Franklyn D Resort & Spa

We chose Franklyn D. Resort because of the included nanny service, but we never expected to meet someone like Garcia—she’s truly the reason this became one of our favourite family vacations.||We enjoy traveling with our kids, but it was such a treat to have quiet breakfasts together and actually finish full conversations. Having an extra set of hands throughout the day made everything easier and more relaxed, and Garcia made that possible.||She was with us from 8:30–4:30 each day and went above and beyond in every way. She made sure the boys were having fun and made sure we were comfortable too. When our WiFi wasn’t working, she coordinated with staff and had it fixed right away. She tidied, helped organize our days, and had an incredible sense of when to step in and when to give us family time.||Our slow-to-warm 5-year-old loved her and was giving her hugs within days, and our 2-year-old was saying “I love you” by the third day. She played with him in the kids club, swam with them, and helped my oldest with daily tie-dye—one of his favourite activities. If you’re visiting FDR, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you request Garcia. She made our trip.||The rest of the staff were also amazing. The entertainment coordinators were fantastic with the boys—since the resort was quiet after the hurricane, they jumped into all the games and brought so much energy and excitement.||Kingo, the gardener, greeted us every day with the most genuine positivity, and he always made us smile.||Alex faithfully kept the water slide running, which our boys took full advantage of.||The goat and crab races were a blast, and tie-dyeing every day quickly became a highlight for our kids.||The resort is open following the hurricane, and while some areas like the spa and a few restaurants still need to be rebuilt, we actually enjoyed the simplicity of our stay. We’ve been to more polished kid-oriented resorts like Planet Hollywood and Nickelodeon, but FDR had everything our kids actually wanted—and the personal touch those bigger resorts just can’t offer.||Our room was incredibly spacious with large patio spaces, a big living room, and comfortable bedrooms—much larger than other places we’ve stayed. The ocean has a beautiful coved area that made me feel very safe letting the kids swim.||The food was good, and we especially preferred the plated meals over the buffets.||Overall, this was one of the most meaningful and relaxing vacations we’ve had as a family. Garcia made it extraordinary, and we’re already talking about coming back.

We arrived at the FDR after a long day of travel, made easier by a surprisingly smooth airport-to-resort bus transfer. The next morning, we met our nanny, Shaneika Graham, and she was a ray of sunshine from the very first moment. My children were instantly comfortable with her, and it was clear she was genuinely delighted by them. Shaneika, who is a mom herself to two elementary aged children, was attentive, calm, and wonderfully engaged — tending to their every need while keeping an especially watchful eye around the pools and ocean. She helped them make friends, escorted them to and from activities, and made sure they felt included and confident wherever they went. Because of her, I was able to truly relax — reading on the beach and enjoying the day knowing my kids were not just safe, but happy and thriving. The resort itself deserves context. FDR has clearly been through a lot, having recently weathered an historic hurricane, and it is currently the only resort open in Runaway Bay. We were told this was because the owner chose to reopen in order to take care of staff and keep them employed through the holidays — a decision that says a lot about the heart of the place. If you are only coming here for one specific thing- call to check that it is open & functional. Much of Jamaica remains without power (not the case in Runaway Bay) two months later- this hurricane really caused a lot of damage. This is not a polished, corporate “Disney-style” resort — and that is precisely its strength. Think more like a beloved local state fair than a theme-park giant. Yes, some areas are dated and the rooms could use updating, but the trade-off is something rare: a staff who truly cares. Within two days, staff members knew my children by name. Servers (especially Georgia!) laughed with them, other nannies welcomed them like old friends, and the entire place felt warm, human, and alive. The kids had endless ways to play — ping pong, tie-dye, a giant water slide, pool games, and nightly rounds of manhunt that seemed to delight them as their joyful screams could be heard throughout the resort. There’s a wonderful 1980s summer-camp feel to the resort. Many families we met have been coming here for years and stay for weeks at a time. They were generous with advice, stories, and a genuine sense of community. Most importantly, we felt completely safe the entire time. We stayed on property for four days and never felt the need to leave — there was more than enough joy, laughter, and relaxation right where we were. What truly sets FDR apart, though, is the people. Watching a nanny care for a special-needs teenager with such patience and tenderness was incredibly moving. The staff here don’t just do their jobs — they care. If you are booking a stay, ask for nanny Shaneika Graham. You will not be disappointed. She made our trip, and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

I'm so, so glad I found this place--we actually cancelled another trip to book at FDR. Sadly, we booked for right after Hurricane Melissa hit, but they rebooked us with no issues. Taking the hurricane into account, the resort looks great. Some parts were closed for repairs, which is completely understandable, and everyone made the best of it. I can completely understand why people come here year over year (we may have been the ONLY family there who wasn't yet a repeat visitor!), and I cannot thank every person at FDR enough for making our very first family vacation such a beautiful experience.||There's so much to say that I don't even know where to start. This is not a 5-star luxury, sanitized, Jamaica-lite experience--if you want that, go to Sandals. FDR is home. It's locally-owned, which was a HUGE selling point for us. The employees are relaxed, warm, genuine, they stick around, and people know your name. Even the owners are common sights, and yes, they also remember your name, details about you and conversations you've had. ||Our flight in was delayed so we ended up checking in late, but everyone seemed to know that when we got there, taking our bags, waiting for us for dinner, just letting us relax. The first room we were in was having some issues so they moved us to a different room the next day with no issue (we actually liked the second room better!). The meal times are just timeframes and you can come and go as you need--we can't wait to try the other restaurants once they're back up and running! Truly, anything we needed, they were flexible and accommodating. Since the spa was torn up, parts of it have been moved, but I had two treatments out on our room's balcony.||The vacation nanny thing is AMAZING. It sounds too good to be true, but it's also the cutest. Knowing that our son was in good hands and being entertained, fed, sunscreened, etc. was so incredibly relaxing--thank you SO MUCH to Kerise for taking care of Oliver (and everyone else who made him smile, gave him a hug/high five/fist bump, entertained him in some way, but especially Georgia for teaching him "wah gwaan!!")! We even brought home his first art pieces. My husband and I didn't really even do much of anything except relax at the bar (shout out to Stacy, Cameron, and Lorna) and occasionally visited the beach, but there are tons of activities every day like bingo, water aerobics, yoga, tie dye (bring your own shirts, although they sell them in the gift shop), etc. Khadijah + me = bffs||Additional thoughts: The bugs are no joke, although they're worse right now due to the aftermath of the hurricane--bring bug spray. We forgot and got eaten up! If you have ANY issues, please mention them to your nanny (who also doubles as your housekeeper) and they will take care of it! They can't fix it if they don't know. I would probably recommend booking private transfer to and from the airport (it's about 60-90 minutes from MBJ depending on the traffic)--normal offering from FDR is shared, although we ended up being assigned a private car just because that's what was available at that time. The bus on the way back on the last day was running late because of traffic (they do make stops at other resorts if booked). And, though not related to the resort, I highly recommend booking Club Mobay there and back for assistance going through customs/security and for the lounge access while you wait. ||Truly, we cannot wait to book for next year and spend the holidays at our new home away from home (and the year after that and the year after that and the year after that...).

We had the BEST vacation with our three young kids (under three) at FDR Jamaica. I would highly, highly, highly recommend if you are a parent of young kids who wants to get away with them but also wants to relax. The nannies - incredible!!! Our nannies (Roxanne and Latisha) took excellent care of our three young kids while we were able to relax by the beach, nap, enjoy a drink at the bar, eat a meal, etc. Roxy was particularly reassuring and really made it a point to make sure I could go relax and get a break from mom duties. But really, the whole staff felt like our nannies there to take care of us and make sure we had a good time! ||The resort buildings/rooms are a bit outdated but the service was truly impeccable -- every staff member we encountered was kind, caring, and seemed more than happy to help us wrangle our small kids. It was such a relief to walk into a restaurant knowing that not only were they ok with my kids, they welcomed them with open arms. (Sometimes literally -- one of the servers, Kimesha, would lovingly whisk a baby away for a few moments while I got a much-needed break to eat. So appreciated!) It all truly felt like vacation to not worry too much about cleaning up after my kids at a meal, or worrying that they'd be bothering someone.||The staff went above and beyond all week but they TRULY blew me away with a beach party for my kiddo's 3rd birthday party. When they offered a party they meant an all-out PARTY with cake, decorations, games, songs, tons of kids, even presents! It was absolutely amazing and I appreciated them so much for putting it on - the activities crew did such a good job. ||The resort wasn't close to many outside attractions that felt worth venturing out to, but we had everything we needed to just chill at the resort and the food was good so we didn't feel the need to leave. Overall, the resort itself is not luxe but the experience is unbelievably fabulous if you are a tired parent who just wants to relax. Highly recommend!!! Thank you, FDR staff!

This is a bit of a strange review, as I stayed at FDResort about 30 years ago! We went there twice when our kids were very young - 1 and 3 and 2 and 4 maybe. One time we took a grandmother with us as well. I'm back here on this review page because I was wondering how FDR is doing. It sounds like it's still pretty much the same. So we've now done 30 more years of caribbean vacations, and my daughter is due with a baby in December. So that was what prompted my investigation. In reading these comments and reviews, I also appreciated the responses from the resort - clearly they are paying attention to this feedback, so I wanted to thank you again for a couple of memorable vacations, 30 years ago!

When you get a welcome message posted like this on your room door, you know this place is very special. Everyone, including the owner, treats you like family. An all-inclusive family Jamaican-owned resort that offers everything, including a nanny service. How ingenious of the owner to come up with such a great idea. I believe there are no other family resorts doing such a thing. Food is great with a different cuisine each night. There's also a grill bar where you can order food during the day, such as jerk chicken, burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, fries, and onion rings. There are 2 beaches on the property, 3 pools, with one that has a water slide for the kids. Many activities for both adults and children, including snorkelling, kayaking. The nanny takes care of your children during the day, allowing the parents to have free, relaxing time for themselves. Truly a game changer if you are a parent with kids. The rooms are spacious and very cool with air conditioning, a fridge stacked with drinks and treats for the kids, free WiFi in the room and throughout the resort. My kids truly loved it the first time and nagged me for the next 6 months to go back. So we came back with the same results. Now I need to prepare again for another 6 months of nagging to return a 3rd time. Many reviews on this resort are return guests, and it's for a valid reason. No reason to say goodbye, because as Arnold Schwarzenegger says, "I'll be back!"

I was looking for a great hotel to take my family in Jamica – including 4 grandkids under 13 and the recommendation of Eezeego Travel in Mandeville was the FDR Hotel in Discovery Bay|That recommendation was an excellent one and the holiday was a fantastic once in a life-time experience for our grandkids and their parents.|In an attempt to be brief, I’ll will emphasise their top keys to success|• The staff were incredible. Friendly and yet professional. Always attentive but never intruding, always cheerful and looking to be helpful – in short, they looked as if they really enjoyed working at the FDR and were happy to show it. The Nannies were fantastic.|• The food was plentiful, varied and delicious – the range of dishes was wide and deep with authentic Jamaican dishes readily available|• The nightly entertainment from talented, engaging local musicians, singers, dancers and fire eaters. And of course there were many karaoke sessions|• The range of daily activities delivered to those who wanted to join in the fun delivered by competent and caring staff||I could go on about the boat trips, the snorkelling, the water slide, the beautiful empty beach next door, the swimming pool, the tennis court, the gym and more. ||But I’ll close by saying the FDR Hotel comes with the highest recommendation of the 6 adults and 4 youngsters who had a holiday they will always cherish and never forget.

The staff at this resort is fabulous. The nannies are amazing. Other than that, the place is pretty rundown. Nothing looks like what you see in the pictures on their website. Half of the things they list were not open the entire time we were there. The slides are broken in the main pool. Everything is faded. Everything needs fixed painted updated. You have the exact same thing every day for breakfast and lunch. The food was Just OK. If they would invest money into fixing the place up and bringing it more current It would be a beautiful place But as since right now, I will not be back so make sure that you ask for current pictures and exact information on what is it is not open and what is and is Prior to booking.