Strawberry Hill

I was torn how many stars to give because the staff were amazing and lovely. Even when we had a mix up with our taxi they tripped over themselves to sort things out. The staff were friendly, courteous and helpful. The views are amazing, breathtaking and beautiful. Whether it be the sunset, the early morning dew or cracks of lighting over the mountains everyday brought a new vista. Unfortunately that's the sum total of the hotel. There's little to do, which in some ways is a good thing because it forces you to slow down and relax. That said for the price you want something more than just scenery. The pool is more photogenic than anything else. You get some great reflections of the night sky and you can pretend to walk on water. Its bottom is covered in some nasty grey gravely stuff which makes it look dank and uninviting. It's not a true infinity pool is the see through glass type. It just has a waterfall effect edge but it's underwhelming. Once you've walked around the grounds. Looked at the aged gold record collection and photos, which are only impressive to those of a certain age, all of which can be done in 30 minutes, you're done. The only other activity is the spa and it's extremely expensive. This place is ok for a couple of nights or a special day out (which seems to be it's main use) but even then the costs are questionable. As they charge non guests $20 to get in and the money for a room per night seems far too steep for what you get. If you could see where it's being invested then fair enough but the place is tired and needs updating but given this has been a constant criticism for years and they haven't bothered then it's unlikely they will. They know people will keep coming for the view (which as I said is stunning) so there's little incentive to improve which is sad because the staff who were all lovely deserve better. By investing in the property you are investing in them as they are the visible ones who have to face visitors and I'm sure they have had to endure the brunt of criticisms over this place. Rooms We were in Highgate. The first impression taken with the sumptuous view is that this is 5 star luxury. Then realise that although aesthetically it looks the part on close inspection the fixtures and fittings are tired, badly installed and shabby and not 5 star luxury. Shame as the room has massives of potential and all it would take is regular maintenance and an attention to detail. Also annoying as this has been pointed out on numerous reviews for over 10 years. The toiletries are lovely and you get free coffee, tea, milk and water (plus a fridge freezer) though the kitchen is very tired. The best thing though is the view which is breathtaking. That is 5 stars. Nearby activities Craighton Estate Blue Mountain Coffee Tour is a short walk away. Go in the early morning when it's cooler. Getting to the plantation requires going on a long steep walk so it's not for those with accessibility or fitness issues. You can organise a tour of Kingston through the hotel which was great as we saw loads. You can also organise walking tours which we wanted to do but didn't in the end have time. Safety You're literally in the middle of nowhere so you feel very safe. In keeping with hotels in Jamaica there's full security. Walkability If you are not a fan of heights or twisting tight roads going up a mountain then close your eyes on the journey up! The road that leads directly to the hotel was probably the worst part of the journey as it's totally eroded. The hotel really needs to get it fixed up as the rest of the road from Kingston upon was for the most part in perfect condition. The vehicle slipped because there's no grip and it's quite scary. Food & drinks If you look on TripAdvisor going back to 2005 food has been an issue. The first evening we wanted to weep as the food was bad. The Ochi sausage was a frankfurter, the pork chops were tough and came with an inedible bright red sauce and dull rice. However the cocktail "a lickle spice" was delicious. The breakfast the next day was just as bad with scrambled eggs that looked and tasted like the powdered variety and brown decaying pineapple. That said the free continental breakfast is worth it as it's sizable. We didn't have high hopes for that evening's dinner but things took a surprising turn....the food was good. No idea if it was a different chef but everyone's food was on point and this continued including breakfast- though we still had brown decaying pineapple until the last morning. They also inexplicably didn't have basics such as plantain which given it grows readily in the Blue Mountains and across Jamaica is odd. I think they must rely on a very limited delivery of food; at a guess maybe once a week. Noteworthy details I had my birthday there and the staff were brilliant. They sang happy birthday and made me feel special. I was booked into the spa for my birthday treat. It is very expensive so under utilised which is sad because there's not much to do at the hotel and secondly the beautician/masseuse was amazing. She deserves more clients because she is exceptional. Hotel highlights Great view, Romantic, Quiet

Came here to celebrate my birthday. This was our first hotel from the three we stayed in during our tour of Jamaica. This is the hotel that will stay in my memories forever. This was our first trip to Jamaica and we decided to hire a car which was the best decision we ever made. If you’re a sensible driver you’ll have no problem. Recommend island car rental. We mainly did this due to the $100 taxi fare one way from Kingston airport to the hotel and given we had another two hotels to get to we would have spent ridiculous amounts. The drive from Kingston to the hotel was completely safe, even at night when we drove. We stuck to Google maps and it safely navigated us through. The Mountain road was absolutely fine just take your time and enjoy the view and the animal noises. Listen out for water tank lorries beeping before every hair pin during the day give them plenty of room. The worst part of the road was the 100m to the hotel. It’s obviously a shared drive but I’d recommend the hotel to make this slightly less worse 👍 Every single cabin had a different view you can choose between, canopy view (good for bird watchers), Kingston view ( gaze over the light of the city at night), blue Mountain View ( which I what I requested) and many others just ring up to ask the options are for your room type. We had the studio suite ‘Mountain View 1’. Boy it was the most amazing place I have ever stayed I’ve got major holiday blues just thinking about it. Firstly the walk from the car park🤣 We came at night, it felt like you were straight into the jungle walking up the steps to the peak of the hotel where you were greeted by the most amazing view over Kingston and the lit up lawn plaza and gardens of the hotel. Through a private entrance gate we came down some steps to our cabin. Waking up in the morning was like landing in paradise. the view from the very large balcony overlooking purely the blue mountains and mountain perched homes was breathtaking. The room was plenty big enough for two and outfitted in the exact style I would design a hotel. The style is colonial, rustic, charming and antique. Whites and browns, shingle roofs everything all entirely made from wood. The bathroom was fantastic with wooden blinds that would open up into the jungle felt like I was showering in nature every time. I’d recommend exploring the gardens as much as possible it did feel like we were the only ones who did at the time. For example we came across the plunge pool which was completely unused and private and so so so tranquil. Perfect after my aloe Vera wrap treatment at the spa. Activities- plenty of walks, coffee tour which was the highlight of my trip just up the road, resting at the hotel pool watching the humming birds. 3 nights just weren’t enough for this paradise. I am utterly in love with and will hopefully be lucky enough to return. Food- all food was exquisite, I found the staff were excellent and most importantly consistent in their serving techniques especially at breakfast time when the continental included a selection of courses. The rooms were spot on with price in my opinion. Like others have mentioned the food is expensive compared to other hotels we stayed ( Jamaica inn & rock house hotel) but perhaps that’s because of the practicality of lugging it up the mountain. The only negative I can think of is that the whole hotel needs a bit of a touch up of paint on the outside. And perhaps some drains cleaning. But it only added to the rustic charm and I hope the hotel stays in great condition and doesn’t degrade for my return in the future! Pool was again absolutely amazing I love the dark surface it’s lined with giving the effect of a natural pool rather than those awful light blue alternatives. Bravo what a place. 👏

Looking out from the hilltop onto Kingston, well above the extremely hot Caribbean Summer temperatures, this small hotel has all the features for a pleasant stay (restaurant, spa and pool etc), good quality accommodation and mild weather. However, everything is pricey, from the rates charged for accommodation to food and massage; there’s little flexibility to the rules, and if there is no rule they will create one (like a $100 surcharge for a late checkout).

Incredibly relaxing setting. The greenery is so lush and the views to Kingston and the surrounding mountains are incredible. My husband and I loved having coffee on our private patio, and lounging by the pool was great. The spa services were amazing. If you want to relax and unwind this is the place for you. This seems like a honeymoon place for sure!

Before I get into the review I want to make it very clear that I do NOT have an issue with the policy in place, rather I have an issue with HOW the policy is seemingly applied based on race. I travelled from the UK and went to strawberry hill for a birthday lunch with some friends after seeing absolutely beautiful pictures of the grounds. Our food was good (my chips came lukewarm but was rectified once I complained), drinks were absolutely lovely and our server Orville was nice. However, all of that was dampened by the discriminatory application of specific policy. One of the main features of Strawberry Hill, as can be seen from most pictures online, is the beautiful pool and surrounding area. While waiting for our food we started to walk to the pool area, and by walk I mean we made it TWO steps before a member of staff (I was told her name is Roxine) informed us that we cannot go by the pool area as it was only for checked in guest. Another server (Kevin) informed us that restaurant goers were no longer allowed around the pool because someone fell - which makes absolutely no sense, because if someone fell then the entire section should be blocked off for safety reasons. It was annoying but completely understandable as at that time there were some guests laying by the pool (people taking pictures could be disruptive to them) - it was even suggested by a server that we wait until the guests have left and then take pictures. That was not a problem, we left and took pictures on other parts of the property. This was fine until near the end of our meal we saw a separate group of Asian and white restaurant goers walking around AND smoking by the pool! No member of staff was asking them to move and they were free to roam until their meals arrived. I was quite surprised but thought okay maybe it is because the checked in guests have now left. So we decided to go and take our pictures, but to our surprise the servers called security on us to have us escorted out! The white and Asian guests were left COMPLETELY alone until they decided to move on. We asked why security was called on us and why we were told to move, when the other guests were left alone. The response was, oh we told them they cannot be there. This is not true as we saw them there for a decent amount of time and IF they were told no and still decided to stay, why was security not called on them too? Security then waited around until we left and went back to our car. This ruined my ENTIRE birthday lunch experience. Once again, the policy they have in place is completely understandable, however it needs to be applied to ALL guests- not just the non-black ones. I hope management sees this review and trains their staff on how policy should be properly applied, regardless of what race the guests are. At the end of the day, we are all paying guests.