Secrets St. James Montego Bay

Still here for another week but just proposed to my new fiancè and had help from the staff and organised for me to proposed at Dunns river falls, really can't stress enough how nice secrets st james is and all the staff here........best holiday ever

I went to Jamaica wanting Jamaica. I received this the first part of my trip and then we ended at Secrets St. James. The service was fine but the people who worked at Secrets seemed to be playing a part and not happy. If you are looking for loud, drunk, America dropped into another country then come to Secrets. The beach is beautiful, the pool is stunning but it is not Jamaica.

I just returned from a one week stay at Secrets St. James (September 8 - 15). I've stayed at a Secrets resort before but this was my first trip to Jamaica (and it won't be my last!). We were in building three, third floor - great ocean view and overlooking the garden area behind the Barefoot Grill. Good sunset views too. No issues with noise or anything else negative. Spacious, clean room and comfortable bed. We could have used a few more hangers but, despite two requests to housekeeping, we never got them. Not a deal-breaker because if it was that important, I would've kept on asking until I got them! HUGE balcony but only two chairs and a small table - loungers would've been a most welcome addition. With respect to restaurants, I've ranked them in order of our most to least favourite: - French - fantastic steak and the creme brulee was to die for - Mexican - tortilla soup rivals some of the best I've had in Mexico - Oceana - excellent surf and turf - Blue Mountain - loved the goat curry - Portofino - maybe I just ordered the wrong thing but the Chicken Parmigana was "meh" at best - Himitsu - yeah, not impressed here. We did the regular tables as we're not into the teppanyaki thing. Given the lack of enthusiasm coming from the grill areas, it didn't sound like anyone else was much into it either. (At other resorts I've been to, the teppanyaki areas are loud and boisterous with much singing, clapping and cheering; at SSJ, it was VERY subdued.) As for the food, the Pad Thai was a disappointment - edible but not great. Management - if you're reading this, for the love of all things holy, please put in a proper sushi bar. They have one at Secrets Silversands and it's marvelous. We spoke to several other guests who were sad at the lack of sushi offerings too. For lunch, Jamaican patties (chicken or beef) from the Barefoot Grill are where it's at. My husband and many others loved the jerk chicken and whilst I thought it was good, I wasn't a convert. I'd read some reviews that mentioned poor service but only encountered one surly server at the piano bar - and I wasn't even asking for a drink, just something to dry the chair off with! Other than that, service everywhere was between good and excellent. The beach isn't great here but, thanks to Google satellite maps, I knew that before I booked. What I hadn't realized is how amazing the snorkelling would be off the beach by the Wild Orchid pool - lots of fish and we even saw an octopus and a species of Moray eel. There are LOTS of urchins though - some of them are huge - so even if you're only swimming in the shallows in this area, watch where you put your feet! As for the oft-asked question, St. James versus Wild Orchid, they're essentially different sides of the same resort. St. James has the reputation of being the "quieter" side and those rooms are located a bit further from the restaurants but really, it doesn't make much difference where your room is. In summary, great resort with terrific staff; what's not to love about SSJ?!

This was truly a wonderful experience. The food was great (including room service) and once you meet Leo your vacation will be perfect! Leo Anderson went above and beyond to make sure you had an awesome vacation. He makes incredible drinks and makes sure you are never empty. If there is something you need he will find it for you. He definitely brings the party. He took us to the foam party at breathless. That was a total blast! The jerk chicken from the cart during lunch is absolutely wonderful! The water sports guys are also super helpful and friendly. I would highly recommend this resort for anyone looking to have a fun relaxing vacation!

Traveled at the end of August for a 2 week stay at this hotel. First impressions were good, I agree that the check-in process could be a bit confusing during busy times but we were lucky to be the only couple checking in. Received a rum punch and cold towel during this process which was a nice touch and we were off to our room in about 5 minutes. The room was nice with a modern feel and large balcony. The shower was amazing and the fridge was stocked daily which is always a bonus. If I was being super picky the only downsides to the room for us was the super soft bed, lack of real separation between the toilet and the rest of the room (just a glass door that does not reach floor to ceiling and did not give much privacy) and the sinks - turn them on too much and they spray everywhere or turn them on too little and they flooded the sink area and floor. We stayed at the beach the whole of our 2 weeks and I am not a sand loving person. We found the pool area too hot as no breeze seemed to get there. There is a drinks service provided on the beach but we did find this to be a bit hit and miss depending on where you were sat and the ladies working that day. A tip is always appreciated and does ensure that they return to you for the rest of the day to check you are OK. The sea is crystal clear and warm, there were jellyfish in the water but they had the stinging power of a stinging nettle and the lifeguards are on hand with a vinegar solution if you are unlucky enough to get caught by one (no-one was during our stay). Just look out for the shadow on the sea bed and stay out of their way, unless you fancy touching the top of one which is a pain free and cool experience, just don't touch the edges or underneath and you will be fine. We always found something to eat at the resort - breakfast is good with a selection of fresh fruit, cheese, meats, omelettes, pancakes, cereal etc. Lunch was equally as good with a wide range of local and international dishes, salads, seafood and the usual pizza, pasta, chips/ fries and tacos. We found dinner to be a bit hit or miss - the French restaurant was great and the Hibachi grill was good fun and quite tasty. We tried the Caribbean and Italian too but were not so impressed. The room service is also not great, tends to be a bit cold and the descriptions on the menu did not match what was sent to us, but if you really don't fancy going out we found a few edible bits (nachos, burger, fried cheese, ceaser salad). Try the coffee shop - nice coffee (the syrups are very sweet) and the self serve ice cream machine is right next to here which is amazing (just wish they provided tubs rather than cones only). Also make sure you try the jerk chicken from the cart on the beachfront and the patties (chicken was out favourite) available ot the Barefoot Grill by the beach - delicious!!! We did not attend much of the entertainment as it did not appeal to us. The chocolate buffet looked good but due to a thunderstorm it was only half open so we skipped it in the end. The Sunday night couples quiz show was the one part we really enjoyed and attended both times, the winners get a spa voucher to make up for the embarrassment they have to endure taking part. The Breathless pool party is worth a try, we went once but I am not sure I would have gone every day. I was looking forward to the outdoor cinema but it is situated in the same area as the coffee shop which plays music and is open for business at the same time the film if playing. We did some excursions that were booked via Thomson, I am not sure if these worked out to be cheaper or not but I think I would advise trying to book locally for a more private experience. We would recommend the Bob Marley tour (yes weed is available to eat/ smoke/ take away with you so if you are not up for being around it then give the whole tour a miss). The catamaran trip to Rick's Cafe was ok, the boat and staff were great but Rick's Cafe was a bit of a let down, quite expensive and they had a lack of change meaning that you did not always get your money back. The final trip was a half day Chukka however the coach never came to get us and I am still trying to get a refund off Thomson which could take more than a month - another reason I may advise booking locally. The spa was pricey but very nice, had a great hot stone massage and the OH enjoyed his deep tissue massage so much he wish he had booked a second one. We stayed in the normal section - I walked through the preferred section trying to find the spa and it had no atmosphere at all, guests we spoke to staying here said they never used the bath on the balcony and had no issues without a butler service in regards to getting around and booking the Hibachi grill, I guess it is personal preference in the long run. The hotel is not perfect but for this price you will have a great holiday all the same, just make sure you try a Bob Marley cocktail and an Iceberg while relaxing on the beach. My only regret is that I did not try more of the cocktails on offer - I hear the dirty banana was delicious!