Idle Awhile Cliffs

Idle Awhile has long been one of my trusted brands. Since 2017, I’ve stayed at both the Beach and the Villas across the road and always associated the name with warm hospitality, comfortable beds, and a reliable standard of care. So when I planned a 10-day wellness retreat with treatments at Jackie on the Reef, I was relieved to learn Idle Awhile also had a Cliff property. It felt like the perfect match, somewhere I could trust for a long stay. The Cliff itself is a beautiful, peaceful property. With only seven rooms (three sea view and four garden suites), it offers an intimate experience. The room I eventually settled into was very comfortable, the bed excellent, and the kitchen well-equipped with essentials. The housekeeping staff did a solid job, and I particularly appreciated the quiet, serene atmosphere that makes it ideal for rest and wellness. I also want to highlight Ms. Sandria, the property superior, who was attentive and solutions-oriented, as well as one bartender whose professionalism stood out. Without them, my experience would have been much more difficult. Unfortunately, despite these positives, my overall stay left me deeply disappointed and reconsidering Idle Awhile as my preferred choice. There clearly is a lack of management. From the moment I arrived at about 6:20PM after a six-hour drive from Kingston in stormy weather, the service fell short. Check-in was disorganized and unnecessarily stressful. The front desk clerk seemed more focused on leaving for the evening than welcoming me after a long journey. Instead of offering a seat or a welcome drink while resolving issues with the card machine and printer, I was left to experience the chaos, for over ten minutes. It was only the next morning I learned that their POS system often gives trouble with NCB cards. Ms. Sandria had the card run through the Beach property, but the lack of training and courtesy at check-in set a troubling tone. The room assignment process also exposed gaps in staff training and professionalism. Despite booking a garden suite, I was initially told I had to accept an upstairs room, even after explaining my knee issues and the fact that I was staying 10 days. It wasn’t until I escalated the matter myself to the Beach property that the situation was corrected. During my stay, I had to change rooms (to the other downstairs room) due to a constant disruptive beep (seem the battery in the vault was dying) and a malfunctioning phone that rang at odd hours. Beyond that, I noticed a troubling pattern: whenever I made a reasonable request, the answer was almost always "no." Simple things like setting up chairs by the cliff or getting additional towels were met with resistance or excuses that made me feel like I was inconveniencing the staff. At times, it felt as though the staff were on their own vacation and my presence was a disruption. As a result, I chose not to use much of the property’s services or food and beverage options, which could have otherwis

A gem of a hotel tucked away on Negril’s west end! The bungalow was lovely, with sunset views from both upstairs and downstairs— and had every thing we could ask for—comfy bed, great AC, indoor and outdoor showers, work desk/space and well-appointed kitchen. The staff is amazingly helpful and truly go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

Very rustic and secluded loved the feeling of been surrounded by nature, had a peaceful stay. Great staff. Hopeton from the bar very friendly and gives excellent service.