As part of my familiarization trip with the Jamaican Tourism Board (JTB), we visited 9 total resorts. We toured 7 properties and stayed at 2. The 2nd resort we checked into was Secrets in Montego Bay. My room was on the St. James side of the resort in the Preferred Club Junior Suite Ocean View room.

There isn’t a road to to get to the St. James side, so we got off the bus in front of Wild Orchid. The valet’s took our luggage and sanitized everything. They took our temperature and then we walked over to St. James to check in (it wasn’t far, maybe about the distance of a block in the city). They took our temperature again, scheduled our covid test for our return to the US, and gave us drinks in the concierge lounge. I went to my room and less than 5 minutes later, my luggage arrived.

We went to Breathless to have dinner in Sofrito (locally grown ingredients and Latin influences) on our first night and it was so nice! They welcomed us with some purple sparkling wine. I loved the presentation and it was actually pretty tasty!

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A lot of people wonder what the differences are between Secrets St. James and Wild Orchid. They’re actually more similar than different. Both were built at the same time, they offer the same amenities, and the room size and layout are about the same. There are some differences that I’ll share as well as some information about Breathless.

The rooms in St. James are decorated with Jamaica’s history in mind and Colonial style architecture. There’s beautiful dark wood furniture and warm decor throughout the room. The rooms in Wild Orchid have a more contemporary design and are equally as beautiful.

Secrets St. James and Wild Orchid are right next to each other and you could probably walk from one end to the other in 5-7 minutes. It is also very flat, so if you have any mobility issues, I think you might have a fairly easy time getting around. The properties share pools, restaurants, bars and entertainment. The restaurants are all located on the Wild Orchid side of the resort and most of the entertainment will be found there as well. The St. James side of the resort is a little quieter and has a slightly nicer beach area. Wild Orchid is on the tip of the peninsula so the views might be a little different (not necessarily better or worse) from the St. James rooms.

All three resorts offer what they refer to as “Unlimited-Luxury®” and that includes some nice options. You get typical things such as daily maid service and Wi-Fi, but it includes much more. Things such as gratuities included, pool and beach wait service, 24 hour room service, theme parties, etc. You also don’t have to wear a wrist band (and I loved that!)

For both St. James and Wild Orchid – If you are in a Preferred Club room, you will have upgraded amenities, butler and concierge service and be located in a quieter area of the resort. Top shelf liquors, beer, natural juices and soft drinks are available in your room. You will have a beautiful tub in your room and a huge soaking tub on your balcony. You will also have access to all the great things at Breathless. This includes the restaurants, bars, entertainment, pools and all beach areas. Breathless is located right next to St. James, so you can walk over. Anyone staying at Breathless has access to both the Secrets properties and amenities.

Due to covid, you have to request that your mini bar is filled and refreshed and the room service currently has shorter hours. There is a tablet in your room that you can order room service on and your order will be delivered through your butler door. This is a small cubby with a little door in your room and a little door just outside your room. Whatever you order will be placed in the cubby from the outside and you can get it at your leisure inside. Here is a picture of what they brought to my room. It was a plate of fruit, a bottle of water, Pringles and a bag of M&Ms. The bottle of rum was a gift found on the dresser in the room.

My room was very spacious, clean and inviting. I used an image of the bathroom area from the Secrets website as mine came out very dark. The picture of the pool and ocean was taken from my balcony.

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There were multiple places around the resort available for a romantic dinner. Of course there is a charge for this and price varies.

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The property was really lovely and well maintained.

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Pictures of Breathless Montego Bay

Breathless is where the party is happening every night! It’s going to be more lively than Secrets and probably a little younger crowd (although we were not a young group overall and did not feel out of place at all.)

Views from the Rooftop Bar – and yes, there is a pool up there as well. I got lucky and managed to get a picture before people arrived to party!

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Here is a picture of room at Breathless. Notice the shower is clear glass on all sides. If you are not comfortable with that bedroom setup, then I would book at Secrets in the Preferred Club and still enjoy all the great stuff at Breathless. The second picture is a view from the balcony.

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If you would like to read about my travel experience to and from Jamaica during covid, click here. The article covers the process of getting tested before leaving for Jamaica and how I was tested at my resort to get back to the US. I also cover what it is like to fly at this time and any other documentation that is needed to enter travel.

If you would like more information about these resorts or travel in general, you can reach me at:

Karen Boss
KBoss Travel by Dream Vacations
919-346-7779
kboss@dreamvacations.com
www.kboss.dreamvacations.com