Jamaica Vacation

[sleeping beauty]

Hey guys, not sure if this is the best place to post but have anyone ever stayed at Starfish Trelawny beach resort in Jamaica?? My bf and i are thinking of going on a little vacation. we dont want to spend a lot of $$ and the pics and reviews dont look bad in tripadvisor.com. but i kinda wanted to hear opinions from my fellow pricescopers if anyone had stayed there. we are also open to new suggestions. it doesnt have to be jamaica but it must be in a nice beach area. He were oiginally going to do a cruise but my dear bf insist we do something else. He is arfaid the boat might sink... and we would be stranded at sea... he has a hell of an imagination. anyways im open to suggestions. Thanks

 

[CynthiaS]

Jamaica sounds sooo yummy! Personally, I have never been there but I have been lurking the net over Jamaica for some time now. Dunn''s river falls looks awesome like a natural waterpark with beautiful waterfalls. BF and I are planning a trip to Aruba for the winter. We live in Ohio and would love the break from the snow, let''s say, in December. We are also fortunate to live near a JetBlue port so airfare is very cheap. For instance, I looked into airfare for June and it was only 905 for the TWO of us. That is a tremendous savings! Aruba is also out of the hurricane belt along with Bonaire and Curacao.

Good luck with your search and have a wonderful trip where you two decide!

 

[onedrop]

I have been to JA several times, but unfortunately never stayed at the Starfish Trelawny. Maybe a travel agent could give you a review? The website looks nice, but you never can be sure just from website pictures. When I was going to JA a lot I always stayed in Montego Bay but that was years ago and I was staying with friends. Can''t necessarily recommend Mo Bay as I haven''t been there in years. Negril seems to be the popular spot these days, and have some of the best beaches on the island.

 

[chiefneil]

I stayed at the Starfish a few years ago. Hotel reviews always depend on what you''re used to and what your expectations are. If you go in with the expectation that you''re getting a budget hotel, then you won''t be disappointed. Personally, I usually stay at nicer hotels like the Ritz, W, Westin, etc. The Starfish thing was something arranged by a group I was going with, so I went along for the ride.

At the time I went, they had some rooms that had been renovated, and others that were not. I got a room that hadn''t been renovated. It was horrible. There were holes in the wall, literally, and mildewed and discolored ceiling panels in the bathroom, and a trail of ants marching across the dresser. I asked for a different room and was told that they were completely full. So I asked for my money back so I go stay at the Ritz instead, but they refused. A couple days later I did manage to get into a renovated room that was nicer, though.

Food is mediocre, the beach was small and windy, and there are swarms of man-eating mosquitoes at night. There''s only one indoor restaurant with air-conditioning, and they don''t allow kids in that one. There''s no room service. You do get all the booze you care to drink, though. Unfortunately I''m not a huge boozer.

If your budget can stand it, I would highly recommend the Ritz in Montego Bay instead. It''s a modern hotel, awesome service, great food, and very close to the airport. The beach is nice for laying out but not swimming, but they have a free shuttle over to Rose Hall beach, which is pretty nice and pretty quiet/secluded. Rates are probably comparable to the Starfish, but it''s not all-inclusive like the Starfish. As I said, it depends on your perspective and budget. I''d rather pay for really great food than get mediocre food and alcohol for free, but YMMV.

I hope this reply doesn''t sound elitist, because as I said hotel reviews really depend on your perspective, budget, expectations, and experience. I''m sure many people have stayed at the Starfish and had a wonderful time, but it wasn''t for me, personally.

 

[MsP]

I have no comments on the resort you''re looking at but I wanted to suggest Half Moon (http://www.halfmoon.com/). I personally like it much more than the Ritz as it has tons more character.

 

[chiefneil]

Date: 5/17/2007 4:21:44 PM
Author: MissPrudential
I have no comments on the resort you''re looking at but I wanted to suggest Half Moon (http://www.halfmoon.com/). I personally like it much more than the Ritz as it has tons more character.

I''ve never stayed at Half Moon, but I''ve played tennis there. It looks like a great resort, and I understand it has a history as being a major tennis center for the island. It does have a great reputation and would certainly be well-suited for travellers that like to get local flavor and a sense of history/tradition.