The Rockhouse Hotel & Spa in Negril, Jamaica: A Review
Imagine staring out into the turquoise waters of the Caribbean sea off of a cliffside in Jamaica’s western coast. Now imagine a hotel that sits right on those cliffs. Hard to imagine? What if I told you that this kind of place actually exists? The Rockhouse Hotel & Restaurant is a boutique hotel located in the west end of Negril, Jamaica. Abraham and I booked a stay for a few days to celebrate an anniversary. In this blog, I’m going to leave a review of our stay, including my thoughts on the accommodations, the restaurant, and other amenities we used. Let’s say that we were not left wanting more. Read on to get all of the details — and perhaps plan your own trip there!
Overview
Let’s get straight to the good part: our stay at Rockhouse Hotel & Spa was absolutely incredible. 10/10. This experience was my first time at a hotel in which I checked-out with zero complaints. Though I’m not the pickiest person, I do notice when a room hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned or when hospitality is subpar. I was actually amazed at the experience I was having at Rockhouse; oftentimes, it felt surreal. Not only was our room spotless, but the staff went above and beyond with their professionalism and friendliness (culturally, Jamaicans aren’t the most friendly [which is not a bad thing], so I was surprised at how nice the Jamaican staff was). The property’s vibe is a mix of luxury, holistic wellness, and retro rock. I have to my props to the folks behind the hotel, because those three things are hard to complement together. I also appreciated Rockhouse’s commitment to giving back to the local community and its environmental sustainability practices. I truly could find no fault.
How to Get There
Rockhouse is located at the southern tip of Negril, which is dubbed as the “West End.” It’s located past the famous 7-mile beach and sits along Pristine Cove. The closest airport is at Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport. Rockhouse is an hour and 45 minute drive from the airport. On this drive, you pass through Montego Bay and multiple charming coastal towns. It’s a lovely, scenic drive. You can rent a car, take a cab, or book a shuttle. You can also call the front desk at Rockhouse after booking and I’m sure they’ll help you arrange transportation.
Rockhouse’s History
Rockhouse has its roots in the 1960s. Before becoming a laid-back tourist destination, Negril was a sleepy fishing village. An American man by the name of John Behmiller (who had peculiarities according to this blog) bought the land, as he was stunned by the beauty of Pristine Cove and the surrounding cliffs. The property was featured in films during the 70s. In 1973, Behmiller sold Rockhouse to a Chicago architecture firm. Architects Don Erikson and Dennis Stephens — proteges of Frank Lloyd Wright — befriended Behmiller and got to work on further developing the property. During the same year, Rockhouse Hotel was officially opened to the public. Famous early guests include Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones (the “rock” double-entendre theme stands strong).
By the early 1990s, Rockhouse had new ownership. An Australian firm purchased the property and made major renovations and expansions. Under this ownership, the 8-acre property now includes 40 rooms, 185 staff, 3 restaurants, a spa, an organic farm, a woodwork shop (where all the hotel’s furniture is made), and a candle-making facility. You can read more about Rockhouse’s history here.
Accommodations
Rockhouse has three types of accommodations:
The traditional hotel-style block
Standard Room ***this is the budget option, starting at around $180 USD a night***
Deluxe Standard Room
Studio
Cliff-top huts
Villa
Premium Villa
Ocean View Suite
We opted for the Ocean View Suite. Initially, I wanted to stay in the cliff-top huts since they’re the iconography of the hotel; but they were all booked up so the suite was our next option. I’m glad it worked out this way, because I fell in absolute love with the suite.
What I loved about the suite:
The staff put fresh flower petals on the bed and in other parts of the room to commemorate our anniversary. They also left a handwritten card. I mean, come on — the hospitality is top-tier.
We had VIP status, so we also received complimentary rosé champagne.
The room was impeccably clean. There wasn’t even a strand of hair in the shower, and there’s always strands of hair in hotel/airbnb showers.
The room was stylishly designed.
The wooden furniture was made on-property at the wood shop.
All Ocean View suites includes a BOSE Bluetooth speaker. We were able to set all of the vibes.
There’s an outdoor shower (I always appreciate those) and the water temperature was hot and the pressure high.
They’re most spacious rooms on the property. They’re also the newest — it even smelled new in our room.
There’s a balcony with patio furniture. The view of the wide-open ocean was spectacular.
The mini-bar was well stocked with everything you could think you might possibly need — and more.
Honestly, I could‘ve spent all day hanging out in the room and on the balcony. That’s how nice it was.
Amenities
As you can tell from the photos, the property is gorgeous. You walk through jungle gardens to get to one part of the property to another. The backdrop of the Caribbean ocean is everywhere. And the cliffs and bright cerulean waters right underneath top it all off.
Hotel Amenities include:
Infinity pool right on a cliff.
Multiple lounge chairs/umbrellas on cliffs. These sit next to ladders to go in and out of the water (so no, you don’t have to book a hut in order to get cliff access).
Pool-side bar and grill (from 5pm to sunset, the pool bar has 2-for-1 drinks)
Two on-site restaurants
Full-service spa
Daily yoga class at 8am ($15 USD fee per person, per class)
Snorkel gear for $5 USD a day (Abraham and I like to free dive, so we utilized the flippers and masks)
Everything on the hotel grounds was spotlessly clean. The other guests were pretty nice, and I didn’t observe anyone being obnoxious during our stay. This is definitely a place for a more quiet, refined crowd. It may not be the best place to stay if you’re having a party-type trip. The frozen drinks at the pool bar were so good (I’m still reminiscing about them). I tried to get us a same-day reservation at the spa, but they were all booked up. I recommend booking a treatment at least a day in advance. And like I mentioned earlier, everyone on staff were super nice.
If you like to swim, then renting snorkel gear is a must. The water around the cliffs are full of reefs brimming with marine life. We saw tons of fish, jellyfish, and even a baby stingray.
The Restaurants
There are two restaurants on the property: Rockhouse Restaurant and Pushcart Restaurant & Rumbar. Both are open to the public (reservations are recommended, especially at the Rockhouse Restaurant during dinner). We only had the pleasure of eating at the Rockhouse Restaurant (though I’ll have to go back to try out Pushcart!). We kept going back to Rockhouse Restaurant because not only was it convenient proximity-wise, the food is darn delicious. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as fresh-pressed juice and coffee all day. I found the prices to be fair.
The views from the Rockhouse Restaurant is phenomenal. It sits right on the water and has a beautiful view both day and night, but the sunset is the best.
These are the items we ordered:
Banana pancakes during breakfast (my favorite!)
Jamaican huevo rancheros
Blue Mountain Iced Coffee
Rockhouse Greens fresh juice
Crab quesadilla
Jerk calamari
Old Time synting
Dinner is served with complimentary rolls and butter…the rolls were yummy!