Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

15432 reviews

• 

  I can't figure out the bad reviews.

  So I would like to start off by saying that this place is amazing. I'm really baffled by the negative reviews. When we arrived, the check-in was flawless. If you arrive early and can't check in, explore as this place is huge. They employees were very nice. After going to our room, which was very spacious and VERY clean, we headed down to the pool patio. The buffets were huge, fresh, and very good. There is definitely something for everyone. I wish I could do 4.5 stars, and my only reason for not giving a 5-star review is that they allow day passes for locals. There were a few days that we went to the pool and couldn't get seats because half were taken by locals. There's also a certain level of security that is expected at a gated resort. I'm not saying I felt unsafe by any means, but I could see how some would. I would definitely return.

  Mar 08, 2025
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  New Privilege Club perk/Great Resort, 4th Visit!

  February 23 to March 2/2025. Stayed in room 23615 next to Luxury. Was a little far from the Grand Side but as a Privilege Club member we had access to the entire resort so the location was good for us. Resort is 18 years old so rooms do need to be updated however, that did not take away from our experience. Room was cleaned everyday with fresh towels/face cloths when requested. The bar fridge was refilled daily as well. My 4th time at the resort (stayed Luxury side once) and while we took part in most of the Grand side entertainment we did prefer the buffet on the Luxury side. Food in both buffets, the Grand side beach restaurant, Jerk Center, and the Round Table restaurant was fantastic. Did have 7 ala cartes booked but only ate in 3. The Temppanyaki was really very good with a huge portion. Dined at Don Pablo - service was very slow and although we were entitled to a free upgraded dinner for Privilege Club members, the meal was luke warm and overdone. Ate at Picasso - we had a great server but food service was slow, meal was just ok. Beware for big eaters the ala cartes are gourmet and portions are small. Enjoyed getting dressed up for dinner though! Pools are very clean and well maintained, beach as well. Didn't have to worry about getting a lounger as a Privilege Club member but later in the morning we could see some guests struggling to find spots in the shade. The pool/lifeguard staff were very helpful to those that asked, to find a spot. The club employee that was with us during our stay at the Privilege pool area was very accommodating for us one morning, he went in search of 2 loungers and a table and brought them for us. I would suggest that the club expand the lounger area by the pool. Attended entertainment on the terraces of both Luxury and Grand, entertainment quality has changed (it's less now) than what I experienced when I was there in 2023. Lobby bars and service in both hotels were clean and quick. We did interact with both entertainment teams but more on the Luxury side - both were engaging and fun to be around. Thursday nights are Seafood nights at the buffets, LOTS of seafood. Didn't attend the one paid show on Wednesday in the theatre but I heard it was good. All other theatre shows are free. Did go to the Village one night when they had a show there. I remember the time when the resort used the village more often, it's a shame to see it not being utilized. It used to be a hub of activity any time of the day or night. Did shop at the one shop that is locally owned so was happy to support. Saturday nights are the beach parties at both hotels - wear white! This visit we went to the one on the Luxury side and had a good time. Great benefits to being a Privilege Club member - using services from both sides of the resort! Didn't see any bugs in the room or any restaurants. Staff is ALWAYS cleaning, inside and outside. Lastly, for Privilege Club members, the club is trying something new! On Tuesdays and Fridays there is a club get together in the sales office. We weren't aware of the Tuesday one but got an email invite for the Friday one. Suggestion to the club - have club staff tell guests about this when checking in and maybe have signage in the lounge. Have the club staff in the lobbies engage with members to let them know and spread the word! At the get together the club brought in a singer and let me tell you, I think this was the best entertainment at the entire resort during our stay! He is very talented! 23 years old, what an amazing singer! The club provided food and drinks and we had the opportunity to meet other guests/club members and club staff. Also had the pleasure of meeting the Director during our visit as well! Great visit, looking forward to planning the next one!

  Mar 06, 2025
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  Beautiful property. but...

  Although the property was very beautiful, the biggest issue is cleanliness. The main dining room and restaurants have a SIGNIFICANT ROACH PROBLEM. I have never seen so many roaches in a commercial space (or any for that matter). My family was scared to eat in the main dining room which does not make for a relaxing vacation.

  Mar 06, 2025
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  Great stay. Can't wait to go back!!!!!!

  We were a little worried about this resort after seeing some reviews, but amazed when we actually stayed there. The pools and beach were stunning. We spent most of our time on the beach, where a bar and washrooms were right there on the beach. Weather was hot and sunny all ten days. The a-la-carts were great, but be sure to try the Brazilian which was fantastic. The other ones were pretty good. The main buffet was excellent with a huge variety of food. Staff there were very friendly and quick. The property is beautiful and well maintained, so kudos to Bahai Principe for keeping a clean, beautiful hotel and property. Drinks were not watered down, and very good. They did not mind our 20 oz. drink containers, which many guests had. The entertainment was quite good, and there were several things available each day. The kids pool/water park is exceptional if you have small kids. The beach is also very safe for kids, with many life guards. They don't encourage guests to save spots, but you could set up quickly in the morning before breakfast with no issue. Music at the main pool bar can be a bit deafening, but there are many options for a quieter spot. Music goes on until 11 PM so if you like to get to sleep earlier, request a room away from the main lobby. Our junior suite was very nice. The air conditioning could have been a bit stronger, but we survived. Bring your mask and snorkel, and you will see beautiful fish swimming all around you, even in the shallow beach areas. We met a great couple who were enjoying their 6th visit to this Bahai. Bring American bills for tips, or you can easily get small bills from the main lobby desk. I see guests talking about wait time at the lobby for check-in, but ours took 3 minutes. Wifi is fine even in the rooms. For our money, the luxury side did not seem to add much value, and that was what several guests from that side confirmed. With the exceptional property and beach, great food, super friendly staff, and beautiful Jamaican weather, I give this resort a 10 out of 10.

  Mar 05, 2025
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  Good beach, good pool but.........

  Traveled with wife and 2 kids age 4 and 5. Overall we had a great trip. Enjoyed our time with some caveats as the resort is a mixed bag of good and bad. I think if your asking if you'd enjoy this resort the answer would mostly be determined by what sort of traveller you are and where you go. The Great: Beach on grand side was amazing for kids. It's shallow for longer periods giving the kids lots of room to swim and snorkel in. If your an adult enjoying long swims in the ocean it's not for you. Snorkeling off the beach is also super limited as its too shallow. With that said our focus were the kids. It couldn't be more perfect. Lots of beach chairs available. Bring a cup tho as bar is far away. Kids club is amazing. Staff were the best. They did a great job when we used them and always made a point to chat with us and the kids when we ran into them. Pools - lots of chairs available. Pool itself is long. Lots of room to swim. Play or drink. There's dedicated play areas for younger kids as well. The Waterpark for kids was also amazing. Slides took a bit of getting used to for my one kid as they could go a bit too fast. Now for the annoying/bad. Check in process sucked. No one greeted us. No welcome drink. We asked to pay for an upgraded room which confused the staff. Told them to forget about it. Staff showed us where our room was on check in and sent us on our way. Not a very good first impression. If this was your first resort you could get a bit lost. We had no clue where anything was. We were left to figure things out on our own(not a huge deal for us as we travel lots but can see it could be for others). Room was dated. Not a huge deal. Tipping for more water in the room or more beers became pointless as they didnt provide any extra. 1 water bottle for 4 people is not enough. Food: at first food was great. Good variety at buffets. As week went on there were less and less options. Basics like fruit/bacon/hashbrowns constantly ran out. One evening consisted of nachos and cheese for me as there were so few options to pick from. This evening they didn't even have chicken as an option?!?!? A la cartes- we got 5 to pick from. Had no issues reserving. Overall food was OK. Japanese restaraunt was out of 3 items on the menu. For whatever reason this one restaraunt had major problems when sitting people. Reservation was 630. We didn't get seated till 650. Staff seem more confused here then anywhere else. Gourmet restaraunt had a great looking menu. Tried the rack of lamb. My knife couldn't cut through the meat. It was inedible. Overall, wife said food was good. I found over 10 days that it got worst as the days went on. Service- we never had same restaraunt staff 2 days in a row. Service was always hit and miss. Not a huge deal for us but it's nice when it's the same ladies who get to know you through a week or two are there and provide some consistency. Overall never had great service. Never had horrible service. You can see many are over worked. Not much to be worked up by but some might take issue with this. Slighly annoying waiting for more breakfast food to be brought out when you want to get out of the buffet and start your day(again minor issue but happened often) What we didnt see: cockroaches. I saw the reviews. Had me worried. Didn't have issues in our room or anywhere we traveled. Jamaican patties: how the heck did we not see this as an option at the resort once in 10 days. The food selection needs a revamp and this is a no brainer. Volleyball: Never saw a single game of volleyball in the pool once in 10 days. Staff activities around pool were lame. Lacking fun. For me personally, travelling at a busier time we paid a big premium to go to this resort. For what we paid i wouldn't go back. With that said At a lower price point I'd have a different view on things. Overall we enjoyed the beach, the hot sun and the pool! The kids had a blast!!

  Mar 05, 2025