Club Ambiance

Club Ambiance is one of the smaller all-inclusive hotels, located on the Runaway Bay Main Road. It promises much for its budget-friendly rating. But does it deliver on what is expected from an adult-only all-inclusive resort?Here’s my experience for your assessment:

What I liked

• Cozy rooms: nice-sized rooms with private balconies make you feel at home.
• Beach and watersports: you can enjoy kayaking and other watersports at no extra cost.
• Friendly staff: restaurant staff and front desk were all quite pleasant and helpful.

What I disliked

• Outdated: furnishings and drapery are typical and noticeably low-budget.
• Wi-Fi restriction: you can only use Wi-Fi in lobby and other public areas, and it’s slow.
• Lack of food variety: maybe due to low occupancy and the fact that there is one main restaurant but food choices were few.

Overall Assessment

Staying at Club Ambiance was an experience that provided mixed results. On one hand, it was quite charming and further enhanced by friendly and helpful workers. On the other hand, it’s like settling for less than what you’re used to or what was expected, especially if you’ve stayed at some of the more notable all-inclusive properties in Montego Bay or Ocho Rios.

Nonetheless, the cheaper hotel rate is arguably worth it if you can look past the shortcomings.

The hotel offers three different room types, of which I will talk about the Superior room. Although the Superior rooms are not fabulous by any stretch of the imagination, they are cozy and homely; containing all the basic amenities you would need, such as a mini-fridge and coffeemaker, and it even comes with a private balcony.

The large, king-size bed (some rooms also come with two double beds), while colorfully decorated, was not as comfortable as I expected.

Also, the overall color combination of the walls, wooden furniture, and accent pieces, seems to be both outdated and not well thought out. As for the bathroom, it was clean and comfortable, but suffered from water deficiencies which I later learned was a sore point for many guests in numerous reviews.

Food-wise, Club Ambiance lacks variety, but the available dishes, I must say, are well-prepared and tasty. Don’t expect variety in drinks either and don’t be surprised if you can’t get your favourite mixed drink because there is no rum.

Despite the limitations, having fun and relaxing at Club Ambiance isn’t hard. To begin with, the shallow beach (man-made) allows for a lot of quiet time due to only a few guests in sight. Plus, if you’re the adventurous type, you can try out the clothes-optional section which, again, is usually empty. Compared to noisy and overcrowded beaches at larger resorts I have been to, I could actually recline on a lounge chair and enjoy the sounds of the water, as well as watch a few birds come around. There is also a pool to enjoy, although the bar here is often closed due to low guest turnout. There is also live musical entertainment on some nights to look forward to.

Other features to take advantage of at Club Ambiance include a small gym, dance classes and a tiny spa hut where you can get awesome massages. All in all, though, while it’s possible to have a good time at Club Ambiance, the multitude of drawbacks cause it to score lower than it actually should.

Book Your Stay at this Resort

If you’re in Runaway Bay and want to experience Club Ambiance for yourself, then make a reservation. You can check dates below.

Booking.com