What is it about Jamaica that makes you want to never leave? It’s the sun, the water, and the food. And if you’re staying at Moon Palace Jamaica in Ocho Rios, then it’s all three! Growing up as a first generation American with Jamaican parents I visited Jamaica every year growing up. While my family is from St. Elizabeth we would always take a trip to Ocho Rios to enjoy an all-inclusive for a few days.
We would stay at the same Ocho Rios all-inclusive resort, Jamaica Grande, now known as the Moon Palace Jamaica. As a family who loves to explore and travel this speaks volumes on how great this hotel is! We’ve been visiting for 20+ years and will continue to stay there for many more years to come.
The Jamaica Grande was purchased by Palace Hotels in 2014 and it was renamed Moon Palace Jamaica in 2015 2016. Because the resort has such a loyal customer base, you’ll often hear people refer to it as Moon Palace Jamaica Grande.
If you are looking for a luxurious vacation destination in the Caribbean with all of your needs met at an affordable price, consider staying at Moon Palace Jamaica. This resort is located in Ocho Rios on the North Coast of Jamaica. It offers luxury accommodations and amenities including four pools (one being a swim up bar), an entertainment area complete with games, kid’s area with playgrounds and more! The food here is also delicious which includes Jamaican cuisine as well as international dishes from around the world.
Here is my review of Moon Palace, the best Ocho Rios all-inclusive resort in my opinion.
What is included at Moon Palace Jamaica?
A stay at the Moon Palace Jamaica includes all meals, and beverages including alcohol at the various bars on site. All-inclusive also means that there are non-motorized water sports included as well as entertainment! The resort is located on the Ocho Rios beach. It has soft sand and beautiful blue water perfect for swimming. The private beach access is included in your stay.
You can also enjoy 24/hr room service if you want to take in some views of the ocean from your bed or order food to your room without having to leave.
They have four pools on site, including a swim-up bar and a Flowrider Double Wave Simulator. They have a kids pool as well as the playground, and teen lounge. You’ll also have access to a fitness center and spa. They offer a ton of daily activities and nightime entertainment. There’s plenty of things to keep everyone entertained at Moon Palace Jamaica.
The Moon Palace is a great option for families; they advertise themselves as a family resort and this is 100% accurate. They have many activities that kids will enjoy! There’s the aforementioned kid’s club complete with a playground, bouncy castle and more. You can even book babysitting services if you want some alone time while on vacation too. The resort has a teen club for older kids as well.
Moon Palace Jamaica is also located on the Ocho Rios beach. It has soft sand and beautiful blue water perfect for swimming.
In my opinion, Moon Palace Jamaica offers the best all-inclusive in Ocho Rios and you can’t go wrong with a stay here! I highly recommend it for families or groups of friends looking to have fun while on vacation.
How far is Moon Palace Jamaica from the airport?
Moon Palace Jamaica is about an hour and a half from the Montego Bay Airport. While that may seem like a drive it’s worth it!
Does Moon Palace Offer Transportation To and From Montego Bay Airport?
Yes, they do! But, some stipulations apply. For FREE roundtrip shuttle service from Montego Bay Airport to the Moon Palace you must book a stay for 4+ nights AND booked that stay directly on their website.
If you book on a travel site, even if it’s for 4+ nights you do not qualify for the free transport service. That being said, you may find a better deal on a travel site which outweighs the cost of the transportation fee to and from the airport. When booking make sure you ask or call the resort directly to get info on the transportation fee.
Do you tip at Moon Palace Jamaica
Tipping is not required, but of course it is always a nice gesture. The staff at Moon Palace always go above and beyond, at least they have every time we’ve stayed there. I’d bring some ones with you for that purpose and if you’re planning on utilizing the 24/7 room service it comes in handy!
The Rooms at Moon Palace Jamaica
There are two buildings at Moon Palace Jamaica, one older building and one new building. Even though one building is older it is completely renovated and the only difference is the older building has smaller balconies. The rooms are very clean, have a TV, fridge, and beautiful bathroom. Here’s a tour of our room so you can see for yourself.
$1000 off 6+ Night Vacation Packages at Moon Palace Jamaica.
The Food at Moon Palace Jamaica Grande
One of the reasons I’m typically not a fan of all-inclusive resorts is because of the food is usually slacking. This is not the case at Moon Palace! Whether you’re dining at the buffet or one of the specialty restaurants we are never disappointed. The buffet serves traditional Jamaican dishes along with the theme for the day which could be Asian, Mexican or something else. If you don’t fancy the buffet you can eat at the a la carte restaurant for breakfast or lunch. They too have options for a traditional Jamaican meals or American options.
For dinner in addition to the buffet there are a few specialty restaurants. You can choose from Italian, Seafood, or even Japanese. At the Japanese restaurant, Mo Mo’s you can make a reservation to sit at the table where the chef prepares the meal in front of you or where you sit at a regular table.
In addition to the buffet and restaurants you can order room service 24 hours a day with no additional fee. There is also a 24 hour pizza place, and two ice cream shops that also serve cakes and other desserts.
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List of Restaurants At Moon Palace Jamaica
Boulangerie
Cuisine: Coffee Shop (fresh pastries, crepes, flavored coffees, ice cream and more)
Hours: 24 hours
Dress Code: No bare feet, bathing suits or wet clothes. Men must also have shirts on.
Buccaneers Reef
Cuisine: International buffet
Breakfast: 7:00am – 11:00am
Lunch: 12:30pm – 5:00pm
Dinner: 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Reservations: No reservations required
Dress Code: No bare feet, bathing suits or wet clothes. Men must also have shirts on.
La Gondola
Cuisine: Italian
Dinner a la carte: 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Reservations: No reservations required
Dress Code: “Fancier” dress code. They ask that you wear long pants/tailored shorts, collared, pollo or mao shirt. No bathing suits or sleeveless shirts.
Pier 8
Cuisine a la carte: Jamaican Cuisine
Breakfast: 7:30am – 10:30am
Lunch a la carte: 12:30pm – 4:30pm
Dress Code: No bare feet, bathing suits or wet clothes. Men must also have shirts on.
Dinner a la carte: 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Dress Code: “Fancier” dress code. They ask that you wear long pants/tailored shorts, collared, pollo or mao shirt. No bathing suits or sleeveless shirts..
Momo
Cuisine: Oriental
Dinner a la carte: 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Reservations: Reservations required for Teppanyaki and Hibachi tables.
Reservations are not required for á la carte service.
Dress Code: “Fancier” dress code. They ask that you wear long pants/tailored shorts, collared, pollo or mao shirt. No bathing suits or sleeveless shirts.
Gourmet Corner
Cuisine: Pizza, paninis, sushi
Hours: 11:00am – 11:00pm
Dress Code: No bare feet, bathing suits or wet clothes. Men must also have shirts on.
Sun Deck
Lunch, pizzas: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Dinner, Italian comfort: 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Reservations: No reservation required.
Dinner Dress Code: No bare feet, bathing suits or wet clothes. Men must also have shirts on.
The Beach at Moon Palace Jamaica
There are two beaches onsite Moon Palace, one is a smaller beach more like a cove and one longer stretch. The beaches aren’t the best beaches in Jamaica but the water is turquoise blue, crystal clear, and calm. One has all the free watersport rentals like kayaks, water bikes, hobie cat boats, and paddle boards.
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The Pools at Moon Palace Jamaica
There are five swimming pools at Moon Palace so you’ll never feel crowded. Whether you’re looking for relaxation, to work out, or splash around there is a pool for you. You’ll find one with a swim up bar, slide and you can even take a water aerobics class in the pool.
Near the pool the resort has a FlowRider. If you’ve never experienced one before, a FlowRider is a wave simulator. You can either bodyboard or surf on it, I haven’t drummed up the nerve to surf on it yet but here’s be taking a stab at bodyboarding.
The Spa at Moon Palace Jamaica
If you book a stay for at least three nights you will get a resort credit for your stay. At our most recent stay our credit was $500 for our three night stay. One hundred of the $500 could be used at the spa so I used it for my two daughters to get manicures. They absolutely loved being pampered and the staff had no issue applying the 5 different nail polish colors they each selected, one for each nail. The spa is quite pricey so after my $100 credit was applied I owed $6 for the service but still cheaper than what I’d pay at home for two manicures.
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The Kids/Teen Club at Moon Palace Jamaica
If you have kids they will love the kids club! I was very impressed by the size of the kids club at the activities offered. There are arcade games, a karaoke room, play room with a grocery store shopping carts and kitchen. What really blew me away was the two story play area with slides, a ball pit at more. It was Father’s Day weekend on our last stay and the staff helped the kids make cards for their dads as well as other arts and crafts activities. My kids girls did not want to leave and the hours are late enough for you to have a kid-free dinner if you’d like, the staff will get dinner for your children so they can eat in the kids club. Kids 4 and older can stay in the kids club unaccompanied but while those under 4 can go in and play an adult has to stay with them.
Outside and next to the kids club is a splash pad and sandbox. You don’t have to be in the kids club to access it and it’s a great place for younger kids to play. The staff does take the kids to the splash pad if you are okay with that so be sure to drop them off with their swimsuit. It’s also right next to the pool with the slide and the basketball hoops if you have kids of varying ages.
In addition to the kids club there is a teen club next door. While it’s called the teen club anyone can use it. It also has arcade games, a pool table, and computers. There is a snack bar with ice cream, cake and drinks as well.
Entertainment at Moon Palace Jamaica
There is live entertainment every time at the resort. From a steel drum band, to musicals, to a talent show, you will not be bored. They even have the kids in the kids club participate in some of the performances which is a lot of fun for them. While we were there we got to enjoy the beach party, it’s not to be missed.
Besides the live entertainment there are two adult only areas. One is called the Loud Bar which is open from 6pm-1am and the other is the Piano Bar open from 5:30pm-12:00am. In addition to these two bars Moon Palace Jamaica Grande has a nightclub onsite called Noir. It’s 18+ and open from 10pm-3am.
I’m sure it’s easy to tell why Moon Palace Jamaica Grande is our favorite Ocho Rios all-inclusive resort. We can’t wait to go back and enjoy it again. If you’re interested in other parts of Jamaica see my posts on Portland, St. Elizabeth and Negril. Did you find this post helpful? Please share it!
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