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Review of Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort, Montego Bay, Jamaica April 25 to May 3, 2025 I am going to write a brief review of the resort and write about other adventures (Medical Clinic, Dunn’s Falls, Bl...ue Hole, Reggae Hill, Snorkel Adventure, and Scuba Diving), we did on our vacation and not focus on the resort too much. I am a 67-year-old male. There are many reviews available of the resort. First a brief description of the resort. Overall, the resort was excellent. The people are friendly and all of them have name tags. When you meet them, call them by their name. Ask them a few questions, smile, and you will get great service. The food was very good and there were 4 restaurants that do not require reservations. The Japanese requires reservations. See the concierges for reservations. The concierges will attempt to invite you to a morning breakfast and sell you a travel vacation package. We said No to this. They were not very pushy about this, and we were not approached at the resort again once we said No. We arrived at the resort at 1pm and our room was not ready. Check-in is at 3pm, but for $40 more per night, they did have some better rooms that were available, and we could check in immediately. The receptionist was not pushy in trying to get us to upgrade. We have been to a few all-inclusive resorts and generally know the routines at these resorts. We checked back at 2:15 and our room was ready. Our room number was 1114. Our room was very nice, and we could see the ocean from the balcony. It was not a room that had a great view, but I would say a good view of the ocean. It was a short walk to the beach and pool area. We were able to go to the buffet for lunch with a large selection of food. You will find 2 types of beer in the mini fridge. Red Stripe, Jamaican and Presidente from the Dominican. On the beach you can walk about ½ mile to the left and a few hundred yards to the right. During our stay, the resort was crowded at times and then the next day we asked ourselves where everyone went. People come and go daily, and our stay was for 8 days. We had problems with our air conditioning and notified the front desk. The best place for problems is to go to Guest Services as they track the progress of any complaints or problems. A few hours later our room AC was fixed and working normally. We also had a safe problem and could not get into the safe. I notified guest services and about an hour later we had someone at our room fixing the safe. Thank you to Red Bull, Skittles, Oraine, and other resort staff. They were all friendly and welcoming. Tip your bartender and your servers, and you will get a smile and a big thank you. A dollar here and there goes a long way. We developed a few friendships with the staff. Now on to other items. Our arrival at the airport was a bit chaotic, finding our representatives. We flew JetBlue Vacations and were told to exit the airport. As we were exiting, someone told us, “For JetBlue go to location 15A near the exit.” Where the heck is 15A? We found it by the exit inside, and there were a few representatives there. They checked our names and after a short wait, put us on a small van with others and off to our resort we went. About a 20-minute ride. On the second day, my wife developed a rash on her upper body. She was allergic to the sun block we brought with us. The rash was very itchy. She decided to go to the Medical Clinic. For those wondering about the Medical Clinic, there is one on-site. There is a nurse present until 6pm and then on-call after that. There is also a doctor on-call. The nurse was very polite and helpful and wanted her to go to the hospital. She did not want to go, and the nurse said that the Dr. could come to the clinic. An hour later Dr. Benson showed up and gave her two prescriptions for creams and prednisone to take over 5 days. This worked and after 24 hours she was feeling better. The cost for the Dr. was $315 and for the medications, it was $109. We were able to charge this. We took a couple of excursions. The first was snorkeling, music, and drinks on a boat tour from the resort. We just cruised the area in front of the resort and snorkeled on the reef near the resort. We booked this excursion through the Dive Center at the resort. They provided us with plenty of Red Stripe Beer, Rum, and other beverages. I was not overwhelmed by this experience, but for a couple of hours it was worth taking the trip and doing something different. The snorkeling was good, and we saw lots of fish. I would have liked to have gone to some other location away from our resort and seen a different part of Jamaica. We booked another excursion through our JetBlue Representative named Carol. You should meet up with your representative the next day as this is the person that will confirm your flight home and give you a voucher for transportation to the airport. This person also helps you with any problems you have and is a good resource for everything about your stay. She was available at the resort in the mornings. We went to Dunn’s Falls, Blue Hole, and Reggae Hill excursions. This was very good. You will need Water Shoes! The tour will gladly stop at a small store where you can purchase them for $15. The resort also has them for $15. We started at the Blue Hole and after arriving climbed a waterfall, a short climb. We were able to jump into the water and plunge into the water from a rope swing apparatus. I enjoyed the Blue Hole very much. Next it was off to Reggae Hill for lunch. We were not impressed with Reggae Hill. The area was nice by a river and a few floating rafts went by. Drinks were slow to get, and we all sat scattered in groups of four. Lunch was very good, but slow. The music in the area was nothing special and seemed like just idle time with nothing going on. Then it was off to Dunn’s Falls. At Dunn’s Falls, you must climb over rocks and up the falls. At times we made a human chain climbing the falls. This can be a bit strenuous, and I watched two people slip while climbing. There is a chance of getting hurt and being scrapped by a rock. Our group had 20 people and ranged from age 16 to 80. All managed to make the climb with a scrape or 2. Your legs will be sore after the climb the next day. At the end you must exit the falls and navigate through a maze of hawkers trying to sell you everything. They can be ruthless in their attempts to get you to buy. They will come up to you and put items in your hand, ask you your name, and begin to carve your name on a wooden figure. Then they will demand money. They will give you some sales lines, about their lives and hardships and make you feel guilty. They have a strategy of attack, attack, and demand. I got into an argument with a one of them. I had a small wooden item put in my hand and was able to bargain down to $7. After a few minutes. I moved on and then another jumped in front of me, and another wood figure was placed in my hand. He demanded $40 for the item and told me any other place this would sell for $160 dollars. I didn’t want it. I then pulled out some money and was going to give him a few dollars. He saw a $20 bill and demanded that. “Give me the $20!”, he said, and I refused. I walked off feeling guilty and wondered if I should have given him the $20? This completely put me in a bad mood about the trip and Jamaica as everyone on these excursions demands that you tip them. Your guide, photographer, and anyone else that helps with the group will let you know that they work for tips and then ask you for them at the end. “Any tip for me?” they will ask. Our next excursion was the Luminous Lagoon trip, which we booked through the Dive Center on-site. This was an evening trip and departed around 5:30pm. The boat ride was about 45 minutes and the ride to the area was very wavey. We had some evening winds that kicked up the surf and waves. They brought us to an area where you get into the water. The water glows a bluish color as you splash around. Make sure you swim around the boat and make some splashing to see the best color. Other people on the boat seemed to just swim for a minute and then do nothing but get in your way. Splash around, grab some water with your hands and you may see blue stars on your hands. We enjoyed the trip, and the ride back was much smoother. I also went Scuba Diving with the Dive Shop on site. They were very helpful and knowledgeable about the dive sites. They check all your gear and help you get into the water. I found them very friendly, and they quickly learn your name. The boat is at the resort, and you don’t have to walk far to the boat. The dive sites are only a few minutes away. Diving was good and I saw lots of fish and coral. The reef is very healthy and vibrant. The UV index can be extremely high, and we were told one day it was 13. We used #30 sunblock, and I am thinking that next time I will bring #50. The sun can be very intense, and I saw a few sunburned people. Don’t ruin your vacation by staying in the sun too long. Find some shade! There is plenty on the beach and around the pool. Overall, we had a great time and enjoyed our vacation. I am not a person that complains very much, and I have some patience when I travel. Don’t expect everything to be perfect on your vacation. Small things did go wrong, and the resort made sure everything was correct for our stay. Go to Jamaica and experience another country and have a great time. Yeh Mon!

It was a very nice hotel but i didnt pick it, I was a guest of another larger party. I would opt for something like an eco treehouse in costa rica, HOWEVER, because I like the environment and especially an...imals, i was THRILLED to see that they had a cat sanctuary. I think it could have been better because there is a start difference between these beautiful hotels and the sanctuary but I am grateful that someone there has a heart. I would recommend giving the sanctuary a makeover so that maybe it could attract more guests and their kids.

We’ve just returned from a 10-day stay at Iberostar Rose Hall Beach (Waves), and honestly—wow! What a fabulous experience from start to finish. We were having such an amazing time, we seriously considered ...extending our stay another week! Even before landing, we were captivated by the stunning views. We've visited Ocho Rios before, but Montego Bay has officially stolen our hearts—it's one of the most beautiful places we've ever been. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed. The staff were absolutely incredible—warm, caring, and genuinely invested in making sure we were having a great time. Sure, a couple of team members seemed a bit grumpy at first (understandably—it can't be easy watching guests enjoy cocktails and sunshine while you're on an 8-hour shift in the blistering heat), but with a bit of friendly banter, even they were smiling in no time. We met so many lovely, genuine people, but we want to give a special shoutout to a few standout stars who made our trip unforgettable: Adonkia and Shakena at the River Buffet – always kind and welcoming, with a great sense of humour and such genuine energy. Dean and Akeem at the lobby bar – great drinks, even better vibes. Especially loved Dean’s DJ nights! Browning and Skittles at the towel shed – just beautiful souls with lovely personalities, always a pleasure to see each day. Always a smile. Red Bull and Rashan from the entertainment team – what energy! A hilarious duo who kept us laughing, dancing, and entertained the whole time. Jelicia at the pancake and grilled cheese station – we didn’t try the food there, but she’s such a beautiful soul. Our morning chats with her were an unexpected highlight. Angela at concierge – super helpful, fun, and full of great suggestions for day trips and excursions. And the wonderful Rohan, the quiet superstar of the lobby cleaning team – kind, humble, and meticulous. If you get the chance to meet him, say hi—he’s an absolute legend. We met so many amazing members of staff that it’s honestly hard to remember everyone's names—we truly hope no one feels left out. The entire team was fantastic. You can really feel the incredible teamwork behind the scenes; everyone pulls together and makes this hotel a real success. We honestly couldn’t find a single thing to complain about. We loved every minute, and we’re already back home working hard so we can save up for our next trip and reunite with all the beautiful friends we made. Wonderful people. Wonderful vibe. Highly recommend.

Nice resort, everything is nice and close. The Jamaican people serving are polite, clean and playful. We enjoyed interacting with them. The food was good, the intertainment team did a good job entertaining... the guests. Plenty of chairs and shades. My main complain would be the vendors and solicitors on the beach, selling pot and small items. We go there to enjoy the ocean view, but they're RIGHT IN FRONT. Extremely annoying. The resort is well aware this is a problem. Too many guests are not happy about this issue. The law doesn't allow the resort to remove the solicitors as long as they stay on the water. I feel bad for vendors, they are trying to make a living, but also as a guest I don't want to be bothered.

Beautiful week in Jamaica. The Iberostar Wave Rose Hall has been put on the top of my resort lists for its great hospitality, comfortable, clean rooms, excellent restaurants. The entertainment at night was... good but needed to have separation from other events going on at the same time. Loud music from outside the large theater kind of drowned out the events going on inside. The beach out front has ample shade areas and one never needs to save chairs early in the morning. There's great snorkeling right in front about 30 yards out in amongst the large rocks that have a wide variety of tropical fish. Easy for beginners. A couple nice lunch choices on the beach as well if you didn't feel the need to walk up to the buffet. Wonderful smiling bar service girls walking the beach usually between 11am and 4pm. I was pleasantly surprised by how cheerful and helpful the staff were at this resort compared to others I've been to in Jamaica. I'd definitely recommend this spot to friends and family.