My family and I got a terrific air and hotel combo for the Ritz at Rose Hall. The staff, without exception, was very friendly. The room was clean and the grounds well kept. Two HUGE problems.
First, the food was both absurdly expensive and lousy -- especially at lunch. I am ok with the food being pricey, but it should at least be decent for the price ($18 burger, $15 caesar that included 6 pieces of lettuce).
Second, the resort's beach is almost useless. The part that is swimmable is ugly and small. The resort really should not advertize itself as having a beach -- it is misleading.

The Ritz Carlton made our Jamaican getaway perfect! We ended up heading to Jamaica as it was the only place we could find last minute during spring break with both hotel availability and decent flight time out of DC (3hr direct flight from BWI).

Our air carrier was Jamaica air and we upgraded to first class at the airport for $150 each. It was nice to have a larger seat and free drinks but the food and service were nothing spectacular.
Upon arrival we were greeted by the Ritz Carlton staff and led to their shuttle. The hotel is beautiful and the grounds are IMMACULATE. Our room was tastefully decorated and had a crisp, cool feel to it. I was worried because the rooms are so colorful on the website but the decor really does put you in the relaxed Jamaican mindset. The bed is heavenly and our view was beautiful. Our room faced the inner courtyard and pool with ocean behind.
The staff is friendly and the service by the pool was never lacking. The pool scene here is fantastic with wireless internet should you want to work or check emails as you lounge. Power outlets are scarce so make sure you stake your claim near one early. There was never a shortage of lounge chairs. The hotel was booked to capacity when we were there but it never felt crowded. There are tons of lounge chairs on their beach too if you prefer to be by the sand. Beware the beach is small but there is plenty of room for swimming.
For dinner the White Witch was amazing. The food was good, not fantastic, but the view was phenomenal and very romantic. The front desk can make reservations for you and their shuttle will take you and bring you back. Room service and the hotel restaurants are excellent. We especially enjoyed the complimentary mimosas on your way in to breakfast in the mornings. The spa was excellent as well. The Ritz Carlton made our whole vacation. After our experience exploring the island the first 2 days, we did not leave the resort for the next 4 and we were very happy with this. We NEVER stay on a property, we like to explore but were so disgusted by what we encountered we will never go back to Jamaica unless it is specifically to relax at the Ritz.

If you care to hear about our adventure, here it is... We rented a car our second day and headed out, stopping first at Dunn's River Falls. This is such a unique experience, even if it is super touristy. (Warning- if you let one of the staff take your picture after they offer to do so, they will ask you for a tip). Afterwards, we headed out to the Blue Mountains as we heard it was the most beautiful scenery on the island. This is where our trip began to go south and we experienced a part of Jamaica we wish we could forget.
A bit of warning, Jamaica's roads are the worst we have EVER experienced. They were working on putting in a highway which will help greatly once finished. Our trip ended up being an agonizing 9hrs round trip. Jamaica is beautiful; I will give it that but the people we encountered ruined the whole experience. After 3 hrs of driving we turned off on a small dirt road to head to the top of the mountains, we pass waterfalls and mist covered valleys along the way. This is where the non-stop begging began. From the first stop to take a picture, a small boy wandered up and asked us for a dollar. Mind you we were in the middle of nowhere, with no one around. We got back in the car and he ran after us smiling, yelling "give me a dollar". Then we came across a group of school children who literally blocked the road asking for money. We had to push our way through. Farther along the way we passed another group and they yelled, "Hey Whitey, give us some money". Even adults we passed echoed the same fond request.
We were reaching a point of disgust when we were stopped by this Jamaican man who said the road had washed out and we needed a ground guide to get through. He offered to help, even sharing some of his sugar cane with us. We reached the "wash out" and realize it is not really what we would consider washed out. If you have ever done any wheeling, you could easily make it through. We humor him and let him "guide" us through and thank him, ready to be on our way when he asks us for a tip for helping. We were so frustrated and said the rest of the people on our way here beat you to it; we have no money left. We finally reach the summit only to find the road is blocked by some locals and if you want to go through, you have to give them money or go back down the mountain (an hour and a half trip). We said no thank you; we will go back the way we came.
We have never wanted to get back to a hotel so badly. It took forever to traverse the wretched roads. We made it back around 10pm. We were so happy to see the Ritz Carlton! We got to our heavenly room, cleaned up, donned our fluffy robes and slippers and ordered a wonderful room service spread. The next day we cancelled all of our future car rentals and excursions. We happily hung out by the pool and enjoyed the spa for the next 4 days with no regrets. At dinner the next night we were talking to the manager who said that many times the police are called to break up street blocks from the people begging for money from tourist. Granted, I am sure this only happens because we end up giving it to them but we have travelled to SEVERAL locations in the Caribbean and this was the first time we experienced ANY begging and it was NON-stop. If it hadn't been for the wonderful Ritz Carlton, we would not have any fond memories of Jamaica.

We have just had our wedding at the Ritz-Carlton in Jamaica. We must say how excellent every aspect of our wedding/honeymoon was. The staff are excellent, the rooms are beautiful and the views are amazing. Dr. Juice's smoothies are the best and if you decide to go; i highly recommed.
If you are going all inclusive i would advise you to check your room bill every day. Some of the cocktails have premiem spirts in them and will not be included in the "all inclusive" package.

I have to agree with many others that this is not quite what one would expect from a Ritz Carlton. The setting is very nice although somewhat isolated from shopping, dining or other diversions. The lobby is nice and the staff is overall very well trained, friendly and helpful. Every employee pleasntly greets you as you pass by from housekeeping to pool staff and wait staff. The front desk appears to be less helpful. We were given a room with 2 double beds despite requesting a king, it did have a beautiful oceanfront location and after 2 days they finally came and pushed the two beds together for us. The beds are comfortable, sheets very nice, bathroom and toilettries deluxe. Poor water pressure but that is probably an island issue not a hotel issue. Bathrobes provided but not slippers. The pool and grounds were lush and well manicured. The beach as has been said is very small but relaxing, plenty of shady areas and no need to get up early to reserve chairs. The food was really the biggest downfall, prices are very high, selections were limited and food was average at best. The best meal was at the White Witch golf club. Breakfast buffet was almost $60.00 for two people. Hamburgers for lunch with a softr drink was over $50.00. We were with a group and had a few catered events and the food was cold and tasteless. I'm sure the company spent alot of money, time and effort to plan these events and expected much better quality for the money. They really need to step up the food quality and offer a slightly less expensive option. Overall we had a very nice stay and enjoyed our vacation but I doubt we would return for those prices.