Beaches Ocho Rios Resort & Golf Club, Ocho Rios

well i liked meeting friends like germaine doug barbra acleish and the whole entire beaches boscobel staff i loved the whole resort like i love my mom i love the talent shows dance contest ( i won ) it was the best place ever i would go there again and again and again and every single minute of my life i love it there and all my friends i miss u guys

We just got back from Boscobel yesterday (Tuesday, July 5, 2005) My family and I were very skeptical about Boscobel prior to departure due to some of the negative reviews out there. However, we did our research. We knew exactly what to expect upon arrival in Montego Bay. We knew that their was a 2 1/2 hour air conditioned bus trip to Ocho Rios and we actually enjoyed it (the 1/2 way rest stop was great) It was a terrific opportunity to see the Jamaican culture. Our Son is 8 years old and WOW what an eye opener for him. We knew that the resort was recently remodeled a few years ago and the staff at Boscobel are continuously cleaning, painting, etc, etc in order to keep its appearance at such high standards. Yes, it is true about the cats - that was kinda wild and did freak my son out a bit. We stayed in a premium family room with a view of the main pool. The room was very clean and the room service staff did a fantastic job everyday (bring the 10 packs of m&m's and give one each day and you will be pleased at your room).I was amazed at the vast selections offered at the various restaraunts. The Venitian restaraunt was top line and is one of the best restaraunts that I have ever eaten at. Keep in mind when you go to eat get there early and you will not have to wait. If you wait until 8:00 - 9:00 at night expect to wait!! The times of meals being served was perfect. They coincided well with early and late night snack times. There was plenty of places to grab alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the resort (try the dirty bananas - YUM). The beach is quite small however I believe this is due to the amount of children that are present at this resort. As far as the beach chairs and towels, yes, you need to get down there early and get you a chair, you can't wait until 9:00 - 10:00 and expect to get a chair. The towels were plentiful, I thought. I always grabbed extra. There are alot of water activities for adults and children at this beach. The water is fairly clear,on a sunny day, it was gorgeous, and the sand is a light brown - not white sand. Quite alot of rocks in the water, (bring your water shoes) as well as, sea grass.Be prepared to tip, all bus drivers and airport staff. Be prepared to be subjected to a different culture. Jamaican people are very nice and easy to get along with. Don't be afraid to go on the other side of the dock to see what the locals have to offer. We were skeptical at first due to the bad reviews, but they are just people trying to make a living. The Jamaican locals are genuinely nice people. (That is where you can also do jet ski's and the parasailing, for additional cost) You must be prepared to bargar with the shop vendors as there are no prices on the merchandise. Never go with the first price offered. You can generally cut their first price in half for most merchandise. Our return flight on Air Jamaica back to Chicago O'Hare International Airport was delayed for nearly three hours. The airplane staff on this flight did not serve mid flight refreshments due to what I believe was a lack of ambition. Other than that "NO Problem, Irie Mon". Well worth the money....... P.S. Bring your 30-50 sunblock the sun is hot, hot, hot. Got fried the first day

We had never been to Jamaica or anywhere outside of the U.S. before and I was somewhat nervous about the whole trip. Initially, I wasn't much impressed as we flew into Montego Bay and then rode in a bus for 2 1/4 hours to the resort. The road leaves much to be desired and apparently in Jamaica if you miss another car by an inch that's as good as a mile. My wife kept her eyes closed much of the time. We got to the resort around 11:00 p.m and being a family resort, not much was going on but the room was clean, nice, and air conditioned (it was a "family suite" which wasn't... well, just look at the website). The next morning we had breakfast (which was, surprisingly, as good as any breakfast buffet I've ever been to) and went to the beach. The resort is built on a hill and there are lots of stairs as well as an elevator to the beach. The beach itself was pretty small but never seem crowded. There are the obligatory "hawkers" which want immediately to braid hair ($40 to $60 U.S. per head)and are not shy but three "no thank you" seemed to do the trick. Initially, this was irritating but less so later as they are just trying to make a living. They are not allowed onto the resort grounds but stand just outside on the beach. Frankly the next couple of days were as relaxing as I could have asked for. We took a couple of excursions outside the resort (tubing and Dunns Falls). They were fun but not included in the resort fees. Bring money on these trips as it seems like the tubing guides and probably the Dunns Falls guides live only off their tips. They did a really good job and were worth tipping. They also want to take action pictures (for sale of course) which are also well done. American dollars are readily accepted and everything is priced that way. We brought some Jamaican money and it was just a hassle. At the resort, snorkeling is available and is fairly well done especially for novices. Our daughter (9) really enjoyed the kids club activities and we felt she was in a safe environment (you be the judge if you go). The restaurants are all very good. Much better than I expected. Service is not fast so don't plan to "eat and run" unless you're at the buffet. The buffet is very good also. Most everything I had was very good. There is a romantic dinner package served on the beach (extra $140) which my wife really enjoyed. The trip back starts very early. Our flight was at 11:30 a.m. and the bus (a comfortable bus but still a bus) from the resort left at 6:00 a.m. Their margaritas are not very good but the rum and coke, and brandy sour's are very good. They generally have a hard time keeping up with the demand for beach towels at the pool, glasses and napkins at the buffet restaurant, and frozen drinks (non-alcoholic) at any of the bars.. I consider these minor irritations and not real problems. There are lots of stairs so be prepared for some exercise. Would I go back? Definately. Even with the bus ride from the airport I would go back tomorrow. Jim P.S. Plan ahead and take enough money for the exit fee if it's not included with your plane ticket as well as money to spend. There's no ATM at the resort.

The beautiful atmosphere, the warmth of the staff, the delectable food that was served. Beaches Boscobel is an all-inclusive dream. There are things for the kids to do and even more things for the adults to enjoy knowing that their children are in good hands. It's a great way to experience Jamaica and be treated like kings and queens.

I liked the fact that we didn't have to leave. Everything we needed was right there. Everyone had something to do from the smallest child to the oldest adult. It just took a long time to get there from the airport. But hey we had a blast!

We stayed at Beaches Boscobel for a week with our teenage kids. We all had a blast! The resort is beautiful and clean. The food was awesome, available all day. The staff treated us like kings and queens. We never got bored. Would go back in heartbeat.

All inclusive Beaches Boscobel, we stayed for 8 nights. The room was nice, the resort was nice and clean, the people were nice, but.... the food was in desperate need of improvement. Most of the food was just fair, set out in like a buffet style with out covers & there were flys on alot of the food. The food that should have been kept cold (desserts & milk) were not. The pop tasted funny, & you had to pay for bottled pop, water, and chips if you wanted that. The food in Jamaica needs to be a bit more americanized, and up to our standards. There also wasn't alot to choose from for kids either. Burgers, little pizzas that was gross) & not too much else.

Stayed for five days in Spring 2004. Definitely worth taking the family here. The kids really enjoyed the activities, and the golf course was better than I expected.