This was our second trip to the Riu Ocho Rios and it was essentailly, a completely different experience than our trip last year. We went to the Riu last July for a wedding and enjoyed it so much we came back this year, but with a different opinion. Upon our arrival, we were greeted with a room that was not only not an ocean front room, but also the air conditioning was broken. We called the front desk about the room problem and the air condition and were given the standard answer, "No problem." It was no problem for them to not fix it for 4 hours and not have an eta on when it would be fixed. Then my wife tried to take a shower and there was no hot water and no water pressure. We called the front desk again, "no problem." It was no problem for them to just not fix it, at all.

We called our travel agent, the representative from Tourwise who acted as an intermediary and 2 desk managers to try and get the room we paid for, but we were given their standard song and dance about how full the hotel was and they would try tomorrow. The next day we tried again, but the hotel was still "too full." I find it hard to believe in a resort with 836 rooms, there was no other room. Finally, I went to the front desk and demanded to know what was being done, if anything to rememdy the situation. It was only then, that one of the managers took the time to look in the computer to try and salvage our vacation. The next day, we moved to an actual ocean front room where again, no hot water, no water pressure. We AGAIN called the front desk... you guessed it, "no problem." It was no problem for them to shut the water completely off for the time being and not fix it for 4 HOURS. Everyday we were there, we had water issues, it was very disappointing.

Keep in mind, Jamaica is beautiful, the beach was beautiful, the resort is beautiful, but these little things all add up. For as much money as people spend there(including us), it would seem as if they could iron out these details and be a little more receptive when people called down and showed up to try to make things right. That being said, it would have been very easy for them to make it right with us. They could have given us an upgrade, moved us to a different ocean view room temporarily until our ocean front room openend up, given us a bottle of Appleton rum, etc... Instead, the people were not helpful and, at times, very rude.

Other problems we encountered:
**no towels at the towel hut on 3 straight days
**didn't get any washcloths for 2 days
**never changed the sheets
**took forever to get more towels when we asked
**we missed the entire beach party waiting for water to come back on
**not sure, but I think there was a dead dog on the beach for a long time one afternoon
**the constant bombardment of pushers trying to give us a "jet-ski" ride
**pushers fighting on the beach for whatever reason

Again, our trip was not a complete loss, we had a good time despite all of the problems due in large part to our own creativity. The "doctor" at the Bob Marley bar was awesome. Also props to Edwin at Seagrape and Raymond at Bob Marley. Three bartenders who made our time very enjoyable. Pacha, the night club on the resort, played the same music every night in almost the exact same order. Overall, the drinks are WEAK and seemed watered down. You get full long before catching a buzz. It would also be nice to have more than just Red Stripe for beer to drink on the resort.

We went for 7 days and it was definitely too long. While it was still better than being at work, I wouldn't do another 7 day anywhere. Although it will be a while(if ever) before we go back to Jamaica, I don't think we'll be returning to the Riu. It hurts to say it, but I'm disappointed and really wished we would have gone somewhere else for vacation this year.

I was "glued" to Tripadvisor reviews for a couple of months before going to Riu Ocho Rios. We had an amazing time and I am sure, others will do too if you travel with an open mind and a great attitude.
AIRPORT: Our transfer company was JTL and based on my previous experiences when traveling to other resorts, there is a representative waiting for you outside the airport to take you to your bus. In Jamaica, representatives are located inside the airport. JTL has its own station where you "check in", they give you a voucher and send you to the next person who carries your luggage to your transportation (for a small tip). On the way to the resort we made a short stop where we bought a bottle of water and 2 botlle of juice... all for $8.50 The bus was airconditioned and the roads were fine.
CHECK IN / ROOM: We arrived around 4 p.m. and our room was not ready. We were asked to wait 30 minutes and sinces we were hungry, we decided to go to eat at the Piccola Italia Italian restaurant located next to the lobby.
We booked a "beach front" room that literally faced the beach and the sea. The view was breathtaking. The room was clean. Towels were changed every day. We showed our appreciation to the maid with a $2 tip every day. Suggestion: Our room was normally cleaned around 3 p.m., but because we traveled with almost a 2 year old who had to take a nap in the middle of the day, we asked if our room could be cleaned between 10-12 in the morning and we were accommodated without a problem.
My cell phone (T-Mobile) was not getting a service, so I made a call to the US to let my husband know that we (our son, my mom and I) arrived safely. I was initially informed that I would be charged $3 a minute. However, I was on the phone for about 2-3 minutes and was only charged $3 for connection (they inform you about your charges before you leave Riu).
FOOD: There is soooo much great food! Every night they add/ change many dishes. They also cook some "main dish of the night" outside at the restaurant's main entrance. My little picky eater always had a plate full of choices for him (did not want many of them, but not because the food was bad, he is just very picky). He loved the "jerk chicken" for lunch though:) I still like to give my son a cup of milk before he goes to bed and as soon as our "favorite" waiter saw us he offered to fill our mug for us (we carried a mug with us for these porposes, so that we could later take it to our oom). If you can, tip your waiters... they work extremely hard...
MANDALAY ASIAN RESTAURANT: Reservation was quick and easy. I went to the front desk/reception around 2 p.m. and asked them if I could make a reservation there. The gentleman offered to call for me and also made a reservation for me and my family. We were not able to get a reservation for the same day, because the restaurant was booked, but the next day worked for us as well.
We really were not impressed by the selection of food at the Aisan restaurant, and also its quality and its quantity (unlike regular breakfast and dinner buffet). If you want to try it anyway, make a 6:30 reservation (they have 4 sitting times). We were still there around 7:30 (the second sitting was at 7:15) and they have not added any more food to the salad/sushi buffet... the 7:15 sitting guests had to enjoy leftovers. Also, the waiter seemed not to care whether we needed something or not. Which is not typical to other waiters and staff at all.
WEATHER: Even though we were there in the middle of June, it never felt hot, becasue of the gentle breeze coming from the sea. It actually feels much hotter back at home then it felt in Jamaica.
MISC:
We did not see evening shows, because of our baby's schedule.
I did, however, go to a spa and had a deep tissue massage for $104 for 50 minutes. The swedish massage was $80 something dollars for the same time length.
The beach is great. The kids' pool was closed throughout our entire stay, but we took our little one to the main pool and had fun with him in there( they have two big pools on either side of the resort).
Just go with a positive attitude and you will definitely love your stay at Riu Ocho Rios.

Let me start by saying, I will keep this short and truthful.
If you are reading a lengthy review of this hotel and it is telling you how wonderful it is...It's true and now I know, I should have believed it.
This place is beautiful, clean and friendly. That is why I won't bore you with more details. If they say it was wonderful, I believe it was. It was fabulous.
If you are reading a review that is complaining about mold, mildew, mosquitos, or bad service, don't believe it. There were no stinky rooms, no mold, no mildew, very few mosquitos, (they only enter your room if you leave the door wide open for a lengthy period, but why would you do that, you need to have the door closed to keep the air running, why have your room damp and hot, you have to keep the air on or it will be.) and there were no rude unappreciative employees. They couldn't do more to make sure you were happy. There was no pressure or attitute to tip except at the airport. At the hotel, they were grateful for what they got. We walked down the beach to the little huts and bought our stuff. Wanted to make sure it went to the locals and they were very happy we did. Prices were fair and no pressure, none.
We went to the straw market on a tour and THAT was pressure. We didn't buy because they were very aggressive. Make sure you see Jane at the huts on the beach to the left of the hotel, what a sweet lady.
What else can I say. From check in to check out it was perfect. The weather, the ocean, the pools and the Ocho Rios Highlight Tour, all fantastic.
We would return in a heartbeat. You can't go wrong with the Riu.
I hope this puts you mind at ease if you are swaying. I know I was and was eager to find out anything I could to convince me that I made the right decision. Now I know we did. Oh and a shout out to Jamaica Tours, they were great as well.

I visited Jamaica during Memorial Day weekend '08. It was an all girls weekend for us.

The rooms were clean and nicely decorated. Everyday, we had a different type of flower on our freshly made beds. Best of all was the food. There were at least 6 restaurants to choose from and surprisingly, the food was great considering the hotel was all-inclusive. There were plenty of healthy options as well, like grilled fish and a salad bar all day long in numerous restaurants. In addition, there was jerk chicken down on the beach everyday.

The alcoholic drinks did not meet my expectation but most all-inclusive hotels water down the alcohol (I think).

This hotel had plenty of activities ranging from volleyball to bombfire parties on the beach. You can take lessons to learn the local language. Also, the hotel has plenty of partnerships with tourist companies so shopping and clubbing is a breeze.

I would recommend this hotel. I will consider a RIU hotel for another vacation.