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Amazing view. Private room, bath & balcony. Pool. Personal service. Lots of common space. Ease the mind, body and spirit. Spectacular sunrises. Sublime sunsets. Undeveloped and uncrowded. Surf, Swim, Tour - Eat, Drink, Sleep - View, Vibes, Irie!
I really couldn't recommend this place enough. It was much more than I expected. Stunning views, great host, fabulous location and most importantly it became a part of my vacation stay in Jamaica rather than being just a place to stay. Before traveling to Jamaica all the way from Europe I have done a considerable amount of research. Personally I like places a bit off the beaten path but with all the good amenities and with a great feel to them. Caribbean Dawn is all of that and more. It has spectacular views and our room had a wonderful balcony - from which I could say "Good morning" to a spectacular ocean view - every morning with a cup of coffee. If you are planning on staying in Jamaica in a place that's both comfortable and special than this is the place for you. 5 stars.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Cox, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Feb 8, 2023
Thanks for taking the time to post a review. I hope you have the opportunity to return in the near future. Peace. JC
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I loved staying here! Wow, wow, wow the view is stunning! You never get tired of looking at it! Wake up, walk onto the deck and catch the sunrise. I stayed in the green room, it was super spacious, clean, and had all you need: coffee, pot, filters, kettle, plates, glasses, cutlery, and snacks. The local coffee and cookies were a nice treat! The wraparound deck with chairs and hammock, hang out there and watch the birds fly by and the waves roll in. I had a refreshing dip in the pool every day. At night, walk by the pool and enjoy the stars. You don’t see stars like that in the city! The comfy bed and cool breezes, I slept like a baby. I highly recommend Caribbean Dawn – plop down, relax and enjoy the irie vibes ❤️
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Cox, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Apr 4, 2023
Thanks so much for taking the time to post a review. It was a pleasure hosting you. I'm glad you enjoyed the C-Dawn experience. I hope you have the opportunity to return in the near future. Peace. JC
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The views are spectacular. The apartment was ready and spotless. The pool was always clean . The property manager was always willing to assist in anything i needed. Very friendly with the children # . Thanks again . Best spot in Port Antonio.Great location near absolutely everything. Easy to drive up and down !
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from surferjpc, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Jan 2, 2020
Thanks for taking the time to post a review. I really like this succinct and accurate summary of the facility and experience. I also want folks to know we have solar hot water with a large tank for comfortable showers anytime.Thanks in particular for noting the property manager's attentiveness. We certainly love hosting families with children at Caribbean Dawn. Hope you have the opportunity to return again in the future. Peace. JC
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Caribbean Dawn has so much potential but lacks in daily maintenance, administration, set policies and/or procedures for both guests and Property Manager. It is so lacking that we were forced to cut short our recent stay and will not return.
The view at Caribbean Dawn and the morning sunrise is breathtaking and a God given gift. However, for my party of five, who rented 2 rooms (green and brown rooms), a decision was made to cut short our stay and relocate to a place that was better managed. After having stayed at Caribbean Dawn on two previous times this decision was not taken lightly.
Our decision was based on several reasons but seemed to focus primarily on a lack of honesty with not only the owner but also with the property manager. Also after only 1 1/2 days of use the sink/basin in our brown room (bunk room) became clogged. We did not use the sink on our first and second day as we ate out. Since this was the room we cooked and all gathered in, most of our functions were greatly impeded. Management failed to fix the problem, offer any alternatives, (i.e. room change, or even a refund and/or compensation of any type. In fact as of the writing of this review no communication has been received from the owner or his agent relative to this problem. No apology has been communicated as of this time.
Having taken a picture of the existing plumping of the kitchen sink in the brown room one can see that the plumping was not done properly. There are no clean out elbows, or sections that are threaded for easy clean out when blocked. The entire system is glued and needs to be disassembled, unblocked, and be professionally redone. If not blockage will continue to occur.
Halfway through our stay we requested our towels be changed as they were wet, stinky, and simply needed to be changed. At this point we were told that policy was that for a small fee, $5.00, U.S., they could be changed. This was a policy that was NEVER told to me/us by owner nor property manager. This policy was not listed on any Caribbean Dawn website when I booked our stay, as I have the original website copied and saved. However the policy did appear on their website after I voiced our need to have the towels changed. This policy appeared late in the night on December 31, 2014, and was not previously listed. The property manager admitted this fact to me in a conversation we had on our departure day. Had I known about the change of towel policy I would have taken action on my own. Knowing the area I could have had our towels washed and dried by a local. Or we could have brought extra towels ourselves.
The pool is a wonderful addition but was not skimmed daily until we requested it be. The reason we asked for this is that many bugs, roaches, leaves, and small debris would collect on a daily basis. During our 6 day stay the pool was only vacuumed once. The pool filter was only ran for a few hours (less than 5) on some of the days.
I have stayed at Caribbean Dawn on three occasions, with two of the stays occupying the green room. On both of these stays there was a strong, putrid oder emanating from around the base of the toilet. I informed the property manager and owner about this on my previous stay but the stench remains. One can see that the toilet is not set right, needs to be pulled out, cleaned, a new wax ring installed, and reset.
Caribbean Dawn has 4 dogs with three of them initially tied up. We were told they were tied up as previous guests did not care for the dogs to be let loose. Our party did not mind the dogs roaming. We did have a problem with the amount of noticeable ticks which were infecting the dogs specifically Blackie. One of the dogs also had a eye infection with green mucus discharging from one of its eyes. Both of these very unpleasant problems were also experienced on previous stays and were mentioned to the owner. Being an animal owner we all had a diminished tolerance for this.
In this reviewer’s opinion, the main deficiency with Caribbean Dawn centers around the Property Manager. He presents as a like-able person but his person financial gain far outweighs his job performance of running the place. My personal experience is that he is not totally honest. I had one experience where I carried a 2 piece package of salt cod which would have been enough for as many as 5 meals however I was told there was only enough for 2 meals and that there was none left over. From that point on I chose to not have the property manager cook for us. In addition if you required small items that should already in the room asking for them basically necessitates an extra tip on your part. The majority of the times staying at Caribbean Dawn the property manager is very often not on site. On a few occasions he was sleeping during the day or entertaining someone he stated to be his girlfriend, who in fact stayed overnight, while guests were present.
The Property Manager simply doesn’t have the training, background, initiative, skills, and demeanor to efficiently run this facility on his own. When guests are on site he should be remaining there in the event he is needed for whatever reason. But during this stay and past stays he has not always been on site when needed.
Lighting from the upper driveway from the steps to the rooms remain non functioning. Given the steps are steep, area is dark, they should be hard wired, not battery or solar powered, and in operation whenever guests are present. Non functioning lights create a hazard and liability for all guests.
Caribbean Dawn offers no area to dry your towels. There are no clothes line nor clothes dryer on site for the use of the guests. Rooms are facing north or northeast and only offer a bit of early morning sunshine to dry your towels. This is unless you are ingenious enough to create or bring a clothes line yourself.
This property has so much beauty if ran properly and professionally. But given our overall total, very negative experience, together with the lack of a response from the owners we will not return to this Guest House!
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Date of stay: December 2014
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from surferjpc, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Jan 25, 2015
Thanks for taking the time to post a review. We agree that our location and view are second to none on the island. It’s unfortunate that your third stay at Caribbean Dawn was not satisfying despite adding a built in pool and pool deck since your last visit. We update our website as needed and on a regular basis for photos, information, policies, etc. Your request for fresh towels brought to light that this policy was not yet on the website. Subsequent to our discussion, the website was updated to reflect this long-standing policy. Thanks for the heads up. This policy helps us maintain room rates that are among the lowest on the Island. When the bunk room drain became clogged, immediate efforts were made to remedy the situation. These partially cleared the drain. However, a plumber was also contacted at that time so that the problem could be completely rectified. It was my understanding that you were satisfied with the partial clearing of the clog and reported as much to the manager. Therefore, no compensation or alternative arrangements were suggested (by either party). Indeed, we were surprised by your unexpected departure the following morning – cutting your stay 1 day short. The plumber arrived in the morning and completely resolved the problem. The Bunk room has been operational and very popular for the past year, yet this is the first time the sink drain has clogged. It should be noted that stainless steel mesh screens were in the sink drains upon check-in. These prevent food scraps and other debris from washing down the drain during operation of the sink. However, a significant amount of such items were discovered when the plumber opened the pipe. Going forward, guests will be reminded to leave these mesh screens in place to prevent future clogs. The above 2 items (towel policy and sink clog) were the only two issues noted during the stay. Regarding some of the other, additional items you noted in your review: 1. The pool is skimmed at least daily. This typically takes place early in the morning and guests may not notice this activity. Any debris noticed floating in the pool accumulated between skimmings. The vacuuming and filter pump operation are as you stated. These schedules are recommended by both the contractor that built the pool and the manufacturer of the pool equipment. They are more than sufficient to maintain water clarity and pool bottom cleanliness. 2. The dogs roam free on the grounds of Caribbean Dawn and just beyond, which includes natural vegetation and “bush”. As is common in these areas, they sometimes return with ticks. It’s true that Blackie seems to be impacted the most by this (still not sure why). All dogs are checked daily for ticks. Any ticks that are discovered are removed and killed. The dogs and grounds are also treated on a regular basis for ticks (as instructed by our local veterinarian). 3. The green room toilet will be checked and repaired as needed. 4. The property manager lives onsite. He also has an assistant that works part-time and is onsite every day. One of these 2 individuals is onsite virtually 24-7. If a guest is present and both staff members have to be offsite, the guest is informed of this before their departure. It’s rare that this is the case but can happen, for instance, when one staff member is providing a tour to another guest and the other staff member has to run an errand. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify our policies and procedures. The Caribbean Dawn team will continue to work towards its goal of delivering prompt personal service with integrity while providing clean, comfortable, affordable accommodations. Peace. JC
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The Caribbean Dawn is the ultimate Jamaican experience.The driver and caretaker Jason is very attentive of the guests..The views are breathtaking and beautiful.The sleep is very amazing with door open and view of water and cool breeze blowing and reggae music sometimes playing.The city of Port Antonio has a beautiful marina and the local people and food is a must experience.If you enjoy to have a real Irie vacation this is the place to visit.Let me add the beach and local attractions is itself worth the trip,along with the stay on top of the mountain at the Caribbean Dawn.
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Date of stay: June 2016Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from surferjpc, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Jun 29, 2016
Thanks for taking the time to post a review. Glad you enjoyed your stay on the hill at Caribbean Dawn. It's very satisfying to host returning guests. Thanks also for mentioning Jason's attentiveness to guests as well as the view and cool breeze. I agree that the nearby, twin-harbored town of Port Antonio ("Porty") is a must visit that has something for everyone (marina, bakeries, restaurants, markets, banks, colorful characters, etc.). Thanks again for your return business and hope to see you back again soon. Peace. JC
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My husband and I had a short stay of two nights in the blue room. It was fantastic and too short of a stay. The room was clean, spacious, and had breathtaking views. The sheets smelled great and fresh, the towels also smelled great and were soo soft, the bed was comfy, and we appreciated the mosquito net over the bed. The pool area was extremely impressive! What craftsmanship!! It looks really great!! And what a killer view from the pool!! The view of the sunrise was amazing! Even the walk down the hill wasn't too bad. Along the walk we spotted pimento trees, cinnamon tree, pear, ackee, and a June plum tree. Jason was great! Very down to earth and accommodating. His check ups on us were always timely and appreciated. Most times it's impossible to improve perfection, but I have a suggestion, perhaps a ping pong table or dart board over by the picnic table. Overall, a fantastic stay that we would highly recommend to others. We will definitely be return customers.
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Date of stay: March 2016Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from surferjpc, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Mar 28, 2016
Thanks for taking the time to post a review. Thanks also for mentioning the freshness and softness of the linens and towels. Glad to hear that you found Jason down to earth, helpful and accommodating. We are constantly trying to improve the facilities and experience. Therefore, we greatly appreciate your suggestions. Love ping pong, but the strong breeze on the hill would probably blow the light ball of course. Darts is a great idea that I will happily implement. Look forward to your return. Peace. JC
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Stayed at Caribbean Dawn and it was really a wonderful experience. Comfy beds and great view! Big fridge. Great hospitality! There's not a problem that can't be solved. John let us borrow his surf boards and even gave us a surfing lesson! Don't miss this place! If you sleep lightly it might be a good idea to bring ear plugs cos the dogs bark. That's the only down side I can think of.
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Date of stay: November 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from surferjpc, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Feb 5, 2014
Glad you liked Caribbean Dawn and the free surfing lesson. Ensuring that our guests have a good time is our number 1 priority. I enjoy teaching people how to surf. Helping you and Kajsa catch a wave and stand up was very gratifying to me. Your energy and determination paddling out through the waves made it possible. The happy and satisfied looks on your faces made it all worthwhile. In surfing language, that is known as being "stoked". It was great spending an evening together at dinner, as well. Hope you have the opportunity to return one day. Peace. JC
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I really liked this place. It was beautiful and peaceful. Too bad the road up the hill is so bad. The road was an unfortunate thing...I must say the other bad was not having hot water, this was okay for me but not my 74 year old father. Apart from that I rather liked being basically "At the top of the world" The sunrises were breathtaking! This was a great reasonably priced getaway. I've done the 5 star all inclusive to the bare bones hostels so I've seen the gamut of accommodations. Caribbean Dawn was good value for the money. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to get the WiFi signal anywhere else other than on the balcony...but, I was happy to have WiFi any at all. I would definitely stay there again and highly recommend it.
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Date of stay: January 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â All the rooms appear to have excellent views.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from surferjpc, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Feb 7, 2013
Wifi booster will be installed in March 2013. This will provide free and strong Wifi reception. More repairs to the lower roadway are also planned for March. However, the road will likely remain a bit rough around the edges. All part of the unspoiled country vibe of beautiful Portland Parish, Jamaica.
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This was my son and I's first trip out of the country and it was perfect. The location is nestled on a small hill that exposes the property to the best views in Jamaica. It looks over the cove in Boston Bay, other beaches, and the whole local community. Just minutes from beautiful beaches and great Jamaican food. The rooms are very well kept and very spacious. Also each room has its own breathtaking view of the ocean and the community. Very friendly people and awesome views. Perfect for any getaway. We WILL BE RETURNING!
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Date of stay: November 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Every room is amazing!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from surferjpc, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Dec 17, 2012
The great setting, vibe and views at Caribbean Dawn makes your quality time and family bonding that much more special. Experience it for yourself.
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Sun shines, rain falls, dogs bark and soundsystem plays, this is real ,authentic Jamaica. Caribbean Dawn is an incredible place in a fantastic location with unrivalled views of Boston Bay that will truly take your breath away.. We had an amazing time here in beautiful Portland Parish, highly recommended and excellent value but not for the 'Weakheart'. Special thanks to Jason and Kevin, who treat you like one of the family, also John ,Hazel and all the good people of Boston, 'Nuff Respect' Once you go, you know!
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Date of stay: November 2015
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Blue or Green rooms are the best.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from surferjpc, Owner at Caribbean Dawn
Responded Dec 9, 2015
Great to meet you. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and for acknowledging Jason and Kevin. Hope you have the opportunity to visit with us again in the near future. Peace. JC
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There are more places to choose from in the Port Antonio area.
LOCATION
CaribbeanJamaicaPortland ParishPort Antonio
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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