D Stevens

Review of The Cliff Hotel, Negril Jamaic...

If you are looking for a getaway where you don't f...

If you are looking for a getaway where you don't feel crowded with people this is the place.
First the positives. This boutique hotel is beautifully landscaped and situated on 5 acres. With only about 30 rooms and villas you are assured of a low number of guests. In fact we never saw more than a dozen at a time. The pool area which is beautiful never had more than one or two people in it. The resort is not on a beach but rather it has a cliff sea frontage as the name of the resort suggests. This rocky area is dotted with concrete pods where your lounge chairs sit. These pods are connected wit wooden walkways. You can jump into the water into an area that is roped off and climb back up using a ladder.The rooms are spacious, clean and well appointed. We were in a junior suite which we found spacious. The bathrooms are also a good size and well appointed. The room was on the first floor and had a balcony with seats which you can walk straight out onto the grounds. The staff were friendly and helpful at all times. The property has security guards as well as a manned gated entrance. The food was excellent and service good. There is a spa and a gym as well as a salon.
Now the negatives.
The hotel is a one and a half hour drive from Montego Bay airport and you are responsible for getting to the resort at your own cost. It cost us US$200 each way. Thats US$400 ! A hotel of this caliber which claims to have been voted best in the Caribbean in 2017 should consider a shuttle to their high paying guests. If your native currency is not US$ it is extremely expensive. Also, this is not an all inclusive hotel and as such all your meals and drinks are NOT included and are expensive. They do offer a prepaid plan for dinner and breakfast at US$70 per person which I recommend. Expect to pay more as this does not include drinks. So 4 glasses of wine will set you back another US$40 at dinner for example. The gym is under-equipped and guests jostle for the one treadmill. We suggested they limit the use to 30 minutes with a posted sign and a sign up sheet so guest know they are next. Better still, they should buy another treadmill. They offer free yoga classes. We attended the first day and showed up for the second day only to be standing around with the other guests for a half hour after the start time waiting for the instructor. We all left after 30 minutes. This was bad. They scheduled the yoga for the afternoon and then cancelled that as well. I suspect no one wanted to wait around again. The staff can be heard rolling carts around early in the morning along the hallways which can be heard in the room and will wake you if your sleeping.
These are the reasons we could not give them 5 stars.
In summary, if you don't want the overcrowded resort experience and are looking for an almost private getaway at a property that resembles more of a large private mansion then a behemoth resort and you don't mind the long drive from the airport and you don't want to leave the resort this is the place for you.
We would certainly consider going back if our negatives were addressed and our suggestions implemented.