My family and I had the fortune of staying at the Jewel Grande during the week of Christmas. A review is more than warranted to let everyone know how well it went. Check-in was mostly straightforward, though the room was not yet ready. Check-in is a bit late (4 pm) and room cleaning seemed to take place during the afternoon, so we were right at the edge of having our room ready. In the absence of a room, we were encouraged to go to the nearby pool grill to eat. I will also note that we were offered COVID-19 insurance at the time of check-in that would have covered us in the event of one of us testing positive for COVID-19. The cost was around US$100 per person. This would be worthwhile if you were so unfortunate as to test positive, but we declined this insurance and thankfully never needed it. This resort does not have room keys. Instead the "key" is built into the wristbands one wears. The bands are removable (which I appreciated), made a bit like a wristwatch. The Room: We had a one-bedroom suite facing the sea. Aside from the beautiful view, the room itself was essentially a full apartment, with a full kitchen (with oven, microwave and fridge) and even a washer and dryer. Despite the full kitchen, there were no utensils or dishes provided. The lack of a coffee maker of any kind is offset somewhat by the resort's multiple coffee shops, but it would still be nice to have them in the rooms. The room had two full bathrooms, each with a shower. The main bathroom had tub as well. There was a walk-in closet for hanging coats and storing luggage, and the safe could be found here. There was enough dresser space for our party. The room had a balcony that featured two chairs. There were doors leading to the balcony from both the living room and the bedroom. The living room door was a sliding door that had to be pushed with some force to properly close. The bedroom door didn't close at all unless locked. COVID Protocols: We were told that all staff is vaccinated, but obviously can't verify that ourselves. They certainly adhered to mask-wearing quite well. Even those working in the 30-degree sun kept on their masks. This was enforced in restaurants, which also required guests to sanitize their hands before entry. Layout: The resort itself is mostly divided amongst three towers. We were in tower A (Sabal Palm), which I would describe as the quiet tower. Building B (Silver Palm) sits on the other side of the lobby from tower A. It is mostly just rooms, but does have a smaller coffee shop within. Building C (Sentry) is where most of the action seems to take place, as it contains multiple restaurants, a coffee shop, and overlooks the closest thing the resort has to a "party" pool. The lobby sits between towers A and B, and the Spa is a standalone building in front of tower C. The front entries to each building were staffed by security who opened the door for you. I assumed this was a COVID measure, but it could also have been a gesture of hospitality. The resort is compact, so no fifteen minute walks to get anywhere. From our one-bedroom suite, we were minutes from everything on the resort. As for the area outside of the resort, don't expect much: it is mostly a highway and little more. There are neighbouring resorts and that's about it. Pools: The resort has two pools. The first one sits directly behind the lobby, and one could also call this the cold pool, as it rarely received much direct sunlight. There were plenty of loungers here, though not all had umbrellas. The cold pool was offset a bit by the adjacent hot tub, which was always warm and popular - but not large. In the COVID era, it is tough to say whether this limited the number of people in the tub. One of the two outdoor grills is located here, along with a bar where music (not loud) would play. The other pool, in front of tower C, receives more light during the day, particularly in the afternoon. In addition, there is usually louder music being played. This pool also has an adjacent grill and bar, though this bar is also a swim-up. Both pools had towel stations. Here I can mention one of the strong features of this resort: no towel cards! If you needed or wanted more towels, you simply grabbed them. A large bin was there for you to dispose of your dirty towels. Beach: The beach at the Jewel Grande is certainly man-made, and isn't particularly long. The orientation of the resort buildings does mean that some areas receive direct sunlight only for a portion of the day. For those seeking shade, there are a fair number of palapas, though you may have to play the towel wars (people waking up early to claim loungers). The beach has swimmable water that isn't very deep, though there was a considerable amount of seaweed when we were there. The staff did what they could to rake it up, but it was a constant battle for them. Washrooms: Each tower had washrooms on the beach-facing side. Bathrooms in general were always well-cleaned. Water Sports: Included in the all-inclusive package are non-motorized water sports. These included catamaran rides, kayaks, and paddleboards. Unfortunate the seas were too rough for about half the week, meaning no water sports. The crew there was professional and kind when we made use of the kayaks. Bars: The lobby bar is the nicest of the bars, but great service was had at all. The lobby bar had televisions showing sports, but with that said, there were no stools or chairs at the bar. I have to assume this is due to COVID protocols but I never asked directly. This bar is open later than the others. The two pool bars get most of the action during the day. Pours were generous if that's what you wanted. Pool and beachside drink service were offered occasionally, but this was not always swift. Higher-end liquors included Johnnie Walker Black, Chivas Regal, aged Appleton rums, and more. Coffee: The resort has multiple coffee shops but the busiest was likely the one adjacent to the buffet, in tower C. This one featured ice cream, in addition many varieties of coffee. Note for non-dairy folks: soy milk was available for coffee, or even for drinking on its own (if needed by children or others). This coffee shop is also open early and stays open late, like a coffee shop should. The coffee was good, too. Restaurants: The general setup for the resort's restaurants was buffet breakfast, and then your choice of buffet or grills for lunch. Dinner was largely a la carte restaurants, only one restaurant of which required reservations. There is also 24-hour room service, with a fairly extensive menu. All menus are offered via a QR code that will display the menu on your phone. You can see these QR codes on the in-room television, or at the restaurant itself. You can reserve any of the restaurants in advance, in case you want to book a specific time or table, but this requires a visit to the guest services desk. It would be nice if this were possible via phone just as menu access is. Orchid (the buffet) is located in tower C, with sweeping views of the Caribbean. On most mornings one can sit outside on the terrace, though sometimes it was too wet for this. Indoor seating was plentiful when needed. The buffet required a check-in, where your room number was taken, along with the number in your party as well as their dietary restrictions. In practice the latter didn't matter much. We had two vegans in our party, and while they always found items to eat, I don't know that the buffet menu was tweaked for their sake. As part of the COVID protocols, the buffet is not self-serve. This can lead to backups during busy times, since a staff member needs to be present to serve. But this was rarely an issue for us. More of an issue was that you couldn't always see the food until it was put on the plate. While each food item was well-labelled, the containers were often steel and thus not transparent. The breakfast buffet usually contained at least a few traditional Jamaican items, like ackee and saltfish. Several omelette stations existed and were swift. Plenty of bread and fruit was available, as well as various jams and peanut butter. The lunch buffets often featured curries, like goat curry. There was usually fish and some kind of rice (even multiple kinds). As with breakfast, plenty of bread could be found. Less-adventurous eaters could find pizza and pasta as well. The two grills didn't serve precisely the same kinds of food, but one could be satisfied by either. Among other things, one could get: burgers, fries, jerk chicken, wraps, and nachos. They were happy to wrap the plate so that food could be brought to the beach or pools. Pierside is the Asian restaurant, and true to advertising, is located beside a scenic pier. This is the only restaurant that requires reservations. The teppanyaki chefs are showmen/women, and it is quite something to watch them. That said, we dined from the normal menu. Because we sat somewhat in the centre of the restaurant, we didn't enjoy the seaside breezes and air. Instead we were a bit overwhelmed with the smoke from the nearby grilling. In short, seating matters a lot here. Moonstone is the Italian restaurant. This restaurant has abundant outdoor seating under the open sky (indoor seating is available but we saw few inside). We dined here twice, mostly on the strength of the first night. My lasagna was fantastic. I would add as well that the vegans in our group were well-accommodated. Some restaurants had vegan items on the menu, but by being pro-active and letting them know, the chefs are happy to make custom meals or tweak existing menu items if possible. Waves was one of our favourite spots, mostly due to the exceptional service that Jermaine offered. Like most of the staff, he was always ready to go out of his way to make you happy, and was always quick with a song. He helped make things, to quote him, "Jamazing". The food at Waves goes across all categories, ranging from a burger (the best on the resort) to chicken or fish dishes. Le Bouchon is the steakhouse, though one can find plenty of other things on the menu here. There is an extensive salad and bread bar that you can access prior to any entrees. Like the buffer, it is not-self service right now, but staff was always quick to assist. Spa and Fitness Centre: We did not use these facilities, but the spa are looked exceptional. The fitness centre was well-equipped (free weights, machines, and cardio equipment), if on the smaller side. I think a handful of people could use the fitness centre without issue, but it would soon feel cramped if more people arrived. Kids Club: We used this only briefly. One a single parent is permitted at a time. There are plenty of games available: both physical games and video games. I can imagine it keeping a kid busy for quite a long time, especially if they needed a break from the sun and outdoors. Overall, this resort is definitely a five-star experience. The level of service can't be overstated, and they've earned their ranking here on TripAdvisor.

Use your vacation money wisely and visit this resort! The two bedroom ocean front suite was perfect for my family of 5. My teenagers relished having their own bedroom with full bathroom while vacationing. The room was clean and the view fabulous. Our butlers, Dean and Ronald were accommodating and helpful in every way. We enjoyed the use of hobie cat rides and kayaking throughout the vacation, barely a wait to use use during the holidays week as well! The staff does a good job trying to clear the seaweed from the beach every morning and there were always enough chairs. You could get lounge chairs at the pool most days as well. I will say, the service for drinks and food was a bit quicker here. We visited the spa twice during our stay. Thank you to Lorraine our attendant and a special thank you to Dudley and Dahlia. The massage and reflexology visits were awesome!! You helped to make our vacation very relaxing. The food at most of the restaurants was above average with many selections to choose from. Our family agreed that the food at pierside was our favorite with Waves breakfast a close second. We will definitely return!!

We went to Jewel Grande for a Family Vacation the four of us plus my mother making it 3 adults and 2 children. We opted for the spacious 2 Bedroom apartment which did not dissapoint for size, comfort or views. The food was usually very good, service was excellent, location was amazing, and we would highly recommend the resort for anyone interested in a relaxing family vacation. Pros: The Service: The highlight of our trip was the service. Our two bedroom room came with butler service. Roland and Keen, our butlers connected with us via Whatsapp and we were able to text them and get anything we needed promptly. They gave us very good tips about where to go scuba diving and what to do for sight seeing in the nearby town. They also often surprised us with complimentary fruit bowls which we'd often find in our room when we came back from the beach, not to mention they kept our fridge stocked at all time. We tipped well of course but we felt we got our moneys worth and then some. The Food: Most restuarants had excellent food, but we did find the ocassional dish that did not inspire. A dry chicken here and there, and the jerk chicken wasn't as spicy as I would like it, but other than these minor gripes the food was spot on. Amenities and Location: The place where the hotel is situated is more or less in the middle of nowhere along the coast. There are other hotels nearby but there's no talking long walks down the beach outside the hotel area as each Hotel is cordoned off by security. Walking outside the hotel works too but there isn't much to see other than a highway and lots of forest. So you'll generally be stuck on the hotle grounds themselves unless you wish to take a taxi into town. The grounds are very expansive though so we did not feel boxed in or lacking in things to do. The hotel provides a host of activities for free, such as kayaking, sailing, and there's beach volleybal and water polo available as well, plus some biliards tables and various bars to hang out at. Cons: Very few, the only reason I did not give the hotel 5 stars is because for the price and luxury there was a bit of dust and less than clean corners around the rooms, and the decor was a bit dated and tired. The food wasn't always perfect either.