IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Rose Hall

Location was great. Arriving at the front desk Donnae made us feel like we were the only people checking in to the hotel and then our butler Andre arrived to take us to our room. Their service skills were excellent. The room was nice but needs some updating. Overall in terms of value it was worth the money spent.

This week I had the pleasure of of staying at the JOIA Resort Iberostar on a girls trip. . Fortunately I met two outstanding butlers Rushane and Travis who were both assigned to me. These young men were so attentive to all I needed. Travis unpacked and repacked my luggage's. Rushane assisted me and my friends with setting up for our pajama party. It was a huge success. That is truly going above and beyond in my opinion. Both young men assisted me with my transfer to the airport when Amstar forgot to put me on the bus. Finally both Rushane and Travis ensured I enjoyed a delicious Jamaican breakfast every morning with my morning decaf coffee. Rushane and Travis are two of the best butlers at JOIA. They are both assets to Iberostar.

My wife and I just returned from a 10 day vacation at the Iberostar JOIA Rose Hall resort in Montego Bay. It was a wonderful trip celebrating our wedding anniversary. The day of our arrival was our wedding anniversary date, so I wanted to do something special for my wife so I contacted the resort in advance to book a romantic dinner by the beach. When we arrived at the resort, I mentioned that to the staff at the check in desk who directed me to the Concierge Desk who had everything planned and ready for us. So guys, if you want to do something special for that woman in your life, this would be a good way to do that. It costs 150 US per person which may seem expensive, but for my wife, the cost was nothing compared to the look on her face when she saw the setup. The resort itself is a 4 or 4.5 star resort, but the staff offer 5 star service everywhere on the resort. Check in was quick and efficient and our room ready which faced the pools and part of the Caribbean Sea but overall the view from our room was great. After our romantic dinner when we returned to our room, there was champagne in the room, rose petals on our bed and bubble bath in the bath tub which my wife really enjoyed. The food on the resort was great for every meal with a variety of options that would cater to even the finickiest of eaters. We ate in most of the restaurants except for the French cuisine restaurant. We had access to the other two Iberostar resorts, the Waves and the Selection. We also ate at Uncle Tony's Smokehouse restaurant at the Selection and at the Greek restaurant at the Waves. The Teppanyaki restaurant was really good as well as the steak restaurant. The breakfast buffet area includes two egg stations, a pancake/french toast/waffle station, a smoothie station, various cereals, a variety in fruit and cheeses, breads, pastries juice, everything you would expect to see at a buffet restaurant. The bar staff service was excellent as well, as a note, things in Jamaica may proceed at a slower pace so it may take a bit longer than usual to receive your drinks, but they will be good drinks, so be patient, you are on Jamaican Standard Time. What made our experience great was the staff everywhere on the resort: Verona at the Check In Desk Tenile at the Concierge Desk who pre-arranged our romantic dinner (if you want to experience this dinner during your vacation, check with the Concierge Desk upon arrival, they will prepare everything for you) Janel was responsible for maintaining our room and did an excellent job Moesha, Lushana, Nicolas, Nicola, Samantha, Tomar and Joseito at various restaurants and the buffet restaurant Courtney at the Beach restaurant Nadene and Deborah at the Cornwall restaurant Mayogal at the bar Shanea at the coffee shop Rosario at the Jamaican restaurant Kemoy at Uncle Tony's restaurant There were many others who we interacted with who provided excellent service, I just never got their names so if they are reading this review, they should not feel offended if they do not see their names in this review. The only negative experience was with the Iberostar Club staff, but to me, they are not attached to the resort itself, but represent Iberostar resorts. If you travel more than once per year to resorts, you may want to check out the Club, you will save money. The way I saw it and calculated, the more you travel, the more you will save, so in these cases definitely check out the Club. If on the other hand you travel once per year or rarely travel, avoid the Club. You will end up paying much more for future vacations. In these cases do not even do the presentation as that will be a waste and loss of your vacation time. You can politely decline an invitation to breakfast with your representative that will eventually lead you to meeting a "closer" who will try to convince you to join the Club. In my case, my employment is in jeopardy, I did mention that to "the closer", his response was "I will find another job". So not very considerate of our situation. If you do join the Club, but afterwards have second thoughts, you have 5 days to notify the Club you are cancelling membership. But be warned, cancelling may be more difficult than you think and you will lose some money. You will not get a full refund unless you go through your bank to reverse the charges. I am completely ignoring our experience with the Club representatives as they do not reflect the service we received from the entire resort staff. Please note that this resort will be going under renovations over the next 6 months or so and will re-open in December. I cannot say for certain what changes will occur, but I really hope the level of service will not change.

We’ve been visiting JOIA for the past 15 years in April and December. We visited April 11-18 and again experienced excellent service. What makes JOIA stand out is the staff. The resort will be undergoing an expansive renovation starting in June through December 1. My prayer is that the staff will remain in place as this is the main reason people return year after year. I have uploaded a number of pictures of the employees we’ve interacted with year after year and they all are extraordinary. There are others, but I just don’t have pictures of them.

Writing this on the plane so I don't forget anything about this fantastic trip. I always try to keep it short but I already know I'm going to fail because we enjoyed it so much. Grounds - first impression - Sean haha. He greeted us with warmth and walked us into the absolutely grand lobby with many nooks to sit and have a drink and enjoy. Large elegant staircase down to the main entry to the pool and beach area. We were brought ice cold towels by Maygal and a welcome drink which is always a nice touch. From the moment we arrived on site, people were helpful and kind and wonderful. Room - kept absolutely spotless every day by Jodane. Extremely efficient and I loved the your room is ready text afterwards. Super nice touch. The balcony with swing was my favourite part of all. I spent so much time out there just listening to the waves (and bracelet offers haha). Everything in the room worked well, lots of water pressure and HOT water. Had one issue with the sink that was fixed within the hour. Tons of towels, mini bar stocked well, bright and airy space with a wonderful 2 sinks on opposite sides bathroom which made getting ready so easy. Beach - after 20+ years travelling to Cuba and Dominican and being used to those beaches, the beach here was nice but the vendors reeeeally detract from it. I get everyone needs to make a living, but when you wake people up from sleep on a cabana to ask them if they're good, nah that's not good. Now I don't want anything you're selling. I also do not need a bracelet from my 4th floor balcony when I just want to look at the gorgeous views, so probably yelling up to me not required either. Just strange and jarring behaviour on an otherwise very quiet beach. Maybe implement hours for vendors? 6am balcony sales is not it. Pools - absolutely PERFECT water temperature. Lots of loungers and if you're not picky on specific spot, lots available all day and afternoon. Of course the towel game is in effect here, but it was nice to see workers removing just towels from loungers throughout the day so others could enjoy the prime real estate others blocked and weren't using. Amenities - sun bum SPF 30/50 at towel hut was a huge nice touch! Saved me having to run back to my room to reapply, which meant I actually did many times this trip! No towel cards, just replace as needed. The room keys are worn on your bracelet which is awesome. It was extremely relaxing to never have to worry about where your room key is since it's always on you. Entertainment - Mr. Fresh another huge stand out. He doesn't stop. Always on the go gearing people up to have fun. Trini another absolute star, I don't know how she dances like that! The shows we caught were awesome - Michael Jackson and especially the Bob Marley tribute night! Food - not one sick minute! Everything was the correct temperature it was supposed to be, everything tasted fresh and as it should. No mystery meat, everything very easily signed which is of huge importance to us as my husband has an anaphylactic shellfish allergy. Chef Claudio came out to ask how a meal was and my husband mentioned awesome, but he was a little sketchy seeing so much shrimp spread around the lunch buffet. The next day, everything in one area, so a dramatic reduction in cross contamination. Super thoughtful and extremely appreciated moment that made a huge different in his relaxing. Room service - a standout part of the vacation for us. To wake up with oceanfront views, having coffee and breakfast delivered and not having to queue up for it? Yes please! Everything arrived on a warming tray so it was just as good as any restaurant - we went to the Italian twice before we doscovered filet mignon room service at night. Just awesome all around and zero issues with his allergy. That alone is enough to come back here! Another thoughtful thing I liked - about an hour or so after you input your order, they call and check to ensure you've received it. Another small gesture that is so impressive, and one that permeates the resort - never was any feeling that anything wasn't going to go exactly as planned. Drinks - all top shelf brands, name branded mixes and no shortage of awesome bartenders to pour them. Nothing was too much trouble, drinked were mixed with love (I see you Dontae!) and it showed. Staff - hands down, the best staff we've come across in 20+ years of travelling south. Everyone was SO kind, so attentive, so lovely to deal with. I wish I could remember everyone's name but the bartenders were too good at their jobs so I missed so many haha. Maygal, Natasha, Alexia, Shevaughn, Omar, Vanesia, Dontae, Andre, Obian, the Devons, Sean all rockstars. All excellent ambassadors to the resort I hope they all return after the renovations are completed. We can't wait to return to see how it looks and I'd be so devastated if the staff weren't brought back because they are the heart and soul of the entire place. Butlers - what a crew! Devon, Christopher, Travis, Omar and Glen are absolute standout stars of this resort. Nothing was too much trouble for them, particularly Glen. Glen especially was like meeting up with an old friend after many years. Instant at ease personality. A kind and decent man who goes out of his way to ensure people are feeling taken care of. All of the butlers were fantastic people and extremely good at their jobs, Glen was just a notch above, that's how good he is! Cat sanctuary (Melissa and Jessica) - this was one of the absolute highlights of the trip for us! We went up 4 separate days to spend time with the lovely ladies running it and all of the beautiful cats! It's so incredible to see the care and attention put into these kitties, they are thriving and it is a glowing representation of the resort to provide care for these animals while also reducing unplanned pregnancies and removing cats loitering in the food halls. Absolutely awesome all around. I can honestly say in my 43 years I haven't ever been this relaxed on vacation or while leaving. Everything was taken care of by some of the mot wonderful people you'll have the pleaaure to deal with. We were continually asked if we had any complaints or what could be done to help us enjoy it even more, and I can't think of ANYTHING. We absolutely can't wait to return.