| Verney’s Tropical Resort | Gavin |
January 2008
We spent ten days in Montego bay Jamaica at Verneys Tropical Resort, and have nothing but praise for this hotel. The owners and staff were only too willing to help with any request, the rooms were "colonial" era, but very clean, and well air conditioned. The staff were friendly and helpful, and we were never solicited for anything. The whole atmosphere was " family" and relaxed. However, when we did ask for help arranging trips and rides we were immediately accommodated, and at reasonable cost. The price for the ten days, double occupancy was half what one would expect from a similar resort on the mainland. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, and would recommend it to any but the most pretentious traveler.
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| Verney’s Tropical Resort | Huntley ~ USA |
November 2005
I just returned from Jamaica and had the pleasure of staying at a quaint family hotel which was the Verney House Hotel. The place on arrival offers a picturesque view that continues throughout your entire stay. They offered Authentic Jamaican cuisine throughout our entire stay, which you can enjoy at your leisure.
The hotel was built in the 1950’s and recent upgrades have been made to the establishment. Phone service is available on request in all rooms and all of the rooms do indeed have air-conditioning. All of the rooms are currently being renovated. This hotel offers a peaceful and private vacation experience without all of the hoopla of your traditional resorts. You get to experience Jamaica in its finest and purest form. Amenities include a pool with a poolside bar, personalized dining experience on demand and concierge service in order to experience the local tourist attractions in Jamaica. If you are looking for a Vegas type hotel with so many distractions you can hardly say you experienced the island, then Verney House is not the hotel for you.
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| Verney House Hotel Resort | USA |
January 2005
Verney House Hotel or “Resort” is suitable for the native road warrior who is on a business day trip and wishes to pay local Jamaican hotel fees. Or it is meant for the grassroots, backpacking, environmentalist that does not mind if their bed sheets are not washed daily in order to conserve water.
The owners attempt to establish a “Mom and Pop” type atmosphere but at inflated four star hotel prices. The service staff is barely available except in the mornings when they curtly set your breakfast comprised of neo-authentic local cuisine in between trying to solicit you (for property, sight-tours, or other illicit things, etc). There are no real amenities other than a”swim at your own risk” pool that is truly at your own risk. (No lifeguard, no depth rope) and the aforementioned breakfast which is uninspired and below the local standard. The rooms are sub par not so much for the décor which is circa 1960 but because of the untidiness. The water pressure and temperature is poor, air conditioning is questionable, no mosquito or pests provisions, and as of this writing there were no working phones except in the front desk. At night most of the lights are turned off and returning to your room can be quite intimidating being that there is no real security system in place other than a single guard who rarely even notices your return after hours.
Overall if you’re a PHD student on a limited-to-no budget sabbatical or research trip looking for an anthropologically in-depth, no safety-net, no-frills, no perks venture into the non-scripted, flip-side of the Ministry of Tourism “Come to Jamaica” campaign then this is the experience for you.
One good note is that the hotel is located atop of a hill (a little removed from all the action) in a decent neighborhood which yields an expansive and beautiful view of downtown Montego Bay and the surrounding countryside. At the time of this writing the proprietor has plans to “renovate” (i.e. painting) in the works for the near future.
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