Riu Ocho Rios - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

13654 reviews

• 

  RIU Ocho Rios – All Inclusive… (Booked with TUI)

  Let’s get straight to it. Yes, it’s all inclusive. No, it’s not my type of place. We were moved here by TUI from the Royalton Negril, a genuinely superior hotel, to the RIU in Ocho Rios. That should have been the first warning. This place is clearly aimed at budget holidays. If you’re after value over quality and enjoy chaos, you might be happy. I wasn’t. Star Rating Reality Check Advertised as 5 star. Actual experience: • Aesthetics: 1 star • Food: 1 star • Room service: 1 star • Reception: 1 star • Facilities: 1 star Adding five 1-star experiences together does not magically make a 5-star hotel. Maths doesn’t work like that. Check-in & “Quiet Area” We arrived on 8th December and were put in what was meant to be the quiet area. For the first two nights, music blasted until 1–2am. We had a 4-year-old with us. Went to reception to complain: • Judgmental looks • Zero help • “Go see your rep” • Dismissed like I’d asked for a personal favour, not basic sleep Customer service at reception was useless. Food – Survival Mode The food deserves its own warning label. Honestly, I’ve seen better organisation at a soup kitchen. And for anyone who doesn’t know , that’s where free meals are handed out to the homeless. That’s the level we’re talking about. • No flavour • Hardly any Jamaican or Caribbean food • Mostly basic US and British rubbish • Restaurants opened “on time” but with empty trays • About 8 food stations, most empty Every meal felt like a live Hunger Games event , fighting large, aggressive Americans for the last scrap of chicken. Some of them could eat for ten families and showed zero manners while doing it. We asked staff if more food was coming. We got attitude. Some days we genuinely missed lunch or dinner because there was nothing left. The food court is far too small for the number of guests. Pool – Antarctic Edition The pool was: • Freezing cold • Never cleaned once in 14 days Yes, they dumped chlorine in. No, that doesn’t remove: • Dirt • Glass • Vegetation I actually found glass at the bottom of the pool one morning. That was the end of that for my family. Lifeguards? Present in body only. Sitting in huts, chilling. A legal tick-box exercise, nothing more. Bar Service – Pick & Choose The bar service was some of the worst I’ve ever experienced. I felt ignored, undervalued, and genuinely uncomfortable. Staff would happily serve people they liked and completely blank others. Before anyone jumps to conclusions: • My wife is Black • She noticed it too She’d get served instantly. I’d be ignored like I didn’t exist. Orders felt like an inconvenience. The attitude stank. It honestly felt like some staff just didn’t like white guests but tolerated them to pay the bills. Credit where it’s due: • Breakfast and lunch waitress ladies were mostly great • One lady called Rasta was brilliant , kind, warm, amazing with my son, and a real asset to the hotel Without a handful of decent staff, this place would’ve been unbearable. Room Service & Cleanliness Room service was… average. • Only top sheets changed • Bathroom often not cleaned • Toilet blocked and nearly overflowed twice We all started getting bitten when sleeping in the bed. When we slept on top of the bed with spare sheets — no bites. Draw your own conclusions. Missing Money Experiment I did a test. Left money hidden under sweets and a receipt. Went out for lunch. Came back — money gone. Several people enter the room (cleaners, drinks staff), so I can’t say who took it. But it happened. Lesson learned: don’t leave cash in the room. Gift Shop – Customer Service Rock Bottom The gift shop is massively overpriced, which I expected. What I didn’t expect was the two young girls working there: • Zero interest in helping • Dismissive • That classic “why are you talking to me” Gen Z look I asked if they sold a plug adapter. You’d think I’d interrupted their life plans. Worst customer service I’ve seen, and that includes the UK. Taxis & Excursions – Tourist Tax Don’t be fooled. • Taxis charge tourists $35 • Locals pay about $1 Excursions are the same story. Example: • Day trip quoted at £450 by one woman • Went back later • Different woman, same trip £300 The first one was “temp cover”. Funny that. Everyone involved in transport and excursions is out to rinse tourists. Be sharp. Final Verdict Would I recommend this resort? Absolutely not. At best, this is a 3-star hotel pretending to be a 5-star. Poor food, rude staff, dirty facilities, weak service, and zero value for money. Jamaica itself is beautiful. This hotel does it no favours.

  Dec 25, 2025
• 

  Excellent stay, experience yourself

  Just returned from a one week stay at MELIA Punta Cana Wellness and want to share my review of the location. I must admit that I was really worried, and contemplated canceling, due to the negative comments and reviews. My husband and I decided to attend despite the negative reviews, as we had done so at other destinations before and had been pleasantly surprised. We travel south three times a year, always staying at 4 and 5 star locations, so we are experienced travellers (30+ trips to various locations throughout the Caribbean). We upgraded to the level, as we usually opt for theses upgrades as most locations. I will use three headings - Positive, Negative and Room for Improvement. Positive Grounds - beautiful, very well maintained, expansive featuring a variety of gardens, ponds, quiet spaces (hammocks, chairs, swings). The lobby is beautiful. The pictures we took of the lobby really don’t do it justice. Pools - large, clean pool with swim-up bar, along with several smaller, quieter secluded pools. Beach - nice beach section. Some sargassum was present, but access to the water was still possible. The resort has two barriers that likely help to prevent some sargassum penetration. If you like to walk the beach, I suggest that you head to the right as the slope is much less than that to the left, and it is easier walking. Food - what, and where, we ate was great. We had breakfast at the buffet and the Quimera. Good variety, and the food was good. Lunches were usually at the Quimera (very good). We also tried the Yumay grill and the buffet one time, and we found both to be decent. We tried eating the Level beach bar, and it was extremely basic, and rather underwhelming. Our dinners alternated between the Quimera and the Muoi. Both featured very good food and excellent service. The steak was good (remember you are in the D.R) at the Quimera, as was the salmon. The chicken wok and the beef wok were both good at the Muoi. One evening we had room service, and the burger and fries were very good. Note - we are not super adventurous eaters, and tend to stick with norms to avoid the opportunity for illness. Our philosophy is, if you don’t take three helpings of random chunks of mystery meat floating in a sauce from buffet where you reside, then why do it while you are travelling abroad…..eating outside the norm just opens the door for unwanted side effects. Spa - the spa was a great experience for a couples massage, using the steam therapy and sauna, as well as the hot tubs. Staff - for the most part the staff were exceptional; very friendly, very attentive, and doing their best to make your vacation as relaxing as possible. There was the odd time where language barrier was an issue, but with a little effort common ground was reached to clarify a request. My husband and I are both very independent. We do not travel to be pampered and waited on. We do not expect to be treated like a royalty, and find that expressions of thanks and appreciation, and interacting with the staff on a human level always yields a positive outcome. Transportation around the resort - as noted, the resort is expansive. The walk from the lobby to the Level main location is a good ten minutes. It is a very nice walk, as the grounds are fairly level. Should you decide not to walk there is a shuttle that travels between the lobby and the Level quite often (every 10-15 minutes). Bars - the bars were all fairly efficient, the staff were pleasant, drinks were of a good quality, and the facilities clean. Vendors - there are vendors that pass by, but they were all friendly, polite, respectful, and non-aggressive. When you indicated that you were not interested in their offerings they would continue on. We have certainly experienced way worse. Rooms - our room was clean, had been renovated, and was comfortable. We did not experience any issues with AC or hot water. Our bath tub would have taken hours to fill with the slow flow rate, so we didn’t utilize it as we would have. Butler - our butler was helpful with making dinner reservations, and this was all we used him for. We are low-key and independent, so our butler-related interactions were minimal. Quimera Rooftop bar for the Level - what a great place to relax for a few nighttime drinks with entertainment in a quaint setting, with a nice view overlooking the pool.

  Dec 24, 2025
• 

  Beautiful resort with lovely warm welcoming staff.

  Me and my Fiancé had a lovely time at Riu Ochi. Before my arrival I had sent a few requests via email and upon arrival the front desk staff ensured these requests were met. Travelling from the UK and after a 9 hour flight I definitely felt relaxed as soon I reached the lobby. Bellman Akeem was super friendly and helpful. We saw Akeem doing some housekeeping duties around the main hotel area too..wow what a hardworking man. We were always greeted with a big smile and exchange of kind words. I would like to give a special mention to the beautiful bar lady Tamareo who served us with the biggest smile, super friendly lady who made our night extra special when she asked the dj in the sports bar to play a song for me and my partner (now my Fiancé) Yes I got engaged whilst there. We would like to say a big thank you to the young man in the Italian restaurant (unfortunately didn't get his name) who assisted my Fiancé during the proposal and who was also our videographer 😂 thank you for capturing a moment I will never forget. Overall we had a great time and we are looking forward to returning in the new year ❤️ God bless to all of the RIU staff we met during our stay your hard work is recognised and truly appreciated. Thank you 😊

  Dec 22, 2025
• 

  Good and bad

  Couldn't really fault the hotel or the staff . Food was good and plenty of it , spotlessly clean . But did have a few minor issues. There was no cash machine to get money out , so bring cash to change if you're going to tip . The pool areas were way too loud with their music . Fair enough I may be old but cater for everyone at least. Should have a noisy pool for those who want it and a quiet pool for those who don't . And if you don't like red stripe beer then tough luck , it's the only one offered . Lastly , we were there for 2 weeks , and the 2nd weeks entertainment was a mirror image of the 1st . Same bands , same shows, same artist. Was bored out our minds 2nd week. If people are going on a 2 week holiday which is more often than not , have a 2 week turnaround on the entertainment front

  Dec 21, 2025
• 

  Avoid at all costs

  Awful from start to finish , got bitten by a centipede at the hotel although I’m sure that it could have been something else as the cleanliness was below par . Went to reception for assistance but one of the staff was busy having a nap and the other couldn’t give a dam. Waited in reception for over 10 hours with no medical assistance, told to look for food myself even though I have a serious shellfish allergy, rooms smelt damp and overall it was the worst hotel I’ve ever been to.

  Dec 19, 2025