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Hello, I have been to Negril many times, longest stay was 8 days. I am planning on staying for the full month of may 2016. My though was to just show up and try to find a good deal with cash in hand. What is everyone's thoughts on doing this? Any suggestions on where to try? My only requirements are a swimming pool and security. Also want to be on the beach. My budget is $1000 or less...
Gotta say, I am looking forward to the answers to this question.
I doubt that you will find any place on the beach but possibly a few on the cliffs who have a pool and security that want $1000 or less a month.Quote:
Originally Posted by nh420er
I usually just show up with the cash money and see what it will buy. May is a very dead month in Negril area and a lot of owners may be tempted by cold, hard cash. It always amazes me what people will agree to do when money flashes in front of their eyes.
Just my opinion.
Peace and Guidance
I am answering this, what I really hope is a "tongue in cheek" question as it is impossible to attain. Staying a month at a small property on the cliffs or across the road is possible if you give up the pool and beach idea. Staying for a month on the main beach is not much of a bargaining chip.
The Negril beach, being one of the most popular beach destinations in the world, a budget of us$32 a day on the beach with a swimming pool is unrealistic. It would be possible to maybe get a US$50 a night room in May, but us$32 is just not realistic.
About 3 years ago, I sat down with a hotelier on the beach with swimming pool and we went over the cost to simply host a visitor for a night - their cost to maintain the room with electricity, laundry, cleaning, the pool, taxes as well as security. That cost, three years ago, was us$28 per night stay. In the past three years, those costs have gone up. For a beach hotel with a pool, the basic cost must be approaching that us$32 figure, which would allow no profit at all and possibly they would lose money on that transaction.
I am not even including the transfers or food and beverages. Immigration also asks where you are staying when you arrive, so have an appropriate hotel name to give them.
May is not as slow of a month as it used to be, the hotels this year didnt see much of a drop until mid-May. Busy season didnt end April 15th but more like May 15th. For larger businesses island wide, flashing cash also doesnt have near the impact as it did just a few years ago. Due to the IMF guidelines, taxes are becoming nearly impossible to avoid as the government needs to collect as much as possible to pay back the IMF loan. This is an ongoing change and the government is following business cash deposits and payments, asking where the cash came from and taxing it if the answer is even questionable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Accompong
Owning a business here is different today than it has been in the past. The very small cash based businesses only have to pay the new annual minimum business tax, but any serious business has to keep their records and deposits clean or be faced large "estimated taxes" with heavy fines. Jamaica is developing into a more of a first world economy, and there will be growing pains along the way. And flashing cash for a major discount will become a thing of the past very soon...
Thank you Rob & Accompong for you input. Rob what you say makes a lot of sense and I guess I will rethink my no reservations approach to my stay. I would hate to show up and not be able to find a suitable place to stay and feel homeless...lol..in Negril.
LOL! There are much worse places to be homeless than Negril...Quote:
Originally Posted by nh420er
Contact some of the properties across the road from the beach (morass side) and/or consider the west end.
nh420er, if you can up your budget a bit, or shorten stay a bit, you will want to check out the White Sands, for 50 bucks a day during that time you get a basic , but sparking clean room, on the beach, great ac, mini fridge, balcony , daily housekeeping, secure safety deposit boxes,
day and nighttime security, one of the best bars on the beach ....call them directly...
mi was der the the Month of May this year and it was absolutely dead on the West End....dead dead dead
actually mi was der the whole Summer......wi had more rain than the previous Summer for sure
but you had your pick of places in May and actually most of the Summer except for the first week of August with ATI...
mi would say May and September are the two most quietest months of the year in Negril......
the best thing to do is when you reach.....just go check out places you like and get prices......
after a couple days you will have your place for the month.......no problem at all
the biggest problem with the beach is that it is the high rent district........
you can do a lot better if you stay on the Cliffs/West End but getting a taxi at night is tuff.......
the prices range all over the place and with what comforts you need...A/C, Pool, Security, Kitchen, etc.....
the budget way is to rent a room in a guesthouse on da Cliffs away from da wata....
the expensive way is to rent a room directly on da beach...a lot less money if on da road side
again the prices range all over da place......and don't ask what mi pay cause everyone won't believe it.....lol
Barry's on da Cliffs on Pee Wee Lane for $500 a month with a kitchen etc is a way many expats go....nice place
it's up a couple places from mi and it is a very nice place with a great view of the Caribbean....close to everything
just ask anyone at No Limit Bar which place is Barry's.....it is on da left and think it is the fifth property...da name is different on da sign
make sure if you get a place on da beach that has A/C as you need it that time of year.......
on the Cliffs you can get away with having a really good fan....which is what mi do....ha ha
enjoy your time der.......you can find mi over at Pee Wees on the Cliffs/West End Road by No Limit Bar....
Cool Runnings, Marko