We have just arrived home from two weeks at sunset at the palms, and we had the best time ever.

This rooms are excellent, very clean and relaxing, and a queensize bed too!! The food is excellent we especcially enjoyed the carribean and jamaican nights. All the staff are so friendly and helpful especcially Garth was amazing he is very entertaining, he is so funny he'll have you laughing all night(ask him for a bob marley!!) Leoni at the beach grill is very sweet and she makes the best jerk sauce!!

Overall this was the best holiday we have had. If you are looking to go to negril stay here you won't be dissapointed.

My husband and I have just returned from 2 fabulous relaxing weeks at Sunset and are having trouble getting out of the relaxed easygoing pace of life there. Life is so easygoing that on a trip one day someone asked what they should do if it started to rain as it was a bit cloudy - it being the hurricane season - and the Jamaican guide just looked amused and said "Get Wet".
From the moment we stepped from the bus to be met with an ice cool cloth and a drink of cherry juice from the bar we were made to feel right at home and welcomed by the reception staff and the big friendly guy who showed us round to our room and explained a few things along the way and the lights and air con in the room.
It was like living in a tropical rainforest in amongst the palms and plants that we only see in the hothouse of our Botanic Gardens. On our first evening we saw a mongoose looking for it's supper out at the rear of our balcony and on other evenings saw bats flying almost into the room. Another evening we had a small lizard in the room but we just left it and I think it left when the room got too cold because we left the air con on.
On the first evening we discovered that the guests already resident had all just been returned that morning after have to evacuate because of Hurricane Gustav. They all seemed to say the same that they were glad to get away from the larger sister hotel and back to Palms where it was far mor relaxed and friendly.
The staff were so friendly and entertaining they made us smile and laugh from morning to night. It did not take more than a couple of days for them to remember that Raymond likes black coffee and I like lemon tea in the morning, and at lunchtime on the beach that we liked a glass or two of dry white wine with our lunch. A meal that for the majority of the time was cooked at the beach grill by Leonie who not only makes a fab grilled cheese and onion sandwich with fries for me and a fab grilled snapper and mango chukney with fries for Raymond, but had a fabulous voice as we found out at the Talent Night our first week. She became a firm friend with both of us and we were disappointed when she was not able to sing the next week.
After a day spent walking the short distance to the beach via the "Crossing Guard" (god bless whoever's turn it was, we might not have made it as the drivers did not always pay attention to her sign!!) giving her a smile and a heartfelt thank you, enjoying the walk along the beach collecting shells and thanking our luck not to be staying in one of the larger hotels at either end of the beach with their regimented rows of sunbeds and especially the one with the entertainment team who seemed to love using the microphone to try and get guests to join in something or other, couldn't quite make out thank goodness, then just lazing around reading, eating and drinking (plenty of iced water you understand!) it was back to the pool at the end of the afternoon for tea or coffee with fruit, cake or toasted sandwich and a drink with whoeverelse was there at the time. There was always someone you could have a chat to being a small friendly place.
The bathroom in the room is great the shower is about the best I have used in any of the hotels I have stayed in (one being Grand Lido Sans Soucci in Ocho Rios). The bed was very comfortable and I never heard anyone say that they would be glad to get back to their own bed.
The evenings were spent having a laugh in one of the bars with either Elton, Greig, Omar, Leo or "45" and boy did we laugh. Eating in the buffet or al a carte restaraunts. Watching the entertainment in the evenings when we left the al a carte early enough and chatting to other guests and just relaxing.
Twice we went by taxi to Ricks to see the divers. Unfortunately the first time the sea was too rough but the second it was a great evening and boy o boy can that guy dive! Not only that but he has to climb a tree to get really high and he made it look easy!
Jamaica should have a diving team in the Olympics if these guys are anything to go by!!
It being the hurricane season we did have rain but this did not stop us. One morning we did not go to the beach but Shorty entertained and educated us on a 3 hour walk round the grounds (we did have 2 stops to shelter from quite heavy rain). Not only did he tell us all about the plants and grounds but also the history of Palms which was great. He even cut down young yellow coconuts and took the top off to let us quench our thirst on the water within. I say water because it was not the usual coconut milk that we expected it was delicious!
We used the Spa as well. I had a coffee cellulite scrub and the later we had a his & hers massage both of which were so relaxing I can understand why so many celebs have them all the time. The ladies of the spa were expert at finding all the stress knots and calming them down.
The worst bit of the holiday was the end. Not one person that we spoke to said that they were ready to go home. It appeared that all who stayed there left with a tear in the eye and a heavy heart but with the urge to get back again as soon as possible.
Lastly it proves that fellow guests and the staff of a hotel make a holiday great when a resort with under 70 rooms gives such a great time you hate to leave.

I planned a trip for my wife's 40th birthday in April this year and found the fantastic resort Sunset at the Palms on this Internet service, Tripadvisor. So thanks to all the previous reviewers, this was a very good idea. Otherwise, I would have gone for one of the big box all inclusive hotels like Riu.

The flight was ok, it was possible to buy some good but quite cheap tickets and my travel agent helped with that (although for some reason, SSATP was not in their system, so I had to email them and set everything up myself, via their webpage). We were picked up by Mervin, the nice resident driver, at the airport. The drive to Negril is a good hour and you drive through some villages. It is rough but beautiful, the nature along the way is great.

Once at the hotel, there was some kind of greeting ceremony. We were packed together with a big organized group, but we were offered a drink and got the bracelets. And the check-in guy warmed to us once my payment issues were resolved (my credit card had somehow not worked when I tried to pay a week or so before arriving).

We were escorted to the house on stilts where we would spend the week. And fell in love immediately. What a great concept! And in the middle of a wonderful park. The gardening cannot be praised enough. The AC worked well. The park was quiet, so no noice problems (this was a concern, since some reviewers had written about this). My wife is an early bird, so she got some great mornings on the balcony at dawn.

The food was great. The à la carte (open three times a week) was good, but the buffet was generally great. I recommend the cajun style chicken and the desserts... The staff was very friendly, but we did not quite figure out how to tip. We ended up leaving a couple of dollars at every meal -- but not for every drink at the bar -- and that seemed to be OK.

The beach is just beautiful. We walked several times a day the whole length of the gorgeous beach at Negril and we think that SSATP has the best beach. A grove of trees, plenty of chairs and lots of space. And a good bar and great grill -- Leonie, the girl working there, is amazing, friendly and cheerful!

In the mornings, the shadows are long on the beach, since it looks west, but this is no problem and the beach gets more and more sun as the day progresses. We did not use the watersport stuff, but it looked ok. We used the floats and the sunchairs (both great).

We also used the gym, which was nice. We did not attend classes, but went there every day for about an hour. It was almost always empty. Don't expect a full strength traning machine park, but there are some of the basic machines. And good treadmills and so on.

The tour that includes shopping and ends at Rick's Café was one of few disappointments. The mall in Negril includes two types of shops: Very expensive jewelers and tourist stuff stores. If you are not into either, it is quickly over and done with. And the people at the Negril market were quite desperate to sell, so we finally bought some stuff that we did not really want.

The highlight was Rick's Café, according to many signs rated one of the best bars in the world. The location was certainly fantastic, high above the ocean, with the famous free dives among the rocks (it looked dangerous, so I wouldn't try it). Ok service, if not overly enthusiastic, and good food and drink. We liked the cover band and the very romantic sunset.

Well, that's all I can think of. I am now planning a new vacation and went on tripadvisor when it occured to me that I should give some feedback on the Jamaica vacation. We had a great time and would really like to return to this hotel. We have given the hotel the same feedback on the evaluation form that they hand out at the end of the stay.

My husband and I spent 4 nights at Sunset at the Palms in July for the last days of our honeymoon. We spent our first few days at the Rockhouse (check out my review) so coming to SATP, we weren't sure what to expect. I'm not sure why we were concerned - the place is absolutely beautiful! We did not think this hotel or grounds was dirty at all. The decor and surroundings are well kept, and the grounds are lush with flowers and trees. This isn't your typical hotel though - no red carpet, no generic mall-looking fountains. It's unique and different, which is exactly what we wanted.

Accommodations:
Check in was a breeze - greeted with a cold towel and a punch. We were taken to our room promptly. On our way, we were stunned by all of the flowers and trees, and the beauty of all the palm trees and tree houses. It's nothing like the hotel blocks across the street at the RIU, which are impersonal and garish. We were #704, which is at the very back the property. Our view from our balcony was of a bamboo fence blocking some of the RIU blocks. Not spectacular, but we didn't spend too much time there, so it didn't bother us much. In fact, it felt a bit more private because no one could see into our room.

Tree-house style rooms were so fun! We loved the furnishings, though my DH hit his shins several times on the low platform that the bed is on. King size bed! Not super comfy, but still lovely. AC and a fan were used often - it was quite humid while we were there. TV, which we never used and felt a bit out of place to us, but I'm sure many folks would complain if it weren't. We loved the bathroom and the huge shower with all of the sprayers!! We took pictures so we could have one in our future house! There's a small safe in the room, and since it was AI, we were grateful to be able to keep our money and personal IDs in a secure place. The lighting in the room is a bit dim maybe, but we liked the mood lighting. Overall, we REALLY liked our room. :-)

We were able to stay late on our check out day and they offered us a hospitality room to change in, which is one of their older rooms. These are quite dated and not nearly as nice. I'll try to post pictures for comparison.

Activities:
The pool isn't huge, so if you've got kids, they may get sick of it. We enjoyed the swim up bar. Garth is a great bartender and just a hoot to talk to. Most employees were very friendly and happy to help in any way. The pool atmosphere was very laid back during the day. At night, there were a few music or dance performances - not super high quality or very impressive, but enjoyable. Add a cocktail or beer, and you've got a nice way to end your day.

The beach is right across the street. The walk is really a non-issue, we didn't mind it at all. There are a few tables and plenty of lounge chairs. I was very grateful for the partial shade on the beach - most properties we saw had been completely stripped of all trees, leaving no reprieve from the hot sun, so we were glad for that. The water is a lovely blue green, and the sand is SO soft. It was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen! We enjoyed lounging and swimming at the beach most days. You can take out paddle boats, kayaks and sail boats. We went kayaking out to the rocky point one day, which was lots of fun. The hawkers are around, but if you say a polite no thank you or just keep to yourself, you should have no problem. We were only slightly bothered by some of the noisy boats and folks trying to get you to join their sunset cruise :-) If you want to go snorkeling, you'll have no problem finding someone to take you to the reef. And if you want a few goodies to take home, visit the Office of Nature, just next to the SATP beach.

We went on a day trip to Mayfield falls - it was wonderful. If you can pair up with someone else and share the cost, this is a good idea. We didn't book it through the hotel because it was cheaper using a local cab company. Just make sure you get a clear quote from your driver - we had some confusion about this and it caused us a LOT of frustration.

Food:
AI food is AI food - buffet style, pretty tasty, not super unique, but satisfactory. The main place to eat is the Palm Grove buffet. We enjoyed the curried dishes and Jamaican breakfast, but I was a bit disappointed that there was so much "american" food. The fresh fruits were very tasty as well. You dine outside, and our only complaint was that it was a bit dark. We went to the Lotus Leaf restaurant one night - the menu wasn't super huge, but the food was good and it was a nice change from the buffet. If you're looking for true fine dining, there are better restaurants in Negril, but we were overall very happy with the food. The beach bar and grill was pretty simple and no-fuss - the snapper is DELICIOUS, though the jerk chicken can't compare to Rockhouse. Drinks abound, and they are very good. Not a ton of variety though, but we were happy to sip on fruity cocktails all day :-)

Dislikes:
We were not prepared for the onslaught of smoking on the beach, at the pool, and by the bar. We often found ourselves inching away or leaving places entirely because it was so bothersome. So a word of caution - if you're not used to public smoking, you may find yourself in the awkward position of either confronting someone, or needing to relocate. There are no smoking rules in Jamaica (none that we knew of at least) so just be prepared for it. It didn't ruin things for us, but it was definitely bothersome.
The food was a bit unoriginal at times.
Lack of clarity about our day trip to Mayfield - not SATPs fault, but just make sure you've got things straight.

Tips:
Bring a coffee thermos or bubba keg for your drinks.
You can bring an inflatable raft for the beach, but there are also some there.
Definitely get out on a kayak or paddle boat. Take a walk along the beach.
Get out of the resort and enjoy the local offerings - a concert, dinner, an excursion. There's a lot to do.


Overall, we really loved our time in Negril. SATP was exactly what we wanted - an AI that wasn't super expensive or huge with a beach and beautiful accommodations. Certain things really wowed us (the awesome rooms and the beautiful grounds) and certain things didn't. It was romantic and peaceful and just what we needed for our honeymoon. We'd love to go back and would definitely recommend it.