jthwrh

All,
Heading to this resort in about a month. Girls, 11 & 12. Any best view room number recommendations. Also, have seen feedback on restaurants on site and very few tour recommendations other than the Hip Strip, Ziplining nearby, and Dunn's Falls. Any other recommendations on...
Room numbers?
Best kept secrets of the resorts? Tips/Helpful hints at the resort?
Security (since their is unrest in Kingston)?
Any thoughts on things you should've packed for the trip (ie-Off Mosquito repellent, etc, etc)?

Thank you very much in advance!

writealiving

jthwrh, as you know, i'll be going to Iberostar Beach in about a month. I have heard great things about the Suites including that the beach is fantastic. I don't know any insider tips however but did find the tripadvisor reviews helpful. Also, I googled the resort for some other reviews just to see what different people have said. I hope you have a great time with your girls and if I get any feedback, I'll be sure to pass it along.

jthwrh

Great, thank you!

doug_stallings

Almost all the rooms at the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites face the gigantic inner courtyard. There are a handful of rooms toward the end of the two main room blocks that might have full sea views, but there couldn't be more than 10 rooms that fit the bill, and I couldn't give you room numbers even though I stayed there about 3 weeks ago. In my opinion, it's just not worth it to worry about views there. The same is true about the Rose Hall Beach.

I didn't do any off-site activities during my stay. I think rafting on the Martha Brae River is a nice, relaxing thing to do (I've done it on another trip to Jamaica). The Hip Strip is not going to be at all appropriate for your kids, so I don't think I'd bother with that.

The one thing to keep in mind is that the ziplining and Dunn's River Falls aren't really nearby. They're just west of Ocho Rios, almost 90 minutes away. So while I'd recommend at least one activity there, it's a little draining to be on a bus that long. If you like dolphins, there is a dolphin swim program close to Dunn's River Falls (the one in MoBay is open only to guests at Half Moon).

Chukka Caribbean does have another outlet between Montego Bay and Negril, which is somewhat closer than Ocho Rios (I think they have a zipline there as well, but I've only done the one in Ocho Rios, which generally offers better access to fun activities). I don't know if there's much difference between the horseback riding trips in Ocho Rios or the MoBay area, though.

There are absolutely no special security concerns. The unrest in Kingston is now over and never affected this part of the country in the slightest.

I didn't find mosquitoes to be much of a problem during my trip, but there has been more rain in Jamaica since I left, so it might not be a bad idea to pack some. Of the restaurants, only one is open-air (the steakhouse, which I recommend).

writealiving

jth, I was upgraded to the Suites. My balcony faces the courtyard but I do have a partial view of the water which is nice. I've seen some kids and they seem to be enjoying themselves in the lazy river and the pool. I'm not sure why, but I thought there was another pool here, but it doesn't matter. It faces the ocean and is nice. I haven't eaten at any of the restaurants yet. The buffet food is not great but some things surprise you in how tasty they are. I think that its a beautiful hotel but more for swimming and hanging out than doing things. They do offer a trip to Negril for $45 pp, which I may do on Thursday. I think that there's enough here to keep you and your daughters happy.