Introduction
I would say this review is quite extensive; I have tried to describe my personal experience of my entire stay, reviewing the majority of details. Each section is labelled with appropriate headings for ease of reading; so don’t feel obliged to read it all. It does contain some ‘spoilers’ so if you like to go somewhere and discover the details yourself, I recommend not reading through everything. If anyone has booked or is looking to book this resort, and has any further questions, do not hesitate to contact me - I will be more than happy to share.
Why we chose Jamaica
My girlfriend and I had our first holiday together in November 2011; we stayed at the Royal Decameron Club Caribbean. Although she had no interest in going to Jamaica particularly I managed to convince her that it would be a good idea. After showing her pictures of sunny skies, white beaches, blue seas and describing the relaxed atmosphere, she agreed it was a great choice. The reason why I wanted to visit Jamaica is because I am a big fan of reggae music; I am interested in the life and music of Bob Marley specifically (whilst we were there we travelled to the Marley mausoleum, it was a great experience). Before going I read a book called “Reggae, Rastafari and the Rhetoric of Social Control”. It describes the link between reggae music the Rastafari movement and Jamaican politics in the twentieth century. I thought there would be no better place to go to re-read the book and experience its representation, than Jamaica.
Why we chose this resort
We chose this resort mainly because of the price; my girlfriend and I are both young adults; we live off a smaller budget, so the five star resorts were just a little out of our budget. Also because it is an all-inclusive resort, we did not want to have to worry about carrying around money, spending money.
My girlfriend was definitely attracted to the unique set up of Cottage style rooms, as opposed to the big blocks of individual rooms as in a conventional hotel. Additionally this hotel is situated around 10 minutes from Ochos Rios, a larger town with an abundance of shops and markets.
Experience Upon Arrival
We flew from London Gatwick, to Montego Bay airport, and then took a coach transfer to the resort in Runaway Bay, a very exhausting trip, especially for someone that’s never been out of Europe! The road trip from the airport took two hours despite our travel agent, First Choice; saying it takes 90 minutes, watch out for that one! After unloading our suitcases from the coach we stepped into the reception foyer, as our whole coach had to check in there was a delay getting to the desk, however this was obviously expected by the hotel and a tray of 30-40 cups of non-alcoholic fruit punch, garnished with fresh pineapple, were being offered to the new arrivals, they were very refreshing and much needed. At the desk we were processed very quickly, but this is not to say we were rushed in and out like cattle. We were made to feel very welcome by the receptionist; she made us feel as though it was a privilege for them to have us staying, it did not at all sound like she was reading from a script, everything was personal.
As I remember we signed a few papers and the lady took a stamp of a debit card as a precaution – just in case we decided to trash the room and disappear. We organised a safe for our room, we were given towel cards and we were given our room key. A porter, Omar, someone we got to know throughout our stay, loaded our suitcases onto a trolley. We followed him on a short walk to our room. He let us in, switched on our air conditioning, gave us a brief show around and upon leaving wished us a pleasant stay.
In my opinion first impressions count for a lot, and our point of view at that moment, was that we had chosen a very lovely resort. We were immediately made very welcome; the overall feeling was excellent.
Accommodation
We were a bit apprehensive about the quality of the resort and specifically the rooms because we were originally going to book into five star establishment but opted for this three star one. We stayed in our own cottage. Reading through recently published reviews posted online, people have said they were “beyond basic”, but I disagree with this. The Royal Decameron Club Caribbean is a three star resort so it is obviously not on par with that of a five. Our cottage had everything we needed; we found it was more than adequate for our two-week stay. I would say some people may find it to be a little too basic, but as we spent most of our time outside we were satisfied, I recommend potential visitors to research about the rooms, especially if you are used to a higher standard of accommodation. And if you are one of these, I would say go for a five star resort. The cottage had:
• A flat screen, wall mounted television with a decent amount of channels. It mostly had US channels showing popular American sitcoms, some news channels and a few Jamaican channels.
• Bottled water with glasses. Although a fridge to chill the water was not included, a quick dash to the bar for ice was not a problem. Our water ran out after a week and was replenished the morning after it did. The glasses were not replaced with clean ones, they were just turned upside down, but we had no problem with this either.
• Air-conditioning, along with a ceiling fan. Both were simple to operate.
• Shower was pretty standard; however it was not a power shower. Sometimes the temperature would not function properly because it was operated through a hot and cold tap on the bathtub. Although this area had no cracked tiles or such things it could have done with a bit of sprucing up, to make it a little easier on the eye.
• Towels in the bathroom were refreshed every so often; we took care of ours so they were not changed every single day by housekeeping.
• Large double bed with plenty of pillows, with a manoeuvrable wall lamp on both sides, perfectly comfortable, we slept well throughout.
• Hairdryer was included in the room, but an iron wasn’t, we never needed one so cannot say whether there is a surcharge for this.
• The roofs on the individual cottages were thin, which meant if there was a storm (twice whilst we were there) the sound of the rain hitting the top was very loud.
• The room had a safe, it cost us US$15 for a key for our entire stay, and I recommend this as a must – keep your passports, money and valuables locked up!
Staff
All the staff on the resort were very friendly and welcoming. The waiters, bar men, lifeguards, caretakers, housekeepers and chefs would all greet you with a friendly “wagwan?” - Jamaican dialect for what’s going on? Basically a friendly, how are you? Over the course of the fortnight we got to know a few faces around the resort, including that of the ‘Fun Crew’ – the in house entertainment organisers, this made our stay that little bit more enjoyable and relaxed.
Restaurants and Food
There were three restaurants on the resort, two were open daily, however the third was not in operation for the entire fortnight as it was being completely refurbished. This was our only complaint about the catering, but we did mention this to our hosts upon our departure. The main restaurant was a buffet set up; this was used for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday. Breakfast served from the buffet included:
• Tea and coffee served at the table, though this was never piping hot.
• Hot rice, wheat or oat porridge and usually a soup or broth.
• Fresh fruits including various melons and pineapple, etc.
• Hot Pullman ham, haricot beans with peppers and tomatoes.
• An omelette station, where they are cooked to order as you wait. Things like cheese, tomato, bacon and mushrooms could be added as a filling. Omelettes were my favoured breakfast.
• Cereals with cold milk, and a toaster for bread.
• Danish pastries, muffins and croissants, we often took a couple away for a later snack.
• And a waffle and pancake station, also prepared to order. With the option of sugar and maple syrup.
The breakfast set up was always well presented and there was always plenty of food, I was pleased with the quality of it all apart from the temperature of the coffee. Lunch was served everyday in the same restaurant; it was always prepared promptly and on time. Lunch included:
• Ice cold water served at the table.
• Similar food items as dinner, see below.
• It also had a cook to order sandwich station. Choose your bread, the filling and decide whether you want it toasted or not. Two minutes later a delicious sandwich was ready.
• Every two or three days would be a pasta station, prepared whilst you wait.
• Tea and coffee also available from the buffet.
The food served at lunchtime was aimed towards being more light bites rather than larger, full meals.
At dinnertime the food was most definitely Jamaican cuisine orientated:
• Two different soups each sitting, spicy red lentil was my favourite.
• Goat curry served with rice, quite tasty but had small bones inside.
• Ackee and saltfish, Jamaica’s national dish, was served a few times during the fortnight.
• Beef stew with creamy mash potatoes.
• At every lunch and dinner sitting would be cold meats and a salad selection, very refreshing.
• Often the Chef would be barbequing jerk pork and chicken just outside the restaurant, very delicious.
One of the best dishes on the menu.
• There were various themed stations throughout our stay, our favourite was the Mexican. It served chilli con carne, with fajitas, tacos, jalapeños, salsa, guacamole and salads.
• There was always at least one kind of rice served at dinner, a staple in Jamaican cuisine.
• Finally, there was always a mass of desserts available. Ice creams, cereals, cakes and hot puddings. The cakes were obviously home made and it looked as though a lot of effort had gone into making them, they looked fabulous and were a great addition to the restaurant.
• The ice cream set up seemed a little unprofessional; it was stored in big tubs in a fridge or freezer. Guests just had to go up and scoop it themselves, I think it would have been nice for a server to help; this would have definitely maintained a higher level of hygiene.
I noticed that a fair number of our fellow holiday makers were not one hundred per cent satisfied with the food, people wanted more of what they would eat at home, but I am a believer of dining the local way. I did notice a distinct lack of green vegetables, however I feel the fortnight that my girlfriend and I were in Jamaica we ate very well and were never left underfed and hungry. She also mentioned that for more than a fortnight she would have been bored and fed up with the variety of food they had to offer, to us it looked as though there was a weekly rota for food i.e. following a plan of what to provide each day.
The second restaurant was an a la carte menu with full table service, which alternated each night between Asian and Jamaican cuisine, a booking is required for this and it is recommended you book as early as possible in the morning otherwise there will not be space, it is full every night – which creates a nice atmosphere. We ate here twice (once each night) the food was slightly more refined but nothing compared to London’s Claridges. It made a change from the normal buffet style as well. This same restaurant doubled up as a snack bar during the afternoons, they served burgers hot dogs and pizzas and similar. And if that is not enough similar food was offered from 11pm – 1am every night, for a late night snack.
Bars and Drink
On the resort there were four bars, these did not have distinct features, they all had the same set up and the décor was more or less the same.
• A main bar in the centre of the resort next to the restaurant and pool.
• The ‘Jetty Bar’ based at one of the resort, nice in the evening before dining at the a la carte restaurant. Swing chairs attached to the roof above the bar, a nice little feature.
• A third bar at the opposite end of the resort, we didn’t visit this one at all. We did notice this was the smallest of them all.
• The last one was based at the ‘Quiet Pool’, the relaxed area for people over 18.
The resort had very few premium branded beverages, for example no Smirnoff vodka, Gordon’s gin or Coca Cola. They were stocked with a locally produced (dark, light and spiced) rum called Appleton, which is distilled on the island; this was the main drink of choice for my partner.
A word of warning though, every single drink will be mixed unbearably strong unless specifically asked not to be, and even then it will still be stronger than you’re probably used to, so make sure you do say otherwise if you prefer. If you are a red wine drinker, it will be served from a cardboard carton – not the finest wine ever made, but still drinkable. There is no wine list but there is quite an extensive cocktail menu. Red Stripe is on draught at all four bars; this is a Jamaican lager beer, and it is quite nice tasting. The quality of the beer was always inconsistent though; it was sometimes bubbly and other times flat. It often had a strange soapy, aftertaste. I think this was down to the quality of what it is served in. All the bars used plastic beakers, which is presume is for efficient circulation, and reduced breakage. It was still bearable, and others had bought along their own beer mugs.
Facilities and Entertainment
There was a dedicated group based at the resort to manage the entertainment, they were known as the ‘Fun Crew’ – easily identifiable by the tee shirts. During the day they would look after light sporting activities and quiet relaxing music, in the evening they would put on shows. Below is a list of the activities they organised.
• Beach volleyball was played almost every day, small competitions were organised and I began to really enjoy it, I started the holiday as an amateur and probably left semi-professional.
• There is a small football pitch, big enough for a 6-7 a side, I played one 60 minute game with the ‘Fun Crew’ against a group of Ecuadorians, unfortunately our side lost. However everyone that played was pleased that the match was put together.
• A darts competition was organised a couple of times, I decided to compete with around 5 others, and this was light-hearted fun.
• There was a table tennis tournament at one point, the ‘Fun Crew’ joined in and gave tips, which made everything more relaxed.
• An excellent afternoon exercise was the pool aerobics, a twenty minute session every afternoon was hosted by the ‘Fun Crew’, this was actually really enjoyable.
• Each evening started with the house band performing light music, this set a nice atmosphere – reggae music playing as the sun went down.
• The evenings had a different show performed each time, sometimes performed by the ‘Fun Crew’ and other times by an outside group. They were mainly dance performances and quite often got a bit repetitive.
Being only a three star resort, we were surprised to see how many complimentary extras were offered. I have included a list, but this does not detail every single thing:
• A wonderful towel service. When we checked in we were given a card for complimentary beach towels. We used 1-2 each, per day and they were replenished with ease, just walk up to the booth when you need them changing. On your last day, return the card, job done.
• Water sports were included, as long as you signed your name to say you have understood everything. Kayaks and pedalos were positioned on the beach; as long as you approached a lifeguard for a life jacket it was fine to just take them whenever you felt like it.
• There is a small room with a pool table, the actual room left a lot to be desired, it was a bit shabby but the table and the equipment was not in bad condition.
• There are two pools, the main one was never overcrowded – it only had four or five people in at a time. The second was situated further back, called the ‘Quiet Pool’ this was exclusively for over 18’s. There were plenty of sun beds around and never any fighting for them.
Beaches
The small cove style beaches were absolutely fantastic; they were completely private for guests of the resort only. They were well maintained, constantly being raked for weeds and litter, so there was debris at all on them. Empty beakers were being continually collected as well. There were plenty of sun loungers, far outnumbering the people that were staying. There were fixed umbrellas between most of them, making the beach coves look really elegant. Lifeguards were permanently on watch also.
Conclusion
A massive selling point of the resort is that it is all-inclusive - that is food, drink, entertainment, towels and more. The beaches were great, if you are looking to relax and lay in the sun for a fortnight, this resort can well accommodate that. If you are looking for a lively night time party atmosphere then maybe it is best to choose somewhere else, because this is one area it was let down by. The service we received was exceptionally welcoming and the quality of food suited us fine. Our cottage was very pleasant, a nice little feature. It was clean, the gardens were well kept and daytime activities kept us entertained, even for a fortnight. Overall, we really did enjoy our stay at the Royal Decameron Club Caribbean in Jamaica. I do recommend it to any holiday makers looking to go to Jamaica.
Not quite fit for a royal, but an excellent resort! 
