IBEROSTAR Grand Hotel Rose Hall

This was our first time to this property although we have been traveling to Montego Bay for many years. It is currently the only major property open post hurricane. We have stayed at the Iberostar in Riviera Maya Mexico and it was excellent. As was the case in Mexico, you walk in to a beautiful lobby and check in was smooth and easy. Iberostar runs a great operation. The grounds are spotless and they have done a magnificent job with respect to repairs needed and planting new grass and shrubs throughout the grounds. You would never know they had been through a major hurricane with the exception of a few areas here and there still under going repairs. The pool area is beautiful with many options and the beach was spotless and excellent. The Joia rooms are large and spacious. Separate sitting area, a large bathroom with large shower, tub, and his and hers sinks. The rooms have the largest patio terrace I have seen complete with a couch and swinging basket chair for two. The house keeping staff does an excellent job with prompt attention to daily cleaning and turn down service in the evening with chocolates on your pillow. One of the things you notice immediately is the attitude of the staff. On the beach, the pool, the grounds, and the restaurants, everyone is friendly, helpful, and determined to make your stay the best it can be. While every meal we had in the various restaurants and buffet was excellent, here are our thoughts. Keep in mind the hotel was at maybe 50% capacity while we were there so things may be different if the hotel has more guests. There was only one restaurant, the Japanese, that took reservations. We prefer to be able to make reservations at every restaurant we are planning to eat at. For the other restaurants, we had a reasonable wait. They use Whats App to notify you when your table is ready. But we noticed consistently that the restaurants were never full when we were eating. Our continual thought was if there is wait when the hotel is not nearly full, what happens when it is at capacity. Food and service in the restaurants we ate in were excellent. At the buffet, the only recommendation we would make is that there should be prepared scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, and french toast available. Those items are currently all made to order. The wait was not long and the food was delicious. Again, the hotel was at reduced capacity. The beach lost an amount of palapas and are in the process of repairing and installing new ones so currently, shade on the beach is at a premium and there were limited umbrellas available. The umbrellas by the way are excellent and cast a lot of shade. There is a tremendous amount of seating and shade around the several pools. We had an excellent time and unfortunately our stay was cut short due to the snow storm hitting the mainland so we left early. We had a terrific time and will absolutely return. Lastly, the Joia is due to close from June - November for renovations. We are excited to see it when it has been completed.

Trip Report: JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar Montego Bay, Jamaica There’s something special about slowing down in Jamaican time, and our recent stay at JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar reminded us exactly why this destination remains a favorite among travelers who enjoy elevated experiences paired with warm, genuine hospitality. Ya Mon. Star Prestige Highlights & New Enhancements One of the biggest highlights of this trip was seeing the new Star Prestige upgrades come to life, as the rest of the resort awaits a major renovation from June 1 to November 30, when the resort will close. Brand-new beach beds were delivered and assembled during our stay, and they are a major improvement. These new cabanas featured thick, plush cushions, adjustable beds, and privacy curtains on both sides. They’re incredibly comfortable and add a true luxury cabana-style feel to the Star Prestige Beach area. They also installed oversized double loungers with thick, plush cushions and a shared center space for drinks and personal items. In addition to the beds and cabanas, new sofas and seating have been added, signaling exciting progress ahead as renovations continue to bring this property in line with other JOIA resorts. Jerk Chicken, Jamaican Rum & Culinary Experiences Lunch at Star Prestige turned into an unexpected culinary highlight when chef Odane personally demonstrated how to make authentic Jamaican jerk sauce and jerk chicken. The result was hands-down the best jerk chicken we’ve had — flavorful, spicy, tangy, and far more balanced than what’s served at the main pool jerk shack. Watching it prepared fresh while learning about the ingredients made it even more memorable. Food throughout the resort was consistently strong, with several standout meals: • The French restaurant impressed with beautifully prepared duck confit, lamb chops, and an unforgettable chocolate dessert. • The steakhouse (Gallion) delivered perfectly cooked tenderloin, excellent oxtail empanadas, and — finally — hot rolls, which longtime readers know is a personal victory. • The Italian restaurant was very good one night, and then just fair another. The inconsistency, in my opinion, was due to our waitress that night. • A beach barbecue featuring jerk chicken, pork, and steak was one of the best lunches we’ve had in Jamaica. • The Japanese hibachi dinner was lively, fun, and interactive, complete with great food, laughter, and perhaps a bit too much sake. Star Prestige also hosted a Jamaican rum tasting one afternoon, educating guests on distillation, aging, flavor profiles, and texture. It was both informative and fun, and a perfect example of the “soft benefits” that make The Club so valuable beyond just membership and discounts, probably because they treat you like family. Service That Makes the Difference What truly sets JOIA Rose Hall apart is the people. The Star Prestige Ambassadors, especially Valentine and Cedric, consistently went above and beyond. Every evening, we were personally escorted to dinner, with tables already set and wine waiting. Our room featured thoughtful towel art, and many of the staff recognized us instantly, even though we hadn't been there in over a year. The beach attendants, Donovan, Shellisa, Merrick, and bartender Melissa, made our time at the beach so relaxing, comfortable, and just perfect. They were constantly there to help make our vacation truly memorable. Our butlers, Omar and Orvan, were outstanding — always checking in, anticipating our needs, and genuinely asking how they could improve our stay. It’s these thoughtful touches that transform a great vacation into a memorable one. Beach, Pool & Daily Vibes The weather during our stay was nearly perfect — sunny skies, soft clouds, warm temperatures, and just enough breeze to make beach and pool days ideal. It did rain a few times, but only for 5 minutes. Whether relaxing in a cabana, enjoying the lively main pool, or soaking in the serenity of our balcony jacuzzi, every day felt effortless. Evening Entertainment leaned into that relaxed island feel, with steel drum performances by the quiet pool, evening aqua shows, and other shows inside the theater. During the day, there were always lively moments at the pool. Watching the ocean change shades of blue while music drifted through the resort perfectly captured the Jamaican vibe. Honest Feedback & Looking Ahead While the overall experience was excellent, a few service inconsistencies stood out — particularly at breakfast one morning, where delays and staffing issues fell short of five-star expectations. Additionally, the “blender drink” service at the Star Prestige Beach was slower than ideal due to limited facilities, a situation management has acknowledged and plans to address during upcoming renovations. The good news? Staff openly shared renovation plans, and the excitement around the resort’s future upgrades is clear. With improvements underway, JOIA Rose Hall is well-positioned to become an even stronger luxury offering within the Iberostar JOIA collection. Final Thoughts JOIA Rose Hall delivers what many travelers truly seek: beautiful surroundings, strong food and beverage offerings, personalized service, and a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. Star Prestige continues to shine thanks to exceptional ambassadors, thoughtful experiences, and meaningful attention to detail. This trip reminded us that while rooms, upgrades, food, and amenities matter, it’s the people who ultimately define a resort — and the team here does an outstanding job of making guests feel welcomed, appreciated, and cared for. If you’re considering Jamaica and want a resort where luxury meets genuine hospitality, JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar is absolutely worth a closer look.

I’ve been coming to iberostar since 2016, this was my first time staying at the joia (previously called the brand). It was a great upgrade from the suites. They asked us if we wanted to upgraded when we arrived at the suites and the cost was $120 pp for the four nights. We loved David (entertainment manager)senior and David jr. Both were extremely engaging and nice to speak with. Travis and shavaughn at the pool bar were amazing as usual. As was Jamie at the pool area of the suites. Devon at the beach was super sweet and attentive. As was the lady who was making jerk chicken on the beach. It was nice to see them again. We miss the days when there was more of the old crew(string bean, Kevin hart and Suzy). While the entertainment was good there use to be a lot more action at the pool, the old crew danced the whole day and the music was for sure better. The music at the pool in Joia was pretty painful. There used to be beres Hammond and new reggae playing all day at the suites. We need more of that. Whoever was cleaning our room (5033) didn’t do the best job. typically the soap area would be refilled and the bar hand soap area would be cleaned that was not the case this time. And we had to ask for water each time. But I will say the bench had a big red stain on it when we arrived and when I brought it up the housekeeper offered to switch it out which I appreciated. The food needs help. One of the reasons I fell im love with this resort was because the food use to be so good you felt like you didn’t need to leave the resort. It use to be seasoned very very, well like home Caribbean cooking. The seasoning this time was not great. And where was the plantains?! Didn’t have a single one for the four days we were there.they use to be served regularly I’m the buffet. Whoever was in charge of the kitchen in 2016 please bring them back, that’s the best it ever was) I will say the addition of Mexican night and adding the enchiladas (tostadas) was a nice treat. It was done very well. I just wish the food hot it would have been even better. Food temperature was an issue for every meal. Also the serving spoons frequently were unkept. They should have someone do rounds to change out the spoons or add hand sanitizer to each station. There was food crusted on the sooons by mid meal time . The wait staff at the buffet were just not great. By the time they came with our drinks we were done with our meal. And they didn’t really come around to check if we needed anything until the end. It wasn’t like that before, the service was friendly and they were attentive. *the jerk sauce by the outside lunch bbq hut was the best one. The other jerk sauces were far too sweet. The white wine selection…TERRIBLE. Please stop serving that Chardonnay it was sincerely awful. It should be swapped out for a Pinot Grigio. The shavaughn black wasn’t great either but it was bearable with ice. I’m Glad the resort survived the hurricane one piece and I look forward to returning but I do hope some changes are made. 5 ⭐️’s for David and David jr! Thanks for the dances and all the laughs! Negatives Food temperature Food not seasoned enough Pizza-Terrible Nacho cheese need more flavor White wine options, Chardonnay terrible Not enough strawberries for breakfast Workers being scolded where the guests can hear Pool playlist terrible The Sunday Egg station female employee can have a better attitude, very unfriendly disposition. Room not properly cleaned $150 for 20 min of banana boating was insane pricing Positives Dj sat and Sunday riddim Bob Marley show~Amazing Enchiladas on Tuesday night at the buffet Churros (but needed chocolate for dipping and to be hot) Fire man performance on beach Jamaica tours transfer was great service S’mores on the beach nice addition but weird set up(couldn’t find the sticks. Lazy river at the suites Waffle lady at the breakfast buffet in joia. So sweet. She offered to bring the waffle to me. The chef at the eating area outside where they serve lunch. He offered to make a fresh pizza and brought u The complimentary slippers in the room

This was my 4th time staying at this resort, and i brought my mother for her first time. Ive always had a 5 star experience, though this visit wasn't exceptional we understand they went through a devastating hurricane in November. Lets start with the positives! Most of the staff were wonderful! Alrick from entertainment was great, very friendly and outgoing. He always got my mom and I involved in different activities, we loved trivia night! Omar who was a butler at the resort was lovely! Very helpful and went the extra mile to ensure our questions were answered so we could enjoy our trip to the fullest. Luticia (sorry if i missed spelt) our breakfast server was so sweet, she always chatted with us and really was a wonderful person! Cassandra who worked the pool bar was the first employee we chatted with at the resort. Very friendly and made incrediable cocktails! Annakaya the host at the Italian restaurant was awesome aswell, very engaging and would be a wonderful server! These 5 people really made our trip great!! The beach was wonderful, clean and there always were beach chairs available. We enjoyed all the restaurants and found the food delicious. Alittle disappointing the dinner buffet was never opened during our stay. The resort itself was great, was told they will be closing sometime this year to do some renovations. Now the slight negatives. Though most staff were great, we did in counter a few people who were quite rude. We found this mostly at the breakfast and lunch buffet. Again we kept in mind the hurricane was devastating to Jamaica and we did try and give everyone some grace! Though are room was great, high floor, beautiful view from our balcony and we were able to get twin beds, there was some issues. As ive been to this resort before, i could tell somethings were missing and each day we had to call front desk for items. No beach bag, no sandles, no hair dyer, we didnt even have water. Though these are small issues, still a tad frustrating we had to seek out these items. All and all we did have a wonderful time and we would definitly go back. Again thank you Alrick, Omar, Luticia, Cassandra and Annakaya for making our trip memoriable!

My husband and I stayed at this property for 10 days at the beginning of January. We normally go to the Joia Bavaro in the DR but decided to try the supposedly same property in Jamaica, which it was definitely not! There is absolutely no comparison !! The room we had requested was not available on our arrival but would be available the following day, which was a bit of an inconvenience. The next day after conflicting info from the butler and the front desk the room eventually became available ???? Most of the staff were good with a few exceptions here and there, certainly not the same hospitality as in the DR. Food was ALWAYS COLD and just edible. Everything was mislabeled, which could be a serious issue if there are food allergies, which I have. Only 1 type of beer served at the bars, some had a few others for purchase. Beach was certainly not what I was expecting, very unkept. This property falls short in all criteria that would deem it a 5 star, I would say 3 star at best. To be honest, it was a very disappointing experience