Couples Negril

We were here from June 22 to July 5 — we were to fly out July 1 but because of the WestJet strike (a Canadian airline) and hurricane Beryl, we had no choice but to extend our stay. This was our first time in Jamaica and we loved our stay at CN. First and foremost, a sincere THANK YOU to all the staff at CN. They did an amazing job preparing for the hurricane. Ms. Caroline Cousins —the GM: I love you! Thank you for being so kind, especially to us who were stuck there for several days. With your leadership and compassion, each and every one of us at the resort, including yourself, were safe and comfortable before and after the storm. Tips: join the Facebook Group; you will learn so much about the do’s—there is really no don’ts. Staff are friendly and attentive. Shout out to Dane, Darlone, Oshin! The menu at the main restaurant alternate between buffet and ala carte. The coffee shop is a gem. The deep fried banana at Lychee Garden is so delicious. The freshly squeezed juices at breakfast, OMG, delicious! I really don’t have anything negative to say about this resort. If you are looking for a place to party at night, this would not be it; however, if you are like us who just want to chill, this is where you want to be. Sand fleas —or whatever insects are in the sand—is real; had plenty of bites around my ankle/foot. Read less

We arrived on 7/6/24 just a few days after hurricane Beryl and we left the next day 7/7/24. Before we decided to keep our 7 day reservation, we contacted representatives for Couples through their website both by phone and via email. We were told “the resort had NO damage to any of the buildings, but they were still working to clear debris. The resort is fully operational.” My wife and I were pleasantly surprised by this news because we had been looking forward to this repeat stay for months. We honeymooned here in 2007 and fell in love with this resort and its staff. We have been back twice since then. This would have been our fourth time. Simply put, the resort is not ready to receive guests. Contrary to what you may be hearing from anyone on their website (either by phone calls or email) or otherwise, they just aren't ready. The resort is not properly staffed because many of the people that live and work at any of the resorts in Jamaica, still don’t have electricity, running water and other typical accommodations at THEIR homes, not to mention transportation disruptions from secondary roads that have not yet been cleared of storm debris. Subsequently, most staff members that CAN get to work are not in the best of moods, understandably so. With the exception of a few, most were aloof and as inattentive as you can imagine, especially if you’ve been here before and have experienced the 5-star service Couples is known for. Think about it, if your home life was affected like this, how would you feel about going to work and performing as if everything was peachy? It’s a tough ask! In talking to some of the staff members, they were appreciative that we inquired about their families wellbeing and homes. Some shared how when they were at home, it was tough to get any rest because they had to sleep with the windows open. This meant the mosquitos were relentless and the heat and humidity kept them sweating all night. We decided to end our vacation less than 24 hours after arriving because we had an expectation for our stay based on our previous experiences and what we were led to believe about the rebounded condition of the resort. It was very evident that this was not going to come anywhere close to meeting our expectations. The condition of the resort was not "fully operational" and was so far from what was described. The spa WAS damaged although they were offering massages in a couple of guest rooms. ☹ The walkways were cleared of debris but the downed trees, tree limbs and other debris were moved into the foliage areas of the resort. It was not as picturesque as before, but we knew this before we arrived and were not expecting it to be pristine. The water in the pools was dirty and the tile near the ledges needed scrubbing. One of the two jacuzzies at the main pool was under repair and roped off. The power outages caused a disruption with the linen servicing which meant there were no towels available poolside for hours at a time, and this was also causing delays in getting the rooms ready for check-in. When we did get checked in, our bedspread had an obvious stain on it and hair. There were only two restaurants open, and one of them was only open for dinner with a reservation. We attribute this to staffing constraints, however, it was never made clear why. The food we did have was bland and basic, not what they’re known for. As my wife and I discussed our experience on the way home, we realized our oversight. We (subconsciously) gave more credence to Jamaica’s ability to recover from such a storm but, more importantly, we did not consider the impact on the beautiful people that live and work at the resorts. Had we just done the latter of these, we would have rescheduled our stay until we were 100% sure things had returned to normal. We want to extend our sincerest thanks to Caroline (the GM), Daina and Leshelle (front desk hostesses). Read less

We went to Couples Negril as it looked like it should be a smaller resort than the neighbouring resorts, however had all of the amenities that we wanted and we weren't let down. We stayed in a first floor, beach front room, which had an amazing balcony that overlooked the beach, watersport centre and was away from the main restaurant area which meant it was chilled and relaxed almost all the time. The room was spotless and kept that way by a very attentive housekeeper, nice touches were the "mini fridge" which got restocked daily with full size drinks, the snacks that were left for us each day by the evening staff performing the turndown service and the beautiful towel animals that our housekeeper left for us ever day (pictures really don't do justice) The staff were all friendly and walked around with smiles on their faces whenever you saw them, the atmosphere amongst the staff was obviously one of happiness and the want to be there which always adds to the pleasantness of the stay. The restaurants were busy however you never waited long to be seated or served (in the main restaurant it was occasionally self-service/ buffet style which was amazing, it gave you the opportunity to try food you never would have otherwise! Breakfast was buffet style with a huge amount of choice along with certain options being cooked for you. We ate at the OTAHEITE restaurant twice both times we had an amazing experience with good wine and service, we ate at Lychee once however found it a little bland in flovour for our palates albeit this was on our first night after a long time travelling. We had a fun evening on the beach with food served on the beach and a show including fire play which we both love and attempt regulary at home followed by a disco. Altogether, the food was good, flavoursome and gave you an insigh in to true caribbean food, even the after hours bar that served the late night snacks served some fantastic jerk chicken to help soak up the alcohol. Entertainment was ok, we had some good nights and some where we stayed away from the main shows, the bar staff were always welcoming and happy to make whatever drinks you wanted to try and always served with a big smile. A worthwhile trip is to Rik's Cafe for some music, dancing, one of the best sunsets you'll see and cliff diving so take your trunks! The watersports crew were amazing, patient and supportive I can't give them enough praise to be honest and they helped me tick a PADI licence off of my bucket list. We also spent a fantastic trip on a glass bottom boat which we had to ourselves as noone else booked on the cruise yet they still took us out, and a catamaran cruise round to the cliffs so we could go for a swim and play on the boat slide. Probably the only negative was that we wanted to do an excursion to one of the local waterfalls however the tour desk couldn't arrange this for us as there wasn't enough uptake on the days we had available. Read less

We selected Couples Negril as its is one of the smaller resorts, we wanted a more authentic Jamaican experience. Couples lounge at the airport is a nice touch, as is the complimentary shuttle to the resort. We arrived on a Friday (the worst day apparently) it took nearly 3 hours - after a 12 hour flight this really dragged. Return to the airport was around 1.5 hours. The drivers both ways drove well, I didn't feel unsafe at all. Arrival - pleasant reception staff, check in didn't take long at all, very friendly bell boy. Room - we stayed in block 7 ground floor. This room has its plus and minus points. It's near to the restaurants which is convenient, and has a beach view. If you want an early night the band is quite loud some nights. This only bothered us on the first night really. The rooms are clean, beds are comfy. The rooms could do with a bit of an upgrade on painting etc, the bathrooms especially really need an update. However the bedding was good quality and changed regularly. Towels are plentiful in the room too. Maid service was excellant. The beach - beautiful beach, loads of sun beds, with your own floaty. The sea was very calm. The downside was the Royalton hotel played earsplitting music and it echoed so loudly across the bay! Luckily this wasn't all day. Other than that it's quite tranquil. There are beach vendors up and down all day, if you do get annoyed by them then sit a few chairs back. Quite a lot of star fish etc can be seen on a calm day. Beach service was on the whole quite good. The pool - plenty of Sunbeds, the swim up bar is separated from the main pool which in my opinion is a positive as a lot of people hang out there and you don't see many getting out to go to the bathroom, so pretty gross. The pool its self has a hot tub and both ends, the seats are quite rough so be careful how you move. The pool was quite clean and a good size. Now for the negative The food - we found the found inconsistent, a lot of the time its left under the lights so by the time the waitstaff stir themselves to bring you it its luke warm at best. Breakfast - buffet was ok. Omelettes and pancakes are cooked fresh and very nice. The buffet never changed at all and we stayed 14 nights. Services at breakfast were very hit and miss. If you got a nice server it was fine, but some are quite sullen. 80% of the staff were lovely, it's a shame that some can't even crack a smile. Lunch buffet - hit and miss, we only went twice the first time was delicious the second awful. Buffet evening - we didn't attend at all. The buffet turns into a service restaurant some nights, I think we went a few times the first time was lovely, second blah and the last time it was awful, so bad we couldn't eat it! Quite a few other people said the same thing at the bar. The grill - lunch again very hit and miss.The first day we excitedly ordered jerk chicken, we got a lump of cold chicken with jerk sauce on the side, a grumpy waitress with a bad attitude, not the best start. One day the guy that served us usually checks us in for breakfast and we actually got nice hot fresh food. The burgers are nice as are the onion rings, the fries are like cardboard. The grill evening - we had 2 really good meals and 2 not great. A standout member of staff was 'Darlon' he was lovely, great personality, efficient service and he told us a little about his life growing up in Jamaica a credit to the resort. Lychee - lovely air conditioned asian restaurant. The food was mostly good here, it's a little bland so ask for it more spicy and it's better. We ate here on our last night and 'Shakara' waited on us and she was absolutely lovely, such a warm friendly young lady. OTAHEITE- This is more formal and you have to book. (Men need long trousers and a collared shirt. ) We went here twice, Roxanne was our server both times and she is lovely and friendly. The food was good both times. Honestly I wouldn't return on the whole because the food is not great at all, very hit and miss. Not of a 5* quality at all I would give the food maybe a 2*. I know this may seem harsh but when you are paying a lot of money and let's face it, it's a lot of money to stay here we felt quite let down. We made the most of it and we met some lovely people. Would I recommend it? No absolutely not. Read less

This was our 6th visit here, we love this resort. It is small and intimate, very easy to get from end to end. 9 room buildings, we had a garden view in building 2, 2nd floor. Still had a beach and ocean view from the side, our room over looked the spa. Even though they are experiencing a drought right now, the grounds are still lush and pretty. Water pressure in the shower was not that great, I’m assuming it’s because they are trying to conserve water. It’s usually very good. The food as always was fantastic, we have never had a bad meal here. Plenty of choices for different palates. We ate everywhere twice except Heliconia, we had lunch there several times but not dinner. Service was very good at all restaurants, the only exception being at Cassava during breakfast/lunch a couple days. Coffee/drink service was spotty. Other than that, it was perfection. Every employee was encountered was pleasant. A smile and “How are you today?” goes a very long way. Most employees there work hard. Bar service was great, we never waited for a drink and the bartenders are very good. Most have their own drink concoction and like to show off their talents. The beach is gorgeous, calm clear water that’s warm. We used the 2 pools and almost all the jacuzzis. AN beach area was great and they offer lunch there now too. I legit could go on forever about this place we love it so much. For us, the food, the atmosphere and ambience make it our favorite place on earth. I highly recommend this resort for a romantic, relaxing vacation. Read less