"Horrible customer service!"
I am writing to formally express my profound disappointment regarding my recent stay at the RIU Ocho Rios Resort from July 19, 2026, through July 25, 2026. I traveled with my sister, my daughter, and my elderly mother, who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and relies on a walker for mobility. What began as a vacation we were excited about quickly turned into an experience that was stressful, physically demanding, and ultimately unacceptable.
I want to begin by acknowledging the positive aspects of our arrival. The resort itself was beautiful, and our check-in experience was exceptional. Although I did not get the name of the young woman who assisted us, I believe she was in training. She was gracious, professional, patient, answered all of our questions thoroughly, and made us feel welcomed. She also accommodated my request to place us in a room near the elevators due to my mother's mobility limitations. I sincerely appreciated her kindness and professionalism. Unfortunately, that level of customer service ended there. When we arrived on Sunday, July 19, one of the two elevators servicing our building was already out of service. While inconvenient, we understood that mechanical issues can happen and did not make an issue of it because one elevator remained operational. Everything changed on Monday evening when the second elevator also went out of service. That evening, my elderly mother was forced to climb three flights of stairs using her walker in order to return to our room. She was exhausted, but we remained optimistic that the elevators would be repaired overnight. On Tuesday morning, however, neither elevator had been repaired. Once again, my sister and I had to physically assist our mother up three flights of stairs. She was exhausted, frustrated, and in pain afterward. Concerned that this was becoming a serious accessibility issue rather than a temporary inconvenience, I went to the front desk and spoke with Serena. She advised me that Maintenance was working on the elevators but could not provide any estimate for when they would be operational again. During that conversation, another front desk employee, who was pregnant, interrupted and suggested that my mother simply walk across the resort, past the dining area, use a different bank of elevators, and then walk back through the building to reach our room. I was honestly stunned by this response. I had just explained that my mother suffers from MS and depends on a walker. Suggesting that she walk twice the distance was not only unrealistic but demonstrated a complete lack of empathy and understanding for a guest with a disability. When I questioned how this could possibly be considered a reasonable solution, her response was simply that she did not know what to tell me. I requested to speak with a manager and was introduced to Leighton, the supervisor. Leighton apologized for the inconvenience and assured me that Maintenance was working on the elevators and that they should be operational by the following morning. He also instructed me to come back and see him the next morning to follow up. I remember asking him how he would feel if this were his own mother in this situation, and he again assured me the issue would be resolved. Wednesday morning arrived, and unbelievably, both elevators were still out of service. The next morning, I returned to the front desk and again spoke with Leighton. My sister joined the conversation because she was understandably furious by this point. Even more telling, several other guests who had witnessed my mother struggling to navigate the stairs independently came to the front desk to complain on her behalf because they were equally disturbed by what they had seen. During this conversation, Leighton claimed that he had offered us a room change the previous evening. That statement was simply false. I immediately corrected him and reminded him exactly what had been discussed. Serena was standing there during our original conversation, and when I asked whether my recollection was accurate, she acknowledged that it was. Ironically, by Wednesday evening, both elevators were functioning again.
What disappointed me almost as much as the elevator failure itself was what happened afterward:
Nothing.
No one from management checked on my mother.
No one apologized in person.
No one called our room.
No one attempted any service recovery whatsoever.
No one asked whether she was okay after being forced to climb multiple flights of stairs over two consecutive days.
For a company that promotes exceptional hospitality, this complete absence of follow-up was astonishing.
The lasting impression we were left with is that RIU has no meaningful contingency plan when accessibility issues arise for elderly or disabled guests. When the elevators failed, there appeared to be no protocol to assist guests with mobility impairments, no alternative accommodations proactively offered, and very little empathy demonstrated by those responsible for guest services. This experience was particularly heartbreaking because this was our first stay at a RIU property. I hope RIU evaluates its policies regarding guests with disabilities and mobility limitations so that no other family has to endure what my mother experienced.
