Negril Vacations: Blue Cave Castle – A Cliffs Hotel Review
Negril Vacations: Blue Cave Castle – A Cliffs Hotel Review
Blue Cave Castle: This Negril hotel actually took my breath away, as you can see from the photos. They don’t come close to doing it justice though; it’s truly breathtaking. It’s right out of a fairy tale. It has luxury, privacy and uniqueness that makes it stand out.
To date, I’ve stayed in five Cliffs Hotels in Negril , and this one is – hands down – the best one for the money. The other four are Xtabi, Citronella, Catcha Falling Star and Home Sweet Home.
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Negril Vacations: Blue Cave Castle – The Grounds of this Cliffs Hotel
The Negril Jamaica hotel has beautiful, private grounds. It’s on a cliff overlooking the ocean. If you want to go for a swim, all you have to do is walk down the steps on the side and descend into the glorious expanse of the ocean. There’s a bankette-like space overlooking the water where approximately 15-20 people can sit and look out.
One night when I came back in from dinner at one of the local restaurants, I sat there by the water gazing at the twinkling skies over the inky, blue-black waters. With a calming tropical breeze and the sounds of the waves crashing up against the rocks and the stone wall, I could have sat there forever.
Want to catch some rays? There are Adirondack-like chairs that sit on rolling green grass and face the ocean.
Want to picnic, get some work done or enjoy a cocktail away from the stinging rays of the sun? There’s a long, enclosed, picnic-like table are where you can sit and eat/drink, or plug in your laptop (yes, there are outlets) to get some work done. From this vantage point too, you can see the ocean. In fact, if you’re on the grounds of Blue Cave Castle in Negril, you can see the ocean.
Rented a car? You can park it on the grounds. There’s no official parking lot, but there is space for a few cars.
Negril Vacations: The Underwater Caves of Negril at Blue Cave Castle
There are steps on the grounds that lead down to an underwater cave. There’s a small space before you descend into the water to hang out or go swimming.
When I was there, my friend and I were hanging out in one of the caves – just chilling with our feet dangling in the water. From a distance of about 30 feet, I could see a guest from the hotel next door descending into the water – naked as a jaybird!
He spotted me and about a minute later came back with a camera and started snapping pictures. I couldn’t believe it! Now, I was fully clothed (shorts and a tank top), so I don’t know why he did it. I think maybe he saw another human being under water in the caves and thought it might make a cool photo.
It weirded me out just the same. I had my friend give me a helping hand up and got the heck out of there.
Negril Vacations: Blue Cave Castle – Security
The security at Blue Cave Castle in Negril is second to none. There is a gate with a 24-hour guard, a dog and a lock on the gate. So even if you come in the middle of the day, you can’t get in. At some other hotels (eg, Citronella), there is a gate, but you can slip your fingers through and unlock it. Not so at Blue Cave Castle.
If the guard is not there (and if he’s not right there, he’s only a holler away), you just have to wait to get in. Usually, the guards remember you and will let you in. But strangers (or your visitors), won’t have this luxury.
My Rasta came by looking for me one day. He was not allowed in to wait. He told me later, “Man, they sure are strict there; I couldn’t even come in and wait for you.”
And the dog (her name escapes me now), is an ever-present force in the yard.
Negril Vacations: Blue Cave Castle – The Rooms
I looked at two rooms before deciding. One had no cable or TV and was – what I call – a princess room. There was a large double bed draped with mosquito netting that seemed like it was made for royalty.
The rooms are spacious. Mine had two double beds, two little nooks with what I called wood workstation tables in them. Each had a chair, so if you didn’t want to go outside and work, you could just work at one of these tables in the room. Yes, there’s WiFi.
There was also a big wardrobe where you could hang clothes and drawers and shelves to fold stuff and put it away.
The walls are stone and the floors are tile. There were three windows in all – one in the bathroom and two in the main space. There’s also cable TV.
My room had an outdoor patio space with a round table and circular benches around it. I think all the rooms have some type of outdoor, private space.
One morning, I took my laptop out into my little patio and actually got some work done. The flowers and the surrounded brick gave me plenty of privacy, which was nice because I sat out there in a flimsy nightshirt. While I could see others, they couldn’t see me unless they were really looking for me or they were coming to my room.
In the room I had, there was a large bathroom, a toilet, a shower (no tub) big enough for two, and a sink with a little shelf above it where you could put cosmetics so that they would be within hands reach once you finish your shower. You had to step up to get into the bathroom; which is nice because it made the room feel larger; more like a suite than “just” a hotel room.
You feel as if you’ve stepped back in history when you enter Blue Cave Castle. It truly looks like a castle a royal family would have inhabited 500 or 600 years ago. It would be the ideal spot for lovers/honeymooners.
Cost in Sept/October 2009
$56 (includes taxes)/night.
Accommodation Negril: The Best Deal for the Money
Again, for the money, this is -- hands down -- the best hotel deal in Negril on The Cliffs. I met several people who said they’d been booking rooms in Negril at Blue Cave Castle for years.
If you go, the is Negril hotel would top my list for the price. Even during high season I think the rooms are only like $100/night. You just have to see this place to believe it.
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