All Inclusive - Adults Only - No Children

Runaway Bay for 9 nights - Feb. 21- 29, 2020

My Jamaica photos are FOR SALE!

Jewel Paradise Cove
Beach Resort and Spa

We timed this vacation well because we arrived home just a couple days before the COVID virus broke out!

TRANSPORTATION: this resort does not include transportation to or from the airport, so how quickly you get there and back depends on your choice of options.We reserved our place on a bus in JPC before we left home. When we arrived at Sangster, we walked out of the airport and boarded our bus immediately. The ride should take about an hour, but it was longer because the bus would stop at various resorts along the way before arriving last at JPC. (Same thing on the ride back to the airport.) I enjoyed seeing a few resort entrances even though I had no idea of their reputation or reviews.

ROOM: We booked a Jr. Butler Suite after much online research of the rooms and reviews. After checking in we headed to our suite. It was a surprise to discover that there were no elevators at this resort, although upon inspection we found the large shaft area where an elevator should be (or may had been??). There seems to be a lot of cost-cutting going on at this resort. This is an old resort and the signs of age are everywhere. Do not assume anything! If questions pass through your mind that you may plan to book the hughest room levels - or any other questions that may be important to you - call and ask before committing to this vacation. Our Jr. Butler Suite was large and roomy, but my vision of a patio (as shown online) was shattered when reality set in. There is NO PATIO in the room...just a direct drop to the ground as you can see here. I think their promotion photos are very misleading. However, everything in our room was neat, tidy and in it's place. The bed (pillows, sheets, covers) was just what you would expect in a high-end hotel. There is even a large empty space near the stairs that was obviously made for an elevator - but no elevator exist.

WI-FI INTERNET: Wi-fi reception worked well, both inside and outdoors. You should have no problems with connection. The room however, lacked any way to make connections in comfort. It offered two electric outlets behind the couch, and two others on a wall with no table. Whenever on vacation, we take 2 laptops, 2 Apple Watches, 2 iPhones, 2 Kindles and 2 cameras. This becomes difficult then you are jammed and crammed into in a small table with an unstable leg, or an old couch that wants to envelope your body when you sink into it. Along with other signs of times long gone, I must mention an old iHome radio next to our bed featuring a charging station that harks back to the introduction of the earliest smart phones. It actually made me smile because this resort "is what it is " and the ancient iHome looked quite "at home" and comfortable there, just like a blast from the past! "

PAPER PRODUCTS, BATHROOM, SOAPS, ETC. Both the imitation Kleenex and the toilet paper need an immediate upgrade. Come on, Jewel! You can do better than this!There is no "oomph" or quality to the very thin so-called toilet paper, so I'll leave the result to your imagination. Seriously, if you are planning to visit this resort, when you pack at home you need to buy some small packets of Kleenex and drop them in your luggage. (You will thank me for that!) And if you have any extra room, add a roll of your favorite toilet paper. I wish someone had told me this! The bathroom offers products such as motel-sized bars of soap and very small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and hand cream (like you typically find in any moderately priced hotel.) Since we were staying 9 nights instead of the normal 7, I wondered if these items woulf be replenished with new after the normal 7 days...and they were!

FOOD: We enjoyed the food, even though it is not what you would think of as "high end" we had no complaints. Everything was properly cooked, and it tasted good. Wally loved the Smoothie Bar and the very nice selections offered there. He wouyld walk down a short path from the restaurant at lunch, then bring back his "smoothie of the day." Never mind that they made smoothies right there in the restaurant ...he wanted his from the bar. It got to the point where the restaurant help would ask "Where's Wally?" then nod sagely and raise an eyebrow when I replied that he was "not to be disturbed" because he was with the "Smoothis Girl"! (All Jamaicans have a wonderful sense of humor! )

RETURN GUESTS: At this time, Jewel Paradise Cove is offering no incentives to returning guests. Nothing extra for how many nights you stay or added amenities. This is something they should consider. We have been to Sandals Resorts 11 times, and that's mostly because they give us some incentives to return.

DAILY NEWS Every evening we reurned to our room to discovered the "Jewel Times" outlining everything happening the next day. And take my word for it -- plenty happens here every day including power walks, yoga, tennis, special pool activities, water aerobics, croquet, etc.

BUTLERS: We were assigned three butlers who were derssed in ordinary clothes instead of the standard butler attire at other resorts we've visited. They rotated work hours, so one was always available. We wanted to have butlers for ONE REASON ONLY... so that when we got up in the morning, we would see our chairs marked with our names at the nearest pool. And this they did...every single day! All 3 were fantastic Butlers and we enjoyed chatting with them.

DAILY: A fruit bowl along with other goodies was delivered to our room on a plate, usually around 4 P.M.

REFRIGERATOR: in our room. Someone came by daily to check and re-stock if needed: Champagne, red and white house wines, rum, vodka, bottled water and juices, off-brand beer (not Red Strip, but it was on tap at the bars.)

Best thing about this resort? The staff, the butlers, the resort itself, plus a reasonable price. You cannot find a better, more friendly staff anywhere! Did we feel we got out money's worth? YES!

So what would give us an incentive to return?
1.A discount for "returning guests" and a room upgrade
2. Updated rooms. This would include a desk with a drawer in every room, properly outfitted for laptops, cameras, etc.)
3. All Inclusive should mean EVERYTHING is included - and that should include boat rides too!

All Jewel Paradise photos here
All our vacation photos are here