Vacations Close To Coconut Grove Shopping Village

My husband and I stayed at Riu Palace Aquarelle in Montego Bay, Jamaica, August 2026, to celebrate his birthday. It was his first time in JA and my second, and overall, we had a great experience. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed, and all the staff we encountered were friendly and hospitable. A special shoutout to Shaniece at the front desk, who was professional, welcoming, and helpful. Our room was spacious, clean, and comfortable, with a king-size bed, sofa, balcony, and nice bathroom. Housekeeping was timely and thorough. Our favorite bartender was Jaydin—he took great care of us and always made us feel welcomed! The resort is modern and spacious, with elevators, 5 restaurants, a lobby bar, sports bar, gift shop, gym, spa, 3 pools—including an adults-only pool with swim-up bar—and Splash Water World. There are also daytime and nighttime activities, live music, and themed RIU parties. The beach was beautiful, with white sand and turquoise water. The surf was a little rough but still enjoyable. There was some sargassum, but staff worked to keep it cleaned up. The food was a mixed experience. The lunch buffet at Pepe's Food was really good, with great Jamaican flavor, and the Steakhouse was our favorite dinner. The Asian restaurant was just okay, while we were not fans of the Sports Bar food or room service. Breakfast was typical of an all-inclusive buffet. Make restaurant reservations in advance, as they book up quickly. Overall, we enjoyed our stay - Ya mon!

Stayed here a week and couldn’t be happier. The hotel is very cute and outdoorsy (no AC in many places) so you have to be ok with that. The rooms are nice and roomy. The beds are so comfortable! Meals were good, especially at the beach bar. Definitely order the jerk chicken with fries. The staff at the resort were so kind, attentive, respectful and just generally lovely people. There was never an issue of not finding a spot on the beach or pool like you normally experience at larger resorts. I would recommend this hotel to anyone who wants to get away with a couple of books, children free, and have a laid back experience in a beautiful setting.

From the room, to the staff, to the beach view, to the lovely Rose Hall it was an amazing, beautiful, vacation. I loved every moment of it.

The riu was absolutely amazing. The pools/ beaches were great & super kid friendly. Entertainment at night was the best! The bars, waiters and staff were pleasant and respectful. The food was okay in my opinion but even then there were so many food options I still found something that i would enjoy to eat , 8/10 definitely recommend.

Beautiful place worth all the money.