Sea Shell Palms

The pool and trampoline gave us plenty to do outside during our late January stay. My husband and I liked the range of teas, and having breakfast brought right to our room was handy. We had Jamaican breakfast with yellow yam, green banana, sweet potato, pumpkin, callaloo, and saltfish. Saturday's meal was warm, though the Sunday and Monday breakfasts were a bit cold. The King Deluxe sounded like it would mean a larger room, but the room itself didn't match that expectation. The TV had no reception, though we were busy enough that it wasn't a problem. There's a supermarket, a bar, and shops nearby, easy to reach on foot or by car.

We wanted somewhere clean, safe, friendly, and fairly basic near Ohio Rios, and Sea Shell Palms worked out really well. It's a simple hotel, not a resort, with plenty of local character. The customer service was what made the stay for us. Everyone from the reservationist to the Security team was great. The head Security guard, Mr. Green I believe, was warm and welcoming, chatted with us, carried our heavy bags, showed us how the door key worked, and made sure we had water, tea, and the WiFi password. Breakfast comes to your door between 7:30am and 10:00am. Hurricane Melissa had taken the breadfruit and ackee, but we still had several Jamaican and American continental choices. The bed was clean, with fluffy pillows, although the king mattress took up most of the room. There was a small round window that made it feel a bit like being on a ship, plus a small standing shower with hot water. The TV service came and went, but we didn't need it. Outside, there are a pool and lots of lounge chairs on the decks. It was a good place to sleep before heading out on daytime excursions. Jamaican restaurants, a pharmacy, administrative police headquarters, and a corner store are close by. For reference, the damage deposit was USD$70 and refundable at checkout, while the USD$7 service fee wasn't refundable. The pictures are mostly of the free breakfast, because phones eat first.

We only had a short stay, but it was a good one. The room was clean, the beds were comfortable, and we enjoyed the pool and Jamaican breakfast. Lots of Ocho Rios attractions are nearby.

The pool was awwwwsome, and breakfast was super great. The location was nice too. I just expected a big bed like the ones in the online photos, but mine was small.