This past May we visited the Grand Bahia Principe resort in Jamaica. We flew into Montego Bay and took the free hotel shuttle from the airport to the all inclusive hotel. The bus ride is about 40 minutes to an hour depending on the traffic. Our week was full of ocean swims, jerk chicken and water slides. Read on for the full Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica Review.
Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica Review: The Resort
The Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica is a family friendly all inclusive resort. There is the adults only side as well which is the “Luxury” side. Much of the resort is shared however there are a few restaurants that are only available to the Luxury guests.
Bahia Principe is known for large resorts and while the Jamaica one is definitely large and very popular even in a low season month, it wasn’t the largest we have visited. I would say the ones in Mexico and Punta Cana are larger and have more sprawl. There is no resort train or anything to get a ride around the resort.
There is one very long pool that crosses the front of both resorts. Signs indicate where the Luxury area starts and the family friendly area ends.
We found that this main pool area was very loud and even in May it was hard to find seats unless you were at the pool first thing in the morning. It was also harder to stay out of the sun since they don’t have full huts that we had our resort last year. The small palapas didn’t throw as much shade as a family of four needed.
In addition to the main pool there is a children’s water park which is to the left of the resort when you are looking at the ocean. The water park is near the beach restaurant and the best place to get into the ocean swimming. It was great for all ages of kids as we saw babies through early teens having fun on the slides.
We also found they had a covered pergola over in this area which was perfect for getting out of the sunshine. This was where we sat most days because it was close to the beach with easy access to the ocean. Our kids could go in the water park and we could keep track of them and it was close to the best jerk chicken for lunch.
Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica Review: Food
I definitely can’t complain about the food at the Bahia Principe Jamaica. We did not go to any of the a la cart restaurants. You only get to go twice and with the kids we just figured it was easier to use the buffet.
This meant we had breakfasts and dinners at the main buffet restaurant; lunches we ate at the beach. Breakfasts had everything you could want. The omlet bar was fantastic. There was french toast most days as well as cereal and bacon. Everyone got what they wanted every morning.
We had our lunches at the beach restaurant. Some days to get out of the sun we went here early and played cards. We were able to get jerk chicken here every day. Honestly it is the best. There was usually some other grilled or fried chicken option which was also fantastic. Jerk pork or goat, paella and safer options like burgers and hot dogs. On our first day we came at the end of the lunch period and there wasn’t much left. I suggest going as close to noon as possible to get the best selection.
Dinner was also good. Our kids had safer picks like pasta and burgers while we would try any of the grilled or roasted meats. Chicken was always a safe option as it is something they do really well. The roasted duck and pig was also really great. Even the homemade pizzas were fantastic.
I saw many people complaining about the food on Tripadvisor and honestly I don’t see how you could complain about the food unless you were choosing only the dried out meats. But even then, go to the buffet and try again. There is no need to be disappointed!
Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica Review: The rooms
Our room was in building 14 which was pretty well situated in that it was close to everything. Close to the main lobby and the buffet restaurants. The main pool and the kids water park were a short walk.
We were not in one of the buildings with the gross carpet. This was another thing many people complained about and honestly if this was my resort I would rip it out and replace with tile immediately. Still it wouldn’t make or break my stay.
Our room had two double beds and a sleeper couch. I much prefer the rooms we had at our resort last year which had the pull out bunks and allowed us a king sized bed. This year instead our oldest had one double bed, we had the other and our youngest slept on the couch. They provided bedding for the sleeper couch which made that more comfortable.
The other draw backs to our room were a noisy fan and air conditioning that was just not cold enough. These are definitely first world problems but we have had the opposite problems at other resorts with the room being too cold at night. This time we had the air conditioning cranked and it was still sweltering so I don’t think it really worked properly.
Final Thoughts
Overall we had a lovely vacation. We have been to a few different Bahia Principe resorts and I would say that this one is our least favourite just because it is a bit tired and in need of a refurbish even though it isn’t THAT old. But if you are looking for an affordable Jamaican family vacation with good food then this a good option. How much time do you really spend in your room anyways?
