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- Azul Beach Resort Negril by Karisma
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Azul Beach Resort Negril by Karisma
Jamaica, Caribbean
Negril
Located on Negril's 7 miles beach stretch. The hotel brings together spacious facilities with unlimited activities and services. This beautiful property is designed to allow couples, groups, wedding parties, families and friends from all generations to re-connect under the sun. The luxurious rooms & suites are tastefully designed in contemporary Caribbean style.
Whether you’re dreaming of a fun-filled family getaway or a romantic retreat, you’ll find your perfect island home-away-from-home right here. 90 Minutes on the North Coast from Sangester's International Airport in Montego Bay.
Facilities
- Tennis
- Beauty salon*
- Spa treatments
- Massage
- Steam bath*
- Sauna*
- Children playground
- Sun loungers
- Children’s swimming area
- Outdoor freshwater pool
- Please note some facilities may incur an additional fee
Due to the surrounding area and the number of steps around the hotel, it may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties.
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.0 Very Good5,548 reviews
Excellent
59%
Very Good
20%
Average
11%
Poor
5%
Terrible
6%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Needs a lot of work to be 5 star
We stayed here for our honeymoon in August in room 20012, a swim up adult only room.
It’s 2.5 hours from the airport, the roads and drivers aren’t for the faint hearted!
We had a nice time but it wasn’t the experience that we were hoping for and required a lot more to be 5 star, we wouldn’t give any more than 3 stars. For an honest review see below.
On arrival the hotel looked lovely from reception, the wristbands have your key on for the door which is great as you don’t have to remember a key on leaving the room. However the key for both of us stopped working on multiple occasions and we were up and down to reception trying to get it sorted throughout the visit. They ask you do download the karisma app on arrival, which we did. You should be able to see everything the hotel has to offer on here and make requests, however again we were thrown out of this multiple ocassions and gave up with it. The app wasn’t up to date and gave incorrect info on what was open when.
The decking as you walk through from the lovely reception by the bar is totally ruined and big gaps, needs replacing. The beach is totally gorgeous and people work to take and keep it clean all morning. Never a problem getting a bed at the beach or by the pool.
The room itself was nice, needs some updating. Holes filled in the bathroom, the furniture outside is old and falling apart, tv is wonky on the wall and room service took 3 days nearlly to refill the drinks in the fridge after keep asking. It’s very close to the amber bar so any night there is music on it is absolutely blaring from the room.
The room service for food was okay, but took an hour each time even with a half empty resort so expect longer waits in busier times. The order itself was quite often wrong and we received other rooms food too.
We paid for a candle lit dinner on the beach 200 dollars, which unfortunately led to a complaint. The meal itself was lovely. When we received our desert, it was the same free desert that you get at the coffee bar or room service. I queried twice why we are paying for the same tiny bit of cheesecake everyone else is getting for free and the lady on shift had nothing to say other than that’s what we ordered and totally missed the point, it shouldn’t be on the menu to start with. The lady we booked it with arranged cheese and biscuits and wine to our room which was nice. The experience on the night left a sour taste in our mouth as we had already had the cheesecake in room service for free that afternoon.
The rooms were nice and clean everyday and everything felt completely safe in the resort. The workers all work hard and Romeo, jehnoy and Sheryl were amazing throughout. Neil was brilliant at cleaning the pool and when he was on a day off you could tell! The other pool cleaners don’t do half as much. The 2 older men working in nesta bar were the only ones slightly different as I heard them making comments about how fit a lady was once she left, didn’t get this elsewhere across the resort.
The entertainment left a lot to be desired. There was practically nothing happening throughout the resort in the daytime the whole time we stayed and we were here for 11 nights. The entertainment in the evening was okay some nights but it repeats week after week so if you got for 7 days plus then you get the exact same shows. Could be done on a 2 weekly basis so you get something different.
We paid to have a swim up room with a swim up bar, 2 of the days the bar didn’t open at all. We asked about it and got told someone would come to take our drinks orders but they didn’t, we went and asked Romeo at the other bar and he brought us a drink. The swim up pool is also open to anyone. The speakers around the pool bar were never on with any music either, there was no atmosphere at all, other than chatting to bar staff.
The restaurants were okay. Food the same everyday in mahogany other than dinner. A lot of people complaining to the manager whilst we were there. There other restaurants were good but portions far too small for us. We were ordering 3 meals between the 2 of us to fill them out. If you want to laugh, order the pancetta in the Italian restaurant…… it comes half the size of a tea spoon mouthful!! We were expecting a lot more food wise. The Italian didn’t have much flavour for the pasta dishes either. The Chinese restaurant was barely open when we were there, nice but small portions again. Trying to be something upmarket but missing the bar completely. Waiters always really attentive. Oceans bar and Garfield’s just never open, not sure if empty buildings. Palms barely ever open either
Around the resort expect a lot of asking everyday if you want a massage as you walk through, people selling weed and excursions on the beach
The sea is lovely and saw barracudas, starfish and stingrays on multiple ocassions
From a honeymoon point of view, not a single thing was done special even on request in the booking and at reception. Nothing to make the bed or room look special, just 2 chocolates on a plate with cling film over the top. I asked and got told if we wanted anything then it’d be 55 dollars for it.
The excursions are great, we booked through bistro but are around 2.5 hours away on the worst roads, if we came back to the island we would stay at a different part.
We got far better experience on an ordinary holiday at the Dominican 8 years ago where nothing was too much to ask and you didn’t need to ask, it was just done.
The coffee bar was brilliant and staff always attentive. If you want ice cream it’s after 11am.
Overall the holiday left a lot to be desired for us unfortunately. Nice relaxing time but wasn’t much going on and the hotel itself looked run down with rattan falling apart, needs a good paint and some attention all round.
Review by Kerri M United Kingdom
🇯🇲 One Love, One World, One Amazing Vacation at Azul Negril!
🌴☀️ Back from Azul Negril… and already missing Jamaica! 🇯🇲❤️
We absolutely LOVED our vacation at Azul Negril! The beach, the water, the food, the drinks… honestly, Jamaica treated us very well! 😎🌴
💎 The water was absolutely crystal clear! We were lucky because our side of the resort had what we thought was the nicest beach and the most beautiful water. Every morning around 9:30, we would see stingrays, and one morning we even had a really cool close-up encounter with a spotted stingray while swimming. 🐠🩵 Definitely not something you see every day!
🏨 Our room was clean and comfortable, and there was coffee in the room, which is always a big plus! ☕️ There are also two coffee shops and several outdoor bars, so you’re never too far from a drink or a caffeine fix! 😂
🌊 One of the biggest pluses for us is that every room has an ocean view, and the beach is literally just a few steps away. You really feel like you’re on the beach all day long! 🩵🌴
🍽️ The food was excellent! We especially loved the Italian and Jamaican restaurants, and the fish was consistently delicious. One little tip: if you don’t want to wait too long, go before 7 PM, otherwise there can be a bit of a wait. Plenty of variety, and we definitely did not leave Jamaica hungry! 😂
🍷 The drinks were also great, with lots of choices and good-quality alcohol. Even the Chardonnay and sparkling wine were really good! 🥂😋
🧴 Plenty of towels and chairs every morning, super sweet and friendly staff, and surprisingly… we didn’t even use our mosquito repellent! 🙌
✈️ A little airport tip when you arrive: Immigration was surprisingly FAST! We were out of the airport in about 30 minutes. 🇯🇲👏 They have basically the same type of computer/kiosk system as in Canada, which made everything very easy.
BUT… then we waited about 1½ hours for the rest of the people to arrive for the bus. 😂 We honestly have no idea what took everyone so long!
So guys, if you’re taking the transfer bus, please don’t go grab a beer, get a taxi or disappear without telling your representative. They are actually waiting for you! 😂🍺🚌
🐬 We also did the excursion to Rick’s Café, with snorkeling and sunset, and it was a really fun day! We never actually saw our Air Transat representative during the week, so we booked the excursion through Sunwing at the resort.
💰 They initially quoted us $90 US per person, but we managed to negotiate it down to $80 US. So don’t be afraid to ask! 😉😂
If you do this excursion, definitely bring water shoes, because some areas can be rocky. And keep your eyes open… we even saw dolphins! 🐬😍
🤿 Our absolute favorite part was snorkeling inside the cave. That was such a cool experience! If you have your own snorkeling gear, I’d recommend bringing it. Otherwise, they provide a mask, snorkel and life jacket — but no fins, so bring your own if you prefer using them.
🌸 And finally, one of those little moments that makes a vacation special…
On our last morning, our lovely breakfast server surprised us by making a beautiful little “Safe Travel” message with flowers on our table. 🥹🌸❤️ Such a sweet and thoughtful gesture, and definitely something we’ll remember!
😂 Now, the one funny-but-not-so-funny thing to be aware of on the beach…
There is one particular vendor, a small and thin guy, who approaches couples saying:
“One Love, One World, Respect.” 🇯🇲❤️
Well… the “respect” part didn’t last very long! 😂
Before you even have time to process what is happening, he puts a bracelet on your wrist WITHOUT asking.
Then comes the plot twist:
💬 “I have a gift for you.” 📿 Bracelet magically appears on your wrist… 💬 “You owe me $5 US.” 😳😂
And if you refuse… apparently you have just been promoted to “cheap French Canadian” of the day! 🤣
So… One Love, One World, Respect… but apparently only if you pay $5! 😂🇯🇲
Honestly, he was the only person during our entire vacation who made us feel uncomfortable.
The other beach vendors do stop to ask if you want something, and if you say no, they usually move on. They can sometimes be a little annoying because you see them every single day, but nothing like this guy! 😂
So just be aware if you see him coming… maybe admire the bracelet from a safe distance! 📿🤣
Aside from that little beach episode, Azul Negril was fantastic and we had an amazing vacation! 🌴🌊☀️🇯🇲❤️
Review by Bombayg Montreal, Canada
I don't want to go any where else...make it like that you get good review...
Why don't you make it up to date all the room, bathrom...people like me work hard all year..for the best ...food as to have the best cheft....just like PUNTA CANA...please don't want to go back....but I don't have a choice...you have the drease place...make it ...that want to come back...
Confirmed booking rejected – Left stranded for two hours with zero accountability
We booked 2 nights at Azul via one of their official booking partners Agoda.
The rate was very good but not unbelievable, I carried out due diligence to make sure it was legitimate, including calling the hotel to make sure they used Agoda and that suitable rooms were available.
When we arrived at the hotel, the hotel said that they did not have a booking for us on their system.
Despite providing a copy of the Agoda invoice and receipt for payment, evidence of the payment on my credit card statement and showing the booking within the Agoda app, hotel staff refused to honour the booking and allow entry, leaving us stranded.
After contacting Agoda to confirm the booking, we understand they attempted to contact the hotel several times to confirm the booking. Staff informed us this would be futile as their reservations department was closed.
Staff watched on as we attempted to resolve with Agoda but demonstrated indifference, suspicion and disinterest. Further information was sent to us by Agoda and shared but the hotel continued to refuse entry.
My wife is severely disabled and a wheelchair user and we were left to sit in the lobby for two hours with little or no offers of any support or hospitality. No support was offered to provide a dignified wait. However, I was asked by staff to park our car on the road outside the hotel grounds.
After two hours of attempting to resolve with Agoda, Agoda agreed to cancel as they could not contact the hotel. At this point hotel staff offered for us to rebook the rooms at much higher walk in rates than we had previously booked, almost double the cost. This was framed as a gesture of good will.
We declined this less than generous offer and had no other choice but to leave and find somewhere else to stay at 8pm at night.
The experience was further compounded when we complained to Karisma and the hotel.
We were accused of falling for a scam, providing false documentation and told a booking had never been made.
Their rushed internal investigation also reported of their generous hospitality and attempts to support and the offer of a vastly reduced rate that was different to the one actually offered. Karisma and Azul did not apologise or concede any responsibility at any point
After speaking to Agoda, they reported that the hotel had breached their partner agreement and should have allowed us to stay based on the information that we provided. Agoda explained that the booking can take 24 hours to show and staff should have been aware of this. Agoda also reported that the hotel have been penalised for breaching their contract.
Agoda have confirmed 100% that a booking was in place and any suggestions by the hotel that the booking was non-existent is a fabrication. Evidence has been provided to Karisma to show that the booking was real.
I also understand that the hotel may have ignored legal obligations they had to support us, leaving us stranded and scrambling to find our own accommodation late at night, regardless of the fact we had our own vehicle.
This was a total communication breakdown in systems between their partner and booking system but they made it our problem and left us stranded.
Luckily, we were able to locate suitable alternative accommodation that met some of my wife's needs, visitors from abroad may not be so lucky.
Choose another resort if you want luxury
This resort is long overdue for renovations, paint chipping, siding falling, dry rot visible on every structure and mold in some of the rooms. I stayed in a swim out in building 11 and the pool had a major leak, water was less than waist deep when we left and so many tiles were missing. The room was subpar, nothing to get excited about (no tub). Our couch fell apart. 3-4 days we didn’t get wash cloths or handtowels…never received bath mats. Also don’t look for an elevator in any building or handrails in some places. On arrival, my refrigerator was empty and the door was falling off the hing. Some staff appeared to be inconvenienced or unhappy about being at work. I will say there were a few staff that ultimately “saved” the experience and the resort(TT, Jody, Jehnoy, Tevoy, Trevor, Michael (lifeguard and grill), Tyron, Gavin, Scharnela, Shanicka, Kenetha, and Safari). Food was less than desirable on 7/8 days (Reggae day was the best). Jerk hut hours inconsistent and they ran out of chicken sometimes within the hour of opening. The grill ran out of everything but burgers (lettuce, chicken, quesadillas) and then would stop taking orders before closing. Restaurants are not able to accommodate larger groups so that they can sit together. Pool bars and lifeguards staff leave at 5. Bars stop serving drinks 15+ minutes before they close to prepare for closing.
If you are looking for luxury, this is NOT the place to go. The beach is beautiful but it’s just sand and water to me. The pictures online are very nice but not a true representation of the facilities.
