Club Ambiance Hotel

5 readers found this review helpful

This is a great place to go no mosis in january,staff cant do enough
all inclusive till 4am simply brill.
jaccuzzi,nice and very clean rooms,room65.
adults only no hassle pack ur bags n go their!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 readers found this review helpful

This was our first time to Jamaica and we loved it. I am disabled and walk with a walking stick, and everyone was so accommodating.
I was on a ground floor room around the swimming pool, which is a quiet area of the resort and everything was so accessable to me.
There was fruit punch on arrival and the room was very comfortable, lots of space to move around.
All the staff were wounderful and so helpful, even the gardener let me try fresh coconut from the garden. (so much different for what i expected)
I think that it is the sort of place that you go with the mind to have fun, catch some sun and eat way to much, and then you will.
I think that you have to remember that it is a small hotel with very friendly staff, they do not have the facilities that a large hotel would have, but at the same time i think that their being so small is their charm as well.
I am also a veggie and i did not have a problem with the food, though it could be a little limiting, but again you have to remember that this is a country that is predominately meat eaters.
There was much to do, even cooking lessens and cocktail making lessons so that you could try your hand at all things Jamaican
I hope that this gives you a realistic view of the resort and if you go embrace the Jamaica spirit which is "everything will be alrit" and everything is "No problem".
PS we loved it so much that we are planning to go back and i would not do that if i was not impressed.

2 readers found this review helpful

This was our first time to jamaica and what a welcome when we arrived at club ambience. The staff were very welcoming and offered us a fruit punch.
We went here for our annversary and had not asked for anything, but when we went to our room we had champagne there. What a wonderful start.
Thats how it continued, it is a great hotel, staff are brillant and go out of their way to please, nothing is too much for them. Entertainment during the day and night are great. There are always things going on to keep you entertained or you can just laze on one of the man made beaches.
Food was very good and got to try many jamaican dishes. Really enjoyed the jamaican barbecue. Never went hungry. Cocktails are plentiful and there is a list you can work through again and again. Plus others if you know the name they will make them for you. Small hotel so staff get to know you quickly.
Pool good size but never used it much prefer the beach. Always sunbeds on the beach or by the pool.
Room always spotless and cleaned every day. Night club is fun too.
Lots of things to do near here, trips and other night life. Ideally located. Would definately go back here.
Made some friends who we keep in contact with. Also met a great driver called moodie who took us on some great trips including bob marley smile concert, one none of us will forget. Thanks to him and all the staff at club ambience for making this the best holiday ever.
Ann and Gary

1 reader found this review helpful

We read a lot of reviews about this place before we booked and most were favourable but with reservations. We went with an open mind, which was just as well.
We contacted them in advance and were given a room on the first floor overlooking the garden and terrace. Our bathroom had been recently tarted up, as had the bedroom, unlike many others whom we met who were complaining of poor rooms and ancient bathrooms.
When the place filled with Americans for Memorial weekend there was no hot water in the showers, then it would start to run again - as it was HOT, it was a wonder we weren't scalded as there are no temperature controls on the shower taps.
Food was at best mediocre and repeated each week, drinks pretty average.
Entertainments staff worked very hard, but much was very amateurish. The restaurant staff in the main were good, as were a couple of the bartenders and our maid was excellent.
The snorkelling just outside the man made beaches is brilliant - a vast array of corals and smaller fish. The water inside the breakwaters is very shallow - so not better for swimming, you need to be out of the breakwater or in the pool for that.
House band was outrageously loud - they competed with each other to be the loudest and God help the singers, and our eardrums.
There is nowhere to go when it rains, and boy did it rain! The only indoor bar was only opened on 2 occasions in two weeks, and then in the evening because the band moved inside due to rain.
The rest of the time you either sat round the bar or under a small covered area getting wet from rain pouring off the roof, or went to your room during the day - cuts down the amount of booze they serve I suppose.
When it rained the ceiling in the indoor Ocean Club bar area was wet through with leaks, as was the tiled steps in the lobby area. We saw more bath mats, sheets and puddles of water than you can imagine and these are ceramic floor tiles, so you can imagine the slip hazards.
The slippery floor notice only appeared in the lobby, never in the bar, it's a wonder no-one had a bad accident. The standard of cleanliness in other than our room left a lot to be desired - filthy walls and toilets, carpet that was almost floating it was so wet - and dirty as well.
Tiled step edges broken away making walking a hazard. Concrete paths repaired so haphazardly that they were totally uneven and cracking.
Hygiene standards leave a lot to be desired. The public restrooms, which the kitchen staff use, have NO HOT WATER. Imagine the health implications form that. No wonder we had the trots for 2 weeks.
I have 30+ years experience contracting hotels and this place is so far past it's sell by date that the refurbishment programme they are starting will never do the trick. It needs closing down and rebuilding, preferably from scratch.
Only the staff saved this holiday from being a total disaster.
Would we go again? - NEVER, under any circumstances.

Our first visit to Jamaica which I had booked on line with Thomas Cook 9 months before.
I searched for reviews on the hotel and must admit they all seemed to rate it highly.
Departing from Gatwick on a Sunday they brought the flight forward an hour and as we had travelled to Gatwick on the Saturday we stopped in a hotel overnight and were able to book our luggage in as the flight left before 9am.
This was fine until the following morning when we went past the check in queue and discovered that the flight had been delayed a couple of hours!! We arrived in Jamaica late afternoon and got on the bus to travel to the resort which took just under 2 hours.
As other reviews have stated Club Ambiance does not look up to much from outside but we were greeted like old friends, given a welcome drink then shown our room.
I had e mailed CA before I arrived asking if we could have an upgraded room and we were not disappointed. We were on the first floor and the balcony looked over the beach and sea, this was classed as a 'honeymoon' room and was very spacious and colourfully decorated.
The highlight of the room had to be the 4 poster bed which was extremely comfortable and I personally thought we qualified for this room as we were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary.
The staff at this resort have to be amongst the friendliest people we have met and went out of their way to ensure you enjoyed your holiday.
The food was very good and the drinks especially the cocktails were superb. Nightly entertainment was also good, although it was repeated the 2nd week. When this finished around 11pm the night club opened and your drinks were still on the AI basis.
This hotel was popular with repeat guests particularly the Americans who would stay for 4 or 5 days.
We went with a local taxi driver up to Dunn’s Falls, visited Nine Miles and went into Oches Rios for a bit of shopping. The whole place was so laid back that you practically fell over.
Having only 90 rooms you got to know everyone and for us was far superior to the higher rated bigger AI hotels. They are building a hotel a little further up the road which we were told would have 1,000 rooms, I shudder to think what that will be like!!
A thoroughly enjoyable holiday and one I would like to repeat sometime in the future.

What an amazing holiday, Club Ambiance was absolutely fantastic.
Went with 7 of my mates and we had the best time ever. Everyone was so friendly and laid back especially Omar the beach and pool guy and Phillip the best barman ever.
The food was great and you can even drink the water.
We did have a flood in our room, but it was fixed straight away, if there was any problem at all, nothing was too much trouble.
The entertainment was fun, the beaches were lovely, plenty of loungers and plenty of space. The only holiday I have had where we didn’t have to fight for a sun bed.
If you go, don't miss Bob Marley’s nine mile trip, absolutely fantastic, well worth the hour long drive over the potholed roads in the mountains.
The only fault I could find was not with the hotel, but with Thomson. The rep, although very nice, sold us excursions without explaining them to us properly.
We also paid $30 each for the VIP lounge at the airport a week before departure but when we arrived they told us that she didn’t inform them until that day so they hadn’t catered for us, so there were not enough refreshments.
We will definitely be returning to Club Ambiance again next year and maybe even the year after.
Virgin also go there, so we will try them, as the flight home was horrendous with Thomson, they didn’t have enough drinks to go around, the bar service was awful and the cabin crew were the most miserable, and unfriendly I have ever come across.
It didn’t ruin my time in Jamaica though; it was everything I dreamt it would be and more. It was supposed to be a one off 40th birthday celebration, but it's probably going to be an annual event now. We only went for 1 week, next year it will be 2.

2 readers found this review helpful

We visited Club Ambiance in March 2005.
My partner and I wanted a romantic setting to get married and decided on Jamaica. Several of our friends plus my daughter and her boyfriend and my son and his wife decided to come along with us.
On arrival in Jamaica we weren't too impressed by the roads! It was evening and getting dark when we arrived at Club Ambiance so we couldn't really see how it looked from the outside, besides we were all very tired from the long journey. The greeting at reception was fabulous with long cold drinks served which was most appreciated. A porter carried our bags to our room which was out of this world! A four poster bed with a balcony overlooking the beach and sea. During our stay the room was kept immaculately clean and every day we had a new "swan" on our bed with beautiful flowers adorning it. Our friends and families rooms were very comfortable and all had air conditioning.
Everyone was so helpful. The wedding coordinator, Jasmine, could not do enough for us. Everything we asked for was done. On site there is a hairdresser/beautician where I had my hair and nails done for the wedding. At 10.55 am on the day, Jasmine came to fetch me, my son, daughter and daughter-in-law from my room. My son was giving me away, my daughter chief bridesmaid and daughter in law maid of honor. (We did the wedding like a traditional English Wedding). As my son walked me to the Gazebo my husband to be walked up to greet me. He was dressed in a kilt (he's Scottish!) I didn't know he was wearing this and he looked wonderful. We had our own chosen music playing in the background. My daughter’s boyfriend was the best man so all 6 of us, plus the Reverend Lawrence who conducted the ceremony, stood on the Gazebo as we said our vows. Our friends looked on as did many of the people staying at Club Ambiance.
After the ceremony the 12 of us were taken to a quiet place in the hotel so we could sign the register, cut the cake and toast with champagne. We were then given our own table for lunch.
During the afternoon, we all changed into our shorts/T Shirts etc and had a relaxing time sitting on the beach. In the evening we changed back into our wedding gear and went into the A La Carte restaurant. (It was an evening the restaurant shouldn't have been open but they opened it especially for us). Then we spent the rest of the evening enjoying the entertainment put on by the staff.
I would highly recommend Club Ambiance to anyone wishing to have a stress free holiday or wedding in the Caribbean. The staff were extremely willing for every request you had. The food was excellent, even pizza was served every night at midnight! The entertainment staff were so hard working and never stopped entertaining us. We joined in their Easter Carnival at the end of the holiday and we were with Carlene. Needless to say we won the Carnival, which didn't go down too well with Duwayne and O'Neil.
Trips we went on whilst there included Dunns River Falls (highly recommended), Swimming with Dolphins (great fun), Martha Brae River rafting (very relaxing), trip to Ocho Rios for some shopping (interesting).
We are planning to go back to Club Ambiance on our 5th Anniversary and hoping we will have the same experience in 4 years time!

What can I say, I went to club ambiance to get married and after reading some of the reviews I was quite worried about it. When we arrived at the hotel, from the look of outside I thought it was going to be a holiday from hell. As soon as we walked into the reception and met some of the staff and were taken to our room we realised it wasn’t. Our room was beautiful and was kept immaculate as was the rest of the hotel.
The staff there made it there business to keep us happy and made our wedding day the best day ever. We even had some of the staff as our witnesses. Jasmine the wedding co-coordinator was fantastic and nothing was to big a job for her.
The food at club ambiance was beautiful, we could not eat enough of it. Rodney makes the best pancakes and pasta I’ve ever tasted. I don’t know what some people expect from a holiday but to us this place was simply perfect. We can’t wait to go back.

Just returned from a 2 week stay at Club Ambiance and it was fantastic! I was traveling with my wife and two friends (Mr. Whitaker below). On arrival I was happy to be in the sunshine and ready to relax. Having been to Gambia the month before, I wasn't shocked by the conditions of the roads - potholes and bare stone surfaced roads are the norm over there.
There’s a lot of roadworks going on at present along the north coast yet there are still a few areas that seem to have been tarmaced in the last few years that are beautifully smooth and wide which allows the 'right side is suicide' Jamaican drivers to go even faster than they do on the rough! I definitely wouldn't recommend hiring a car just for their CRAZY driving (its also very expensive).
On arrival at the hotel I wasn't overly impressed with the exterior, although I'd read reviews about the place and reserved judgment. Sure enough I was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome at reception.
Check in was quick and totally stress free, aided along with a much needed welcome drink. The rooms are basic but clean and spacious - but who goes to the Caribbean to sit in their room?!
Our room faced out on to the pool area which overnight was mainly nice and quiet and meant we could quickly get changed/dried off before meal times.
The hotel, pool areas and beach are cleaned daily and were spotless. The food was fantastic and I ate like a king and drank like a fish. There was always a good selection of dishes to choose from and I went away every time with a bulging belly!
On a Thursday and Saturday night the dinner is served outside by candlelight and really puts the 'ambiance' in the hotels name! You can't beat eating out on a balmy Caribbean evening, its romantic, relaxing and great fun and the barbecued chicken, spare ribs and steak with jerk or bbq sauce was to die for - and a great way to end the day.
I must also mention Roderick the ever-smiling pancake/omelet/pasta cook who served up the best freshly made pancakes every morning and never failed to bring a smile to my face!
The staff are absolutely fantastic and became great friends over our stay - many of them couldn't do enough to help our friend get around in his wheelchair - they saved us a space at dinner tables, remembered our specific requests, helped us lift him in and out of the swimming pool, in and out of taxis and generally ensured we had a brilliantly relaxed stay. Big respect to Junior Senior the coolest pool dude in Jamaica mon!
The entertainment team were hilarious and we enjoyed some really great afternoons in the sun, sweating it out playing beach volleyball with the other guests and Dave (granny!), Omar, Junior and Euwayne which got pretty competitive!
We went on a number of excursions -
Ocho Rios shopping was expensive - I'd recommend just ordering a taxi from the front desk. Its hard work too pushing a wheelchair around in midday heat and pretty stressful with constant harassment to 'come look' at the craft market, but a friendly 'no' is sufficient and I'd advise only going if you know you want to buy something, because most of the stalls are all the same - as are the duty-free shopping plazas which sell all the same tacky 'No Problem!' t-shirts & souvenirs.
Dunns River Falls - a must! Absolutely great fun - but take some old trainers or you'll need to hire aqua shoes - and be prepared to get WET! Take your camera too as the guides will take the pics for you and more importantly ensure your camera stays dry!
Dolphin Cove - another must! Fairly expensive, but worth it just to experience these fantastic creatures up close. Its a steep hill down to the cove too - so watch out if you're pushing a wheelchair!
Glistening Waters - a nice trip to do on an evening and fascinating - I'd definitely recommend going for a swim in the neon blue waters. There are only 3 places like it in the world so make the most of it!
Nine Mile - Very interesting and a good trip out into the hills of Jamaica which included some funny karaoke on the way back!
Kingston & Port Royal - a looong day. It takes about 3 hours to get there, but does allow you to see Fern Gully, the Giddy House at Port Royal where they filmed a lot of Pirates of the Caribbean, Upper & Lower Kingston and the Bob Marley museum. We went on our last day and to be honest we'd have preferred to have stayed at the hotel and catch a few more rays as it involves a lot of hours sat on the minibus.
Horse Riding - the Mrs. n her friend went on this trip and returned raving about it - you get to ride through the sea so dress to get wet!
All in all - a really chilled out holiday, the perfect place to unwind, there is no hurry - you're on holiday! - Everything is no problem mon, so lay back n go with the flow - and you'll be able to truly appreciate Jamaica for the beautiful place it is.

It appears (unless I’ve missed any) that I write the first review of this hotel from a permanent wheelchair users perspective.
Firstly, accessibility of the hotel and all of its facilities couldn’t be much better, there was nowhere I couldn’t get, a friend and I with another couple stayed in two double rooms, the ample space sufficed with balconies, the beds were of similar height to my wheelchair making simple transferals, The bathroom had a bath with shower (unusable to me, but over came this problem with a little initiative) and washbowl with mirror, just enough space, clean and usable, cleaned and tidied with fresh towels and linen daily. The balconies on our side of the hotel surrounded and entered the pool area, which is beautifully edged with gardens and one side views the ocean, it also has its own bar.
Once behind the rustic exterior and secure gates (already anticipated thanks to previous reviewers), CA complex is your own personal paradise. So many different areas to suit mood, from afore mentioned pool with volleyball net and bar surrounded by loungers, long pier with end bar, man-made bays to each side creating two private beaches with hammocks or beach volleyball, sea-view tabled terrace for out-door dining with bar, private night club, to a nice and cool indoor games lounge, plus many more public or private places and facilities. CA may at first glance appear a little shabby in places but there’s always cleaners, gardeners and caretakers doing something all the time.
The restaurant food was excellent, to cater for differences of pallet, not the widest of choice but fair, there was also usually a Jamaican chef in the restaurant dining room cooking Caribbean stir-fry of your choice if nothing else appealed. Missed meal times? No problem, there’s a grill bar in between times for burgers, hot-dogs, pastries and sandwiches etc. You can eat or drink virtually anytime you desire. If you like chicken (mostly jerk) and fish (personally I could live on them), you’re in heaven. As for the waiters and staff, (I know it’s already been said before on almost every review, but it must be repeated) the most friendly, laid-back people you could meet, anymore laid-back, they’d be unconscious, only joking but it’s as if they’re on holiday with you.

From Montego Bay Airport east all along the north coastal road is appalling, bumpy, scraped bare, rocky and pot-holed, but to be fair, construction is in progress and when/if completed I can imagine it being a truly magnificent drive, what with its amazing ocean, beach and cliff-side views, Jamaican drivers however, tend to be (how can I put it?) slightly erratic and unpredictable, so expect anything.
I found Jamaica on the whole not very wheelchair friendly but we did manage with a struggle, mainly due to construction and development out-side resorts and all the way along the north, in-land’s extremely mountainous and hilly, bigger towns have huge curbs and few ramps, apart from more modern built areas, everywhere else is just shanties, hard going in a wheelchair but not impossible. You do constantly get harassment to buy fresh fruit, local crafts and tourist tack but these friendly, laid-back people do take no for an answer.
We did a range of excursions, there were many physical things I couldn’t do, but many I could, I swam with dolphins, which was great. I must say though for Bob Marley fans, the mausoleum at Nine-miles is accessible but the museum in Kingston, to wheelchairs isn’t, I found this out when I got there.
One of the best things about CA I found, is being adult only, it took a few days to realise why it was so peaceful, relaxing and facilities in tact (by the latter, I mean for example; darts left out by dart-board, pool balls and cues and table tennis bats and ping-pong balls by their respective tables for anyone to use anytime) then it struck me (don’t get me wrong, I love kids as much as the next man, but couldn’t eat a whole one etc.) ah yes, no screaming brats skidding around bumping into you and splashing and squealing by the pool, I made sure I appreciated this pleasure by being fully conscious of it as much as possible for the rest of the fortnight, bliss.