Honeymoon opinion

[mindfulgirl]

I currently have Dolphin View at Banana Shout for 7 nights. Do you think Rock Cottage 1 at Tensing Pen would be worth twice the price I'm paying at Banana Shout?

[marley9808]

They are two very different type properties with the same gorgeous view!
However, I will say first if you pick Tensing Pen, I would suggest Rock Cottage II over Rock Cottage I

We honeymooned in Rock Cottage II and it is the most private of all the rooms at Tensing Pen

Banana Shout will provide you with a quiet place of lodging that is cute, quaint and a bit quirky. It will be private as there will be almost no one there and so you will be left alone mostly to enjoy your time. There is no restaurant or bar really on that property but the view is gorgeous and the rooms are unique

Tensing Pen is much more luxury, compare it to the Rockhouse as I feel they are very similar. They have a full restaurant and bar, an awesome pool and a really amazing property full of landscaping and the amazing bridge which you can even jump from. The staff there will leave you alone to enjoy your time but they are also available if you need them. This property is just beyond beautiful!

If I were making the choice between the two for a honeymoon, I would choose Tensing Pen (which we did lol)

Also, not sure if this is important but Banana Shout does not have a/c and Rock Cottage II does

Good luck with your decision, either way there is no wrong answer
And congrats on your marriage

[mindfulgirl]

Thank you so much, marley! RC 1 is all that's available across the whole property for the dates, so I'd be locked in to that specific room (stupid high season). The bridge looks SO AWESOME. I also love the dogs, the bar, the pool, the restaurant, and the hammock hut. It's just . . . $1500 vs. $3000 . . . tough call!!

[marley9808]

Ok then
RC1 is not bad at all, the only reason I suggested RC2 is because it is the most private, where RC1 is right next to the pool, but really the whole dang property is amazing.

Can I ask if you have checked out Catcha Falling Star, right next door?

It really depends on your style, as BS and TP are very different properties.
In an easy comparison I would say Banana Shout is like a cool Hippy Retreat artsy fun vibe where Tensing Pen is a high end luxury place
They are both cool, but very different so it would just depend on what you have in mind for your honeymoon.

Tensing Pen was very nice but we stayed there only once.....we splurged for our honeymoon and we did not regret it.

But our favorite property in all of Negril is Catcha and now we are spoiled by them and hardly stay anywhere else.

If you have any specific questions just let me know.
Plus there are a lot of fans of both places so you will probably get a lot more great advice and details.
Happy researching!

[mindfulgirl]

Unfortunately, Catcha is booked. It was my dream spot. Oh well! Thanks so much, I'm just having a really tough time deciding if I should do BS and have more money for dinners out, drinks, etc., or if I should pay more upfront for amenities like the pool, on-site bar and restaurant, and overall vibe, but have less money to spend.

[marley9808]

Ah, very tough decision

Let me see if I can help:
Ask yourself what you see your dream honeymoon being
Is it you and hubby lounging by a pool all day sipping cocktails and then maybe taking lots of "naps" together or even massages in the hut or laying on the hammocks together
If you answered yes, pick Tensing Pen

Do you see yourself having fun getting out and about around Negril, going to the pub crawl, traveling down to the beach or maybe even taking in some Live music at Alfreds or Seastar? Maybe even a day trip?
If you answered yes, then pick Banana Shout



However, also consider this.....you know you will come back again, so don't feel you have to do everything in one trip. This is your honeymoon, you only get one of those (well, if you're lucky)
LOL

[garysteph1018]

When are you getting married? Catcha is building a new cottage in Sept? Y'all could break it in

[mindfulgirl]

Thanks for the great breakdown, marley! Gosh, they both sound like pretty amazing honeymoons. I'll run your "quiz" by my fiance!

Gary, it's funny, as soon as I read your post about the new cottage at Catcha, I called—and it's booked for our dates already (Dec 30 - Jan 6)! Can you believe it? They're definitely doing something right over there.

[marley9808]

Wow! Mindfulgirl, I will be in Jamaica the exact same dates as your honeymoon!

[mindfulgirl]

Whoa, that's awesome, Marley! We're really excited to be there for New Year's