Jewel Paradise Cove Jamaica (& Video Recap)

Jewel Paradise Cove Jamaica (& Video Recap)

Thursday, February 25, 2016

I'm here to finally recap our stay in Jamaica! As most of you remember, Andrew and I went there over New Year's break and had a blast. We went zip lining, kayaking, snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, rode a sailboat, swam in a luminous lagoon and had the time of our lives! 

So today I thought I would share the amazing place that made all of this happen: our hotel! Read more below!

WHERE WE STAYED: Jewel Paradise Cove and Resort

We found this hotel through TripAdvisor when we were trying to decide on a place to travel. It was between Turks and Caicos and Jamaica and we found it easier to go to Jamaica (hotels in Turks fill up quickly). The resort had a ton of really amazing reviews and won a couple awards for excellence so we decided, "why not!?" and booked it.

I can totally see why after going. It was awesome! It was an adults-only all-inclusive resort and you don't realize how amazing that is until you've experienced it. The staff was so friendly, the food was killer and there was an endless list of things to do.

LOCATION: 

The resort was about an hour away from the Montego Bay airport and when you get in late at night and haven't slept much, it's a total pain but in reality it's not all that bad. You're in a secluded part of the island and you find yourself surrounded by private properties. I liked that part a lot because you really felt like you were on vacation!

The name does ring true: Paradise Cove. The beach area was small and it was really just a little cove they had surrounded by a ton of rock. I thought I wouldn't like it as much but I really didn't mind it. The water was calmer and clearer, it made it feel more exclusive. There was just enough beach to get your fill. 

THE ROOM: 

So I completely forgot to take photos of the room, but it's ok! They were nice and for the most part pretty average, run-of-the-mill new hotel rooms. Our bathroom was nice and updated, the bed was big, the closet had enough hangers, the balcony overlooked one of the pools -- it was nice. 

AMENITIES: 

I think one of the major aspects of the hotel I really loved was all the amenities offered. Since it is an all-inclusive they understand that there needs to be a lot to do at the resort. They have a whole area for watersports that include kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, paddle boats. They also offered sail boat rides, snorkeling and scuba diving (they'll even certify you!)

For the rest of the resort, there were three pools all with swim-up bars, a really fun water slide, ping pong tables, shuffleboard, pool and a bunch of board games. There were also a ton of different actives and classes you could join and be apart of during the day.

There was also no shortage of off-site adventures (excursions). There were two that were offered free through the hotel and those were Konoko Falls and a Sunset Sail both of which were really fun. We also signed up for two other off-site excursions: Zip Lining and the Luminous Lagoon. It was a really fun way to spend some time outside the resort.

FOOD: 

The food! Ah! It was SO good. I never expect much from an all-inclusive (I don't know why) but -- wow -- was this place awesome. They had four different restaurants, five different bars and an area for a buffet (not my favorite). Our plan was to hit a different restaurant each night but one of our excursions got in the way so we missed out on the hibachi night.

You can read about each of the restaurants here. There was a really fancy restaurant (attire and all) called Platinum, a hibachi/sushi bar called Jade Samurai that required reservations. Moonstone (which was Coral Cafe by Day) and the Aquamarine Grill which was a poolside bar that served during all hours. 

My favorite (and one we ate at three times -- sometimes for dessert after another meal) was Moonstone. They had the BEST food and since it was all basically free I made sure to order two things for dinner and just enjoy vacation. I mean, calories don't count right? 

THE RESORT: 

The resort overall was really awesome. It was a big property but the resort felt small (in a good way). It felt cozy and comfortable. I loved that all of it was on the water and you can see the waves hitting the rocks as you walked along. There were also hammocks everywhere so it was fun to just relax (even more) from time to time.

There were two beaches. One was more secluded and didn't have the best sun for half the day and the other was the main beach (seen above). There was never any problem finding a chair of getting a towel. There was always someone walking around taking drink orders and the staff was so friendly. I can't tell you how many times they opened up the water slide for Andrew and I!

OVERALL MY EXPERIENCE WAS...

AWESOME! Andrew and I left talking about how great this trip was. It's a totally underrated hotel and I will tell anyone and everyone I know to go here. It really was that great -- no cons about the trip at all! Well, actually maybe that the buffet wasn't very good (but Andrew disagrees!) If I could go back again I would in a heart beat. Make sure to check it out if you're ever heading to Jamaica! 

And of course here's a short little video from our trip. Enjoy!