Secrets St. James Montego Bay - All Inclusive

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

10395 reviews

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  Excellent All-Inclusive Resort for our Honeymoon

  My husband and I just celebrated our honeymoon here and stayed for just over 1 week at Secrets St James in their preferred area of the resort. We had an excellent time for our first trip to Jamaica and definitely would book this resort again if we ever make it back to Montego Bay! Our favorite parts: 1. Butler service (perhaps it's because of who we had or because we gave decent tips, but it seemed like we got the best butler at the resort; he would set up dinner reservations, spa services, cabanas by the pool, and follow up with any room service orders to ensure they were delivered on time, offering us golf cart rides to the restaurants which were quite a walk from our room). 2. Swim-out room with covered patio area that included a jetted tub. We went during hurricane season, so daily pop-up thunderstorms meant we had to leave the pool. We could still utilize our private hot tub, however, and this patio was also connected to a semi-private pool (shared among adjacent rooms). 3. The spa. We each received 25 min complimentary couples massage and 25 min exfoliation as part of our Honeymoon Bliss package. We each opted for a few add-on's like the aromatherapy, which were reasonably priced. Any spa services you book also grant you access to their hydrotherapy room, which we quite enjoyed (we arrived about an hour before our scheduled services to take advantage of the amenities). 4. The "secret box" for delivery of room service; when you order room service, you have an option for the staff to place your order in a cupboard so they do not interrupt any alone time. I don't know if they have these for all rooms or just the ones in the preferred section, but it was perfect for us as a honeymooning couple. 5. Good security 6. Handy mobile app to keep up with daily activities, nightly shows, menus for all bars/restaurants, and ordering room service 7. Evening entertainment was very good! There is a stage outside the piano bar with a gorgeous view of the ocean behind it. We had SO MUCH fun dancing along to their resort band and steel drum ensemble. We also enjoyed their dance performances. Many talented staff! 8. The breakfast bar and afternoon snacks available in the preferred lounge were good quality and much appreciated (no breakfast room service options unless you pay for a breakfast in bed, which we received 1 complimentary and enjoyed). The Less Nice Parts: 1. If you come in September expecting to do a lot of ocean swimming at their beach, beware of the jellyfish. They are transparent, so it's harder to spot them. We mostly steered clear of the beach outside of planned excursions to other areas with less jellyfish. 2. Some of the mixed drinks seemed watered down, especially margaritas; however, if you are friendly and tip well, we encountered some bartenders that made the rum-based drinks a bit heavier handed. 3. Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared to do a LOT of walking. The resorts for St. James, Breathless, and Wild Orchid are all adjoining. We had access to all 3 because we were preferred status. The main pool area for St. James was under construction, so to get to the main pool where all the daily activities took place, we had to walk over to the Wild Orchid pool. The views were nice, and it forced us to pass by the barefoot grill, which has some good poolside snacks, so I didn't mind. I just was not expecting so much walking. Our room was also the opposite end of where the cafe and restaurants were located. 4. Daytime activities did not always occur as scheduled in the App. I was disappointed we didn't get any water aerobics, and no one showed up to instruct sunset yoga on my last night. 5. Pools often had dead bugs floating in them. 6. We were told when we checked in that we received $200 of vouchers to use at the resort, and they said someone would explain how these work; no one ever did, so we assumed these were credits that could be applied to anything we charged to the room during our stay. That was not the case, but by the time we learned this, we were leaving. We just appreciated some of the freebies that our butler and honeymoon bliss package provided, which certainly totaled more than $200. Hope this review is helpful for anyone looking at visiting MoBay!

  Sep 13, 2025
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  Not A Five Star Resort

  Went to Secrets for the first time hoping for a quick get away with a friend. We knew we got a good deal, but we didn’t expect a 5 star resort to be… closer to a 2 star. We even learned that stars aren’t real - it can be assigned based on what facilities are offered (I.e. the spa). The facilities were showing their age, cockroach’s hanging out, WiFi going in and out, electricity went out multiple times, no “above and beyond” service and definitely a party resort. Our trip started great - very close to the airport, absolutely stunning views and we got ungraded to an ocean front with a view. However, it quickly declined… Pros: 1. Amazing views/water. I mean, come on - can’t get much better than that!!! 2. Nightly entertainment - really impressed! Actual talent and lots of fun shows. 3. Some great drinks/cocktails! Not all were amazing, but lots were. Didn’t offer premium liquor though… that was in the preferred guest lobby only, 4. Kind staff. Most all of the staff were kind when asked about something. One even tried to refuse a cash tip I offered for helping me. 5. Jerk chicken cart on the beach! 6. Fresh coconuts on the resort! 7. Preferred guest pool area. Good loungers with individual shades, clean pool and nice staff. Cons: 1. We got into our room and found the mini bar empty and the tablet to order things dead. Construction going on around the complex, so not always “beautiful” to walk past. One restaurant closed, a bar, a pool… luckily wasn’t loud. 2. No true shaded umbrellas on the beach. Very small palapas that weren’t really covered. 3. Very minimal drink service at beach/pool - and no food service offered. 4. Found food to be the most disappointing thing… very little offered close to st James side, even in preferred section. Room service took a long time - 2 hours for breakfast on check out day. Buffet was underwhelming. Pastries and cookies tasted stale. Coffee bar was… sad. The coffee was literally not drinkable (how?!?! Maybe not cleaning the machines). Room service coffee was ok. So few vegetables - I got 1/8th of a carrot with my lamb. Most meals weren’t just bad, but inedible. We ended up spending $100 on a bottle of wine to eat at Breathless next door one night. Food was better. Not amazing… but better. I would have killed for something better than frozen food that appeared microwaved. Oh and weird things like - ordered the crème brule but got flan or the soufflé and got a brownie… 5. I don’t know if this was because the st. James pool was under construction, but no differentiation between preferred and non preferred club guests. 6. Where are the AC parts of the resorts?! Aren’t there elderly people that go here!?! The only places with true air conditioning were rooms, the casino and the night club. All the restaurants had open walls and doors that let all the air out. I could never relax at a bar or a coffee shop because it was always so hot. 7. Last day - no call or anything about check out. No one to arrange bag pick up… odd. 8. Ordered orthopedic pillows and got pregnancy pillows? 9. The one night we went to the buffet (mistake) it was an hour late in opening. We sat in the heat until it opened only to find it very sad. My college food was far superior to this. 10. Guests - a lot of guests were partying. Smoking cigarettes at the pool and beach - weed, vapes and even hookah! People had their hookah and bongs IN THE POOL. I couldn’t believe it! All this being said - I will not be returning to this resort. I will take my business elsewhere. Probably Excellence Oyster Bay as I’ve enjoyed staying with them in Mexico. I got a good deal and I got what I paid for. Next time, I won’t be so cheap.

  Sep 03, 2025
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  Improved And Amazing!!!

  We hadn't visited the Secrets properties in Montego Bay for many years and I am happy to have gotten back here. As soon as we arrived a member of the staff greeted us with a golf cart, loaded our bags and gave us a quick tour of the property to show us the beach because I mentioned how we had just stayed in Negril and loved that beach. He couldn't wait to show us how they improved and expanded the beach area. Let me just say WOW! What a major improvement! Soooo pretty with plenty of seating options. The room, staff, food, drinks and entertainment were all amazing. You have access to both Secrets Resorts and guests stay in the Preferred Club at either can go over to Breathless as well. Check out the pictures from the Breathless rooftop pool. Beautiful views and a nice swim up pool bar too. I'm glad we went back to this property after all these years to see how amazing it is now!

  Sep 03, 2025
• 

  Is ok

  This hotel is rundown but the people are great. the food is mid nothing special. The beds are great. Rooms are big and the entertainment is great.

  Sep 03, 2025
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  Best Wedding Coordinator

  Chinoy was our wedding coordinator at Secrets St. James, and we couldn’t have asked for a better person to guide us through our destination wedding! From start to finish, she was clear, patient, and kind, always making sure Phil and I felt calm and reassured. On our big day, she handled everything with such grace—even when I was running late, she gently reminded me not to worry and encouraged me to just enjoy the moment because she had everything under control. Chinoy made sure every detail was in place, that the schedule flowed smoothly, and most importantly, that our guests were having the best time. She didn’t just coordinate—she brought amazing energy, even stepping in to hype up the crowd and help host our wedding when I needed that extra spark. She went above and beyond in so many ways, like surprising me at the spa with champagne and dessert. Those thoughtful touches truly showed how much she cares. Her professionalism, organization, and unmatched vibe made our wedding day absolutely perfect. If you’re planning a wedding at Secrets St. James, I cannot recommend working with Chinoy enough. She walks you through everything step by step, makes sure you feel confident and supported, and brings joy into the entire experience. Phil and I are beyond grateful—if we could do it all over again every year with Chinoy, we absolutely would! Thank you so much, Chinoy, for making our day unforgettable! 💕

  Sep 02, 2025