This review provides a thorough overview of Travelers Beach Resort in Negril, Jamaica, emphasizing its reputation as a "home away from home" and a spot suitable for both relaxation and purposeful travel. We offer an insider’s look, describing recent updates to various room categories—including cottages, superior, and standard rooms—and highlighting facilities such as the gym, pool, family room, and dining spaces. Additionally, we share a summary of the resort’s amenities, focusing on its beachfront setting, variety of accommodations, and dedication to guest satisfaction.
The Gist
Rating & Price
- 3 Star Hotel & Rates Starting at $129.
About
- Overlooking the Caribbean Sea, this casual low-rise beach resort is 4 miles from the Kool Runnings Waterpark, and 5 miles from both the 1894 Negril lighthouse and the Negril Aerodrome.
- Colorful, basic bungalows with patios offer cable TV, free Wi-Fi and ceiling fans; some add kitchenettes. Breezy rooms have air-conditioning; upgraded rooms provide minifridges and coffeemakers. Suites come with living areas and kitchens.
- There's a restaurant with sea views, and a bar that features regular live entertainment. Other amenities include a spa, a 24-hour fitness center, and an outdoor pool with a swim-up bar.
Arrivals & Depatures
- Check-in time: 3:00 PM
- Check-out time: 11:00 AM
Popular Amenities
- Pool (Outdoor, no hot tub)
- Beach (Private)
- Wi-Fi (Free)
- Parking
Services
- Front desk (24 hour)
- Baggage storage
- Currency exchange
- Full-service laundry
- Gift shop
- Housekeeping (daily)
Wellness
- Fitness center (free)
- Elliptical machine
- Treadmill
- Free weights
- No spa
Parking & Transportation
- Parking (free)
- Self parking (free)
- Airport shuttle (extra charge)
- Local shuttle
Business & Events
- Business center
- Meeting rooms
Rooms
- Air conditioning
- Kitchen in some rooms
- Refrigerator
- Coffee maker
Accessability
- Wheelchair Accessible
Pets
- No pets allowed
Travelers Beach Resort: A Comprehensive Description
Travelers Beach Resort is a family-run 3-star boutique hotel situated on Jamaica’s famous 7-Mile Beach in Negril, offering guests a "home away from home" atmosphere. Founded by Winthrop Wellington Sr. in 1993-1994, the resort has seen ongoing enhancements and renovations, evolving from its original bungalows to a variety of modern lodging options. It is known for its warm Jamaican hospitality, a wide range of amenities, and a strong focus on guest satisfaction and community involvement through programs like the Negril Education Environment Trust (N.E.E.T.). Visitors frequently commend its prime beachfront setting, friendly and professional staff, cleanliness, and overall value.
Key Themes and Most Important Ideas/Facts
Resort History and Development
- Family Ownership and Legacy: Travelers Beach Resort is a family-owned boutique hotel established by Winthrop Wellington Sr. in 1993-1994, with the current generation continuing its growth. Winthrop Wellington highlights his role in encouraging people to move to and invest in Jamaica, reflecting the family’s broader engagement in the country’s development.
- Gradual Growth: The resort began modestly with cottages originally known as bungalows as its first structures. Over time, it expanded by adding concrete block rooms and diversifying its accommodation options.
- Continuous Modernization: The resort consistently upgrades and refurbishes its facilities, including the lobby, various room types, pool, gym, and restaurant. Statements like "Travelers Beach Resort is always improving" underline this commitment.
Accommodation Options and Recent Renovations
Travelers Beach Resort provides a range of room types, many recently updated to improve comfort and modernity.
- Cottages (formerly Bungalows): These oldest accommodations have been extensively renovated.
- Improved Privacy: Entrances were relocated from central positions to individual side entrances, and balconies were divided to allow guests more privacy.
- Modern Interiors: Features include new beds and frames, redesigned throw pillows, and updated kitchenette units equipped with utensils, a mini fridge, hot plate, and coffee maker.
- Comfort Enhancements: Previously fan-cooled rooms now have air conditioning, new windows replacing louver styles, and raised ceilings that create a more spacious feel while maintaining coziness.
- Bathroom Upgrades: Bathrooms were completely renovated with new floor tiles, LED-framed mirrors, rainfall showerheads, and glass shower doors.
- Work-Friendly Features: Desks with charging stations (USB and Type-C) cater to guests working remotely.
- Superior Block: The first concrete room accommodations are slightly larger, offering one or two queen beds or a king bed option.
- Standard Rooms: Recently renovated with electronic key cards, herringbone artwork, wooden headboards, reading lamps with USB outlets, and bathrooms with rainfall and handheld showers. Hallways feature new tiles, lighting, and design.
- Deluxe Rooms and Suites: Located above the lobby, these are currently fully booked, with four deluxe rooms and two suites available.
Resort Amenities and Facilities
The resort offers a full range of amenities for leisure, business, and family enjoyment.
- Lobby and Common Areas: Redesigned to be more collaborative for groups and families, the lobby is a popular meeting spot for game nights. Water coolers are available in the lobby and gym.
- Pool Area: Includes a large pool, cabanas for all-day use, and permanent speakers to maintain a lively atmosphere. The area is a favored venue for weddings and special dinners.
- Fitness Center: Newly built during the COVID period, it features state-of-the-art equipment from Techno Gym, including treadmills, ellipticals, and free weights, along with towels, mats, and sanitation wipes.
- Family Room: Designed for families, it includes a big-screen TV, pool table, foosball, board games, and facilities such as a bathroom and shower for day visitors. It is also used by digital nomads working remotely.
- Banquet/Reception Hall: A versatile space for training, orientations, conferences, and cocktail parties, with a balcony offering sunset views.
- Bar and Restaurant: Showcases authentic Jamaican crafts sold by local artisans, a renovated bar, and a restaurant deck shaded by sea grape trees. The restaurant floor was recently updated with an easy-to-maintain material. Popular menu items include Coconut Shrimp, Oxtail, Jerk Chicken, and Curry Goat with Rice and Peas.
- Beach Access: Situated on Negril’s stunning 7-mile beach, the resort provides direct access, with some rooms closest to the shore.
- Dive Shop: On-site dive shop offers diving experiences and certification opportunities.
- Other Amenities: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, accessible facilities, daily continental breakfast (though some guests find it pricey), airport shuttle (with fees), water sports like scuba diving, jet skiing, paragliding, glass-bottom boat tours, lawn games, and nightly entertainment. The property also features a grafted mango tree producing sweet, seedless mangoes.
Staff and Hospitality
The exceptional staff and their role in creating a warm, family-like atmosphere.
- Long-Term Employees: Many staff have long tenures, including Oricia Barrett, a bellman for over 11 years, and Janice, a housekeeping supervisor for 14 years.
- Dedication to Service: Oricia enjoys meeting and assisting guests, while Janice values cleanliness and overall upkeep.
- Positive Work Environment: Bartenders Ramon Radney (8 years) and Ricky Big (4.5-5 years) praise management’s attentiveness and the focus on guest care, describing the resort as a "home away from home."
- Individual Recognition: Numerous Tripadvisor reviews mention staff by name, commending their friendliness and helpfulness.
Traveler's Reviews & Comments
Travelers Beach Resort in Negril, Jamaica, receives positive reviews for its location, cleanliness, friendly staff, and good food. Guests particularly highlight the resort's beachfront location on Seven Mile Beach, the helpfulness of the staff, and the well-maintained facilities, including the pool and restaurant. The resort also offers Jamaican-themed nights and live music, adding to the overall experience.
Detailed breakdown of what customers are saying:
Location:
The resort's location on Seven Mile Beach is frequently praised, allowing guests easy access to the beach and nearby restaurants.
Cleanliness:
Guests consistently mention the cleanliness of the rooms and the overall resort grounds, with prompt room cleaning and efficient handling of requests.
Staff:
The staff at Travelers Beach Resort are described as friendly, helpful, and efficient. Many guests highlight specific staff members who made their stay more enjoyable.
Food and Drinks:
The resort's food and drinks are also generally well-received, with guests enjoying the authentic Jamaican cuisine and the presentation of the meals. One guest specifically mentioned the "incredible" brunch buffet, according to Tripadvisor.
Community Involvement:
The resort is also noted for its involvement in the local community through its N.E.E.T. program, which helps children in Negril.
Nightly Entertainment:
Travellers Beach Resort provides nightly entertainment, which is a plus considering the proximity to town, according to the reviewer on Tripadvisor.
Potential Concerns:
Some reviewers mention the presence of peddlers and panhandlers on the beach, but the resort's security personnel help to mitigate this.
Recent Renovations:
The resort has recently renovated some of its cottages, with guests appreciating the upgraded fixtures and modern feel of the rooms.
Travelers Beach Resort appears to be a well-regarded choice for travelers seeking a beachfront location, friendly service, and a taste of authentic Jamaican culture.
Guest Experience and Reputation
Travelers Beach Resort enjoys a strong reputation across review platforms.
- Overall Ratings: Google rates the hotel 4.3 (1,300 reviews) and the restaurant 4.8 (11 reviews). Tripadvisor gives 4.4 out of 5 bubbles (1,632 reviews), ranking it #7 of 25 Negril resorts and awarding it a Travelers’ Choice accolade. Booking.com scores it 8.5 ("Very Good") from 958 reviews, and Expedia/Hotels.com rates it 8.6 ("Very Good") from 461 reviews.
- Key Strengths: Location is highly praised, with scores like 9.2 on Booking.com and 4.7 on Tripadvisor, situated on two acres of Negril’s famous beach. Staff receive consistently high marks for friendliness and professionalism. Cleanliness is noted as pristine, and the resort offers excellent value for money. The atmosphere is described as inviting, relaxed, and lively. Food is generally well-liked, with special mentions of the Jamaican buffet and jerk chicken.
- Areas for Improvement: Guests note that room modernity varies, occasional noise occurs, breakfast pricing is sometimes a concern, and parking and activity options can be limited. Wi-Fi in dining areas could be improved, and the beach area is narrow with sandbags used as a retaining wall, which some guests mention but do not find overly disruptive.
Notable Quotes & Reviews
- "welcome to Travelers Beach Resort your home away from home" - Winthrop Wellington
- "the most enjoyable part of my job is uh meet and greet the guests and take care of the mixtures today" - Oricia Barrett, Bellman
- "We redesigned refurbished this uh a few years ago And if you saw the lobby before it was I would say very separated in a way And we wanted this to be a little bit more collaborative in for groups and especially families" - Winthrop Wellington, on the lobby renovation
- "these used to be fan cooled rooms And now we inputted uh got rid of the louver windows And so now it's completely sealed up if you will with as far as the windows go brand new windows And also want to bring attention to the ceilings So the ceilings used to be flat and now we brought them up to an apex to give a little bit more room and make it feel a little bit more spacious but still maintain the coziness" - Winthrop Wellington, on cottage upgrades
- "This is the tropics This is Jamaica But we also have a ceiling fan for you available as well if you prefer or you want to use both" - Winthrop Wellington, on standard rooms
- "all of our standard room doors now are using electronic key cards which we are very happy about and just much more easier to use from a hotel logistics standpoint" - Winthrop Wellington
- "This is probably one of our most proudest renovations Moving into the shower area we have the rainfall shower head as well as the handheld shower head" - Winthrop Wellington, on standard room bathrooms
- "for my job as a housekeeper I sat as a housekeeper here up to a supervisor for cleanliness neatness tidiness and overall for the entire place I love travelers" - Janice, Housekeeping Supervisor
- "it's a a relatively small space but also it's quite spacious in respect to the open space You know it's not super crowded And I also think that we nailed it in getting the essential fitness equipment if you will And uh you know we got our cardio section here with two treadmills and an elliptical We got a variety of different of different uh dumbbells free weights and we went with some very good equipment If you know Techno Gym you know this like this is top-of-the-line gym equipment and that was also very very important for us" - Winthrop Wellington, on the gym
- "The coconut shrimp That's one of our best meal here Yeah I like oxtail" - Vanessa Brooks, Cook
- "The staff here are very wonderful The experience here for 5 years is very good It's beyond experience It's beyond expectations Yeah And we always treat our guests good Very fabulous Very good It's it's a place for home away from home" - Ricky Big, Bartender
- "The managers are very very good Yeah man They they they're they listen to us very keenly If we have any problems any challenges is person that we can go to and speak with Yeah man They listen to us try to make the best of our conversation and try to make sure that we are all right" - Ramon Radney, Bartender/Waiter
- "When you stay at Travelers, your experience is more than just an escape from daily life. With the Negril Education Environment Trust (N.E.E.T.) being based at our resort, you have the opportunity to see firsthand how we are strengthening the social fabric of Jamaica." - Travelers Beach Resort Website
Travelers Beach Resort is a well-established and continually evolving destination in Negril, Jamaica. Its rich history, ongoing facility upgrades, and the genuine warmth of its dedicated staff offer guests a unique and highly regarded "home away from home" experience. Beyond hospitality, the resort’s active involvement in local environmental and educational initiatives through N.E.E.T. demonstrates its commitment to positively impacting the Jamaican community. This combination of comfort, extensive amenities, and authentic local engagement makes Travelers Beach Resort an attractive choice for a memorable Jamaican holiday.
You've Got Questions? We've Got Answers!
What is Travelers Beach Resort and where is it situated?
Travelers Beach Resort is a family-run, 3-star boutique hotel located on two acres along Negril's famous 7-Mile Beach in Jamaica. It is known for its warm and welcoming environment, aiming to serve as a "home away from home" for visitors. The resort is specifically found on Norman Manley Blvd, Negril, Jamaica.
What kinds of accommodations does Travelers Beach Resort provide?
The resort features a range of room types, many recently updated, including:
- Cottages (previously called Bungalows): These are the oldest buildings, now refurbished with new beds, private entrances, split balconies for privacy, kitchenettes equipped with basic cooking utensils, modern bathrooms with rainfall showers, and amenities such as air conditioning, work desks with charging stations, and full-length mirrors.
- Superior Rooms: These were the first concrete rooms built and are slightly bigger than the cottages, offering different bed arrangements (one or two queen beds, or a king).
- Standard Rooms: Newly renovated, these rooms have electronic key card access, stylish bathrooms, and improved hallway lighting. They include two chairs and a table on the veranda or balcony, two queen beds, flat-screen TVs, desks, coffee and tea makers, mini-fridges, air conditioning, and ceiling fans.
- Deluxe Rooms and Suites: Positioned above the lobby, these rooms provide attractive views of the property and are popular with guests.
What amenities and facilities does Travelers Beach Resort offer?
Travelers Beach Resort provides numerous amenities to enhance guests’ stays:
- Lobby and Common Spaces: A modern, recently redesigned lobby ideal for families and groups, featuring water coolers.
- Recreational Facilities: A large outdoor pool with a swim-up bar (recently refurbished), cabanas for shade and privacy, a newly constructed gym with high-end Technogym equipment (treadmills, ellipticals, free weights), and a spacious family room with a pool table, foosball, board games, and a big-screen TV, catering to entertainment and remote workers.
- Dining and Events: A beachfront restaurant and bar with new flooring and natural shade from sea grape trees. The restaurant serves Jamaican and American cuisine for dinner, with popular dishes like Coconut Shrimp, Oxtail, Jerk Chicken, and breakfast burritos. There is also a banquet/reception hall and a balcony ideal for events and sunset views.
- Additional Amenities: Complimentary Wi-Fi, free parking, direct beach access, an on-site dive shop offering scuba diving and PADI certification, water sports rentals (for an extra fee), gift shops selling local crafts, 24-hour security, luggage storage, concierge services, and airport transfers.
How does Travelers Beach Resort highlight Jamaican culture and community involvement?
The resort actively incorporates Jamaican culture and supports the local community:
- Local Artisans: Daily, different local craftsmen and women are invited to sell authentic Jamaican crafts at the bar and restaurant area, aiming to "bring more Jamaica onto travelers."
- On-site Mango Tree: The property features a grafted mango tree known for producing exceptionally sweet, stringless mangoes, giving guests a taste of local fruit.
- Community Engagement: The resort hosts the Negril Education Environment Trust (N.E.E.T.), offering guests chances to participate in community programs that strengthen Jamaica’s social fabric, focusing on education, public and environmental health, and preserving Jamaican heritage through volunteering and donations.
What is the guest experience like, especially regarding staff and service?
Travelers Beach Resort is well-regarded for its warm, family-like atmosphere and outstanding staff. Reviews frequently praise the team’s friendliness, professionalism, and attentiveness. Staff members such as Oricia (bellman for 11 years), Janice and Denise (housekeeping supervisors), Vanessa (cook who enjoys creating new dishes), and Ramon and Ricky (experienced bartenders) help create a welcoming environment where guests feel "right at home." The staff’s dedication to cleanliness and tidiness is also often highlighted.
Are there specific details about the dining options and menu at the resort’s restaurant?
The beachfront restaurant serves authentic Jamaican and American dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although the breakfast price can sometimes be debated, guests may also order from an à la carte menu. Popular items include Coconut Shrimp, Tuna Wrap Sandwich, Eggs over Hard, Caesar Salad, Wing Wellington Omelet, Pan Fried Halibut, Fried Chicken and Fries, Cheeseburger and Fries, Chicken Alfredo, Snapper with Vegetables and Fries, Jerk Chicken, Curry Goat with Rice and Peas, and Spaghetti Bolognese. The cook, Vanessa Brooks, enjoys crafting her own dishes and suggests adding tacos and breakfast burritos to the menu.
What unique features or activities are available beyond typical resort offerings?
In addition to standard amenities, Travelers Beach Resort offers several distinctive experiences:
- Environmental Conservation: Guests can engage with the Negril Area Environment Protection Trust (NEPT) to learn about conservation, visit mangroves, marine sanctuaries, and snorkel over coral reefs.
- Local Immersion: Opportunities to learn soap and candle making from a local artist, explore Montego Bay markets, and take farm-to-table cooking classes at Zimbali Retreats.
- Cultural Exploration: Sunset cruises along Negril’s 7-mile beach and visits to Rastafarian communities in the mountains are part of curated experiences offered by partners like Discover Corps.
- Dedicated Work Spaces: The family room and lobby provide quiet, connected spaces suitable for remote work, appreciated by guests including "digital nomads" working at all hours.
What is the overall reputation and guest satisfaction of Travelers Beach Resort?
Travelers Beach Resort generally receives very positive feedback, with average ratings of 4.3 to 4.4 out of 5 across platforms like Google and Tripadvisor. Guests consistently praise the location, customer service, friendly and professional staff, cleanliness, and overall value. While some minor issues like occasional noise or perceptions of small room sizes have been mentioned, the resort’s inviting atmosphere, ongoing renovations, and committed team result in high guest satisfaction, with many expressing a desire to return.