Azul Beach Resort Negril By Karisma

The Azul Beach Negril did not meet our expectations of a 5-star resort. Among all the resorts my family has visited, this one ranks at the bottom. Food: The food quality was disappointing. The Italian restaurant had slow service, taking an hour to serve our meal. The Jamaican restaurant, Akee, was not up to par; the 'jerk' proteins were merely covered in sauce and lacked flavor. Additionally, the server at Akee had an unsatisfactory attitude. The Asian restaurant was the best option, aside from grabbing a burger or hot dog from the West End. Accommodations: Towels were scarce, and we were promised fresh ones daily but often did not receive them. The bed was hard and squeaky, and the linens were not changed regularly. There were stains and hair dye residue on the pillowcase, and the couch in the room was stained. The table base was cracked in several places, and the TV speakers sounded broken. By the third day, there was a sewage smell coming from the toilet area. Pools: The pool appeared unkempt and was average at best. Staff: Despite the issues, some staff members, including Jehnoy, Coneshia, Keneatha, Tio, Mr. Beats, and Sparkle, were fantastic and made our stay more tolerable. As a travel agent and traveler, we would not this property.

We just returned home from an amazing family vacation at Azul Beach Resort Negril. From start to finish, everything was wonderful! Our Butlers, Roxanne and Marklan, were truly outstanding. They took care of every detail, making sure we were comfortable and even anticipating our needs before we realized them. Whether it was bringing us food, ice, or drinks, they were always a step ahead, ensuring our experience was seamless and stress-free. The entertainment crew—Mr. Beat, Tio, Sparkles, and Joey—made our stay so much fun! Their energy was contagious, and they went above and beyond to keep everyone engaged. Even on rainy days (only 2 of 10), they made sure we were entertained with board games and other activities, so we never felt like we were missing out. The beach was absolutely breathtaking—gorgeous white sand and crystal-clear, calm blue waters. We took advantage of the water sports right from the beach, going tubing and parasailing for a reasonable price. Our two kids (12 and 9) had an absolute blast and couldn’t stop talking about how much fun they had. One of the highlights of our trip was spotting marine life right at the beach! We saw starfish, crabs, and even stingrays while exploring the shallow areas. There are also jellyfish in the water, so it’s good to be mindful while swimming. For those looking to see even more marine life, you can take a glass-bottom boat out to the reef for snorkeling. We spoke to some families who did this and absolutely loved it. It sounds like an amazing experience, and it’s definitely something we’ll try next time we go back! We also had massages at the Vassa Spa, which were incredibly relaxing. Our only regret was waiting until the last day to visit! We would have loved more time to enjoy the spa’s facilities, so we’ll be sure to plan better on our next visit. Similarly, our kids finally tried the kids’ club on the last day while we were at the spa, and they had such a great time that they were asking to go back. Next time, it will definitely be on our itinerary earlier in the trip! In terms of the food, overall it was average and could be improved for variety and quality. As a celiac family, we were pleased with how helpful the staff was in ensuring our food was gluten-free. We had no issues with cross-contamination, and the team was very accommodating. However, there weren’t many gluten-friendly alternatives, so choices were a bit limited. Since we’re used to this when traveling, we came prepared with our own loaf of bread, snacks and treats that our daughter could enjoy. That said, both of our kids ate the soft-serve ice cream every day and were more than happy with all their meals, never feeling like they were missing out! The service at Azul Beach Resort Negril was top-notch—every staff member we encountered was friendly and attentive, making us feel truly welcome. The hotel is in need of some general maintenance, though we could see they have already started making updates. While we were there, they were replacing some older wood railings with new aluminum ones, and the maintenance crew was actively painting to freshen up the look. The decks have been repaired but could be replaced in a few areas. That said, these maintenance details were relatively minor and did not impact our stay or enjoyment in any way. Overall, our stay was incredible, and we will definitely be back. Our kids are already asking to return next spring break!

Travellers from UK booked via TUI 2x married couples The short version of our review would simply be to avoid if travelling from the UK. We note TUI have downgraded from 4+ to 4 for new bookings, but in our opinion this is more akin to a 3 star hotel. We would echo many of the recent negative reviews and have actually made a formal complaint to our holiday company. 5/10 Hotel in an 11/10 Location (Negril We started our 14 days in Adults only block 2, but after 2 days with no hot water or towels and no commitment from the hotel to remedy the hot water they were decent enough to "upgrade" us to Premium Adults only block 8. Sadly there is nothing "premium" about an upgrade TUI wanted £800 for so if you are thinking of doing this please save your money! Between our rooms we had broken furniture, stained sofas, mouldy cushions, misaligned doors on furniture (so nothing actually closed which blocked walk through areas) and a toilet that was not fixed to the wall) with the addition of a loose power cable hanging down on the balcony (how very premium eh!?) The hotel itself is tired and run down. The composite decking has been damaged by the sun and weather and has warped, broken and in many areas feels like you may disappear through it. In many places there are exposed nails where the decking has broken away but the nails haven't bee removed. Much of the concrete flooring around the decking is disintegrating. All the sunbeds are tired and many are broken; which is an issue because there is a distinct lack of them. There is also a distinct lack of seating round the main bar and pool area which means evenings are spent standing up if you want to watch any of the entertainment (which is a loose word because its pretty dreadful). In our 2 week stay we had to endure Karaoke 4x The bars ran out of drinks consistently and there was a whole day where you could not have most cocktails in the pool bars because they had run out of what they needed to make things like frozen margaritas, pinna colladas, daqueries etc. Lime juice and triple sec seemed to be like gold dust! Even dressed up and clearly out for dinner you would often still be served drinks in plastic cups like you were incapable of using a glass of any kind. The food was bang average at best (aside from breakfast which was by a country mile the best offering). We got so fed up we had to travel out to eat on a couple of occasions. Its also the first time we have ever been to the Caribbean and not managed to have banana or plantain of any kind in the whole 2 weeks of our stay. (ironically the oikers on the beach often walked past with bananas!!!) Be warned that if you don't eat in the first moments of somewhere opening there is a very strong chance they will have run out of things to eat! West End on one day had run out of quesadillas just 20 mins after opening and the buffet clearly stopped refreshing food at 7:30pm. Whilst Garfields is noted on all the FB groups as being closed for renovations its not - its open but is now only used for priviledge guests (which is the Karisma travel club/timeshare offering).... and this is by far our biggest gripe..... Asian A-La-Carte was decent if not very warm. Italian was dreadful (super slow, rude staff, cold and bland food and somehow cant actually make a pizza propperly). Carribean was hit and miss and we had 1 good meal and 1 terrible meal. Beach towels - supposedly available from 8am but often it was after 9am and the state of them should embarrass hotel management tbqh. Staff were hit and miss. Some were very disgruntled and our being at the hotel seemed like a massive inconvenience. I know this is Jamaica and Island Time etc etc but this is not our first Jamaican holiday so not our first rodeo. Holiday Inn, Riu and Royalton are all substantially better and ironically all substantially cheaper in price. We are quite sociable so discussed the hotel with many other guests whilst at the pool bars and it would seem US holiday-makers staying for 5 nights are getting a very good deal vs UK customers who are getting our pants pulled down. Many of our Canadian and American friends quoted "you get what you pay for I guess" vs UK guests who definitely don't get that. MASSIVE TIP - Bring your own metal/re-usable straw as they run out all the time!! Also bring some money and book a trip to Ivans for dinner - it will be the best meal you eat whilst you are in Jamaica. ALL GUESTS NOT IN THE PRIVILEDGE AREA ARE TREATED LIKE 2ND CLASS CITIZENS. If you want this location it would definitely be worth considering Couples further down 7mile beach or if you don't mind being in Orange Bay Royalton and the RUI.

Just got here. I advised the front desk that there was mold on the sofa in the room. Housekeeping came and put a blanket on top of it. That was the remedy! Also , be advised, there are no elevators. We are currently on the 3rd floor. I wanted exercise class in the pool, not getting to the room. Waiting on a room change. I will add to the review at the end of the week.

This resort has some pros and cons, but doesn’t every resort. The pros are the people working at this resort are awesome, hardworking and professional and very polite. The beach is awesome and yes there is a shortage of loungers, our room in 4 block was excellent, bed service was every day , the tv had blown speakers but who goes to Jamaica to watch tv. Drinks are plentiful but no garnishes, lots of places within a short walk to get refills. Cons - the night life entertainment, was in my mind garbage, other than they guy playing the violin, we walked away, we had two nights of karaoke, yuk and the live bands should not be playing at this resort. We walked away most nights as well as other patrons. Even the Michael Jackson remake wasn’t good, it was just okay. But the biggest con for this resort is the quality and inconsistencies of the food . The jerk chicken on the beach was awesome but only had it two of the nine days we were there, after being told they have it every day. There is inconsistency in all the restaurants with either the quality or selection of food, also myself and friends agreed that the people that where in the prestige group should have their own restaurants and not mixed with the regular customers, this causes arguments and upsets customers . There were no bananas except for our last day, no face cloths for three days and the resort lost water twice . Be prepared for the bus ride from Montego Bay to Negril . Twos words describe the ride, long and rough , if you where to ask me if I would return to this resort, my answer would be maybe. We got a great deal for nine nights, so if I got the same deal, I might go back.