Rating:
"We loved this resort!! It is small, friendly, clean, snorkelling is unbelievable. They do have certain times for changing money, eating, etc. So I would suggest finding that info out when you first get there, and then there will be no surprises. Food was great, but if we ate late (around 8:30-9), we found that some food was cold, so we decided to eat by 7 every night, and we never ran into that problem again! Our room/view was amazing, and we were in awe of the sunsets and turquoise waters. This resort is not for "hoity-toity" people; it is very "down to earth"! We loved it....and we will definitely go back and stay at the same resort!!"
Reviewer: reviewer4723
Date: Mar. 01, 2012

Rating:
"Alain Richard is the General Manager at this Great resort and is very visible at any hour of the day taking care of any concerns or needs . We had an issue with our room as I have a handicap with stairs and it was taken care of in a timely manner. The hotel has a smaller resort atmosphere (131) rooms but a 5 star resort attitude in that it does everything possible to make your stay wonderful and memorable. the fact that it is literally 5 minutes from the airport is a definite bonus after a long flight. The food and booze were in abundance and the staff friendly. Would recommend whole heartedly and would go back again which is something I have not done in over 30 trips to the southern climes including Mexico, DR, Cuba & Hawaii."
Reviewer: reviewer3682
Date: Jan. 25, 2012

Rating:
"The hotel met all our expectations. The room was clean and spacious, and serviced every day. The amenities at the hotel were excellent. The staff, from the General Manager on down were friendly, helpful and always there to answer a question or assist. The Tour Representative was excellent. The food was superb, both from a quality as well as variety. We are going back in December 2012 for 2 weeks, as opposed to the 1 week we recently enjoyed so much. All in all, a great holiday. Many thanks to all."
Reviewer: reviewer4725
Date: Jan. 03, 2012

Rating:
"My husband and I take a trip every year, this year we had our new addition, our 8 week old baby. We decided on the Royal Decameron since it was so close to the airport and smaller. We loved it! You never had to reserve a chair, there were many different places to hang out everyday but wasn't so far from your room. The view from the room was awesome sunsets, ocean & mountain view. You could throw a stone from almost anywhere to the ocean, you were that close. The entertainment crew really got everyone involved. We usually do a few excursions but this trip was different so it was really nice to have snorkelling right at the resort, kayaks for free etc. Food was fantastic! The room could of used some new lamp shades and a cleaner curtain, but everyday the room was tidied up and clean. Overall, it was our cheapest holiday and one resort we would consider visiting again."
Reviewer: reviewer9418
Date: Dec. 30, 2009

Rating:
"The hotel was clean with friendly staff. The animation team kept everyone busy. The exercise room and equipment are definitely up to standards....good working equipment and knowledgeable staff. The menu could use a little help, more variety definitely needed. Bar staff great and able to make a variety of cocktails (all included), not just your rum punch. Zulu, Dale (Rasta), Happy, GG, Chris and Orlando (Poker Face) are just a few who deserve to be acknowledged. We will be happy to return. For less than $1000pp it is a great and friendly place to stay."
Reviewer: onecougar8017
Date: Aug. 19, 2009

Rating:
"Even with little hiccups along the way, for a 3.5 star hotel, the Decameron is a good buy. The staff are quite friendly, especially the tours coordinator Naji bee.
The property is beautifully kept with nice beach areas for swimming, watersports and snorkelling. All of the rooms face the sea which is a definite bonus. The rooms that are advertised online without balconies are ground floor rooms with patio walk outs. Had I known before booking, I would not have paid the extra money for a balcony seafront room... things they don't advertise huh? lol...
Another perk with this little resort is it's proximity to the Mobay 'hip strip' --just outside the gates. Filled with shops and restaurants including Jimmy Buffet's Margarittaville, this stretch is safe and entertaining. The tourist board has staff posted all along the strip, as well, local police officers are scattered on both sides of the stretch keeping a watchful eye. I wish Negril cliff side would follow suit.
The St. James plaza is good place to start for shopping, but as with anything, it's good to look around and get a feel for things before committing to the first 'must have' you come across. I found that prices got noticeably higher the further along the strip (away from the hotel) we got.

Back at the hotel... I was a bit confused by the 5US fee for 15 minutes of internet use (found it quite shameful really...) as I'm used to having free access to a business center computer when I travel. There is free wireless internet at the resort, however, knowing a lap top would not fit in the safe, I opted out of travelling with one.
The non-refundable charge for the room safe was also a disappointment, especially having recently returned from the Dominican at a (not as nice) 3.5 star hotel and having the safe *deposit* refunded at the end of our stay. From what I could see in our travels, the Dominican is far worse off than JA and the Decameron far more lush than the small resort in Boca Chica that didn't stoop to highway robbery with safe charges... I felt it was more than sufficient that the Decameron charge a 100US fee for lost safe keys, rather than charge for the use of the safe AND post a penalty for the loss of safe keys (no, we didn't lose our key! lol...).
Food service at the Decameron left a bit to be desired in the main buffet. However, one server named Myron was amazing! He was prompt, very professional, funny -- excelled in customer service all around and looked genuinely happy to be there (many others did not).
The presentation of the food was ok, however I did not find that there was enough variety -even with the theme nights. What was available tasted great - with few exceptions (the Escoveitch fish looked and tasked like breaded haddock or something foreign like that... lol.. definitely not like what you'd get outside the resort.. say at Hellshire or something - who are they trying to fool? *chuckling...) Many dishes did not have name cards, which was fine for me as a Jamaican, but may have left other guests wondering what exactly they were eating. I was disappointed to see spelling errors on some of the name cards that were there as well (dessert table noted). I'm no Harvard scholar, however some mispellings were very obvious. Also... I was just dying for some real Jamaican food -- sadly many of the dishes at the main buffet restaurant were tamed versions. I went there looking forward to roasted breadfruit fried in butter and salted... no deal... just some young breadfruit one morning that neither had the flavour, nor the texture I was jonesin for. If you book reservations at the a la carte restaurant, you'll have better luck, however travelling with my 13 year old son, we were looking for a relaxing trip that didn't involve dressing up.
The bars were good, strong drinks, nice enough selection; consistency would have made it better though (example: each Hummingbird I ordered had a different thickness and alcohol content... lol, as with the Strawberry Daquiris...) A better selection of non-alcoholic mixed beverages would have suited my son and other youngsters well. It had me missing Mr. Juicy at the Ritz! lol...
The nightly entertainment was nice, but predictable. The vocalists in the resident band have great voices for sure, a nice touch when you're down on the well lit beach playing in the waves.
Maintenance and cleanliness appears to be quite high on the list of priorities for Decameron staff which was a pleasant surprise. I have stayed in 5 star Diamond resorts in JA that weren't as on the ball (imagine waiting 12 hours just for bed linen... ?) Each room has dehumidifiers at the Decameron - very good and surprisingly enough, the first time I've seen this in a sea side resort.

If you need to get money exchanged while on the premises, go to the store just outside the lobby as the rates are slightly better than the front desk. There's a Scotiabank machine on the strip not to far down as well. It's advisable to walk with US funds as sadly, walking with JA currency will - especially for expenses at the hotel (safe charges) just frustrate you (read: highway robbery).

All in all we had a pleasant stay and enjoyed the freedom to walk around the area, not feel trapped on the property and not waste money on 'shopping' tours.
If you do want to get a tour of the area, look for Mr. Kenneth Watson on the strip, talk to Naji bee in the tour centre or pick up the phone and call JUTA Mobay. Ken's a local historian/24hr taxi driver that can give you an hour around the sites JUTA and JamTours generally don't advertise for as little as 500JA each party. Check out kensjamaica.com for more info!"
Reviewer: HarmonyBalanceLove
Date: Jul. 31, 2009

Rating:
"We just got back today and we hated to leave...the resort was fantastic...immaculately clean....amazing staff who were very friendly and went out of their way to make you happy...and fantastic location. We had a room with a walkout to the pool/swimup bar and the view was nothing short of spectacular. The resort was just the right size for my family and my 4 year old was very comfortable with the staff and walking around on his own and making friends. The food was great and there was always lots to eat and the drink selections were fantastic...and if the staff didn't know how to make something they would try to make the drink to your specifications. A great vacation spot all around... I would recommend this resort to everyone...and we will definitely be going again in the future."
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Jan. 09, 2009

Rating:
"The room we stayed in was fantastic because of ocean view we had! The hotel was really clean which was super, however the water pressure in the shower was often way to low. Everyone that worked in and around the Hotel were friendly. The bars were easily accessible and opened early (for you drinkers out there!). The beach was goregeous and not too overcrowded (unlike the one in Negril). There was always something to do, however leaving the resort and seeing the city either by tour or adventure will really add a punch to your stay!"
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Mar. 12, 2008