Some of the rooms at this property are individually rented out by owners (similar to Airbnb) and are not owned or fully managed by Jewel Grande which means some of the maintenance required isn’t being done at this resort.
Pros:
• The suite we stayed in was similar to a condo, 2 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, ocean views, and an in-unit washer and dryer.
• Two butlers were assigned to assist us throughout our stay. While they were friendly, their role was unclear beyond keeping track of our whereabouts at the resort.
Cons:
• The room had a damp, slightly moldy smell and poor humidity control. The balcony doors were not well sealed, allowing outside humidity to overwhelm the underperforming A/C.
• Evening entertainment ran late into the night, which was not ideal for families with young children.
• Although marketed as family friendly, the resort environment was not: strong smells of marijuana at the beach, pools, and even from our balcony.
• A full week and the food wasn’t good. The 24 hour room service took 45 minutes and the menu was also awful.
• A major disappointment was the tipping culture. We enjoy the service but as a Jamaican, I advise against excessive tipping. One of our butlers tried to charge $100 USD to arrange a driver to take us just two miles to a grocery store because the resort didn’t want to give the laundry detergent supposedly being included with our stay. We stayed 6 days as a family of 4.
Save the money and enjoy a weekend at the river!