First of all I would like the sincerely thank Club Ambiance for their generous offer of staying with them to write this article, because if they had known up front that I don’t really support the all-inclusive resort lifestyle maybe they would have thought twice. I’m more of a “go local” person and I’ve never had the resort experience. Having said that I’m prepared to now offer them an extensive and glowing review because the experience was great! So sit back because this is the longest post I’ve ever written, I want to include as much detail as possible.

I did my research and read their whole website before arriving, and I also read other online reviews and everyone seems to love it! I think I’m a harder sell than most because I’m not into this type of travel or lifestyle, but I found after my stay that everyone else is right. The resort is much smaller than those mega-resorts like Riu and Sandals, which is fabulous because the service is a lot more personal. It’s true the bartenders DO remember what you’re drinking, and sometimes they even tell you long, drawn out stories about how to kill, season and cook an octopus so that you’ll actually want to eat one! And I loved their drink recipe sign hanging above the bar…they spell the drink names as they would say it, complete with Jamaican accent. Notice a Grasshopper is a Grassapper!

Upon check-in I was informed I had been upgraded to the Honeymoon suite…totally unexpected. After the fact I was glad because my travel partner got a regular room so now I could compare and include both in the review. When I entered my room I was charmed to see that it had rose petals scattered all over the bed! However, I found out the regular room had the same thing. Nice touch. Both rooms had king size beds, mine was a 4-poster. I also had a loveseat versus just a chair in the regular room. And I had a little gift basket of Jamaican spices and seasonings to take home in my room.

The most noticeable difference between the two rooms was the spectacular ocean view in the honeymoon suite! The most amazing way to wake up for sure. The other room had a garden view which is also very pretty.

Our first evening dinner was served in a main outdoor area in front of an entertainment stage. There was a large buffet with both western and local Jamaican food. I just ate the Jamaican food, I can have the other stuff at home any time. I enjoyed jerk pork, jerk chicken, festival, rice & peas, all my usual favourite Jamaican foods. The main bar is located in this same area and I was never thirsty, always had a drink in my hand.

Also on the first evening the show was centered on native and cultural entertainment. It was very upbeat and fun to watch, and they did their best to encourage guest participation. My favourite was the guy who danced with and ate fire! Also one of my favourite things about the entertainment on both nights was the MC, Marie. She did a fabulous job of keeping the guests engaged and having fun, and has a really funny and outgoing personality. She was even successful at getting my non-singing boyfriend up in front of a crowd at the karaoke machine on his birthday!

We enjoyed a couple hours at the swimming pool at Club Ambiance as well. It was very refreshing and there’s a poolside bar to enjoy that opens at 10:30 AM, although we managed to get our first rum of the day at 9:30 delivered to us in the pool! While we relaxed our men tried out the fitness facility and participated in the pool tournament that was going on.

Breakfast was served indoors in the restaurant and we enjoyed a typical western breakfast complete with pancakes, French toast, potatoes, bacon and more fruit than you can imagine, fresh juices, etc. And dinner on our second night was also served in this restaurant, with some very nice touches. We were celebrating my boyfriend’s birthday that evening and our server was more than happy to bring out a piece of cake and candles at our request. They even sang happy birthday with us. And to top off the birthday meal they brought us a big ice bucket complete with 2 bottles of chilled wine and 4 glasses. We had a very nice birthday dinner!

The entertainment that evening was great! Club Ambiance is an adults only resort and the show was definitely geared towards the adult crowd, and was hilarious. It was all guests putting on the show this time and the games were a riot, as was the MC Marie! We sat back, watched and laughed at the fun while enjoying our drinks from the bar.

This portion of the evening ended early with the staff and guests all moving out to the pier bar called “Legends”. Its out at the end of a long pier into the water where they were still serving up the drinks and Marie fired up the karaoke machine. That girl can sing too! Several guests sang with her and it was a nice time. This was the part when she called out the birthday boy to get up and sing to me, with a little help from her. It was great and a lot of fun.

We had planned on going to the hotel disco this night as well but it wasn’t open, so this is where the “local” me came out and we decided to cross the road and try out the go go bar. For those of you who’ve not been to Jamaica yet, yes there are plenty of go go bars and they’re a lot of fun if you’re into more local entertainment. They usually aren’t too busy and they play great Jamaican music, and the females who dance there are pretty talented in my opinion. Something to try if you’re brave and you can easily stumble back across the road to your room afterwards.

When we checked out of Club Ambiance we were provided with a transfer back to Sangster airport in Montego Bay.
I quite enjoyed staying at Club Ambiance and I know there are plenty of things at the resort that I didn’t get a chance to try out because my stay was so short, but I would be more than happy to return to the hotel and stay longer! With all-inclusive rates from $65 per person how could you NOT go back? I think that’s extremely reasonable considering I’ve stayed in wood cabins with nothing included for $50.

The atmosphere at Club Ambiance is very laid back and relaxed and seemed quiet for the most part. There was a good mix of guests and the staff was great for the most part. No complaints about the food and definitely no complaints about the drinks! Remember I’m not used to the all-inclusive environment, it was a treat for me.

A few notable things about staying at Club Ambiance:

• There are a few computers with internet access in the lobby.
• There’s an ATM in the lobby but watch out for the whopping $6 USD service fee for each use!  That’s on top of whatever your own bank charges you.
• You can walk to the town of Runaway Bay in about 15 minutes in a straight line. 
• There are plenty of little shops and bars on the road outside the resort as well, if you feel like going for a walk.  It’s completely safe to go for walks off the property.

Once again, I would love to thank Club Ambiance for their hospitality and would like to thank Alex in particular for making all my arrangements.  I will definitely be back. 

***Partial photo credits to Erin Cooper***

Okay I’m back again and I figured the most fitting first post would be the guest house I stayed at.  It’s called Treasures, and it’s located in the town of Claremont in St Ann, Jamaica, which is way up in the hills.  Not near a beach of any kind but the weather and scenery are to die for up here!  Its so much cooler in the hills.

Treasure’s guest house is owned by a Jamaican, Peter Treasure.  He fixed up the place and has been running it for the last couple years. A close friend of mine who used to live in Claremont recommended the place to me, so I thought I’d give it a try.

This next picture is the street view of the place.  You can see the HUGE verandah on the second floor which is where everyone seems to gather for drinks, food, conversation, etc.  On the main level there are a couple shops that Peter also runs, as well as a bar that’s part of the guest house.  Its a nice place to gather for a drink and a game of pool.

When I stayed here we were in a large group, so I got a chance to see 5 out of the 10 or so rooms here.  All of them were basic but more than adequate, some with huge bathrooms!  Mine had a great size bathroom, cable TV and ceiling fan.  I never took pictures of my room but here’s one of the rooms.

There is also a kitchen available for use by all the guests on the second level.  We used it every day to cook and kept our groceries in the large fridge in there.  Outside the kitchen is another HUGE verandah area for dining, chilling and just hanging out.  Our friends used it for dancing.

I think the biggest bonus about the guest house was the swimming pool which I hear just opened in June.  It was nice and refreshing considering Claremont is not close to water.  The pool was located up the hill behind the guesthouse.  Its a bit of a climb up some stairs but once you’re up there the view is to DIE for!  Amazing view of the countryside.

Okay now here are all the important details about Treasure’s Guest House, in case you’d consider staying here. This is all my opinion.

I paid $3000 JMD per night for my room, which is about $38 CAD….very reasonable! I figure when I can pay so little for a decent place to stay then I can’t really complain about what was wrong with it.

The cleaning service was just okay, sometimes I never saw the cleaning lady for days. I had to ask for new towels and toilet paper on those days. And my shower door was broken for my entire stay, no one came to fix it which was annoying because I had to wipe up the flood on the floor every day. And I did encounter a roach or two in my bathroom, which I’m used to in Jamaica. Some places have them, some don’t.

Overall I liked staying here and would probably do it again since its a familiar place now. For me, it was the friends I stayed with that made this place feel like home.

This post is a big favor for my friend Alice, who owns this beautiful little house perched on a hill in Negril. Alice and Ted are offering a steal of a deal for your Negril vacation rental!

I wanted to post this because Alice and Ted have been close personal friends of mine for years and I’ve stayed at their home on more than one occasion. The location is fabulous, away from the bustle but only 10 minutes from town, in a nice and quiet area in the hills. The view up here is to die for….pretty much ALL of Negril’s 7 Mile Beach and the Caribbean Sea.

The vacation rental offers the entire main floor, two awesome sized bedrooms, full bath, full kitchen, and fully furnished with TV. The front bedroom has its own door out onto the giant veranda pictured below. And a wonderful breeze flows through the house when windows on either side are open. Since these pictures were taken, the house has been fully grilled with security bars as well.

You can rent this entire 2 bedroom home for USD $80/night or $500/week! Alice also said a cook is available for a fee, and if its Ted who’s cooking you don’t want to miss out! His food is to die for! Also transportation available.

***CLICK HERE to email Alice for more information.***