TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

If this all you can afford go, if not it was not worth the money. Every where needs proper management, from arrival at the lobby, cleaning, maintenance, getting food at the buffet everything. The staff at this resort was very unprofessional and was always arguing for every task they had to do. The food was great, for both restaurants and buffet. The kids club was excellent, Jojo is fantastic, the entertainment was good as well. But I would not return. This hotel was recommended to me by a friend who stayed there before and I decided to do Christmas there but it was not worth the money and I would not recommend.

Review of our stay Dec 24-Dec 31 We flew Air Canada everything was great and smooth sailing. We had to wait for about an hour and a half before leaving on the bus because 6 people didn’t show up (assuming they took a private transfer and didn’t tell anyone). I did the pre check in on the app. We got there about 230/3. Was told our room wasn’t ready just yet. No big deal. My husband and boys went to check out the resort. I stayed with our bags in the sports bar area. Went to and asked if I could get our room number so I could connect to wifi. After being told they already gave me my room number (which obvs they didn’t or I wouldn’t have been asking) and 4 people switching at the desk we were told our room was ready over an hour ago and we could head there. Room 18520 was lovely and large and had a great view. We had 2 “queen” room (which are def smaller than a queen). Got our swimsuits on and off we went to swim and start our vacation. About 630 we go to eat dinner at the buffet and there is a massive lineup. I thought man it must be busy because it’s Xmas. No big deal we are on vacay and it’s not snowing! We finally get to the front and we are told we need a reservation! I was like whaaaattt ?? Why. Well it was a gala dinner. Which we were not told about and our reservation was for 930pm! What the heck. 2 kids are supposed to wait until 930pm to eat?? My son is also diabetic (which they were informed about when I booked just in case something happened). No way can he go another 3ish hours without eating. After being given the run around by the front desk etc. I spoke to Alberto who was fantastic and got us in right away. Mush appreciated ! The gala buffet was good. People (vacationers and staff) were exceptionally rude! I could not believe it. That night at about 4am water started pouring into our room. I put towels on the floor and waited until the boys woke up to call the front desk. Maintenance guy came in reasonable time and said the a/c overflow was full and that’s why it leaked. Apologized and said he fixed it. We gave him a tip and he left. The same thing happened the next 4 nights !!! It got to the point we just put the garbage can under where the leak was and put towels around it. My husband had to get firm (not rude by any means) with the front desk and ask them to ACTUALLY fix it. They did offer to move rooms. There were 4 of us and that would have taken up an entire day and who knows if the room we got would have been better or worse so we stayed. The rest of the time we were there, and I know people are going to disagree with me, the dinner buffet was gross ! Almost inedible. The round market is wonderful for breakfast. The jerk chicken hut was the best food ever, when they actually had food. They would run out all the time. We walked down the beach to the beach jerk hut and it was even better ! When they were open lol. Which was not a lot. The beach is amazing in that area. Loved every minute of being there. Pool fantastic. We had ziasha as our waitress at the pool and she went above and beyond. Love her. Our last day there was someone with a “trainee” badge on and she did NOT disappoint either. Our waitress at the sports bar went above and beyond as well (I never did catch her name??). Throughout our vacation we encountered so many staff that literally hate their lives and show it. It’s like they were mad we were there. I get it was over Christmas and they likely wanted to be with their families. We did our best to show we were thankful for them by being kind and tipping very well (my husband gets frustrated sometimes with how much I tip lol). Plus the other vacationers had zero respect for anyone else. It’s like they were the most important ones there. Which was def a turnoff. My husband and I had been to this resort in 2017 and absolutely LOVED every minute of our vacation. This is why we came back with the boys. After this vacation we will never return. The food being so gross and the rudeness was just too much.

Review of Bahia Principe Hotel in Runaway Bay, Jamaica The outdoor spaces at this hotel are stunning, with beautiful landscaping and inviting pools that are perfect for relaxation. My room was well-kept and tastefully decorated, providing a comfortable retreat during my stay. However, I did find the staff's attentiveness lacking. It seems that guests are treated based on the color of their wristbands, with those who have paid a little less than the privilege or luxury members, receiving noticeably lower levels of service. This approach felt unfair, as it suggested that those on a general band were less deserving of quality care and attention because it was deemed they are less likely to tip as much. Overall, while the hotel has much to offer, I’m uncertain if I would return due to this experience. It's important for all guests to feel valued and respected, regardless of their spending level, and that was the only downside of my visit here.

We stayed at the hotel from January 6th for a short two-night stay, with two adults and one child. Initially, I was concerned after reading the recent reviews, but we made sure to book a renovated room to avoid the old and outdated accommodations. Upon arrival, we were directed to the parking area and offered a complimentary non-alcoholic drink. After that, our suitcases were taken, and we were given a claim ticket. Check-in with Teshawn was smooth, and we were escorted to our room with our luggage. The room was perfect—cleaned daily, with fresh towels and the mini-bar restocked each day. We enjoyed our Jamaican breakfast at the NYAM buffet restaurant, which offered a variety of dishes like ackee and saltfish, cabbage, and dumplings. There was an abundance of food to choose from, and it was all brilliant. The kids' club was great. On January 7th, I took my 4-year-old daughter there. She had a fantastic time at the beach and lunch, which allowed me to have some time to myself. I also visited the spa for a pedicure. Although the nail polish could have been applied a bit better, overall, it was a nice experience. I rated this hotel 3.5/4 because of a minor issue: during one visit to the restaurant, I asked for a Coke, and the staff member never returned. I believe that the hotel grounds, including the areas leading to the rooms and inside the lifts, should be kept clean. I understand it's a large hotel, but if it's a 5-star establishment, they should stay on top of cleanliness. Additionally, all shows on the premises should be free if it's an all-inclusive resort, rather than having to pay to watch one.

Stayed here for the weekend and honestly that was enough for me. If I stayed any longer I would have left and went elsewhere. Sadly the hotel has more cons than pros Pros: The resort is beautiful and the rooms are spacious - be prepared to walk as everything is far and it is a big resort Some of the staff were absolutely lovely Cons: Some of the Staff hate their job and it shows The beach is nice to just sit and watch too rocky The in room mini bar consists of 2 Red Stripe Beers a Coke Water and an Orange Soda The Jerk Hut - visited 3 times and each time there was an issue with having food ready - either no bread for burgers or chicken not ready The buffet was a normal standard nothing exciting and the Jamaican food was decent - nice to see Run Down and Kidney but the callaloo needed better stripping I should not be eating the bad part of the stem and why was the fry dumpling so hard? The WI-Fi is a horror - your phone needs to be on airplane mode while in use and then it only works in your room. Once you hit outside it does not work anymore. This threw me off as at other resorts WIFI was perfect even at the Beach. BEWARE - make sure you lock up all your valuables even if your room was already serviced. I almost got my AirPods Stolen. I left them charging (again after my room was serviced) on the nightstand because between the case and the pods themselves they were dead. Everyone who owns a set knows they are magnetic and they do not fall out of the case easily. I was off the property and when I returned to the lobby got an alert that the pods were out of the case. by the time I got back to my room, sure enough I had an empty case. When I reported it to Security they stated they needed to follow me back to my room to make sure " I wasn't at fault". As soon as Security entered the room they immediately looked under the bed and found them. From the advantage point of view there was absolutely no way they could have seen them that fast. IMO this has scammer all over it. Basically they were waiting for me to check out and of course it would be too late for me to retrieve.