Excellence Oyster Bay Resort in Jamaica

The last hour of my last day of vacation at Excellence Oyster Bay Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica called for drastic measures. I needed one more walk on the resort’s picturesque beach before returning home.

Andre, a long, lean beach attendant dressed in white from head to toe, placed his rake down in the sand as he saw me ambling in his direction. Andre extended his hand and asked if I was enjoying my vacation. We talked and joked like old friends during a five-minute conversation in which we exchanged random details of each other’s lives. Normally I’d be touched, or even surprised, by this spontaneous act of attention. But during my short stay at Oyster Bay I discovered that Andre’s random act of kindness was the hospitality norm, rather than the exception.

I learned that in Jamaica the term “walk good” is a way of life. This phrase speaks of good karma or spreading positive cheer to the people you meet each day. The saying can also mean “take care” or “have a good trip” if someone is traveling even the shortest distance. This pay it forward mentality is not only contagious, it washes over a newcomer like oxygen for the soul.

Oyster Bay- Years in the Making

Opening a new resort in Jamaica’s Montego Bay was years in the making for the Excellence Group. After building a legion of loyal guests in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, the Excellence Resorts found Jamaica to be a prime destination for spreading their Caribbean hospitality wings. Not only is Jamaica known for its pristine beaches, the Excellence Resort’s mantra of Love, Embrace, and Relax fits seamlessly with an island rich in providing staff who seem born with innate friendliness and charm.

Jamaican good fortune is everywhere you look at Excellence Oyster Bay. This sprawling all-inclusive luxury resort is artistically positioned on a two-mile long peninsula that’s surrounded by the Caribbean Sea on three sides. Oyster Bay’s 315 suites feature Victorian beach house architecture, whitewashed exteriors, and awesome ocean views.  The stunning views also grace the menus of Oyster Bay’s dining venues, capped by a rooftop al fresco experience at the X-Lounge Restaurant located at the very center of the resort.

Indoor and outdoor dining at Excellence Oyster Bay is all about choices, choices, choices. Choose from seafood, steak, Italian, French, Asian, Spanish, and vegetarian cuisine. Custom Jamaican touches are flavored throughout the resort including their Aroma coffee bar featuring homegrown Blue Mountain coffee.

Turquoise Sea and More

Oyster Bay’s main drawing card is the turquoise water that surrounds the resort’s peninsula setting. The color turquoise is spellbinding from your suite’s balcony, the property’s plethora of pools, and from the kayaks or sailboats that are available to all guests. If strolling the beach is your favorite way to start your vacation day, then Oyster Bay will have you “walking good” in exhilarating Caribbean fashion.

Night time is the right time at Excellence Oyster Bay Resort. A truly unique Jamaican experience is the Luminous Lagoon evening boat tour. Located just a stone’s throw from the Oyster Bay wedding gazebo is one of the few places in the world in which the ocean glows in the dark. This phenomenon is what scientists call “bioluminescence.” Evening options abound at Oyster Bay. Guests can also enjoy nightly shows at the resort’s expansive theater, sip a nightcap or sing karaoke at their sports bar, or make a memory with a romantic private dinner on the beach.

Goodbye For Now – Walk Good Forever

If you like returning home from vacation feeling better than when you departed, you’ll love Oyster Bay’s state of the art, 2400-square-foot fitness center which includes an on-site instructor. Want more? Then checkout the Miile Spa, a Jamaican sanctuary of wellness. Miile Spa features therapies, treatments, and a signature Jamaican Cocoon Ritual. Guests can also super-charge their desired treatment by first infusing their pores with Miile Spa’s hydrotherapy circuit.

By the end of your stay you’ll be saying, “so much love, so little time.” For me, I can’t help clinging to the moment before I departed for Montego Bay International Airport. As I sat in the Oyster Bay lobby, at least a half dozen employees stopped to say goodbye. Basking in a pay-it-forward environment is as warming as the Jamaica sun.

At some point, the vivid image of my spacious Beach House accommodations, the mesmerizing beach, and the oceanfront dining may fade. What I’ll never forget is the Jamaican connection made by the Excellence Oyster Bay Resort team and the lasting impression of walking good.

https://www.excellenceresorts.com/resorts/excellence-oyster-bay/

Tim Cotroneo is a freelance writer specializing in Caribbean travel, business, and golf.