Ltu Garden

A quick preface prior to my review... My wife and I have been traveling to Jamaica for 33 years, but didn't make it to Negril until 18 years ago. Since that time, 90% of our stays in Negril have been at cliffside resorts. We've stayed at a handful of other cliff resorts over the years, just to break things up, but we ALWAYS return to Catcha Falling Star. Why? Because we usually end up saying "we should've stayed at Catcha" LOL. This review is on our recent, 12th stay there. By comparison, we have stayed at 4 other cliff resorts for a total of 6 times. Catcha has been our "go-to" hangout, and for good reason. Let's start with the... Views: Spectacular! 180 degrees of Caribbean Sea from any number "perches" to relax from. The infinity pool is fairly small, but cozy, with a calming waterfall of water coming from the walkway/bridge just above it. We've never had the pool feel "crowded". Although we typically stay in the low season, there are only 17 rooms and plenty of loungers around or near the pool...some tucked away in more private spots. All with terrific views of the sea. We nearly always spot dolphins during our stay. If you like to snorkel, and the water is permitting (i.e. not too rough), the visibility is great. The lifeguard, Kevin, is a great addition to the staff. We always see him greet new arrivals coming down to the pool area for their first time. Food: Ivan's is (fortunately for guests) the onsite restaurant. The food is just terrific and the prices are very reasonable. All seats offer a view of the sea, some spectacular! Or if you prefer, meals can be brought to your room. Sometimes it's fun to eat on your veranda. On this trip we stayed 9 days and we ate all of our meals on site. Room: We've stayed in most of the rooms over the years and each one has something fun and unique to offer. We often stay in one of the one bedroom suites just because, for us, it's just nice to have a bedroom separated from the living room/kitchen dining area. It just depends on what experience you are looking for. Keep in mind that these rooms aren't the Hilton with satin sheets. They are well maintained, clean and nicely appointed rooms and we love them! Staff: From the initial greeting of a huge welcoming smile from Isis at check in, to seeing the smiling faces of girls like Ordia (serving breakfast at Ivan's for many years), and Carol (same, but now for dinner) and all of the staff that you may come across on a typical day...they really are top notch! I have to give a special shout out to Cassandra, who keeps everything running smoothly. Overall: If you just want a great place to come and chill, this is it. It's a much different vibe than the all-inclusive beach experience. But for us, Catcha wins hands down, over and over. The prices have stayed reasonable and the changes that they have made to the property over the last 17 years are very chic and beautiful. Bravo Catcha! Keith and Kathy will see you again next year!

Poor experience. Room was outdated. Bedding smelled old and unwashed. Water would frequently stop running during baths or would not come on altogether. Pool was not cleaned frequently. All in all, the whole place just looked and felt depressing and run down. I suspect a lot of these positive reviews are fake or doctored. Website photos do not give an accurate view of what the property and rooms actually look like presently - maybe those photos were taken when the property was just opened? Only plus was the proximity to Rick's Cafe and Negril town. Everything else was a disappointment.