I recently organized a trip for a group of 8 individuals with physical and developmental disabilities, and unfortunately, it turned out to be the most disappointing experience I have ever had in Jamaica. I had previously arranged a similar trip in 2019, which went smoothly, so I am unsure of what went wrong this time around. It is worth noting that we stayed at a different resort this time.
Despite our repeated requests and confirmations for accessible rooms prior to our arrival, we were not provided with the accommodations we needed. The staff showed little interest in assisting us with securing accessible rooms, and they lacked sympathy for the fact that some members of our group would not be able to shower without such facilities. It took them 4 days to offer us an accessible room, and that was only after I personally approached them, despite their assurance that they would contact me.
Our rooms were only cleaned twice in the span of 7 days, and the cleaning staff did not attend to our hallway until 5 pm each day. The rooms themselves could use some updating, or at the very least, a thorough cleaning to remove the black residue in the bathrooms. Additionally, the TVs in 3 of our rooms were not functional for 3 days, despite our twice-daily requests to the front desk.
While the beach was easily accessible, it was disappointingly shallow, with the water only reaching waist-deep at best. The beach itself was clear for about 5 feet before giving way to rocky terrain, which guests were not allowed to walk on. There is a lovely island within walking distance where guests can spend the day, and that is where the water is deepest, reaching up to my waist.
The buffet food left much to be desired, lacking variety and quality. However, the jerk hut and snack hut outside the resort were excellent alternatives.
Unfortunately, most of the staff we encountered were quite rude, which further added to our overall disappointment with this experience.