TERRIBLE IN EVERY SINGLE WAY!

We went to a wedding. SO many things went wrong!

The staff is incompetent and SLOW. Altough, to their credit, they are very nice. While stealing shrimp from the wedding dinner in napkins (this was witnessed by someone in our party).

If you want scalding or freezing water in your shower, stay here! Otherwise,,,, Don't plan on using the slippery, unsafe shower.

The "hotel" is in BAD need of repair. The concrete stairs are jagged and uneven, and if you find yourself falling, bleeding and needing a doctor... Forget it, they don't have one, it will take over an hour for one to come and they will charge you $150 dls! Bring your own first aid kit, that's what you will end up using because the "nurse's station" is not exactly stocked.

The pool area is a disaster waiting to happen... Slippery tile ALL AROUND.

Someone in our party's snorkel boat capsized... TURNED OVER! All their stuff went in the water and they had a terrible scare. Guess the boating staff knew exactlly where to take them for a REALLY safe trip!

The food is terrible... Bring your own Splenda they dont have any. Oh, and hot sauce, and ketchup, and tea, and salt. Oh and make or bring your own food and drinks if you dont want to wait for over 45 minutes to get a 4 oz glass of soda brought to you.

Every single activity you plan that depends on the hotel WILL be late. Buses, boat trips, tours, bus to the airport, ANYTHING.

DONT EVEN TRY leaving the "hotel" it is in such a great area there are drug dealers outside waiting to pounce on you... We felt very unsafe at all times. So basically, since you cant leave (your bus will be late) have a great time in your jail cell at FDR resort. I hope the safe in your room works (ours didn't). Otherwise, keep your valuables with you... Unless you plan to go snorkeling, your boat might capsize.

Final note: When talking to the owner of this dump, Frank.... Don't expect any help and bring a lawyer.

We (mid - late 30's couple, 3 year old and 4 month old) spent 6 nights at FDR in late March / April and enjoyed our stay. The resort is somewhat simple and small which we found refreshing after vacationing at larger, fancier and louder resorts.

1) transport from airport - we took other tripadvisor advice and booked a private transfer - we called the resort to book and paid $80 - I think it was worth it as some other guests told us they waited quite awhile for the shuttle to leave as they were waiting for other guests. We specifically requested seat belts (which we used to secure the carseats) and highly recommend them -
I don't think the island is receiving any rewards for traffic safety...we had air con but when we got in the van/bus there were some mosquitos so we opted to open the windows. No big deal -

2) check-in - I was a bit nervous about the room type b/c we booked on bookit.com rather than through the resort (prices were the same but the resort online booking engine indicated no rooms availalble - ). I did contact the resort to make several requests - roll away bed for toddler, crib, bottled water, king bed and to confirm ocean view room. We were very happy with our room, all requests were fulfilled and we had a terrific view (room 29 - ). Only downside was that it was on the 3rd floor which was a drag with kids-in-tow.

3). The room - it had a great view with a nice patio overlooking the water. It was spacious (1 bedroom/1 bath). The bedroom was decorated nicely, the king bed and linens comfy. The bathroom left a bit to be desired - small and while clean , had the look that you just couldn't get it clean although it was. Not enough counter space. Hot water was fine in bath. Kitchen living area was adequate - furrniture and kitchen in general a bit tired but completely adequate. Had to put beer / juice in freezer to get it cold enough. No bugs in the room other than a few mosquitos that we let in when we left the balcony doors open. Overall we were happy w/ the room and would request it again -

4). Food - pretty good. The resort wasn't full during our stay so there were no more than 2 options each night (sometimes just 1). But the atmosphere was always great - the jamaican cuisine, night or day was quite good, the italian not so much. drink service at meals and at bars during the day was always good and timely. Breakfast good, particularly if you utilized the eggs made to order - sometimes the salads / fruits got a bit tired as the morning or day wore on but it was obvious so we knew when to enjoy and when to not - none of us had any stomach issues during or after our stay.

5) Activities and amenities - we didn't do too much as we were just looking to relax but we did play tennis daily - the tennis pro on staff is knowledgable and provides lessons free of charge - tipping, I'm sure is appreciated. We didn't do the scuba but heard it was fine. Did the glass bottom boat with our 3 year old and he enjoyed it. The pools were fine - the main pool had some small slides and a nice entry on one end - steps all the way across where our toddler, and several others, could play. The toddler slide and pool were great - he enjoyed several hours there daily. The beach is completely fine - nothing spectacular for adults but perfect for kids - they had beach toys but we did bring some and we were glad we did (just so he could have everything he wanted). We left them so others could enjoy -

6) Service - overall very good - that doesn't mean that the servers or any staff were perfect but we found that most seemed to care about keeping guests happy - we rewarded many with small tips throughout our stay and that seemed appreciated.

7) The nanny - The nanny service is specifically what attracted us to this resort. We have done Beaches which we like but with 2 kids now the nanny seemed like a fantasy...and it was!!! I'm so hesitant to disclose her name b/c I want to make sure she's available to us when we return...she just made our experience close to perfect and felt like part of the family by the time we left - you can't go wrong with Donnett - we used her after hours ($4 / hour) which allowed us to have dinner alone or just to have some help while we all had dinner. Admittedly it's a bit strange at first to figure out how to use the nanny but we worked it out, well, by the end of our first day. The nannies, I think, really rely on the after-hours use so we used her every evening except for one to help in one way or another. They make so little in Jamaica, while the fee is $4 / hour we paid her a lot more - they are responsible to pay for their own transportation to and from the resort and most don't drive. We also left all the books we brought for our kids with her for her son or anyone else who might enjoy them - lord knows we have far more than we'll ever need. And, we tipped her very very well at the end of the week.

All in all, it was a great stay - I often look at these boards without posting our experiences (bad me...) but for the FDR I'm making a point to write- I did so much research b/c I was afraid I would be terribly disappointed with the condition and amenities of the resort as we're somewhat used to more luxurious properties. It's not the Four Seasons but if that's what you want go for it, pay the price, miss the included nanny and decide if it's worth it!! Otherwise, keep your expectations in check and enjoy all that FDR has to offer!!

We're going back. Soon.

We Just returned from FDR at Runaway bay .. The pictures on the web dont explain the fun and the beauty this place is all about . The property is a bit tired compared to the modern resorts but its comfy for a family and you soon overlook some of the the wear and tear . The property is well maintained and clean .. The people who work there from the Nannies to the entertainment directors , even the omlete man are very well trained totally focused on you and your kids enjoyment . The size of the property is small but safe .

the wonderfull part was how they had activities organzied they had some thing diffrent for the toddlers , pre teens , teens and even adults . The water sports was always open for snookling , glass bottom boat rides etc etc .

They keep you smiieng all day by say Hey Mon .


i know it is all inclusive and food is not the priority ... they had a grill which served good foods if you did not like the buffet which was okay plenty of choices for whole family . They had adult only dining which was in a beautiful setting but the food was a let down .

My kids have traveled to plenty of other high end kids resorts and they all said this was the most Fun because of the people .

take your kids , and a camera .

The facility is run down but clean. There is entertainment at night but it goes on until about 10 pm and can be heard in virtually every room regardless of where you are in the resort so it makes it hard for the little ones to go to sleep.

The beach is tiny but there is an adjacent beach which you can use but you can't use the facilities at all so you have to walk back to FDR for batch rooms etc. I tried to use the beach shower to get sand out of my 5 year olds eyes and had a security guard come up to me in 30 seconds to say we couldn't use the facilities.

Food was ok but not great - eating out over the water was beautiful so it made up for the lack of variety.

The bath rooms while clean are very small, the water pressure is low and we didn't always have hot water.

The trip to Dolphin cove is definitely worth the money. Our entire family had a great time with the dolphins.