Half Moon

The honest review

Half Moon is one of the older luxury resorts on Jamaica's north coast, sprawled across roughly 400 acres of the Rose Hall corridor east of downtown Montego Bay — the same resort-dense stretch that's home to the Hyatt Ziva/Zilara pairing and several Sandals and AMResorts/Hyatt Inclusive properties in this catalog. What sets Half Moon apart from most of its Rose Hall neighbors isn't a headline water feature; it's the pricing structure. Rather than a single flat all-inclusive rate, Half Moon sells room-only (European Plan), Half Board, Full Board, and an add-on Platinum all-inclusive plan — meaning families who don't want to prepay for every meal and drink can choose room-only and eat off-property or at a mix of the resort's restaurants at their own pace.

The kids' programming is a genuine standout. Anancy Children's Village, named for the trickster spider of Jamaican folklore, runs supervised activities for ages 3-12 — archery, reef fishing, horseback riding, arts and crafts — with counselors and nannies certified through Penn State University's "Better Kid Care" curriculum. That's a specific, checkable credential, not marketing language; it matters for parents evaluating how seriously a resort takes child supervision. For infants and toddlers too young for the Village, Half Moon also offers in-room nanny service, which few of this catalog's other Jamaica picks provide as a standing amenity rather than a special request.

Beyond the kids' program, Half Moon's grounds lean toward the classic-resort side of the ledger: an equestrian center with horseback riding on the beach, an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Sr. golf course, a full tennis complex, and nearly a mile of private beach. It's a resort built for a slower, more spread-out stay rather than a single activity hub — there's no headline lazy river or multi-story waterslide complex here the way there is at some of the newer Punta Cana or Riviera Maya entries in this catalog.

Historic Hotels Worldwide and American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts both list Half Moon, and it draws a mix of villa-renting multi-generational groups (the Royal Villas come with private pools and staff) and standard-room couples and families. That range in room product means the price range spans widely — a garden-view room-only booking can be reasonable by Jamaica-luxury standards, while a private villa with the Platinum all-inclusive add-on runs well into ultra-luxury pricing.

Who this fits: families who want a credentialed, real kids' program without being locked into a single all-inclusive rate, and who value acreage and classic resort amenities (golf, horseback riding, tennis) over a headline water park. Families set on a flat, no-decisions all-inclusive rate might find the Rose Hall neighbors' pricing simpler to compare and budget for.

One timing note for 2026 bookings: Half Moon closed after Hurricane Melissa (October 2025) and began a phased reopening in April 2026 — the Eclipse wing and Villas are back, with more rooms returning through the year. Confirm your preferred room category and any specific amenities are online for your dates before booking.