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Hotel Riu Ocho Rios is a family-friendly all-inclusive resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica with 901 rooms. Amenities include Babysitting, Beach, Buffet Dining, Family Vacation and Free Wi-Fi. Travelers rate it 4.1/5 across 8,176 Google reviews.
Seaweed & sargassum
Jamaica gets sargassum, typically worst June through August.See the month-by-month guide →Restaurants (6)
| Type | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Buffet | St. Ann |
| Italian | Piacenza |
| Asian | Mandalay |
| Steakhouse | Pool Restaurant |
| American & grill | Pepe’s Food |
| International & fusion | Kulinarium |
From the resort's own dining pages, checked . Only restaurants the resort lists are shown.
Amenities
Traveler Insights(520 discussions)
Hotel Riu Ocho Rios is the classic large-resort Jamaica all-inclusive: 901 rooms on Mammee Bay, six pools, Splash Water World and six places to eat. Riu closed it on April 29, 2019 for a US$85 million renovation and reopened it on September 21, 2019 with every room refurbished, 45 new family rooms, a rebuilt pool area, the water park, RIU Land and the Kulinarium restaurant, which is why guest reviews from before that date describe a different hotel. It stayed open through Hurricane Melissa on October 28, 2025, when Ocho Rios was the least-affected corner of the island. The entertainment team is legitimately active, with RIU Party nights, foam parties and beach events that set a lively social tone through the day and evening.
Food is one of the genuine bright spots. The St. Ann buffet runs live cooking stations and three themed evenings a week and consistently includes Jamaican dishes (escovitch fish, oxtail, ackee, rice and peas, bammy) rather than only bland international hotel fare, and Pepe's Food does jerk at lunch. Dinner choices are Kulinarium (gourmet a la carte), Piacenza (Italian a la carte), the Pool Restaurant steakhouse and Mandalay's Asian buffet; the three a la carte rooms take reservations and 901 rooms compete for them, so Mandalay is the easier evening and planning ahead matters. Rooms were all redone in 2019 but maintenance inconsistencies now appear regularly in recent reviews, and the king bed in some junior suites is two doubles pushed together.
Riu Ocho Rios is best positioned for social travelers, families with kids old enough to enjoy the water park, and anyone who wants the full-scale Jamaican all-inclusive experience without paying Sandals prices. Budget-conscious couples who are comfortable with a lively crowd will find value here that is harder to match in Jamaica's more boutique options. Budget the 90 km, roughly 90-minute transfer from Montego Bay airport. Nearby excursions beyond Dunn's River Falls include Mystic Mountain (reopened March 2024 after a short closure), Dolphin Cove and catamaran snorkel trips along the north coast, enough to fill a week for travelers who want to get off property for half their days.
Pros
- +Beachfront on Mammee Bay with six pools, two swim-up bars and Splash Water World, Riu's water park - one of the bigger pool complexes in Jamaica
- +Authentic Jamaican food at the St. Ann buffet, which runs live cooking stations and three themed evenings a week - escovitch fish, saltfish, fried dumplings, oxtail, rice and peas are regulars alongside the international spread
- +Six dining venues: Kulinarium (gourmet a la carte), Piacenza (Italian a la carte), Mandalay (Asian buffet), the Pool Restaurant, which turns into an a la carte steakhouse at night, the St. Ann buffet and Pepe's Food, the lunchtime Jamaican jerk grill
- +RIU Party nights, the White Beach Party and the Pool Foam Party are recurring crowd favorites - the entertainment program is large-scale and genuinely energetic for an all-inclusive
- +Dunn's River Falls is a short taxi ride back toward Ocho Rios town, so Jamaica's most famous attraction is an easy half-day
- +RIU Land kids club gives families structured on-site programming, and the 2019 renovation added 45 family rooms to the inventory
- +901 rooms means inventory rarely sells out - easier last-minute booking than smaller Jamaica properties at similar price points
- +24-hour all-inclusive with free Wi-Fi throughout, a spa with jacuzzi, massages and hairdressing, and a wellness centre with steam room, relaxation pool and gym
Cons
- −The US$85 million renovation that refurbished every room dates to 2019, and the wear now shows: soap scum on glass shower doors, water seepage under shower walls and unanswered maintenance requests recur in recent reviews, and a returning guest quoted on Riu's own page says it has gone downhill since the refurbishment
- −King-size beds in some Junior Suites are two smaller doubles pushed together - a frustrating configuration for couples who didn't request it and weren't warned at booking
- −Kulinarium, Piacenza and the steakhouse take reservations and 901 rooms compete for them; guests who don't book early end up at the St. Ann buffet most nights
- −The St. Ann buffet hall is described by multiple guests as cavernous and cafeteria-like - large enough to feel impersonal rather than welcoming, with poor lighting
- −Staff service varies significantly by department - many staff are praised as friendly and attentive, but a meaningful minority of reviews cite rude or unhelpful check-in encounters
- −The property runs loud - RIU Party, daytime pool parties and nighttime entertainment are great for social travelers but disruptive for anyone wanting a quiet resort
- −It is 90 km and about 90 minutes by road from Montego Bay airport, which first-timers underestimate; Ocho Rios is not a short transfer
Common Questions
How close is Riu Ocho Rios to Dunn's River Falls?
Was Riu Ocho Rios affected by Hurricane Melissa?
How does Riu Ocho Rios compare to Sandals Ochi?
How hard is it to get specialty restaurant reservations at Riu Ocho Rios?
Is the beach at Riu Ocho Rios good for swimming?
Is the foam party and entertainment at Riu Ocho Rios really that lively?
Google Rating
Google Reviews
“My experience was beautiful, I was greeted with a cup of drink upon arrival or checking in. The staff were so lovely and helpful. The property is blissfully beautiful..... The food was ok, A bit fresh but can work with. The pool and sea was just beau...”
“Overall the resort was very nice. It is really big but it was nice that each side was set up about the same. The rooms were spacious. We needed two rooms due to having 5 people and it was nice because there was one access door and then two seperate d...”
“This is a repeat vacation at the resort,close to our 30th time there. As always the food was great, even is a bit limited due to the hurricane. The resort was clean and well maintained. The real reason for our repeated visits is the staff, the staff...”
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