Has anyone stayed at the Rockhouse Hotel?

[Clarity]

Markus & I have been trying to book a hotel for the night of our 10 year wedding anniversary in April. We wanted to stay somewhere very special and Romantic on the cliffs.

We had our sights set on Tensing Pen, but we just discovered that they are all booked up for the two days we needed.

Our friend just returned from a stay at The Rockhouse Hotel and he said it would be the perfect place for us to celebrate our anniversary. It has an infinity pool, a bridge to jump off of and good snorkeling areas. It looks beautiful based on the pictures I saw on the website.

I always thought Rockhouse was totally out of our price range but apparently it is not. There are rooms for $125 a night. This is about the amount we intended to spend for the night of our actual anniversary.

Our friend stayed in a Premium Villa which IS way out of our price range and maybe that's why he's raving so much about this hotel. It might be a very different experience when you're not staying in a premium villa (?)

I did a forum search for Rockhouse and just kept reading threads about how great the food is, but I couldn't find a Trip report from someone that had stayed at this hotel overnight...

Has anyone stayed at the Rockhouse Hotel? if so, what was the experience like for you? What room did you stay in? Would you recommend this hotel?

Thank you so much everyone for all the amazing advice you've given us so far in planning this trip, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this! It's so incredibly helpful!! Thank you! I promise to take 100's of pictures and we will take you guys along with us every step of the way!

-Daisy

[Kritter]

Eleven years ago, Rockhouse was very generous to provide me rooms in gratis when I brought a team of researchers to do a reef assessment. I stayed there one other time after that. Things may have changed since I was there, but I don't think it's gone downhill (I've stopped in there numerous times on my past trips to chat, drink, eat). We stayed in a standard room and it was very nice, furnishings very nicely executed, had an outdoor shower, was quality built ........ had a "hotel" feel to it, but you couldn't see the ocean from the room. For your special occasion, I wouldn't recommend the standard or studios .... but the villas are very, very nice and I think you would really like them. The pool is awesome, and there's a bar out by the pool. The food in the restaurant was good, but I feel like it falls into the category of what they think American's want, rather than pure Jamaican food. I've never stayed at Tensing Pen, but based on the pictures of TP, I would say the grounds of Rockhouse are more manicured ..... maybe too manicured for some people's taste. I've stayed at Xtabi, and would compare their villas to Xtabi's cottages, except that Rockhouse buildings and furnishings are of considerably higher quality. It would be a very romantic place for an anniversary, if you were in one of the villas overlooking the water. I appreciate some of the initiatives that management has put into place to support the community (especially the new library and environmental initiatives). I would stay there again, but recently every time I've tried to reserve a room, they didn't have a villa available. Happy Anniversary Clarity!!

[Clarity]

Thanks so much for your feedback Kritter! I really appreciate it!

Unfortunately the standard and Studios are the only ones in our price range. We can't afford the Villas.
This might not be the right hotel for us with our current budget.
Maybe our 20 year anniversary.
It does look beautiful though...

[marley9808]

I agree with Kritter

On my very first trip to Jamaica in 1999 I first viewed Rockhouse while hanging out at the Pickled Parrot. I thought it was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I have about a million pictures of that property to prove it, lol. I vowed then and there that when I got married, that would be the place. Over the years it has grown and got MUCH more popular. When marriage finally became a reality I was unable to have my wedding there and since I had been saving my "first stay" for my wedding, I have therefore never officially stayed at the property, however I have spent time there on every single trip including many tours of the entire property and of the villas, superior villas and the garden studios. I still think it is one of the most beautiful properties I have ever laid eyes on. I also think that Tensing Pen is very similar to it in many ways which was the biggest reason we booked TP for our honeymoon. The property is gorgeous, the views, the pool, the food, the drinks, the snorkeling is excellent. However, with that said, the studio rooms are A LOT different than the villas. Just like Kritter said, they are a more "hotel" feel. The best way I could explain them would be similar to the garden side rooms at Xtabi. They have no view and they are all aligned side by side upstairs and downstairs like a hotel would be. The villas on the other hand are amazing!!!! as there $325 price tag would expect them to be! LOL
So with that said it would be just like my recommendation originally of Tensing Pen. If you don't mind staying in a room not on the water but would like to just be at an amazing property, then go for it.
The one thing I would say though is that you won't probably find the quiet secluded feel you would have at Tensing Pen. Rockhouse is much more popular and usually always busy so there will be many more people around, at the pool, at the bar and restaurant, all along the property which is also open to the public (the bar and restaurant is officially open to the public as is Pushcart, but on many occasions you can also swim there and snorkel, etc which I have done before)
But it really is an amazingly gorgeous place! Plus they have a really REALLY awesome spa onsite and you can have massages right on the cliff edge, so perhaps you could book the studio room and then treat yourselves to something like that, plus you could arrange for your anniversary dinner at the Rock Table, which is quite the romantic experience. If you liked Tensing Pen and had your heart set on it, this property would be the closest to it, IMO
Hope that helps

[Clarity]

Thanks so much Marley!! That actually was really helpful!
It gave me a better idea of the resort and what to expect

We emailed Rockhouse earlier this afternoon inquiring about availability and we haven't received a response yet.

After we find out what's available and get an accurate price quote will be able to make a decision. (We're also still waiting on Banana shout and Citronella.)

I'm so eager to finally book rooms for these nights, so I can sit back and relax. I think I'm putting too much pressure on myself to make the night of 10 year anniversary "perfect" and I have to remind myself that it'll be wonderful no matter what.

I mean, we'll be in Negril!! What more could we ask for?

[Fred Stripe]

We splurged and stayed one nt at the premium villa at like $450 ???? It was soo great though.Wake up and walk out and jump off the cliff.......We saw the rooms for $125 and they were very nice. I would try to get a 2nd floor........Now you have the Pushcart connected and a store across the street,get you own Red Stripes.
They say the cliff at Pushcart(formerly Captains Cove)was the scene for Papillon when they jumped.I'm not positive.Anyway,great property.

[tfw73]

I would love to stay at one of Rockhouse' premium villas! I'm like you Clarity, maybe for our 20th

Definitely not anytime soon, not with braces and cheerleading fees due LOL!

[bbcamp2]

We just got back from a week at Rockhouse. We stayed at a standard villa, #12, which is closest to the restaurant. Despite the proximity, there was very little noise due to a stone privacy wall. The way the cove is oriented, we could not view the sunset (directly) from our terrace, and we did not have water access without going next door, but those were not an issues at all. We enjoyed the relative privacy of our own spaces, both the terrace immediately around villa, as well as the sunning platform with the umbrella and lounges.

The room is fairly roomy. Our unit had an upstairs area with a twin and full bed. The ladder going up there was narrow and steep, so I would not be keen on midnight potty visits. The downstairs bed is a queen size, which was fine for my 6'-3" frame. It is a 4-poster bed with a mozzy net which made for some interesting moments getting in and out of bed. The room has a small table and 2 chairs for inside eating or simply hanging out. The back of the unit had a triangular bathroom, with the lavatory sink in a narrow corner, making it a one-person-at-a-time zone. The outdoor shower was nice and private, but the water pressure and temperture control left something to be desired (not much pressure/flow from the shoower head compared to the sink, and hot/cold balance was difficult to maintain). Between the bathroom and living/sleeping space is a dressing area that featured some shelving, a clothes rod with plenty of nice quality hangers, a "dresser" that covered the fridge (mini-bar), laundry basket and waste baskets. We packed fairly lightly, but not sparingly, and still had room to unpack everything. Lighting in the entire unit was adequate for most purposes, but I would have liked more light in the dressing area because of the dark wood of the structure absorbed so much light and made seeing the floor level room safe difficult. The AC unit was just adequate to keep the room cool and dry. I wish they hadn't included the relay to shut off the AC when you opened the door, but I do understand the purpose. I imagine in the summer that the room would take a long time to cool down if you left for the entire day, even with the window shutters open while away. The villa was fitted with one swinging door with a standard lockset, and a slider with a wooden bar in the track. All doors, including the outdoor shower, were fitted with chains, too. Considering the private location, the in-room safe, and the security arrangements, I had no worries what so ever.

I did like the fact that room service and mini-bar items were at the same price as the restaurant. I also liked that they used a standard dorm-sized fridge instead of a locked unit. We bought beer at the market and kept the bar topped off (actually left 2 Stripes behind) to avoid $4 beer charges. I've been to places that had locking mini-bars and would lock them if you used them as a fridge for your own purchases.

I was impressed with the grounds. They were abundantly planted and well cared for. This enhanced the feeling of privacy.

I initially thought the swim ladders were oddly placed, but found them easily manageable. There was one, though, that I would have second or third thoughts about. It was about 10 or so feet high and straight up from the water.

We ate breakfast at the Rockhouse, and had two evening meals at the Pushcart. A wedding and heavy rainfall on Thursday evening prevented us from eating dinner at the Rockhouse. Service at the Rockhouse restaurant was excellant as expected. We went to their "keeping" area to use the Wi-Fi, and Karin left her purse on one of the chairs. The staff found it and called our room immediately to come and collect it. I was less impressed with the Pushcart service. I felt somewhat invisible to the wait staff, even when making eye contact and waving an empty drink glass over my head. Could have been a bad day, the rain, or something, so I said nothing about it.

All-in-all, we had a wonderfull time at the Rockhouse. I would recommend it to anyone with the means, the desire to be well treated, and the need clean, comfortable and private accommodations. It was my first stay on the cliffs (6 previous trips to the beach) and the first to Negril for my lady friend, so I wanted something special. I got it.

[lawngirl]

HI Clarity, I have stayed at the Rockhouse over the years as well. We stayed in the "old villas" back when they were only 175 a night a few times. After the price got too high, we opted for the studio rooms one stay. It was fine, a great property, a great staff. The last night they bumped us up to a premium villa, all I can say, is if you can afford that, it is beyond worth it, unbelievable. You cant go wrong in any room there. We stayed for the first time at TSP last year. A gorgeous property, breakfast included, great staff, its more like a boutique hotel, quiet and relaxed. Wifi in your room, anything you want, just ask, no problem. The Rockhouse is more " westernized" but you will enjoy your stay there.

[lawngirl]

Pictures: rockhouse