Bamboo Blu, Ocho Rios

We found a new spot to enjoy a day at the beach! Bamboo Blu is an oceanfront restaurant in Ocho Rios, who also offers the beach experience. Lounge chairs are 5$ each and for a romantic setting they also rent cabana beds from 20 to 30$! Wi-Fi is complimentary. The restaurant has a good menu although some items are kind of overpriced. The staff is fun and the service is great. The beach is remarkable. The blue water and the warm breeze makes you appreciate this relaxing time. I would definitely like to stay one evening just for the bonfire! But I know we will go back! To get there, turn right next to the RIU all inclusive where you have to go through the security gate of Mammee Bay Estate, a little bit further on your right you’ll find the gate of Bamboo Blu. Open every day from 10 to 10. I would rate this restaurant 7 out of 10. 

Sunset Grande Jamaica hotel review

One weekend we decided to book last minute for a 2 nights stay in Ocho Rios. The only available choice was the Sunset Grande Jamaica hotel. This was our worst stay in Jamaica. It was not 100% awful but we won’t be going back to this one. The resort itself was not so bad, I really like the lobby and the multiple pools with the giant slide. It would be OK for a family with young kids.

We booked the best room – the honeymoon suite – for a ridiculously low price, haha we concluded that even with this special it was not really worth it. 

The thing is, when we arrived there were no towels in our room. We called the Front Desk about it and they told us they will send someone. An hour later we still did not received the towels and we really wanted to take a shower. We called back but this time at the Guest Service Desk. An hour or two after, we finally received our towels. We took a shower went to the restaurant and came back to our room to go to sleep. Later, we woke up because the phone was ringing. What the hell... Front Desk was calling to check if we really did receive the famous towels. The towels had also served another function in this room: to soak up the water raining down the AC.The restaurant buffet for breakfast was good, lunch ok and supper…ok. Cats were hovering under the tables trying to get food. Birds were also there, ready to steal anything from the tables. We made a reservation to try their Italian restaurant…we almost laughed when our fresh mozzarella appetizer arrived and it was…NOT fresh mozzarella but triangular-shaped slices from what we saw in the main buffet restaurant. 

Sadly, it was a rainy weekend; we did not use the beach but only the pools. We kept thinking about the people who visit Jamaica for the first time and would come back home with those kind of memories…. I would rate this hotel a 5 out of 10.

Club Hotel RIU Ocho Rios review

The first hotel we stayed at was the Club Hotel RIU Ocho Rios. It was in November 2011, my first time visiting Jamaica before moving here, so I was pretty excited. We only stayed there for 2 nights. It was a good stay. I was really impressed with the site and installations. The breakfast buffet was amazing, loved everything about it. Lunch was ok but supper was a deception. If you don’t have a reservation in one of their other restaurants…you are stuck at the buffet and there is nothing really tasty there. The beach was nice but you are being harassed by the Jamaicans on jet-skis wanting your money for a ride, a guy was also IN THE WATER trying to sell me cigars and things like that. We slept fine even if the fire alarm rang at some point during the night but I remember falling asleep right after that. We had a front ocean room on the highest floor, the view was wonderful and the room was really clean! RIU is a great all-inclusive chain with hotels in other city of Jamaica as well as in other countries. Overall I would rate this hotel 7 out of 10.