We have just returned from a trip that included Jamaica, the Turks and Caicos and Nassau and we can say that our stay at the Hotel Mockingbird Hill in Jamaica was a major highlight of the whole trip. Getting there is a bit of a challenge - we rented a car in Montego Bay and ended up driving after dark on roads that were either full of potholes or full of detours because of road construction. NOTE to other travellers -time your drive so you can make it to the Hotel in the daylight - AND don't be fooled by the good road between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios - it gets a lot worse after that! It might be better to fly into Kingston than Montego Bay - it's a shorter drive from Kingston.

Enough about the roads - getting to Mockingbird Hill makes it all worthwhile. What a wonderful place! We were greeted by a smiling lady with lovely cool damp towels to wipe off the travel grime and were immediately offered a complimentary beverage. Our bags were whisked to our room - a very nicely decorated and airy room with a king size bed, balcony, full bathroom, fresh flowers and even a CD player with a CD of Jamaican music. We arrived just before 9 pm and the restaurant normally closes at 9, but we were told that there would be no problem to get a late supper. We had a delicious light supper and fell into our comfortable bed. Mosquito nets are provided in all rooms - a good thing because although there weren't that many mosquitoes when we were there, the occasional one wanders into the room. We woke and wandered out to our balcony and what a sight! - We overlooked the gardens of the hotel which sloped down to forested hillsides and then to Port Antonio and its harbour with the sea gleaming in the distance. The Blue Mountains formed the backdrop. We sat and had our breakfast on the outdoor patio while watching hummingbirds dart about. We decided that we had come to the right place!

The hotel staff were very informed about the various outings that can be taken in the area and helped us book a guided hike through the forest and a rafting trip on the Rio Grande River. We spent the next 3 days happily exploring the Port Antonio area - which offers lots of opportunities for people interested in pretty beaches, waterfalls, rainforest, rafting down a river that still feels like the wilderness, and interesting little towns perched along the coastline. Port Antonio itself is fun to walk around and explore and its market is a bustling and lively place - check out the wood carvings offered by a man who calls himself "Rock Bottom" (because his prices are rock bottom apparently). There are not that many tourists in the Port Antonio area, so be prepared to feel a tad obvious as you wander into the Boston Beach jerk stand centre or browse through the market. Vendors will approach you, but will also take No for an answer and are always courteous. Our favourite vendor experience was at a public beach called Winnifred Beach (recommended by the hotel staff) where we met two really interesting ladies and had a great chat as we looked at the crafts they had for sale and enjoyed the delicious soup prepared right there in a little stall on the beach.

Although there are opportunities to eat dinner elsewhere, the food is so good at the Mille Fleurs restaurant at Mockingbird Hill that you will be tempted to eat there every night. The hotel offers a package that includes breakfast and dinner - we didn't take it but in retrospect we should have. Nothing else in the local area comes close. The menu features local produce as much as possible and the tood is prepared with skill and style. There is also a good wine list.

Hotel Mockingbird Hill places great emphasis on being as environmentally sustainable as possible. Water is carefully managed - rainwater is collected and supplemented by water hauled up the hill by truck - so guests are reminded to be water-wise. The hotel has good air flow and ceiling fans - we didn't miss A/C and it is much nicer to sleep with the fresh breezes wafting over you than the stale air of an air conditioner unit. Dinner is by candlelight on the deck overlooking Port Antonio. All electrical light fixtures are fluorescent. The owners are currently asking guests to contribute to carbon offsets for their air travel by contributing towards the planting of trees in the area. All of these measures (and more that we have not listed) are commendable - we just wish the other places we stayed on our trip came even close to Mockingbird Hill's environmental performance!

In summary, if you are looking for a superb location a bit off the beaten track where you can experience the true Jamaica and be treated royally, choose Mockingbird Hill.

My wife and I stayed there for three nights in early January, and they advertise that you will have a very serene experience, and I must say, the beauty of the place was diminished by the obvious problems the staff and management were in the middle of...

First, we were handed a list of things to expect when we arrived. This included complimentary morning coffee and an afternoon drink. The staff seemed totally unaware that this was the case when we went looking for their supposed complimentary Blue Mountain Jamaican morning coffee. Same case with the afternoon drink. Also, there were two charges on the bill for morning coffee when we checked out (which they did remove after a not-so-friendly confrontation with a staff member (that is not too harsh a word).

Also, and perhaps most disturbing, we heard the management arguing with (or yelling at) the staff a few times as we approached the main building and this certainly disrupted the serene environment.

One of the staff members did confide in us that there had been a major staff turnover the 1st of the year and that this could possibly be a cause of our problems.

Finally, there was an extra charge on our bill for a fee that had been added after we made our reservation, and the staff member we dealt with had a hard time believing that we should not be charged for it.

Call me crazy, but I believe that in the service/hotel industry, the customer is always right, and a customer should not be treated with a snooty attitude.

All in all, the place was indeed beautiful (but you definitely need a rental car if you want to explore the surrounding area), the views are top-notch, but with all of these problems that made us increasingly uncomfortable, unless they do a major staff training and learn to hide moments that break the serenity of the environment, we will not be going back to a place that was quite expensive.

One should take the negative reviews seriously. I had a hotel voucher for a four night stay at Mockingbird Hill. With the full agreement of the hotel owner, I submitted the voucher to the hotel in advance of my planned vacation with the understanding, verified by numerous e mails, that I or a friend could use the voucher on a later date based on availability. Mockingbird Hill acknowleged the receipt of the voucher and thanked me via e mail. I first booked an early December date but cancelled due to the heavy rains and mosquito problem at the time. This was done with the approval of Mockingbird Hill. In late February 2008, I attempted to have a friend s name substituted on the voucher as had been agreeded upon. I asked a staff member if there were available dates in April 2008 and was told that there were dates available. I then asked if my friend could call to confirm the dates-my friend was very open as to the dates. The hotel would not agree nor refuse to make a reservation. They would claim that the responsible person was in a staff meeting all day or some other excuse. My e mails, faxes and telephone calls were ignored. I filed a complaint with the Jamaican Tourist Board.The owners of Mockingbird Hill sent the Tourist Board fabricated e mails that they said were from me. The emails, it seems ,had no date or time of delivery. I was eventually refunded the cost of the voucher minus a service charge.As I received the voucher though a travel auction site, I could not replace the vacation at another resort-I had wanted friends to celebrate their anniversary at the hotel. I found the owners of Mockingbird Hill to be very deceptive to say the least.

We spent 13 blissful days at the Mockingbird Hill Hotel. The ambience is tranquil but far from stuffy, the staff friendly and helpful, and the rooms bright, airy and cool. The owners were extremely knowlegable and helpful in arranging excurtions, as well as being a mine of information on the locality.
The Restaurant is one of the best I've had the pleasure of eating in-the menu changed daily, and none of the choices was repeated during our 13 day stay.
Highly recommended!