This is part 2 of what will be a 4 part series on all-inclusive properties and excursions I experienced in Jamaica.  The Secrets Wild Orchid property is part of an adults only complex of hotels in Montego Bay that includes Secrets Wild Orchid, Secrets Saint James, and Breathless.  This was a beautiful property with a lot to do!  The staff was incredibly accommodating and it is one of those places where it is hard not to have a good time.

The rooms and this property in general are incredible.  As with all Secrets properties they are meant for couples.  Each room has a secret box that is accessible from both the outside of the room and the inside.  It allows room service to deliver your food without you even having to open the door.  Very cool feature.  The grounds are well kept and you really do feel like you are in a tropical paradise.

There are a number of restaurants on the property.  We ate at the Steak house and the Mexican Restaurant.  Both were really good.  The portions were just right and the quality of the food was outstanding.  Be prepared to spend some time at the meals though.  The service was slow, but I believe that is intentional.  They don’t want to rush you.  Also, the restaurants on this property do not take reservations and the first night there was a wait at many of the options.  Room service was running about an hour so you and your stomach should plan accordingly.

The beaches on this property are exactly what you hope to see when you go to the Caribbean.  It is situated on a point on a bay so you are surrounded by water on 2 sides.  There were also at least 3 large pools on property not including the Breathless property.  It is worth mentioning, since the properties are adjoined, that people staying at Breathless have access to the other properties, not necessarily the other way around.  Make sure to work with your travel agent to book the right category of room if you want to access all the properties.

Quick note for the fun crowd, Breathless has some pretty crazy parties and a fantastic rooftop bar.  The property is also adults only, and does cater to more of a party crowd.  We went to the Fat Tuesday’s party and some of the ladies in our group had their faces painted to glow in the black lights.  The staff had people up on the dance floor and were teaching them new dance moves while others hung out by fires talking with their friends.  DJ Kwan was a trip and will definitely chat you up if you are there.  After the party we went up to the roof top bar and hung out taking in some amazing night time views.

Right next to the property, is the Hard Rock Café Montego Bay.  We went there on a Tuesday night near closing time and not surprising it was pretty dead.  It is one of the smaller Hard Rocks I have been to but they are right on the beach and do have a pool so I heard it is a fun place to go during the day.  If you are a Jimmy Buffett fan you can also go to Margaritaville.  It looks like a lot of fun with a slide out into the bay and an adult sized floating obstacle course so consider taking your swim suit.  Some of the guests we talked to said it was great.  You will have to take a cab to get there and depending on traffic it can be a 10-30 minute drive.  The hotel offers a free shuttle at 10:15pm and 11:15pm but there is only 1 return trip at 2:00am.  Not a great option if you have to work in the morning, but that won’t be a problem for most guests staying here.  You can also get a personal cab for $60 round trip from the hotel.  It’s a bit pricey but you are paying for the safety.  They actually give you a cell phone to call the cab driver when you are ready to return so you are working with people trusted by the hotel.

I can’t end this post without giving some serious credit to Mr. Grant with Captains Watersports, the onsite dive shop.  His entire staff was first rate.  I’ll be going more into the diving in the future post on excursions, but if you like to snorkel or scuba dive I highly recommend this onsite shop.  They are very accommodating and take safety seriously.  The water as you can see in the picture above is crystal clear.  You can go to one of multiple beaches and wade out / swim safely.  At one point I saw a lady sitting in about a foot of water on the beach feeding fish bread. There was an entire school of black, yellow and white sergeant major fish hanging out around her, swimming through her legs.  They were like little pets.  I sat next to her and she gave me some bread to feed them and they would swim up and nibble it right out of your hand.  Did the same thing while scuba diving and will post pictures of the feeding in the Excursion post.  If you would like to see more pictures of the property check out my Facebook page via the link below.

Secrets Wild Orchid Photo Album