Moon Palace Jamaica Review

I recently got to tour and stay at the Moon Palace Jamaica Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and I wanted to give my honest review and share why this might be the right resort choice for you and your family! 

Ocho Rios is an easy hour or so drive from the Montego Bay Airport, or if you are able to connect in Miami, they are now offering a direct flight to Ocho Rios on select days of the week.

So what makes Moon Palace Jamaica so special? First, there are a lot of rooms so finding availability is usually pretty easy depending on the time of year. And there are many different room categories you can choose from, including a family suite option which is basically 2 guaranteed connecting rooms, one with a king bed and one with 2 double beds. This is great for larger families or just for ones who want more space to spread out. You have a choice of view and balcony type as well because this resort is basically 3 buildings all connected together. It is important to know which building you are getting, because if you are expecting a balcony and end up in the one with just a French balcony (this is what I had…just a sliding door and railing, no chairs or ability to stand/sit fully outside), you are going to be disappointed.

The bed was comfortable and the room set up was plenty spacious for me. If my whole family had joined me, I would have definitely wanted the family room to give my daughters their own space.

Another great feature of this resort is that gratuities are included. This means you don’t need to carry around cash to tip your servers, bartenders, bellmen, etc. You will want to tip your shuttle drivers and excursion operators if you leave the resort (and when you go to and from the airport), but otherwise it isn’t necessary. 

No need to carry cash to the pool!

The food choices here are plentiful and delicious. Reservations are not required, unless you want a hibachi table at Momo Teppanyaki. If you love hibachi, you should definitely experience this! You can make reservations upon arrival. I was able to eat at Gondola (Italian), Boulangerie (coffee shop and desserts), Buccaneers Reef (buffet), sushi at the Gourmet Corner, chicken from the jerk hut by the pool, and room service (24 hours a day, no extra charge). 

Momo Teppanyaki was a fun experience, but do be warned it is quite loud in the restaurant. If anyone in your party has difficulty hearing, this restaurant will likely be a challenge for them. The show was fun and the food was very good!

Gondola (Italian) was delicious and we got to watch the sunset from the table, which was a bonus. 

The Boulangerie was a staple stop for me because they had cold brew coffee and desserts. I loved the chocolates and they also serve hand scooped gelato here in addition to many other coffee drinks and desserts.

Buccaneers Reef had a little something for everyone on the buffett, but the desserts were my favorite part.

The Gourmet Center was a great place for a quick bite. I had sushi but there were also sandwiches and pizza available at the other counters.

The jerk chicken was good here, but I was a little disappointed in my plate because the serving I got was mostly bones. The line can also get a little long and is not super organized, but they are cooking it fresh on the grill right in front of you so you know it is good.

The feature I enjoyed the most about room service was the ability to schedule your breakfast delivery on the app. The Palace Resorts app is awesome and hands down one of the best resort apps I have seen. I personally liked the pre-order feature since I was on a work trip and had a schedule, but it was also great because I didn’t have to get dressed and leave my room earlier in order to eat. I definitely could have headed to Buccaneer’s Reef or the Boulangerie, but I decided room service was the way to go. I also used the app to check restaurant menus, request towels, and order toiletries I accidentally left at my previous resort. Service was quick and efficient and you could check on the status of your order in the app, too.

There was always something to do here. They had activities by the pool , as well as a waterslide and kids splash area, and a game room that is open to all ages.

A stage for shows in the evening, non-motorized water sports, a FlowRider Double Wave Simulator…the options seemed endless.

They also have a a Dolphin Cove right on property and if you are lucky enough, you can see the dolphins swimming around! (This experience is an additional fee.)

Moon Palace Jamaica’s Awe Spa is the largest on the island and the second largest spa in the Caribbean. I was lucky enough to get to experience the hydrotherapy treatment and very much enjoyed it. I highly recommend it!

You can schedule excursions through the resort, too, which is awesome because there are some great things to do in Ocho Rios. I experienced Dunn’s River Falls (see my blog review HERE) and the Luminous Lagoon (review coming soon, but it was spectacular and worth the bit of a drive). They were able to charge the excursions right to my room and it was very easy and organized.

Dunn’s River Falls

Luminous Lagoon

Even with all of the amazing features at Moon Palace Jamaica, there were a few things you should consider before choosing this resort. The first one is the beach. It is not large and in a cove area, so if you are a person who wants to spend lots of time in the sand, this is probably not the resort for you.

The next is the view. The resort faces the cruise port and the city, so it isn’t the most beautiful. The buildings are 3 separate hotels that were converted into this one resort, so it has more of a traditional hotel feel. In fact, I didn’t even go outside my first day at the resort because I didn’t have to. While this is nice when it is hot out or during inclimate weather, it doesn’t have the tropical feel of other resorts. One other benefit of this setup is there are elevators. Many more traditional beach resorts do not have elevators and you are stuck using the stairs if you are not on the first floor. The last thing to consider is the number of people at the resort versus the number of chairs by the pool. While we were able to find several chairs next to each other, it was not super quick or easy. The resort was about 80% full when I was there.

Overall, if you want a lot of activities, good food, and an upscale hotel feel, this resort might be the one for you!

With SO many all inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean to choose from, how do you decide what is best for you? This is where hiring a travel advisor, like myself, can be a huge benefit because your advisor knows what questions to ask to match you with the right resort and room category. Click HERE to send me a message if you are interested in working together.