Book Excellence Oyster Bay on Expedia
Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 storm in October 2025, the strongest the island had seen in more than 170 years. A year later, Jamaica is open, the airports are running and most of the island's all-inclusive resorts are back. But not all of them. If you're booking from an older top-10 list, there's a real chance you'll pick a resort that's still closed.
So we started over. We read thousands of recent guest reviews on TripAdvisor, Google, Expedia and Booking.com and only ranked Jamaica all-inclusive resorts that are open and taking guests today. Each one gets a score out of 10 for the beach, the food, the rooms, the service and the value. Here are the seven best, counting down from number seven, with what guests love and what they don't.
#7: Moon Palace Jamaica
Moon Palace Jamaica sits right in Ocho Rios, one of the parts of the island that came through the storm in good shape, and it stayed open. It's built for families: a pool with a wave machine and water slides, four pools in total, and you can walk into Ocho Rios town, which is rare for a big all-inclusive.
Pros:
Wave pool and water slides for kids
Walking distance to Ocho Rios town
Staff get a lot of praise
Cons:
One family called it "consistently inconsistent," and that sums up a lot of reviews
The entertainment team feels thin for a family resort
Some guests say it isn't worth the price, and a few had bad front desk experiences
Expedia rating of 8.2 out of 10: good, not great
Best for: Families with young kids who want a water park without leaving the resort. Score: 7.9 out of 10.
#6: Grand Palladium Jamaica
Grand Palladium Jamaica is on the west end of the island near Lucea and is one of the most-reviewed all-inclusives in the country, with more than 19,000 TripAdvisor reviews. It's a big resort with lots of pools, lots of restaurants and plenty for families to do. One guest called the breakfast buffet the best they'd ever had at an all-inclusive, with fresh tropical fruit and local Jamaican food.
Pros:
Huge choice of pools and restaurants
Standout breakfast buffet
Plenty for families to do
Cons:
A 4.0 out of 5 overall rating, the lowest of the bigger resorts on this list
Spread out, so expect a lot of walking
Far from the Montego Bay airport and nightlife
Best for: Value and variety, if you're fine with a big, busy resort instead of a boutique one. Score: 8.1 out of 10.
#5: S Hotel Montego Bay
S Hotel Montego Bay is nothing like the other resorts on this list. It's a small, stylish boutique hotel on the Hip Strip in Montego Bay, steps from Doctor's Cave Beach and only a few minutes from the airport. It has sky pools, a spa called Irie Baths and only about 120 rooms. Guests love it: 4.9 out of 5 on TripAdvisor and 9.4 out of 10 on Expedia. It now welcomes kids 8 and older.
Pros:
Minutes from the Montego Bay airport
Sky pools and the Irie Baths spa
Some of the highest guest ratings in Jamaica
Cons:
A city hotel on a busy strip, not a quiet private beach
Fewer restaurants than a big all-inclusive
Some services, like room service and concierge, can cost extra
Listed as four-star, not five
Best for: Travelers who want to be close to the action and the airport. Score: 8.3 out of 10.
#4: Princess Grand Jamaica & Princess Senses The Mangrove
Number four is two resorts side by side on the west coast near Green Island, between Montego Bay and Negril. Both closed after the hurricane and reopened in early 2026. Princess Grand Jamaica is the family side, with a kids club from age three and family suites with bunk beds, and it's currently ranked the number one best-value all-inclusive in Jamaica on TripAdvisor. Princess Senses The Mangrove is the adults-only side, with overwater suites, and guests on Expedia rate it 9.4 out of 10.
Pros:
Great value for families at Princess Grand
A quiet adults-only option at The Mangrove
Kids club from age three
Cons:
The beach is a bit rocky
The pool water can be cold
Food reviews are mixed, from highlight to just decent
A few families mention service hiccups at dinner
Best for: Families who want great value, or couples who want a quiet adults-only stay. Score: 8.4 out of 10.
#3: Sandals Negril
Sandals Negril is the Sandals to book in Jamaica right now. Three other Sandals resorts on the island are still closed for renovations, but Sandals Negril reopened in December 2025. It sits on Seven Mile Beach, one of the most famous beaches in the Caribbean. Scuba diving, waterskiing and wakeboarding are included, the best rooms have sky pools and butlers, and an exchange with Beaches Negril next door gives you about 21 restaurants.
Pros:
Seven Mile Beach
Scuba diving and water sports included
About 21 restaurants with the Beaches Negril exchange
Cons:
Not cheap, and the extras add up
Room service costs extra unless you book a butler room
Couples only: no families or solo travelers
About an hour and a half from the Montego Bay airport
Best for: Couples who want a famous beach and lots of included activities. Families can look at Beaches Negril next door. Score: 8.6 out of 10.
#2: Couples Tower Isle
Couples Tower Isle might be the most romantic resort on the island. It's couples-only, near Ocho Rios on the north coast, with four pools, a private beach and its own small private island, which is clothing-optional. Scuba diving, glass-bottom boat snorkeling, kayaking and paddleboarding are all included. Guests say the food is some of the best they've had at an all-inclusive, many staff have worked there for over ten years, and it scores 9.2 out of 10 on Expedia.
Pros:
Its own private island
Water sports included
Food and long-serving staff get great reviews
Cons:
Roughly two hours by car from the Montego Bay airport
The beach can be windy, with little shade
Best for: A true couples-only trip with everything included. Score: 8.8 out of 10.
#1: Excellence Oyster Bay
Excellence Oyster Bay is our number one. It's an adults-only resort on its own private peninsula near Falmouth, about 40 minutes from the Montego Bay airport. Water surrounds it on almost every side, there are no beach vendors, and you can take a boat tour of the glowing bioluminescent bay right from the resort's pier. It scores 4.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor from almost 9,000 reviews. The resort reopened in December 2025 after hurricane damage and has since announced a major expansion.
Pros:
Private peninsula with no beach vendors
Bioluminescent bay tours from the resort pier
About 40 minutes from the Montego Bay airport
Cons:
Slow or uneven service, especially drinks at the beach
Nowhere to walk outside the resort
Narrow beach in spots, with seagrass in the water
Some rooms have open bathrooms, and some plunge pools can be seen from balconies above
A hefty room deposit, and possible construction during the expansion
Best for: A quiet, romantic, adults-only trip with a beach that feels like your own. Score: 8.9 out of 10.
The Big-Name Jamaica Resorts That Are Still Closed
If you're looking for a resort that isn't on this list, it may not be open yet. The Hyatt resorts in Rose Hall, including Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Secrets and Jewel Grande, are expected to reopen in phases in the first half of 2027. Sandals Montego Bay is set to reopen in December 2026, and the old Iberostar Grand Rose Hall comes back as JOIA Rose Hall. We'll rank them once real guests have stayed there.
Quick Guide: Which Jamaica Resort Should You Book?
Best overall: Excellence Oyster Bay
Most romantic: Couples Tower Isle
Best beach and activities: Sandals Negril
Best value for families: Princess Grand Jamaica
Best location in Montego Bay: S Hotel Montego Bay
Best big-resort variety: Grand Palladium Jamaica
Best water park for kids: Moon Palace Jamaica
Planning more Caribbean trips? See our rankings of the best all-inclusive resorts in the Bahamas, the best all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana and the best all-inclusive resorts in Aruba. You can also browse all Jamaica all-inclusive deals on Expedia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Jamaica all-inclusive resorts open after Hurricane Melissa? Most are. Every resort on this list is open and taking guests, but several big names in Montego Bay and Rose Hall, including the Hyatt resorts, Secrets and Jewel Grande, aren't expected back until 2027.
What is the best adults-only all-inclusive in Jamaica? Excellence Oyster Bay ranked number one overall in our review. For couples-only, Couples Tower Isle and Sandals Negril are also strong picks.
What is the best family all-inclusive in Jamaica? Princess Grand Jamaica is the best value for families, and Moon Palace Jamaica has a wave pool and water slides for kids.
Which Jamaica resort is closest to the Montego Bay airport? S Hotel Montego Bay is only a few minutes away. Excellence Oyster Bay is about 40 minutes away.
The Bottom Line
Jamaica is open again, but older lists will steer you toward resorts that are still closed. Of the resorts taking guests today, Excellence Oyster Bay is the best overall, Couples Tower Isle is the most romantic, and Princess Grand is the best value for families. Prices move a lot by season, so check your dates before you book. Booking a trip right now also helps: thousands of hotel workers lost income while their resorts were closed, and every reopening puts them back to work.
Want to see every resort on video? Watch the full ranking → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPWmUQLQ6Mw
