly room, cleaned up, donned our fluffy robes and slippers and ordered a wonderful room service spread. The next day we cancelled all of our future car rentals and excursions. We happily hung out by the pool and enjoyed the spa for the next 4 days with no regrets. At dinner the next night we were talking to the manager who said that many times the police are called to break up street blocks from the people begging for money from tourist. Granted, I am sure this only happens because we end up giving it to them but we have travelled to SEVERAL locations in the Caribbean and this was the first time we experienced ANY begging and it was NON-stop. If it hadn't been for the wonderful Ritz Carlton, we would not have any fond memories of Jamaica.