TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Do not go here!! We went here and it was a total disappointment. Food sucked and nothing to do there and the staff were mean except for one bartender with curly hair. The other bartenders were awful and made me feel bad about ordering a drink, gave me such bad anxiety I went and bought my own booze down the road. One waitress slammed the tray on the table when we asked for more drinks and yelled at us telling us to finish our first drinks first. Food was ok but cheap. Raghu spegetti one night. And o ly a couple options a night. I have travelled all over Jamaica and this was by far the worst resort I have been to! Also the one time-a day bus pickup to get to the beach and back sucked. We had to leave the resort to eat…no snacks in between and only at certain times u can eat. The bedrooms were nice and cold but the beds were awful and so squeaky. Legit this resort is a disappointment and it ruined my daughter’s birthday experience.

My husband and I stayed at Samsara May 21-30 for the first time. Upon arrival we were upgraded from a bungalow across the road to a superior ocean view room. I was really looking forward to the serenity of the bungalow, but once we saw the view from our new room, we were convinced. The sea side of the resort is also quiet and serene. The other guests were all very pleasant, chill and happy, just the kind of people you hope to meet on vacation. We were greeted at check in by happy, smiling desk staff and each and every time we left and returned to the resort we were greeted with the same generous welcome. I can tell you that every single staff member we encountered at Samsara was pleasant, helpful and positive. I will not mention any names here for fear of missing someone. From security, front desk, gardeners, room attendants, taxi drivers, road crossing guards, waiters and waitresses, buffet ladies, store attendant, managers, owners, resort handyman we received good vibes and always a smile. I will try to cover all the areas that I was genuinely concerned about before booking and arriving at the resort. SAFETY At no time did we ever feel unsafe at or near the resort. We walked West End Road many times to eat at local restaurants. There are many good ones within 1000 meters of Samsara. Walking this road at night requires extra caution as the traffic is heavy and the road is very narrow. A $10usd taxi will be the safest bet. Our room had a safe and our belongings were secure in the room and safe the entire trip. ROOM Our room was clean, comfy and had lots of storage drawers, cupboard and shelves for our belongings. Two night side tables beside our comfy king sized bed, with good lighting for reading. The bathroom was clean, updated and hot showers everyday, with better water pressure than we have at home. The balcony was lovely and large with two comfy cushioned seats and a large square coffee table. We brought a five-cup coffee maker, mugs and our own coffee for early morning cups on the balcony. I believe coffee is ready and served in the restaurant 7 a.m. ish. Bedroom linen and towels, face clothes were available daily if you needed a change. We were there during a drought and water crisis, so we happily reused our towels. Be sure to bring your own beach towels, they are not supplied. The room photos on TA are very representative of how they look in person. FOOD We did the european meal plan, but did enjoy the breakfast buffet once and the dinner buffet twice, delicious authentic Jamaican style. We also ordered lunch one afternoon at the bar below the restaurant, again delicious and large fresh portions. The red stripe beers in a bottle were $3.50usd, cold and tasty. Merlot and Cab Sauv were the redwine choices. On the last day we had a few Jack Daniels and rum shots with some other guests. The bar service was top notch. Friendly and smiles. There is an Italian restaurant associated with the resort on the garden side of the road ( not a part of the AI, fyi) that makes AMAZING pizza (we are Montrealer's, and know our pizza) and pasta dishes. They have a decent wine list ( approx. $30usd a bottle). we ate there 3 times and thoroughly enjoyed the food and service. Other than that we ventured out by taxi and by foot to enjoy the many locally owned restaurants nearby for breakfasts and dinners. THE SEA AND THE CLIFFS We had been to Negril many times previously and have always stayed on the beach in three to five star resorts. We wanted to try something different this time, so we booked Samsara on the cliffs. We absolutely love the cliff experience. It is so nice to be able to jump right into the sea from the deck. There are stairs and ladders, but you need to be a good and confident swimmer with the strength to pull yourself up on the ladders. The sea was never too rough in the many days we stayed where we could not access. Except for one day when a storm blew through for about an hour, and magically after that the sea was calm again. The SNORKELING is magnificent right at the resort. I did it daily and was in heaven. There are two BEAUTIFUL pools and one small wading pool for kids. We enjoyed the pools and sea equally. Plenty of comfortable and sturdy sun loungers and shade on the decks. As hot as it can get, there is always a breeze. We ventured out to the beach twice during our stay and were so relieved to get back to the cliffs at the end of the day. LEGENDS is the sister resort and is right on the seven mile Negril beach. A quick taxi or free shuttle ride over is worth it. Lots of loungers and tight beach security. There are vendors on the beach, but will respect your no thank you. Overall, we were very happy to have chosen Samsara for our first cliff resort experience. We highly recommend giving Samsara a try. My husband and I both agree we may not be able to do a beach resort again. We are booking Samsara again in July for a week with some other family members who want to check it out. For convenience sake we will be booking the all inclusive meal plan this time. To everyone at Samsara, thank you so much for making our trip one of the very best we ever experienced in Negril. See you all soon. Respect and One Love. Jim and Kerry

Excellent, small, friendly hotel. It was more like being one of the family. We’ve stayed at a number of hotels in Negril and this was one of the best. Room - we stayed in one of the Vuz rooms overlooking the infinity pool. It was spacious and clean. USB charging ports near the bed and a coffee maker and fridge in the room. Maid service was excellent. Pools - there are 2 pools, neither were busy and there are plenty of sun loungers available. Bar - plenty of choice from the All Inclusive menu as well as options for other drinks not in the AI package. Food - Breakfast was excellent plenty of choice that rotated about every 4 days. Lunch we only had a couple of times. Dinner - as with breakfast, options and the menu rotates every few days Staff - friendly and welcoming, a special shout out to Tina on the Bar, Veronica at Reception, and the whole restaurant team who were fantastic throughout. We did use the transit to Legends, and would recommend it as a pleasant location on the Beach. Overall - a great value hotel with one of the friendliest vibes we’ve experienced in Negril.

We reserved 2 rooms in the older hotel, both rooms had roaches. I informed front desk, bug spray was bought to the room for me to use, I also informed a tall white Caucasian gentleman working there, he act as though he was surprised they were there but nothing more was done. Also there was a lack of face towels….bath towels were provided daily, but not face towels. We were very disappointed at the lack of interest given… the hotel was not full to capacity, they did not offer to move us to another room. Some say roaches are there because of the water, climate. I’ve traveled to Bali, Dubai, Aruba, just to name a few and I haven’t seen any roaches. You must do better.

Samsara was really made special for us by the wonderful staff. The wonderful waitress (sorry I didn't catch your name) went out of her way to make our dinners romantic outside by the sea. Tina was the friendliest bartender. She was really sweet and made the best cocktails out of both resorts! Adisa on the front desk was always fantastic vibe, George the gardener has done an incredible job and Junior from Normani taxi gave us the best tour of Negril. The hotel itself is gorgeous and celebrates mother nature to the full. We were in the garden bungalows that are so cozy and romantic, even in the rain. Thank you for having us folks!