We wanted to stay in Montego Bay instead of in Negril on this, our fourth trip to Jamaica in the last 5 years, because we were planning only a 4 day stay and didn't want to waste any beach time driving once we landed. We chose Coyaba based on the reviews in Trip Advisor. Overall, we were very pleased with our choice. I happen to like traditional decor, and found the interior design much to my liking. It had an English flair, and after all, Jamaica was an English colony for many years, so the ambiance was in keeping with the area. The color schemes were very tasteful. The room adjacent to the bar near the pool was done in brown and blue and appeared to be decorated with new furniture. It was very attractive. We had a beachfront deluxe room with a nice view, and it was spacious, clean, and quiet.
The lounge chairs on the beach were comfortable, more so than most of the ones we have encountered in the past few years at other resorts. They seem to be all the same lately. Is there only one brand now? The water is warm, but quite shallow. The bottom is kind of slimy on your feet. It appears to be a manmade beach surrounded by swampy land on each side. The sand is nice though.
The breakfast was very good, and the lunch and dinner fairly good. I have had better food elsewhere, to tell the truth. The personnel were very polite and friendly, but it takes a long time to get the food. Some of the waitstaff, though very obliging, were not particularly competent. The all inclusive, which we decided to take, was quite high. If you play tennis, be sure to take your own racket along. I left mine on the airport van by mistake, and boy, was I sorry. They have a lot of rackets, and they are all bad. The desk personnel were very helpful in recommending and calling a doctor's office for me when I needed an appointment. There is really nothing to do at the hotel except to relax and enjoy the beach. Of course, you can take some sightseeing trips and go into town for a change of scenery.

As a woman traveling alone I did some research on hotels in Montego Bay and really didn't want to stay at one of the huge honeymoon resorts where the guests would be all couples. I've traveled extensively around the world so am particular about what I want: comfort, security, friendly and relaxing atmosphere, massage/spa, and options for sightseeing. I also wanted a place with a more classic feel, not all modern chrome and glass. When I opened up the site for the Coyaba I knew it was the hotel for me. Only 50 rooms, right on the beach and lush tropical grounds, the description is very accurate..a smaller more intimate property with a friendly welcoming feel. And that is exactly what I found. The Jamaican staff were so friendly, caring and very accommodating. When I arrived at 7AM off my overnight flight, they hurried to find a room that might open up before check-out and even offered me a chance to look at it to see if it was something I'd like - never in 30 years of travel has any hotel offered that to me. I was impressed. The chef is excellent, location ideal on a beautiful beach. But the thing that most impressed me were the repeat guests..I met a couple who had been visiting Jamaica for 30 years and this hotel is now their favorite. Speaking to the head housekeeper, she told me how many repeat guests they have - and the staff recognize them by name. That impressed me. And I had one of the absolute best massages I've had, the spa manager is excellent. I would definitely stay at the Coyaba again and want to bring my friends, I know they will love it too! Next time I'd like to vary my stay and add a couple of nights at their sister property in Negril.

The Coyaba Beach Resort left a great deal to be desired. The property is supposedly a "four star" establishment. However, I thought this rating to be accurate 10 years ago. It seemed to be an economy property at best. The staff was nice enough but the rooms were dated; the food HORRIBLE (and extremely over priced); the atmosphere cheesey and stale.

The property tries to be European and grand feeling but falls terribly short. Afternoon tea is served. There is a dress code for the dinner dining area (men are supposed to wear long pants.) A "polo" themed bar serves evening cocktails. However, these details made it seem that property was "trying too hard" to be a nice property...and coming-up very short. The atmosphere was not family friendly not was it catering to singles. It reminded us of a cruise ship gone terribly wrong.

Despite being the last night of our honeymoon, my husband and I were put in a room with two double beds. (Not a huge deal since we were only spending one night at the establishment.) Both beds had wooden headboards that squeeked and banged against the wall with even the slighest movement. The decor of the rooms tried to have a plantaition-esque feel but seemed very dated. The ceiling fan made a weird vibrating noise that made sleep very difficult. The linens were in need of replacement...clean but felt like they had seen better days.

The worst party of the property was the food. Both my husband and I were violently ill from the food. This was the first time we became sick from food after spending 12 days on the island. Other than the sickness, it was just bad. The food was standard tourist fair of poor quality and substandard taste. We were not going to go for the "all inclusive" package but the outrageous prices prompted us to add on the package. ($17 for a sandwich, etc.)

On the whole, we were just not impressed with the property. Our advice is to stay somewhere else!

I just got back from 5 days / 4 nights at Coyaba and it was fantastic. It was exactly what I expected and more. The hotel was very clean, well maintained, the grounds were spectacular, and the staff exceptional. On the advice of the other reviews I decided to do the all-inclusive package and it was well worth it! The food was great although somewhat pricey. There were lots of options at the hotel for food between the three restaurants; it’s possible to find something to please everyone. The beach and pool area is beautiful, lounge chairs in shade tend to go quickly but there lots of places to get out of the sun so it’s not a big deal. The beach is surrounded by a natural reef so the water is very calm around the hotel, no big waves to play in but great for swimming. I didn’t even bother with the pool! The spa on-site is great, and it is very easy to set up whatever tour you are interested in doing. The hotel also runs a shuttle to town (for less than a taxi) everyday or every other day if you want to go shopping.

Every Tuesday they have a ‘Manager’s Cocktail Hour’ with free drinks and appetizers, the owners and managers come out and mingle with guests. I thought this was very nice that the owners showed such interest in the happiness of their guests. They also do a ‘Seafood Under the Stars’ night on Wednesdays which was great, and a ‘Native Night’ on Saturdays but I wasn’t there for that.

I will throw out a disclaimer though…if you are someone that needs a lot of entertainment this is not the place for you. It is really no night life other than live music at dinner. It is a place to go if you want to relax, unwind, and enjoy the beach and good food.