There is no better place to visit. We have come twice, the second was during pandemic restrictions in 01/2021, and we had an amazing, safe, 5* experience. The staff is top notch; service is professional and comprehensive. The price is unbelievable for the quality of resort. The food is amazing! Will return again
This was our first time in Jamaica and when returning we will only stay at the Half Moon. The resort has beautiful grounds and a beautiful beach. While there the resort was empty and you get to know the other guests and the staff. First off the food. My husband and myself tend to be very critical of food and every meal we had was absolutely delicious. Due to COVID the sugar mill was only open certain days so we were only able to eat there once. However the meal was spectacular and there was a saxophone player during dinner to make it a romantic experience. The shuttle brings you to sugar mill and it is less than a three minute drive, very simple. We mostly at at Delmare for dinner and let me tell you, it was spectacular! On the last night Chef Claudio made us a spectacular tasting menu and we were so full we had difficulty walking back to the room. The sommelier was spectacular and had a great wine list. Jourdain also recommended a wonderful wine our last night which we are looking forward to buying at home. All of the waitstaff were friendly and remembered us each night and made each dinner wonderful and memorable. For lunch there are typically more choices however given COVID the only option is north point which is a perfect option for lunch. Breakfast every morning was delicious. We were greeted every morning by Joy who remembered our names each day and Delicia who would remember our orders, they were both lovely. There were many other people who were spectacular as well. As far as the food it is expensive and we opted for the all inclusive meal plan which is the way to go even if eating off the resort a few times. Alcohol is also expensive so if you drink alcohol we would recommend getting the meal plan which includes $80/day/pp of alcoholic beverages. There are several bars on the resort (many closed because COVID). However Lester's was open most nights with many nights of live music. The drinks were fabulous. The bartenders were amazing and fun Kevin made us feel like this was our home. Dwayne was also great and there are others but too many to name! During the day we got drinks at North Pointe and if you are there ask for Floyd who makes amazing drinks! We felt very safe here with COVID, all of the staff had masks on and social distancing was practiced. The hotel gives you a partial credit for your COVID testing and sets up the appointment right there on the resort 48 hours prior to your departure and tests are available immediately it was very easy. However bring your passport to the COVID testing as they need that prior to performing the testing. Despite COVID there were many activities available. Just as a warning activities are not included and are an additional fee. There was a movie night under the stars which was fun. We did a paint night and it ended up being only myself and my husband and it was such a great time! The artist was spectacular and I wish this was available on more nights! We also did a mixology class with Caswell who was great. There is an equestrian center on the property and we did a horseback ride and then swim with the horses which was a great experience, it was unlike anything we have ever done. We are not avid horseback riders and have only done horseback riding very occasionally and were fine with this excursion. Our guide was Steady who was fabulous with the horses and made sure we had a great time. We booked a snorkel tour which was just the two of us and the guide brought us into the water, we saw a sting ray and very beautiful fish, it also ends with a boat ride tour of the beach line. The captain was great and it leaves right from the resort. There was also a sunset boat cruise which was a fun time. There are free kayaks and stand up paddle boards and snorkel equipment you can take out as well. The concierge Carol Ann was spectacular. We sat down with her the first day and planned out our week. She was able to arrange a trip to Appleton Estate and black river with a private driver for a day. There are less activities available off site due to COVID and if not enough people they will be cancelled however the concierges can help you arrange private tours so that does not happen. Carol Ann was beyond helpful during our stay. There is also a fitness center and fitness classes (for a fee but there are some free ones jus sign up ahead of time). Andrew the instructor was wonderful. There was a Jamaican dance class one day and I was the only participant and what a great time that was! We also played tennis most days as they have beautiful tennis courts and free rackets. There is also a tennis clinic which is free on Mondays but we loved it so much we signed up for more days. There is also a putting green and shuffle board and basketball courts. My husband golfed, it comes with a caddy and the course was beautiful. Now the rooms. We stayed in the new eclipse balcony room with a view of the ocean. The room was AMAZING. Beautiful artwork, spacious and high ceilings. Housekeeping cleaned our room every day and each day it looked like we hadn't even been staying in it. There were many changes due to COVID, one of the lobbys is closed (which is large and gorgeous) and many of the bars/restaurants are closed and there are less activities on and off resort. However with little guests on the property it makes it a different and still lovely experience with enough food options and activities to keep you busy for more then a week. Overall we had an amazing time. It is pricey but very worth it. We will only stay here when returning to Jamaica.…
Just back to reality after 4 absolutely amazing days at Half Moon. I have been going there since 1999 and have been to numerous places in between ...but nothing compares. The natural beauty, tranquility, awesome staff , immaculate golf course, beaches just let us forgot all the ills facing the world right now. The entire family had a fabulous time and cant wait to get back there...will certainly repeat before the year is out...
Ocean front suite. Balcony. Trade winds. Amazing staff. More like friends after a week. Really nice food. Lovely room. My companion played a lot of tennis with one of the pros, and loved it. Have stayed in some amazing places in this world, but I will be what they call a "returner" at Half Moon.
For those that just want the short simple version- Absolutely incredible place to go as a large group, for the money paid. Big property lots to do very friendly staff. Villas are dated and could use some updating but really small price to pay for one of the best family group vacations we ever took. For more details and in depth review see below.... We rented a 6 bedroom Villa and we were a group of 9 people. We stayed in Villa 99 to be exact. It was the best family vacation we ever had. These extremely large and well designed villas are the prefect choice for families and friends that want to travel together and don't want to rent a bunch of hotel rooms. Each Villa has a dedicated staff just for your Villa. The staff includes a butler, chef, and housekeeper. The chef sleeps in the villa (completely in separate quarters) this way they are available to you 24/7. The butler tends to your EVERY NEED. All they want to do is make your vacation perfect. They coordinate with the chef regarding food menu's when you want to eat and where (indoors, outdoors, and so on) we even had friends in other Villas and we wound up having one huge dinner one night and it was perfect. Our Butler O'niel really went above and beyond for us. The Chef dawn was a delight and every meal she prepared was just scrumptious. We were also under very strict Kosher diet and Dawn made sure to accommodate our instructions perfectly. (We had the Chabad Rabbi come in before our stay to kosher our kitchen and grill but I'll talk more about that at the end). Joy was our housekeeper and always made sure everything was clean, beds were made based on our schedule (some kids wanted to sleep in). Remember the staff is dedicated to your villa so they work around your schedule, not like in a traditional hotel when you miss housekeeping your room doesn't get cleaned. She also did the laundry for us as well. The experience started right after we made the reservation. We were emailed within 24 hours from when we booked by Audrey. She scheduled a call with me to discuss who is coming and what preferences we like. She put together an AMAZING itinerary, and took care of the arrangements for each day. We even got an organized list of who to pay and what form of payment is accepted so we can be sure to be prepared. I highly recommend you asking the hotel for a layout of your Villa because each category is laid out differently. If found this very helpful in deciding where me and my wife will sleep and each kid got to pick out their room. You can have them set the room up with either a king bed or 2 twins. You can also coordinate with them in advance regarding doing some pre-shopping to stock your villa in advance with some staple items from the mini mart on premises. Every room is very specious and includes bathroom with shower. Most rooms have tubs in it as well. Some rooms have balconies or sitting areas. The pool was cleaned every morning and plenty of chairs and around to relax. It should be noted that the Villas are a bit dated however the location, service, and overall convenience really made up for it. There are not a lot of pictures on the internet so I took as much as I can to give you a sense. We were very lucky to have the ocean view Villa which made it even more incredible. For the Kosher folks out there, the hotel works directly with Chabad and are extremely accommodating for Kosher travelers. There is an extra fee involved which was very fair and in return you get a complete kosher kitchen with 2 sinks, 2 sets of dishes, cutlery, and all cooking utensils needed. We brought in our raw Kosher food from the States and you need a permit do to so. It is VERY EASY be in touch with Chabad and they can help you. The property sits on 400 acres so they give you 2 Golf Carts to use as well as bikes for everyone in the room. The biking was easy really no hills (and very refreshing since most of the ride is along the beach on a paved road) I hope this review was helpful.…
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