TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Very helpful and polite staff. Lovely spacious rooms for families. Unfortunately we were caught up in Hurricane Beryl. The hotel management initially did a grand job looking after us, keeping us updated via printed letters under doors and handing out leaflets. We were asked to stay in the hotel lobby for our safety. However from that Wednesday night, nothing. There was no power which meant no lifts (we were on the 7th floor!) no a/c, no water supply, pools out, fire alarms out etc. not sure how food was refrigerated? We were all poorly for several days! It was becoming impossible with flat phones we were unable to even see safely on stairs or use toilet facilities! All other hotels had prepared and ensured generators were serviced and fit for purpose, it appears The Jewel Grande had not done the same. This situation continued until the Friday night with no updates from anyone. When we asked to move, the manager told us that new arrivals were a priority. At this point I shared that I couldn’t remain any longer. We then had to wait 3 hours in a boiling hot lobby in the dark to be allocated a room at the Hyatt. Eventually getting to bed at 12.30 am! Sadly not holiday we had saved for, Jewel Grande have refused a refund but offered a free stay for 2 days which is completely useless to me at the journey time is 12 hours.

This has been the worst experience we have had at any resort and we have been to many. We planned this trip a year in advance and was very much looking forward to celebrating my 50th birthday and our 22nd wedding anniversary. IT WAS A VACATION IN HELL!! We got there the day before the hurricane. A few hours after we got there the elevators stopped working so we had to use the stairs. We stayed in the C building and had to go up and down 6 floors of stairs which we were not happy about. We got through the hurricane safe and sound. Thank God, but it was a nightmare from then on. First, we had no electricity, then no water. We had no idea what was going on. We asked some staff members if they knew what was happening and they said that no one has said anything to them either so they are also clueless. We had to sleep with the patio and front door open because it was soo hot in our room. My husband had to go up and down 6 floors of stairs to fill 3 gallon bottles of water he got from the bar so we can flush and clean the toilet and also for us to take a bath. No one checked on us ever!! We were never given a lantern or flashlight so we can see to get up the stairs and in our room. It was dark as hell during the night and we were mostly in the dark since we only had our phones and with no electricity couldn't charge them so of course the battery died. We found cleaning supplies in a closet in the hall and cleaned the toilet and the floors since it was wet from the moisture. We had to take towels and mop the floors and cleaned the refrigerator that was now defrost since the electricity was off. We still never heard from anyone. We felt more like staff members because we were taking care of the room ourselves. We ate in the dark with the other guest and had a small lantern on the table so we could see our food. Everyone was sweating and uncomfortable. On the third evening after the storm around 8:30pm, we were having dinner, when a staff member came up to us and told us that they were moving the guests to the Hyatt or Hilton Hotel. They had all day to do this and now at night they were moving us. It was dark and we had to take our luggage down those 6 floors of stairs. We got help from a staff member who told us that he was struggling and didn't know the guest was going through this. We finally moved over to the Hyatt which was amazing. This is a long review but a necessary one. The hurricane was not anyone's fault but Jewel Grande was not prepared and didn't have anything in place to ensure that the guests were taking care of. I read reviews from previous months and it seems like they always had trouble with the elevators and lack of water. This is unacceptable. The generator should have been serviced on a regular basis to ensure that it was in proper working condition. There is no excuse for the lack of service and communication from management. Never again will we stay at this hotel or recommend anyone to stay here.

As a fellow Jamaican, I wanted my kids to enjoy a great time on the island and to also celebrate my birthday in the land of my birth. I will be honest to say my first couple of days was good. Food was a good mix. The issue was the flies. It seems like it was an infestation and I got turned off when I went to select certain foods and I could not eat in peace. They assisted and arranged a few excursions although it rained, the kids enjoyed it. I did start to notice that if the AC was not high enough, the floor would get wet from the humidity. My mom who has a bad knee almost tripped. Kids almost fell too. Then hurricane Beryl came. While I understand issues with post-hurricane Jamaican conditions, Jewel resort was not prepared for such conditions. Their generator lasted less than half the night. It just downhill from there. We had to climb 14 flights of stairs as each floor had flight of stairs. My mom who is elderly with a bad knee had to go up and down the stairs. Yes the power was out but in order for us to know anything we had to go back and forth because there was no other means of communication. The room was extremely hot and we did not full use of our room for 2 days. During the hurricane we had to stay in their ballroom. I understand it was for everyone’s safety but we should not be charged for not having full access. Our key chains to open our door did not work or was deactivated and we had to get a security guard to open our door! They were not always available. We ate in the dark So inconvenient on so many levels. They started to dummy down the food. I was starting to get concerned that they have cooked meat with no electricity so where are you storing the meat? I saved for this vacation and felt cheated because we had to go without power for 2 days and then the water was extremely low! Some rooms had no water. My kids slept on the balcony because the room was so hot. We had to carry 10 luggages down 14 flights of stairs. No handicap ramps, it was bad overall. Then they told me I would be charged a distress rate. The food was no longer up to par so we left and checked into another hotel. I want a refund for the days we experienced this horrible ordeal. The management gave no real solutions and kept saying power would be restored shortly. 3 days later for those who stayed and even so they still were not operational. I want a refund for at least 2 of the days. I have not seen my bill since I checked out. I will be disputing charges for staying for services that were not available. I will provide update. More hurricanes are coming. I would suggest not to book at Jewel. Dr. Maybank

I write this post as a visiting Jamaican who moved abroad, this is to provide context for what I'm about to write. I am familiar with post-hurricane Jamaican conditions, extreme heat and Jamaican hospitality. I am also a university professor at a business school in Canada and I studied hotel management formally, therefore I am also familiar with back of the house and managerial hotel decision-making. Having planned (and saved for) a well earned vacation, my family and I arrived at Jewel yesterday (2 days after Hurricane Beryl) to be told that there was no water and therefore we were being relocated to either Hyatt or the Hilton nearby. There was no previous communication from the hotel so that I could choose whether or not I even wanted that choice or if I would have preferred to remain where I was coming from for a full refund or credit. If lines were down at the hotel, then it is impossible to believe that corporate offices in another country could not facilitate a mass email to inform all arriving guests that despite their expense and adulthood, a choice about where they would stay upon arrival was being made for them. While I appreciated that alternative accommodations were being offered to me, I would have liked a choice. The lovely front desk staff worked very hard to answer my questions, however upper management, those with autonomy, was of course unavailable. Though I typically spend weeks researching my accommodations I quickly chose Hyatt, and was transported there, where front desk workers were attempting to provide assistance to a crowd of incoming guests in extreme lobby heat both checking in and with a myriad of room problems. With no options available to me, I sought refuge under a slow ceiling fan 2 rooms away from the lobby with 2 other exhausted guests. The night passed slowly with no air conditioning in my room and at present, I am on my balcony assessing my fate, after spending the night with a struggling standing fan provided by a kind staff member. I want to say this clearly. Shame on you Jewel! Your greed has placed the hardworking staff at your hotel and Hyatt under extreme conditions and I for one am deeply saddened that up until this point no manager has been forthcoming to discuss the price difference in the suite I booked and the room I now have at Hyatt and why I seemingly have no agency in determining where and whether my money stays with you. To incoming guests, please reschedule!! I couldn't find information ahead of time to guide me which is why I didn't cancel ahead of my arrival. Jamaica and Jamaicans are beautiful, but this is not the time to visit Jewel. I will provide an update when I finally speak with someone behind the corporate veil.

FUN EXCITING ENJOYABLE FILLED WITH HAPPY MOMENTS THE LANDSCAPING WAS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. THE VIEW WAS AMAZING, WE WERE ON THE SXTH FLOOR OCEAN-VIEW OVERLOOKING EVERYTHING. PROPERTY WAS VERY CLEAN. THE FOOD IS DIVINE. I ENJOYED ALL THE RESTAURANTS. MY FAVOURITE WAS MOONSTONE. I CANNOT LEAVE OUT THE STAFF. SAVED THEM FOR LAST. WAVE RESTAURANT. BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT. WAS EXCEPTIONAL, THE CONCIERGE HAS BEEN ATTENDING TO ME BEFORE MY TRIP, DURING AND EVEN AFTER. SHOUT OUT TO THEM ALL THERE ARE SO MANY MORE THE BARTENDERS THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE.