Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica REVIEW: Why I’ll Never Book with TUI Again

Before I even get into the issues with Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica itself, I have to start with the nightmare I had with TUI.

I booked this holiday on 17th December 2024, paying just under £2,500 per person. It’s no secret that two weeks in Jamaica during the school holidays isn’t cheap, but I was prepared to pay for a relaxing trip. Then, out of nowhere, on 23rd June 2025, just six weeks (42 days!) before we were due to fly on 4th August , TUI emailed me to say that the hotel would be undergoing major renovations and our stay might be affected. We were given just 10 days to decide if we wanted to stay or move to one of five alternative hotels. Shockingly, two of those options were adults-only despite my booking clearly including a child.

What makes this even more frustrating is that TUI clearly knew about the renovations long before those 42 days. After some research I had seen posts in both a TUI Facebook group and a Bahia Principe Facebook group where other customers had raised concerns months earlier after being warned about the same building works. Yet instead of being transparent, TUI left it until the very last minute to inform us.

This is not the relaxing break I had carefully chosen and saved for. They insisted I either cancel for a refund (which wasn’t an option as I’d been desperate for this holiday), pay a lot more to switch to another hotel or pick one of their 5 “like for like” options.

I was initially offered a move to RIU Ocho Rios, which I accepted, only to later be told there was no availability.

The other options?

Riu Reggae and Riu Montego Bay – both adults-only. Riu Negril and Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa – hotels with consistently worrying reviews mentioning food poisoning, which I wasn’t willing to risk with a child.

TUI claiming that “all customers were treated equally” is laughable. Offering families adults-only hotels is not equal treatment it’s irresponsible and discriminatory.

The So-Called Friend Who Made It Worse

On the very day I received TUI’s email about the building works, I immediately phoned them and was offered a move to RIU Ocho Rios. I could have switched straight away but I didn’t. Out of consideration for my friend (who I’d booked this holiday alongside), I thought it would be best to wait and make sure she could move too. After all, the whole point was for our children, both only children to enjoy a holiday together. That decision turned out to be a big mistake. When I called back, TUI told me that RIU Ocho Rios was suddenly “full.” So while I held back to try and keep us together, she went behind my back and grabbed the better hotel for herself. She didn’t think twice about leaving us behind in Bahia, even though we had planned this trip together for months.

That was the end of the friendship. Selfish doesn’t even begin to describe it and I can honestly say I’m relieved our bookings were separate. I wouldn’t put it past her to have messed with my booking or even my money. Some people really show their true colours when things get tough and hers were pitch black. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I rarely share my personal life on social media. The fact that I’ve included this in my review shows just how hurt and annoyed I was. That said, we move on — and in future, I’ll definitely be more cautious about the friends I make online.

Still Managed to Enjoy Jamaica

Despite everything TUI’s disgraceful handling and a backstabbing friend — the three of us still had two fabulous weeks in Jamaica. Jamaica itself is beautiful, the people are wonderful, and we made some amazing memories.

But the Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica hotel? Terrible. And in the next section, I’ll explain exactly why I’ll never recommend it.

The Good

Let’s start with the positives, because this hotel does have some strong points. The kids’ club was absolutely fantastic. My child felt safe and secure, and I loved how the staff used WhatsApp to keep parents updated — whether it was to let you know your child was eating, playing, or if there were any issues. The staff were extremely friendly and took the children swimming, to the waterpark, to tennis, cooking classes, movie nights, and even talent shows. It’s honestly one of the best kids’ clubs my daughter has ever experienced.

The entertainment team also deserves recognition. They worked hard to keep adults engaged with activities such as patois lessons, trivia games, mini golf and more. They interacted with guests daily and really put effort into making sure everyone was having fun.

The Bad

Unfortunately, the issues we had overshadowed the good. The first room we were given was old and outdated, which I expected from the photos. What I didn’t expect was a broken shower that leaked water everywhere, and a balcony door that would not close. This was extremely unsafe, especially for families with young children. Even with the door shut, you could hear everything outside. To make matters worse, our room was directly above evening entertainment. After a nine-hour flight from London to Jamaica, all we wanted was rest, but instead we were kept awake by music and noise late into the night.

The situation was worsened by our neighbours playing loud music. When I knocked on their door, they ignored me. Reception promised to handle it but never came, so after two hours I had to physically go downstairs to ask for help.

I requested a room change, but we were told it would take two days. That meant two nights of little to no sleep. When the move finally happened, we had to check out by 12 pm but were not given access to the new room until 5 pm. We spent the whole day without a room, no shower, no chance to rest, which was incredibly frustrating.

The second room, thankfully, was one of the newly renovated ones. The balcony door actually closed properly, which was a huge relief. It was much better, but by then the damage had been done to our overall experience.

Food and Drink

The food was very hit and miss. On the plus side, the buffet did include Jamaican staples such as oxtail and ackee and saltfish, but many dishes were bland and lacked flavour. The main buffet was also so busy that guests often had to queue outside.

There are à la carte restaurants on site, but personally, I had no interest in trying Indian or Italian food while in Jamaica. I wanted authentic Jamaican dishes, so those restaurants didn’t appeal to me.

Drinks were another let-down. At the pool bar, staff often didn’t know how to make basic cocktails and even asked me what ingredients they should use. That struck me as unprofessional, so I gave up and stuck to Coke for most of the holiday.

Service and Facilities

Towels were a constant issue. Even after moving rooms, housekeeping often didn’t leave enough towels for two adults and one child. Sometimes they would take used towels without replacing them, leaving us waiting hours for replacements after calling reception.

I don’t blame the staff entirely. Many of them were demoralised because the hotel is due to close in December and will be taken over by Hyatt. They’re losing their jobs, and it showed. Service felt chaotic and poorly managed.

Serious Safety Concerns

I also need to mention a very disturbing incident that took place on our second day. A male guest was accused of inappropriately touching a 14-year-old girl, which quickly escalated into a major confrontation. In the middle of this argument, the guest began throwing glass bottles into the main pool, terrifying families and other paying guests.

The hotel’s security response was appalling. They stood by doing very little, even after one security member was punched in the face by the same man. I filmed the entire incident but will not share it publicly out of respect for the family involved. Still, I could not believe what I was seeing.

The pool had to be closed because of the glass at the bottom, and what shocked me even more was seeing the same guest sitting casually in the hotel lobby a couple of hours later. It took the hotel far too long to remove him from the property. For me, this highlighted how poorly managed and unsafe the resort felt, and it left me with no confidence in their ability to protect guests in serious situations.

Compensation

After complaining about the issues, particularly the unsafe balcony door, TUI originally offered £300 compensation as a holiday voucher or £500 as a voucher. I refused and pushed back. Eventually, they agreed to £500 in cash, which I accepted.

Tip: never accept the first offer. Companies like TUI will always start low.

Final Thoughts

This hotel has potential, especially with its excellent kids’ club and hard-working entertainment team. However, the negatives — unsafe rooms, noise, food quality, poor service, and towel issues — were too overwhelming for me to consider returning, even after renovations.

TUI’s customer service throughout this process was also disappointing. You spend thousands with them but get nothing back for loyalty. In comparison, Virgin Atlantic offers Virgin Points and British Airways offers Avios. With those companies, at least your money goes further.

We are already planning our return to Jamaica next year, but this time I have booked with Virgin Atlantic. TUI has lost me as a customer for life. Years of loyalty clearly mean nothing to them, and I refuse to spend another penny on a company that treats families this way. At least with Virgin I can earn Virgin Points and feel confident that I am valued as a customer. Stay tuned, because I will be sharing a full review of the hotel we stay at next year.

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