This year was my year to plan the Carribbean vacation. If the location sucked it was all going to be my fault---family joke. I chose this location because it was unlike all the others. The separate cabin setting was fantastic w/ the exception of the "oola-la" neighbors that indulged themselves in partying a couple of nights. The day after you checked in the entire staff called you by name the next day. The beach was very laid back and there was no such thing as "a crowd". The beach could have used a little better clean up by the staff but several of the patrons could have used a lesson or two about picking up after themselves. The water was beautiful and the swimming and snorkeling wonderful. Book a snorkeling trip from the beach for $15----well worth it. Tipping is not required but nominal based on what the $$ means to the economy for the staff and their purchasing power. You will need some DEET bug spray. I was spared but my sister is much sweeter and left with some pretty good-sized, itchy welts. The food, wait staff, bartenders, housing cleaning-----all perfect. Some problems w/ plumbing but nothing that can't be addressed by maintenance. The size of this resort is perfect for those that want to get away from it all. I would return to Sunset at the Palms.

We stayed at Negril Cabins from Feb. 19th to 24th. We had heard great things about the resort and our only concern was that it recently changed owners and is now called Sunset at the Palms. We figured that new management could be a positive thing or a negative thing. Overall our stay was very good with only a few problems. When we first arrived, we were told that due to a maintenance problem, our room wasn't ready and we would be sent to another resort for the night. After flying and riding in the bus all morning, this was not good news and no one would tell us what was wrong with our room. Apparently it was a few rooms with plumbing problems and the resort was booked so they couldn't give us another room. We insisted they figure something out because we didn't want to unpack and then have to repack a day later. They managed to solve the problem and got us our room within an hour. We had no problems with our room at all. In fact, the cabins were wonderful. They had A/C but we didn't need it because of the screens throughout the cabin which gave us a wonderful breeze at night along with the ceiling fan. The cabins are set in a tropical setting with beautiful trees and vegetation. We could hear the street noise a little but it didn't affect our sleep at all. The food was average to above average depending on the dish. We were used to more selection from some of the bigger AI's but there was plenty of good food for every meal. There was a bar and grill right on the beach which was so convenient since it takes a few minutes to cross the street from the resort to the beach.
There wasn't an abundance of water sports included in the cost - we could see the much larger variety at the resort next door - but I reminded myself that we paid less than at the bigger resorts. However, when we wanted to go snorkeling or parasailing, the staff quickly arranged these excursions with no wait time at all. In fact there was some good snorkeling right down the beach on the public beach, especially in the morning when the water was calmest. The staff was nice, especially the men. I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing or what but the women were much more reserved and less outgoing whereas the men were very friendly and helpful. Sometimes we waited a while to get drinks with our dinner. The bar was fairly quiet - we liked the bartenders, especially Greg. There wasn't much nightlife to speak of but there are other places off the resort to go to for that. We had a wonderful, relaxing time and would consider returning to this resort again.

We stayed at Negril Cabins Resort (NCR) during mid-February 2004. We enjoyed it very much. If we could be assured of the exact same experience on future visits we would return again. But that is the catch! BEWARE: Negril Cabins Resort was recently purchased by new management and renamed Sunset at the Palms Resort and Spa. The new management owns the massive Sunset Resort in Montego Bay. It is uncertain what the fate and style of NCR/Sunset will be.

Everything that other reviewers of NCR have written is absolutely true and accurate. The grounds are beautiful. The cabins are very well designed and appointed. You do feel like you are suspended in a tropical canopy. CAUTION: As others have noted, noise from the road and adjacent resorts can be very severe in some cabins and will very much undermine your experience. Be sure to request a cabin away from the road. Specifically ask for cabins in the 400 block.

The great majority of guests during our stay were Europeans, mostly Germans and Italians. That lent a nice international flavor. Note though, Europeans smoke much more than Americans. But they also tend to be less obnoxious.

The food was very good, ample, and well presented. The dining area was clean and attractive. Meals were a delight. One small problem seemed to annoy many guests (us included) - while the food is self-serve buffet style the beverages are not. Drinks were served by way too few staff for the large dining room. You often had to wait half way through your meal for coffee at breakfast and beer or wine at dinner. That definitely took away from the dining experience.

In the past one of the big attractions to NCR was that it was not your typical swinging hot spot resort. Very quiet, subdued and relaxing. NCR was like that during our stay and we greatly appreciated it. No tacky steel drum bands or blaring reggae. (That comes from the resorts across the street!) Who knows what the new NCR/Sunset resort will be like?

What the future holds for Sunset remains to be seen. Buyer beware!!! We were told by staff that the new management was looking to build additional cabins across the street and directly on the beach. One of the beauties of NCR is that it is on Bloody Bay, which traditionally has been the quiet, less-visited portion of Negril away from the long seven-mile strip of resorts. Alas, those days of seclusion and serenity may be nearing an end. Not only is NCR/Sunset planning to build on the beach but also a GIGANTIC resort is about to open north of NCR/Sunset.
NCR/Sunset used to be the last resort on the north end of the beach.
The new north-end resort will dump thousands of more visitors on the beach. While the beach can absorb that number much of the peacefulness, uncrowdedness and quiet will be lost.

In summary, we really enjoyed our stay at Negril Cabins Resort.
However, Negril Cabins Resort does not exist any more. The buildings are still there but the spirit may be gone. As they say, past results are no guarantee of future performance. If you want to go to Sunset at the Palms (the resort formerly known as Negril Cabins Resort) you might want to wait to see what reviewers write in the next six months.

We went to Negrill Cabins March 2003....I loved this resort. The staff were wonderful! They went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. Our cabin was great, beds were comfortable and our room was spotless everyday. Our son (10) came with us and we felt very comfortable letting him roam the resort. You have to cross the road to get to the beach which is a 2 minute walk. The beach was great...some shade if you wanted it. The beach side kitchen & bar were good. The Jerk Chicken was awesome, the beer was always cold. The swimming was very good - the water was warm and so blue. The food at the resort was delicious. Smaller buffet but excellent choice and so fresh. The breakfasts were my favourite and their coffee was without a doubt the best I have ever had. I would highly recommend this resort, however if you want to party the night away this is not the place for you as there is very little in the way of night life. I would go back to this resort without hesitation.