We read the reviews before we went so we had an idea what to expect and it was pretty close. The beach was fine, good for our 4,6,8 year olds. They walk by quickly with fresh fruit but let you get 1 piece before moving on. You don't feel special, they do not go out of the way at all. The hotel was nice and our suite was nice too. We did not do the all inclusive because we couldn't eat and drink that much in a day to make it worth it. The food was not good at the pool or room service. The buffet in the morning was good, $30 for adults and $13 for kids, our 4 year old was free. We hired a driver for 2 days, the first day the ritz put it together and the second day we called him ourselves. It was about $150 for our family of 5. He took us to the falls which the kids loved and to a neat restaurant that over looks the water. The food was good the bathrooms were not. He stopped whenever my husband needed a cold red stripe beer. He talked about Jamaica a lot so we got a lot of information. The second time he took us to Negril for the day and went to a place on the beach that had a little bar and the pina coladas had some fresh fruit in them. Bring some money because we bought fresh coconut, pineapple and other fruit from people selling them on the beach. After that we went to Ricks Cliffs and my husband 38 jumped off the high cliffs just like he did when we went to jamaica in collage! The kids jumped off the smaller cliffs. It was very fun. The best meal we had and the most fun the kids had at a restaurant was Margarites next to Margarittaville. I had a wonderful pasta dish and my husband had the snapper. It also looks over the water so while we finished our dinner the kids fed the fish. My favorite pina coladas were here. They also have a free shuttle to and from the restaurant. We went to 2 Jerk chicken places but you have to be ready to really be in the culture. The pork pit was cheap and good it's a hole in the wall but neat because of the big grill in the center. The other one is a free shuttle from the ritz across the street and its good but eat fast because of the flies. We had a good time because our room was nice and we had a great time when we went outside of the ritz. Oh bring masks and snorkels everywhere and crocs for the falls or you can rent shoes for 5 dollars.

I am just returning from the Ritz Carlton Rose Hall, where I had my wedding!!! It was the most amazing week of my life. We had about 100 friends and family join us for this amazing week and every single person had the time of their life. I had been to the Ritz twice before on pre-planning trips and never had any doubt that they would put on a grand affair. The staff at the Ritz is the nicest, most sincere, most accomodating staff I have ever encountered (and I have a hospitality bakground and work in event planning). Their attention to detail and strive for perfection make this property fabulous. The wedding was everything that I dreamed it would be. Every single detail was handled with ease. Our guests were impressed with everything, from the band to the food. If you are thinking of having a destination wedding, I highly recommend having it at the Ritz in Rose Hall...you will not be disappointed!

This hotel has some positives and some negatives. Positives are its proximity to the airport, and the check-in desk at the airport and car service directly from the airport. It's 10-15 minutes away, as opposed to Ocho Rios or Negril, which are both over an hour on a hotel bus. Very convenient location. You must get the Keys to Paradise plan because there isn't much to do outside the property. The food is very good, but not top notch what you would expect from a Ritz. The Jerk Shack has pretty good jerk food too. The pool is small and lots of little kids. If you have little kids, great, if not, you won't like the pool so much. The beach is small, but it's very relaxing. The ocean water isn't the best - it's rocky, except for the roped off part of the ocean which is nice, but small. The morning breakfast buffet is impressive with a wide variety of food, but it's not the quality you expect from a Ritz property. Also, the Jamaicans who work here are very friendly - almost too friendly. It's a weird vibe as 95% of the guests are white and the staff is all black - you feel a bit like a colonist, especially with the ingratiating way the staff treats the guests. Instead of saying "yes," they say "yes, absolutely, sir!" Also, everybody is always asking if you like your stay and will you come back. Enough already.

The big negative can be summed up in one word - Jamaica. The hotel staff and people you meet off property involved in the toursit industry are very friendly, but not too bright. If you ask for a drink off the menu or prepared another way, the staff gets very confused. Jamaicans you encounter outside the hotel (which is not recommended) can be downright hostile to toursists. Also, since it is Jamaica, you will not be able to leave the property unless on a guided excursion in a car or bus with tinted windows.

Overall, Jamaica as a country really isn't ready for a top notch western style resort, but the Ritz is the best they could do.

My sisters and I went for a girls getaway weekend back in February. It was wonderful - primarily to escape the harsh NYC cold for the warm tropical air!

BUT- we booked under a special package called the Key to Paradise package (we booked through expedia so I don't know if it's available through other vendors). But it's an all-inclusive package. Including flights, hotel, taxes, tips, airport transfers, meals, LOTS of alcohol we each paid about $1100 for a Thurs-Sun trip. Now that's pricey for a weekend, but NOT pricey for a Ritz, (or for the poolside cocktails we enjoyed!)

One of the restaurants required an extra $20 booking fee, but we could have just as easily avoided that restuarant for full 'all-inclusive'.

The people were fab, the weather was better, a GREAT trip. As for negatives, they don't have the best beach, it's pretty small and rocky. And, the resort is HUGE. There were two different corporate conventions going on, so this isn't the place for an intimate, private experience. But - for a high quality relatively affordable weekend experience, I say Key to Paradise at the Ritz please!