Hi, my friends and I are thinking of heading to Jamaica in April. We are considering the Rock House Hotel as it looks very rustic and interesting. Has anyone stayed there and are we better off at a bigger, all-inclusive resort?

It's beautiful. The only reason to choose an AI over Rockhouse, in my opinion, is if you want the structured activities. <BR><BR>Do the villas, they are perched right on the edge of the sea, really lovely.<BR><BR Liz

Why do some people think that the only reason someone would want to go to an AI is for structured activities. We go to AI's almost every vacation we take and the structured activities are the least of reasons to go. Structured activities makes it sound as if you sign up for a game of tag or duck-duck-goose. None of the AI's I have been to are like that and there are very few so-called structured activities, which, by the way, you can choose to take part in or ignore completely. C'mon people. Let's not give other people the wrong idea about AI's. They really are much, much more than structured activities.

I guess what I meant was, if you're doing it to save money on food and drink and things like scuba or sailing, you probably won't, not in Jamaica anyway.<BR><BR>I've done both and did not mean to offend. Large hotels, AI or not, usually have really nice pools too, and watersports right there, and of course there's the concept of paying ahead of time so you don't have to pay as you go.<BR><BR>Rockhouse is small, there are maybe 10 villas and as many rooms. Lovely restaurant and bar onsite and actually, their pool backs right onto the cliffs so it looks like it's spilling over, almost.<BR><BR>Mary, just curious, what do you like about AIs? The leave-your-wallet-at-home thing or something else?<BR><BR Liz<BR><BR>PS: Club Med really does have duck-duck-goose-type games, and they were pretty pushy about making us participate, at least in St Lucia when we went several years ago. Sandals didn't force us to play stuff, just asked once or twice...

Hi Lisa! My friends &amp; I are also planning to go to the Rockhouse - we'll be there the first week of May. Please post and let me know how you liked it. I have read tons about it, and it seems perfect to me. I like the all-inclusives, also, but when I've gone to them, I haven't really felt like I got much of a flavor of the country that I visited, and I think that Jamaica looks too interesting to NOT sample the culture, at least a little! Anyway, if you decide to go to the Rockhouse, I hope you'll let me know about it. Have a great time!!

Hey,Ohliz: Just because you registered doesn't mean you have to backpedal on your inclindation away from/distaste of<BR>AIs. Too many limbo lessons, Liz, or librium in the Obio water. Best-S

p.s. to LISA: ROCKHOUSE is great, do the villas per Liz;it's a good choice for your preferences. But also go outside Negril, to SAV market for the day, and further...to see the real Jamaica, which is NOT Negril (nothing wrong with Negril, just it's resort/holiday town).

We stayed at the ROCK HOUSE last June and we loved it! My husband and I are more Boutique hotel types, all inclusive type resorts don't really appeal to us. <BR>Rock House has a wonderful infinity pool complete w/poolside bar and beach chairs. <BR>We ate at the restaurant for most meals. The food was very good and you can't beat the great spot overlooking the water on a cliff. <BR>I would highly recommend staying in the villas as they are private and nicer then the studio rooms. <BR>We also had a celebrity sighting! Billy Zane (Titanic) was vacationing while we were there!<BR>Have a great time!

Hi tiv...c'mon now, that post was over a year old!<BR><BR>You're right - I personally would not stay in an AI again but I do see how they might be the comfortable choice for some people.<BR><BR>I hate having to eat what/when they choose to serve me, I like to pick my own place/time for meals. I like to choose a different place to eat if I don't like the first one.<BR><BR>I find AI onsite entertainment incredibly lame and boring...give me a real club/bar/live music spot with real people anyday...and if I don't like that one I'll just go to another!<BR><BR>If I want to take a sailboat/kayak out or go snorkeling, I'd rather pay and do it when I want it than have it &quot;included&quot; and have to wait for one to be free, or have to sign up days in advance.<BR><BR>And I get bored even being free to run around Negril...I need excursions and if the AI includes them (most don't), they're always the get-on-a-bus-with-a-bunch-of-tourists type of affairs, with one hour here, one hour there, got to go get on the bus now it's time.... You know what I mean. I'll drive my own car or get a private driver who's on MY schedule.<BR><BR>I hope I wasn't unclear about my feelings..I'd never recommend an AI to anyone, but if people are already set on that, I just try to be helpful

There's no reason you can't spend a couple of days at the Rock House and then at an AI. Plus RockHouse is up on the Cliffs while most the AIs are along the beach. When I go back to Negril that's what I'll be doing.

I wonder what lisa did...her question is over a year old