Welcome back! This blog is all about the Holiday Inn Resort, Montego Bay and the PCR test process in Jamaica.
Now that we decided on Jamaica, we needed to pick a resort. Our wish list included: all-inclusive, 3* or higher, beachfront resort with a non-stop flight. We also wanted a hotel within 30 mins of the airport. Holiday Inn was approx 20 mins. Runaway Bay is approx 60 mins & Ocho Rios is approx 90 mins from the airport.
I use TripAdvisor to research hotels & attractions. Just don't take the reviews too seriously, some people can find anything to complain about.
Generally, it's less expensive to go for a week. If you can get the time off, 2 weeks is the best value. But, we couldn't stay for a full week, so we choose the Holiday Inn which was the best value and in the Resilient Corridor. More in blog #3.
We paid $1174 total per person - for a Deluxe Room (Oceanview) for 5 nights.
In comparison, we could have booked the Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica for 7 nights for $1,119. The package was all-inclusive, which includes airport transfers, all food, drinks & non-motorized sports.
Description from the WestJet website: 'Beachfront all-inclusive resort with bright, cheerful rooms and friendly service. Enjoy eight restaurants and bars, full-service Sol-Mer Spa & Salon, two pools, tennis courts, half-mile of white sand beach, meeting space, shopping area, and a KidSpree vacation club. With authentic Jamaican hospitality, you will find a carefree escape that truly has something for everyone.'
It is an older hotel, but they have been doing upgrades so, we decided to give it a try. We choose to upgrade to an Oceanview Room for $120 more p/p and were so grateful we did! Waking up to that view every morning made it so worth it! Especially, as the first couple of days were quite rainy. ☔️
Our first view of the resort... Whenever you enter the resort, you had to sanitize your hands. Our temperature was also taken upon arrival. We arrived after 3 pm (check-in time) but had to wait about an hour for our room to be ready. They did give us wristbands, so we could get food & a drink while we waited, and stored our suitcase. But, we had to ask if our room was ready. It would have been a better experience if our name was called when the room was ready.
Resort Map: The resort has 518 rooms in 7 buildings.
They also have the Rose Hall Club, which is approx $1,130 more p/p. We didn't upgrade & were able to access the adults-only areas (beach/pool) without any issues. The cabanas were for the Rose Hall Club only.
Rosehall Club Inclusions;
Private lounge exclusive to Rosehall Club guests which offer complimentary snacks and premium beverages, complimentary internet access as well as games, books, and magazines.
Private check-in/check-out area.
Exclusive sunbeds and private beachside cabanas.
Room service.
Upgraded bath amenities.
Beach towels in-room upon arrival.
Premium housekeeping and turn-down service.
20% discount off spa services.
Pre-booked reservations at a la carte restaurants.
Late check-out based upon availability.
Our Room -> Deluxe Room category - Oceanview - Building 3
Due to COVID, rooms are cleaned every other day, which was fine with us. The only disadvantage of our room location was that the playground was directly in front of our building and we had requested a quiet room. Most of the time, it wasn't a problem. The room had been renovated, but air conditioner is an older unit and was a little noisy. They are in the process of upgrading the AC units.
In the room:
Alarm clock
Coffee maker
Hairdryer
Iron/Ironing board
Phone
Safe
TV *Chromecast did not work for us
Crib / Rollaway bed (on request)
The best part of this resort was the Private Island! 🏖 You could just walk out to it and we spent a lot of our time here.
Things to Do:
full-service Spa & Salon, two pools, tennis courts, mini-putt, ping-pong, pool table, casino (temp closed), currency exchange, shopping (2 stores), & watersports. Kayaks & paddle boats are included. Snorkelling is temporarily suspended due to COVID. You can pay extra for motorized watersports/diving (see pic #3). They also have a Tour Desk - more about that in blog #3.
There were lots of daily activities & shows every night. There is an 8 pm curfew right now in Jamaica due to COVID, so the evening entertainment was appreciated.
The Food:
The food was good but became a little repetitive. COVID precautions: Hand Sanitizer was dispensed by staff when you entered the restaurant, tables & chairs were disinfected between seatings & the buffet had servers. Most of the time, the wait was minimal.
Restaurants:
Port Side: main buffet for breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Speciality Restaurants:
- Sorrento (Italian), Sea Breeze (Seafood) & De Terrace (Jamaican)
- Kenko (Japenese) - temporarily closed
- must be booked in advance and alternate evenings
- HINT: If you can't get a reservation, go & ask when they open at 6 pm.
Jeff was able to get us into Sorrento this way and it was amazing!
Sea Breeze (Seafood)
Sorrento (Italian) - this was our BEST meal! 😋
Barefoot Bar & Grill: hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, deep-fried fish & fries
Jus Kiddin - ice cream, nachos & hot dogs
Jerk Hut
It's such a beautiful property ...
Lots of birds ... and, one cute crab ...
If you go to the eastern-most gazebo, you can see fish & rays in the water below ...
Good to Know
TIPPING - tips are not expected, but appreciated. We always had a few USD $1 bills with us for anyone who went above & beyond. Most staff would say hello, even when just passing in the hallways, and were attentive & friendly.
WIFI was strong in the room. We had no delays when posting or streaming. It was spotty on the rest of the resort. HINT: You could sometimes get WIFI at the beach closest to buildings with rooms. VPN - If you want to watch TV or listen to radio stations from Canada, you will need a VPN to get around location restrictions. We used NordVPN and highly recommend it. You can even get Rakuten points.
PCR test in Jamaica - to return home, you must take a PCR test within 72 hrs of departure.
Holiday Inn charges $150USD p/p to take the test onsite. Thankfully, I had heard from my friend/travel agent, Sandra, that the Jamaican Tourist Board had dropped the price to $75USD p/p for Canadians. But, you have to book online:
link with info 'Canadian tourists booking their PCR tests through Baywest or TSL’s dedicated online booking platforms will be charged a reduced fee of $75 USD (tax included) for the service. Please note, clients who visit the lab for a walk-in appointment may not be eligible for this discounted rate.'
Baywest Wellness Clinic: https://getwellnow.io/covidtesting
Technology Solutions Limited (TSL): https://www.tsltech.com/pcr-test-canada/
We had issues with payment on the Baywest website and didn't receive a reply to our email. Calls were also not answered. We took a taxi to the Baywest Clinic. If you are near one of their clinics, this is the best way to do this. We were only charged $75. The online link adds a $7.99 processing fee and we had to reregister on a different website. It was confusing but, worth it in the end. At the Montego Bay location, they are doing the tests outside the building, under tents. Was very well organized. We got our results within 24 hours and saved $75 each. You don't need to print the results to take to the airport; screenshots are acceptable.
Another option is to take the test with you. Switch Health offers the RT-LAMP Test that you can take and use at your destination. It's a molecular test and is the same as a PCR test, but slightly less expensive. This kit requires an internet-connected mobile device with a camera as someone watches you perform the test. Aeroplan Members get preferred pricing @ this link $149 CAD ea. They also have a Rapid Antigen Test Kit for trips to the US.
Our next blog will be about Dunn's River Falls and the Luminous Lagoon. Both were amazing adventures!
We hope this inspires you to go out and explore!
Until next time, Diana & Jeffy #adventureswithDianaandJeff
** All images posted are copyrighted by Diana Johnson-Santos **