Just returned from Starfish trelawny. This is my second trip there. On our first trip the rooms were not ready. The same happened on this trip. This is unacceptable especially when you have 3 children aged 2,4 and 5. The minibar was empty and we faced reluctance of staff to fill it. The staff need people training. They are rude, they make you feel like they paid for your holiday. The hotel is dirty. Our room had cockroaches, ants, silverfish. There was faeces left in the public toilet for almost a week before it was cleaned. They even have cats to control pests. It you want a hot shower make sure you have it before 5pm or else cold water is all you will get. On a positive note the entertainment crew work very hard. This is not a hotel I would recommend to friends or family. The place needs the management to sort the staff or there will be less and less returning guests. No way will we be returning, not even if the stay is free.

We arrived on friday and made it through customs and immigration very quickly. We didn't wait long for the shuttle and the ride to the resort is easy in a nice van. The resort is old and does need work to make it more appealing. Check in was easy at noon (seemed worse at night) although the service at the desk was not great (communication seems to be the difficulty?). The staff works at their own pace so you have to be patient. The room was OK but was clamy from the high humidity but once you cool things down it gets better. Have to say that the king bed was very comfortable if you like firm.
The resort grounds are very nice and the staff works hard to keep it clean. The beach was always clean and the water was clean. Be sure to take the sail boat out. Its free and lots of fun. We also did the luminous lagoon ($28US pp) and that was really cool.
The food at the buffet is good and plentiful as long as you get there early. The crowds were crazy over the weekend but clear out by Tuesday. The restraunts are open air and there are some flies and some birds but wasn't a problem. The casablanca restraunt is indoor and air conditioned and we recommend that one at least once. The meal is free unless you order steak or lobster and you can;t wear shorts and t-shirts but that's what makes it nice. We also tried the italian restraunt and it was very good. We recommend the steak!
Be sure to take an excursion to the Dunns river falls. Be ready for a work out as you have to climb up the middle of a water fall. Carry some water shoes but don't carry a bunch of bags because you need both hands (and you do get completely wet!). We recommend using Trevor as your guide. He was awesome and we received great service and he was always exactly were he said he would be and we even left our valuables in the van with him.(no problem, mon!)(jamaicacruisetours.com)
We had read all the good and bad reviews so there were no suprises. The resort is nice but it is not a place for the high end crowd. You get good food, lots of water activities, and sun but no room service and most things are self service.
I guess my only negative is the locals hanging around the beach. The are not too aggressive but would like to walk the beach without the hassle. We did go to their shacks down the beach to look at their goods. It is a bit scary but they are very friendly and treat with respect. They do set up behind the snack bar so you don't have to go off the resort to buy stuff. Overall it was a good time and everything was just like the good reviews.

We travelled in a large party and to be honest it was as if we had different holidays.
I think I had the best time - I have three children under seven and having children everyone adores you. I met the nicest people and stayed in one of the Cottage rooms - which I cannot fault for cleanliness and comfort.

My children rarely eat well abroad as they are fussy and are typical children who like what they know. I have stayed in other three star resorts though where there was nothing that they liked and there was at least something they could eat. Breakfast was always a hit - they had pasta at lunch ( the pasta was cooked fresh and made to your own taste) and in the evening fries and something. I am a vegetarian and I absolutely loved the food. I cannot emphasise how friendly they were to the chldren - the swimming pools were perfect for them and they all enjoyed the little island off the beach.

We did several day trips to Nine Miles, Hope Road and Dunns River Falls - the trips were all fantastic and Jamaica is a beautiful Island. My tip is to try and organise one of the taxi drivers to take you privately as the Hotel charge over the odds for all these trips and give the taxi drivers a pitiful amount of money for their trouble.
Also, and I know this might seem like a hassle but it is good to tip, even a little, bearing in mind that the average salary in the hotel is $45 for a 40 hour week. I will happily reccomend the name of a taxi driver who was friendly, reliable and honest in his pricing if anyone contacts me.

I travelled with a young couple (early twenties) who were disappointed by the lack of entertainment and fumed sometimes at the choice of food in the buffet - at the weekends there was sometimes not much left as there are extra people in the hotel. As I always ate on the early side with my children I did not experience this. Their room was also no way near as nice as ours - having the ants and toilet problems described in other reviews. If you can afford a cottage then go for it.

I also travelled with an older couple who were disappointed with the entertainment. The entertainment staff do let the resort down as they seem to live in their own world and have their noses in the air. The circus crew are brilliant and I recomend their show but as I have young children I did not stay up much and so cannot really comment on the late night entertainment. They also felt that the Reception were not very helpful - i.e. the ATM didn't work and noone seemed to care. They had to take a taxi ride into Falmouth .

I had the best time and have left a little bit of my heart in Nine Miles and Hope Road. The people were great and it was a lovely, relaxed holiday. I can understand why there are bad reviews but all-in-all we had a good time.

The Starfish was worth every penny and met our needs beyond our own expectations.
The Starfish had a modest look, the lobby was clean but very plain looking, and nothing really stood out as extravagant.
The door man handed us two very tasty fruit drinks, a rum punch of sorts!
We checked into our ocean view room, in which I believe made a huge difference in our stay.

Although the resort lobby was nothing special during the day it transformation was of a chameleon in the evening and the further you went into it.
The food was amazing, they had very good variety and the lobster was amazing, the burgers and patties by the pool where perfect for the afternoon beach side lunch.
Entertainment was always fun and relaxed, including the turtle racing and the karaoke challenge.

The beach was beautiful with crystal blue water and white sand, and the resort has an adjacent island perfect for relaxing.
We went as a couple and ended up having a wonderful time, we even hired a driver to take us into Ocho Rios and spent the day there shopping and going off to a local favorite for jerk chicken.
All the excursions, Dunns River Falls, Jeep Safari, Dolphin Cove where well organized and the tour guides all went out of their way to make us feel at home!
Yes they do try to sell you souvenirs and charge for pictures, but like anywhere you have the choice of saying no Thank you or just keep walking.
My partner and I both agree that the Starfish would best fit our 11, 16 year olds interest level. They have climbing, a giant trampoline and trapeze, basketball and ping pong, and a kid’s pool with a water slide!

This place is perfect for families!