Fact vs. Fluff: Jamaica’s Runaway Bay Heart Hotel is a little too proud of its staff

Our newest feature, Fact vs. Fluff, compares the hyperbole of hotel websites and the cold, hard truth of what guests really experience. Today’s hotel is the Runaway Bay Heart Hotel in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.


Since Oyster sends its reporters to hotels incognito, we know what the service is really like, no matter what a resort’s website might claim. This snippet from the Runaway Bay Heart Hotel doesn’t tell the whole story: Runaway Bay Heart Hotel, located in Runaway Bay, St. Ann is a full service hotel operated by the HEART Trust/NTA, Jamaica's National Training Agency … special emphasis is placed on the service quality provided by the human element in the quality chain, resulting in high level of customer satisfaction. While we applaud the hotel for being up front about its trainee staff, that promised “high level of customer satisfaction” wasn’t our experience. Oyster reporter Kate M. filed this report: The Heart is run by Jamaica's National Training Agency, which trains individuals to enter the hospitality world. Basically, it's like the kitchen in home economics class, except the kitchen is a hotel and the linens being ironed are yours. The young and eager staff try their best but are still learning, so you'll have to be patient or look elsewhere. We probably will!