Ocean Eden Bay

The hotel was okay. It looks stunning at quick glance, but there was a lot left to be desired. We had to wait for a reallllllly long time to get access to our room, and when we did, the bellhop grabbed our bags and then left to assist another customer. Staff encouraged us to wait for another bellhop, but we had been awake and travelling for close to 20 hours, and just wanted to settle in. When we got to our room, we noticed a lot of loose ends so to speak. Lots of paint drippings all over the curtains and headboards, grout and mudding noticed on the bathroom floor where there should've been a kick plate. I figured they were just in the process of getting things up and running, but there were a lot of things around the resort that just seemed to be slopped together? We had some challenges with housekeeping - many days our room was not cleaned until after 6pm. When we asked to have our mini bar restocked with 2 more beers instead of soft drinks, staff refused. Our concierge also managed to get us in to a meeting to talk about the resort, which turned into a high pressure sales tactic to sell us a vacation club membership - staff were rude and dismissive when we said no. Unless you got up at the crack of dawn, good luck getting a chair by the ocean, or by the pool! We had to set our towels up on the sand multiple days of our stay and no effort was made to put out any more chairs, even after asking. In addition to this, there was no bar service on the beach, which was very surprising. We had to go over to the family side to get some chairs, which kind of defeated the purpose of going to an adults only resort. Multiple days of our stay, the main buffet restaurant closed and we had to go to the family side to eat. As well, our first time dining in the Japanese restaurant, we had poor service and only got drinks in the last 5 minutes of the meal. My husband ordered a beer, and they 'ran out.' This also happened at the coffee shop - we got there at 10:30 AM, and they had run out of regular plain old coffee. Multiple nights out, for dinner, we had to wait for over an hour and a half for our meals. We wanted to use the water sports/equipment and were surprised to find out there was a $30 charge to use any equipment. The one time we went over to grab life jackets, it was closed. We were both really looking forward to this resort and vacation, and were sorely let down. It really has great potential, but in so many small ways, it failed. We are really easygoing travelers, able to be understanding about things like this - but SO many aspects of this resort were disappointing. For the price point and rating of 5 stars, it was nowhere near what it should have been. [Details]

The while place was keep clean constantly. The staff were all very friendly and very helpful. [Details]

A fantastic week. Ocean Eden Bay - Adults Only was my first time in Jamaica. My husband and I travelled there with 2 other couples In early April. From the moment I stepped in to the airport I felt welcome and safe. Our arranged shuttle service organized by our airline was friendly on time and super entertaining. He added much humour and excitement to the adventure into the hotel. The drive in from the airport was approx 45 mins.
Once we arrived ( it was early so our rooms were not ready until close to 3pm ) which is check in time. The front staff took our bags and placed them aside safely while we changed and had a drink at the bar. A nice touch was a courtesy shower area that allowed us to freshen up while we waited.

The rooms were spacious and clean. The mini fridge was stocked daily and the balcony was quite large. we had a king bed, it was quite firm but we adjusted as the days went on. The rooms were cleaned daily and early for the most part. We had 2-3 days were no hand towels or face cloths were left, however minor in the grand scheme.

Ocean eden bay is quite large but we never felt we needed to walk too far to get where we were going. It was always clean and the staff was always pleasant and smiling.

We spent most of our days poolside. There was never an issue finding chairs or tables at the pool. There was plenty of space to locate your preferred spot for both sun seekers and also those who prefer the shade. This was an added bonus for our travel group.

The main pool was large and clean. The swim up bar was accessible from all sides and the staff amazing. The waitresses on deck were super! They were friendly, talkative, personal and consistent every day.

The activity team ( the blue team) were amazing. They brought energy to the guests every single day starting at 10am! A list of daily activities were posted and also announced. They provided pure Jamaican entertainment and made our daily trips to the pool most enjoyable.

FOOD- there was copious amounts of food everywhere on the resort. Multiple restaurants, bars, snack bars, poolside and beach grills....you will never go hungry. It was delicious. YOu do have a choice for a different spot to eat each night, however if they are full upon arrival you can always find another restaurant, or go to the Captains market buffett which is always great and open late!

When you are on the Ocean Eden side, you will have access to more as the sister resort Ocean Spring is attached allowing you a continued experience on both sides. You can travel back and forth as often as you wish, however the Ocean Spring side cannot. Due to that, Eden Bay is less congested in the pool and main areas which is very nice.

Entertainment- there was no lack of things to do every night. Disco ( for those who like to start late) the main lobby bar music and entertainment, courtyard bands, fire acts, evening shows ( vary ). PLanned events like the white night were also fun. It was a comfortable and relaxing vibe every single night. We took advantage of our first day by wandering the resorts and getting familiar with our surroundings and finding all the things to do.

The beach- this could be the only area that may be a bit underwhelming. It is small and there is lots of coral making it a little challenging when entering the waters. You can still go swimming but need to enter with some awareness. On both sides this is the case. I would suggest water shoes and you will be fine.

Throughout our stay with OEB, the staff continued to impress day in and out. In particular we would like to mention the following for outstanding service:

Poolside Waitresses- Nardia, Chantol, Abagaile, Tarsha-Kay
Captains Market ( morning ) Shanice, Anastasia, Randy-Shawn
Lobby Bar Carl-Michael
Blue Group- Kyash and Demile
Sugar Cane- Keshalee
Thai- Ryan
Tyreke- Lifeguard
Black Panther-Sakura
Tyrese- Check in desk [Details]

We had a wonderful stay, the resort is beautiful and the staff were all amazing. I would stay again without question. [Details]

The resort was beautiful! We had an amazing stay and would definitely go back here. [Details]

From the moment we entered the lobby we were greeted with a lovely rum cocktail and Jamaican hospitality. The check in process was seamless and our room was everything and more. We had a spectacular view of the ocean and sunrises that were breathtaking. Our balcony faced the sun in the morning as we enjoyed the first coffee of the day. We ate breakfast at the beautiful Buffett with so many options to chooses from. Lots of choices for lunch and dinner and while laying at the pool , entertainment, aquafit and lovely cocktails were always a delightful surprise. The shows were entertaining and we were surprised by the variety of talents . [Details]

Superior servers: Alexrodo and Kenmore, (the greeter at Thali), Joseph,at Steakhouse, Renee and Dillon, at Privilege. Lovely spa - marvellous massages with Donnette. Heavenly hydrotherapy facility. Exceptional Jamaican and International cuisine at Marlin and Captain's Market! Beautiful beachfront setting at Privilege and Marlin. Outstanding landscape and pool, along with jazzy lighting at night. Lazy River feature - what a blast! Loved the bowling alley, and ping pong. Thanks to Derrick, the tennis court attendant, for providing chairs, and side table. Sarahi in Teen Club was very cheerful and obliging with tennis and ping pong balls. The Spanish male attendant at the bowling alley was affable. Kobe was a friendly, efficient beach attendant as was Cassandra. [Details]

Loved the location of hotel
Lots of food options
Nice friendly workers in the hotel [Details]

After a 45 minute shuttle ride from the airport we arrived tired and late on Saturday night.

It seemed to take forever for the front desk to assign a room to us. Getting there the door wouldn't open; turndout that unit had already be given to another couple!!
That necessitated to go back to the front desk. We ended up with the room next door (4102), a substandard unit, where the door squeaked and slammed shut when you let go.
There were only 3 hangers, no glasses, Coffee maker or provisions in the fridge. We were promised someone would come stock up the mini fridge within 15 minutes; no one showed up.
The patio was a sham, grassless and so close to a pathway that everyone going by could easily see into the unit.

7.30 a.m. Sunday morning a crew of gardeners started up with an ear shattering rev of leaf blowers. Then the phone rang. We assumed it would be the front desk, apologizing about the early morning racket or asking whether we were comfortable. Not so. It was Valgene inviting us to a meeting to arrange our shuttle for the following Saturday (6 days before our departure!!!)

Disappointed and unhappy I went to the front desk to request a room change. I was told to check back later….

When I got together with Valgene I mentioned our grievances and she didn't waste any time informing her supervisor which netted some positive action. We were promised an upgrade and went back to pack our bags. After 3 p.m. we were finally moved upstairs, closer to the pool to unit 4314. What a difference! After having wasted most of our first day it suddenly felt like we had moved from a 2 star to a 4 star accomodation. Finally the holiday we had envisioned was about to become reality.

We are indebted and thankful to Valgene who by the way also handed us a couple of cards for pool towels which we had never received
Please pass on our gratitude to her, she made sure our week became a wonderful experience.
Even the roaming sales personal left us alone, probably rightfully assuming that aging seniors like us would not be worth pursuing.

Overall our stay at Ocean Eden Bay was positive.

Though there is room for improvement regarding the pool chairs which were hard to secure long before towels were handed out in the morning.
We learned to deal with it but a better solution needs to be found.

We got used to the loud action around the pool between 3 and 4 p.m. It wasn't to our liking but we can appreciate that a lot of people bonded by taking part in the daily trivia and games.
Again, the loud music until 11 p.m. isn't everyone's cup of tea but we understand it can't be contained to the plaza and is probably welcome by the younger generation.
However, we found it unfortunate that local entertainers (who we encountered one afternoon in front of the entrance to the resort) are not integrated into the evening entertainment.

Too bad the beach does not offer a smooth sandy entry into the ocean.
We enjoyed the food places we chose to go to and praise the friendly, cheerful Jamaican locals who served us.

We liked the tour to Dunn's River Falls but can not recommend a taxi drive to Falmouth. Had it not been for a stopover by our driver Dawes at a souvenir place on the way back the time spent would not have been worthwhile. What I learned is that advise is not being given freely unless one asks for it. What Valgene or Marvin should have mentioned is to take that drive on a Wednesday when Falmouth has its outdoor market. [Details]

Room was great, beautiful view.
Lots of staff, but poorly organized.
Pool was really noisy all day with music and yelling DJ.
Beach was too small to accommodate the hundreds of people at hotel. Figured out if you don't drop a towel on lounger by 7a.m. you won't get one anywhere.
I really expected better for this money.

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Overall it was a fantastic week for my wife and I. Staff were welcoming, and just happy and easy to chat with. Visitors to the resort were equally happy and chatty as well. Would highly recommend reservations at Sakura (Teppanyaki) , make them when you land lol. Remember everything on the Island is slower, you are on Jamaican time now. Great relaxing time. [Details]

The hotel is beautiful, however the experience was just okay. Lots of miscommunication. For example, we were informed at check in that we didn't need to make reservations for dinners at restaurants, but were turned away on 2 occasions because we didn't have a reservation. Also, simple requests were met with 'absolutely', but were never followed through. It appeared that the hotel was severely under staffed. The host/hostesses took a lot of grief from guests when it wasn't their fault. Dining rooms looked empty but were told a wait of 45 minutes to an hour was needed. It was clear to me that they just didn't have the staff to accommodate all of the tables.
If the hotel could come up with a computerized system to make dinner reservations that the guests could do themselves, I think it would relieve some of the pressure off of the staff. For example, on New Year's Eve day, we were trying to make dinner reservations. The system in place seemed so backwards - A gentleman staff member had to run to another restaurant for a file folder, search through countless papers and then we were given slips of paper and had to sign something. It took a lot of person power and time itself to get things sorted. Perhaps split walk in and computerized reservations at each restaurant could help. Beach beds were a prime commodity. I didn't enjoy the extra time it took to hunt one down. There were 2 days when we ended up standing or sitting on the pool ledge. Many guest put down towels early in the morning but you never saw them actually use them. Housekeeping needs to pay attention to details. Quick clean only - dust and grime in corners. Floor was mopped but always left your bare feet dirty and sticky. Not knocking the staff, I just think they had too many rooms to cover during their shift and couldn't do a thorough job.
Amenities were hit or miss. Asking for a hair dryer, steamer, umbrella or soap was difficult. We spoke to many guest who experienced the same thing as us. If they ran out, too bad for you! If that is the case, I would have brought my own soap and hair dryer for sure. Don't advertise that you have something that you don't. It will disappoint the guest and add unnecessary stress for the staff that have to deal with disgruntled guests. The telephone in the room was useless if you were trying to reach housekeeping, front desk, etc. There was never an answer. The piano bar looked amazing but was always closed. [Details]

Loved it. A beautiful hotel, excellent staff, very inviting and pleasant. Everyone is so friendly and willing to help. A great experience. [Details]

The hotel and property was beautiful and clean. The staff were welcoming and helpful. Shearon, Alex, Raymond were very attentive and made the experience better. The room was cleaned and restocked early each day which we were grateful for. There was a great selection of food available at multiple locations. The pool area and entertainment was fun. [Details]