On our recent trip to Jamaica, we stayed at Hilton Rose Hall and the property is very beautiful. The hospitality at this hotel was next level. The rooms are spacious and clean and there is a lot to do on the property. The only thing that we thought that could have been better was the Beach. The beach had a lot of sea weeds and it made it seem dirty. Now a days many Caribbean Beaches have this issue and it is hard to escape it.  It is an all Inclusive resort and you will pay nothing extra once you check in. Overall we were happy with our stay and would recommend staying here if beach is not your main thing. 

Sharing some Tips that may help you

  1. If you are an American Citizen then you don’t need visas to visit Jamaica. If you are a green card holder with Indian nationality you do not need visas to visit Jamaica as they allow Indian Passport holders to get visa upon arrival and stay up to 30 days. 
  2. Before booking your trip do some research on what matters to you the most. If you care more for the service then read reviews, if you care for modern rooms then checkout Luxury resorts. If you want food and beverage included then All Inclusive is way to go. When we were booking our trip we noticed that most 5 Star or Luxury resorts are for couples only. If you are going with kids check if the property has kids club or teens club. Also make sure if they have entertainment for kids like games etc on the property. It also helps if they have a water park on the property.  
  3. There are 3 international airports in Jamaica. They are located in Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. When booking your flights or resort check for the shortest distance between the two.
  4. Transfer to the airport was very easy. Some resorts have their own shuttle buses but since Hilton Rose Hall did not have one we checked to see if they have shuttle buses. The cost of the shuttle bus was around $15 per person while the Taxi ride costed us $35 to the resort and $50 to the airport. Our resort was just 15 minutes from the airport and it was a huge advantage as we did not have to go far. We also checked rental car options that was about $35 per day plus gas and taxes. If you are comfortable with driving on the right side then you can choose to rent a car. You can also book transfers ahead of time by calling your resort.
  5. Dollars are accepted everywhere and there is no need to convert or exchange the money to local currency. If you decide to step out of your property then we would recommend converting small amount of money. Even though the tips are included in all inclusive property, I brought 10($5 bills) and some ($1 bills) to tip the staff that went out of their way to do special things for us. 
  6. If beach is your main attraction then most people in Jamaica recommended to go to 7 mile beach in Negril. If you are in Montego Bay, they recommended to go to Doctor Cave’s Beach that is close to the Montego Bay Airport. They said both beaches are long stretch and extremely beautiful. If you decide to step outside of your resort then bring towels and some cash. 
  7. Some things that you should bring along with you as it may be expensive to purchase on the property are Sunscreen and a hat as it gets super hot during the day. Comfortable walking shoes if you plan on walking around the property, casual shoes for dinners and flip flops for the beach and pool days. Most property will give you bottled water but you can also bring a refillable bottle. I saw many people carrying waterproof phone case that may be helpful when goin on water sports. 
  8. Plan on reserving the restaurants before arrival or as soon as you arrive at your resort. Most restaurants were booked on the day of our arrival and we did not get preferred time slots for few days after our arrival. Call the resort or go to their website to make reservations ahead of time. 
  9. For souvenirs, you can bring back Jamaican Blue Coffee, Jerk Seasoning, Canvas art by local Jamaican artist, Wood carvings and Jamaican Hot Sauces. Best place to shop is local supermarkets, local craft markets or the Airport. Our resort had local vendors that would sell things every single day but it would be hard to bargain with them and some of the prices were too high. The shops in the resort were also expensive compared to the airport.   

Hilton Rose Hall Resort

Resort Cleanliness and Rooms

Overall the resort was clean and the service was extra ordinary. Every single person went out of their way to make our holiday special. The checkin service was a little slow and they did not allow to check in early. If you have Hilton Honors there were some added benefits like late checkout, upgrade if available and some discounts on services like Spa and Cabanas. 

Vegetarian Food on the property

There were lots of vegetarian and vegan options on the property. They had Indian food available every night in the Buffet which tasted so good. On the day of our arrival we met the food and beverage manager and explained that we are vegetarians. The manager told us to speak with the chef as soon as we arrived at one of their restaurants or the buffet hall and so they could help accommodate vegetarian or vegan food. They went above and beyond accommodating our demands and we were extremely happy with the food. I have to add if you are jain, I was able to point out so many things without onion and garlic that you could possibly eat at the resort. The buffet had so many options and every single night they had something different. We decided to stick with buffet on several days and just went to dine at the restaurant few days. They have 5 restaurants available for dinners and all of them have vegetarian/ vegan options. 

Spa Service

The spa service was great especially on the beach but it was expensive. Keep in mind they there was an additional charge of $60 for taxes and service fees. They had Cabanas available for rent for $100 per day if you want to special service and celebrate special occasions. 

Kids Club and other Activities

The kids club and teens club had lots of activities. You can leave your kids in the kids club till 5 pm. They also had slides and lazy river on the property that was fun. They had non motorized sports available such as kayaking, paddle boats and sail boats. There is no need to book it ahead of time as there was no wait. They also had golf, beach volleyball and tennis on the property. 

Entertainment

Every evening they had shows for our entertainment. You don’t need to book the shows ahead of time and can attend it at any time. They had special buffet setup by the pool, magic shows for kids and much more. The resort also has their own night club if you want to party. 

Coffee Shop / Ice Cream Shop

They have a beautiful Coffee /Ice Cream shop on the property. The shop serves variety of coffee along with pastries and many of them were vegan. They had sandwiches and Ice cream. The coffee shop also had a cool sitting area for you to chill for some time.  

What did we enjoyed eating?

Some of the local fruits or foods we enjoyed  were Star Apple, Nasberry Fruit, Local Mango, Fresh Coconut, Caribbean Patty, Caribbean Roti, Jerk seasoned veggies and Tofu and our favorite sauce made with Scotch Bonnet chillies.

Overall it was a fun trip and the hospitality made us feel extra special. We booked ur trip last minute and with everything that was already booked ahead of time it was hard to find a resort with good reviews. This resort had good reviews and we decided to go with this one as compared to an expensive one with bad reviews and we are glad we made the choice.

Linking the Hilton Rose Hall Resort here 

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