Guest User
January 31, 2023
First - who we are: not the all inclusive type, comfort campers (air mattress yes please) , well traveled, interested in diving into local culture. Picked this place for a last minute much needed getaway. Super reasonable, love Ocho Rios, done. What you need to know: zero amenities in the room. one towel per person, one bar of soap that doesn't lather. All I could think of was all the shampoo/conditioner/lotion samples back home. Sheets on a bare mattress!!! No cover UGH. Furnishings, rough rough rough. Water pressure, minimal. Hot, sometimes. Water went off twice during the stay. Beyond inconvenient. It's a pressure valve that needs to be replaced. HELLO - please fix it! Breakfast included, choice of eggs/bacon or Jamaican option (stewed kidneys, ackee, dumplings). Good coffee. Funky beach bar which is under stocked - employees don't seem empowered to do their job. We brought our own club soda and limes. Wished for sour sop daiquiris other signs of local fruits. Sigh. Make sure you have plenty of cash, and change too - the front desk never has change, Jamaican or US. What we loved: (and why we didn't leave). The location - in a lovely cove, at the mouth of the White River, next to a local beach, so lots of families, kids jumping off the pier, very cozy. The real, old school Jamaica, We liked that. I'm a swimmer, and swimming back and forth was heaven every morning. The staff was lovely, very genuine and warm. We liked our Rasta friend Ricky, an informal hotel employee who rakes the beach and seems to know how to make things work. Re: food, the menu was basic and usually pretty good. Steamed red fish with escovitch was a highlight. Steve at Fish Pot has the freshest fish around down the road a few minutes. You'll pass through folks intent on selling you stuff on the way. Finally - Mgmt: please leave a stocked first aid kit at the front desk 24/7. I cut my arm on some glass and had to wrap it and hope for the best. It just seems like whoever owns this place doesn't put $$ into it - replace those tired ass beach loungers - don't paint them -- the paint flecks off on your back. And that beach mattress. when was the last time that was switched out. yuck. I'm not planning to return to KK, but I'm (mostly) glad we went.