Fayette,

Thank you so much again for our trip to the Riu Montego Bay! We had a great time! Jamaica is BEAUTIFUL. The flights were great too! We somehow got first class tickets on the way back (that was awesome - thanks so much!).

As far as pros and  cons:

Jamaica - is a great place to visit. There is a lot to do, the people are extremely friendly and it is gorgeous. We had great weather (even though it was supposed to be their rainy season) it only rained one day. I think the only 2 cons there were are that all of the activities are kind of a drive. It took at least an hour and a half to get to two of the tours (but then again they were worth it). The only other thing that bothered me was the tipping thing. Don't get me wrong I am all about tipping, but they were kind of pushy and it was like you had to tip any person you came in contact with. For instance, you go on a tour (which is not always cheap) and on top of paying for the tour - you feel obligated to tip all of the tour guides (sometimes there were several) on top of the bus drivers, of course a long with your bartenders/servers. It just seemed  like much at times, especially because we were not sure of what an adequate tip was for each of these people. Other than that, it was great! I think the next time I go back - I would stay in Negril (that was my favorite).

RIU Montego Bay - Okay I have a lot to say about this one.

Pros: It is a pretty hotel, very clean and modern. The staff  was VERY friendly. The drinks were good. I liked the pool and loved the beach!!! There was a lot of entertainment! Even though it is a pretty big hotel - it is easy to find your way around. There is a filled mini bar in the room and liqour dispensors that are refilled every two days. It is less than ten minutes from the airport and  a central location for traveling to Ocho Rios and Negril.

Cons: I feel that the website pictures are not that accurate. It is not a big deal, but in the pics the hotel  is white, it is really purple. Also, behind the hotel it shows a scenery of trees and like there is nothing else there. The hotel in fact backs up to a burger king and a gas station. Again, it is not a big deal, but a person could feel a little misled.

There is no room service. I think we might  have  been spoiled by the places we have stayed, but it was nice to have the option of room service (24 hours I might add).

There are no waiters in the pool/beach/lounge area. If you want a drink you have to go to the bar and  forget about a snack - you have to wait until it is during a meal time and then go get it.

This brings me to my next topic - meals. I was not impressed. It is advertised as having four restaurants. We got there on Monday late afternoon. We tried making reservations for one of the 3 out of 4 restaurants that were by reservations only. They were all booked except for one! We ended up making reservations for the steak house for 9pm on Saturday because that was all that was available. The thing that really annoyed me is that these places were NEVER full and they are only open certain nights of the week. So in reality, unless you are lucky, you are eating at the same buffet everyday (and the food was not that great).

It is kind of a noisy place You hear everything going on in the halls and the bar area when you are in your room.

I am reading this and it probably sounds like we had a terrible time to you - we didn't. Again, the vacation was great, just not what we have experienced before. I just don't want others to be misled. Some people may read this and think I am being unreasonable, but I think everyone has different things that they look for in a resort. I would not want anyone else to book it with my same expectations. I think it is a great hotel for families and maybe even young single people. I think we would probably been better off at a Sandals (more adult/romantic scene).  Still, I would probably only give it 3 stars.

Oh! My last complaint/advice to anyone considering staying here - BRING A LOT OF SMALL AMERICAN DOLLARS!!!!! Good luck getting change there, it is the hardest thing to find.

Fayette - thanks again. All of my cons had nothing to do with your service. You helped me during a last minute hectic situation, and I am very pleased with your services. I would highly recommend you to anyone I knew.  I apologize if I did not say this earlier. Please contact me if you have any other questions or need any other feedback.

Thanks,

Melissa