My wife and 2 girls (8 & 12) stayed at The Doctors Cave Beach Hotel for 4 days and 3 nights so we could attend my brother in law's wedding at the Grandiosa up the hill. The hotel is fine for the price and served our needs. The room was spacious and clean with a balcony that let the ocean breeze come in. We had been given a king size (actually 2 twins stuck together) by mistake. The bell man said he would get a rollaway and by the time I got back from the beach-it was there. The grounds are small but well landscaped, lush and pretty and there is a ping pong table and pool table available for all (free). The staff were all friendly and helpful and the security was good (none of our visitors who live in Jamaica were allowed in unless we came to get them). The pool is small. Overall, this is a good hotel but if you want luxury-stay elseware.
My wife is Jamaican so I have been to Jamaica many times. I think MOBAY should be a starting or ending point due to the proximity of the airport. Negril and Ocho Rios are nicer and Port Antonio, where my wife is from, looks like Hawaii. Unless you are staying at an all inclusive or other hotel on the beach, you have access to 3 beaches. The best is the Doctors Cave across the street to the left. It is $5.00 US to get in and well worth it-you can get in for free after about 4 or 5 to catch the sunset or get an ice cream, beef patty or dinner at a restaurant and sit on the beach. There is security. (chairs and umbrellas are available for $5.00 each)Be sure to go early (most shade) as it gets crowded and get your hand stamped if you want to return. Another nice (free) beach is out the door, across the street and to the right-an easy 10 min at most walk. The water is crystal clear and the beach is remarkably clean for a public beach. Lastly, The 3rd beach is past Margaritaville's-across from a Burger King. It is a decent walk but, unlike the other beaches-there is little shade (none of the beaches has natural shade in the afternoon as they face West but all are very calm)
Besides the Doctor's Cave Beach eateries, The Pelican Restauraunt down Gloucster Ave to the left-10 min walk is excellent. Reasonable prices (for Jamaica), excellent service (for Jamaica) and cozy-air conditioned with many booths and a large fish tank that the kids will love. During the day, it overlooks the ocean-the public beach mentined earlier is just a few hundred yards to the left. Lastly, wheather you stay at the DCBH or not, by all means have breakfast (Jamaican and pancakes/french toast etc) at the hotel poolside restaurant. A tasty, full breakfast for all of us was less than $25.00. The setting is nice and there is plenty of shade in the morning. Unfortunatly, all the reviews that mentioned the local riff raff on the street are true but if you want an inexpensive hotel for a few nights that is good-this place is fine. Unfortunately, everything else in Jamaica-especially transportation is expensive. So while Negril/Ocho Rios is 1 1/2 to 2 hours away (in opposte directions), unless you get a prearranged trip-you could pay alot.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Doctor's Cave Beach Hotel from 3/12-3/16/06 and had a great time. We didn't spend any time at the hotel nor did we eat there (food was expensive for such a hotel), but sleeping there was great and the maid service was very good (fresh sheets and blankets with well-washed towels each day).

Concierge was decent, but the activities desk was AWFUL! We ended up taking the Jamaica Tours Dunn's River Falls tour, not the one offered by a hotel. While we travelled in a luxury tour bus on our trip to Ocho Rios, the one from the hotel took a VW-esque van and charged $60 pp instead of our $50 pp. If you want to tour the island, I suggest going to another hotel to book your tours.

All in all, the location is great (so close to the Doctor's Cave Beach (entrance fee $5 pp), make sure to get the umbrella and lilo (raft) for $5 extra per item). Very close to Margaritaville, Town House (a very good restaurant), and Marguerites (the most expensive, but the most romantic with best choice of wines and seafood, but I'm biased because my boyfriend proposed to me there!!!).

Have fun in Jamaica! You'll love it!

I stayed at this hotel with two other girls during our college spring break. It was okay for spring break because there were plenty of other spring breakers with all their parties and excursions. The pool is right next to the bar so that is convenient. The food at the restaurant was pretty good and authentic with dirty rice and jerk chicken. However, it was not very safe. So if you are a parent booking a hotel for your son or daughter's spring break, I would suggest against it. One day I came back from the beach and found a note on my suitcase with a phone number of a guy who worked at the hotel. Freaked me out a little bit! There was also a vent in the shower that went out to the hallway where I could hear people talking while I was showering. I had a good time but if I were to go again I would pick a different hotel or a different area of Jamaica entirely.

Stayed at the Doctors Cave Beach Hotel in September, 2004, which allowed us to experience the real island atmosphere rather than the all-inclusive compound. Wonderful place and people. The beach is a short walk across the street, beautiful sand, blue, blue water, and nice palm trees. (a previous reviewer saying there are no palm trees on the beach must have been on a different beach).
Great beach bar, and Margaritaville is a minute walk. Some MoBay hustling on the street, but not bad, much worse downtown. Beach is monitored closely, no problems there at all. We have been to some of the best beaches in the Caribbean, this one really surprised us - beautiful!!!

Highly recommend the hotel for anyone - garden view room for adults, pool view for those spring-breakers. And don't miss the Blue Mountain coffee - best in the world. Also take a day trip (taxi) to Negril (Caves area and 7-mile beach) - well worth it. Hire a driver who will stay with you and bring you back -very reasonable price, we had 4 couples in 1 van and were comfortable.