My wife and I stayed at this place 3 days in January 2012. I found this place on Tripadvisor but was reluctant to book this place online, because I wanted to check this place out before forking over any money. Since I had a rental car I drove there. It was not very difficult to find. But from the main road to the hotel ( about half a mile) looked kind of slum. The exterior of the hotel was not very inviting either. But once I walked into the office and met the young lady named Angel, I felt very comfortable. They had a lot of vacant rooms that day, so she showed me a few. Every room had a balcony and beautiful view of the ocean. This hotel is practically on the beach. Perfect location.

They have 2 rooms with WIFI #103 and #203. Since #103 was occupied I took #203. The room is spacious. But it is older and and in need of some repair. We did not have hot water first 2 days. They use individual on demand water heaters and ours was broken. They replaced it on the 3rd day. Showerhead was clogged and they replaced it next day. Water pressure for the shower was very weak. This is why I did not give them 5*.

Pros: Location
Employees
Price

Cons: No phones in the room
Mattress very old and hard. You feel springs on your back.
TV is a small CRT
No restaurant (If you order something day before, they will serve it)
No swimming pool
No Gym

Even with all the cons, I would stay here again because of the extremely friendly and accomodating staff and the location.

I went to Jamaica for a 10 day vacation with my boyfriend. When we got to Crystal Ripple, we were very impressed with the location. Our 1st floor room was right on the beach; open the sliding glass door, step outside, and the boardwalk is literally a few feet away. I never thought we would get that great of a location and view for the price. Getting to downtown Ocho Rios, where the markets, restaurants, and clubs are, is about a 10 minute cab ride.

Aside from the view, we really enjoyed our stay because the hotel has a friendly and personal feel. We stayed in Kingston for a few days at a larger, more commercial hotel. That was a nice experience as well, but Crystal Ripple felt more like home. The staff was friendly, remembered our names, and was always there to answer questions or provide any needed assistance. Horace at the front desk is great. We really enjoyed talking with him, and he hooked us up with a route taxi driver who took us to town for half the price of other drivers.

Overall, great experience. I will definitely be back.

There are no frills at this hotel but it is clean, quiet and comfortable. The staff is amazing, Angel at the front desk is just what her name suggests. The view from the room is breathtaking. If you want real Jamaican food or anything else just order it and they arrange it for you. The service at the Crystal exceeds some of my 5 star resort experiences by far. Locals on the beach are equally as friendly and pleasant. I definitely prefer this small and quaint property full of charm versus overcrowded chain resorts which are simply like being in North America on a beach...

I returned to Jamaica and I made my way back to Crystal Ripple Beach Lodge! After my visit in March I decided immediately upon my arrival back to New York that I would be going back in the next two months to celebrate my twenty fourth birthday. Best decision I ever made! Special thanks to CRBL to helping me make this a birthday to remember! =)