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Jennifer Letcher

Independent Travel Agent

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My Site Inspection of Hotel Riu Ocho Rios: A Family-Friendly All-Inclusive in Jamaica

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@journeywithjennybyvv Honest resort tour I visited hotel Riu Ocho Rios in Jamaica to see if it’s the right fit for families from the waterpark and kick clubs to the pools and dining options. Here’s what stood out during my side inspection. Would your family stay here? Tell me below. #jamaica #ochorios #familytravel ♬ original sound - Jenny with Journey with Jenny

My Site Inspection of Hotel Riu Ocho Rios: A Family-Friendly All-Inclusive in Jamaica

While staying nearby at Sandals Dunns River Ocho Rios, Jamaica, I was lucky enough to get to tour two recently toured Hotel Riu Ocho Rios to see firsthand what it offers families. My first impression was that this is a lively, high-energy resort. The check-in area was quite busy, with roped queues reminiscent of a bustling casino lobby, yet the staff members were consistently attentive and asked several times whether I needed assistance.

Originally opened in 2005 and renovated in 2019, the resort features garden-view and ocean-view junior suites along with family accommodations. Families with young children may want to request a room near the water park. I especially liked that the children’s splash area is fenced and monitored, making it easier to keep track of little ones. There is also a teen club for ages 13–17 and a Tuesday evening pajama party at the kids club so parents can enjoy the resort’s nightlife.

Dining options include Italian, Asian, and steakhouse restaurants, plus a jerk hut that serves lunch daily. With seven pools and convenient access to popular attractions such as the beautiful waterfall at Dunn's River Falls, there is plenty to keep families occupied.

During my visit, I also noticed that some areas showed signs of wear, and the elevators felt small and quite warm. Overall, I would describe Hotel Riu Ocho Rios as a solid choice for travelers seeking a family-friendly all-inclusive resort in Ocho Rios with abundant activities and a convenient location near Jamaica’s top attractions. Guests looking for a relaxed, boutique, or luxury atmosphere may prefer to explore other options, but active families are likely to appreciate the resort’s energy and amenities.


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Jennifer Letcher

My Site Inspection of Hotel Riu Ocho Rios: A Family-Friendly All-Inclusive in Jamaica

Roswell, NM Travel Agent Near Me

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Jennifer Letcher | Caribbean, Sandals, Destination Wedding & Family Vacation Specialist Jennifer Letcher | Caribbean & Sandals Travel Specialist Hi, I’m Jennifer Letcher, a Caribbean travel specialist focused on helping couples, families, and groups plan unforgettable vacations to Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts, Jamaica, Aruba, and other top all-inclusive destinations. I specialize in designing stress-free, high-value travel experiences for honeymoons, destination weddings, romantic getaways, and family vacations. My goal is to take the overwhelm out of planning and match each...  Read More >>>

An expert destination wedding travel agent near me with five star luxury travel packages with a luxury travel company, Vincent Vacations.


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My Areas of Expertise

Learn more about destinations, interests, and supplier partners for online travel agent Jennifer Letcher.

Destinations

Interests

  • Adult Only
  • All Inclusive
  • Babymoons
  • Bachelorette Parties Girlfriend Getaways
  • Beach Vacations
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Supplier Partners

14 Reviews & Success stories

Costa Rica Fun
Costa Rica Fun

Hi Jennifer!  Just wanted you to know how much we appreciate you booking our Costa Rica trip.  Everything from the airport pickups, flights and resort were spot on.  We did alot of excursions like the catamaran where we got to go through some sea caves to a jungle river boat trip where we got to see monkeys in trees, toucan birds, momma crocodile and her babies. The food was amazing but the hospitality was even more amazing. I gave you a shout out on facebook and posted each day our activities. Now we gotta get home to make some more travel money…lol..Thank you so so much and look forward to booking our next trip! Nicholas and Tammy
-Tammy

Perfect get away to celebrate my birthday.
Perfect get away to celebrate my birthday.

Jennifer Letcher set us up for the perfect get away to celebrate my birthday. All we did was say we wanted a beach resort, all inclusive and I wanted to get a stamp on my passport. She threw out some suggestions, we gave her some suggested dates, and away she worked. Put 3 destination packages together from leaving our local airport to our return home. Even hooking us up with a person to help get us through customs and get my passport stamped. She made it so easy! Thanks Jennifer!
-Paula Menefee

Just perfect
Just perfect

Our trip was perfect! Jenny did a wonderful job planning our trip from booking our flight, our private taxi to and from airport, and the resort was beautiful. Thank you Jenny! Look forward to working with you on our future adventures.
-Julie Swinford

4 Reviews

Latest Blog posts

7/9
2026
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Photo Albums

Sandals South Coast 2022
Sandals South Coast 2022

  Sandals “Sexy” South Coast   Should you enjoy a five or seven day vacation at South Coast? That is the question I recently asked myself. My husband and I, along with two other couples, just returned from the wonderful Sandals South Coast in Jamaica. I wish to share our recent enjoyable experience with you.   The weather: Overall the weather in Jamaica is near perfect the year around. Typically, the daily temperatures fall between 73 and 89 degrees F. While we were there in March of 2022, we had temperatures between 82 and 90 degrees F. We only received one day of Liquid Sunshine! Jamaica is known to experience quick pop up rain showers during the day that are short in duration. One occurrence we encountered on this trip were abnormally high winds during the last two days of our trip. We had never witnessed such uncommon winds during our previous vacations, so we opted to spend the days at our pool to escape the uncomfortable 30 - 40 mile per hour seaside gales.   What to do? Sandal resorts are all-inclusive. This includes all drinks, snacks, and food, in addition to all of the water sports offered at the Aqua Center*. In 2013 my husband and I spent our honeymoon at Sandals Royal Caribbean, but for some reason we never got to enjoy paddle boarding, and since 2013 my husband has never allowed me to forget it! So, this year he had this leisure activity at the top of our “to do” list. It was our first time and we had so much fun! I fell more times than I stood up, but the laughs we shared were worth our feeble attempts to learn. Again, this entertaining activity, and a guided snorkeling adventure we thoroughly enjoyed are part of the all-inclusive Sandals experience. My husband and I are already planning our next return getaway excursion to Sandals.   Other included water activities:   Scuba diving and all equipment (If Padi-Certified) (If not, for an extra fee you can get certified on property.)   Hobie Cats, Paddle boards, kayaks, water skiing, glass bottom boats, tubing, windsurfing   The best entertainment: At Sandals South Coast one gets to experience day and night entertainment shows. We attended the Caribbean Carnival Beach Party where one of the members of our traveling group was “volunteered” to come on stage to compete in a fun competition. We were delighted by fire blowers, tropical dancers and an amazing balancing act! For our second night we watched the Reggae Live Show. We began in the amphitheater where we heard and saw very talented singers and dancers. Then our party was escorted outside to enjoy a circus themed show.   Throughout the resort, there are monitor screens advising you of upcoming nightly activities, and around the numerous pools there are constant activities to keep you entertained.   Places to eat: The food is always outstanding at Sandals. South Coast has nine dining places to enjoy, ranging from very casual to resort evening attire. Our absolute favorite was Schooners! During the day we dined on Jamaican Beef Patties, a must try for all, and at night we were served surf and turf, paired with Prince Edwards Mussels, which were delicious. I highly recommend that upon arrival you make reservations for dinner at Schooners. Even though reservations are not required, due to its popularity all available tables will be taken, so it is better to have a reservation.   The beach: South Coast is a protected area, and you want to remember the rule to not remove anything from the ocean. With that being said they have a great stretch of a 2-mile beach that is separated in two different parts. One is close to the front of the resort, while the other is near the Over the Water Bungalows. In my opinion you want your seat to be on the second part of the beach.       Is the drive worth it: So, I started out by asking do you wish to enjoy five or seven days at South Coast? Well, it all comes down to the extended drive from the airport. The distance from Montego Bay to South Coast is 90 minutes of navigating small, rough roads, accompanied by exhilarating driving. So, if you are only staying five days, one full day is taken for transfers, thus your last (fifth) day is gone. Furthermore, since you must be at the airport three hours before your flight departs and it takes 90 minutes to get to the airport (without traffic), then that last fifth day is lost. If you arrive in the morning, you can still enjoy at least half a day. So, with a five-day trip you are only getting three full days to enjoy South Coast. So, in my opinion for a South Coast vacation, I recommend the seven day trip. But, please contact me and we can discuss the particulars, then allow you to decide the length of your amazing trip. If you are ready to book your next vacation to Sandals South Coast, the best time to plan is now; rooms are booking up fast. I am a Jamaican Travel Specialist and I would love to help you plan your next holiday excursion.

Jamaica 2020
Jamaica 2020

Traveling during Covid-19 can be tricking. Does your location need a negative Covid test? Does it require Covid vaccinations? What happens if I test positive while away? These are all questions I can help answer when booking with me. I was able to travel to Jamaica November 2020 during Covid. We had such an amazing time and were still able to enjoy it all. I would love to help you plan your next vacation.



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