Why You Should Visit Montego Bay, Jamaica Right Now, From a New Riu to a Hip All-Inclusive
Montego Bay is the gateway to Jamaica for most tourists who visit the island, and while some journey on to resort areas like Ocho Rios or Negril, ‘Mobay’ itself is the final destination for millions of visitors each year.
And while Jamaica’s second-largest city has been attracting international visitors for more than a century, there’s plenty new to experience, too. Here are nine good reasons you should make plans to visit Montego Bay right now.
Stay at Jamaica’s Coolest All-Inclusive
It’s been a while since Montego Bay’s ‘Hip Strip’ truly lived up to its name, but the S Hotel is about as stylish as it gets. A little slice of South Beach on the Caribbean Sea, the S Hotel embraces laid-back luxury from its wind-swept lobby to a Instagram-worthy pool area and sophisticated room design. Born as an a la carte hotel, the 120-room S only got better when it converted to an all-inclusive, adults-only concept: the setting, dining and entertainment all remain top shelf.
Keep It ‘Riu’ at Montego Bay’s Newest Hotel
The Riu resort chain now has seven properties in Jamaica, with the new Riu Aquarelle, opened in June 2024 on White Bay Beach, the first in the Montego Bay Area. The 700-room all-inclusive hotel near Falmouth ups its appeal to families with a large water park as well as four pools.
Indulge in Jamaican Fast Food
Montego Bay is blessed to have two of Jamaica’s top restaurants serving spicy jerk food: the legendary Scotchies on Falmouth Road (the main coastal road from Montego Bay to Falmouth, near Rose Hall) and the lesser known Pork Pit, which has the advantages of being walking distance from MoBay’s downtown “Hip Strip” and also having a big open grill where you can see your food cooking over hot coals of pimento wood. Patties — savory beef, chicken, or vegetables inside a golden pastry shell, are a Jamaican street food staple, and locals are fierce about which local brand is their favorite: Tastee or Juici. Decide for yourself in Montego Bay, where both have restaurants just a block apart on Barnett Street. Also in MoBay is what’s reportedly the world’s most profitable KFC location: Jamaicans claim the KFC fried chicken served on the island has a special local spice blend that makes it the best in the world.
Experience the Revamped Rose Hall Villas
The signature Rose Hall villas at the luxury Half Moon resort are getting a makeover guided by the design firm Atelier-Vidal, with the first 11 villas due to be completed by November 2024, and another eight in 2025. Definitely worth checking out (if you can afford it) as this iconic beachfront resort celebrates its 70th anniversary.
More Air Options
Both new and familiar airlines are boosting their service to Montego Bay, making it easier than ever to get here from the U.S. In November, the new Avelo Airlines will begin flying nonstop twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays) from Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport (near Hartford) and Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport (MBJ) — the airline’s first international route. United Arlines now flies to Montego Bay from 5 of its hubs, offering up to 34 total weekly flights, and Frontier Airlines added nonstop service between Cleveland and Montego Bay in March 2024. For island-hoppers, Bahamasair is launching new nonstop flights between Nassau and Montego Bay in November 2024.
Find ‘One Love’ at MBJ Airport
Departing travelers can get one last taste of Montego Bay at the Bob Marley themed One Love restaurant at Sangster International Airport (MBJ). Opened in August 2023, the colorful restaurant features a traditional Jamaican pimento grill for cooking jerk food, an herb garden, ample vegetarian and Rastafarian ‘ital’ dishes, a VW bus once owned by Marley, and of course plenty of reggae music and musically inspired decor. The airport’s fantastic Club Mobay also just debuted another new addition.
Roll the Dice on the New Royalton Resort
The Hideaway at Royalton Blue Waters, an adults-only all-inclusive resort that opened in Montego Bay in the fall of 2023, unveiled a casino earlier this year — a nice added amenity at the 352-room resort that also has a sports bar, 10 restaurants, and a spa.
Stay Under Budget at the Hotel 39
An affordable hotel with a rooftop pool overlooking the Caribbean sounds impossible, but that’s just what the new Hotel 39 — a revamp of the former Wexford hotel — brings to Montego Bay’s Hip Strip. With room rates starting under $200 a night, a stay here is a great alternative to a big all-inclusive beach resort while also just a short walk to Doctor’s Cave Beach and Harmony Beach Park.
Feel the Natural Vibrations
Because Montego Bay has been a tourist destination for a long time, a lot of Jamaica’s classic attractions are nearby. And while some are maybe a little tired, there are a few that never really get old. Rafting the Marsha Brae River, for example, has been featured on the cover of Jamaican tourist brochures, but still manages to be fun and occasionally surprising — you never really know what’s around the next bend as your guide gently poles the raft downsteam. YS Falls is another longtime tourist destination, a seven-level waterfall with a pool you can swim in and a rope swing for Tarzan moments. A newer restaurant and zip line add to the fun.
