Tensing Pen Resort - Jamaica

As you pull into the drive you see trellises of bougainvillea arch overhead offering shade from the tropical sun. Tensing Pen Village has been highlighted in publications world wide.

This property offers a variety of rooms from simple bungalows to patio and garden studio rooms to the spacious and very private great house. The grounds are well kept and beautiful. Paths lead all around the numerous buildings that comprise the guest quarters, with quiet and shady nooks to enjoy the wonderful views. This area of Negril is known as the cliffs, here the sheer rock wall rises only about 20-25 feet from the sea. Although there is no beach or pool here, there are accesses to the water, cliffs for diving and ladders to return, and places suitable for diving. You'll find snorkeling is wonderful here. There are patio tables, lounge chairs and hammocks scattered along the cliffs and sunning patios carved out of the rocks with lounges.

Sitting on a rocky bluff, the unique thatched hut accommodations are actually quite elegant, spacious and comfortable. There are French doors that open onto private patios or balconies. Inside the rooms you'll find classic Caribbean style tile floors, stained wooden louvered
windows, cool white plaster walls, accented by tasteful furnishings. The furniture is crafted with tropical woods and bamboo, and the mattresses are firm and comfortable. The bathrooms are clean and spacious, with plenty of room. All have walk-in tile or marble showers. The Pillars are unique in that they feature private outdoor bamboo showers, with toilet and wash basins upstairs off the sleeping area. Several new rooms were added with king-size bamboo beds, large bath and dressing areas, and spacious verandahs with bamboo loungers looking right out to the Caribbean Sea.

One of the really nice features of Tensing Pen is the kitchen arrangement. There is a large thatch roof kitchen facility central to the property with dining tables inside and out. Here a complimentary breakfast is offered daily. The resort offers several in-house dinners weekly to guests only. Excellent cooks prepare healthy Jamaican style feasts with whatever foods are freshest that day. From sizzling lobster on the grill, fresh snapper with pumpkin sauce, or sweet curried shrimps from Black River, each meal is prepared with flavorful island flair. Prices vary according to the daily market price.

On days that evening meals aren’t planned, guests are welcome to use the kitchen facilities. Tensing Pen supplies pots, pans, dishware and cutlery, herbs and spices. Guests can shop for cooking oils, eggs, bread, butter, meats, fish and other supplies at a nearby grocer, or from occasional fishermen passing through the yard.

Tensing Pen is out along the West End road of Negril, peacefully secluded. There are good local restaurants and craft shops within walking distance and the beach is about a ten minute ride. If you require peaceful, lazy days in the tropics with few disturbances, you will be quite happy at this hotel. The staff is friendly and accommodating, and manager Nancy Beckham will see that your stay is comfortable. Most rooms are for couples only, so it can be difficult to travel with small children. However, Great House has a fenced back yard which is fine for young ones, and a babysitter can be arranged when parents want to float peacefully in the sea, or enjoy a dinner alone under the stars.