Idle Awhile Cliffs

Idle Awhile has long been one of my trusted brands. Since 2017, I’ve stayed at both the Beach and the Villas across the road and always associated the name with warm hospitality, comfortable beds, and a reliable standard of care. So when I planned a 10-day wellness retreat with treatments at Jackie on the Reef, I was relieved to learn Idle Awhile also had a Cliff property. It felt like the perfect match, somewhere I could trust for a long stay. The Cliff itself is a beautiful, peaceful property. With only seven rooms (three sea view and four garden suites), it offers an intimate experience. The room I eventually settled into was very comfortable, the bed excellent, and the kitchen well-equipped with essentials. The housekeeping staff did a solid job, and I particularly appreciated the quiet, serene atmosphere that makes it ideal for rest and wellness. I also want to highlight Ms. Sandria, the property superior, who was attentive and solutions-oriented, as well as one bartender whose professionalism stood out. Without them, my experience would have been much more difficult. Unfortunately, despite these positives, my overall stay left me deeply disappointed and reconsidering Idle Awhile as my preferred choice. There clearly is a lack of management. From the moment I arrived at about 6:20PM after a six-hour drive from Kingston in stormy weather, the service fell short. Check-in was disorganized and unnecessarily stressful. The front desk clerk seemed more focused on leaving for the evening than welcoming me after a long journey. Instead of offering a seat or a welcome drink while resolving issues with the card machine and printer, I was left to experience the chaos, for over ten minutes. It was only the next morning I learned that their POS system often gives trouble with NCB cards. Ms. Sandria had the card run through the Beach property, but the lack of training and courtesy at check-in set a troubling tone. The room assignment process also exposed gaps in staff training and professionalism. Despite booking a garden suite, I was initially told I had to accept an upstairs room, even after explaining my knee issues and the fact that I was staying 10 days. It wasn’t until I escalated the matter myself to the Beach property that the situation was corrected. During my stay, I had to change rooms (to the other downstairs room) due to a constant disruptive beep (seem the battery in the vault was dying) and a malfunctioning phone that rang at odd hours. Beyond that, I noticed a troubling pattern: whenever I made a reasonable request, the answer was almost always "no." Simple things like setting up chairs by the cliff or getting additional towels were met with resistance or excuses that made me feel like I was inconveniencing the staff. At times, it felt as though the staff were on their own vacation and my presence was a disruption. As a result, I chose not to use much of the property’s services or food and beverage options, which could have otherwis

After staying at the beach resort in 2024 and loving it so much we decided to come back but as we couldn't get a room in that property we decided to try the Cliffs and it is just a good as its sister property. As we went off season the Cliffs were liking having a private villa, chef and chauffeur service on a budget as we had the place to ourselves most of the time. The villa we stayed in was spacious with a fairly decent view of the sea (the trees need a trim to get a full view, unlike the other 2 seaview ones which have a full view). We made full use of the restaurant service by having breakfast each day prepared by Jason and the team. My only gripes about the menus including lunch and dinner is the lack of Jamaican food and variety (same menu as last year and for years judging by the photos online). They have such talented chefs it seems like madness not to showcase their talents, the wonderful local fresh produce and to compete with the other restaurants, especially as many are lacklustre. Jason was a pleasure and ensured all elements of our breakfast were cooked to perfection. The customer service at the Cliffs was exceptional from Nicholas, Sandra and Fabian to name but a few. This is indicative of the fantastic customer service you get from Idleawhile and it was so touching to be recognised by staff from our visit in 2024. We arrived very late at night and the security guard was there to greet us as shown us to our room. Our every need was taken care of from towels for the pool and beach, booking excursions for us (Bryan Cummings is great driver and the boat trip through Jason Stennett was fantastic) and taking us to and from the Cliffs to the Beaches (please note the shuttle needs to be booked (including at the Beaches) and leaves at the Cliffs 10.30am and returns from the Beaches at 16h. The pool is great for relaxing and is in the sun all day. As we went in rainy season the sea was not suitable for diving into as the waves were strong and high. However the soothing sound of the sea helped you drift off to sleep. I would recommend the Cliffs to families and people who are not very organised on holiday. What staying there did is force us to get into a routine as we had to be ready for the shuttle or get up for breakfast before a trip. It also gave us great flexibility by being able to choose to go between the two properties as they presented two very types of holiday vibe. Going to the Beaches was lovely for the swimming, water sports and sunbathing whereas the Cliffs is for relaxing, calmness and chilling. I think this is gen of a place and rate it highly.

We adored this “rustic” property with its early morning birdsong, simple clean (very clean!) rooms and lovely pool overlooking the ocean. Delicious breakfast poolside or on our terrace. Courteous and kind staff. Highly recommend!

Friendly staff, excellent customer service. Enjoyed the ambience and accommodations. Clean and pleasant.

Very rustic and secluded loved the feeling of been surrounded by nature, had a peaceful stay. Great staff. Hopeton from the bar very friendly and gives excellent service.

We visited for the day, as guests of the sister resort on the beach. The property is secluded and somewhat rustic. Day guests have access to the pool, which is small but appropriate for the number of guests, a full bar, a small outdoor dining patio, and a small but clean bathroom. You can get down to the sea with an 8 foot jump (or climb down the ladder) or just enjoy the pool. The staff were wonderful, and you could not ask for a more tranquil Negril experience. If you’re looking to escape the bustle of the beach, this is your place!