This place was recommended to us by our aunt who lives in Jamaica. We are Jamaicans living abroad for over 15 years and wanted something affordable for our first family vacation. After the room was booked I started checking reviews and became nervous, especially after reading about the pool. I am a POOL girl so reading that one of my favorite ammenities may be crappy did not make me happy. I even had one of my friends living in Jamaica go by and check out the hotel and she gave it an OK. Once we checked in we realized we paid too much. The staff was friendly, the location is great; however we were not all that impressed with the rooms (which are adequately air conditioned). For some reason, one of my brothers and his girlfriend kept getting the better rooms of the two places we stayed. We got a suite facing the pool which turned out to be the BEST thing about this place after all. The entire suite needs to be painted, once that is done it will look much better! We also arrived when the area was experiencing a water shortage so there were limitations on when we could shower, etc. At one point the water was shut off completely for hours. The breakfast vouchers were also limited so we ended up spending EXTRA EXTRA money for food on the morning of check out. We did not spend much time in the rooms but they did serve their purpose which was for us to get a good night's sleep. The Soveriegn Mall, Bob Marley Museum, Devon House, TGIF are just some of the nearby attractions which make the place a little appealing. If you are just looking for a place to lay your head for a night or two, great, but I wouldn't recommend more than that.

if you want to stay in rooms that are dirty and be told that this can be fixed by bringing in the painter (who never materialised), if you want to stay in a place where they forget your towels and then tell you that they have to 'investigate', rather than sending immediately a set, and if you want to stay in a hotel where the breakfast menu is limited, and the one actual available dish is 'scrambled/boiled egg' and where any more than the one inclusive cup of coffee is delived with great drama that this costs extra (10 per cent service charge too), then this is the place for you. If you want to experience a hotel service worth its name and appropriate to cost, then go somewhere else.

What can we say that is positive about this hotel? The wireless internet is good value, reception staff are friendly and the in-room kitchen facilities are adequate, if basic.

I selected Christar Villas as home base for my first visit to Kingston. In fact, it was my first visit to Jamaica. Upon arrival at the hotel, the surrounding paved/parking area, enclosing security wall, minimal greenery and a lack of landscaping made it visually uninteresting. It was unclear if the two non-uniformed men "hanging around" near the entrance were support staff or passers-by who came on the property to relax. The woman at the front desk was helpful and permitted me to view a one bedroom and efficiency unit before selecting a room. I chose the efficiency as it afforded me more open space, a larger refrigerator and stove than the one bedroom. The room, kitchenette, bathroom, bed and furniture were neat and clean. Air conditioning was quiet and efficient. In general, I was comfortable and satisfied with the room. Available network and premium channels on the cable TV kept me up to date with the latest news and sports from the US. Concerns about security lessened after looking around the property. The second floor open air restaurant offered a nice panoramic view of the surrounding area and mountains. Staff was courteous. I was generally away from the property during my 5 day visit. Returning each night, I was greeted by the sounds of reggae and soul music emanating from the bar/lounge area behind the restaurant. It wasn't overbearing and song selection satisfied my tastes. Sitting by the pool was relaxing. Christar Villas was not typical of my normal hotel selection as it was not a beach front resort, but I found it to be a comfortable place in the city to rest my head, have a meal, listen to evening music, and enjoy the company of a friend that I came to visit. I would consider it for future visits.

i enjoyed my stay at christar. the staff was so kind and friendly. the laundry and front desk made me feel homey.. the rooms were lovely done and just the atmosphere made me want to stay for a very long time. it was a shame that i was on my honeymoon 4 just 4 days!!.. i stayed in a lovely room with a jacucci , internet access and gym equipment. room service was excellent .. and i love my own kitchen so i was happy that i had a small kitchen in ma room which was lovely!! And it is better than pegasus and hilton although its smaller and less amenities the overall service and comfort is so much better i would go bac if i went to jamaica again.... and what made it even better was that all the stores and malls were in touch.. with less than 5 min worth of walk New kingston down teh road where i went to night clubs etc.