Samsara Cliff Resort

This was our second family vacation here. We’re all strong swimmers and love the water; kids are 10-22 years old. They would like to keep coming back. The resort is small and located right on the Negril cliffs. There are three types of rooms: VUZ, classic and garden. The first two all have ocean views. VUZ is much newer while classic is probably 40-50 years old and shows its age. We stayed in classic rooms both times and had an all-inclusive plan. The resort was really quiet in 2025 and very busy in 2026 (perhaps because some resorts in Jamaica are still closed following the hurricane. Except for the restaurant being busy at times on our second visit, our experience was similar both times. There is one restaurant on the resort for all meals and the all-inclusive plan is all buffet meals. Breakfast is 8-10, lunch 12-2 and dinner is 7-9. There is no food available between those meal times but that was never an issue for us. Because the resort is small, there is not a huge amount of options (3-4 mains for dinner) but the food is fresh and well made. There is one bar located below the restaurant and it is open 10-10. Pros: - Lots of space to sit and enjoy the sun or shade without having to get up at dawn to save your spot. - Beautiful water to swim in. It’s deep, so if you are not a strong swimmer, you may want to avoid it. - Lots of spots to cliff jump - from 3 to almost 25 feet (if you climb the wall separating the resort from the adjacent property to the south. Our kids wore themselves out jumping into most of the day. - Gorgeous sunsets. - Live reggae music on Friday and Sunday nights. - Very friendly staff: Tina, Kimieko, Marcia, Kendrick, Charm, Georgia, Dorette and Daniel to name a few. - Lots of good buffet food. - Two pools. - A free shuttle to a sister resort 10-15’ away that is right on the beach. The shuttle leaves at 10 and returns at 4. We went to the beach once in 2025 but did not bother this time. We much preferred Samsara. - On our second trip we arrived late and the restaurant has closed. The hotel had packed up meals for us and we enjoyed them when we got there. We were extremely grateful for that thoughtful gesture. Cons: - If you want a beach, this is not the place for you. There is no beach at Samsara. The only way to enter the water is to jump in or climb down one of the three old metal ladders. - There are no organized activities or tons of people around, so if you you are looking for that, this is not the place for you either. - There are lots of steps and uneven and sometimes slippery surfaces. If you have mobility issues, you will probably find your stay challenging. - The classic rooms we stayed in were old and looked their age. If you are looking for luxury, this is not for you. I understand the VUZ rooms which are new are much more modern and in better shape. - There were a few drunk/noisy guests this time and because the resort is small it was hard to avoid them at times. But the clientele is generally very varied (ages, nationalities, etc) and well behaved. - Negril is a fair distance for the airport in Montego Bay and if your shuttle is stopping at many different resorts on the way, your drive could be extremely long (two of ours were 3 hours long!). So a private shuttle might be a good idea.

All inclusive means 3 served meals a day, no snacks available at any time. Food was good when it was available. Water in a large jug is available but you are out of luck if the bar closes at 10 and it’s empty No ice, only at the one bar Staff always had something up their butts and it showed on their face, no please, thank you, hello, you’re welcome or making you feel comfortable You felt like a burden Room was okay but the air conditioner leaked all over the floor in front of the door. 3 towels only, no hand towel, no washcloths and no clean beach towels, we had to keep ours all week long. The bartender was extremely rude and should get a job she likes. Gift shop was decent and the clerk very sweet. The cliffs were amazing the one day they were open for jumps and scuba diving..one day. Once. No entertainment, no activities at all for guests The bus ride is 2.5 hours from the airport is just like any other .. bumpy and long. We went to the beach twice, both times the bus was late for pickup and only makes one trip at 10 am to the beach and 4 pm return to resort. 6 hours with no umbrellas or shade on the beach and very limited seating, often running out of an included lunch The locals are horrible and you are hounded constantly. 2 theft attempts in our presence One guy threatened to r*pe us with a razor and k*lll us because we asked him to leave us alone, he wouldn’t, we snapped and then felt extremely unsafe the rest of the trip because he knew where we were staying and said so If you leave the resort you are hounded to buy weed, souvenirs, alcohol, etc. I will never go back to that resort, let alone Jamaica Never felt looked after, safe or comfortable 99% of the time Unfortunate..we were expecting a very friendly atmosphere That didn’t happen Not a good trip for anyone staying at the resort and guests said just that. Do not waste your money looking for a better deal here unless you just don’t care what you get.

This was my first time visiting Jamaica and Samsara staff made me feel right at home. They went out of their way to make mine and my girlfriends experience amazing! Making sure they knew our names after the first day. The food was out of this world! All homemade for each meal, and the soups were to die for. Snorkeling is available right off the cliff and option to go to the sister resort at Legends for a more lively experience, and of course Joseph's cave right down thw road. I will definitely recommend this resort to all my friends at home. Good job to all the people that work there. I already call it my 2nd home!

The food was excellent all home made. Staff very friendly

On arrival we were greeted at reception by a lovely kind lady ,she quickly checked us in with all the usual details ect and we were taken to our room. Our room was slightly dated but had a gorgeous sea view and was very clean. We didnt have a hairdryer and I asked for one and didnt get one for two days, they clearly dont have enough for all the rooms so bring your own. No water , drinks or coffee and tea in room. You dont get free bottled water, there is a water dispenser next to the bar! Had to ask twice to get sheets changed after 5 days. Maids weren't very friendly to be honest, even though we tipped, there is no do not disturb signs which isn't great. There was only one restaurant when online it stated two areas for dining. All the food was good and the staff in the restaurant were lovely and friendly and helpful, but there isn't enough food choice, it reminded me of a school canteen, you get a plate and get served, a choice of two maybe three different meals for dinner, lunch was the worst ,breakfast was the best fresh omelette, eggs however you want them cooking, sausages, beans, pancakes, porridge, kids cereal, only one milk which was full fat,so no good for me as im lactose free so this made things even harder for me, at an all inclusive you would expect at least one milk alternative... fresh coffee and tea available. Generally cater for american taste, everything sweetened for example the bread. A small selection of fruits and muffins. Gladly say I never had an upset stomach! Would recommend Ivans for a lovely dining experience. There was one bar area where the staff again were very friendly,and special shout out to Tina who by far looked after every guest with a smile! All the staff worked so hard to make our stay pleasant. Plenty of cocktails on menu, red stripe beer and unfortunately no wine on all inclusive menu, which to me is bizzare and sad as im a wine drinker! You could buy wine but it wasn't worth it, not nice enough to spend money on. Two lovely pool areas, loungers slightly dated but with cushions on they were very comfortable. There was a small shop down the road just a 2min walk left out the hotel, dont go total rip off,there is a supermarket about 10mins away in uber, still expensive but not bad for snacks. Uber was our way of transport it was cheap and easy to use via the app. Ricks cafe is 10mins away. And negril 7 mile beach 5 mins away, the hotel provide a free shuttle twice a day to the sister hotel which is a total sh** whole, but you can get drinks on the all inclusive and go down the beach which is beautiful and has lots of little bars and shacks. We booked one trip through tui and it was awful, black river and ys falls, travel was too long on a cramped bus and saw only one crocodile which was disappointing 😞 Then we booked our other trips via tripadvisor, so much cheaper and more choices, would recommend booby cay island with lobster dinner and snorkeling! In general we love Jamaica and will be back again but sadly I wouldnt choose this hotel, it was ok for the money we paid.