My husband booked this trip at the last minute for us and our 3 kids (11, 8 & 5). Other than not getting the white sand beach I was expecting we all had a great and relaxing time. Our nanny stayed late to meet the kids since we got in after her usual time. The kids took to her and she was great with them. We snorkled, kayaked, glass bottom boated and used the water slide and pool. The whole staff was great and the food was good. Our room was very spacious and clean. Our nanny kept the fridge stocked with everything the kids loved so there was always something to snack on. There are not that many activities at night for adults but there is always something for the kids to do and that let us just relax. FDR beach is small and rocky so we used the beach next door. There is a guard on either side of the gate but both were very gracious and the kids had a great time swimming and digging in the sand. We had great massages via the spa down by the water with the waves lapping. We will definately go back we All loved it.

My family (2 adults, 10 and 5 year old girls) just returned from 11 days at FDR and we have many great things to say about them. Our original stay was to be 8 days/7 nights, but I (the mom) got sick the night before we were supposed to leave, so by the time we got the travel insurance organized and got seats home it was 11 days. My $200-something for travel insurance paid for itself several times over!
During my time of illness, I was waited on hand and foot, even more so than usual. The nurse visited and called every few hours, the nanny made sure I had a constant supply of ginger ale, bottled water and crackers (thank you, Amelia!!) and the Guest Relations Manager (Andrea) sat with me a few times just to chat and get my mind off my misery. Also, they knew before I did that the travel insurance was not going to cover the extra nights in the hotel, so they COMPED two of the four nights! How's that for customer service? They also arranged to have a physician come to the hotel to see and treat me, who was also very professional and gave me great care (which included two IVs) in the comfort of my oceanview bed! If you ever wonder about medical care in Jamaica, it is very good and the entire doctor bill including two house calls and all the meds was $300!
The nanny program is priceless and I never saw a nanny with a grumpy look. My kids fell in love with their nanny, Amelia. They were so busy having fun we could hardly get them to spend time with us!
Yes, as in previous reviews, the hotel is a bit worn. However, you can clearly see where they are making great effort to improve. While we were there, we constantly saw people painting, cleaning, repairing...they even rake the beach every morning to clear it of seaweed. We had troubles with the hot water but it was resolved within the time we were there. We had two doors that stuck mercilessly but, to their credit, we didn't really say anything until we were ready to leave, at which time they told us cheerfully that they would have fixed it immediately! The room was very large, as was the balcony.
When we arrived, they were offering an upgrade special from a 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom. My 10 year old was complaining of having to sleep with her younger sister who kicks like crazy, so I asked if I could see a 2 bedroom just to compare. When they said there wasn't one available to show me and I commented on why we wanted to look, rather than try to upsell me they said, "Hey, no problem! We'll bring a cot up! How would that be?" When we arrived at our room, they had brought up two actual twin beds and set them up in the corner of the living room, so we didn't even have to set up the sofa each night!
The food is very good overall, having only had a couple of average meals during our stay. The executive chef and sous chef are out in the dining area frequently, asking diners about the food and they take suggestions to heart. We had coconut macaroons one night that were heavenly and, when we asked the chef a few days later when he'd make them again, he said he'd make them the next day and he did! Just before leaving I commented to the nanny that I hadn't had a chance to have conch fritters while on the island and she said that if I had just asked the chef, they would have seen to it that they were made for me. Where else can you get that type of accommodation?
The beach is indeed small but it is also a protected cove which is very helpful when you have small kids. It is a short swim into deeper water. There were also plenty of beach loungers, adirondack chairs and some picnic tables. We never missed having a larger beach area, but if you do, the beaches are all public and you can go next door to the larger stretch of beach.
If you are a diver, there are several dive sites that are very close and are excellent. The staff at Scuba Jamaica, with an on-site location, are a terrific bunch (Thank you Kerry and Christian!) and very professional. Our 10 year old took the Bubblemaker PADI class and loved it.
In all the years we have traveled and all the places we have been and all the different classes of hotels we've stayed in, we have truly never had service or attention like we did at FDR.
I have given FDR a 4 instead of 5 simply based on the need for room updates and fine-tuned cleanings like balcony railings and baseboard corners.
As a final 'aside', Air Jamaica was ABYSMAL with horrendous customer service, nasty counter agents and a couple of unpleasant flight attendants. They also overcharged us by $1200 which we now have to fight. I'll gladly pay more for my plane tickets next time to avoid Air Jamaica.

This was our first visit to FDR. I say 'first' because I can definitely see us returning sometime in the future. However, it will probably be in a few years, when the kids are older. We booked this one largely because of the nannies. However, it wasn't the panacea we had hoped it would be. Mostly because of scheduling. For example, the nannies work from 9-4:40 with an hour off for lunch. Since the sun rises before 5am, the younger kids are up and about for several hours before the nanny comes to help. (The fact that breakfast doesn't start until 7:30 also added to the frustration). We took advantage of the fridge stocking service and I could feed the kids breakfast (cereal, milk) and I could have tea, but any other options had to wait until after 9--like a quiet breakfast for the grown-ups. I could give other examples, but the gist is that it was hard to keep the young kids on the schedule they were used to at home, and with naps& bedtime delayed or shortened it made for difficult afternoons with the toddler. However, once I got the nanny on board with feeding the toddler lunch earlier (making sandwiches from the breakfast buffet that ended at 10:30 (11:30 at home)) instead of waiting until 12:30 when lunch started, then naptime could start earlier and the afternoon went much(!) easier.
The other problem with scheduling was that I was still nursing the baby. Several times a day I had to 1)find the nanny to get the baby, 2) find the nanny to return the baby, oh, and 3) find the nanny to start her break (for both lunch, and dinner if you're having them stay into the evening). I did a LOT of walking around that little resort. Next time I would arrange for an extra key for the nanny and have her meet me with the kids back at the room when it was time for her breaks. I would also pack toys/games for the times that the kids need to be entertained in the room. (great room, by the way--2 br, 2 1/2 bath)

which brings me to the other issue that would have changed my planning for the trip: the sidewalks. In the pictures, you can see beautiful walkways through the resort. However, the walkways are paved with a tile that becomes extremely(!) slippery when wet. And they are wet just about all day, every day, either when it rains or when they get washed, or when wet feet from the pool drip their way to the bathrooms. I wish I had packed more shoes with rubber soles for traction for both the kids and the grownups.

I took the advice of an earlier review and brought a couple of tea towels for the kitchen. Those were very useful-thanks!

I forgot to pack swim diapers. Uh oh! None for sale in the giftshop, either. I found a supermarket on the shopping trip to Ocho Rios, though, that had several sizes stocked. (from the brick marketplace where they drop you off, go out the small chained gate at the back and turn left. The supermarket is about 100 yards ahead and although tiny, has a good selection of just about everything. --great place to get souvenirs for back home (jerk seasoning, red stripe beer, etc). Oh, but if you want a larger (more American feel...relatively) supermarket, there is one just to the side of the blue-awninged "craft market". I think it was "General Foods" (?) The shopping trips are scheduled three times a week and are only for a couple hoursm so with a 30-minute drive time, there's not that much time for shopping AND running errands.

I also didn't bring enough cash with me to both shop AND tip the various folks(baggage, drivers, nanny, restroom attendant at the public faciilties in Ocho Rios, etc). However, in Ocho Rios, there's a Scotia Bank with an ATM (the one in front) that will dispense both Jamaican and US dollars.

I did manage to pack enough sunscreen-barely. We went through a lot of it, but even so, the two older kids got burned (they forgot to re-apply at lunchtime. Luckily the giftshop stocked aloe gel. I'd plan on having one bottle/tube per person and an extra to keep near the door.

As it turns out, I had way too many "resort" clothes and would have been fine with much more casual clothes. There's not that much to do at the resort that doesn't involve water, so I would've only needed a couple outfits for the off-resort trips and maybe something to wear for dinner---but still, any of this could be shorts/t-shirt attire. Some folks did clean up and dress a little nicer for dinner. Many just came in what they were wearing. I think a lot of it depended on how late we went to dinner. The Jamaican Restaurant and the Italian Restaurant are co-located on the far side of the resort from the family buffet (both on the water, though). They were never open at the same time and neither were open on Wednesday or Saturday night. Wednesday was buffet on the beach with entertainment (stick around for the second (adult) part of the show--really funny). Saturday was Jamaican buffet--I'm vegetarian, so it was salad night for me--too late I realized there was also a pasta station. oh, but speaking of, there was always a vegetarian option on the menu at the family buffet whenever it was open. But ya know, whenever we had dinner at the family buffet, we made the mistake of choosing seating that was near the water--you'd think that would be nice, right? hear the sound of the waves lapping while you ate? Nope. The bands and/or kids talent show were piped through the speakers MUCH louder than you might expect they would be. Next time we'd sit further away from the 'stage'.

The tennis pro was 'awesome' at giving one-on-one lessons--I wish I had started earlier in the week. He really helped me improve my swing. He's around to just play a game, too, if you don't need help. Make sure to bring footwear for tennis & the workout room, too. Early morning stretching in the gym got hot--the breeze is blocked by the trees. However, the teen room/billiard room is quite breezy and a wonderfully quiet/serene place to be.

I wish I had brought clothespins for hanging the wet clothes outside over the balcony. They dried pretty quickly in the sun/breeze, but were likely to get blown over the side, too.

I also wish I had brought more white t-shirts (for each person in the family--even adults)--they do tie-dye every afternoon. Be sure to give yourself a few days for it to dry completely.

We had a load of laundry washed at the resort near the end of our stay. It was $9 U.S. and they provided the soap, etc. You just leave it in a bag at the washing place and they'll set it out for you when it's dried. They don't fold it, though, so expect wrinkles unless you pick it up right after it's finished.

There's a nurse on property, but not 24-7. Plan to bring your own: bandaids, neosporin, tweezers, itch relief(sun-rash) (mosquitoes), tylenol, benedryl, etc.

we did okay with 2 swimsuits per person, but next time I'd pack more. also, (girls) a one-piece is preferable for the pool volleyball game, as well as some of the water sports activities. The giftshop sells sarongs, but plan to bring several from home as they'll be MUCH less expensive that way.

Final piece of advice--use a polarizing filter on your camera. It makes an incredible difference!
ok, last-final bit---stop by the fishing section of your local discount store before you go to pick up inexpensive polarized sunglasses. You'll be glad you did!

I hope this helps y'all plan your trip.

We just returned from our second stay at FDR. I wish I was still there.

My wife, 7-year-old, and I flew in Saturday, June 14th, for a 6-night stay. The road from the airport to Runaway Bay was much, much better than the last time. The ride wasn't bad at all. Grab a Red Stripe as you leave the airport and relax. By the time you hit the pit stop, you can get another.

The FDR is locally-owned. I asked the driver what was better for Jamaica: staying at the foreign or locally-owned places. Of course he said staying at the locally-owned place was the best for Jamaica.

We had a massage on Sunday. It was good. The kiddo got her hair braided and the Little Mermaid treatment. She loved it.

I dove every day. It seems that scuba is no longer part of the package. However, the dive shop at the resort is good and I would pay for packages from them. Fruity was a really good divemaster.

The food was OK to pretty good. I ate my weight in jerk chicken from the grill. Anything they made with Red Snapper was really good. Don't go if you are going just for the food.

The drinks were good. Never waited over 30 seconds to get service.

The activity department was more active this time. We had a good time playing the games. The Booze Cruise was a hoot. Snorkeling was fun for me and the little one. Take some bread or crackers with you if you go and you will be swarmed by fish.

Our nanny was Crystal. The kiddo liked her a lot. One nice thing about the FDR is that they are cross-training some of the nannies. Some were being trained as bartenders while so they can work more.

Met some great people. Sorry Max, but I lost your address. Email me if you see this. There were plenty of kids for ours to play with. I think they captured every hermit crab in Runaway Bay. It was a catch and release program though.

Loved the room (127). The rooms here are not overly luxurious, but are very large and comfortable. I would rather have the extra space than a marble sink for sure. Crystal kept Pepsi, pineapple juice, and a couple of Red Stripes in the fridge.

Take some tip money. These folks work hard for it.

We will go back soon I'm sure. It is a relaxing vacation that both kids and adults love. There is a reason why the FDR gets so much repeat business.