Secrets St. James Montego Bay - Adults Only Unlimited Luxury All Inclusive

Everything was beautiful. The food was great and the beaches perfect. I just wish the excursion we bought for 240 dollars was better. We were supposed to go shopping but were taken to an overpriced store. Imagine, coffee at 38 dollars a pound! We stopped for snacks and another rip off. We spent 15 dollars on two drinks and a bag of Doritos. We felt exploited on both counts. This was not the best of Jamaica. The staff at Secrets was very professional and accommodating. Sunsets were beautiful, the water pristine and the ambiance exceptional.

Our trip was very nice and relaxing. The water is very clear and pretty. There is decent snorkeling off the beach, if you swim out a little bit, with nice coral formations. There is very little fish life when snorkeling. The grounds are very pretty and kept nicely. There are 8 restaurants to chose from and the food is good to very good. There is plenty of variety for anyone's tastes really. We were not in a preferred building. I'm not sure if the experience there would be any different as restaurants, a couple pools, and bars are shared. But the concierge staff at St. James were not overly helpful. It is difficult to get change for tips so bring plenty of small bills with you. Tips may not be necessary but they definitely seemed expected. As such, there was not always the appreciation for getting one as there should have been. You had to call to confirm you airport transer-a local Jamaican call. You had to call from your room and it was $1 per minute. There was no free Wifi in St. James. The signal was so weak it was non-existent. You could pay for it. They had a secure wifi in the St James preferred where you had a password. But if I'm in an Ultra All inclusive--why in this day and time can't you have free wifi, free local calls or at least the concierge call for you. The rooms were very nice. The bed comfortable. But cleaning them seemed to be an issue. I do not think a broom or vacuum ever touched our floor. Our toilet didn't work properly, the shower didn't drain well and neither were cleaned. Basically they just changed whatever towels you left on the floor (which is where they asked you to put them). If you are looking for entertainment there isn't a lot. There is a house band that plays every night. They have some other groups come in. They have a beach party, etc. But if you are looking for big shows or anything like that---they don't have it. We are not big nightlife people so this did not concern us. Overall, we would go back but would check out Wild Orchid or the preferred and check the difference in price. We didn't let any of the above problems interfere with having a good time. But we think an ultra all inclusive should have a lot more amenities and definitely no tipping allowed. This was a nice, prettty place but take out the word "ultra".

Hotel was beautiful and private beach felt very safe. The beach was amazing with lots of seating. Definitely ask for a room on 3rd floor or above. The beds were the most comfortable I have ever slept in. Food was just OK, but there were several dining options to choose from. Definitely recommend making reservations for the Hibatchi.

The rooms were very nice and the food very good, but the best thing about the resort was the staff.

This is great hotel! Real 5 stars! A lot of pools, bar and great restaurants. All inclusive is really awesome! Food is great, service too.

The resort itself is very nice, but for an all inclusive it seemed like a lot of things were "upgrades." Before we even got to our room we made a mistake and agreed to attend a sales pitch in exchange for a $100 gift certificate to a local restaurant. We weren't sure what to expect, but it was a very strong sales pitch to spend another $7-8K to be a member of their loyalty program. That's fine, but the sales guy got pretty aggressive, even insinuating that we may deprive our kids if we don't take them on a vacation every year. It cheapened the experience for us and made us feel like it was some type of cheesy too-good-to-be true time share scenario where you get a vacation for very little money if you sit through their sales pitch - not a pleasant experience when you spent good money for this resort. Overall the resort is pretty nice but we wouldn't recommend the resort to our friends for that exact reason. They should explain in greater detail what you're getting into. Actually, they should save that type of sales pitch for follow-up after your vacation is over

First time doing an all-inclusive and it was a good experience.

Excellent resort for adults which includes everything but your excursions. From the time you get to the property, you are attended to and the staff does not hold there hand out for tips. Great scenery, food, amenities, and rooms. Private balconies - all rooms have beautiful views and the water is crystal clear on the beach. Good variety of foods at the buffet and the themed restaurants are very good. Didn't seem overcrowded for their peak season (Dec.-Mar.) and didn't have to make dinner reservations except if you wanted to go to the table-side show at the Japanese restaurant.

Secrets St James was a great place to stay. We stayed from the day after Christmas until New Years Day. For an all inclusive hotel, you really couldn't ask for more. We stayed at a Sandals in St Lucia earlier this year, and in my opinion almost everything was better. The food, the room, the staff, the facility - all high marks. Everyone was super friendly and the rooms were really comfortable and clean. NYE was very well done!!! GO THERE if you can for NYE. Really more than we anticipated including a great reggae band that played current music, party favors, 4 course meal including a HUGE dessert buffet, and great fireworks over the Bay at midnight. We had an amazing time and can't say enough good things about Secrets & the staff!

Great experience for my wife and I. The food was delicious, the amenities fantastic, and the staff warm. No complaints, it is what you pay for. Not a five star resort, but what it is, is a great value for your money.