Xtabi Negril Review
December 20, 2009 by Eco
Filed under Jamaica Hotels
Review of the Xtabi in Negril Jamaica
Location: Mint mint mint! The Xtabi is one of if not the best location in Negril! All of the rooms are within a minutes walk to the ocean and the caves. The grounds are full of trees, bushes and flowers, it’s almost like the whole place is one giant garden– be sure to bring a camera and plenty of memory cards.
Since the Xtabi is located in the “West End” of Negril it’s away from all of the beach hustlers and people that are attracted to tourist. If you want to visit the beach and don’t feel like a long walk you can take a route taxi for about $2.00USD each way. Within a five to 10 minute walk from the Xtabi you will find a grocery store, several places to eat including 3 Dives which is next door and several little shops that sell tee shirts and tourist items. The west end area is very laid back, we walked up and down the road several times without being hassled or pressured from any of the people in the shops. In fact, the shops were actually fun to go into since you could browse and exchange small talk without any sales pitches.
Garden view of the Xtabi
Booking a room at the Xtabi: Direct booking with the hotel is horrible! Their website does not not offer an on-line booking option and booking via e-mail took weeks. If you are looking to book through most of the primary on-line booking places (Hotwire & such) you might have a hard time finding the Xtabi, as a guess I think it only showed up on half of my searches. Direct booking with the Hotel might get you a lower rate since they MIGHT 
offer a cash discount.
Checking in at the Xtabi: The check in process only took about 5 minutes and then after another 5 minutes we were escorted to our room. In my opinion the process was very prompt when compared to other hotels in Jamaica.
Room quality: The Xtabi is not a 4-5 star resort, they offer simple rooms and cottages at a very fair price. Since I had seen pictures before I traveled to the Xtabi it was exactly what I was looking for at a price that I could afford. The beds and furniture were fully functional, all floor and wall surfaces were clean and the linen was in excellent shape. I can’t think of a single item the room was missing or a single item that I would add that would not take away from the rustic charm. Actually, the bidet in our bathroom really wasn’t needed…….I tried to use it but that is another story for another time 
Staff: Every staff member that we came across were just perfect in every way. From prompt service to going an extra few miles in some cases to look out for us, I give them a big thumbs up!
Food: I only ate one meal (breakfast) at the Xtabi and the food was excellent! Since they offer free wi-fi in the dining area I was able to catch up on some e-mails while I waited for my food. The dining area is also located close to the ocean entrance and where you enter the caves so a nice cold beer is never far away.
Ocean view of the Xtabi
Security: The security at the Xtabi was excellent! Both their day and night security staff greeted us and let us know that they were there if we needed anything. We saw them every time we entered the property and they always seemed to keep a close eye on who was coming and going without acting like baby sitters. The night time security guy (Omar) was nice enough to hand write a letter thanking us for our stay. While I forget the day time guys name he was also a great guy that provided us with some very helpful tips. If you are reading this and know his name please leave a comment so I can edit it into this post.
One of the caves at the Xtabi looking out at the ocean.
Overall Rating of the Xtabi: This is a hard one, by Jamaica hotel standards I would give the Xtabi a 5 star rating. By US hotel standards I would give it a four star rating. The issues with booking and communicating with the hotel really bother me but that is the norm with most of the places in Jamaica. While I enjoy the whole laid back attitude while on vacation in Jamaica I’m uptight when I’m sitting in the US trying to book a room in what I consider a timely manner. I would suggest either booking a room at the Xtabi on one of the booking sites or forgetting about e-mail and sucking up an international call if you want to book direct.
Slide show of the Xtabi:
The Xtabi’s website: Xtabi Resort Negril Jamaica
Wahoo on Sat, 9th Jan 2010 9:56 am
I’ve been eyeing Xtabi for some time as the destination for my next visit to Negril, and this review made a believer out of me. Located in lush tropical garden, spectacular snorkeling and views from the cliffs of Negril’s West End, friendly people without the hassles–what’s not to like. It’s mos def at the top of my short list of places to stay in Negril next time.
Wahoo on Sat, 9th Jan 2010 1:17 pm
Question about Xtabi: Is the resort entirely on the cliff side of the road, or is it on both sides of the road like some hotels along Negril’s 7-mile beach? And if the road does run thru it, how’ze the traffic there? I’ve only been to the West End (Pirates Cave) once and can’t remember much about the traffic on the road there, but I can’t imagine it’s as heavy or as dangerous for pedestrians as on Norman Manley Blvd north of the West End. Comments?
Eco on Sat, 9th Jan 2010 5:55 pm
The cottages are all on the cliff side and the less expensive rooms are right across the street next to the pool. The West End road……..oops, now it’s called the One Love road does not get that much traffic. You will have to be careful crossing the street since some of the drivers drive a little fast.
If I stayed there again I would get one of the standard hotel rooms and save $150 ish a night.
BTW, you will love the laid back vibe that the West End offers!
Luray va accommodations on Wed, 20th Jan 2010 1:34 am
I have many trips to the cliffs of Negril and had stay at Xtabi with friends. We stayed in Cottage #1, we felt like we were in our own little world. The staff felt like old friends and we would get up early in the morning, start a cup of coffee, go for a morning swim, have a $6 full breakfast at the restaurant, gaze at a glorious sunset, take an outdoor shower and start out to dinner. Really enjoyed there!
Best Regards,
JUDI LIBERO on Fri, 5th Feb 2010 3:47 pm
HEARD SO MANY BAD AS WELL AS GOOD REVIEWS ON XTABI-WHAT’S REALLY UP? AS I AM GOING THERE IN MARCH.
Eco on Fri, 5th Feb 2010 11:17 pm
“So many bad”…….bullcrap……..where did you read a bunch of negative reviews? Aside from someone with a personal beef with them that is going all around the internet (including our forum)spreading lies I don’t of anyone who had a bad stay at the Xtabi.
Have a great trip in March and be sure to post your review on TA and our forum if you want.
Chad on Sun, 28th Feb 2010 3:37 pm
Great review Eco, I posted a blog that had a blip about this place but not to the extent you just wrote about.
Koodo’s!
Chad
Wahoo on Fri, 12th Mar 2010 9:47 pm
Me again. Did you say 3 Dives is walking distance from Xtabi? I’m thinking real hard about booking there soon, so I’ll be in touch with about all the do’s & don’ts.
Eco on Fri, 12th Mar 2010 9:55 pm
In your younger days you could walk on your hands from the Xtabi to 3 Dives. It’s right next door!
Everything else you will need is within a 5-10 minute walk…cheap food, a beer store, hassle free vendors………
Wahoo on Mon, 15th Mar 2010 5:55 pm
I think I saw someplace that there’s a safe at the front desk, but are there room safes?
Eco on Mon, 15th Mar 2010 7:58 pm
The cottages have safes but I’m not sure about the rooms. I’ll ask some friends of mine who stayed in a couple of the rooms if they had them.
I didn’t find the safe in my cottage until the last day when I opened the closet in the bathroom. Lol, every time I went in the bathroom I kept admiring the bidet wondering when I would get the nads to test it out.
I ended up hiding my stuff in the XXXX XXXXXXX (can’t share on the internet)…..but it was a great hiding place! Most if not all of the Xtabi’s staff are long timers so I doubt you will ever have an issue with stuff growing legs there.
The front desk does have a safe but I’m not sure if Omar the night time security guy can get in it once the front office closes up. Best to see what times you can access your stuff before you leave anything there.
Wahoo on Tue, 16th Mar 2010 5:56 am
If I book a reservation at Xtabi, I’m gonna request a room with a bidet, too…just in case I get lucky and entertain female guests.
JUDI LIBERO on Mon, 29th Mar 2010 1:32 pm
JUST GOT BACK FROM XTABI LAST NIGHT. IT WAS AMAZING!!! INTOXICATING!! WE STAYED IN COTTAGE #1-UNBELIEVABLE-RIGHT OVER THE WATER ON THE CLIFFS. I CAN STILL HEAR THE POUNDING SURF. THE ENTIRE STAFF WAS WONDERFUL TO US! WE ARE MAKING PLANS FOR A RETURN TRIP. P.S – IF YOU GO, MAKE SURE YOU EAT AT “JUST NATURAL” ACROSS THE STREET. WE WERE THERE EVERY DAY FOR BREAKFAST, YOU CAN’T BEAT IT. I MISS MY NEGRIL—-AND ALL THE FRIENDS WE’VE MADE THERE. LICKLE MORE! (LATER)
Eco on Mon, 29th Mar 2010 4:44 pm
Judi, I’m glad you had a great trip! Do you wonder now if those “bad reviews” that you mentioned back in February were made up by one person?
BTW, nice score getting cottage #1 !