We ended up at the Jamaica Palace by coincidence, having checked out of the Great Huts down the road.
It's an amazing looking place - it was apparently built in the 1980s but looks older. The buildings and grounds were absolutely immaculate
in every way. There is art and scuptures displayed everywhere - on every wall and corridor and inside the rooms - and much of it was fantastic, particularly in the main reception. The taste of the decor is bizarre - ruffles and swags everywhere, but it kind of works. Each room has a huge circular bed right in the middle which was very comfy, and a sunken bath.
The pool (in the shape of Jamaica) was deserted the whole time we were there, so it was blissful to have it to ourselves. The strange thing was the lack of guests - it felt like we were intruding - almost as if they would prefer not to have anyone staying as it made the hotel easier to keep perfect.
The service (with the exception of one waiter) was very poor - quite attentive, but no smiles.
There aren't any other food options around the hotel and the menus at the hotel are exactly the same every day - after 3 days we were fed up of the choices. But generally the quality of the food was pretty good. Meals are around $10 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, $30 for dinner.
I wouldn't go out of my way to go to the Jamaica Palace for more than a few days - but it's not a bad choice in the area and the hotel itself was lovely.
There didn't seem to be any room for negotiation on the rates - a standard room is $150 including tax.
- Jamaica Palace Port Antonio
