Rockhouse last week... .. thinking about next year... what compares?

We just got home from 10 great days in Jamaica (our approx 35th trip to Jamaica over the years). We split our stay by starting in a villa on the cliffs at Rockhouse (standard villa) and then moving to Couples Negril for the second half since we love an active tennis vacation and a beautiful beach ... hard to beat Bloody Bay!

We loved the tranquility and beauty of Rockhouse. Our Villa (#15) was rustic, but perfect for us. We loved the views from the bed, the porch, and from our lounge chairs on the edge of the cliff. We liked the pool, the food, and the staff was great. At our villa we could get food delivered via room service at no extra charge (other than a tip) and had shade on the porch, sun on the pad, lounges under our umbrella... it could not be any more relaxing! We would go back right now if it were not for these 'day jobs' we have to go to every day to pay the bills and such. :)
At Rockhouse the price was a little steep for what was included we thought, but we enjoyed every minute.

In thinking about next time and I think we might want to at least consider some of the other nicer places on the cliffs on the hopes of a better rate. Next time we would probably start on the beach at a place with an active and well attended tennis program and then finish our trip at a relaxing place on the cliffs rather than start on the cliffs and then move to the beach like we did this time. We could really have used a few days at Rockhouse after we were sore and exhausted from our activities on the tennis courts and on the beach at CN.

What I am wondering is... what other resorts on the cliffs are as nice at Rockhouse? Given that the standard Villas at Rockhouse are not luxury accommodations by any means and not much is included in the high nightly price, I am hoping there might be other options nearby that offer similar views, tranquility, beauty, security, and amenities for a better price. We want easy access to the water, not to have to play a game to have chairs we like during the day, good options for meals and drinks, a clean room with a safe, A/C, and ceiling fan.
What other small resorts on the cliffs compare well to Rockhouse in offering the things I have mentioned in a beautiful secure atmosphere without a lot of kids?
How do Catcha, Tensing Pen, and others compare in direct comparison to Rockhouse?
Thanks for any first hand perspectives!
Roy

Those would be the two I would look into....as far as being comparable.

My vote would be Tensing Pen

Cap

Tensing Pen for sure, we stayed in one of the rock cottages there a few years back, quite secluded with an awesome vibe. It was a bit pricier than a standard room, but we'll worth it.

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Originally Posted by RoyinNC

We just got home from 10 great days in Jamaica (our approx 35th trip to Jamaica over the years). We split our stay by starting in a villa on the cliffs at Rockhouse (standard villa) and then moving to Couples Negril for the second half since we love an active tennis vacation and a beautiful beach ... hard to beat Bloody Bay!

Roy

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You say standard villa, what did you pay? 180/nt plus tax? I'm considering booking but it would be fall rates. 95/nt sounds pretty good. Just wanted your thoughts.

Oh, and what do you mean "play a game" for chairs? Do people get up and pull the towel/book crap to claim chairs at 6 am like at all inclusives?
Thanks.

i'm also interested in a stay . . . but would not like to play a game for chairs . . . .

MikeyNYC~ I believe the original poster was in a regular Villa as opposed to a premium villa .. your quoting prices from a standard room... regular Villa is $250 in the fall....

We love CFS. It's very quiet during the day. A nice quiet at night. They open it up to the public after 5:00. The bartenders are great and normally a fun crowd around the bar. I have stayed in different rooms and loved them all. Never a problem finding a chair. Beautiful views. The food is great.

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Originally Posted by shell

MikeyNYC~ I believe the original poster was in a regular Villa as opposed to a premium villa .. your quoting prices from a standard room... regular Villa is $250 in the fall....

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Oh duh. Missed that.
Thanks for pointing it out.

Sounds like you need to go to Treasure Beach. South coast. Pretty places to stay. Calm

We like The Caves. Going back in May for our second stay.

And don't forget ............... Rockhouse, as many many resorts in Negril, charge an additional 10% Jamaican Government Tax AND a additional 10% service charge on top of the room charges. Plus there can be a daily Room Tax A few resorts include some or all of these charges in their rates. Read the fine print ! !

The "service charge" at many resorts is used to tip the backroom operation staff who do not get to interface with resort guest and receive tips for good service. These backroom employees include but are not limited to gardeners, dish washers, maintenance personnel, laundry personnel, etc.....

Good point Captain. The 10% Service Charge goes, as you said, to all the staff at Rockhouse. It is divided among everyone who works there. Any tip you leave above the 10% Service Charge goes directly to the specific server being tipped.

The Villa prices are quite a bit higher than the number you have there. They are cheaper in the fall than what we paid recently though.
By "Play a game for chairs" I meant that with our Villa at Rockhouse there were chairs set aside specifically for our use. Each Villa comes with adirondack chairs on the villa porch and also two lounge chairs under an umbrella on the cliff's edge. So in asking about the chairs I am trying to find out if the other places similar to Rockhouse also have specific chairs for the guests in each unit or if you have to look around and find chairs you like, and perhaps get there early to get good locations. I like the way Rockhouse does it with their villas. :)

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Originally Posted by RoyinNC

The Villa prices are quite a bit higher than the number you have there. They are cheaper in the fall than what we paid recently though.
By "Play a game for chairs" I meant that with our Villa at Rockhouse there were chairs set aside specifically for our use. Each Villa comes with adirondack chairs on the villa porch and also two lounge chairs under an umbrella on the cliff's edge. So in asking about the chairs I am trying to find out if the other places similar to Rockhouse also have specific chairs for the guests in each unit or if you have to look around and find chairs you like, and perhaps get there early to get good locations. I like the way Rockhouse does it with their villas. :)

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Oh. Thanks. This is interesting. I now understand...you didn't have to play the game at Rockhouse because you had dedicated chairs. Nice.
Do you think that means the cheap rooms dont have access to the umbrella / chairs at cliffs edge? Is there a separate sunning area? Sorry for the questions. I dont want to book a room then realize I can't sit on the cliff and get sun. And if that's the case, I'll book a villa.
Thanks

There are a number of chairs with umbrellas along the cliff edge that are available to folks who are not staying in a villa, in addition there are a good number of chairs around the pool (also basically on the cliff edge), and a large sun deck area with plenty of chairs. It looked to me like even if you were not staying in a villa there would be plenty of good places to get some sun at Rockhouse, but it might be a different place every day.

Best overall value on the Cliffs IMHO is Citronella... Where I will be a week from tomorrow!!!! Yes it's rustic, no there is not a bar, what you do get is privacy, relaxation, yummy breakfast and wonderful dinners if you request in the morning.

Tensing is Great too... More luxury less privacy