Just got back from RIU Palace Jamaica, and overall this was an amazing trip and absolutely a worthwhile splurge. Jamaica was warm, beautiful, and welcoming, and the staff were truly a standout. Everyone we interacted with was friendly and attentive, our room was kept very clean, the atmosphere was relaxed and fun, the Elite food was excellent, the specialty restaurants were also great, and the location made it easy to walk to the other RIU resorts for parties and activities. We also booked a private van through the lobby desk for a full day of bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae, dinner at a local restaurant, shopping, and the Luminous Lagoon, which was a highlight for our group.
The one major issue was an incident at the swim-up bar where a piece of marble fell and seriously injured our friend’s foot, which affected a large part of his vacation. What made it more upsetting was hearing from another guest that this had apparently recently happened before, which suggests it was not a new issue. The lack of concern, compassion, or meaningful follow-up from management/corporate after such an expensive trip from the US West Coast was extremely disappointing.
That said, the amazing staff and the beauty of the resort are what we will remember most. It is just unfortunate that the handling of this incident left us feeling that, despite how much we enjoyed so much of the trip, we will likely explore other options in the future.
