How many hotels b4 you settled...

[MoFromMonroe]

Melody- our stay was during the time it was changing owners. It was not a good experience because there were no owners on property. No security at night and one of the employees asking us for money and following us around. We had the "best room in the house" which had an awesome view and great bed. The bathroom and kitchen sink were "icky". Keep in mind this is before the improvements started. I also did a review on TA. New owners did respond and told me if I wanted to give it another chance to contact them directly and they would make it up to us. As I mentioned we are definitely beach people but if we were to stay on the cliffs I might give it a chance. It was just way too quiet for us. I can't swim and the water was to rough to get in. The pool was not in good shape and the jacuzzi did not work at all. We spent the whole time either sitting on our balcony or walking back and forth from the lighthouse to Canoe.

[Living_the_Dream]

For us this was easy. Tensing Pen!!

This is how I explain Jamaica, Negril and Tensing Pen to friends that have never been to Jamaica or any other country.

The first time we wen to Jamaica/Negril was in the early 90's. When we arrived at the airport and walked out to the taxi area the feeling came over you "WE HAVE SPENT HOW MUCH TO GO WHERE"!!!

Once you find your drive and load up through the craziness and start the trip to Negril driving through Mobay you keep thing oh my god. Then you get in the area areounf Tryall and start feeling much better. As the drive continues along the coast especially the old road and you go through Lucea, Hopewell, Green Island that feeling of OH **** comes back. Then you come to the All Inclusive area or negril and you start to feel better again. Opps the bad feeling come back once you get to the round about in Negril and head out on the potholed west end road ( much better today). Drivind down westend that 'WE SPENT HOW MUCH TO GO WHERE" feeling returns.

Then you pull into the gate at Tensing Pen, look through the dinning area out onto the cliffs, walk the property the first time and realize you have arrived in Paradise!!

Each day of your trip the Westend becomes more familiar and you soon realize all the little places you though we just shacks along the road have some of the friendliest people and the best food on the planet. soon you realize "YES WE SPENT THIS MUCH MONEY" and "YES TENSING PEN AND NEGRIL ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY".

After our first afternoon, first dinner (the old Serious Chicken), first night under the stars, first morning waking to the sticky sweet smell of a Jamaica morning and first breakfast overlooking the cliffs at Tensing Pen we knew there would never be another place or country for us. We had found or home away from home.

I wont say Negril or Tp are without faults, you can find faults anywhere or within anyone. If there were one thing I could change about Jamaica as a whole would be the begging on the road and beaches. I don't even mind someone hustling you that is selling a service or product I can easily say no thanks, I just hate the ones that just straight out ask for a hand out!

There are many other nice properties to stay at but for us Tensing Pen is truly Home, we would not even consider a night at another place. The Jamaica saying "ONCE YOU GO YO KNOW" so very true.

[Melody]

Melody- our stay was during the time it was changing owners. It was not a good experience because there were no owners on property. No security at night and one of the employees asking us for money and following us around. We had the "best room in the house" which had an awesome view and great bed. The bathroom and kitchen sink were "icky". Keep in mind this is before the improvements started. I also did a review on TA. New owners did respond and told me if I wanted to give it another chance to contact them directly and they would make it up to us. As I mentioned we are definitely beach people but if we were to stay on the cliffs I might give it a chance. It was just way too quiet for us. I can't swim and the water was to rough to get in. The pool was not in good shape and the jacuzzi did not work at all. We spent the whole time either sitting on our balcony or walking back and forth from the lighthouse to Canoe.

Thanks MoFromMonroe and billndonna! Good to read your feedback. It seems it has improved a lot, but I checked and they no longer have coffee pots or fridges in their cheaper rooms. The fridge is a deal breaker for me. You can rent both, depending on availability, but the rental cost was rather high. I bartered a bit and was told they would include the fridge for me if booking with them directly, rather than Expedia. Still a bit more than Mirage though. I have some concerns about both places being too quiet, perhaps ending up with too much solitude, but really looking for my seaview fix and curious about being located on the cliffs for a short time to walk around and get to know some of the little places better. Sort of an "excursion". I guess I'll never know for myself unless I try it. If I get lonely, I can always go to Seastar or Canoe or other smaller places. I will be in Negril 9 nights, with the first one, arriving late, probably 10 pm, so I figure that would leave me two full days to explore the area and then have 6 nights on the beach at Coco.

Mike_D - thank you! Really great to read about both properties. I really like the look of the rooms much better at Mirage. I emailed asking about any specials and was told they'd include the taxes in the rate. Nadine replied quickly and professionally. And don't mind at all not having a bar or restaurant because of the close proximity of lots of good ones, and I like to self serve my own drinks on property, so I shouldn't have to worry about them having a problem with that! Really, my biggest concern with Mirage is the expanse of concrete and lack of trees/gardens. Do they have any gardens on the side or from the road to the hotel? Did you look to see what their sea access is like? I'm not at all good with heights and wouldn't use ladders of any real length. I know I could always go to Xtabi if I wanted to swim in the sea. Is the stretch of road by Mirage decent for walking? Being a solo woman (especially), I'd need to know of a good taxi driver in the area to go to dinner and back (after dark). Do you have info on someone in particular you'd recommend for that area or did you find out if Mirage has a decent driver? I'd like to check out LTU or Pushcart as I haven't been. As mentioned, I won't arrive until about 10 pm and it'll be a Wednesday, so perhaps karaoke at Escape will be just about over, or just getting good?