This Excellence Oyster Bay review is a little different from our usual resort reviews, because this time, our experience didn’t live up to our expectations.
If you’ve read our other resort reviews, you already know that Joe and I are big fans of the Excellence Collection.
We’ve visited several of their properties in Mexico, including Excellence Riviera Cancun, Excellence Playa Mujeres, and Beloved Playa Mujeres. We know what we love about these resorts: beautiful surroundings, exceptional service, wonderful dining, and the little details that make a luxury vacation feel effortless.
So when we booked five nights at Excellence Oyster Bay in Jamaica, July 3–8, 2026, we were excited to experience another property in a brand we’ve come to trust.
And we decided to splurge.
We booked a Beach House, the resort’s premier accommodation category, at nearly $900 per night. It was the most expensive Excellence stay we’d ever booked, and we expected something special.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be our most disappointing Excellence experience.
It wasn’t one bad meal or one frustrating interaction. It was the food, the maintenance, the cleanliness, and so many small operational details that simply weren’t handled as well as we’d come to expect.
To be fair, there were things we genuinely enjoyed. The Jamaican staff were incredibly kind and welcoming, the beach was beautiful, and we had a couple of excellent meals.
But at this price point, the overall experience just didn’t measure up.
Check-In: An Unnecessarily Frustrating Start
Our experience started with a surprisingly complicated check-in process.
When we arrived, we were transported by golf cart, along with our luggage, to the Excellence Club check-in area.
We’d arrived early, so our room wasn’t ready. No problem. We completely expected that.
Later, we received an email letting us know that our Beach House was ready, so we returned to the Club check-in area.
The door was locked.
A staff member briefly opened it and instructed us to wait in the Club lounge.
So we waited.
And waited.
After approximately 30 minutes, I finally went back to ask what was happening. I was told someone would be there shortly to escort us to our room.
At that point, I offered to simply take our room key and walk there ourselves.
Apparently, that wasn’t an option. We had to wait for an escort.
Eventually, someone arrived and took us to our Beach House.
I understand wanting to provide a personalized arrival experience for guests staying in premium accommodations. But when the process creates unnecessary delays, it stops feeling like luxury service.
We didn’t need a grand introduction to our room. We just wanted to start enjoying our vacation.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great first impression.
Our Beach House: Premium Pricing, Disappointing Upkeep
For this vacation, we booked a Beach House, the resort’s highest accommodation category.
At nearly $900 per night, our expectations were understandably high.
And while the beachfront setting was appealing, the condition of the accommodations was disappointing.
The Private Pool Wasn’t Inviting
One of the features we were looking forward to was our private pool.
Unfortunately, the fiberglass finish was peeling badly, there was sand accumulated inside the pool, and at one point the water had an unusual yellow appearance.
It certainly wasn’t the inviting private oasis we’d envisioned.
When you’re paying a substantial premium for a luxury accommodation, you expect the private pool to be clean, well maintained, and ready to enjoy.
Ours didn’t feel that way.
The peeling fiberglass finish in our Beach House’s private pool was disappointing, particularly given the premium price we paid for this accommodation.
Too Many Overlooked Details Inside the Room
Inside the Beach House, we noticed numerous housekeeping and maintenance issues.
There were unexplained marks on the walls and sand scattered across the floors.
And no, we hadn’t been spending our days at the beach tracking sand into the room. The floors simply didn’t appear to have been thoroughly cleaned.
The bathroom door wouldn’t close completely.
Neither would the closet door, which created an especially annoying problem at night. Because the closet had a motion-activated light, getting up to use the bathroom could trigger the light and wake the other person.
Individually, these might sound like minor inconveniences.
But there were just so many of them.
I’ll acknowledge something upfront: we didn’t report all these issues during our stay. Could we have called housekeeping or maintenance? Absolutely. And perhaps they would have addressed some of them.
But at nearly $900 per night, I don’t want to spend my vacation identifying problems, arranging repairs, and waiting for people to fix things that should have been addressed before we arrived.
One minor issue? No big deal. Things happen.
But when the floors aren’t properly cleaned, doors don’t close, the private pool is deteriorating, and little details throughout the room are overlooked, it becomes something more than an isolated inconvenience.
At some point, the sheer number of problems becomes the problem.
We’ve stayed in less expensive accommodations at other Excellence properties and experienced much better attention to detail.
For us, luxury isn’t just about having an impressive room category or a beautiful view. It’s about the care that makes the entire experience feel effortless.
Unfortunately, our Beach House didn’t deliver that feeling.
Some of the maintenance and cleanliness issues we found in our Beach House, including wall marks, sand on the floor, and a bathroom door that wouldn’t close properly.
A Reserved Cabana That Wasn’t Really Reserved
One of the benefits of the ground-floor Beach Houses is supposed to be a reserved beach cabana.
Now, Joe and I aren’t particularly big beach people. We much prefer relaxing by a pool, ideally with a beautiful view and some shade.
But we were excited about the Beach House’s oceanfront setting, privacy, and the opportunity to enjoy a peaceful space together.
Unfortunately, the cabana arrangement made that difficult.
During our stay, the cabanas weren’t clearly marked as reserved or identified with the corresponding Beach House room numbers.
As a result, other resort guests frequently occupied the cabana directly in front of our Beach House.
And honestly, I couldn’t blame them. How were they supposed to know it was reserved?
Before our trip, I’d read reviews from other guests describing similar experiences. Some reported that staff would come and ask the occupants to leave when contacted.
We didn’t complain about it ourselves.
But here’s my issue: Why should guests paying for the resort’s most expensive accommodations have to call someone every time they want to use a benefit that’s supposed to be included?
I didn’t want to spend my vacation calling staff, waiting for someone to arrive, and watching them ask other vacationers to move.
That’s uncomfortable for everyone involved.
A simple reserved sign with the Beach House room number would have eliminated much of the confusion.
For us, it wasn’t about claiming an entire section of beach. It was about receiving the privacy and amenities included with the accommodation we’d paid for.
And at this price point, that shouldn’t require repeated intervention from resort staff.
Dining at Excellence Oyster Bay: Our Biggest Disappointment
Food is a huge part of our vacations.
In fact, it’s one of the reasons we’ve continued returning to Excellence Resorts over the years.
We’ve enjoyed so many memorable meals at their properties in Mexico that we arrived at Oyster Bay with high expectations.
Unfortunately, dining turned out to be our biggest disappointment.
Lobster House: A Terrible First Dinner
Our first dinner was at Lobster House.
Having previously enjoyed the Tempura Shell appetizer at Beloved Playa Mujeres, we knew exactly what we wanted to order.
What arrived was almost unrecognizable.
Instead of the dish we’d enjoyed before, we received what appeared to be a piece of fried chicken topped with raw tuna, sitting inside a hard taco shell that tasted incredibly stale.
The combination made little sense to us, and the stale shell made it even worse.
When we explained the problem and sent the appetizer back, our waiter simply shrugged and removed it.
There was no offer to replace the dish or otherwise address the disappointment.
It was an unfortunate introduction to the resort’s dining experience.
Magna: Another Disappointing Meal
Magna has been one of our favorite restaurants at Excellence Riviera Cancun, so we were particularly excited about dining there.
Unfortunately, our experience at Oyster Bay was very different.
Joe ordered scallops that arrived completely pale, without any visible sear. They had a rubbery, undercooked texture, and he found them inedible.
Dessert wasn’t much better. He ordered the brownie, which arrived raw in the center.
Even the smaller details felt off.
Our port wine was served in full-sized red wine glasses, and staff repeatedly approached our table to ask for our room number.
After we’d already provided it, the repeated interruptions became uncomfortable.
Magna is usually a restaurant we look forward to when visiting Excellence Resorts.
At Oyster Bay, it was one of our most disappointing meals.
The Bright Spots: Chez Isabelle and the Jerk Hut
I don’t want to suggest that every meal we had was bad.
We genuinely enjoyed Chez Isabelle and the Jerk Hut. Both provided some of the dining highlights of our vacation.
Those meals reminded us of the quality we normally associate with Excellence.
Unfortunately, they weren’t enough to overcome the inconsistency we experienced elsewhere.
For a resort at this price point, especially one belonging to a brand we’ve come to trust for dining, that inconsistency was difficult to overlook.
The Jerk Hut was one of our dining highlights at Excellence Oyster Bay, serving some of the best food we enjoyed during our stay.
The Bars: Beautiful Menus, Missing Ingredients
Another recurring frustration involved the resort’s cocktail menus.
During our visit, Excellence Oyster Bay was still experiencing supply challenges following the previous year’s hurricane.
We certainly understood that recovery could take time and that some ingredients might be difficult to obtain.
What frustrated us wasn’t necessarily the shortages themselves.
It was how they were handled.
On multiple occasions, we selected cocktails from the menus only to learn that the bar didn’t have the ingredients needed to prepare them.
And since the resort uses digital menus, it seemed reasonable to expect those menus to be updated to reflect what was actually available.
We would have been perfectly happy choosing something else if we’d known our options.
It was the repeated disconnect between what was advertised and what could be delivered that became frustrating.
We also had one particularly uncomfortable bar experience when a bartender spent much of our visit complaining about how unpleasant it was to work at the resort.
I want to emphasize that this was not representative of the staff overall, who were generally wonderful.
But it certainly wasn’t the relaxing atmosphere we’d expected while enjoying an evening cocktail.
The Wind: More Than a Tropical Breeze
One of the biggest surprises during our stay was just how windy it was.
Every day, beginning around 11 a.m., the wind seemed to pick up dramatically and continue throughout the afternoon.
I’m not talking about a refreshing tropical breeze.
I’m talking about what felt like sustained 25–30 mph winds.
Hair blowing everywhere, dresses clinging to your body, and generally feeling windswept whenever you were outside.
It wasn’t exactly the relaxing tropical atmosphere we’d envisioned.
The wind also affected our time by the pool.
When conditions became too windy, staff understandably took down the umbrellas for safety reasons. I certainly don’t fault them for that.
Unfortunately, it meant losing much of the shade we normally enjoy while lounging by the pool.
And since Joe and I are much more pool people than beach people, that was a significant drawback.
I can’t say whether the wind we experienced was typical throughout the year or particularly bad during our visit. However, I’d noticed similar conditions in videos shared by other guests, so it’s something I’d encourage prospective visitors to consider.
For us, the combination of strong afternoon winds and limited shade made relaxing outdoors much less enjoyable.
Resort Layout: A Beautiful Setting, but a Lot of Walking
Excellence Oyster Bay sits on a long, narrow peninsula, giving the property a distinctive waterfront setting.
Unfortunately, that design also makes the resort feel quite spread out.
The Excellence Club areas are located toward opposite ends of the property, and walking from one end to the other could take approximately 10 minutes.
That’s certainly not a deal breaker, and some guests may appreciate the opportunity to walk around.
But compared with the more convenient layouts we’ve enjoyed at other Excellence resorts, it wasn’t our favorite.
Golf carts are available to transport guests, but that means requesting a ride and potentially waiting for one.
Personally, we’d rather be able to move easily between the pools, restaurants, and other amenities without arranging transportation.
It’s simply something worth considering, particularly if you prefer a more compact resort.
Landscaping and Grounds: The Attention to Detail Was Missing
One thing we’ve always appreciated about Excellence Resorts is how beautifully maintained the properties are.
The landscaping, gardens, and common areas typically feel immaculate, and that attention to detail contributes to the luxury atmosphere.
Unfortunately, Oyster Bay didn’t quite measure up.
The grounds had the potential to be beautiful, but we noticed little things that weren’t consistent with our experiences at other Excellence properties.
There were patches of dead grass, occasional bits of trash or debris, and areas that simply didn’t appear as carefully maintained.
On one occasion, I even noticed broken glass on a walkway, which was particularly concerning given how frequently guests walk around resort properties barefoot.
I realize many guests probably wouldn’t notice some of these smaller details.
But having visited several Excellence resorts, we know how beautifully maintained these properties can be.
And when you’re paying more for a resort than you have at other properties within the same brand, those details matter.
It wasn’t that the grounds were terrible.
They just didn’t have the same polished, meticulously maintained appearance we’ve come to associate with Excellence.
What Excellence Oyster Bay Got Right
Despite our disappointments, there were some genuinely positive aspects of our stay.
First and foremost, the Jamaican staff were incredibly warm, kind, and welcoming.
Most of the service we received throughout the resort was quite good, and we appreciated the friendliness of the people we encountered.
The employees were not the overarching problem with our vacation.
We also enjoyed some wonderful meals at Chez Isabelle and the Jerk Hut.
And the beach itself was absolutely beautiful.
During our visit, we didn’t encounter the sargassum that can sometimes affect beaches in Mexico.
For someone who prioritizes spending long days on a beautiful beach, that could be a significant advantage.
I want to give credit for those things because they were genuine highlights of our stay.
Unfortunately, they weren’t enough to overcome everything else.
One Final Disappointment: The Follow-Up That Never Happened
At checkout, we were asked how we’d enjoyed our stay.
Rather than simply saying everything was wonderful, we decided to be honest about our experience.
While we were waiting for our transportation, a manager came over to speak with us about our concerns.
He listened and reassured us that he would address the issues we’d raised.
When our car arrived, he asked for our email address so he could follow up and try to make things right.
We appreciated the gesture.
After a disappointing stay, it was encouraging to feel that someone in management was taking our feedback seriously.
Unfortunately, that was the last we heard from him.
No email. No follow-up. Nothing.
We hadn’t approached management looking for compensation or special treatment. We simply answered honestly when asked about our experience.
But when a manager personally offers to follow up, I think it’s reasonable to expect that promise to be kept.
It was a disappointing final impression of a resort where so many of the little details had already fallen short.
Was Excellence Oyster Bay Worth Almost $900 Per Night?
For us, absolutely not.
Of all the Excellence properties we’ve visited, Oyster Bay was the most expensive.
And unfortunately, it delivered the least satisfying overall experience.
At this price point, we expected beautifully maintained accommodations, consistently good food, thoughtful service, and the attention to detail that has made us loyal Excellence guests.
Instead, we encountered disappointing meals, a poorly maintained private pool, housekeeping shortcomings, an awkward cabana arrangement, and numerous smaller frustrations.
The wonderful staff and beautiful beach were certainly positives.
But when you’re paying premium prices for a luxury resort, the overall experience needs to justify that investment.
For us, it simply didn’t.
Excellence Oyster Bay Review: Our Final Verdict
No. We wouldn’t return.
And that’s disappointing to say because we genuinely love the Excellence Collection.
We’ve had wonderful experiences at its properties in Mexico, and we arrived at Oyster Bay expecting another memorable vacation.
There were things to appreciate. The Jamaican staff were incredibly kind and welcoming, we enjoyed excellent meals at Chez Isabelle and the Jerk Hut, and the beach itself was beautiful.
But ultimately, the positives weren’t enough.
The poor dining experiences, the condition of our Beach House, the frustrating cabana arrangement, the persistent wind, and the accumulation of maintenance and operational shortcomings added up.
And considering the premium price, the value simply wasn’t there.
Could Excellence Oyster Bay be a good fit for someone else? Possibly.
If you’re a serious beach lover who prioritizes beautiful sand and ocean views over dining and other resort amenities, you might appreciate the property far more than we did.
But Joe and I place tremendous importance on food, service, beautiful surroundings, and those little details that make a luxury vacation feel special.
For us, the Excellence properties we’ve visited in Mexico deliver a substantially better overall experience.
We’ll happily continue vacationing with Excellence. We just won’t be returning to Oyster Bay.
Looking for an Excellence resort we genuinely recommend? Read our Excellence Riviera Cancun review to learn why we keep returning to one of our favorite adults-only resorts in Mexico.
This review reflects our personal experience during our July 3–8, 2026 stay. Resort conditions, menus, and operations may change over time. We paid for our vacation ourselves, and all opinions are our own.