My husband and I stayed here from January 2, 2011-January 6. This is our 3rd trip to Jamaica and have previously stayed at Sandals in Montego Bay.
After staying here, we will never go back to a resort! We had everything we needed in the apartment. There are 2 grocery stores across the street that have what you need to cook in your apartment. There are also 2 restaurants across the street too that are moderately priced and very convenient!
The size of the apartment was more than enough for the 2 of us. There was a nice living space, bathroom, and kitchen downstairs. The living space leads right to the balcony. We had our friends over from the area and the 7 of us had enough space to sit together, drink some Red Stripes and play dominoes and pass ron' donkey.
The views from anywhere at the building are just amazing. Unfortunately, when we visited there was a "cold" front that made sun tanning and snorkeling not a viable option for us, but we had a great time swimming/body surfing and watching the waves crash against the rocks!
For $2 U.S. we took a taxi into downtown Ocho Rios a few times. If you go downtown, eat at Captain's--yum! And if you take a taxi, just hop in one and pay them once you get there. From the apartment to downtown it is $100 JA...so if you give $3 US that is more than enough! They will not question you or ask you for more. The taxi driver's can easily spot a tourist...asking for $1000 JA for that ride!
If you walk out of the gates and turn left, there is a small beach area that we really enjoyed. We ran into only one other visitor there. There's a couple of fishermen that work/live on that beach area but they did not hassle us or anything--they were super friendly.
We paid $100 at the airport at the Tropical Tours desk for roundtrip transportation to and from the apartment. It was a very long ride because we were the last stop, but it was also a very beautiful, scenic ride! Word of caution: Just before you get into the Ocho Rios downtown area, the bus stops at a bar and they invite you to get a beer and stretch your legs. DO NOT GET A BEER! They charge you $4 per Red Stripe and $8 per mixed drink! (You should pay $2 per beer and maybe $5 per mixed drink.)
If you book here, Marian, the owner, provides you with lots of information and is very quick to respond to any emails you send her. We highly recommend staying at this apartment--you will be very happy!