To reiterate many previous postings, the beach at Cocolapalm is outstanding! The water is perfectly clear (no rocks or seaweed at all) and calm; the sand is so soft it's like walking on velvet; the beach is never too crowded (and there were always plenty of lounge chairs); and because the location is so centralized, there's plenty of food, drinks, and activities available. On one hand, it's peaceful enough to just read or nap, on the other hand there's so much going on, you could spend the whole day just people watching (and buying things - fresh fruit, juice, and patties from the beach vendors). We camped out at the "adult" pool most of the time - you get your space and added privacy, but the view is just as beautiful. We did the hotel's glass-bottom boat tour one day ($20 US) and did some snorkeling (very low-key situation). The guys who took us were really great. They offered to take us out again another day early in the morning to see if we could see some dolphins.

As far as rooms go, we had originally booked a "standard room." But when we arrived, the room smelled awful - very musty/moldy and it wasn't very clean. We told the front desk, and they immediately updraded us to a "superior room." This room was a nice size (and we were very grateful for the upgrade), but still had some minor drawbacks. For example, the beds were hard, the television reception wasn't great, the shower had a weak stream, and there were no alarm clocks or hair dryers in the rooms.

Overall, the hotel staff were wonderful. The grounds/security staff as well as housekeeping/restaurant folks were incredibly sincere, helpful and friendly. It was nice getting to know some of them. You immediately feel welcome and safe at Cocolapalm, and it doesn't take much time at all to feel like you belong. I was happy to tip the staff well. The front desk folks, however, weren't as warm, and we were sometimes met with blank stares. One day we decided to do the horseback riding trip at Rhodes Plantation. The front desk people said they would arrange it, but they apparently just forgot or something. It would have been nice to have someone not just check us in, but spend some time to orient us when we got there.

Some other observations: breakfasts at the resort were great and a nice way to meet other vacationers (coffee can be very strong); dinners were just okay; drinks were just okay (drinks were stronger/cheaper next door to the right). The manager's party on Monday night was a lot of fun - music and free strong drinks. Aside from jerk, there's a lot of lobster around at the different restaurants down the beach. The Italian restaurant down the beach to the left was excellent. And the pizza at "Choices" was very good.

Negril is very casual - you can go barefoot most places (and topless on the beach). If you take a taxi (the hotel will arrange taxi's for you - don't pay more than $20 US round-trip ) up to the restaurants at the cliffs, you will want to have something on your feet, however. We liked the "Rockhouse" and the "Hungry Lion" out that way. And there were plenty more we didn't get to (like "Sweet-Spice" and "Chicken Lavish"). Lastly, have a lot of "tip" money on hand.

The final comment I will make is more about Negril as a whole. If you walk down the beach (which you will want to do) you won't be able to go 3 steps without being approached by someone who wants to sell you drugs. The first night we were there, this happened 12 times. The "sellers" tend to be friendly but aggressive and will keep pushing if you try to just ignore them. You must make eye contact and say "no." I never feared for my safety, however. It was more a matter of, as an introvert, I was really tired of having to interact with them all the time. It became impossible to have a nice quiet walk on the beach. For some this might be simply a minor annoyance, for others intolerable.

I definitely plan on returning to Negril and staying at Cocolapalm! Jamaica is cheaper than many of the other caribbean islands, and the beach at Cocolapalm is the best we've been to. If you're looking for a mellow vacation where beach culture is the main activity, this is the place for you.

We stayed at Coco from December 19th to the 24th. We spent out first 2 nights in Suite B (2 Bedroom) and the other 3 nights in Suite A (3 Bedroom). Since there were 5 adults, Mom & Dad with son 21, daughter 20 and her boyfriend 20 we needed a place we could stay together. This arrangement worked out fine. Jillian kept our rooms very clean and left us some extra towels when asked. The rooms were large with several small fridges and a large fridge. We had picked up a case of water, cokes and Heinekins for our room, in advance so we had plenty of space to keep them cold.

We arrived very late, approx. 9:30 PM due to major travelling issues and we were hot, tired and very hungry. Since the restaurant closes at 10:00 PM, Coco made efforts to get us to our rooms immediatley and called the restaurant to warn them we were coming and to take care of us, which they did.

It's not hard to make friends at Coco. Big up for Charlton and Stevie who made sure that our chairs were placed and always ready with a warm greeting. Also kudos to security, Andrew and Jason. They always ensured that the beach vendors kept their distance.

We went next door to Charlea Inn for dinner, which has a live show on Thursday nights. Robin Banks played the first set and Otis Ray was on the second set. We had a great time up and dancing with the staff at Charlea.

Coco's atmosphere is relaxed and caring. We hope to return in the very near future.

We've been visiting Negril for 30 years, the last eight we've always stayed at COCO LA PALM. But we are having second thoughts about going back due to a really obnoxious group of guests and their kids who return every year at the Christmas break. This group seems to think nothing of letting their kids run all over the property mostly unsupervised, despite the presence of several good-intentioned nannies. We saw kids walking on top of the lunch tables, dragging toys into the whirlpool, playing with carved items that had been set up for sale on a table on the beach, and swimming unattended in the pools. They treat the staff like dirt, and seem to not care at all about how their boorish behavior might affect other guests.

I spoke to the management about this issue, and they've promised to address it, but I frankly don't know how they'll do it, since it's tough to have to police so many children. It's also tough to turn away repeat guests, so buyer beware!

Also the owners need to sink some money into the rooms, and whether they will or not, remains to be seen. The beds are very lumpy, the draperies look dirty and dingy, and the bathrooms are overrun with ants.

However, on the plus side, this is one of the most reasonably priced accomodations you'll ever find during Christmas week in the Caribbean. And it is one of the nicest beaches I've ever seen anywhere. So if you're someone who doesn't care too much about noise or room amenties, this is might be a decent choice.

Will we be back? Yes, to Negril. But not so sure about COCO LA PALM.

We stayed at coco la palm from3rddec07 to 10th dec 07 rooms where fine and clean staff are realy nice and thefood was great i think anyone would be hard pushed to find better the beach is cleaned every day and the staff all work really hard at keeping it that way, we spent the next week of are hols with family at mountainside but would of loved to stay at the hotel longer we,ll be back next year.