Samsara Cliff Resort And Spa

I checked in April 1, 2024, after a extremely long bus ride.
Was not greeted by the most pleasant until person until another lady took over and assisted me.
I upgraded to the Azul section on the main floor suite 1011. They accommodated me with the room I wanted which was nice. No water or welcome drink provided but when I was checking out, someone was checking in and she was welcomed with a bottle of water.
Not a big deal just noticed.

Room was very clean, beds were comfortable and air conditioned was really good. Flat screen smart tv, which I was able to connect my Netflix and Prime.
Please be aware that there are no beach towels provided as stated on their website so bring one if you need. There is a shortage of water so you may not get clean towels everyday.

The new pool was nice and clean however the steps leading down were extremely slipper any my son fell and bruised his leg badly. I also witnessed others falling and had to warn them. I suggest putting a sign as a beware or but something on the stairs.

We had the all inclusive package and the food was decent most of the time, with different options to choose from.

The people for the most part were very nice and welcoming however there are a few bad seeds, bartender rolling her eyes when asking for a drink, almost like they hated being there, no smiles and almost rude like you were disturbing them.

The resort was clean and well kept, a few things that needed to be updated but not bad for a three star.

I would definitely recommend this place if you are just looking for relaxion. If you want to party then go to the beach.

The only downfall is a lack of sun shade and umbrellas at the sister resort Legends. Crammed in lounge chairs on a very small beach.

If you are a snorkeler like me you have to go to the reef because I didn't see anything off the beach.
We paid $50 US each to take us out in a glass bottom boat that you can find off the beach. Don't waste your money on expensive trips, I was able to see a sea turtle and Manta ray among a lot of other beautiful fish.

Overall I would come back and would recommend. [Details]

this hotel was okay, the rooms were rather cool, we stayed in one of their cabin type things. We did not go the all inclusive way, which I am very thankful for as we had food from the restaurant and the food was not great and over priced. The rest of our stay we ate at local restaurants. We ate at The rocks which was stunning food with lovely views, Ricks cafe was such a fun experience. there are a few local bars that we also visited and had lots of fun, Pablos was also great breakfast food. [Details]

We had a two week stay. We really enjoyed ourselves at this resort. It was different from the usual "sand beach" type of resort. We had cliffs here instead. For a sand beach, Samsara provided a free shuttle service to its sister resort, Legends Beach Resort, just a few miles down the shore. The shuttle would take you down in the morning and return late afternoon. We did that one day, but the rest of the time we stayed here. We liked it here. The cliffs were a novelty for us and jumping off them was a lot of fun. Snorkeling in front of the cliffs was great. The water was beautifully clear and warm. There are varying levels to the cliff platforms from a few inches above the water to several feet. You can slip in or jump in, depending on which level you choose. When you are in the water, just be careful not to bump up against the cliff wall because there are sea urchins (long spines) along it.

I am a scuba diver and did many dives during my stay. I was impressed with the reefs. A lot of animal life on the reefs. My video at "youtu.be/Gu_A7m-XCj0" will give you a good idea of what to expect underwater. The dive shop, Marine Life Divers, are on site. Just some things to note about the operation. All the dives were limited to 45 minutes. The aluminum-80 tanks are filled to 2700 psi only (187 bar). The dive boat is small; about 6 or so divers. Personally, I prefer small boats to the cattle boats of large operations. It's more personal and friendly in my opinion. If you need more info contact Franz at mld@cwjamaica.com.

If you have a chance, Barney's Humming Bird Gardens is a must do experience. You get to feed hummbirds right from your hand. Ask the front desk for a taxi to take you there. The garden admission, if I remember correctly, was $18 U.S. Take a look near the end of my video. There are clips of us feeding the humming birds.

The spa is an outdoor type of spa. My wife had a facial and then later a massage. She said they were really good.

The bar used real fruit (bananas, mangoes) which they blended into the drinks. The buffet was small, but they managed to put variations into it each day. One thing that I really appreciated about the buffet was that the staff put the food on your plate. As you know, the serving utensils at a buffet can get pretty grubby and sticky if it was self-serve. So this prevented that. That's a plus in my book. On most evenings, they set the buffet outdoors atop the cliff along side the ocean. That was another plus.

We had the garden view accomodations. In the garden are cottages. Each cottage consists of three side-by-side rooms with a deck on each one. The rooms are offset so they are not in a straight line. The rooms were very spacious and airconditioned (quiet airconditioner). Really liked the room. TV was a modern flat screen. The garden section we were in was across the road from the resort's front desk entrance. The entrance to the resort is literally about 3 feet from the main road's edge. The road is a main thorougfare, but it is about as wide as a backlane. That section of the road is on a slight curve so it can be hard to see traffic. Plus driving is on the left side, which can be confusing when trying to cross. However, the resort has set up a large mirror and a staff member is at the crossing to lookout for traffic and assist you. So in my opinion, because of the nature of the road crossing, this garden view section is not a good place to stay with children.

There are a few things I should tell you about though. You are given bar soap in the bathroom, but you are not given any hair shampoo or conditioner. The bathroom did not have an electrical plug. Fortunately, I had brought a 12 foot extension which came in handy. No clock/alarm. Bring your own. Beach towels are not supplied. Bring your own. I did see some individuals use their bathroom towels and then later take them to the front desk to get replaced. I don't think the front desk liked doing it. I suspect if everyone started doing that, I think the front desk would put a stop to it. We never found a great need for beach towels anyways, since there was no sand shore to lie on. There are no safes in the rooms. You can rent the use of a safety deposit box
which are at the front desk and which stay at the front desk for couple dollars a day. I did rent one. The only drawback is that they are exactly like a bank safety deposit box; long and narrow. Anything, that is wider than about 4 or maybe 4.5 inches (10 or 11 cm.) won't fit. Can't put an iPad in it.

It's an older resort, so everything is not perfect. But we liked it. The staff are friendly and helpful. As for being an older resort, I think it is a little on the expensive side, but on the other hand, it has a lot going for it. I would love to go there again.

My video is at at "youtu.be/Gu_A7m-XCj0". It is mostly about my dives by the resort but the beginning and ending of the video has scenes of the resort and the humming bird garden. [Details]

We decided to try Samsara on this trip though we have other favorites in Negril - on the beach and on the cliffs. No real complaints. I'll start off with the good things: Great location - situated so walking up the road on the west end or to the beach is "do-able" (always keeping a close eye for traffic as sidewalks are essentially non-existent on the west end). There were plenty of cliffside loungers, and shade if desired, for all patrons, every day. Great property extending along the cliff coastline so we never felt crowded. Nice pool for when the waves are too rough, or for those less inclined to jump into the ocean. We really enjoyed the associated restaurant, Ciao. LOVE Sasha the masseuse. The spa services seemed a little pricey, but I had to see Sasha twice in spite of that. We knew we had to bring our own towels, which seemed a bit odd, but we were prepared. There is no safe in the room, but we also knew that going in, so we managed it. The room was in much need of an update, but reasonably clean. No bad smells in the room, and plenty of hot water. There was no electrical outlet in the bathroom. However, one in the room was close enough to a mirror to plug in a hair dryer. The on-site restaurant was a expensive, at least for breakfast, if one didn't have an all-inclusive package, and there wasn't much for meat on the buffet. We have enough favorite restaurants in Negril to not require the all-inclusive fortunately. All in all, we would consider going back to Samsara in the future. [Details]

The Samsara offers lovely grounds with a spectacular view of the sea and coastline. The garden side is a shady, quiet oasis and the rooms are charming, roomy and very comfortable. [Details]

Nice view to the ocean,although worn out towels, no beach towel provide to the guess, lack of maintenance to the premises, limited hours to so called all inclusive, bed bugs in mattress for most part, lack of variety of food provided to guess, nausea-bond odors near by resort for a simple walk outside the resort.We guess that's what low get away budget is all about in Jamaica, but the question is to define low budget. [Details]

This is a great location where you can relax, read a book, and travel to 7 mile beach and leave when you choose. The wifi access is very weak and unreliable at times. The cooks and staff are very talented and great people. The housekeeping staff do an awesome job. This could be one of the best resorts in Negril if they simply stepped up the menu. The items served are very good but the menu suffers from being extremely basic in nature and the quantity of items such as fruit is minimal. When you can go to Cuba and get FAR MORE for the same money it is only a matter of time before resorts like this will change out of necessity if they refuse to change voluntarily. From what I've seen, once Cuba opens to US travelers, Jamaica will be in for a rude awakening. We enjoyed our overall experience, and it was an experience, but there would need to be a very good reason to return. If you enjoy only the basics and never leave the resort, then this place is for you. [Details]

The Samsara was just what we wanted. Small, clean, quiet, friendly, uncrowded. Great cliff jumping and swimming. Food was tasty. Room was comfortable, Just steps to the sea. Worth it to pay a little extra to be close to the sea, Garden rooms are across the road in the back. A 5 minute shuttle will take you to the beach if you want. Tennis court was in disrepair so don't plan on playing. There are restaurants and a little supermarket with in walking distance. We wouldn't hesitate to stay here again if we are so lucky to return to Jamaica. It wasn't too difficult to avoid smokers here, the dining room is smoke free but the balconies and bar were not. Wifi is free near the bar, but you have to pay to have it anywhere else on the property. [Details]

Loved the Garden Room. Felt like we were still at home. Room was spacious, loved the porch area, loved wandering through the gardens and of course the bird and butterfly watching. We liked feeling like we were staying in the forest/jungle, at night the sounds of the birds in the trees... [Details]

Both my partner and I had an amazing time at Samsara. We stayed in the Gardenview Cottages across the street from the resort and enjoyed the extra privacy. Our cottage did not have AC and surprisingly AC wasn't missed, with the breeze in the garden and off of the cliffs it even felt a little chilling during the night. This is a small resort that provides a no-frills service. There is no beach towel service provided, and there are very minimal "extras" provided. The grounds and rooms are kept very clean and maintained. This resort has 50 rooms making it an intimate private setting, vendors are not allowed in which makes it peaceful and there is never any overcrowding. The food was good, but very repetitive. As Legends is the sister resort on the beach, we spent a lot of time there. Shout out to Clayton!! He kept our cups filled and the conversation flowing! [Details]

nice resort.needs upgrading.poor commnunication between staff and customers.Food not the best,and if you are not all inclusive it is expensive.the road in front of resort is very dangerous,you cannot walk safely on that road no matter who tells you ,,you cant [Details]

We have been coming to this resort now for 6 years and don't plan on changing this at all ! The staff don't have a bad bone in their bodies , always smiling and willing to do anything to make the stay more comfortable above and beyond . The property and rooms are kept very clean and if something isn't working they are right on the issue to get it straightened out . The food is all homemade ( not a big selection but we have never gone hungry ) and the taste is unbelievably great and they are not shy on making sure you get enough to eat . Why this hotel is only rated a 2 star boggles us as we give it a 5 !!! Will be back next year !! Respect! [Details]

We were given a tiny old room . The pictures were definitely deceiving. I filled out a room change request but the next morning still nothing was done. When the ceiling fan was removed I insisted we move.( My husband has serious asthma and there was no ventilation). So for 2 nights we were given a large cottage that was lovely. Then we had to move again and that room was larger than the initial one and ok. We would not return to this resort. The owner is letting it fall apart and not much money has been put into the food or drinks ( a lot of starches ) [Details]

Samara is a gem. It's in the heart of Negril and you get a real feel for the people there. Staff are SUPER pleasant, the only downfall is the owner. He's a tyrant. Very unapproachable and aggressive to his staff. It's sad to think that he owns the place, his son however, is a pleasant, friendly person. His father needs to retire, in my opinion. If the place was run exclusively by his son, it would be the perfect place to hang your towel while in Jamaica!
If you need a driver for your stay, go with Gregory Peck: http://www.gregorypecktours.com/
He is THE BEST! He'll take you anywhere and to less touristy places. Very informative and seriously, embodies what Jamaica is all about. [Details]

Very friendly staff,grounds are maintained nicely,food selection very limited. Met alot nice people. [Details]

all around very good. [Details]

I was traveling alone, & was greeted by Peter @ Samsara who was very welcoming & helpful. I did not do the food with my all-inclusive pkg. but did buy a coffee every morning at the restaurant (which was overpriced @ 2.50 a cup.)
The Samsara staff were all very welcoming & helpful when needed. (The cleaning ladies were especially friendly.)
My room was adequate. The bathroom light was very dim, & there were no shelves in my bathroom vanity. The room was always cleaned to perfection & was fresh at the end of the day.
The cliff jumping was fun, & the snorkelling was good early & late in the day.
The shuttle to Legends was a great service, & once at the Legends the staff were really nice there too. I felt very secure leaving my stuff beside my lounge chair when I went for a swim as the security guard there is really good at his job.
I would suggest that they crank-up the reggae music in both hotels, & get the staff to be a little more enthusiastic with the guests. (More activities within the hotel in the day & evenings which would be part of the all-inclusive would be nice)
I would recommend this hotel for someone looking for quiet ambience. I was happy overall, & felt very safe staying here as a lone female. [Details]

I stayed in Samsara garden view room for a week. It was very nice, clean, quiet. Samsara offers a daily shuttle to Legends so you have a choice how to spend a day: on a sand beach or cliffs with great snorkeling. Stuff is polite and well trained. Don't go for all inclusive, the food there is average and there are a lot of great bars and restaurants around. I will be staying there again for sure. [Details]

The exterior of the resort was pleasing to look at, however the service was deplorable.
1. We were told at check in that we had to pay a room tax.
2. Requested a room change, and have not yet had a follow-up.
3. Requested and Iron and have yet to receive it.
4. Towels are taken out daily at 9:00am and washed, then return by 4:00pm. No replacement just recycled. Towels have ripped in them.
5. Bed frame is so low and mattress so small that the frame is larger than the mattress.
6. For the use of AC you will need to pay for it.
7. Requested Beach Towels, was told it is not provided and I will need to purchase it.
8. Requested shampoo was told it is not provided.
9. TV seems to be from the 70's. A 12 inch that constantly fries.
10. Paid for an All Inclusive but did not get all inclusive. Meals were served
on your plate by the wait staff, not much variety (only 2 meats per serving).
11. Bar served only mixed alcoholic fruit drink, anything else you will have to purchase.
12. No Entertainment [Details]

We had a great stay. Got one of the cottages, room was clean and cool with no problems. Food was just excellent, staff very courteous...would definitely stay there again. [Details]

Very clean, chalet experience, no air conditioner just a load nocking fan. You hear dogs fitting in the night and rooster singing. Friendly, gard helps you cross the road because it is very dangerous. Check you bill because they are not always honest... Extra billings. Food served is always the same. No variety but good tasting. [Details]

Negatives:
Owner is a rude old man
Drinks and food are overly expensive
The food is below average

Positive:
The water near the cliff is very clean and beautiful
The people of the village negril are very nice. [Details]