I haven't done any of the Spanish resorts yet, but Couples, Beaches, Sunset properties- Beach, Jamaica Grand, and Palms plus the one that just happened to close once Sophie, Piney and I left.

1. Imagine service without the usual attitude

2. meals - what you ordered - orange soda is not Pepsi

3. never hearing chicken done

4. affordable

5. watered down drinks to no end

6. your home meals - steak with a nice green salad

7. no white tax- the extra you pay because white means rich

8. facilities open when they are suppose

9. No open discrimination depending on who you are or with (too Jamaican or Rasta)

10. LITTLE OR NO WAITING!

Here is the good news, the gates open you can leave, see pretty Jamaica but return when the pretty is turning too real. I know some go on vacation to adopt family, find friends, or fix the place, this might not be for you. If you have never tired it, welcome to a different Jamaica experience. This said, I have no resort booked for this trip. I tired the room only and we all remember the reply, you are not welcome here!

you know you do speak the truth there Macy. Nothing wrong with a/i's. As I said I DON'T want to see the 'real' jamaica anymore. Far too depressing, disgusting and sad. Besides....no need for a granny purse if you stay a/i LOL>

Yeah- that little Negril Relax was perfect. If it had not closed we probably would have continued to go there on the a/i plan. If we could ever catch one of those sales at Grand Pineapple I would like to give that place a try.

we stayed at Grand Pineapple on the super sale....it was 45 each a/i per night....total 90 per night for two a/i. We loved the location and the property. Even himself couldn't do the food after day 4. It all tastes the same. But it was cheap so we could afford to go out for dinners.
That sale was a mistake I believe lol. Never seen it again.
We have found our spot now and it's affordable and everything we could possibly want there. Love it!

Our first venture into Jamaica was at the old Negril Gardens Resort & it was FANTASTIC! Being a Type 1 Diabetic, I was real concerned about being able to get food when I needed it to avoid blood-sugar lows &, for that, it was great. However, they put out a myriad of delicious full-fat cheeses, which caused me to gain 8 lbs. that I still to this day cannot shake off, LOL. Seriously, the whole experience was wonderful, bc it was a very small, more intimate experience than going to one of those large all-inclusives, which we did NOT want at all. Negril Gardens (now Grand Pineapple, right, is it still there??) was perfect - the location was in the middle of many things & the price was so affordable that we could go off the property for dinner at local places when we wanted to.

Now, however, I'd never consider an all-inclusive again. I feel more comfortable with how to get the food I need to keep my blood sugar in check - visit the HiLo & get those little juice boxes, etc., and other things for snacks. I know to go early to dinner & order before my blood sugar gets too low. There are so many wonderful great places to eat & people to meet at the local restaurants! Plus, I seem to eat much healthier & walk everywhere, so I get a lot of exercise - good for you!

Hey, we tried AI that last two trips. It had it's good points but like anywhere you eat in Jamaica -- the food is the same.

My issue with the AI's is the single supplement. Same with cruises. They really discriminate against singles.

$275 plus taxes and room tax?

I know people who love to travel AI (same ones that like to cruise, like Macy).

I don't. Never did. On my first trip to Jamaica my girlfriend and I didn't have any hotel reservations. One of our friend's mother, who was a travel agent (she booked our flight) caught wind of this and booked us in an AI in MoBay for 2 nights.

The room was nice. We had A/C and TV. The food sucked. The "night club" sucked. And the games by the pool REALLY sucked. We religiously got up every morning, had our "egg" breakfast and went to the activity board to loudly announce what we were NOT going to participate in.

What can I say. We were 23 and obnoxious.

Now - once we got to Negril we stayed in a guest house on the cliffs that had a shared toilet - outdoor showers with no hot water, the beds were cement slabs with a thin piece of foam on it and a sheet - we were handed a mosquito coil and kerosense latern as there was no electricity on that side of the street at that time. Yes, it took a night for us to get used to it but once we did we were in HEAVEN. LOVED IT. And...the rest is history. Jamaica is the one and only place where I'm not ridiculously picky about accomodations.

What I learned on that very first trip was how to enjoy the local environment. Things were still pretty cheap there - the food, the local food was AWESOME. Gone were the eggs and bacon breakfasts - bring on the Ackee and Saltfish and Banana Pancakes at Jenny's.

I just like to be able to fully explore and be around locals anywhere I go, not just Jamaica which is why I prefer smaller hotels in somewhat "funky" locations in various cities I visit. I like to eat where the residents eat, see music where the locals hang. I like to immerse. I can meet people from the US any day of the week - getting to know Jamaicans, Mexicans, Parisians, well for me that is a major part of any vacation I take.

My AI experience since the one in MoBay has only been as a "guest" at Grand Lido/Breezes/Grand Lido for rock n' roll shows. The buffets were big and grand and opulent - and the food at GL/Breezes was not too bad (the buffet for Ratdog was FAR better than the one for Government Mule). I got to really dig going up to the bar, getting a drink and leaving. I got to really dig sitting at a restaurant and not worrying about breaking the bank by ordering an appetizer (the food at the restaurants there, btw, was fairly mediocre). I definitely did enjoy not having to use any cash there and have what I wanted...but not always service with a smile. I learned early in the evening which bartender to avoid. And - after the show everyone would go down to the "Far Bar" where a grill was going, food was supposed to be flowing and drinks pouring. Well, by the time I got there they had run out of hamburger buns. The grill man said "soon come back" - and never did, leaving food on the grill to burn! My friend Brenda, along with my husband jumped in, manned the grill, actually found fish the guy never put on the grill and cooked it and served it until it was all gone. So much for service with a smile - or service at all.

But hey - to each their own. We all have our own particular likes and dislikes when it comes to travel and vacation. And its all good.

Beach camping looks nice.