Hotel Riu Negril

Just returned from a week stay. Pros: Service was impeccable. Shout out to Dalton the Bartender, Stacy the bar hostess, and so many more whose names I can’t remember. Our housekeeper was top notch and I so wish I could remember her name as she was a sweetheart and our room was perfectly cleaned daily. She is a gem. Stayed in room 2102. This is our 3rd trip to this resort and we received excellent service the entire time. The entire resort was very clean, food was great. Cons: Beverage service needs to be more frequent or they need to stock a bit more heavily if they are doing it every other day, especially water. Bring bug spray, the gnats were horrible. Jamaica needs to have some traffic control. Road conditions are horrible and traffic is crazy. Custom lines are also ridiculous so Club Mobay is worth the money. Bypass the long customs lines. We had a great time and met a lot of wonderful people, both tourists and staff.

Rooms were clean, service was great for every meal, and ALL the drinks as well! We had a wonderful trip and wish to go back again. My only complaint is the 2-3 hour drive from MBJ to the resort. But it was worth it in the end.

First time in Jamaica and Riu Negril didn't disappoint.
Absolutely stunning facilities and grounds with 3/4 pools all with view of the palm dotted beach.
Food, BBQ jerk chicken hut on the beach was the winner for me but saying that great food on all their restaurants.
I would definitely be happy to stay there again.

Came here with my cousin, both in our early twenties. The experience of a lifetime and memories that will last forever. Food was excellent, staff was friendly, resort was clean, and met friends from all over the world that will last a lifetime. We suggest going off the resort- Ricks Café, Jungle nightclub, and Margaritaville are prime spots.

Person with a toddler who rated this place one star is an absolute clown and gobbledygook. Going anywhere with a baby that cries non-stop, 24-7 around the clock is obviously going to burn you out, especially on a vacation like this.

It was a great experience. It's probably not 5 star but everything was pretty good all round. Food quite varied from day today great Jamaican cuisine, staff very friendly and helpful to a consistently high level and great hotel. The photographers were great so captured some lovely memories. I will definitely be back.

This is one my favourite Rius to stay at in Jamaica. You have the 7 mile beach you can walk down, if your uncomfortable with the vendors just polietly decline and let them know your just walking they seem to respect that. They sell fresh aloe which was awesome. there was seaweed but we had a huge storm blow in and the gardeners spent 3 days raking it up and burying it ! Not a big deal tbh like the other guest mentioned .Theres also sand flies everywhere here its impossible not to get bit i was told to wear shea butter for that. I didnt see any bed bugs or notice any bites usually sand flies bite ur legs… so your gonna see alot of crazy legs lol….
I was very happy with the hotel cleaning staff non of my belongings were touched.
The dinning hall is so impressive with a BIG selection definitely my fav riu for that. The dining staff were great i wish i could remember my waitresses name ❤ The jerk hut was awesome! And i just loved the reggae band that comes in that was definitely the highlight of my stay. The entertainers mixed history and dance and i really loved that aspect.my favourite drink is the green tea and having freah lattes in the lobby!! If you want wifi chill in the lobby it works the best there . Thank you to team riu
*If you get sick on your travels get albendazole from the pharmacies dont buy levamisole it made me very ill. Also dont drink the water you will get sick. But this is common sense*

I was very pleased with the room. The food was often cold on the buffets. My husband was sick after eating at Luigi's. Not sure what he ate that made him ill. The bartenders and wait staff have been wonderful. I did observe a security guard and the lifeguard spent most of the afternoon behind the beach bar.

Have been to many resorts in Jamaica and this is one of the best experiences I have had. Great food, service, and entertainment. The employees were great. Most of the bad reviews you see are just petty and you’ll see once you get there. Would stay again

I visited Riu Negril just before Christmas 2023 for 2 weeks.The staff in the hotel were amazing and very attentive.

The entertainment team were exceptional and very friendly. Especially Scotty , Bryan, Miguel, Romell and Nell's. They're was plenty to do around the hotel with the entertainment staff always running different activities.

Although I found the rooms a little dated the rooms were very clean and well maintained by the cleaning staff.

The main buffet had plenty of options and the steak restaurant was a particular favourite during my stay.

Overall, my partner and I had a great, relaxing time.
Points of note for people considering this hotel:
- Bring USD. No ATM on site and a cab is required to get cash if you don’t have it. Most activities require it and you can’t get some gear without a deposit.
- Bus ride from airport is 1.5 hrs with no traffic and 2.5 hrs+ with traffic. No toilet onboard. Onboard guide told us hotel specific information that was incorrect so ask your own questions at the hotel.
- Initially my partner and I were provided a room that had two doubles - and it seemed an inconvenience to change it to a room with a king. Didn’t find the staff overly helpful or welcoming at times apart from trying to sell excursions or take photos.
- The jerk hut is incredible. Open 12-3. Overall, food was above average.
- The app is great for booking restaurants, room service, and activities.
- Highly recommend the excursion with snorkeling and Rick’s Cafe. Snorkeling was incredible with stacks of different fish and staff seemed well trained / coordinated.

I took the kids here to celebrate all our birthdays this month. It was a great experience as this was our first time out of the country. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The rooms are huge. The activities offered are easy to book and the nightly entertainment was fantastic. We booked an activity off the resort to shop and eat and our driver offered to take us places to get some really good pictures. I felt safe. (Taking into consideration this is a resort. The gift shop is overpriced and the food is sub-par). I look forward to going back and would highly recommend this hotel. (FYI: I used Southwest Vacations to book online and this was the more affordable option)

Visited in April 2022. It was my first stay in Jamaica and the hospitality of the people was amazing. It felt like the staff here enjoyed their jobs. Jerk hut was amazing. The beachside pizza hut (not to be confused with Pizza Hut) was also great! The beach was superb and the rooms were recently renovated - or at least felt up to date.

Buffet was A+ whether it was breakfast or dinner. The Steakhouse was probably the best restaurant they had. Good ambiance and service (though it did take quite a bit of time for our entrees to arrive).

My only gripe was that the shuttle from the airport was pretty bad (rush hour traffic) and took nearly 3 hours to get to our hotel - not ideal if you have small children. My 2yo couldn't handle it on the way there because of the traffic and windy roads.

All in all, I would go back! Thanks to the staff for a memorable experience!

Excellent location. Rooms are a little dated but clean. Staff very friendly and helpful. Different restaurants serving specialist foods. Entertainment team lively and funny. Evening entertainment varied and interesting. Beach clean, safe with lots of sun loungers. We loved our chilled, laid back vacation at this super resort. Yea man ......

Everything is great, except for the evening entertainment. DJ Nemesis kept playing the same songs and would not say a word, the entire evenings of our stay.

If I could only choose one place to return to, this would be the only one.

I just got back from a weeklong visit to Rui Negril. I was so worried before arriving due to all the reviews I read. So here is an honest review from a Canadian traveler who has been to her fair share of Caribbean based resorts.

This hotel exceeded my expectations. The layout is desirable because everything is close together. I have never in my life seen such a well-maintained property that is so clean. You will constantly see cleaners in public places cleaning. The washrooms around the property are very clean. Shout out to Damion who I would see always cleaning up and sweeping the floor. Housekeepers make sure your room is very clean. Shout out to my girls Keisha and Nicoletta for their hard work keeping my room clean. People who said the hotel is outdated… I mean, sure it is not modern, but it is beautiful and exceeded expectations.

Go on the excursions sold at the resort. Captain Jack got us set up for snorkeling and the family boat cruise. THE BEST!!!!! Shout out to Jack for everything.

The food is the best I’ve ever tasted. The chefs are amazing. The servers are so kind and friendly. Shout out to my omelet queen (forgot her name). Make sure to visit her. Paula, Notiesha (brown skin), Shaneka, Lennox were my favorite servers. I only went to the buffets like the Seagull for lunch or the Green Island for dinner and breakfast. No need for e la carte restaurants. The buffet food was always so fresh I did not want anything else. I am used to left over food at the buffet but not here at the Rui Negril.

The photographers at the resort were worth every penny. Shout out to Casey, TJ and Drizzy. They took photos of my family at the resort and considering how expensive photographers back home are, they were worth every penny for the individual photos. Try to get sunset or beach photos. You will not be disappointed. Shout out to Nico at the photoshop desk. My only complaint is the cost of group photos for digital copies.

The maintenance crew at the resort were so kind and friendly. Shout out to my painter guy Darron or Damon or something… he was so friendly. to Damion. I did not see any cockroaches around the resort. I am telling you; this is the cleanest hotel I have visited in my life, and I have slept in over 150 hotels/resorts around the world.

Jamaican people are one of the kindest people around. Thank you for sharing your country with us tourists and making our visits so memorable.

And lastly if you see any locals on the beach selling their merchandise…. Buy from them. This is their livelihood. I found them very kind and sweet, and never aggressive. Visit the shops on the 8mile beach just to the right of the resort, you will see all of them. You can get a lot of cool merchandise at a decent price.

The only complaint ….. the ride from the airport to the hotel. We came in during rush hour and it was a 3hr long bumpy ride. On the way back it was the normal 1.5hrs. I would not travel to Negril again just because of the 3hr long ride with a 2yr old.

Food was very good.
Kitchen is managed very well..service excellent. Very friendly.
Front desk ....needs a little improvement.
Beach: lots of weed "business men " that sit on a trees all day...(not big fan of that, but they were very nice to people and didn't bother us or others unless you were looking for what they were selling). We walked to palace riu almost daily and never saw these local business man..but they do not bother ppl at all.
Beach chairs and shade excellent.
Only negative: lattes (just awful)..coffee just okay. Out of 7 Riu hotels been (3 in Jamaica) lattes were the worst here.

Overall, excellent . Would visit again. Although perhaps would stay in Riu palace tropical bay or Riu Montego Bay (for the benefit of short commute to the airport, just keep in mind there is airplane noise if you do stay at montego bay riu)
2 weeks Dec 9, 2023 to Dec 23, 2023

Could not fault the hotel the location the food everything about this hotel is amazing. I was worried reading the reviews about the bad food but it could not be faulted. Download the Riu app on arrival and you can book the 4 restaurants on site.
Theres a shuttle that takes you into margeretiville where there is a supermarket 3 min walk away. I came with my 25 year old daughter and 18 year old son and felt very safe.
There are some traders a 2 min walk on the beach which do the best boat rides over the small island for snorkelling! Also a couple of the huts do the best fresh lobster cooked infront of you.
We will be back next year Christmas in the sun is the best thing!

Although the hotel is a little dated compared to other Riu hotels, the staff make up for what it’s lacking! The entertainment team are fantastic. They have separate activities for adults and children which is great for those travelling with or without children. We found everyone accommodating and friendly. Our room was well cleaned everyday, if we wished. We were sad to have to leave! Highly recommend for those travelling with friends, family or as a couple.

After check in, we were welcomed by the friendly Chad, who helped us carry our luggage and clarified all our doubts about the Resort. His attention and joy sets him apart from other employees. He certainly deserves a worthy career within the company, because the way he treats guests always makes you want to come back. Thanks Chad, soon Mobay and then home in Brazil. We will try to see you again in a new opportunity.

If yoir first priority when you're on vacation is food then come here. If your ate looking to gain weight, come here. The beach, yea it has grass on like 90% of it. I mean when you getting in the water. The beach is good, there is lots of shade and lots of beach chairs.
There is 3 pools,one of them is the quiet pool. If you want to just enjoy silence. There is a separate kis pool with slides. Yes the alcohol is water down but if you drink enough, and by enough I mean over 1Liter,you will feel drunkish.
So yea Jamaica good.
Oh yea almost 2hrs bus ride from the airport. Don't waste your money on private car it won't be any faster. When you leave Mobay the road is only 1 lane so traffic is unavoidable.