Has Anyone Ever STAYED At Alfred's Ocean Palace?

hi everyone! i apologize in advance for the long post and biographical details!

has anyone here ever stayed at alfred's, and if so, did you enjoy it? would you recommend it for a family of 3 (my husband, myself and our ten year old son)? we plan to arrive on tuesday, feb. 21 and check out sunday, feb. 26. we're in ja for 2 weeks, so this would only be a part of our trip. i joined this board specifically to ask this question, since, aside from 2 fairly general reviews on another travel forum, i can't seem to find a lot of info about the actual hotel part of the operation.

my questions are: ocnsidering it's a popular spot with both tourists and locals, is the property safe for the hotel guests? we're going to bring a travel safe with a lock and chain, but in general, are the rooms secure? i know lot of people have had problems with their rooms getting robbed while staying at roots bamboo, but i'm assuming that alfred's doesn't put up with that type of shadiness.

should we expect live music and/or dj's every single night from 9pm to 3am during that time (tuesday through saturday)?

oh, and is roots bamboo still hosting parties several times a week or are they under renovation?

a little info about what type of travelers we are might be a good idea, especially since we're traveling with our kid: i've been visiting jamaica since the mid 90s for work and to hang out with friends who have family there. this will be about my 10th time in negril, my husband's third and our son's 2nd. i've always either stayed with friends or at xtabi, so i only know the beach as a hangout spot, not as a base of operations.

my husband and son are originally from a beach town in haiti and the three of us know the bar/restaurant part of alfred's well, so there's no worry about any form of culture shock when we see the actual accommodations. if we made it through post-earthquake haiti we will be fine at alfred's for a few days. people generally think my husband and son are jamaican and i'm still friendly with a bunch of folks from my younger days, so there's no big worry about getting tourist hustled or inadvertently putting ourselves in bad situations. although we don't partake ourselves, we expect that our son will see people indulging in that one fragrant, adult mood relaxer popular in ja.

thanks in advance for your help!!!

I definitely can answer your question, I stayed there once, a few summers ago, I believe it was labor day weekend. It was hot as blazes, so I have never returned in
the summer , but I had no problem being a solo traveler at Alfreds.

It is run by a great family, that watches out for everything very closely. The music situation is different ,as it's wrapping up earlier these days, and theres really only a couple nights
out of the week, there will be music.....
The rooms were fine, I didn't have ac, but had fans, so I would ask ahead of time, although February is the best month for nice weather, it can actually get cool at night, so that might not be a problem for you.
The owner even let me keep my valuables in her safe, as they live on property.
As it looks like you already know, the food is great, don't miss the fish and chips........Rudy makes the best rum punch around, and the beach area is nice.....
Theres usually a volleyball game going that your son might want to get into, and I would suggest to bring floaties, as they have a floating dock, and it's fun to float, or swim out
and lay on the dock....
I think you will be just fine...

Roots Bamboo had completed some major renovations awhile back...they're looking good and yes, they still offer regular weekly shows.

yeah, i think the thing that's going to be the hardest part is the fact that we will have no choice but to deal with ridiculously loud music at least 3 of the nights we're there.

my kid will love it, i'm sure.

maybe i'll jolly my old lady self into an "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" frame of mind and join the party.

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Originally Posted by Bnewb

Roots Bamboo had completed some major renovations awhile back...they're looking good and yes, they still offer regular weekly shows.

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My wife and I have stayed at Alfred's three times the past few years, and it is absolutely our favorite. The rooms are basic, with no TV or phone, and like someone else said no AC, but no problem with the fans. We've always stayed between November and February and it's never been too hot, especially in the evening to morning, when it's hard to get up because the breeze is so nice.

Yes, they still have loud music three nights a week (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday), but as someone mentioned, due to the new noise rules ends about midnight. We're heading to Jamaica next week but not staying at Alfred's, only because we will have our 6 month old baby with us, and he probably won't be able to handle music til midnight. I will say though that I have been able to sleep through the music nights before (although that may have had as much to do with Alfred's rum punch!).

They'll warn you to keep your doors (and outer doors to the decks/mezzanine) locked, but we have always felt completely safe. Everyone is extremely friendly and make you feel so welcome. Good call on the travel safe because they don't have safes in the room, but we bring a PacSafe travel safe (if not the same kind, similar to what you are describing), and that works fine for us.

If you and the family are cool with the basic amenities, then you will love Alfred's. We can't wait to go back and stay again in a few months when we return without the baby, and again when he's old enough to stay.

Hope this helps!

just wanted to mosey on back to the thread i started...

we're at alfred's right now and our stay has been great. all the info i received here was spot on.

cindy basically told us we could pay whenever- i chose to pay on our second day, the full amount of our stay, in cash and there were no hidden charges or hassles.

our room is clean and i have no worries about the security of our possessions.

my kid is loving it and my husband and i are enjoying ourselves.

i'd definitely stay here again.

So happy to hear... I knew you would love it ! I think Alfreds is sometimes a forgotten spot that is great to eat and drink, but to stay, and the family is awesome.........actually I think it would be a great place for the boardie bash in April.....( hint...hint...Rob and Lisa :)

you were totally right. coming here to eat and hang out is only half the experience. staying here has been pretty damned sweet!

and by the way, i know people on that hotel review website that shall not be named (it starts with a T) love to complain about how crap the alfred's serving staff is, but everyone here has been lovely- quick to ask if we need anything and fast with our check and change.

and i would try my hardest to show up at an alfred's-based boardie bash.

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Originally Posted by jojo p

So happy to hear... I knew you would love it ! I think Alfreds is sometimes a forgotten spot that is great to eat and drink, but to stay, and the family is awesome.........actually I think it would be a great place for the boardie bash in April.....( hint...hint...Rob and Lisa :)

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Thanks for a good report on Alfred's on a place to stay.;)

thanks, vince:)

i meant to add in my update that the music has totally not been an issue for me.

they've stopped using the stage these days and just set the band up in the bar area. we were in an upstairs ocean facing room (room 5) our first couple of days and the music did not sound loud at all up there. then we switched rooms and wound up on the first floor in the room closest to the bar (room 1)- the music went from about 9:30 until about 1am last night, and it was definitely much louder than when we were upstairs, but i just threw in my earbuds and fired up an audiobook and fell asleep in no time.


https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/412/32...08a21df4_c.jpg
view from room 5


https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2457/3...1f405988_c.jpg
view from room 1

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Originally Posted by Vince

Thanks for a good report on Alfred's on a place to stay.;)

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What prompted the move from room to room?

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Originally Posted by mwenvlay

thanks, vince:)

i meant to add in my update that the music has totally not been an issue for me.

they've stopped using the stage these days and just set the band up in the bar area. we were in an upstairs ocean facing room (room 5) our first couple of days and the music did not sound loud at all up there. then we switched rooms and wound up on the first floor in the room closest to the bar (room 1)- the music went from about 9:30 until about 1am last night, and it was definitely much louder than when we were upstairs, but i just threw in my earbuds and fired up an audiobook and fell asleep in no time.


https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/412/32...08a21df4_c.jpg
view from room 5


https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2457/3...1f405988_c.jpg
view from room 1

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we had a loft room. our second night/morning here (wedns/thurs) there was a violent storm at 4:30am and our ceiling started pouring with rain.

we think it might've been because the window in the loft area was open. our 10 yr. old son was sleeping up there and i can imagine he opened the window when he first got there and then never thought about it again.

cindy moved us down to room 1 at around 5:30am and we asked her if we could stay- internet and water pressure are much stronger down here, plus it's easier for us to keep an eye on our kid. the room doesn't have a loft, so he has to sleep in the twin bed next to our double bed.

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Originally Posted by LivinInThe603

What prompted the move from room to room?

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Oh, wow! I'm glad they could accommodate you :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mwenvlay

we had a loft room. our second night/morning here (wedns/thurs) there was a violent storm at 4:30am and our ceiling started pouring with rain.

we think it might've been because the window in the loft area was open. our 10 yr. old son was sleeping up there and i can imagine he opened the window when he first got there and then never thought about it again.

cindy moved us down to room 1 at around 5:30am and we asked her if we could stay- internet and water pressure are much stronger down here, plus it's easier for us to keep an eye on our kid. the room doesn't have a loft, so he has to sleep in the twin bed next to our double bed.

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yeah, we lucked out.

cindy told us that a big crew of long-termer snowbirds had just departed the day before and room 1 was the only room that had gotten cleaned, so we had a fresh room to switch into.

and the whole ceiling flooding thing was a non-issue for us. it was all good as long as none of our electronics got ruined and i managed to save them before the water hit them (we had our laptop and portable bose speaker on the floor with our luggage). my husband actually kind of enjoyed it because it's exactly the type of drama we'd get if we were still living in haiti. it made alfred's feel like home.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LivinInThe603

Oh, wow! I'm glad they could accommodate you :)

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We have stayed at Alfred's for many years, the rooms have always been safe and clean. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Have brought our kids and many friends, some with teenagers. Plan to bring young grandkids next (this) year. The beach musicians and vendors always stop and the atmosphere is always great.

that's great that you're bringing your grandchildren. your family is on its third generation of negril vacationers! my son is only ten, but i hope to follow in your footsteps.

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Originally Posted by freezin

We have stayed at Alfred's for many years, the rooms have always been safe and clean. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Have brought our kids and many friends, some with teenagers. Plan to bring young grandkids next (this) year. The beach musicians and vendors always stop and the atmosphere is always great.

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Having stayed at Alfreds for many years, we love it, and nearly all of the friends we have taken with us feel the same. Its basic, but clean and safe. We have never had an issue with safety or cleanliness. It is in the middle of everything and its always a happening place. The staff from Alfred and Cindy down are friendly, and helpful. We have never had a bad experience there. Can't wait to go back next winter!

Love the way you take a chill attitude and just go with the flow. So many are quick to complain but you just took it in stride, and found the move worked better for you guys!!! So refreshing to read and glad you guys had a great time.....sure sounds like it! Will definitely look at Alfred's for future accommodations!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mwenvlay

yeah, we lucked out.

cindy told us that a big crew of long-termer snowbirds had just departed the day before and room 1 was the only room that had gotten cleaned, so we had a fresh room to switch into.

and the whole ceiling flooding thing was a non-issue for us. it was all good as long as none of our electronics got ruined and i managed to save them before the water hit them (we had our laptop and portable bose speaker on the floor with our luggage). my husband actually kind of enjoyed it because it's exactly the type of drama we'd get if we were still living in haiti. it made alfred's feel like home.

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thank you very much:cool:

if you do wind up staying at alfred's i'd love to see you post a trip report. i think locally owned and managed properties need to get more shine, especially the long established ones that are still trucking, as negril goes through its latest cycle of change.

oh, and here are a couple of videos i took while we were there:

https://youtu.be/oAadiUPkNAQ

https://youtu.be/FcOdel9dmKE

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Originally Posted by hey_mon

Love the way you take a chill attitude and just go with the flow. So many are quick to complain but you just took it in stride, and found the move worked better for you guys!!! So refreshing to read and glad you guys had a great time.....sure sounds like it! Will definitely look at Alfred's for future accommodations!

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Thinking about trying out Alfreds for part of my stay in Dec. What are the basic rates? I tried to submit a request via their website but it's not working. I couldn't find anyplace online that has rates or availability.
thanks

Mikey, did you click on contact and leave a message, they should get back to you fairly quickly as they live on property, I know it's 60 bucks a night, not positive if that
is what it is in high season !

it was $60 plus $1 per night when we were there end of feb. (high season). we had the room with the loft (room 5) and then moved downstairs to room 1. we paid same price for both.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jojo p

Mikey, did you click on contact and leave a message, they should get back to you fairly quickly as they live on property, I know it's 60 bucks a night, not positive if that is what it is in high season !

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hey, mikey- i reached cindy at this email: canderarthurs@gmail.com

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Originally Posted by MikeyNYC

Thinking about trying out Alfreds for part of my stay in Dec. What are the basic rates? I tried to submit a request via their website but it's not working. I couldn't find anyplace online that has rates or availability.
thanks

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Cool. I'll try emailing.
Thanks all