Riu Ocho Rios - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

13811 reviews

• 

  7 days in Ochi

  What a wonderful relaxing and fun time. From checking-in and sad time checking out sad because I would have loved to stay longer. Not one member of staff could I make a complaint about. Too many to mention. They all worked great and very professionally. Anyone that complains shame on you. From the busboys to the managers continue as you are an excellent team work. The room was great Block 2 great located for the pool and bar side. ahd food. The Evening entertainment for all ages as well a in the day was fun. but if you want a quiet time there is space for that. I recommend the spa.

  Apr 19, 2026
• 

  9/10

  Vending machine should be implicated since there isn’t any room service and food at sports bar is limited after a certain time. I was hungry lol so there should be some type of vending machine or access to food after, after hours!

  Apr 19, 2026
• 

  RIU Ocho Rios all inclusive hotel

  The hotel is exquisite, a lot of facilities, such as pools and the most beautiful beach. Everything is kept to the highest standard. The food and drinks are excellent. And there is always something going on, some activities, for all ages, in the resort, so you’re never bored. I’d definitely recommend it.

  Apr 19, 2026
• 

  Not quite the experience we expected

  This was our fourth stay with RIU, so we are very familiar with the brand and the standards it usually delivers. Unfortunately, on this occasion, we felt that the experience was a little lacking compared to what we have come to expect, which is why I felt it important to share the points below. Firstly, I would like to say that the staff, on the whole, were fantastic and very friendly, and many could not do enough for us. The reason I say “on the whole” is because there were a few occasions, particularly during the evening entertainment, where some of the waitstaff appeared disengaged and gave the impression that they did not want to be there. This was noticeable compared to the excellent service we received from others. While on the subject of evening entertainment, I also wanted to mention that the entertainment schedule appeared to run on a weekly rotation. As our stay spanned over three weeks, this meant that we saw some of the same shows two and in some cases three times. While the entertainment itself was enjoyable, the repetition over a longer stay did become quite disappointing and made the evenings feel less varied than expected in a resort of this size and rating. I would also like to raise some concerns regarding the lifeguards. Any direct communication I personally had with them was polite and friendly. However, there was a serious incident in which my sister had to jump into the pool fully clothed to ensure my nephew’s safety after he misjudged the depth of the pool. The lifeguard present did not intervene or act during this situation. In addition to this, we witnessed on several occasions guests taking alcoholic drinks to the lifeguards’ towers, and at times saw drinks being taken into the towel storage area for the lifeguards. We also observed lifeguards consuming food and alcohol during their shifts, including food from the jerk hut. This created a general sense that they had become overly comfortable in their role, and, given what we observed, it did not leave us feeling confident that they would respond appropriately in the event of an emergency. We also travelled with a one‑year‑old baby, and were advised that although we could fill bottles with milk, a simple carton of milk could not be provided. While this may not affect all guests, it was inconvenient and difficult to understand, particularly as the minibar in the room was fully stocked with other drinks. This alone would not put me off the hotel, but I did feel it was worth mentioning. Additionally, I felt the prices in the on‑site shop for baby products were extremely excessive. A very small pack of nappies, with only four size options available, was priced at $45 excluding tax. We instead paid $20 to visit a nearby store and were able to purchase double the amount of nappies, as well as wipes, for significantly less. This felt disproportionate and unfair, particularly for families travelling with infants. I want to be clear that these points are purely based on my experiences, the hotel itself is lovely the location is fantastic there are many trips you can do and the beach is beautiful and as mentioned, most of the staff were excellent. The rooms were clean, although they would benefit from some maintenance. For example, our shower screen was heavily affected by limescale to the point it was difficult to see through, and there were small areas of mould present. I appreciate the high volume of guests, so minor issues are understandable. There were also a few small issues with the optics in the room: one bottle was missing entirely, a bottle of gin fell out when attempting to use it, and the vodka dispenser did not work, leaving only two usable bottles. These are not major issues, however for a 5‑star resort, they are details that I feel should be noted. I share this feedback constructively, as RIU is a brand we have returned to multiple times and generally have a very high opinion of. I hope these comments can be taken on board to help maintain the high standards RIU is known for. I do finally want to shout out particularly the female RIU fun staff they couldn't have done enough to welcome us and made an extra special effort with our little boy which definitely made an impact on our experience.

  Apr 17, 2026
• 

  Spend your money elsewhere

  I will preface this by saying it seemed that a lot of people enjoyed their stay there, but it wasn’t for me. If you enjoy drinking and enjoy loud music and a party atmosphere all day at the pools, this is for you. The clientele was mixed but the loudest ones stood out - drinking excessively, loud, smoking. There was a quieter, more relaxed pool on the left side of the resort but it was freezing until later in the afternoon. The thing I found the most jarring was the staff. I met two women who seemed friendly and pleasant. Everyone else I encountered really acted like they didn’t care if the guests lived or died. That started right from the start of the vacation with the rude nexus bus driver, to reception, towel hut staff, fitness class staff, to the buffet staff and more. If you’re playing thousands of dollars to vacation somewhere, the least I expect is a smile, even if it’s not genuine. The food was okay. The buffet had a lot of options but you better get there quickly before things got picked over. The jerk chicken for example always disappeared in minutes. The room was a disappointment. I stayed in a suite in the building on the far left. It was a long way from reception. The room had a mildew smell to it. There were mold/mildew spots on the ceiling. The walls looked like they’d been painted 10 times over. The safe was rusty. The plug next to the bed didn’t work. The security chain on the door was removed. The towels were mismatched but all generally a dark pink/brown colour (I don’t trust any resort that doesn’t have white bath towels, but that’s my preference). The bed was okay but they only had two pillows on it and two thin sheets with some visible stains on them. I did change to another room after a few days, and that one was slightly better. However it was in the same building so the same problems existed - rust on all the metal in the hallway, etc) The beach was beautiful and the water was warm. There was a bit of seaweed but not much. It’s also worth noting that unlike other places I’ve been, there was no one walking around offering drinks, snacks, etc. The kids water park was closed but it did look like it’s seen better days. It was very faded and did not look overly clean. I understand things fade in the sun but it just looked like it was past its prime. At one point a maintenance man knocked on my door and quickly barged in before realizing he had the wrong room. I’m glad I was dressed and awake or this would have really shook me. As I mentioned there was no security chain on the door to use - the screw holes were there from where it used to be. It’s also worth noting that this is far from Montego Bay airport. It may be quicker if you elect to take a private transfer (but still 1.5 hrs) but it took us 3 hours each way on the nexus bus. If you have small kids or have mobility issues, this makes it so much harder, especially after just spending 4+ hours on a plane. I would not say this is a 5* resort and I did not feel like it was worth the money spent. If you’re like me and work hard to save up for a nice vacation every year, I’m telling you that unless you got the deal of a lifetime, spend your money elsewhere. There is definitely potential for it to be better but only if the attitudes of the staff change and the infrastructure improves. Rust, peeling paint and mold spots where the guests are just make me wonder how bad the kitchen and laundry rooms are behind the scenes.

  Apr 16, 2026