Where to stay in Negril, Jamaica. A guide to Negril resturants, hotels, transportation, attracations, beaches. Negril, Jamaica

FIREFLY COTTAGES
Firefly Beach Cottages are situated directly on the 'clothes optional' beach in one of the most relaxed, laid-back resorts in Jamaica. Firefly has developed from one to twenty cottages since 1981, it is still owned and managed as a small family business by the family who carefully selected the best beach site in Jamaica in the 1970's as their own piece of paradise.

MOON DANCE VILLAS
Moondance Villas is the finest resort in Negril. From our magnificent
new beach homes to the villa's attentive staff everything has been planned
to make your getaway to our island paradise unforgettably relaxing and
adventurous. (800) 621-1120

BEACH HOUSE VILLAS
Norman Manley Boulevard
INTL: 801-397-8865, TOLL FREE 1-800-NEGRIL-7, FAX 436-649-6220
($$-$$$$)

Located on Norman Manley Blvd., in the middle of Negril's 7-mile beach, WHISTLING BIRD offers a chance to relax and seemingly hide away, while still providing easy access to all that the beach strip offers. Accomodations range from one room bungalows with oversized baths to two-bedroom cottages, each with private, shaded verandahs.

Banana Shout Resort is located in the western coastal area of Jamaica, on the coral cliffs of the southern portion of Negril. It is only one-half mile from the historic Negril Lighthouse. Nearby are various retail stops: Rick's, a well-known watering hole, and other restaurants and bars are within walking distance, as well as a small grocery. Though the night life is available, the secluded character of the West End of Negril provides a quiet getaway for couples or family.

This 24-room inn is located on Negril Beach. The family-run property has air-conditioned rooms, on-site dining, satellite TV and, of course, a great beach. Rooms are located in pink, four-room complexes on a garden path. The resort is ultra-casual and laid back, perfect for travelers really wanting to relax. Each unit has a balcony with chairs.

BEACHES NEGRIL
West End Road
876-957-9270, fax 876-957-9269; reservations 800-BEACHES
($$$$) (All-inclusive)

Located on Long Bay, this is one of the newest members of the Sandals family. Unlike the other Sandals resorts, however, Beaches is for everyone: families, singles and couples. The 225-room property features five specialty restaurants and plenty of options for fun, ranging from scuba diving to video games at the Sega Center. This $25 million property is the answer to all those couples who enjoyed a vacation at Sandals but then wanted to take the kids back the next time.

Beaches is perched on Negril’s famous Seven Mile Beach and offers something for everyone. There are three swimming pools, a sports complex with tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, watersports – you name it, it’s here. Kids have a full Kids Camp with age-appropriate activities.

This 49-room hotel sits right on the beach in town. Its recently refurbished rooms are within steps of the sand; each has a private patio or balcony. One of our Negril favorites, Charela has excellent dining and is home to LaVendome Restaurant. Rooms are air conditioned and facilities include a pool, watersports and fitness center.

Located in the community of Negril, this 73-room hotel offers air-conditioned rooms, a pool, satellite TV, tennis and a fitness center. Rooms aren’t directly on the beach, but they do have a good view of Negril.

COCO LA PALM SEASIDE RESORT
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-4227, fax 876-957-3460; reservations 800-896-0987
($$-$$$)

Coco La Palm is a quiet property with lush grounds and a beautiful stretch of beach. Our room, like most of those at the newly constructed resort, was large, and included a mini-refrigerator and a small patio. Home of the Seaside Bar and Grill.

CORAL SEAS BEACH RESORT
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-9226, fax 876-957-4269
($$$) (All-inclusive optional)

This beachfront 32-room inn offers air-conditioned rooms, kitchen facilities, satellite TV, watersports and a restaurant. Guests are welcome to enjoy facilities at the two other Coral Seas properties: Coral Seas Cliff and Coral Seas Garden. Amenities here include scuba diving, volleyball, wave running, snorkeling trips, massage and more.

The property has an all-inclusive option. Those who sign up can stay at sister properties, use facilities at all three resorts, enjoy meals and drinks at all three resorts and make use of the free airport shuttles from Montego Bay. It also includes shuttle service between resorts, a sunset sail or snorkel cruise, horseback riding, nanny service for young travelers, river safari, a half-hour of jet skiing and a massage.

CORAL SEAS CLIFF
West End
876-957-3147, fax 876-957-4269
($$-$$$) (All-inclusive optional)

This new 26-room inn is, predictably enough, located on the cliffs of Negril. You can swim in the pool or dive from the cliffs. Rooms are air conditioned and include satellite TV; the hotel has a restaurant and bar, freshwater pool, and a shuttle to a private beach. Guests are welcome to enjoy facilities at the two other Coral Seas properties. The hotel itself has good snorkeling off the cliffs (with easy access into the water other than diving in).

The property has the same all-inclusive option as is described above for the Coral Seas Beach Resort.

CORAL SEAS GARDEN
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-4388, fax 876-957-4269
($$) (All-inclusive optional)

This 22-room inn is adjacent to the Royal Palm Reserve and is a favorite with birders. Rooms are air conditioned and there’s a restaurant on site. Other facilities include a pool and satellite TV. Of special interest to adventure travelers, this property also has an adjoining river walk and bird sanctuary. Guests who stay at this property are welcome to enjoy facilities at the two other Coral Seas properties.

The property has the same all-inclusive option as is described above for the Coral Seas Beach Resort.

This is the newest resort in the city, a couples-only property that exudes a relaxed Caribbean atmosphere. As with Couples Ocho Rios, everything is included, from top-shelf liquors to watersports to transfers, as well as some off-property tours.

AUTHORS’ TIP: Be sure to ask about the package deal combining a stay at Couples Ocho Rios with Couples Negril.

This hotel is especially popular with Europeans and vacationing Jamaicans. It sits away from the beach, but a free shuttle service is available. Built around a beautiful pool area, the rooms have refrigerators and air conditioning or ceiling fans (make your requests if this is important to you).

FOOTE PRINTS ON THE SAND
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-4300, fax 876-957-4301
($$$)

Nestled right on Negril Beach, this 30-room resort has air-conditioned rooms, satellite TV, beach, tennis, watersports and kitchen facilities. It is especially known for its Friday night beach barbecues. Along with superior and deluxe rooms, two-bedroom units are also available. The hotel also has a dive shop on site.

GRAND LIDO NEGRIL
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-5011, fax 876-957-5517; reservations 877-GO-SUPER
($$$$) (All-inclusive)

Part of the SuperClubs chain, this elegant resort is for overachievers who want to relax and kick back on the beach, but still enjoy 24-hour room service, top-shelf liquors and all the amenities of a fine resort. Grand Lido is especially proud of its M/Y Zein, a 147-foot yacht that takes guests on sunset cruises.

INTERESTING FACT: The yacht was originally a wedding gift from Aristotle Onassis to Prince Rainier and Princess Grace.

Daily lessons are offered in snorkeling, scuba diving, tennis and water skiing. For something less strenuous, there’s the white sand beach for lazy (and, along one stretch, nude) sunbathing or satellite TV back in the room. Recently, the property has added a spa and completed construction on 10 suites, including a presidential suite with private outdoor Jacuzzi. The resort presently offers tennis, a fitness center, windsurfing, transfers to and from Negril Hills Country Club, watersports and a meeting facility for up to 200 attendees.

HEDONISM II
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-5200, fax 876-957-5289; reservations 877-GO-SUPER
($$$-$$$$) (All-inclusive)

Hedonism II is a unique resort. It’s definitely not for everyone, but for those who like a party-around-the-clock atmosphere, it can’t be beat. Hedonism II draws travelers from around the world with its teen-fun feeling in an adults-only version. Guests are tempted with Bacchanalian feasts, bars open until 5 am, a disco that closes when the last reveler calls it quits and clothing-optional beaches. Every night is a party, and the biggest blowout occurs on Thursday.

Most meals at Hedonism II are served buffet style on the roofed terrace featuring a cool peach and gray decor. From breakfast to dinner, the buffets tempt diners with an orgy of foods ranging from local specialties like curried goat or jerk pork to such dishes as beef Wellington or ravioli. For a more elegant night out, reserve a table at the resort’s specialty restaurant, Pastafari.

After dinner, a nightly show is organized by the resort’s entertainment crew. You’ll see guests and staff strut their stuff during talent night (which might include an amateur strip-tease), fly through the air during the circus show, or bend over backwards for the limbo contest.

Located on 22 lush tropical acres, Hedonism II offers plenty of natural beauty. A few barefoot steps from the sea, coconut palms, flowering hibiscus and banana trees create a mood of seclusion and privacy. The hotel faces the clear blue waters of Bloody Bay, named at a time when whalers cleaned their catch here.

The beach is the focal point of the resort, however, and it’s part of seven miles of white sand for which Negril is best known. Once Negril was a fishing village most commonly regarded as a hangout for ganja-smoking Rastafarians and hippies who came to camp out on the sand. Today, this town of 1,600 is still less crowded than its north shore cousins, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, but wildly popular with sunset lovers, scuba divers and sunbathers.

All meals, drinks, watersports, gear, taxes, lessons and entertainment are included in the package price, and tipping is prohibited. That means there’s no need to carry cash or credit cards (another plus for nude beach buffs).

NEGRIL CABINS RESORT
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-5350, fax 876-957-5381
($$$-$$$$)

Negril is bordered to the east by the Great Morass. This swampland is rich with peat, a substance that was considered as a possible energy source in the 1970s when scientists studied the feasibility of mining it. Environmental concerns about damage to Negril’s famous beach put a stop to the plans. During the study of the Morass, these researchers lived in cabins in Negril.

Today, Negril Cabins utilizes those original structures, plus several new buildings, operating as a resort that combines the luxuries of a hotel with the natural experience of camping. Visitors enjoy Swiss Family Robinson-style accommodations in cabins perched on stilts. Lush grounds are filled with indigenous Jamaican flora and fauna, including colorful hummingbirds. There are 24 standard rooms with telephone, ceiling fan, private shower and private balcony. More than 60 air-conditioned superior rooms also have satellite TV. Dining options include the Coconut Palm Restaurant, the Alfresco Restaurant for buffet dinners Monday through Friday nights, a bar and grill at poolside and a beach snack bar.

NEGRIL GARDENS
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-4408, fax 876-957-4374; reservations 800-752-6824
($$$) (All-inclusive optional)

This resort has an all-inclusive plan, but can also be booked as an EP (meals-only) stay, dinner only or breakfast and dinner. With 66 rooms, this pink two-story property is situated on both sides of Norman Manley Boulevard.

NEGRIL TREE HOUSE
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-4287, fax 876-957-4386; reservations 800-NEGRIL-1
($$$)

This 70-room inn on the beach offers air-conditioned rooms, onsite dining, satellite TV, tennis, watersports and beach parties on Monday nights. Guests can also opt for some spa treatments, such as massage. Part of the Insider’s Jamaica program.

OUR PAST TIME VILLAS
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-5203, fax 876-957-5422;
Reservations 800-270-0121 or 888-634-7450
($$$)

These 16 apartments are located near Negril Beach. Most are air conditioned and have kitchen facilities (there’s also a restaurant and bar on site) as well as a pool.

This eight-room inn on the west side of Negril has air-conditioned rooms, dining, a pool and satellite TV. Within walking distance of central Negril.

Another small inn along Negril’s cliffs. Just steps from busy West End Road, once through the gates at Rockhouse you’ll feel that you are tucked away from the world. The restaurant and bar are perched high on Negril’s bluffs and look directly out to sea and an unbeatable sunset. Rooms here are constructed from wood, thatch and stone, like something out of Gilligan’s Island. The natural theme of this resort is carried out in the open-air showers. This inn just added new studio rooms and a spectacular clifftop pool. “We can give more individual service because we are not a huge hotel,” explains the managing director. “What is special about this property is its location on a pristine cove.”

RONDEL VILLAGE
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-4413, fax 876-957-4915
($$$$)

This 16-room complex consists of one- and two-bedroom octagon-shaped villas; all have private whirlpool spas. Villas include maid service, cable TV, air conditioning, kitchen facilities, restaurant, beach bar, watersports, pool and satellite TV. The best feature of these units is their three-sided balcony, perfect for watching the comings and goings along the beach.

Roots Bamboo advertises itself as the “True Jamacan Vacation.” There is some of the hippie-era spirit in this funky beach hangoout. It offers simple accommodations, some with private bath, as well as campsites on the sand of Negril Beach. A restaurant serves Jamaican specialties for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the beach bar will save you from dehydration. At night, Roots Bamboo becomes a very happening place, drawing people from the surrounding area to groove at open-air reggae concerts. Local craftsmen are featured on Wednesday nights, offering their wares to the public.

SANDALS NEGRIL
Norman Manley Boulevard
800-726-3257 or 876-957-5216, fax 876-957-5338
($$$$) (All-inclusive)

Part of the Sandals couples-only chain that originated in Jamaica, this resort is popular with young, sports-oriented couples. Watersports are a big offering and the resort even reserves one pool just for scuba lessons. Tennis, racquetball, squash and other activities are included for landlubbers. Like other resorts in the Sandals chain, Sandals Negril offers guests the Stay at One, Dine at Six policy. Guests can dine at other Sandals resorts if they venture to Montego Bay or Ocho Rios.

SEA SPLASH RESORT
Norman Manley Boulevard
876-957-4041, fax 876-957-4049
($$)

Located right on Negril Beach, this property has air-conditioned accommodations, a gourmet restaurant, beach bar, satellite TV, pool, Jacuzzi and more. After a meal at Tan-ya’s, the on-site restaurant, take a few minutes to look around the pretty resort. This popular family destination offers 15 suites (all one-bedroom), each just steps from the beach.

SWEPT AWAY
Norman Manley Boulevard
800-545-7937 or 876-957-4061, fax 876-957-4060
($$$$) (All-inclusive)

Swept Away Negril is now part of the Issa Resort Collection and has converted from a couples-only to an adults-only policy. The 134-suite property offers a 10-acre sports complex with 10 lit tennis courts (two with stadium seating), racquetball, squash, basketball, a gym and more. A full-service spa, watersports, scuba diving and unlimited golf at the Negril Hills Golf Club are all part of the package. The resort also features a conference center for up to 120 attendees. Swept Away markets itself to fitness and health-conscious couples. Dining here includes many healthy choices, including Feathers (see below).

At this tranquil property guests fall asleep to the sound of waves echoing through the namesake for this inn, sea caves formed from ancient volcanic rock and the pounding surf. In the day, vacationers leave one of the hand-crafted cottages and snorkel among these grottos and caves or sun on the decks among the cliffs. A special treat is a massage in the sea cave, during which you can listen to the undulating waves. The Caves offers Aveda services, from massage to an invigorating sea salt glow using salts from the Dead Sea. Breakfast and lunch are served beneath a thatched palapa and dinner is available by arrangement. The Caves also has a saltwater plunge pool and cliffside Jacuzzi. Rooms are decorated with hand-carved furniture and center around a bed draped in mosquito netting. All rooms have CD/cassette players, TV/VCR, phone and outdoor bamboo-enclosed shower.

This cliffside hotel is one of our favorite budget properties in Jamaica. Clinging to Negril’s stony cliffs, Xtabi offers simple rooms, a cliffside restaurant and plenty of opportunities to sun on the cliffs or snorkel in the clear waters below. The hotel is built atop five cliff caves that can be explored; stairs wind down through the cliffs to the water.