Thinking about staying here for a few days this winter.....would love to hear what anyone has to say about the accommodations. Also are there safes in the room?
Thinking about staying here for a few days this winter.....would love to hear what anyone has to say about the accommodations. Also are there safes in the room?
We've stayed at HSH a few times over the past 4 years. It was always a great property, but continuous improvements have been made over that time period. The regular, older rooms (Seaview Deluxe) are basic, but clean and nicely furnished. Most of the bathrooms in these rooms have older, well worn fixtures, but everything works well. None of these rooms have a fridge, but you used to be able to rent one (one time they provided me with an igloo cooler and ice, for no additional charge, since there was no fridge available).The Penthouse (room 12) is in the old building, but it is nicely appointed and decorated. It comes with a huge balcony and nice kitchenette. One of my most favorite rooms on the cliffs. Rooms 15 and 16 are some of the newest and are very nice suites. These rooms are similar to the Penthouse, except the furniture isn't as fancy (mostly bamboo, which is cool in my book). All of the rooms have safes and AC, but only the suites have a fridge. There are a couple rooms/suites above the restaurant (one is new and the other remodeled). The last time I was there, they were still under construction so I can't speak to them or their availability.
The cliffs are some of the best on the West End. Great snorkeling in the coral canyon, right off the property. Nice pool with a deep end that must be over 8 feet. Great restaurant and bar, although it is very quiet. Non-Guests are welcome, but it doesn't draw crowds like Xtabi or Ivan's. We've seen a few chefs come and go over the years. If Monte is still there, the food will be excellent. Restaurant prices are fair - not as cheap as roadside places, but not as expensive as most resort restaurants. There is no uniformed security, but the property is very safe. Dino, the maintenance/groundskeeper stays up all night and watches the property. Most of the busy season, Charlie, the owner, lives there, as well. There is usually a driver that hangs out on site that will take you anywhere you need to go (excursions, out to dinner or just to the ATM).
That's about it, in a nutshell. Let me know if you have any questions.
HSH is really my choice on the cliffs. Have stayed there....5 times? Rooms are large, beds are comfy, patios have views. The bar is my workstation. The wifi is fast and the beer ice cold.
Last I was there, Monte was the bartender and a very pleasant fellow. Didn't know he cooked...
The only issue I ever had were the dogs barking from across the street at 4am, but that was only on one visit...
The old chef was a real gem and would make you anything you wanted, whether or not on menu. Some days I got to choose the fish for dinner from the fisherman in the morning! She also made a great mackerel rundown....
Can't go wrong at HSH, especially for the price...
"Enjoy Every Sandwich"-Warren Zevon
We stayed there last year and loved it, going back this January. Monte was the bartender, waiter, cook, and had a line in the water the whole timeThe man loves to fish. Everyone else there is friendly including the owner, Charlie. It's a cool place.
Thanks for the info....I am pretty sure we will be staying there for a few days this winter before going down to the beach.
We thought about staying at the beach for a few nights this year but I just booked the lower cliff edge suite at HSH for the whole trip
Does anyone know what happened to the new ownership of HSH a few years ago? I was told that a couple from near me in VA bought the place, ran it very briefly apparently, and then may have just left!??
Is the original owner back in the picture? What happened with the new owners from here in the states?
Thanks for any info!
I spoke with the new owners (John and his wife) just before they took over ownership of HSH a few years ago. They were very excited and had ambitious plans to upgrade the property. They ran the place for 1 year and then it went back to the original owner, Charlie. I won't pretend to know the details of the sale, but it appears that there may have been a contingency agreement that allowed them to sell HSH back to Charlie in 1 year, if they decided to back out. John and his wife made some cosmetic improvements, hired some new staff (including uniformed security) and raised the rates, but I guess they just couldn't make a go of it. Since Charlie took over, again, he has made some significant investment in the property. There are 3 new suites, he replaced all of the old wood shutters with insulated vinyl windows (personally, I preferred the wooden shutters), there is a new paint job throughout the property and some rooms have new tile floors. If you look at the HSH website, you will still see the higher rates that were set by John. In lieu of updating the rates page, Charlie has a pop-up on the homepage telling you to contact him directly for unadvertised deals.Originally Posted by RoyinNC
Thanks! I know ever since the first time I fell in love with Negril in the 80's I dreamed of a retirement where we operated a small resort along Bloody Bay (Grand Lido Negril was the only resort on Bloody Bay back then). But as we kept going I more and more realized that while Negril is one of my favorite places on the planet... I enjoyed it most as a visitor rather than a resident or business owner.
Amen RoyinNC!Thanks! I know ever since the first time I fell in love with Negril in the 80's I dreamed of a retirement where we operated a small resort along Bloody Bay (Grand Lido Negril was the only resort on Bloody Bay back then). But as we kept going I more and more realized that while Negril is one of my favorite places on the planet... I enjoyed it most as a visitor rather than a resident or business owner.
Vacationing in Jamaica and operating a business are two completely different mind sets, let alone realities. From the legal regulations to the day to day banking, exchanging money, taxation, utilities and the cost of doing business, at times it makes me wonder what I was thinking in the first place!
After some 20+ years of owning and operating Negril.com, I can be thankful for the rewards of having a successful business in Jamaica. To steal the lines from "New York, New York", if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!
Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!
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