Sometimes a change of scenery, good vibes, and close friends are all you need to alleviate mental turmoil. My previous posts have been about how men suffer from mental health issues and to be honest when I assessed my mental space I was experiencing similar issues and wasn’t even aware. Luckily, I have amazing friends who see right through me and decided to help me clear my head by booking a stay at the Moon Palace Jamaica Grande All-Inclusive Resort, in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Three words- AH! MAY! ZING!

From the ambiance, design and decor to the food, hospitality and wide variety of activities, it’s safe to say that this resort is one of the best the country has to offer. I don’t even know where to begin so let’s just start at when we arrived at the gate.

Along with the beautifully carved rock template with streams of water pouring from it and the medieval-palace-styled gate, the service received from the security officers was way above what was expected. Immediately upon arrival, you got a taste of what your overall experience was going to be like.

Let’s fast forward to actually entering the hotel itself… unless you want to hear about me parking my car…

Anywho, after sanitizing our hands and feet, we left our bags at the drop-off and checked in. Surprisingly, even that I enjoyed. This is probably the only place I enjoy the COVID-19 protocols.

Is that something I’m allowed to say? Oh well… Moving on…

Checking in was a breeze, well, it would have been for all of us if someone didn’t leave their ID at home. The area is beautifully decorated with contemporary styled furniture and what appeared to be oak trees as the stem of huge lamps to softly light the lobby and hallway. We could feel the weight lifted from our shoulders from the ambiance of the lobby alone.

After checking in, we went straight to our rooms.

STOP! Let’s pause for a moment and lavish in the above image. Now if this isn’t good interior decorating then I don’t know what is. No! Let’s talk about how inviting that bed is. I couldn’t help myself- immediately upon arrival, I just threw myself onto the bed and was knocked out within a few minutes. I know! I know! Who goes to hotels and sleep?! Especially one like Moon Palace where there are a million things to do. I couldn’t help it. The sight of fluffy pillows and plush covers laid on a form-fitting mattress covered by Snow White sheets was all I needed. I was so deep in sleep I didn’t hear when our bags arrived.

After about 45 minutes, my friend woke me up to go explore the compound. He’s a greedy bitch so I know it was food that was on his mind and not sightseeing. Anyways, he figured out a way to pull me down to the pool area where we grabbed a few drinks at the pool bar and a bite to eat mid- touring the entire compound. The servers and bartenders were extremely professional and seemed to have made my enjoyment their top priority. What more could I ask for?

Taken from https://www.gettingstamped.com/moon-palace-jamaica-grande/

The resort also offers a wide variety of activities for all ages. There is a kids pool accompanied by a play jungle and gaming lounge that even a 30 year-old man like myself enjoys. Not to mention that a branch of Dolphin Cove is just a few minutes walk away, on the compound.

There are also nonmotorised water sports such as kayaking, water-cycling that are supervised by the lifeguards of course that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

They also offer Catamaran Cruises that carry high-energy authentic Jamaican music for the guests aboard. High energy, good food, amazing drinks, and good music made the vibe just right.

Now, while all of those attributes are extremely delightful, I must say the two aspects of the resort that I enjoyed the most were the club and the surf machine they call the FLOW RIDER.

Surfing isn’t popular at Jamaican beaches because we really don’t get the waves you’d experience in Hawaii or other places you normally see in movies. However recently, there has been a few clubs formed where people are using the waves we do get and have found a way to actually surf on them. Kudos to them. Anyways, with that said, getting to experience was surging feels like, as scary as it was at first, it was extremely fun. I probably fell a thousand and three times which made me want to try again every time. It may look dangerous or scary as I said, but trust me, it’s an extremely enjoyable experience.

Additionally, the hotel has a nightclub called NOIR that opens at 10:00 p.m. and closes at 6:00 a.m., the next morning. I’m not sure if it’s because I haven’t partied in such a long time why I enjoyed the club so much or if it’s because the DJ was playing the heck out of that mix board. The music was powerful but not to the point where it hurt my ears or head, the club was perfectly lit and the drinks were ongoing. Do young people still say, the club was popping? If they do then CLUB NOIR definitely was. And no, I’m not saying all of this just because the name of the club is NOIR!!

The hotel also features a Piano Bar that sometimes offers partner dancing but I guess because of COVID they’ve discontinued that.

THE PIANO BAR

How could I have forgotten food? There was soo much! I feel like whenever my brain knows there’s a wide variety of food to chose from, the thought alone fills my belly and I never feel hungry. But as soon as I leave, I’m starving and feel like I haven’t eaten in weeks.

The buffet at Buccanner’s Reef offers a wide selection of both international and Jamaican dishes to chose from for both breakfast and lunch. There’s also a SunDeck on the outside, perfect for watching the sunrise at breakfast or the sundown in the evenings while sipping a glass of wine.

Dinner, however, is served at one of the other restaurants on the property that again offer either international or local cuisine or somewhere in the middle. Pier 8 is an ocean view restaurant right on the beach that offers seafood, MOMO is an Asian inspired eatery that offers a variety of different dishes from varying Asian cultures like Japan, India, and China; La Gondola, my favorite, offers Italian food and features an Italian villa design that’s accompanied by sultry Italian music, creating the ambiance of a Venice river tour while you eat; my other favorite, the pastry shop BOULANGERIE which offers a variety of edible delights and is open 24/7 just like the Gourmet Corner that offers sushi and pizza.

La Gondola

MOMO: ASIAN CUISINE

So you see, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I had the opportunity to not only relax but to have fun in between and I must say this resort is an experience, one that I doubt I’ll be forgetting anytime soon.

From the ambiance to the decor, the food, the amazing service from the staff, and the wide variety of activities, Moon Palace Jamaica Grande was a time well spent.

Go and see for yourself!