Secrets St. James Montego Bay - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10314 reviews

• 

  Secrets St. James should be called Secrets St FUN!!!

  We loved our trip. Trixie was hands down our favorite staffer followed by West. Akim, Torrey, Nicoloda, Wayne, Glen also were amazing and helped our fun. These staffers care about the guests and we felt that constantly. Kardeen kept my room clean. We first arrived and immediately felt like royalty due to Hopeton. This is an amazing resort with an even better staff.

  Jul 01, 2025
• 

  Great Staff!

  Lovely staff!!! Everyone is attentive and helpful!! I just think the building needs updates! Very laidback, so if you want quietness this is the perfect place to stay.

  Jun 30, 2025
• 

  For first time to Caribbean ok. Not if you are experienced travelor.

  Beautiful pool and beach. I wouldn't return. Was here for friends birthday celebration. I hate being frltvto nickel and dime everything at an all inclusive resort. We had preferred side and friends didn't and it was a noticeable difference. Why not give everyone same experience. Juices were watered down and drinks. Good food but cold. Staff was hit or miss. Some extremely friendly and others just spoke because you did.

  Jun 30, 2025
• 

  Overall had a great time, but if you want an honest review here it is.

  My wife and I originally thought we would be arriving at the resort prior to check in, but got there after 3 PM. Upon arriving Jamal / bell hop took our luggage and told us to come back to him when we got our room / keys. Go to check in and were informed that our room was not ready, they needed another 30 minutes. They took my wife's cell phone number and told us to go get drinks / eat and by the time we were done the room would be ready. We took our time eating and she did not get a phone call or text. It was now an hour and we went back to check at the front desk, they still did not have our room ready! My wife and I were a little pissed at this point. It was already a long day, almost 12 hours of traveling from home to the airport and then the flight there. They finally hurried us into a room after another 10 to 15 minute wait at the front desk. I went outside to let Jamal know we finally got our room, he had his backpack on to head out. I wasn't expecting him to drop his back back and take our luggage to the room, but that was exactly what he did. He went out of his way, some of the other staff could learn a thing or two from him. In the rush we never got the run down on everything during check in because they hurried us into the room, and IMO they were scrambling at his point with multiple issues trying to get guests into their rooms. The rooms could use some slight updating, overall very nice, our curtains had some small holes in them where sunlight poked through and the sheer curtain underneath it should have been replaced, or fixed, was wrinkled and was not hanging on all of the hooks. Floors were dirty, after getting out of the shower I walked over the bed and the bottom of my feet were dirty. Some minor things that can easily be fixed that can give a room a bigger / better impression. The other issues we had, there were no robes in the room, issues with getting extra towels, mini bar not being replenished. We did leave notes, but they were ignored. When we called they said they would take care of it, sometimes it took hours, sometimes it took days, we had to keep asking up to three times. In the grand scheme of things it wasn't a huge deal, but when you are promised, or when what is advertised isn't provided, and then you practically have to beg to have it delivered, it becomes a bigger deal as the little things add up. Whatever time they tell you, double it, triple it, or expect to wait days. Looking back best advice I can give on the towels, go down to the pool and grab some extra towels there and take them up to your room. We were told we had 200 dollars worth of coupons we could use towards things during our stay. Good luck trying to figure out what you can use them for. My wife got a massage at the spa, but if you were offered a discount, you could not use them towards it. We went on a walk around the resort looking for the orange starfish, never found them, but did see a blue octopus, and exotic looking crabs, etc. My wife ran into a staff person who stated we could use the coupons to reserve a table outside by the piano bar, but you had to purchase wine, shrimp platter, and their may have been a third option. We went to the lobby to get our coupons and the lady wouldn't give them to us, reason being that they could only be used with the wine / reserve a table, not the shrimp / reserve a table option we chose. What really makes me angry about this? 1. Why did it matter which opiton you took?! 2. Who wants to spend any part of their vacation trying to figure out doing mental gymnastics on WTF you can use the coupons for? Then the same lady that wouldn't even give us the coupons stated that we should have been told during our check in process! Oh you mean the one that we didn't get? After explaining to her what happened during check in she told us we should talk to the manager because she couldn't verify one way or the other what our experience was. IDK maybe the fact the it was almost the end of our stay and we are still trying to figure out what we could use the coupons for?! We already wasted another 15 minutes talking to her, now she wanted us to talk to a manager and repeat everything all over again. I told my wife, forget it, we are just wasting what little time of our stay we have left on a losing battle. When we went to the reserved table we explained to the person we scheduled the reservation with what happened with the coupons, and as we heard from her and some of the other staff on other issues above, it's what they hear from other guests as well. She advised us to leave this review here as it would gain the most traction. Entertainment staff was amazing, had fun by the pool with Trixie and the others she works with. They did trivia and other games and made things fun and got people talking with each other. The shows by the piano bar at night were always great and were some of the people you would see during the day at the pool. They made up for what other areas where lacking. World Cafe buffet for breakfast and lunch was good. Restaurants were good, more menu choices would be nice. Also some of the restaurants are not open the whole time of your stay. Some / small percentage of the staff made you feel like you were a bother to them, at an all inclusive resort which still blows my mind. Example, during breakfast at the World Cafe / buffet one morning as the waiter came up to the table next to us, as he was ready to leave my wife nicely asked "Excuse me, can I please have some hot water and tea." The expression he gave her was like she just ruined his whole day. When I checked out I gave them a 6/10 rating on how I would recommend the resort to others, the lady seemed shocked. Overall did my wife and I have a good time there at the resort? Yes. Would I go back there again? Maybe, but I would be a little hesitant, and I would be honest recommending the resort based on what my wife and I experienced. This was our 30 year wedding anniversary trip, we don't take too many vacations like this. Overall my wife and I had a wonderful time, but the resort honestly did not meet or exceed my expectations as all inclusive resorts are supposed to do. My wife and I are in no way demanding people, we are patient and understanding that sometimes crap happens, but even we were pushed to our limit a few times. Little details matter, especially when multiple details are overlooked, or ignored when called out. If you offer coupons make it easier for guests to figure out what they can be used for. No one wants to spend their time on vacation trying to figure out where and how they can be best used, and then when you finally think you can use them on something be told that, oh no they can't be used for that either, or you're better off using the discount. From what I'm reading from other reviews, talking with other guests and staff during our stay, it sounds like this is becoming the normal for the resort, which is unfortunate. It really gives the impression that owners / management don't care or are ignoring these issues. It's not fair to your guests and your staff. Brian and Marisa - Room 3303 6/20 - 6/27

  Jun 30, 2025
• 

  Never again

  The resort is not unkept, raw chicken sitting in heat to be cooked, all food tasted not fresh and it was not good. Majority staff rude. Overall dirty and would not stay here again. THE PARTY pool had millions of gnats and bugs in and they did not clean it in the mornings!

  Jun 30, 2025