Jamaica - Secrets St. James Montego Bay

This was our first all inclusive so we were a little apprehensive. Everything was wonderful. The staff were exceptional especially at the pool bar. We have already recommended this hotel to friends. We will definately be back. .. More>

This was our first all inclusive so we were a little apprehensive. Everything was wonderful. The staff were exceptional especially at the pool bar. We have already recommended this hotel to friends. We will definately be back.

First off we had a great time....The Hotel was Beautiful! Flowers everywhere...breathtaking! Entertainment was entertaining! Our room faced the water (after a few room changes). Sunset every evening was outstanding! All was great except the saving of the lounge chairs in the morning. That drive .. More>

First off we had a great time....The Hotel was Beautiful! Flowers everywhere...breathtaking! Entertainment was entertaining! Our room faced the water (after a few room changes). Sunset every evening was outstanding! All was great except the saving of the lounge chairs in the morning. That drives me crazy. One day at noon we could not find a seat with shade. I bet half the seats were empty but saved. We went to the preferred area and got KICKED OUT!!! Lots of empty seats in the shade there because most people want to be around the action pools. Don't plan on long walks in the sand...the beach goes in and out with lots of stones. I did step on glass. They are trying to take the stones out of the water...that could take forever!! The food...breakfast and lunch...could not get better. Dinner left me wondering when they cooked the food...the Oceana was very good 6 star. The other 3 we tried did not meet up to the 6 star rating. This was our 14 apple trip so I do expect the BEST at a 6 Golden. Maybe 6 Red.

This is our 2nd vacation with Apple and to Jamaica and couldn't be happier, from the minute we booked to the time we arrived back home. Everything went smooth as silk. We will definitely use Apple and return to Secrets again. .. More>

This is our 2nd vacation with Apple and to Jamaica and couldn't be happier, from the minute we booked to the time we arrived back home. Everything went smooth as silk. We will definitely use Apple and return to Secrets again.

We spent spring break at this Secrets St James in Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was simply fantastic. The property exceeded our expectations and the food, bar service and especially the staff were just terrific! The water sports were great too. THe only down side was, that for an adults only all incl .. More>

We spent spring break at this Secrets St James in Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was simply fantastic. The property exceeded our expectations and the food, bar service and especially the staff were just terrific! The water sports were great too. THe only down side was, that for an adults only all inclusive, there was a high expectation for tipping at every turn. We have been at Sandals properties and there is no tipping permitted. When you pay that much for an all inclusive experience, it would be nice if the property took care of their folks to a level that tipping is not their primary focus. That being the only minor annoyance, the rest of the experience was fabulous and we were so sad to leave. We will be back to Secrets resorts in the future. They know how to do it right!

We had a good time at the Secrets St. James. The service was excellent and the rooms were terrific. The beach was ok but very rocky. Not sure if the upgrade to the preferred was worth the money. There was a lot of raw or smoked fish and not much warm food or meat. The desserts were good but not fan .. More>

We had a good time at the Secrets St. James. The service was excellent and the rooms were terrific. The beach was ok but very rocky. Not sure if the upgrade to the preferred was worth the money. There was a lot of raw or smoked fish and not much warm food or meat. The desserts were good but not fantastic. I have very few concerns about the St. James. The night life was fun and interactive, the employees very kind and attentive. It was a good time. The room was beautiful and the beds so comfortable.

A great vacation place. Hotel, amenities, pools, staff, food and bar were all great. Very relaxing, excellent service, beautiful rooms and beach. Took a day trip with hired driver to Black River to visit Floyd's Pelican Bar and sight see broader Jamaica. Very much worth it and a lot of fun. Ou .. More>

A great vacation place. Hotel, amenities, pools, staff, food and bar were all great. Very relaxing, excellent service, beautiful rooms and beach. Took a day trip with hired driver to Black River to visit Floyd's Pelican Bar and sight see broader Jamaica. Very much worth it and a lot of fun. Our only disappointment was that Hotel stocked the room mini-bar with Carib brand beer and not Red Stripe. Carib was bad, Red Stripe is an icon and should be stocked in the rooms. Great trip, highly recommended location.

The beach chairs were extremely uncomfortable. There were no cushions and we had to sit on plastic rattan. .. More>

The beach chairs were extremely uncomfortable. There were no cushions and we had to sit on plastic rattan.

There was no room for us at the St James when we arrived. They found a room at the Wild Orchid. .. More>

There was no room for us at the St James when we arrived. They found a room at the Wild Orchid.

At the suggestion of Apple vacations, we stayed at Secrets St. James/Wild Orchid in Montego Bay Jamaica 16-23 March 2013. It was everything and more in regards to exceeding our expectations. Thank you very much Apple Vacations for suggesting such a wonderful resort for our latest vacation! Apple .. More>

At the suggestion of Apple vacations, we stayed at Secrets St. James/Wild Orchid in Montego Bay Jamaica 16-23 March 2013. It was everything and more in regards to exceeding our expectations. Thank you very much Apple Vacations for suggesting such a wonderful resort for our latest vacation! Apple Vacations makes vacations in foreign counties a pleasant experience. From suggesting the best places to stay, booking ease, ground transportation, and especially on-site Apple representatives takes all worries out of international vacations. I have recommended Apple Vacations to all my friends and co-workers and already thinking of where we want Apple vacations to take us on our next vacation! Keep up the great work Apple Vacations! No Problems Mon!

Excellent experience! Beuatiful island! Couldn't have been surrounded by more welcoming wonderful people any place else I am sure. Would highly recomend this place. It is a bit pricey from what I hear but found a great deal through apple vacations and the price was comparable to all vacations we ha .. More>

Excellent experience! Beuatiful island! Couldn't have been surrounded by more welcoming wonderful people any place else I am sure. Would highly recomend this place. It is a bit pricey from what I hear but found a great deal through apple vacations and the price was comparable to all vacations we have taken in the past. Highly recomend planning ahead and watching apple site for a great deal on this place or the connecting Wild Orchid hotel.

Good food, friendly staff, clean rooms (twice a day), snorkeling off the beach, lots of pool and beach chairs. Only negative, people place towels on chairs at 6 AM and then might show up at noon to actually use them. Even with this, we always found a beach chair to use. .. More>

Good food, friendly staff, clean rooms (twice a day), snorkeling off the beach, lots of pool and beach chairs. Only negative, people place towels on chairs at 6 AM and then might show up at noon to actually use them. Even with this, we always found a beach chair to use.

We stayed at SSJ on Dec. 21, 2012 for a week. We had gotten married in Jamaica 16 years ago and wanted to go back sooner but were not overly impressed with our first stay, so we held off, waiting for... More>

We stayed at SSJ on Dec. 21, 2012 for a week. We had gotten married in Jamaica 16 years ago and wanted to go back sooner but were not overly impressed with our first stay, so we held off, waiting for the Excellence Group to open their new resort there. Well, that hasn't happened due to the economy crash in 2008. We normally stay at Excellence resorts in Meixco. We decided to go with Secrets St. James due to reviews and advice from TA memebrs. They said it was comparable to Excellence. They were right. We stayed in the Prefered Club Section on the St. James side. On with the review. Food: We were impressed with the food for the most part. Not every meal was great but some were. We didn't not go to all the restaurants. The restaurants we did go to were: French Bordeaux: Good, Asian Himitsu: Very good, Mexican El Patio : good, ItalianPotofino: OK , The Barefoot Grill: OK, (fast food lunch),Sea side Grill: Good We didn't go to a couple due to limited menu for my DW. The highlight for food though, was te Jerk Chicken Cart!! Had it every day for lunch. To die for! Rooms: Very nice rooms. All the amenities you need. Toiletries provided in PC with sun screen as well. Nice touch. Restocked daily. (sunscreen was spf 15). 5 minute walk to the restuarants but right next to the gym/Basket ball and tennis courts. Comfy Beds. Beach: Good beach but man made, so, not great. Nice sand and very few rocks. composed of 3 coves with breakwaters in between. Not good for a long walk but we are not beach people, so no issue for us. A note of caution: we went for a swim in the ocean a couple days and the first time I stepped in the ocean I stepped on a spiney sea urchin and drove 5 spines in my foot. I had to go to the medic at the resort to get them hooked out with a needle. Not pleasant. I did go back out in the ocean (20 to 50ft off the beach), a couple days later and relocated 8 more sea urchins outside the floats for the swimming area in about 10 minutes. Most people in the water didn't not even know they existed. I guess they were lucky not to have stepped on them. I would recommend water shoes or keep your eyes open for them. The sand on the beach and in the ocean is white and soft, so, one would think you don't need the shoes. Your choice but beware! Preferred Club: In the end it's not much of an advantage to us but I did like the private PC pool. It was nice and quite and never over crowded. Always able to get a laounger with an unbrella. No papellas. It was nice to be able to put the unbrella up and down as needed. Pool drink service was great! The PC lounge was OK but nothing special. It was nice to have a small breakfast without having to go to the buffet in the morning. They had a small breakfast setup with scrambled eggs and bacon/sausage, cereals and a few pastries. Coffee and juice of course. The service was good overall. I did notice a few times taht workers seemed to be gossipping in plane sight of the guests. Being a frequent traveler to Mexico I have not seen this before. I also don't speak spanish so I might not have noticed it for that reason. But in the end, I'm on vacation and don't want to here that stuff. Activities/Entertainment: They had lots of activities going on during the day at the main pool. We did not spend any time there, so i don't know what they were. We wanted a quiet relaxing vacation so we stayed at the PC pool all day.There was lots of shouting and laughing going on at the main pool so I guess they were having lots of fun. The main pool was quite crowded as well as we noticed it a few times we passed by there. The Bon fire on the beach was a nice touch but it would have been better if the were burning fire wood rather than wood pallets. We didn't go to the inside shows but spent evry night outside near the piano bar where there was live entertainment. Spa: We had a couples 50 min full body massage. It was very good and released a bunch of tension. I would suggest it early in your stay. The resort was very nice and we had a great relaxing vacation! Would I go back again? Yes, but I think i will wait until Excellence Oyster Bay opens to return to Jamaica. Anyone wishing to go to Jamaica, I would recommend Secrets St. James. P.S. We didn't do any excursions. Thus, we can't help you out there.

I would like to extended a huge thank you to the staff of secret st james resort. I travelled May 05- May 12,2013. They treated me like royalty and made sure i was comfortable at all times. They... More>

I would like to extended a huge thank you to the staff of secret st james resort. I travelled May 05- May 12,2013. They treated me like royalty and made sure i was comfortable at all times. They truely made my vacation memorable. From the bellman, front desk, housekeeping, tour reps, bartendars,waiters,hostess, to the bar maids, I am forever grateful.I will be back soon. I miss Jamaica already. Sincerely, Wilfred Dorsey

My husband and I celebrated our third anniversary at Secrets St. James. We were there for 4 nights, 5 days. First of all, I was surprised at how easy the customs process was in Jamaica. I had... More>

My husband and I celebrated our third anniversary at Secrets St. James. We were there for 4 nights, 5 days. First of all, I was surprised at how easy the customs process was in Jamaica. I had been to Cancun before and the lines were horrendous and it was so hot and the staff was very rude at the airport. However, Jamaica was quite the opposite. We were in and out of the airport in 30 minutes on our way to the hotel. Way to go, Jamaica! We booked through Apple Vacations and our driver to the resort was so sweet. Gave us a background of local culture and some facts about Montego Bay. Upon arrival at the resort, we were told where the Preferred Club was and headed straight there to check in. The cold towel and drink is a very nice welcome. I was tired from walking so the desks that you sat at to check in was a nice and unexpected change. We were escorted to the elevators and told where we would find our room. When we got to our room, which was supposed to be an ocean view room, we walked on to the balcony to find no view of the beach. There were two huge, huge palm trees blocking any view of anything other than the grass surrounding the tree. My husband called the front desk, which he had to leave a message and within the hour that we were there, no one returned our call. We walked to the main building of St. James to do a follow up with our Apple Rep about when we were scheduled to take off on Sunday. While we were there the Amstar rep had asked us how we liked our room and we explained the problem, she quickly called over one of the registration girls and she said to go back and talk to Diedre (Props to this very sweet girl!!!). We headed straight back and she asked what the problem was so we explained it all to her and she said let me see what I can do, and had asked if we were celebrating anything. We told her our anniversary, and she apologized over and over and over about the problem with our room. She advised to come back later which we did and she had found something that she was sure we would love. Since there was nothing higher, which we had requested (we were on the second floor), she had found a little something that she thought we may like. She made our keys and took us to room 4219-- a beautiful suite! We were upgraded, NO CHARGE plus given a champagne breakfast. The room was absolutely breathtaking. There was a view of the beach and the pool. The pictures do not do it justice on their website! She could have said there is nothing we can do, oh well and made us stay in our room. This small gesture did not go unnoticed! AGAIN, thank you Diedre-- you made our trip a million times better! A few things or suggestions that I would like to add: --The regular pool was a party pool- no doubt. Music, swim up bar, the works. However I feel like the Preferred Club gets the shaft. It would be great to have music playing at the pool. The only music that we heard was on Saturday that sounded like it was coming from a resort next door. --Like another reviewer said, tipping is not required but it is definitely expected! We had ran out of smaller bills and noticed that when we didn't tip, the girls around the pool were a lot slower to come by. It's not that we didn't want to, we just didn't have any smaller bills and since the gift shops did not take cash, there was no where to get smaller bills until we did our shopping excursions. --The chocolate chip cookies in the lobbies are to die for. Eat them! :) --A majority of the staff seems to hate their job. That may not be the case, but it sure seems like it. No smiles, no greetings in passing, nothing. Even a few of the waiters/waitresses at the restaurants acted miserable. --Bring your comfortable shoes... you will walk, a lot. --Make sure to stick around for the entertainment at night. The games from the entertainment staff are hilarious and the singers are fantastic! We looked forward to it every night. --My husband and I don't drink so at the restaurants, they were very slow to bring us drinks. I ordered a Diet Coke and would never get it until I reminded them about 2-3 times, or when my dinner was brought to the table, 30-45 minutes later. They do pour you water when you first sit down, needless to say, I drank a lot of water with my meals. --Request a higher floor unless you are paying for a suite. --Order the bruschetta from the Italian restaurant, it is to die for. The best I have ever had in all my life. The other restaurants were okay-- nothing really stood out to us. --Eat the jerk chicken when you see the grill out on the sidewalk. Words cannot express how good it is! --If you have a say so in your connecting flights, don't pick Charlotte. Going home was a hot mess, we were delayed 45 minutes and the airport was straight chaos. I will be just fine if I never step foot in that airport again. Overall, we enjoyed this trip. The beaches are beautiful, sunsets are breathtaking and the water is gorgeous! It was rainy and cloudy the firs two days that we were there. We have always dreamed of coming to Jamaica. We weren't over the top about it, but we will definitely be back to try out Negril before we put it on our "been there, done that" list. Again, thank you Deidre for making our trip memorable. Love from Illinois!

Attended for a honeymoon, no greeting or real reception obtained. The receptionists were extremely rude and arrogant! They knew we were on our honeymoon and had traveled a long time to get there... More>

Attended for a honeymoon, no greeting or real reception obtained. The receptionists were extremely rude and arrogant! They knew we were on our honeymoon and had traveled a long time to get there however they did nothing but mess us around! We wanted to go home! However all the other staff at the resort were brilliantly friendly and the service was excellent, the resort its self was great! So overall this review is great however the receptionists need more training in communication and customer service!

Let me start off by saying that this review is more for me to remember our trip and along the way you may find some of what we experienced helpful. It's long winded for that reason. The 4 star rating... More>

Let me start off by saying that this review is more for me to remember our trip and along the way you may find some of what we experienced helpful. It's long winded for that reason. The 4 star rating isn't so much based on our Secret's stay than it is in comparison to other vacations we've been on. We've been fortunate enough to go on a few Tauck Tours and they deserve a 5-star rating for their attention to every detail and the quality of everything you encounter along the way. You also pay more, so it's all relative. This happens to be our first all inclusive (I have no idea why it took so long) so when we review this resort we don't have anything similar to compare it with so here goes. Saturday: Arrived at airport 2.5 hours early as suggested by our travel agent (Michelle of Brentwood Travel). No problems with that. The lines for check in were broken into Jamaica and Cancun. By the looks of the average age of the travelers, Jamaica had about a 10-year older group of people. The Cancun line had people with very little luggage to check and I'm sure we had more than all of them combined. The St. Louis airport security process is an experience and always has been. This is the only chance in these TSA people's lives to boss people around and act like they're somebody. It's not just this experience, it's every time we travel. An attitude adjustment and maybe hiring someone who enjoys their job could be a start. After my wife was taken aside and had her carry-on bag searched, we were on our way to the gate. By the way, even though Clear Care contact solution comes in 3-ounce bottles, you can only carry one onboard the plane because it contains hydrogen peroxide which is not allowed in more than 3 ounces. I had been wondering what she was going to do with all that solution. Our charter flight was delayed for an hour while a fuel register module was replaced. That just meant another cocktail on the plane. Frontier Airlines, a free drink would have been a nice gesture during our delay. I'm sure Southwest Airlines would have come through. Customs in Jamaica is an experience in itself. Two to three-hour lines, but who cares, we're on vacation. The customs officials in Jamaica were very friendly and actually smiled. The shuttle drive to Secrets St. James (SSJ) was fun, thanks to the antics of our driver. We were driving and magically, SSJ appeared out of nowhere. The grounds were amazing, with all the plant life and trees so green and beautiful. We would learn later in our stay why they were so beautiful. More on that later. Check-in was efficient and they do ask you to attend a presentation (time share) but it's disguised as scheduling your return trip. We put that one off and didn't respond to the flyers under our door either. Just say no! We were offered a drink immediately which was nice--my first of many Red Stripes. Off to our room on the fourth floor with room numbers beginning with 3. I'd be lying if I didn't say I messed that one up a few times. The room was very nice. A thorough deep cleaning once in a while might be in order. I'm a viewer of the Travel Channel's Hotel Impossible. The view was of the pool area directly in line with the sunset which we watched every night. Off to the bar and some food, of course. We ate at El Patio and sat outside. We only sat inside once (Japanese Restaurant around the table) during our stay which was our goal. The food was good and the salsa and chips were very good, too. The alcohol flowed. From there it was off to explore. We found the piano bar where Shane entertained us. He was one of the highlights of our trip. He plays from 7-8 pm every night and if you like that sort of thing, you'll have fun. The outdoor entertainment followed promptly at 8 pm right outside the piano bar. The talent was good, but not in the theme of Jamaican music which we were looking forward to and that puzzled us. That was lacking during our stay. After one too many drinks and a room service cheeseburger (is that beef?) which I was told I ate in between bouts of nodding off, it was off to bed. Fun first day. Sunday: Woke up to a perfect view of the ocean. After two pots of coffee, the decision to go to breakfast at the World Café was made. The breakfast was good and the omelet cook obviously enjoys his job because he was very friendly and having a good time. The omelet was good too. The usual breakfast items were available: bacon, bagels, toast, rolls, fresh fruit, orange juice, you get the picture. After breakfast we looked for four chairs on the beach. After a brief search, eagle eye (wife) found four close to each other. Sitting on a beach with a view of the ocean doesn't get any better, other than a view of the mountains. One thing I had a problem with was the infrequent visits of the servers. We even tipped the first server hoping that would bring her back but that didn't work. So, our exercise for the day was walking the twenty feet to the bar. Too bad for us but some how we managed. Around noon the jerk chicken cart showed up and the chicken is as good as everyone says. Don't miss it. Around 3:00 pm we headed over to the pool and the swim-up bar. At 4:15 pm we toasted Huffy (of Huffy Travel) with a rum and Coke. I don't even drink rum and Coke but was forced into it by Scott, our travelling companion. He is a bad influence on me. Dinner was outside at The Blue Mountain which was good and the service was excellent. Once again a trip to the piano bar to sing along with Shane and the boring outdoor entertainment. Monday thru Friday: Pretty much the same everyday. Wake up, make coffee, watch the "towel people" claim all the poolside chairs with a protective canopy, stare out at the ocean, eat breakfast at the World Café, hang out at the ocean, eat jerk chicken, eat the fresh fruit from the fresh fruit cart, move over to the pool, toast Huffy at 4:15 pm at the swim-up bar, clean up, go to dinner; Monday = Oceanside, excellent fresh fish, Tuesday = Portofino, excellent, Wednesday = World Café, barbeque, adequate at best, Thursday = Hitmitsu, the best meal of the trip, Friday = Seaside Grille, excellent , piano, bar and outdoor entertainment at least for a visit. People that made the trip more enjoyable: Alvin at the swim-up bar enjoys his job and it shows. Thank you, Alvin. Devonish at the swim-up bar remembers what you're drinking and has it ready before you even ask. Thank you, Devonish. Rayon "Mr. Fabric" knows how to make your stay more enjoyable. Shane at the piano bar, along with the entire piano bar area staff are top notch and very pleasant and friendly. Richard at The Marlin bar was fun to be around. Floyd at the pool got us canopies for our chairs. Elaine at the nature tour is very proud of her job and it shows in her presentation. Make sure you take the tour. The baby peacock cages are at the far end of the complex near the outdoor stage which is on the nature tour. They may not still be babies by the time you get there. Tips: 1. Make a reservation for the Japanese Restaurant in the first few days so you can get a seat at a table. The food was very good and the presentation was fun to watch. We watched the other two tables have fun interacting with their chef but ours must've been having a bad day, was new or had no personality. 2. Do the nature tour which meets by the gift shops everyday at 10 am. People like Elaine are the reason the grounds look so good. 3. There's a soft serve ice cream machine by the gift shop which my wife found. 4. There's a still webcam pointing down at the swim-up bar that refreshes every 20 seconds that you can find on Secret's St. James Webcam site. You can toast your friends at home from the swim-up bar. 5. We read the reviews about the dress code and brought way too many clothes. If you bring collared shirts, shorts and close toed sandals or shoes, you can go to any outdoor restaurant. Dressing up is required for some of the indoor dining areas. 6. Tipping: If you plan on tipping, make sure you bring small bills because the breaking of large bills is a pain and expensive. Tipping is not required but I got the feeling it was expected. I've read the reviews and some people don't see this but that was not our experience. I have no problem with it and had planned on tipping from the beginning so it wasn't an issue with us. We don't mind helping people that go the extra mile. 7. If you want a place at the pool with a protective canopy, you might have to become one of those "towel people". 8. Shaving cream, a razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, sunscreen and body lotion are provided for you in the room. 9. If you're a chocaholic like my spouse, bring a candy bar or two because the chocolate is scarce. 10. If you drink beer, bring a thermal mug to keep it cooler for longer. 11. When they say top shelf liquor, it covers everything you can think of. Suggestions for management: 1. Jamaican music is one of the reasons that makes Jamaica a special place to visit. You need to increase its presence. 2. Monitor the attitudes of your employees. While most were pleasant, there are more than a few that maybe should be behind the scenes instead of dealing with the guests. The grille on the walkway serving hot dogs and hamburgers would be the first place to monitor. 3. Open the Seaside Grille for dinner every night. The food was excellent during lunch and Oscar took care of all our needs with a smile. 4. Stock the mini bar in the room with Red Stripe beer. The other beer was pretty good though. Confession: We sat on the preferred side one day because we couldn't find anything else. They have a rock wall on the beach separating the two areas along with a sign so we felt like we needed to lay low. By the end of the day and numerous stares from the beach police (not really) we realized that the preferred people had orange towels and it was very obvious we were squatters. Busted again!