katmcd

My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Negril this June for the first time. Idle Awhile looks great to me but my boyfriend insists we stay somewhere with a pool. We would like to stay on the beach and have access to some nightlife and water sports. Has anyone stayed at CoCo LaPalm, Rondel Village or the Beachcomber? We can afford to pay up to $175 per night. We are open to any suggestions.

atticus

Coco LaPalm gets great reviews every time I see the question asked.

For lots of reviews on lots of hotels go to www.tripadvisor.com or www.wheretostay.com , I have found these site very helpful when looking for certain properties. Also, you would get great feedback on the bulletin board at www.jamaicans.com , the Westside Wanderings forum.

Lastly, hang out here, bringing your topic up to the top every now and then and ohliz will appear and intelligently answer your question.

You'll LOVE Negril!

southdogs

Hi,

This place doesn't have a pool but it makes up for it with everything else. The staff is wonderful, accomodations are relaxing, romantic and tranquil and the dinner they cook is EXCELLENT!!!

My now husband and I stayed there June 2003 in Tensing Pen on the cliffs on Negril for our honeymoon. We fell in love with the place and the beautiful views of the water right beneath us from our cliff. The accomodation weren't too pricey and we had outside romantic bamboo showers.

We had help going on tours of the island and were able to walk safely to Rick's Cafe (world famous) one night.

We even had arrangements made to pick us up and drop us off for dinner one night from the resort.

Just give them a look on the web!
http://www.tensingpen.com

liza

We've stayed at Rondel and will do so again this March...but I'd say Idle Awhile is nicer especially for a couple.

Your boyfriend might not understand how pool-like the sea is there...it's shallow, clear, calm and warm.....we bring our floaties out there and hardly use the pool even if we have one where we're staying.

Rondel is nice but more built-up than Idle and it's popular with families whereas Idle is more of an adult place.

Coco is nice too but also caters to families. Don't know much about Beachcomber except that it's quite a bit further up the beach.

liza

PS - thanks for the kind words about my intelligence atticus

liza=ohliz.

...and I do have a report and some photos on Rondel and other Negril hotels at www.alink.com/personal/liz/negril

atticus

Liza, I have learned alot reading your web doings. Sorry about the liza/ohliz thing. I'll get it straight someday!

You just haven't found me on the other boards. heheh

cartera45

I'd also suggest Idle Awhile unless he won't budge on the pool thing. The ocean is like a pool in Negril. Of the ones mentioned, I'd go with a suite at Coco. We were there last April and the place was completely booked and there were very few families there - maybe that was unusual but it was mostly groups of adults, couples or couples with older children. There are two pools at Coco - they got a second one when they annexed Coco Inn. That one is supposedly adults only but I'm not sure how strict they are about it. It is right on the beach and elevated for great views of the sunset. The original pool is in the interior of the resort and has some shade around it. The picture of the second pool on the website is terrible - it is larger than it looks there.

liza

I sure hope you're the same atticus at jamaicans.com or someone else is using your name!

Weadles

We just got back from Coco. The jr. suites are heavenly, but watch out for the superior or standard rooms on the ground floor. My kids stayed in one and it was definitely subpar, and had a really strong almost sewer-like odor. Also the AC kept malfunctioning.

It was our second visit to Coco, and we were a bit suprised at some of the maintenance issues-- lack of reliable hot water for most of our 9-night stay, broken jacuzzi near the pool, and as mentioned earlier, weird smell in our kids' room. Even so, the resort is on the loveliest part of the beach in Negril, and the staff goes out of its way to make you feel at home. We would go back, but only if we could book the upper rooms. Also watch out for rooms close to the bar. There are a lot of partyers in Negril, and the bar stays open late some nights.

Good luck, and have a great time!~

beachgirl

If you stay at Idle Awhile, you can probably use the pool at the fitness complex at Swept Away because Idle Awhile guests get complimentary use of SA's fitness facilities. Check with the people at Idle Awhile. They respond to emails pretty promptly. I also agree with the poster who said you don't need a pool because the Negril beach is like a pool - I had heard about people bothering you on the beach before we went, but it was not like that at all. I don't think people bothered us unless we were walking the beach, and even then it wasn't obnoxious. When we were sitting in our beach chairs, we were left alone and swimming in that water is an experience I will never forget!