Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay

We were in Preferred Club room 1406 - great room! Open views to the right and forward and could sit on the balcony and enjoy the entertainment to the left. High marks to housekeeping and the minibar stockers. Quality entertainment. Restaurants good to very good. Everyone in our group seems to have had different experiences, but I was pleased. Staff at all levels very friendly and upbeat with only a couple of clunkers. Preferred club lounge supplied nicely and a great breakfast. Only suggestions would be more comfortable chairs on the balcony and to print, laminate and post instructions for the balcony hot tub. We couldn't tell if it wasn't working or what we were doing wrong. Finally got it to start, but then couldn't get it to turn off. The pools are COLD in February - be warned. We didn't have any of the problems mentioned in some of the reviews.

We had planned a trip to Jamaica and booked Secrets Wild Orchid for our symbolic wedding and honeymoon. It could not have gone any more smoothly. We have been anticipating this trip since my husband and I have not gone on a vacation for a while. It was also a getaway from the cold Michigan weather. When the day finally arrived, we were excited and nervous since a trip could go sideways so fast. Anyway, we loved every minute of our vacation. The hotel grounds is so beautiful. We booked preferred with a swim-out and it was amazing. We had a great view everyday. The amenities are great but, most importantly, the best part is the staff. We had a butler since we booked preferred and we had the most awesome staff assigned to us. Duran is his name and he made sure that we are taken of every single day. He would always grant our request, such as reserving restaurants for dinner and allotting as a spot by the beach. He just did not reserve the spot. He would decorate it especially knowing that we are there for honeymoon. There would also be a cooler full of beer and water next to our chair. One time, I was surprised with decorations on our bed and a card congratulating us for our wedding. They also had rose petals on the floor, bed, and bathtub! Our tub was prepared for us after getting back from a short excursion outside of the resort. I definitely cherish my memories there and I always tease my husband that I wish we were there again. I would also like to mention Darwin who took over from Duran when it was his days off. We stayed there for a week. Our favorite bartender is Alvin. He was a riot. He always made us laugh and helped us to have a really good time whenever we sat at the Barracuda Bar. Lastly, I would like to thank Lisa of Front Desk. She is a darling. She was so helpful to us when we needed help sorting out our check out process. I could not thank her enough for her kindness and graciousness. Kudos to all the staff at Secrets Wild Orchid. We shall return!

Just finished a very relaxing week at Secrets Wild Orchid. My wife and I relied a lot on reviews to make our resort choice, so it’s only fair that I provide my take on it. I’ll start by saying this was our first all-inclusive resort experience and our first time to Jamaica. We were there for 7 nights and had a really good time. Came back relaxed and refreshed. The whole experience met my expectations but did not exceed them. Having been on several cruise lines (Carnival, Norwegian, and Celebrity), I would say this was definitely in the Carnival realm, not the Celebrity realm. Overall, it comes down to what your expectations are. We didn’t have lofty ones, so we were satisfied. We had a preferred ocean-view suite on the fourth floor. Note that the preferred building is buy the restaurants and outdoor stage, so it is very loud until about 11 at night. The brown-noise app on our phone was key to covering up the noise on our “quiet” evenings. Room – Spacious, comfortable bed, nice bathroom, tub on balcony was great, other balcony furniture was uncomfortable. Beach – Nice, but not expansive soft, white sand. Never had trouble getting a lounger at the beach or pool. Beach staff was very helpful and accommodating. Although towels tended to run out, they always worked hard to scrounge some up. No trouble relaxing. Restaurants/Food – Mediocre. Asian and Jamaican restaurants were the best ones. Italian place was Italian in name only (think lasagna with no ricotta cheese and a melted sliced of provolone on top, and chicken parm with no marinara sauce). Ate at Oceana one night and the steak with the surf-n-turf was inedible (too fatty and chewy) and salad bar was underwhelming. Mexican was ok, albeit very salty. Breakfast buffet was fine although the fruit was very disappointing for a Caribbean resort. Discovered the lunch buffet on the second to last day – it was pretty good. Service was hit-or-miss. Some staff was very very attentive, some were less so. Never really had to wait very long for seating although the resort seamed pretty crowded. Room service was fine, nothing special. Drinks – Plenty of bars, plenty of drink options. Preferred Benefits - Had higher expectations of the mini-bar based on the room description. Snacks are only banana chips, granola bars, and peanut M&Ms. Spirits cost extra but with plenty of locations to get a drink, not the end of the world. Very easy to order extra beer, juices, and most-importantly peanut M&Ms. Preferred beach and pool were definitely quieter than the main pool/beach. The downstairs “bar” was ok. Never really tried the preferred club “buffet”- nothing really looked that good. Some general tips and notes: -We did not find the tipping made much of a difference in service. Some folks tipped others did not. -Bring your own insulated cup and straw. They will make drinks in them for you. They charge $40+ at the gift shop for an insulated cup, so better to bring your own if you want to. -If you want room spirits, pick up a couple of bottles at the airport on your way in. -If want to float, bring your own raft, or ask the lifeguard/beach attendant if they have any spares rather than spending $50 at the gift shop for a $15 raft. Don’t miss the Jerk Chicken cart. -If you want to partake in “Rastafarian Activities” just ask your airport transfer driver to hook you up.