Azul Beach Resort Negril by Karisma

Just arrived home after 10 days at the Azul resort, read some reviews before we went and was slightly concerned with what has been said on here so this is our honest opinion on the resort Yes it does need some updating especially on the decking and some parts of the outside of the hotel, however if you can handle that then it's an amazing place, the location is perfect, the beach is beautiful and the food is first class, the rooms are a little out dated but clean just like the rest of the resort, fridge topped up daily, free water sports and great bars, had a cabana everyday as it was really quiet, best part about this hotel is the staff, every person who works there from the gardeners, security, cleaners, bar staff are the best, they are always happy to see you, go out of their way to make you feel special, never experienced anywhere with staff this good, special mention to mamma Sheryl, went out of her way everyday to make our holiday, spent my 50th birthday there, she bought me champagne on the beach and booked us a restaurant at Lilly's when we couldn't get a table, she and all the other members of staff will make your holiday, will definitely be going back, so if you want a beautiful beach great food and fun staff it's definitely the place to be, a few tired looking parts is not enough to give this place a bad review.

Stunning resort! This is my second time here, and this visit was much better than before! Some staff members were truly exceptional. Notably: Paula at the cafe; Dwight, the Sales Manager; and Jorge, the Hospitality & Culinary Manager (I don’t think I ever saw this man off the job, and he was always happy with a smile on his face—it was wonderful to see). Our bellboys, Dwayne & Shamar, our housekeeper, Donna, and our turndown housekeeper, Kaye-Anne (I hope this is how you spell her name), were all top-notch. Lifeguard Shawn was wonderful and always made sure we were taken care of, and Lifeguard Rush was one of the hardest-working people we saw at the resort. The security team was also awesome—super friendly and attentive! All of these people set a wonderful example, but we did notice some discrepancies that need work. First, at the snack bar, guests who have already ordered need to be prioritized before staff members place their own orders for guests. Additionally, some staff members truly didn’t look like they wanted to be at work; it was very hard to get a smile out of them, and we noticed a couple of eye-rolls. I think that behavior needs to stop. Perhaps a training session or two on hospitality and guest interaction would be helpful, as this behavior gives a negative spin to the resort experience, even when staff think guests aren't watching. Again, this wasn’t directed at me at all, but I did see it happen with other people. On a positive note, the jerk pit in front of Garfield is amazing, and it should happen more than once or twice a week! However, the entertainment needs improvement. The nighttime shows were excellent but in the daytime it was dead. We hung out at the beach near Garfield’s, and there was barely any music playing. The last two days we were there, they had music at the pool for the pool party, and it was awesome. We feel there should be music playing every single day for those who are at the beach as well. It was a little too quiet—again, that’s just constructive criticism because I know that Karisma loves to highlight their entertainment team.

Our rooms were excellent and very clean. The welcome amenity and setup for our last night were absolutely stunning and beautiful, which we appreciated. I thought the food was OK, and definitely better than the last time I was here. More options were available, making it easier to eat with dietary restrictions and allergies. They definitely had gluten-free options, but it would be nice to have a few more, especially when it came to desserts and breads.

Now, the biggest thing for me—again, it didn’t ruin my vacation, and I gave a four-star rating for that reason—is that there should be more beach service on the Garfield side of the beach. There was barely any service at all. That said, the vibes, the cleanliness, and the overall staff environment were beautiful. The beach itself is exceptional; I don’t think there is a better beach in Jamaica.

A few final things to improve: Azul needs a better system with the beach towels because there were very few available. Maybe bring back a card system where you have to trade a card to get a towel? Also, the room service either needs to be completely eliminated or a lot more effort needs to be put into it. We ordered room service through the app twice and never received it either time. When calling room service, at least three out of four times the phone just kept ringing without anyone answering, so we just didn’t get anything at all. That definitely needs to be improved or eliminated; there’s no point in offering it if you’re not going to actually expedite the orders.

Again, none of this made or broke our vacation at all, but it's just an observation!

The transfer company that has all uses, Errol Flynn was excellent. I highly recommend booking transfer company to the resort. It was seamless. Our driver nicknamed Baller, was awesome. He definitely will be the person we will request from here on out.

We will be back!

I am not bashing the hotel in general because there were many good aspects of it. BUT it is not the 5 star hotel that it claims to be, and that the price would reflect. The employees were generally very pleasant and helpful (especially Dean who helped with our bags and valet, Ricardo and the other guys in the beach area and Racquel and Timar at the restaurants). The food at Ackee especially was excellent (although the desserts in general at all the restaurants were underwhelming). The front desk worked with us to set up a birthday surprise for one of our group, made a room change to accommodate someone who would have struggled to climb 3 sets of stairs once we realized there were no elevators, and did things like call the evening before our check-out to verify if we needed help with our luggage or transportation for departure day. That was good. The grounds are well kept, the beach is great and we felt comfortable with the level of security that was provided. HOWEVER, to be a 5 star hotel - and charge 5 star prices - some things need attention. I was there with a large group. (over 20 ppl in 10 rooms and a mix of Jamaican residents and foreign residents). Some rooms were good (if a little dated), but there were others that had issues: from faulty shower heads to rusty/grimy shower curtains, to un-useable bathtubs with cracks in them, and at least one where the tub had not been 100% cleaned prior to check-in. One in our group asked for a bathmat and was told none were available but I had a bathmat in my bathroom. Other things: There were many areas where the paint had just not been done neatly and a large coffee spill/stain on the stairs leading to my room took 2 days to clean up and even then was only partially done. The lounge chair on my balcony was tattered as were several others. Regarding the entertainment staff: The evening shows they put on were fine. One area where they can improve though is learning how to cater better to their audience. One night there was to be a party but most of the music being played was dancehall and the only people dancing and enjoying themselves were the staff. At one point my group requested a change in music and when that happened we got onto the dance floor and were having a good time but that did not last long before they went back to dancehall music and only the staff dancing. The music should be more inclusive considering that MOST of the guests are foreigners. eg. Instead of so much Vibez Kartel and Alkaline, there should be more Sean Paul and Shaggy. That's what the tourists would respond to. These things are what makes the difference between 5 star luxury and not. Lastly the room occupancy policy is highly limiting and made things even more expensive for some of the families in my group. It actually priced one family out altogether from making the trip because a father, mother and their 2 children were being required to book 2 separate rooms. Even though ultimately we had a good time, I would not come back to this hotel when I can pay these same prices and stay somewhere else and get a true high end experience.