Riu Montego Bay - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10707 reviews

• 

  Honest Review: Good for Party Crowds, Not for Travelers Seeking Quality or Activities

  We stayed at RIU Montego Bay recently after the trip was booked by a friend. We still managed to have a fun vacation because we enjoy making the most of any trip, but I want to leave an honest review for future travelers deciding whether this resort is the right fit. For context, we have stayed at several all-inclusive brands including Iberostar Selection Rose Hall Suites, Royalton Blue Waters, Hilton properties, and others. We are not overly demanding travelers—we enjoy active days, games, beach time, some relaxation, and ending the day with a decent dinner. Unfortunately, this resort did not meet those expectations. What We Liked Friendly Staff Most staff members were warm, helpful, and hardworking. Bartenders in particular were friendly and made the experience better. Rooms Our room was clean, modern, comfortable, and stayed cool throughout the night. Beds were comfortable. Waterpark The waterpark was one of the highlights of the stay and genuinely fun. Some slides are intense, so use caution. Where It Fell Short Food Quality This was by far the weakest part of the trip and the poorest food experience we have had at an all-inclusive. * Steakhouse steak was poor quality and not close to a ribeye. * Italian restaurant was acceptable, but comparable to a lower-end chain meal. * Asian restaurant was disappointing. * Buffet selections felt repetitive and random. * Fresh fruit options were very limited. * Jamaican chicken was one of the few consistently enjoyable foods. If food matters to you, this may be a major downside. Resort Atmosphere This property is heavily geared toward partying. If your goal is drinking, loud music, nightlife, and a spring-break style atmosphere, you may enjoy it. If you prefer a more balanced adults-only resort with relaxation, daytime activities, and upscale energy, this may not be the best choice. The party atmosphere was present during the day as well—not just at night—with very explicit swimwear and behavior around the pools. No judgment, but travelers should know what type of environment to expect. Activities There were activities listed, but they often felt inconsistent or loosely organized. We expected more structured daytime entertainment and ended up bringing our own volleyball to stay occupied. Pools The swim-up bar pool was noticeably dirty and warmer than expected. Other pools were better. Also surprising for an adults-only resort: * No hot tub * Pools close at 6 PM Beach The beach was average. Water is shallow and calm, which may appeal to some guests, but we prefer more swimmable water and waves. The biggest issue was constant vendors approaching guests—even while swimming in the ocean. They would paddle up in kayaks trying to sell items, which became frustrating quickly. Excursions Resort-booked excursions were expensive (mostly $100+ per person). We used a local driver for less than half the cost and had a much better experience exploring Jamaica independently. Important Note Be careful with wristbands. We witnessed multiple guests lose theirs on waterslides and were told replacements cost $250. Final Verdict We still had a fun trip because of the people we were with and because we always make the best of travel. However, we would not return to RIU Montego Bay. This resort may work well for travelers seeking a budget-friendly adults-only party resort. If you value food quality, a relaxing atmosphere, organized activities, better beach experience, or a more polished all-inclusive stay, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

  Apr 19, 2026
• 

  Mixed feelings

  We spent 10 days at this hotel in March. At the very beginning, we were greeted by a very unfriendly lady at the reception desk. We were given a room in building no. 4, at the very end of the building. The balcony overlooked a wall and trees on one side, and construction work on the other. Millions of birds flocked to these trees in the evenings and early mornings, making it incredibly noisy and impossible to sleep. There was no hot water until 8 a.m. every day, despite reporting the problem. The rooms were very clean, as were the pools and the entire hotel. The beach was very nice, but a bit small. The sea was warm. There were no problems with available loungers, both on the beach and by the pools. The food was very good, the coffee was good, but only at the lobby bar. The breakfast coffee was supposedly from vending machines, but powdered, and only twice during my stay it was whatever I chose. The rest were water-based. The staff, with the exception of the cleaning lady, were unfriendly and gave the impression they were working as a punishment. As we left the hotel, there were people lurking around, immediately attacking guests, handing out leaflets for shops and selling drugs. They were very pushy and rude. One of them asked if we smoked and wanted to buy anything. We politely replied no, no thanks, and he called us "fu.... white racists." The hotel should do something about this, because we were afraid to go there for the rest of the days. Overall, I'd rate my stay a 3*, but this was mainly due to my dissatisfaction with the service.

  Apr 05, 2026
• 

  Great Stay highly recommend

  Great Stay highly recommend - they have done well with the refurb Accessible room - everything as needed 5 pools to choose from with plenty sun-beds available Food - stuck to Buffett during out stay, lots to choose from and great tasting at every meal. Only downfall difficult to get a booking at steak restaurant. Wonderful staff! Highly recommend this hotel

  Apr 05, 2026
• 

  The Best of Jamaica 🇯🇲

  Could not ask for more!!! My wife, Joy and I just returned from Rui Montego Bay on the 25th of February 2026 after relaxing and enjoying this top notch resort. This resort is only 10 minutes from Montego Bay airport and is in emasculate condition, considering Jamaica had recently been hit by a massive hurricane.The only thing on this resort that indicated it had been hit by the hurricane was that the palm trees were missing leaves, everything was repaired,cleaned up and running at top speed. All of the restaurants and the buffet had excellent menus, great and changing selections at the buffet and excellent service at them all. We were able to eat at the Steakhouse restaurant twice during our 7 day stay and the 10 once steak was the best meal possible. Because this resort was Full of guests we had to make reservations for the restaurants instead of the usual “ come and go “ reservation free which Rui is famous for, but no problem we ate at three of the four restaurants. All of the bars served you quickly and orderly making sure you were looked after as quickly as possible. The entertainment staff did a magnificent job and kept things hopping,including talking to guests and explaining how they weathered the hurricane, keeping the guests safe during it. A big Shout Out to Allison and Suzy from the entertainment gang that provided our fun times and also Kiara at the front desk who kept us informed and was able to answer any questions we might have. Both myself and my wife are Rui members and were able to check into Rui resorts before our arrival and because Joy has mobility issues we had requested certain buildings and floors before our arrival. WOW !! Whoever is in charge of the room placement nailed it on the head!!!!! We could not be more pleased with our room placement. Ground floor and very short walks to the pools, outdoor bar, and Pepe’s outdoor lunch restaurant!!! Rui out did themselves and made our stay the BEST and MOST ENJOYABLE ever. Also the packages of Blue Mountain coffee from both Tripcentral and the front desk were much appreciated. This has been one of the best Rui resort we have been to and we have been to many other Rui resorts and we will definitely be back soon. Thanks again RUI Paul and Joy Roberts

  Apr 04, 2026
• 

  Superb Family Vacation

  Quick transfer. Planes can be seen and heard at resort but not an issue. Easy access to and lovely views of the beach which is nice to have a short walk along. Water within a lifeguarded area is calm, warm and very salty! Great to swim in but a bit weedy underfoot. Saw a few fish jump, but not many. Energetic atmosphere with quiet areas. Entertainment staff are excellent and shows are well attended. Live singers and musicians are amazing; cello and saxophone players, one singer was on The Voice Jamaica, Bar staff are friendly and accommodating, happy to make delicious cocktails, especially at the Exodus bar. Housekeeping and wait staff are also lovely and work hard as a team. Rooms are clean and have everything you need; hairdryer, shampoo/body wash, conditioner, well stocked towels, a/c, ceiling fan, some have bath robes, drying rack on balcony, drawers, clothes hangers, blankets, iron and safe are in the wardrobe. We couldn't find tv channels. There are no balcony lights. Sockets and usb ports beside beds, and extra sockets on opposite wall. I found the bed comfy, my husband didn't - so personal preference. Room bar and fridge are stocked every 2 days, anything can be requested via the Riu app. One room had a/c issues, used the app and it was fixed within 10 minutes. Food is really good. We reserved via the app and enjoyed the Italian and the steakhouse, nice to be served, although Italian has buffet starter and desserts .The Asian is buffet and walk-in. The main buffet has a huge variety; gluten free, and will accommodate dietary requirements . Everything is labelled - wear glasses! look out for 'nut' signage. The sports bar upstairs is open 24 hours, and has sandwiches, Jamaican patties, fruit and coffee. Continental breakfast is served in the steakhouse area when buffet closes at 10.30am and a selection of food and ice-cream when buffet closes after lunch. We were a group of 8; four mid to late 50s and four mid to late 20s and we all had such a good time. Were able to get pool and beach sunbeds together, easily seated in restaurants and managed to sit together at the entertainment. There is no room service nor waiter service for pool and beach drinks, but lifeguards tend to collect empties at pools and beach. We all enjoyed the water park, the slides are super fast! Had intended taking part in activities, which are detailed in the Riu app, but didn't seem to find the time!! The parties are cool; beach on Sunday night, pool foam on Wednesday afternoon and White or Neon on Friday nights. I was the only one to get a few bug bites which blistered, but I was up early and in the sea a lot and none of us wore bug spray. Weather last week was amazing, cloudy, sunny, calm, windy mix. Saturday night we had an amazing thunderstorm during the show! The other storms happened overnight. We walked 500m across the street to Whitter village, (on the left). The pharmacy and supermarket are upstairs - cheaper sunscreen if you need it! Green Apple Store is near entrance. Burger King, Wendy's and KFC are there too, we didn't try them. We all really enjoyed our time at Riu Montego Bay, because we were there for family time where everyone could meet up or go do their own thing. A few of us had tummy troubles, most likely from having been in Canadian winter conditions since October to being in the heat and sun 12 hours a day! Also from drinking and eating much more than usual!! All good fun though and very grateful we were able to be there. Life is short, make it sweet.......Ya Mon 🇯🇲

  Mar 30, 2026