Catcha Falling Star

This was my first Caribbean vacation and I booked Catcha because of the reviews - they weren't lying. Easy to see why so many guests come back here every year. Absolutely breathtaking views, great hospitality, one of the best restaurants in Negril at Ivan's. They also offer guests free coffee and tea in the mornings, which was awesome because our cabin was oceanfront, right next to the restaurant. One caution: you can't walk to the beach from here -- actually, walking seems a challenge for most of the area, with busy roads and no sidewalks. But they have a tour company ready to give you a ride. I do wish it were easier to explore on foot. I didn't want an all-inclusive resort because I wanted to try other food -- this place is just next to a great **** centre (Kool Vybes) and other local fare. You can also walk (if you're careful) to Push Cart Restaurant at Rock House or LTU, both of which are awesome.

Had big expectations of this place. The accommodation was great, large, clean and well furnished but we had some mould in the bedroom and bathroom. They did offer to paint over it but neither my wife nor I wanted to sleep with the paint fumes. Apart from that it was fine. The food at Ivans just really wasn't very good at all. Steamed veg are part of the national dish and when they arrive almost raw everytime you know something is really off. We couldn't eat there after a couple of days and started eating elsewhere. Also every night the busy restaurant plays Happy Birthday by Stevie Wonder at full volume at least half a dozen times or more. Multiply that by 7 and you are not far from the techniques used in modern torture . Catcha is not a large resort by any means. The only way to hide was in the apartment which is a shame when you have a nice sea facing terrace. Some of the staff members were really nice and helpful but not all. The worse thing of all is not the fault of Catcha itself but the proximity to Rick's. Prepare for your peaceful afternoons to be ruined by crappy loud music and tourists as all the boats turn up at the same time everyday. We just wanted to chill but it wasn't always possible which put a dampener on our time here.

This was our third year in a row staying at Catcha and we have been eating at Ivan's Restaurant for over 25 years and visiting Negril for 28 years. I am breaking the review down into 2 parts, The Restaurant and the hotel as our experiences were much different for each. The Resort- First I want to acknowledge that this year was not good with all the storms that hit the south coast especially hurricane Berryl. Overall the resort is beautiful and intimate. So here was our experience with the resort itself which was very disappointing and also means we will not be staying at Catcha in the future. I also want to say that we both come from the resort industry and truly try not to be too critical but more objective with our take on everything. For 2 years we booked the little cottage called Pisces which is very cheap as it is small and located next to the parking lot and close to the road. Maybe not good for some, but we loved it and enjoyed the private patio. This year was going to be our 25th wedding anniversary after being married in Jamaica 25 years ago. So I booked Pisces again but then turned around as a surprise for my wife and upgraded to one of the much more expensive ocean front suites with kitchen, living room, sitting room, big balcony etc. I had chatted with the Manager named Cassandra many times over the past couple of years as she is also a Canadian so before upgrading I reached out her quietly to discuss the possibility of upgrading. She said that only the Venus Suite was available for our dates so I went ahead and booked it. Cassandra helped me do the upgrade without letting my wife know. I was also in touch with her a few times over the coming months to make sure things were good and to confirm some things. I specifically asked of a coffee maker would be in the room as we love to sit on the patio in the early mornings and relax with coffee without having to go down to the restaurant to get it. I was told more than once that yes it would have a coffee maker. I had explained to Cassandra that this was our 25th and a very special trip for my wife and I and that we were proud to be return guests and big supporters. Arrival day and frustration- we arrived at the hotel around 6PM a bit later than usual due to bad flooding of the roadways along the way from Mobay and I was so excited to show my wife the upgraded room and go down for an amazing dinner at Ivan's. So we drive into the resort and as we passed by the little cottage where we normally stay I could see confusion and excitement on my wife's face as she started to realize something was up. I told her I had made a change as a surprise. I enter into the office to check in and was met by a young lady who I find out has only been working there for a couple weeks and is still learning. She was nice enough but slow. Not her fault. No one with more experience was there to help. I introduced myself and she pulled out my reservation. No welcome back, nice to see you again or any of th

My adult daughter and I travel a few times a year together to enjoy traveling new areas. While I have been to Jamaica before, Negril was my bucket list. The initial trip was to be only a week and staying at an all-inclusive adult resort complete with butler on Seven Mile Beach. We decided to cut that resort short a few days and extend the trip by going down the road 15 minutes and staying at the cliffs. I trusted other reviews and chose Catcha Falling Star. All I can say is THIS was the place we should have spent the entire time at. Does it have a beach? No but once there, you will forget all about that. The vibe is so relaxed and most of the staff are just amazing. We stayed in that top center room in the picture, Aquarius. The view was amazing. There isn't any air conditioning in the main area or bathroom but there is in both bedrooms that get plenty cold. Trust me when I say you will be spending your time on that balcony so it does not matter. OMG and the food! Breakfast, lunch and dinner just wow! Their daily dinner specials are outstanding. The food is so good that the locals make reservations to eat there. Just imagine it is a short walk away... Free coffee starts at 6:30...bar and restaurant open at 7. This is a very small boutique hotel, so you get to learn the staff rather quickly. I think this put it over the top for us! From check in and the gardener offering to carry our very large and heavy luggage up the stairs for us to the most amazing servers. Shout out to Carol, Ordia, and Keno. They make you feel you are home and treat you like family. The first dinner I had the curry goat and was eating politely. Carol says, girl you need to get your fingers in there.... We laughed!!! Ordia greeted us with a huge smile every morning she was there and knew mimosas. Keno has a wonderful energy about him and is always happy to help and never has you wait. The chef had come out a few times to talk to us and let us know about the specials himself. The restaurant supervisor at dinner had asked us how our vacation was and if we needed anything. I apologize for not remembering everyone's name. We hated to leave. Sadly, family tragedy happened a few weeks after we returned that impacted my daughter in a big way. What did we decide to do? Rebook with this wonderful place in less than 6 months from now. We never do that. They are exactly what is needed. The smiling faces, the jumping into the water, the dip in the pool, the food and the quietness. Thank you all, wonderful people, for making this spot even more amazing! Can't wait to see you all again soon! Debby