Riu Palace Aquarelle

Kristy Brescia5/5 · 2026-08

Excellent stay. Just returned and I am ready to go back. Huge shout out to Miguel, Paul, and Caressie in the sports bar! They are amazing we visited every morning before headed to the pools. Always a smile and laughter. They became family. Rooms were clean, Staff was all extremely friendly and helpful. Buffet was outstanding, the restaurants were at times difficult to get reservations, but the Buffet basically had the same plus more. Italian restaurant was outstanding 10 stars and we will be back

Rhenelle Mc Sween5/5 · 2026-06

If I could give 10 stars I would! This hotel is absolutely beautiful! The room was clean and well stocked with a great mini bar of alcohol. The food was SO good and there were tons of options, a wide variety and it all tasted great! The range of activities was also really nice, I enjoyed the World Cup activities 😃 what really makes this place stand out is the staff. From Natasha at check-in, to Turf & Alando, chatting with us and giving us great recommendations, to Damitri in the bar always keeping the shots coming, to Avia always there to take your order at the pool, and Andrew at the pool bar always serving us with a smile. Truly a wonderful experience!

Kim Douglas1/5 · 2026-01

My husband and I stayed at RIU Aquarelle for our honeymoon and were deeply disappointed with our experience. We had to change rooms three times due to serious issues, including moldy, musty odors and leaking faucets. This was extremely frustrating, especially given that this was meant to be a special honeymoon stay. The food was subpar and very repetitive. Breakfast frequently consisted of leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, and both lunch and dinner lacked variety. Unless you manage to eat at one of the reservation-based restaurants, it becomes very easy to grow bored with the buffet options. Unfortunately, securing restaurant reservations was nearly impossible—the website repeatedly booted us out. Our only option was to show up in person and hope someone missed their reservation window. One evening, after being very ill, I ordered room service and was served a stale hotdog bun that was rock hard. I have a video showing just how inedible it was. I was honestly shocked that something like that would be served to a guest. The service was inconsistent and often disappointing. While a few staff members were pleasant and took pride in their work, many others appeared grumpy, failed to acknowledge guests, and did not even greet us when entering rooms or passing by. As for entertainment, it was largely boring. The only show that truly stood out was the Michael Jackson tribute, which was phenomenal. Unfortunately, that was the lone highlight. Overall, my husband and I truly disliked our stay. Between the musty rooms, poor food quality, inconsistent service, and lack of engaging entertainment, this hotel completely missed the mark for a honeymoon destination. I would not recommend RIU Aquarelle—especially for young couples.

Michael Lewis4/5 · 2026-07

Nice resort. Awesome staff. Food was ok. Nothing too special at restaurants or main dining area. Bars stocked with mid-shelf liquors. For example, No Hennessy or Grey Goose or Tito’s. Absolute is best vodka available. Check-in and check-out very easy and professional

Monie Bingham1/5 · 2026-09

The food is horrible! It is only day two, and I want to go home! I came with my family for my 40th birthday, and this is honestly the worst experience. The buffet serves cold food, not even warm. The à la carte menu limits you to one meal. Overall, I regret coming here. For $2,600, this is unacceptable. The sports bar served us wings as big as my pinky; they were oven-baked. The Jerk on the Beach is just chicken with jerk sauce over it. The staff is friendly, but overall, if you are a foodie, do not come to this resort. The Italian restaurant was not good, and the lasagna was overdone. My father's bedsheets had bloodstains on them. The room's AC was stuck at 20 degrees. Riu, do better. Update September 10: The food is still horrible. We spent the majority of our time eating off the resort. The "Jerk" on the beach is rotisserie chicken. My father also requires a wheelchair, and they have one for the entire resort. They also do not have a microwave for guests to use. I called housekeeping; they told me to go to the sports bar, then the sports bar told me to go to the buffet, only for the supervisor to say they do not allow it. When asked for assistance with an umbrella at the beach, they told us to grab it ourselves if we saw one. You might as well go to Riu Reggae for a cheaper price. My 40th birthday was absolutely ruined at this resort. We had the Asian... again... it was meh. The pork belly baos were just fat, no meat at all! Tonight is the steakhouse; wish us luck. I will give another update later. As of right now the only food we have been comfortable with is the breakfast as long as you add salt. Its not just us. Pls check Tik tok and Instagram reviews before booking.. i misses so much There buffet is the same every day It is a nice resort, but if you are a foodie, I highly recommend not coming here.

Rebecca Burton5/5 · 2026-08

Really enjoyed my stay at Riu Palace Aquarelle. It's a nice hotel for families as well as adults only. They have a range of pools for everyone including adult only pools. The entertainment team are great and full of energy. Entertainment during the day and evening is good. They're visible for the right amount of time therefore not in your face, but there to add a vibe. The food is also good. You will find something to eat every day. I liked the location as you're close enough to Montego Bay and also not far from Ocho Rios. I would return and stay here again. Kids also had a great time.