IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Rose Hall

Apologies in advance if any of the staff names were misspelled! Special note. We visited shortly after hurricane Melissa. While the resort was restored to its former state, it was not lost on us that many other areas of Jamaica were still recovering, and did not have electricity, running water, or both. So we are especially grateful to everyone on staff who still put in time and effort to make the guests feel welcome while sorting out the situation with their own homes. Thank you! The resort differs in layout from the massive DR and Mexico complexes of Iberostar. A series of connected buildings are lined up along the main road, so you can pass between Joia and Selection without leaving the building. Spa is on a higher floor and fitness center is in a separate building nearby. Gym is very well equipped. Once you step out to the courtyard, there are pools and a path to the beach. The beach is not very wide, but there is plenty of space. Rooms are very good. Spacious, with large balconies. Well maintained - no complaints on service or cleanliness. Restaurants. Most (all?) have vegan options on the menu. Jamaican - Highly recommended! Not every resort does local cuisine as well as the Iberostar Rose Hall - this goes for both Joia and Selections. Ackee and saltfish, coconut shrimp, jerk pork spring rolls, etc. for appetizers. Curry goat, braised oxtail, curry lobster, etc. for main course. Blue Mountain coffee cake soaked in Jamaican rum… need I say more? French - lobster soup, seared tuna, black mussels in white wine… Duck confit, beef tenderloin with black pepper sauce, lamb rack - everything is great! Italian - Great antipasti and variety of main courses, including osso buco and seafood risotto. Very good deserts. Surf & Turf - Great appetizers like Rockefeller oysters and oxtail empanadas. Grilled main course has a broad selection - from steaks to spare ribs to chicken and salmon. Japanese - You can still enjoy a meal even if not doing the teppanyaki, together with nice nigiri and sashimi for appetizers. However - it would be somewhat limited. We would probably skip next time, mainly because we don’t see that much difference in teppanyaki dinners between different resorts. Thank you to Kabon (Surf & Turf) and Nicholas (French) for making our dinners enjoyable! Star Cafe. This might not sound like something special, but it makes a great addition to the resort. Joia cafe is a bit cramped, but you have access to Selection side, which is where we prefered to grab our drinks! Special thank you to Alyssa for her hard work and barista skills! Grab a coffee and spend some time at the terrace with an ocean view. Two excellent buffets - one by the entrance, another by the beach. The latter is smaller in space and variety, but sitting by the ocean is great. Keep in mind that the beach buffet has open walls, so A/C is not possible, but fans are doing a good job. Than you to Omar at the front buffet for attention and service! Many bars, and small snack area by the beach. Great to see not just the usual burgers and steaks, but jerk chicken and patties. Entertainment. Reggae night performance in the theater is great! So is Motown show, and Fire show by the beach. The theater itself is very well arranged - with multi-level rows and tables between the seats. But the real gem was the aquatic show - excellent and highly recommended. Set up in one of the pools, it doesn’t initially seem like much, but once it’s starts - you are amazed. Very professional performers, strong acrobatics and choreography! Star Prestige and Iberostar Club. Services at Rose Hall are excellent. First of all, Star Prestige allows for the restaurant reservations, which is a great perk and in contrast with other Iberostar properties (DR, Mexico), where it’s first come / first serve even for the Club members. Kudos to Rose Hall! Everyone related to Prestige area is great. Special thank you to Valentine who goes above and beyond to make sure the guests are taken care of. Amazing service from Melissa, Shellissa, and Donovan at the Prestige beach area. Thank you to Briana at the lounge for her assistance. The Club upsell can easily turn into a pressure conversation, so it is especially nice to have people like Shanon who can talk about it in relaxed and non-pushy manner. That’s the right approach, and we had similar experience at Hacienda (DR). We upgraded our Club levels in both cases. Butlers. We didn’t take full advantage of our assigned butler services, but I have to note how attentive and hard working the people there are. Dwayne and Gary were always there when needed, without being in your face, yet ready to help. We had a great conversation with Taneil, who made a great contribution over the years to the entire butler program. Thank you to making it what it is now. Spa. Outstanding service from everyone we met. Kenene, Jantae, Jemia, Nickiesha, Tamera, Mavia - exceptional and hardworking ladies. You will not regret a massage there!

We really enjoyed this visit. Although it's not as ornate as Joia in Mexico, it's a very nice property. The rooms are comfy and well stocked, although we sometimes had to call to get things restocked. Food is good to very good; we ate at every restaurant except the Hibachi grill and enjoyed them all. The beach is very nice and clean with no seaweed problem. The pools are nice, and we mostly did not have problems getting chairs or towels, although you could tell the resort was not at full occupancy. Service was mostly very good; the staff are friendly, kind and helpful. I never felt like a tip was expected, although we tip pretty generously. A word of caution: the wood surfaces around the pool get VERY hot (bad choice for people who walk bare-footed), and the tiles surfaces get slippery. Opportunities for improvement: It was not always easy to tell what the activities were or when they were starting. It would be nice if they announced them. There also were not as many activities as the one in Mexico. My adult kids missed having pool volleyball. You are able to use and eat at the other 2 resorts here, but there is no obvious way to tell what's available at them. It would be nice if that was on the app. A restaurant or two are closed most nights. I found it strange that the steak house and French were closed on Friday; I would think that would be a peak occupancy night and the nice restaurants would be open. It would be nice if the bar by the beach was open at night; a drink by the beach at night would be great. People smoked by the pool; I did not see a designated smoking area or any no smoking signs. But those are minor things, and we would definitely go back!

Stayed at the adults only side this time and it didn’t disappoint! Our rooms were great, the butler service was top notch (thanks Alain, Andre and Glen). Food was delicious, drinks were on point and plentiful! We will be back!

I have been coming to this wonderful resort for 15 years! The latest draw to it is THE CAT SANCTUARY!! After hurricane Melissa, they were a le to rebuild and make it even better! 54 kitties of all ages are safe and well cared for! Oh guys! If you come to this wonderful resort…please don’t forget the cat sanctuary! It was a wonderful experience! People from all over the world are visiting! The resort is doing a tremendous job, caring for these kitties!! Please bring much needed supplies, when you come! They can really use soft food for the older cats with few teeth… A few photos from today’s visit! What amazingly unique personalities they all have!!!

Everything was amazing and awesome! The resort was beautiful, awesome food and experience!!! Staff was amazing! Alain and Andre the butlers also provided the best service ever!!!!!!!!!! We will be back:) ! Can’t wait !