Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall

This hotel claims to be a AAA 5-Diamond resort. Perhaps the 5-Diamond standards are a bit more lax in Jamaica than elsewhere. If that's the case, then their prices should be 'a bit more lax' than elsewhere.

You should expect lunches and dinners to take a MINIMUM of one hour. Every guest we talked to at the hotel had the same [bad] experience as we. If you want to 'pop in and grab a burger' at Mango's, the poolside grill, you should expect to be sitting there for at least an hour, if not more. We did the all inclusive option and it took a frustrating 15 minutes just to get someone to take our order. Our waiter kept walking by and saying "be with you in 2 minutes." After 15 minutes someone else finally came and took our order. We tried eating early and eating late to avoid the crowds, but the service was bad no matter how many other customers were at the restaurants.

Expect to wait 10 to 15 minutes for a drink. One bartender at each bar and 5 or 10 patrons waiting. I would expect a 5-Diamond resort to have poolside and beachside servers taking drink orders and bringing the drinks to you, but there's no such thing. There was only 1 working cappuccino machine and it supposedly took about 10 minutes to 'warm up.'

We were there for 4 days and never had a towel at the beach. It was always "we're out of towels now, but we'll bring them to you" but none ever came.

The beach and the pool area was definitely not relaxing nor romantic, as there were kids screaming and playing no matter where you went. I tried drowning them out with my ipod but to no avail. I guess I can't really blame the parents for not putting their kids in the Ritz Kids Club, as it costs FIFTY BUCKS per kid per day. We usually stay at RIU hotels, which are definitely not 5 Diamond, but the service and food are amazing compared to this Ritz.

We're not big into partying, but the nightlife at this hotel was really lame. The grounds are dimly lit at night and there are no live bands or dancing. I guess they want people to stay in their room at night so they have fewer people to serve?

They also nickel and dime you everywhere at the hotel with service charges. There's even a service charge (in addition to the tax) at the gift shop!! Not sure what services they perform there - didn't know that putting your purchase in a bag for you is a 'service.' We had massages at the spa and we knew that tax and gratuity were not included in the price. However, they take it upon themselves to automatically add a 20% gratuity to your bill. That's fine, but let the patrons know in advance that they will be forced to pay a 20% tip regardless if the service was bad or not.

The Front Desk agent inquired about our stay at checkout. My husband, who is not usually one to speak out and complain, mentioned that there were long waits for food and drinks. The agent responded with "Yeah, that's how it is when the hotel is busy." I'm amazed that their hotel is so busy, considering their horrible service. I definitely won't be back.

As with all Ritz-Carlton properties, this one is very well-conceived. The grounds are meticulously groomed and the pool and other common areas are very inviting. The beach is small and rocky, but we knew this when we booked the trip, so it wasn't a shock. If you want gorgeous beaches, Negril is probably a better bet. The resort was also overrun with children - I suppose the fact that there are many couples only resorts in Jamaica limits choices for families.
The food at the various restaurants was very fresh and tasty, and the service was very friendly.
My only major quibble relates to the rooms. Ours was nice, but in need of an update - the rug was torn, there were small water stains on the ceiling, and the bed spreads were starting to show their age. But the biggest problem was the paper-thin walls in our room. We could hear the couple next door fighting just about every day, and when I was getting dressed, I could hear my other neighbor singing in the bathroom ("Come Fly with Me")! Not to mention the screaming children running down the halls all day. Not very conducive to romance, but otherwise and very pleasant stay and a fine resort.