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Starfish Trelawny 11/25/2003
Reviewers Rating:  Excellent
Steve - Trip report STARFISH TRELAWNY November 2003.
Falmouth- Coopers Pen Jamaica ...
Like a perfectly preserved flower, this tiny piece of Jamaica continues to hold that
elusive"old-world" charm and I could not help but immerse myself in the warmth
of the local people and unspoiled areas. I found myself sometimes having to rush
BACK to the resort in order to make it for meal times. And even with all the amazing
facets of the resort, there is NO doubt ... The moments I spent beyond the limits of
the property are the ones I will cherish forever !
Too often I hear fellow travellers complaining about the vendors and the pressure
and discomfort they sometimes feel from solicitations and I have noticed an ever so
slight increase in the desire to "make the sale" myself . On the beaches in Trelawny...
this is not at all the case !!! Yes there are vendors both Westward about 200 yrds
in the Bamboo Village, and eastward beyond the nude beach area there are 5 or 6
small shops; but we were both taken aback by how low key and quite simply friendly
every last person was ! We were never once asked twice by anyone , when asked to
look if we declined, the response was infallably ... No problem mon.followed by a
enjoy your day, or respect and blessin's etc... EVERY time.
The vendors in Mo-Bay, Ochi and even Negril now , could learn a great lesson from the
people on the beaches around Trelawny.
- THE RESORT -
Rooms :
The tower rooms are not large , and there are a few that still need renovating (3/4 are complete)
howeverthey are really nicer with the updates.Not elegant, but clean and comfortable. We had a one-
week old bathroom very tastefully appointed. Freshly painted as well. The balconies could be a bit larger.
Some of the best parts of the room were:
C/D payer/clock radio , Mini-bar and fridge , Coffee maker and very comfy beds.
If you are a room person , then it is worth taking the upgrade to a cottage. We were hanging with a British
family who were staying in them and I checked one out quickly... They are furnished with dark-wood
furniture and four post beds, they are a bit larger and are surrounded by gardens. I personally don't like
tower style resorts,but Starfish makes up for it in so many different ways that we will definately return.
The amnenities :
-seemingly endless !!! This is one area where Starfish rises way above the rest...
Here's what I can think of :
Four pools, pool tables in pools, beach chairs in shallow pool ring, kids splash pool, two awesome
waterslides, jacuzzi's in the pools, swim up bar, canopied mattresses around the deck, four hidden jacuzzis,
nude beach, private island, rock climbing wall, trapeze,trampoline,water-trampoline,hockey rink, basketball
court, mini golf, tennis courts ,volleyball, ping pong, billiards,shuffleboard,watersports (kayak,sunfish etc... )
Full spa, Golf, Arcade,Casino, movie room, gym ,on site shopping ,six bars,four restaurants,beach bar& grill,
piano bar ,wedding gazebo,awesome kids program, disco with a jacuzzi on the dance-floor... and more !
Entertainment :
Mostly good, the resident band was pretty good and they enjoyably put a lot of Bob Marley
into their sets ( including some of his lesser known works which I really enjoyed ! ) The two best nights
were the Beach Party and the traditional Jamaica Night show.There was a woman who did a fire breathing
act that was absolutely amazing ! The best I've seen of it's kind, and I have seen over a dozen !!! Also the
talent night was tons of fun. Kareoke night and Fashion show were a bit lame... A quick stroll down to the
late night beach grill and bar with the non-stop reggae cured that though.
Grounds :
Very well kept ,not always beautiful as there is a lot on the property but there are some
gorgeous gardens and all the pool areas are really REALLY cool ... As good as pools get really.
the beach is very,very nice.The only thing being it was often choppy ( typical of the North Coast ) but
the sand coverage is excellent and the beach stretches over 2 miles when you include the public
sections.As is typical in Jamaica the sand was constantly raked.The private island has hammocks,
sun shades and plenty of loungers.One great thing about the island is that it forms a nice shallow
cove for the younger children to play safely.Speaking of loungers and sun shades etc. the resort
was at 75% capacity and there was always plenty available. Couple improvements would be to do
more work on the front entrance fountain/garden area and they would do well to replace a tennis
court or two with a garden park or something quiet. I saw several couples getting married in the
Gazebo on the pier and they did a beautiful job.
Staff and service:
was true Jamaican.. warm, friendly, and eager to make you happy. Only with the
exception of the previously mentioned Gate guard and one woman at the front desk. Even all the
groundskeepers and gardeners were gracious and overall happy to make your acquaintance.The
exceptional ones include : All the Activity coordinators, Derval at the beach bar, the women who ran
the kids club, Glen the piano player, and Curtis who has been there since the beginning.
Dining :
This is another area where Starfish REALLY shines ! My wife and I were extremely impressed
with the quality considering the 3 1/2 star resort rating. Casablanca ( French ) , Guiseppi ( Italian ) and
Munahanna ( Oriental and Sushi ) were TRULY outstanding. Yes there were some menu items
carrying surcharges, but only the really expensive items like Lobster (understandable with the
incredibly low rates the resort charges !) My wife and I joked that we would have had to eat 27 lobsters
EACH per DAY to get our cost up to what we would have spent for a week at Beaches Plantation...lol
To be honest ,the five course meals we had at Casablanca were more enjoyable and every bit as good
quality as at BRP,and almost as good as Le Piacere at Grand Lido Negril ! the only part that wasn't 5 star
was the professionalism and caliber of service.
Breakfast buffets were like what we have come to expect in Jamaica with Omelets to order,FrenchToast,
Pancakes, Bacon, Sausage tons of cheeses, fruit, breads and pastries, cereals and always several typical
Jamaican morning fare items like Ackee and Saltfish etc... Lunch buffets were usually just average , I think
because so many eat at the Beach Grill. ( Jerk Chicken & Pork, Burgers(chicken,beef and fish), Hot Dogs,
Fries,Nachoes and cheese and a great salad bar as well. The dinner buffets were very good as well with
a wide range of choices for everyone. There was always four or five main course choices along with the
usual salad bars and of course dessert tables mmmmmmmmm... Be sure to eat often in the A la Carte
places though as they are really outstanding.
Another really pleasant surprise was the late night snacks. I was expecting real snacks, but they put out a
spread the equivelant of about half of the buffet ! providing a usually much needed fourth meal.
Overall, this resort is absolutely unbeatable value. Unless you absolutely need white glove service, this
place is truly great for everyone. The crowd was an ecclectic mix young and old from around the world.
We met a couple who were multi-time visitors to Hedo II as well as a couple who had stayed at the
Ritz Carleton their last visit ... Sure enough, both couples ( and everyone else I met ) were amazed at
how much better Starfish was than they had expected. Several guests repeatedly said they couldn't believe
the 3 1/2 star rating. If you are a room person book a cottage, if you are a sportsman the platinum plan might
be best for you. If you are like me.... You will agree that the difference in price is much greater than the
difference in the value when compared to so-called 5 star resorts.
I would give this resort a 4 star rating, and would not hesitate to pay more for another week. It is truly
an unbeatable value all the way !
One negative for some might be the children, however the kids club ladies were awesome and
although there were many children there, they were almost always off somewhere out of sight. The
east end of the beach was always void of children, and the few kids that were around the pools and
such were never a problem at all.
If you go to Starfish ( or any other resort in Jamaica for that matter ) .... Get out of the resort some !
It is beyond the walls that you will take home lifelong memories, even of you're staying in the most elegant
place on the island , it still pales to the magic of Jamaica's people and her "real life"
My entire cost for my wife, son and myself was such a good price that I managed to have about $1000 US
to spread around the community, and I never felt like I was imprisoned by the A/I because I had to get my
moneys worth... Instead I spent hundreds freely with the locals took advantage of everything the resort had to
offer and STILL came out spending much less in ALL than I would have at a 5 star like GLN or BRP.
Enjoy all the magic that is JAMAICA
Blessings and respect to all
Steve
steve
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