Hibiscus Lodge

Omigod. I can’t say enough about this dreamy little slice of paradise! The incredible tropical views on the property will take your breath away and the food and personal service are first rate and superior even to the world-renowned and overpriced Jamaica Inn down the road. I fell in love with this charming resort in 2022 and loved it so much that I returned again on 2025 and would’ve gone back in 2023 and 2024 too if my flights had not been cancelled both times at the last minute due to bad weather. So grateful that Hurricane Melissa inflicted only very minor damage to this high class and achingly beautiful little resort. I was soooo worried! Don’t come to Hibiscus Lodge though if you don’t like being treated like royalty or if you love waiting forever for your room to be ready and love standing in buffet lines for meals at the all-inclusive resorts. You won’t get the typical loud and predictable nightly entertainment here either, but you will get an unforgettable performance by a wonderfully gifted singer at breakfast on Sunday mornings and the best daily two-course breakfasts you could possibly imagine, which are included in your booking. Their Western bacon and cheese omelettes are to die for and I never wanted to leave the breakfast table because I just wanted to sit there as long as possible at breakfast and soak in the glorious views of the ocean and sky! Luckily, the amazing servers at breakfast were always very gracious and patient with me and allowed me a third cup of coffee every morning just so that I could relax and sit there and enjoy that magnificent multi-million dollar view for as long as possible. Even though Hibiscus Lodge lacks a true beach, you won’t miss it because there are plenty of loungers in the pool and jacuzzi areas, and even more loungers down in the little area that they affectionately call “The Beach,” which is a manmade sandy terrace area just adjacent to the steps leading down into the ocean. They even have a shower there which is nestled up against the rocks so that you can rinse off the salt water after snorkeling with all the pretty fishies. The resort is situated on a cliff, so you will get your daily exercise walking up and down the steps leading from the resort down to the sandy sunbathing “beach” area by the entrance to the sea. And if you make a left at the entrance to the resort, you can take a five-minute walk up to Mahogany Beach, where there is a real beach area and a park too with picnic benches, as well as offerings of various souvenirs and merchandise for sale. There is a $5.00 fee for entrance to the beach, but if you’re just taking a walk to stretch your legs, they won’t make you pay. The serving staff at Hibiscus is on the ball at every meal, and they are always ready to ask the chef to prepare whatever your heart desires. I highly recommend the Fish and Chips and the Hibiscus Burger and fries, as well as the Jerk Chicken Wrap, which was my absolute favorite early dinner meal. The food is superb and well worth waiting for. They even made my favorite Western omelette for me before their restaurant even opened up one morning in order to accommodate my early morning departure, and they packed it up for me to eat on the shuttle back to the airport! They also made all the arrangements for my shuttle pick-up! If that isn’t top-notch personal service, then I don’t know what is! Hibiscus Lodge has such a magical ambience, and I love the casual island vibe overall and the elegant feel of a very friendly but formal breakfast service that doesn’t require formal dress. And be sure to say hi to Tony, the charming owner. He’s so welcoming and always smiling and scurrying around the property. He’s got tons of personality and energy, and I urge you not to hesitate to approach him with even your smallest problem or comment. You will recognize Tony right away because his energy and smiles are infectious and he looks like the happiest man on earth. Bottom line: You should only come to Hibiscus Lodge if your top priorities are beauty and peace and privacy and tranquility, personal attention, super delicious and beautifully-presented two-course complimentary breakfasts, breathtaking views, plenty of loungers for catching some rays, a fun and very satisfying daily snorkeling experience, and rooms that are each unique and genuinely charming and pretty and not the standard cookie-cutter style that is so prevalent with the all-inclusives. Apologies for the length of this review, but I honestly have way too many good things to say about the fun and magical time that I have experienced twice now at the incomparable Hibiscus Lodge. It’s a genuine little jewel of a resort that is guaranteed to satisfy even the most discerning traveler.

This is a lovely little hotel, which is in the middle of Ocho Rios so it is easy to get around to everything. The staff is accommodating when notified of problems, such as no water pressure or temperature control in the shower. As every place on the island, it has been affected by the hurricane and they are doing the most to accommodate you while accommodating for weather as well. The restaurant had OK food. Very similar to any other hotel restaurant. Unfortunately, the two days we were there was in the middle of a cold front in Jamaica (yes, there are cold fronts in Jamaica and evidently it is usually in February who knew.!) so we didn’t enjoy facilities like the pool or the ocean or the snorkeling as the seas were very rough the rain was consistent and it was 61°F. The area around the hotel is easy to walk through, but really unless you are grabbing something to eat there is no reason to. The food is pricey and average at best. It is a busy island working environment and quite dirty. The staff the first day were very unfriendly and the second day it was like a totally different staff, though it was the same people. Not sure if everyone was having a bad day at the same time, but you definitely did not feel welcome when you were checking in but felt welcome checking out If your intention is to stay in a place that is safe with great views this is definitely your place though a resort it is not.

When built i think place was ok. Now it need urgent maintenance, wifi improvement and more friendly staff. They refused to book three days as not in row but with one day elsewhere! They said the days must be in a row so you can t go anywhere else but jailed..