My husband and I hadn't been able to make up our minds about where to stay in Montego Bay - we had made reservations at Half Moon and also the Hilton, which was cheaper. But I had seen reviews about Hilton that it was way too crowded and the staff wasn't friendly. On the other side I was worried that Half Moon would be way too expensive and being a vegetarian, I wouldn't get enough dining options. When we landed at the airport, we decided to check out the Half Moon arrival lounge and maybe even see the resort before making our decision. Guess what - they already had a shuttle waiting for us. And once we rolled into the resort itself, we were hooked. We ended up getting the all inclusive Good Life package because it was a much better value than only paying for room - all food & drinks at their 3 restaurants, room service, a complimentary couples massage, beach-side dining/beverage service, free bike rentals, free non motorized water sports, fitness club. At $140 per person for the all inclusive plan, it was a steal.

Beyond just the cost savings though, we were very impressed with the rooms, the plenty of open, private beach space and above all, the impeccable service. The staff went above and beyond what might be expected to ensure that we relaxed and had a good time. If we were walking anywhere, they'd stop their shuttles and golf carts to see if we needed a ride and often went out of their way to drop us off somewhere. The resort is vast so we used our bikes everywhere. And the food was excellent - the chefs prepared special vegetarian dishes for me - the best restaurant by far is the Sugar Mill but the Seagrape where you take breakfast and lunch is also good. When one of the servers (Dudley) heard that we wanted to try Jamaica's famous Blue Mountain coffee, he went and brewed us a pot himself. The biggest relief was that you don't have to tip for any service so we didn't have to walk around carrying money. And you didn’t have to worry about spending – we made full use of their bars, probably more than we should have but that’s what vacations are for  We did end up doing a lot of tipping on our last day because we felt that the staff had earned it.

In terms of activities, we tried mini-golf, used the fitness center and also tried kayaking and hobie sailing – very fun! The hobie sailing wasn’t included in our package but was worth every penny. I also have to give high marks to the Fern Tree spa where we got massages – awesome! Our masseuses were fantastic – no slacking, no breaks, perfectly relaxing massages.

The only downside is that this is a quiet resort – people come here mostly to relax and everything closes by 6 or 7 (shops, water sports, pools) so there’s not much to do in the evening after dinner. They do sometimes have a band playing in the evening and it was fun to listen to them while sitting at a bar. But after 5-6 days, you’ll start feeling antsy. Of course, you can go out to downtown Montego Bay but we didn’t want to try it. And the resort too feels slightly deserted in the evenings once people go back to their villas.

We talked to a few people who had gone to check out the Ritz Carlton next door and they reported that it didn’t even come close to Half Moon. All in all, one of the best vacations we have ever had. And I have to give full credit to the high standards of hospitality and service displayed by all Half Moon staff. The resort is over 40-50 years old and has hosted royalty as well as guests like Jacqueline Kennedy (there’s a fun fact that links her to the resort – Google it). I didn’t want to leave and am looking forward to going there again next year. It's the best in luxury stay in Jamaica!

Our family of sixteen (children, grandchildren) celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary at a seven bedroom Royal Villa. The variety of high quality activities was astounding--the Spa, the golf, tennis, water sports, horseback, etc. more than satisfied everyone in our age diverse (7 to 75) group. The staff of the villa and of the hotel were wonderful. Everyone was friendly and cooperative and our butler, Peter, and cook, Karen, were great. The extensive grounds and villa exteriors are magnificently maintained and the beach is everyone's dream of a Caribbean paradise. A few negatives--the interior of the villa is a little tired. Un-airconditioned main room (bedrooms have ac) should have a large ceiling fan. Furniture and draperies need updating badly. Food in pricey restaurants was only ok and service, while always friendly, was somewhat confused. One other quibble--this is a high quality, high-priced luxury resort yet, despite our repeatedly telling them that we were celebrating our 50th anniversary and had been at Half Moon on our honeymoon, we were not offered even a small gesture of recognition. We were not looking for gifts but flowers or a bottle of wine would have reflected a classy attitude whose absence seemed out of keeping with this quality of resort. These are minor negatives and all in all the experience was spectacular.

Amazing, mind-blowing & beautiful! Treated like a star & got an excellent deal. Oceanfront suite at 1/4 of the normal rate! Best place I've ever been and I've been ALL OVER Jamaica, including "the castle."

Highly recommend this place if you are looking for total relaxation.The spa was fantastic.Grounds are beautiful,bartenders were very social & fun.The only thing that I would suggest or i think needs improvement is the food. Not enough authentic Jamaican dishes were offered and should be offered/ available to those who want to experience real Jamaican food versus the Americanized version or softer version.Can't wait to return, hopefully I will be able to get Jamaican food this time.