The Cliff Hotel in Negril, Jamaica

Location

The hotel is one hour and 45 minutes from the Montego Bay airport and located at the far end of West End Road on the famous Negril cliffs. Transportation arranged through the hotel was seamless and cost $160 round trip. The hotel is about a 15 minute taxi ride from Seven Mile Beach. It's also walking distance from several restaurants, including Rick’s Cafe, Ivan’s and Murphy’s.

The Property

This boutique hotel is architecturally beautiful with a large, open-air lobby. All rooms face the ocean. There are two large villas (one oceanfront) and two one-bedroom villas. The one-bedroom villas have obstructed views. There are tall, mature palm trees throughout the property, which partially block the view of the ocean. The landscaping is lush and meticulously maintained. There are two pools that are not connected, one with a swimup bar. There were abundant lounge chairs with umbrellas.

The cliffside area is the highlight of the property. There are roughly 10 separate seating areas connected by wooden walkways, and several places to jump off of the cliffs into the water, with heights ranging from five to 10 feet (the ocean is about 15-20 feet deep in front of the cliffs) and several ladders to exit the water. There’s also a natural pool carved into the cliffs for guests who would like to swim in the ocean but prefer not to jump. There are multiple lifeguards who are attentive and provided guidance to guests interested in jumping and snorkeling.

The Room

We were upgraded on arrival to a large one-bedroom suite which had two balconies. The hammock on the primary balcony was one of the highlights of the room. The refrigerator in the suite was stocked with beverages prior to our arrival as requested. The reservations team takes pride in customizing service for each guest. The suite had a king-size bed and separate living room. The WiFi was fast and sufficient for zoom calls. Housekeeping services were excellent and there was a turndown service each evening featuring local chocolates on the pillows. There was no bathtub in the bathroom, only a shower. The room was clean with a classic design incorporating local decor. Robes and slippers were provided.

Dining

Breakfast from Zest restaurant was included in our stay as a Virtuoso perk. Room service is included at no extra cost. The food was great and we enjoyed the different local fruits that were provided each day. Breakfast options included traditional favorites such as eggs and pancakes in addition to local Jamaican cuisine such as ackee and saltfish.

We ate lunch on the cliffs several times. Lunch is offered at Zest restaurant or delivered to pool and cliffside loungers. The Jamaican beef patties were large and tasty. The cocktails (also delivered to our loungers) were delicious and strong.

We ate dinner most nights at Zest restaurant onsite. The food was excellent, especially the catch of the day Mahi Mahi, the garlic butter lobster and the jerk chicken pasta. It was a bit pricey at roughly $150 for dinner per two people (you get two entrees and two drinks). The menu is varied enough that you could eat at the restaurant every night without running out of options.

Service

Overall, the service was excellent. The staff are wonderful and somewhat formal compared to other hotels in Jamaica (in a good way). They are generally unobtrusive and inclined to give guests space while waiting for them to approach and make requests, but they were constantly circulating so that we didn’t have to go looking for them. Service was also fast, they are not operating on island time, which was refreshing compared to many other Caribbean resorts where packing your patience is key. We never waited more than 30 minutes for room service and waited less than that for food in the restaurant or on the cliffs.

The masseuses were skilled and the massages were performed outside on the cliffs with views of the ocean. The spa services were also fairly priced.

There was a happy hour on Tuesdays and Fridays at 5:00 pm where free drinks and light snacks were provided. Manager Vernon made sure to greet and engage with all of the guests during the happy hours.

Safety

The property felt safe and secure. The front gate is monitored 24/7 and the guards were very careful to vet individuals arriving to confirm guest status. The front desk staff were attentive to the comings and goings of guests. We also felt safe walking in the vicinity of the hotel to local restaurants. There were always other tourists and locals walking on the road, which made it even more reassuring.

Taxis are readily available and can be called by the front desk. They're $20 from the hotel to the Seven Mile Beach area

This property is best for adults. It would also work well for multi-generational families with small children. There are no activities or amenities targeted toward children.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Jamaica. In need of further inspiration? Check out Kim Walters’s guide, A Family-Friendly Travel Guide to Jamaica.