My husband and i had a great time at Riu Ocho Rios, but for people going there to find peace and quiet, it's not the place. It is a very big resort with almost 900 rooms. The restaurants all have great food but they are busy and you're constantly in a line-up waiting at the buffet. Great pools, but not enough bars and especially not enough bathrooms!!! For couples, it's a great resort but I would not bring my two young daughters there because everywhere you turn around, you smell pot (i've been to Iberostar in Montego Bay and we never smelled it there).

We stayed in a junior suite with an ocean view. The room was very clean and spacious with nice decor. The bathroom had a jacuzzi tub and double sinks. The eastern view was the best with the morning sunrise, but if you are near the stage then you will hear the music in your room until about 11:00pm, which wasn't a problem for us but if you have kids then it could be too loud.
The staff were friendly and always asking if we were enjoying our stay. the hotel has a lot of food choices. There are 4 restaurants al a carte. We tried the Japanese, steakhouse and sir Richards. The latter being our favorite for dining experience and food quality.
The beach was exceptional (no rocks) and is scattered with palm trees for shade and lots of open sunny areas. West down the beach past the Riu is a little dock where the waves come up over the railing (great photo op) and fills a stone sitting pool. Very cool.
Just past the property line to the west is a lady set up on the beach providing massages. The couples massage is $100, which is half what the spa charges. She is operating a business and is not just a vendor on the beach.
Tried the local on site snorkel trip, "Prince" was great went to two stops the first the best saw stingrays , many colourful fish including a lion fish.
We did not encounter any pushy vendors on the beach as some had written in other reviews. But, beware, the town of Ocho Rios is swarming with them at every turn!
Don't be fooled by the bad reviews. If you are looking for an exceptional resort, friendly and very entertaining staff, clean and great food, you won't be disappointed here!

Just spent three weeks here and overall had a good time. However, this time of year the hotel is inundated with French Canadians who come for a week and all they want to do is party!
Staff are excellent, food is pretty good, entertainment not great but the team try really hard. However, there's no 'quiet' bar and the allegedly 'quiet' pool was overrun most days by noisy French Canadians who sit in the swim up bar and drink all day. So, if you're looking for a relaxing, quiet holiday this isn't the place.

I really enjoyed my stay in club hotel Riu! Made a lot of friends! Slept in the lobby a few times! The beach was good! Margaritaville! Was wicked! Even ended up in shades a club in Ocho Rios! Ended up performing a live show for all my friends very entertaining! Mates wedding was excellent on the beach! people were friendly!