I am looking for some pearls of wisdom from my magnificent fellow boardies...

Can I get peoples thoughts on Fun Holiday Beach Resort .... we are looking at over new years and the first couple of weeks. There are 5 or so of us girls going do for two weeks of fun. I'm trying to fit everyone's budget, all inclusive requirements and my desire to be on Negril Beach.

Has anyone stayed here and what are your thoughts? Also, is it in a good section of beach with lots of activity around? I'm not familiar enough with what's around there to make judgement.

The good the bad and the ugly are welcomed..

thanks!

Hmmmm....have you looked into Merril's yet? That's the first place that came to mind when reading your wish list. I personally wouldn't do Fun Holiday again for the simple fact there are better options out there for around the same price. It is right across the street from the Jungle and centrally located I just didn't have the best time there...If it were me I would compare it to Merrils and see what the price different would be. Now if Fun Holiday came in significantly less, then I would consider it, but if it's comparable I would go with Merrils. Good luck!

I've heard good and bad about Fun Holiday. My friends stayed there in June and had a nice time but said they wouldn't take the AI option there again. Check out Seawind and Beachcomber Club. They also have AI options as well, as does Rayon and Hidden Paradise, though not located directly on the beach.

Thanks Maryann and rastagal... the price IS significantly cheaper especially for new years time. I suspect we will spend some time at the resort but also try the local fare. I stayed at Sunset at the Palms in January... no comparison ... this will definitely be a cheap vacation. Thanks for your input. I really do appreciate it.

I stayed there for a week last Nov and would say it is OK for a budget hotel - clean, safe, barebones room to sleep, shower, and store your stuff. The room we had, and the hotel in general, was showing the wear and tear it gets as one of the spring break HQ hotels, but everything in the rooms worked - good AC and hot water. Our maid was good about leaving extra towels and did a good job, and the rest of the staff was friendly and nice, too. I also liked that the pool was right at the beach and has a swim-up bar.

One thing with you having 5 people - the rooms are pretty small. I assume you are planning on having 2 rooms? Also, the rooms downstairs have 2 beds, and the rooms upstairs have Kings - so make your reservations accordingly.

It is on a good section of the beach, if by that you mean close by bars/restaurants and the nightly beach parties. Roots Bamboo is just 2 properties south, Alfred's only about 6-7 properties down, and the Jungle is just 2 properties up, across the street. Several good little local restaurants are walking distance right across the street, too. Fun Holiday is right at the 2km mark on this map, to orient yourself - http://www.maherconsulting.com/negri...p2011final.pdf

I know what you mean when you say they are "significantly cheaper", because they sometimes offer incredible deals. Last Nov, with a Travelocity 50% off deal, it was the lowest price for a beachside hotel I could find. Just $39.84+tax+fees/night (came to $322 total for the week!!) for 2 of us in a downstairs (what they call gardenview) room. But that was low season and they were mostly empty.

We only ate 1 meal there (and it was just fine) the whole week because there are just too many other food places to try out in Negril - you could easily stay 2 weeks and not eat at the same place twice. Plus we also did the majority of our drinking at those other restaurants, random bars all along the beach and west end, and the nightly beach parties. Because we knew we were going to do that, we figured the AI price just didn't make sense - but that was us. Even for the time we spent lounging at the hotel pool/beach, we saved by keeping a cooler in the room and getting Red Stripe, Rum, and mixers from the Chinaman's store downtown by the Burger King. We found doing that was much cheaper than their AI - but again the AI price was not discounted like the room rate we got was. You should really discuss with your friends how much you will actually be at the hotel vs eating/drinking out, and do the math on room alone vs their AI price.

One final thing I am sure you are aware, but want to mention just in case. Their AI is food/drink only - they don't include any water sports like you would see at Sandals, for instance. Also, their AI food is buffet only, not ordering from their menu - and only certain drinks included, for instance a draft beer called Real Rock (OK but it's not Red Stripe). They are not unique in this - that is pretty standard at the AI-optional hotels in Negril.

I have never been to Fun holiday, but there are SO MANY negative reviews, that the place scares me a bit .... The best thing about the place is there is a good pool, but I will remain loyal to Bar b Barn, that place has the best value of anywhere .....

Fun Holiday was real popular on here years ago when it was new.......and still has it's fans.........
but you hear some not so good things about the place nowadays on here........
like their overbooked and send you to another hotel...........
or they went AI and the food wasn't that good........
or the manager was suppose to take care of something and they never did etc etc.......

personally if your gang are not a fussy bunch......and if you don't go AI....
and you get a really good price....then I'd say go for it but beware..........

I think a place like Negril Beach Condos or one of the other less expensive resorts might be for you guys....

to go AI you really need to eat and drink a ton to make it worth your while as eating out there isn't that expensive....

been to Merrils and it's nuthin to write home about.......the food is bland and served buffet......
tiny plastic cups for drinks..........and that not so good Real Rock draft beer.........
but the location is super duper........and the rooms are nice and well maintained..........

Cool Runnings, Marko

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gerryg123

...but I will remain loyal to Bar b Barn, that place has the best value of anywhere

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gerryg - I've heard good things about BBBarn, but they don't post room rates on their website.

For future reference, can you give an idea what their room rates are low and high season.
I'm sure, like most of the locally owned hotels, repeat guests can work out a discount - but just wondering ballpark rates.
(I may get in a last minute trip before starting a new job)
TIA

Thank you all for your replies. I would have loved to stay a Bar B Barn... however it wasn't in the cards for this trip. I have booked the Fun Holiday Beach Resort... and I think that this particular resort seemed to meet our requirements for everyone in our party. There are 4 people now going and its hard please everyone. I think this place fulfilled everyones needs (even minimally). One girl is on a very very limited budget and wants all inclusive for the food and she like to drink; I wanted to be on the beach and to be central. With it being so cheap it allows us to eat elsewhere if we want... I do believe that it will be a basic clean place to sleep and thats fine... I know its not a 4 or 5 star but its price is allowing us to be there for 2 weeks and be on the beach and be there for new years eve. I may have breakfast there but will probably eat out alot... I can't wait to try some of the other restaurants. So, I will keep you updated after my trip on my thoughts. However, if you see a Canadian chick standing by the road with a sign looking for a room help a friend out okay...lol
Thank you again for your honest responses. I am leaving the day after tomorrow for a week in Montego Bay, I am planning at least one day in Negril and may try to see the resort while I'm there... or maybe not.. let it be a surprise in December :)

You have a great attitude, I am sure you will have a great time ..... You're going to love Negril.

was reading an unrelated story last night that noted an old quote of Arthur Frommer (of the travel guide fame) who said that the less you spend on vacation, the more you enjoy the vacation. You stay in more interesting places, meet more locals, and encounter more engaging fellow travelers than those who flock to five star hotels.

After meeting you at Bert,s party, I dont think it matters where you stay, you will have a good time. If the Delhi motel was ok I am sure Fun Holiday will be no prblem!

Here's my trip report on Fun Holidays and other stuff from last year click the link for comments and follow ups from boardies: http://www.negril.com/discus/messages/343814/341548.html?1294870716

The actual initial post is below, hope this helps;


This year we decided to take a trip at a different time of the year. It was our first excursion to Negril during the New Years season, as we didn't want our kids to be out of school for too long.

As per the previous years, we dragged along a bunch of friends to enjoy the unique vibe of Jamaica through our experience. It seems that every year when we talk about our trip and share our experiences, new folks come along. A bit of background, we've been traveling to Negril for over 17 ish years, my wife has been coming here for over 27 years, and we've stayed in a variety of places. We're not into the fancy RIU types, we're more akin to the Roots Bamboo (Cabins on the beach, with camp style showers) types. But with the arrival of the kidlettes we needed to find slightly better accommodations, so about 8 years ago we found "Point Village Resort". For the longest time, that was our home base. But alas, Point Village is no longer open for hotel type of business so the search for a new home base was on. This is when we stumbled upon Fun Holidays Beach Resort.

Our mode of vacation is a bit different, I think, than the typical beach comber type. When we arrive we usually rent a car at "Island Cruiser Jamaica" on Norman Manley, we've known Patrick Marzouca for a long time and he usually cuts a great deal, this year was no different as we needed the car for all of 17 days.

From our home base we do day trips to various places across the island, this year we've visited:

Pelican Bar (Perotte Bay)
YS Falls (South coast area)
Mayfield Falls (In the mountains)
Roaring River (Just past Sav)
Country Western Horse Riding Ranch (Little London)
Plus numerous trips to Hi Lo plaza and the west end.

For food, we've eaten everywhere from Gluttons Corner 3/4 of the way to YS Falls to the local yardie food, I've even met Niya and his lovely german wife, not to mention running into a couple of wild women one of which is famous here (Farmerdeb)... What a great laugh she is, full of life and certainly knows how to enjoy it.

I'll be posting more stories about each of the trips, and driving in Jamaica on subsequent posts, this post is about our arrival and review of our little home base this year.

Clive Transport:
When we originally booked our vacation in Jamaica, we scanned this message board to look for a transport company to take us from the airport to Fun Holidays. It is through this board where we discovered Clive Transport. We sent him emails of everyone's itinerary and when our groups arrived at the airport, he had nicely printed laminated signs held up with the names of the guests. What a nice initial touch, a complimentary beverage was the icing to the cake.

Clive Transport: Great service, great price, great professionalism.

Bigga @ Green Island: True to his name, he is a bigga fellow, but one of the nicest folks you'll ever meet, we chatted about scaling fish, how he only buys the freshest ingredients for his food, and let me tell you, his Jerk Pork is fantastic, Jerk Chicken is amazing, but to top it all off, his home made jerk spice (he gave us a cup of it to take to the hotel) was awesome. We use it on everything.

Fun Holidays

Fun Holidays Resort: Prior to arriving to Negril, this year, we read reviews on Trip Advisor and there were mixed reviews. Note, we were 13 people this year traveling, and we prefaced everyone that the place we're going to be staying at was "Rustic" and not to expect a RIU or Sandals. I believe these guys (Fun Holidays) have been getting a bad rap on the internet, and it's all about setting the correct expectation.

The Staff: Everyone from the office staff, hospitality staff, security and even the handyman was super super super helpful about everything. Aye Aye the head chef was always accommodating, we asked for Ackee and Saltfish for breakfast and he more than obliged, we asked for Porrage and he was more than happy to provide, we asked for spicier food and he made jerk chicken to rival any of the best out there. Vernon was super nice and the guards kept an eye out on the guests making sure that they weren't harassed by potential rudeboys on the beach.

The Rooms: Setting expectations is key here... Expect the RIU and you'll be disappointed, expect a grass roots homey place that's clean not fancy and you'll have a great time. The rooms all have 2 double beds, a nice big closet, a vanity with lots of drawers to keep all your stuff in, and it's cleaned every day, towels are so white it lights up the bathroom. Hot water is present and lasts for 4 showers (perfect for us), but typical to Negril, water pressure is a bit on the low side, but does the job adequately.

Overall the stay at Fun Holidays has been great, and continues to be great, we have another week to go, and I'll be posting pictures and reports on all of our journeys across the island.

Stay tuned.