The Rio Ochos Rios is an all-inclusive, kid-friendly resort located in beautiful Ocho Rios, Jamaica. While we have stayed at many Riu resorts around the world, the beachfront of Ochos Rios is one of our favorites. We took the family for Spring Break, and here is our honest review of The Riu Ochos Rios.
The Property
This Riu is located on the beautiful beaches of Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The beachfront was perfect – long, wide and covered in beautiful, soft, white sand. There were more than enough lounge chairs, and the beach never felt crowded, even during a sold-out week. The resort is located behind a natural reef, so you can snorkel right off the beach. Just grab a snorkel mask, walk into the water and explore the reef and the incredible sea life living within it.
The water was calm and approachable which allowed us to take advantage of the water activities included with our stay. The Riu also has an activity center on the property that rents out kayaks, standup paddleboards, peddle boats, snorkel gear and more – all at no charge to Riu guests. These services were perfect for breaking up the day and soaking up all the beautiful island holds.
When we were ready for a break from the sand and salt water, we’d head to the pools. The Riu boasts 5 pools onsite. Each pool has a different vibe. The main, central pool, located outside St. Ann’s restaurant, was the busiest and most lively among the pools. They’d host water activities and have music playing; making it a fun, party atmosphere. Next to the main pool was an adult-only swim-up bar with a smaller, calmer pool besides it. On the other side of the resort, there were two additional pools where we spent most of our time. They were calmer than the main pools, but also included an adult pool next to a family pool. This setup worked great for us, because we could hang out at the swim-up bar while keeping an eye on our teenagers in the pool adjacent to us. We not only enjoyed the calmer pool scene, the view from the infinity pool was breathtaking. We enjoyed the ocean breeze while overlooking the beach and ocean. Relaxing in this pool with the gorgeous view is the epitome of a Caribbean vacation.
If the beach, the water activities, and pool aren’t enough, they also have a small waterpark onsite. There are 8 slides big enough for teens/adult and an area for smaller children. It was a fun little escape in the middle of the day. Since there are no lines to wait in, you can ride a lot of slides in a short period of time. It’s a fun, convenient bonus to the resort, and great for families traveling with kids.
Dining
The resort has 3 a la carte restaurants, 2 buffets and a jerk chicken hut. While we didn’t eat at every restaurant, the food we had was good. Our favorite dinner was at the Italian restaurant. The food was hot and delicious. The buffets provided great variety and a quick way to grab a meal. Pedro’s jerk chicken pavilion by the main pool is a must have. Authentic jerk chicken with your choice of sauce and sides is a must try while in Jamaica.
The only disappointing part of the restaurants is that they require reservations. You can’t make reservations until you are checked into your room, and since our room wasn’t ready till after 5pm, we couldn’t get anything for the first two nights of our stay. This policy makes it hard to enjoy the restaurants if you are down for a short trip. Even after the first nights, the earliest we were able to get dinner reservations was at 8:30, which proved to be too late for our kids that had played in the sun all day.
Breakfast at St. Ann’s and at the Italian restaurant were our favorites. Both had made-to-order eggs, fresh fruit, pastries, french toast, pancakes, yogurt, and any other breakfast food you could imagine. The Italian restaurant provided a quieter, calmer environment with little to no lines. It also had beautiful beachfront views to enjoy with your morning coffee.
Accommodations
We had 3 rooms, in 2 different sections of the resort. The rooms we had near the infinity pool seamed to be a little nicer than the rooms by the water park/main pool. But the rooms in the new section lacked wifi or cell service. The showers had fabulous water pressure and a body wash dispenser on the wall. As with most Rius we’ve stayed at, the towels could use an upgrade, but other than that, the bathrooms were nice. As for the room, our bed was comfortable and we had a small patio. Our air conditioners worked great, and the TV had plenty of channels for when we were ready to sit down and relax for the night. The refrigerators in the room were stocked with pop, beer and water, and the liquor dispensers on the wall were filled with vodka, gin and rum.
While the overall rooms were nice, it was hard to get past one big negative – bugs! We found a small cockroach on our bed one afternoon. After shaking it out of the pillowcase, it was hard to get a good nights sleep after seeing it on our bed. Just when I had gotten the image out of my mind, we saw another huge cockroach outside the entrance to our complex. These beasts (4” in length) were feasting around garbage cans by the pool. And while we know that most tropical resorts have bugs, it was unusual to see them out in the open. It was very hard to relax and completely enjoy our stay after seeing cockroaches in our room and on the pool deck.
Location
Ochos Rios provided beautiful beachfronts and the world-famous Dunn River Falls, but it is a hike from the airport. The trip is about 90 minutes from the Montego Bay airport, but what made it worse was Riu’s disorganized transport service. You need to have your flight number attached to your transfer service before you leave to guarantee a spot on their transfer bus. Without that detail, they will not take you to or from the airport/resort. This caused a lot of unnecessary frustration and we ended up having to pay $125 each way for a bus trip that was supposed to be included. The trip was long, too. We had to stop at all of the other resorts on the route from Montego Bay to the Riu. Unfortunately, due to the mess of the transport service, we lost an entire day of our vacation, $250, and a lot of respect for Riu due to how poorly it was handled.
Entertaiment
As with most all-inclusive resorts, there is always something to do. There are pool activities (water aerobics, volleyball, etc.), beach activities (Kayaking, paddleboard, snorkeling, etc.) and evening entertainment. The entertainment at night wasn’t as impressive as some other Rius we’ve been to, but it was good to check out for a few minutes after dinner before calling it a night.
Excursions
A local treasure, Dunn River Falls is a quick, 15 minute boat ride away from the Riu Ochos Rios, and a must-see while in the area. We used the company at the Riu beach and booked a snorkel/Dunn River Falls catamaran combo. We paid $90/adult and $70/kid, and it was a great excursion. The snorkeling was fun, and it was a memorable adventure climbing up the waterfalls. Helpful tip – pack water shoes if you are considering a trip to Dunn River Falls. They are required, and if you don’t have them, you will be forced to purchase them, at resort prices.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we had a great trip to the Riu Ochos Rios. While it is far from the airport and the transfer service was a disaster, the resort itself is designed for a good time. We love being able to snorkel, kayak, and paddleboard right at the resort. We also loved the pools, swim-up bars and waterpark. The Riu does a great job of providing all of the activities for a fun getaway. There is truly something for everyone at this resort. And you can’t beat their beach. Their beachfront is one of our favorites – calm, turquoise water, soft, white sand, palm trees blowing in the wind. We returned to this resort, because of the incredible beachfront.
And while the beach is as beautiful as ever, I think the resort needs a little clean up. Seeing cockroaches in our room and at the pool were a huge turnoff and hard to forget. While we understand bugs are everywhere, we expect the Riu to do a better job preventing them and keeping the grounds cleaner. Ochos Rios is a beautiful destination for any beach lover. This property just needs a little TLC.
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