I spent 2 days 2 nights at the Royal Reef during Sumfest, and have to admit that I didn't expect much since it was a small hotel that still had rooms at the almost last minute. But I was delighfully and pleasantly surprised. The nightly rate was a Sumfest rate, but breakfast was included, and the buffet meal was very Jamaican and very good. The staff were all polite and helpful, and I actually felt that they treated us as if we had paid a mint of money at any all-inclusive hotel. You could tell that they felt Royal Reef was just a great place for a guest to be a guest, especially the front house staff.

The room I stayed in was a little small but I saw bigger ones, and the bathrooms were a nice size - not the chucked up worn out looking bathrooms you often find in smaller hotels. The housekeeping staff were quite prompt when handling our requests.

The salt-water pool was an interesting addition, and the steps out to the sea were an unexpected treat - especially since the reef allowed us to walk out a bit into the water. We didn't take any other meals there - prohibitive cost - but the Fish Hut 2 doors down did an excellent job and of course there was Scotchie's Jerk about 10/15 minutes towards Ironshore on the other side.

I would definitely stay there again - but this time during an off-season when MoBay room rates are a bit better.