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The all-inclusive Mangos Beach Resort is an adults only resort located in the coastal village of Coopers Pen in the parish of Trelawny on the North West coast of Jamaica. Situated just 19 miles (30 minutes by car) from Montego Bay International Airport, the many attractions in and around Ocho Rios are also accessible in just under an hour by car. Amenities incorporate a true Jamaican personality within a rustic setting. An alternative choice to the Mega Resorts around the island, Mangos offers our guests a true Jamaican experience rich with the culture and personality of this beautiful island - we are naturally Jamaica!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
I won't waste time repeating everything we read before we left. I didn't get a single bug bite. My wife did. If you hang out near the lobby there are more mosquitoes because it is cooler and shaded. If you hang out on the beach early or late in the day you will get sand flies. I saw them spray and bug bomb several times. The pond near the lobby is not a source of mosquitoes it is a ponded designed to reduce the numbers of bugs because of the fish in it that eat the larva,and it is inspected by the government regularly. WiFi didn't work in our room but it did work in the lobby and the restaurants. If you ask the cleaning lady she will spray your room every day. The " tea towel" beach towels are actually 5 feet long and 2 1/2 feet wide and there was no shortage. We took two with us to our room every evening because there was a shortage of room towels. There are almost no face clothes so if this is a problem you might want to bring your own. Almost all of the staff was excellent. Only two out of the dozens we met fail to be GREAT at their job. They have a minimum staff but we saw them interviewing more while we were there and I never once waited for a drink or to be seated for a meal. Fiona seemed to be everywhere making sure that everything ran smoothly. Lunch if you order from the menu might take a while so plan for it, order right away, then have a drink and a salad or stick to the buffet. It didn't fail me once. Breakfast buffet could be hotter but it's not bad. I ordered eggs every morning as we were being seated and by the time I got my bacon and fruit the eggs followed right along. Coffee in the room was the best on the resort. The pool was a little "murky" at one end, but there was an onshore wind everyday we were there that blow sand in to it. I watch the pool boy O'Neil cleaning it on several occasions. Pool furniture is old and almost all of the cushions are cracked but all are serviceable and safe. The hot tubs are falling apart. Meaning the tiles are coming off as you sit in it. Didn't stop me from sitting in it a few evenings. VERY important. There is a light in the closet. As you walk in, on the right side of the door frame for the closet there is a light switch and that should end the complaints about the closets being to dark. It is probably the brightest area in the whole room. Yes the rooms are dark. We ask for an extra lamp and it was delivered. I had enough light to read every evening but the ladies who use makeup might have some problems in the bathroom. There is a young man on the beach near the cruise ship beach. His name is Martin. Wears a black touque. He is not associated with the hotel but he knows everyone in the area and is honest. He can tell you where to find people and who to deal with as well as where to go safely. There is no water sports equipment but they are trying to arrange this and it might show up anyday. There is some snorkel equipment near the beach towels but not to much to see until you get out to the reef and I suggest that if you don't have your own equipment you might not want to go that far. Definitely wear water shoes. There are sea orchins everywhere and a few rocks. The staff. Glen Roy the grounds keeper and Dwayne the poor kid trying to keep up with the seaweed. Franz Christine Vaun, Regenia,our wait staff. Isheba our house keeper Princess, Shavon and Damian at the front desk Omar and Gary "entertainment" Carolyn and Stephen. Managers. There were problems but every one of them was addressed by a staff that seemed happy to be there and eager to make sure we were happy too. The best thing I can say is,this is like visiting a friend at camp, but the camp is in Jamaica. Would we go back. Absolutely, already booked. P.S. When we got back to Toronto we stayed in a 5 star hotel and had no hot water so, whats a cold shower in paradise.
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Date of stay: January 2017
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled 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.
I read the reviews so I knew what I was getting or at least I had an idea. And I loved it!! Mangos is not a concrete jungle, it is a quaint resort that offers a personal touch that you are just not going to get at those corporate ones.
Were there issues? Yes, but I will list them at the end.
As you will see from my other reviews, we travel with another couple and usually go to those large corporate resorts and to be honest, one in particular, I would return to in a heartbeat. But I saw this resort and read the reviews so I thought, let’s try something different. I knew what I was getting, but the other 3 did not and at first they were ready to kill me. But that quickly changed. There were only about 30 people at the resort when we arrived, which was disconcerting, but we quickly realized this was to our benefit. No fighting for pool or beach chairs, no line ups for dinner or the bar and making quick friends (for the most part) with the other occupants and staff. We were not bothered by mosquitoes, actually they spray most nights.
The staff is what really makes this resort. Don’t get me wrong, we had some bad ones, in particular, at dinner (when they did not even smile once). But the ones we connected with will be in our hearts for a long time. Nicola at breakfast and lunch, Sherice for dinner (always with the wine bottle ready to pour..lol), Franz at the bar (ask for his specialty “green Friday”), Mama at the bar (makes the best Cosmo and is always singing and dancing), Patrice (get her to teach you some dance moves), Omar & Gary are the entertainment team and kept us laughing. Actually, almost every staff member would stop and talk to you once they recognized your face.
The food was also different from the large resorts. Dinner spot and menu type was set by the resort at one of 4 locations. Don’t expect to wander around with your plate to a thousand choices (most of which you do not even recognize). Buffets are simple, more like a banquet buffet, usually with a selection of fish, chicken and pork or beef, vegetables, salad, potatoes, rice and desert. Breakfast had your usual fair, including eggs, bacon, sausage and other items that changed around. You could ask for eggs cooked to order as well, although, this was not offered when we first got there. We had 3 a la carte dinners, Italian two nights with different menus, Steak (or other choices) one night. The rest were varied buffets (Jamaican, Fish & Seafood, International, etc). The food is delicious, they have a talented chef. Lunch is always off the menu at the Pool restaurant. They have good regular options and then they add specials every day so you can have other choices. One day we even had a taco buffet, which included chicken and other choices. My only complaint would be that some of the food was not very hot, especially breakfast, so if this is really important to you, stay away.
The rooms (205 & 206) were what we called Muskokian (Muskoka meets Jamaica, you will understand if you are from Ontario), the walls and floors are stained wood and due to the low voltage lighting it can be dark. We traded a lamp with our friends as she could not see and our lamp was bright (had regular bulbs). The air conditioning was very good and quiet. There was ample closet & dresser space and the large safe is free (even though Sunwing advertises it as an extra payment). They re-stock the fridge with water, pop and beer daily. The design of the units is based on history of the property, or at least that was what we were told. The bathrooms were in need of upgrade or just some tlc at the least, there are dispensers with body wash and shampoo and I found the lighting was fine. Our balcony was very nice with a view of the pool and ocean.
The Pool is a nice size, yes it seems cloudy, but we indulged (even used the slide) and we were fine. The hot tubs are not working and are uninviting, they had a repair person working on them while we were there, but still not fixed. The Beach was cleaned daily (very nice guy) even though you could not tell because we had high winds, large ocean swells and endless seaweed. The beach was long enough to get a good walk in every day and there are beach vendors just past the Royalton Hotels that will ask you to look at their stuff. Be friendly and they will be happy to joke with you and will not pester you or overwhelm you. Going the other way brings you to a beach area used by the Cruise lines and we did not venture past that as it was natural shore which looked like it would be hard to walk.
There are 2 shops, a craft shop ran by Maxine (aka Mama) who will endear you with her knowledge of the property and the history of her family in relation to it. She is very sweet and has a very talented son who carved a custom key hanger for us from a picture. There is also a shop where you can buy regular items like Rum, medicine, snacks etc.
The issues we had included before we left. I had contacted the resort to see if we could have an adjoining room with our friends. The response was “I will try my best to accommodate your request unfortunately due to availability there is not enough room change available”. I quickly realized (since there were only 30 guests) that this was just not true. The room (which was adjoining) next to us was available and not occupied until 3 days later. Actually the whole unit was empty except for us. Another issue was the water in the rooms. From no pressure at all, to no hot water, it was a hit and miss. They stated there were reasons, but I had read this in other reviews, so I think this is just something to be aware of as expected. There is Wifi, but again, a hit and miss, kinda like the water.
I know this resort is a work in progress, but I have a couple suggestions besides fixing the issues I listed. The towels in the room need fabric softener! The grounds need attention to bring them back to their former glory. Not that it is bad, just overgrown. Replace the Sun lounger cushions that need it, they did not bother us, but makes it appear bad. Get your dinner servers to smile and engage with the guests. Supply some safety equipment to the bug spray guy, a handkerchief is just not enough!
Would we return…absolutely!
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Date of stay: January 2017
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:We liked our rooms overlooking the pool with some ocean view.
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.
If you are looking for a 5 star resort with luxurious amenities, this resort is not for you. What this resort lacks in luxury, it sure makes up for it by being charming and having a fantastic staff & service. If you do your research properly, and are still fine knowing all this before going/booking, you should be fine. I don’t understand the people who don’t research before going then complain about it not being what they expected. If the resort was sold as anything but a 3 star, it’s not the hotel’s fault but the tour provider’s fault. That being said, I will try and give a thorough review based on my experience.
We stayed Nov 27-Dec 4 in building #1 which is beach front. Fantastic view ! The grounds are lush & beautiful, it’s like walking in the jungle. This complex is a 96 rooms resort, with 12 two story buildings of 8 rooms, 4 on each floor. Although it advertises 4 restaurants & 4 bars, they are opened on alternate hours so at any given time, there is only one restaurant and one bar open. It is not a problem as the complex is not huge. The Wifi is spotty, you need to find a good spot. The lobby seemed to work fine as did the breakfast restaurant. This is a laid back resort, the men don't need to have long pants & collared shirts for supper.
ROOM: They are big & spacious and yes, they are dark as they are all wood. There are lamps but no ceiling fixtures. We were only there to sleep or shower so no big deal and we didn’t find it as bad as people say. There is a large closet with a safe, iron & ironing board. The room had a mini fridge that was stocked daily with beer, water bottles and soft drinks. There is also a coffee machine along with coffee packages. There was a double couch, a table with chair, a dresser, flat screen TV, balcony overlooking the ocean. The air conditioning unit was brand new, worked very well and was very quiet. The bed was king size and very comfortable, as were the pillows. There was a sheet and & small blanket but no comforter or extra blanket, but it was fine for us.
BATHROOM: OK yes the bathrooms are old & falling apart and need a complete redo. But how much time does one spend in the bathroom? The shower heads (2) were new and worked fine with good pressure. We had hot water all week both morning & supper time and we never ran out once. The lighting is poor, only 2 small wall mounted lamps. The bathtub was not the best but I wasn’t there to soak in a tub either…..the tiles are cracked, the faucet was not completely attached to the wall but again, we just used it to shower so if you can get passed this you should be fine. There is a shampoo as well as a body wash dispenser in the shower. There were no face cloths but if you ask they will give you some. There was a hairdryer and the counter was quite large. The toilet worked fine but was not brand new. There is a window but it couldn’t be opened.
BEACH: The beach is not huge but we liked it. Nice white sand. It is split in 2 sections, with a pier in the middle (there is a section of the pier that is falling down, you just need to walk in the middle part around that section). The left hand side seemed to have more seaweed than the right hand side so we spent the week on the right hand side. There are a few rocks (not on the shore but a few feet in the water) so you need to be careful, especially if there are a lot of waves as they are hard to see. If the water is calm, you clearly see everything at the bottom and it’s not a problem. We brought water shoes but never used them once. The beach was truly spectacular and at its best when it was at its calmest. Practically no beach vendors and the staff works hard at cleaning the beach every day all day long. This is the first time I have ever been to a resort where I was the only one on the beach at 9h00am. No need to get up early to get a sunbed, there are plenty and they were all fine. They were not brand new but they were not broken as many people report.
POOL AREA: There is one pool with a slide and swim up bar. There are 2 small Jacuzzis but although functioning, there was no heater so the water temperature was same as the pool. Never saw anyone use either of them all week. The pool itself is not huge, there were more than enough sun beds and they were never all occupied. The bar sits between the pool and the restaurant. This is also the beach bar you use during the day.
RESTAURANTS: Yes it’s all-inclusive but slightly different than the regular all-inclusive. Breakfasts: you have the buffet with small amount of stations, fruits, cheeses, breads, pastries, bagels, yogurts, bacon, sausages etc. There is usually one type of egg in the buffet but if you want your sunny side up, poached, omelette etc all you need to do is order them through the waitress and within 5 minutes they are delivered to your table. Lunch: There is a salad bar / buffet style & desserts are buffet style but the main course is a set menu of about 8 choices that you order to the waitress. It’s the same menu everyday along with a chalk board that offers 4 different choices that are different than regular menu and vary every day. You can order double amounts or 2 different things even though it’s a fixed menu. This is the one that most people complain takes a long time. If they are busy, it can take up to 30 min or more to get your main meal. We went a bit earlier so that we wouldn’t be starving and it worked fine. The days that they are not too busy, the wait is about 15 minutes or so. (The jerk chicken wraps are awesome). Supper: Mostly buffet style every night except the 2 nights they have the Italian restaurant open. The Italian is ordered through a fixed menu, but again, if you want 2 appetizers you can order two. The second night is a different menu than the first night. There is an antipasto & salad bar that is buffet style where you serve yourself before waiting for your main meal, which is made to order so no prepared food ahead of time. If any tray was empty, we simply asked if they could refill and they did so right away. We never went hungry and although the choices are limited, the food was always very good & tasty.
The staff is really what makes this resort shine. Omar & Gary are fantastic entertainment hosts, always joking around, making sure you are having a great time. They greet you by name, organize activities, come down to the beach to make sure your drinks are not empty. Lincoln who work the restaurants (I think he’s the food manager) always makes sure you have what you need, that the trays are full, the drinks are served. Always has a smile on his face whenever you ask him for anything at all. The bartending staff is the same. Christine, Ryan and all others who work at the resort. Steve & Carolyn, the managers, were seen every day, talking to the guests. Steve offered to drive us into town (we needed to get money), I mean how many resorts have you been to that do that? This is the first resort I’ve ever been to where most of the staff knew our names and greeted us by name. We met fantastic people, both staff as well as other guests and it truly made this holiday so much more than we anticipated.
Is the hotel tired ? Yes it is. But they are working on fixing things, perhaps slowly but I believe that once all the renos have been done, it will be truly a hidden gem. It may take a while so if you go in prepared to have tired facilities, you should be OK. This resort really grew on us. I would go back despite the bumps as we really had a fantastic week at Mangos.
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Date of stay: November 2016
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled 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.
Being an airline employee, it's easy to become skeptical about certain places. I am guilty of that with Jamaica. I've heard horror stories of muggings, crime and resorts that are more like maximum security prisons, rather than a tropical island paradise. Not the case at all with my experience at Mangos Jamaica.
My cousin and I decided to take a quick trip to the beach somewhere due to the fact we both had time off from our day to day. As she lives in Orlando, FL and I live in Phoenix, AZ we had to pick east or west so we tossed a coin and Jamaica it was!
Now, as an avid traveler and wanderlust soul, I normally stay at "off the beaten path" places because-in my experience-it's just more down to earth. I honestly can't stand over priced, Americanized hotels and resorts. At Mangos Jamaica, it's organic. It's naturally stunning. It's exactly what you imagine a Jamaican paradise should be.
The layout of the buildings gives you the illusion that you're secluded from anything around you other than lush, tropical landscape and the stunning beach. When really every room has convenient access to the pool, beach, and other common areas. The rooms were awesome! Always clean, spacious and the beach was literally off our back balcony for the beach front room! The pool area was wonderful! It has a swim up bar, lounge areas, pool volleyball and a waterslide! So much fun packed in one area!
The food was awesome, they mixed it up with local Jamaican favorites and foods from all over. They even had my personal all-time favorite: BLT! Simple dish, but hats off to their chef for throwing his own spin on it!
All of the staff were beyond fantastic! I left Mangos with new friends, great experiences, and even some lessons in Jamaican Patois! All of the events were relaxed, fun, and interactive. Whenever we needed anything the staff was right there and went above and beyond!
I left the beach for last because my heart and soul is ALWAYS at the beach. I practically lived on the beach at Mangos. Beautiful white sand, turquoise waters and soothing waves literally put me in a state of bliss! There's 24/7 security quietly roaming the grounds and beach which made it safe, and secure. It's a place where you can ACTUALLY relax and just enjoy Jamaica's beauty.
Mangos Jamaica made me fall in love with a place I never really had any desire to visit. The resort itself exceeded my expectations and actually set some standards for me in the future of my travels. I give it Five stars for quality, personality, and soul!
Thanks Mangos!
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Date of stay: August 2016
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Stunning beach front rooms
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.
This was our 3rd visit to Jamaica. We did our research as we have stayed at a huge resort which was not for us and a mid size that was wonderful. This time we chose a smaller resort and were not disappointed.
From the moment we arrived Princess at the front desk was wonderful. Always smiling and eager to please. It was genuine.
Every morning we headed to the beach and without ever asking Damion was there with our umbrella. Not even sure where he came from but there he was only too eager to lend a hand. A wonderful asset to Mangos. On his day off he made sure his co-worker was there for us as soon as we got to the beach. We were impressed and very pleased.
Chef Martin is clearly talented. The wait staff a little rough around the edges but hopefully in due time it will all fall into place. If the resort gets booked to capacity they will certainly need to step it up a notch. Some of our orders were wrong others forgot all together. My only serious complaint is we heard a staff member being corrected in front of us. Completely unacceptable and unprofessional. It was clear everyone was trying their best and doing so with a genuine happiness. All in all only one member of the Mangos team was a grump. Never saw her smile once. :((
Our ocean front room was fabulous, very spacious and comfy. As stated by others the bathrooms need some care. We had an end room top floor (108) views were spectacular of the ocean and the resort pool side. Cleaning staff was spot on. Did a fabulous job daily.
The manger Stephen is quite social and chats with the guests. His wife on the other hand never spoke a word to us. Which surprised us as we read many reviews of how social they both are. We were waiting in the lobby for our taxi and she did not even say good morning. Too much on her mind I assume.
Our driver for the day Haverton Watt is as genuine and wonderful as they come. We spent a day with him and learned so much about Jamaica. He was only to eager to share his knowledge of his beloved home land. We asked for authentic patties. Off to the bakery we went. He gave us the history behind the luminous lagoon. We went all the way to Negril and he gave us a history lesson as we went through each Parish. It was a wonderful day :)))) If you need a driver. Haverton (Ton Ton ) is your man. You will not be disappointed.
As stated by many, Mangos is a work in progress. I truly hope they reach their potential.
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Date of stay: September 2016
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Room 108. Fabulous :))))
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.
If a rustic authentic Jamaican resort located in a sheltered quieter part of Jamaica with flowing white sandy beaches set in between tropical gardens appeals to you rather then one of the large populated concrete resort based hotels then this is the place for you, Mangos resort scores well for location , room standards and real Jamaican dining to say the least ! My room was located in one of the beach fronted blocks of which there are many and with only two levels this made my room experience both chilled and quiet and I would recommend spending the extra money not only for this but to be able to watch the sun rise to the east lighting up the clear blue sea in the mornings was always a bonus. The rooms are large with high rise ceilings (on the 1st floors) and completely wooden built giving you the rustic cabin feeling but with a modern touch including large flat screen TV, modern AC remotely controlled units and a large fridge stocked daily with water and local beers.The resort itself is perfect for relaxing either by the large pool or on the beach with everything you need close at hand including the swim up pool bar and grill open from 9:30-17:30 for all sorts of beverages and snacks from the grill as well as the daily lunch buffet offering a variety of tasty foods for all types of dietary requirements, both breakfast and dinner are served just down the weaving path between the palm trees and tropical flowers offering a mixture of buffet dinning options I often found it difficult what to choose with so much variety on offer. There were also different food themed evenings including Italian served in the first floor Italian restaurant , Jamaican and Chinese depending of the hotels roster that week which could also be located in the resorts bamboo restaurant on the other side of the hotels resort which was my personal favourite as the bright moonlight often added to our romantic dining experience. I have to say that I couldn’t fault the happiness and professional attitude of any of the staff with the ever entertaining Omar who heads up the daytime entertainment nor Christine of whom I exhausted her extensive cocktail knowledge most evenings. My top tip is too head to the hotels jetty to absorb the Caribbean sun from sunrise to sunset and to definitely take part in the weekly crab racing event which was my personal highlight. Thank you Mangos Jamaica I will undoubtably be back when I’m next on the island 😍😍😍
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Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Travelled 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 john m, Manager at Mangos Jamaica
Responded Mar 9, 2018
Thank you for your kind comments. We value all guest feedback and always incorporate them in our staff training and general communication. We aim to offer and authentic Jamaican experience and we are pleased to know you recognized this. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Like many others we had read the many Trip Advisor reviews. Upon booking back in the September time frame the reviews (about 50 at the time) were extremely positive and significantly influenced our decision to book. It was a couple of months later when the reviews that trickled in were not on the positive side that we questioned if we had booked the right place. Needless to say we were concerned and considered cancelling. When we found out that cancelling would incur a fee equivalent to about a third of our vacation cost we decided to take our chances and go in with an open mind with expectations set accordingly for a 3 star property. As our departure drew closer and the reviews tipped back to being mostly positive we became hopeful all would be ok.
My husband and I have just returned and we are happy to report that we had an amazing time. Yes, there were issues and yes, the resort is tired but this aside it did not affect our enjoyment. We went looking for rest and relaxation and that is exactly what we experienced and it actually exceeded the expectations that we had.
Like many have reported the Mangos staff are exceptional. Always happy to please and we found that no request was too much. We did find that they were generally 'reactive' rather than 'proactive' in their service and would benefit from some further training and direction. The issues that we did have such as a room location that was not ideal and no hot water were resolved promptly and effectively.
Food was generally very good. Wait times at the grill restaurant at lunchtime were rather long and it was a case of one order in and one out. There didn't appear to be much multi tasking by the chef/s which resulted in the slower delivery of food. All was good..."irie"....with a oceanfront view and flowing drinks (once you got them...or went to get them yourself!).
We had booked with Air Canada Vacations (ACV) and their rooms were advertised as superior oceanfront. Our initial room assignment was '801' which is on the ground floor of block 8 and certainly did not afford a superior oceanfront view as advertised. We had requested an upper floor and had phoned the hotel twice to ensure our request was on file. The request however appeared to have been ignored. The staff were unable to make a change upon our arrival but did advise that they would be able to move us the following day. That they did and we were very happy with the change to an upper floor room with an amazing unobstructed oceanfront room. During the ACV orientation meeting I asked the rep if block 8 was considered 'superior oceanfront' and was most surprised to find out that it was. In our personal opinion there really are only 4 room blocks that have a superior oceanfront view, blocks 1, 7, 10 and 12.
On a couple of occasions during our one week stay we did not have hot water. A call to reception was all that was needed and the issue was resolved within about 15 minutes each time. On one of the days we received a letter that water would be turned off for a period of time which was noted. This did not impact us as we were out anyway and didn't actually see the letter until returning to our room when the water was already back on! We did not experience any water pressure issues like others have noted.
As the rooms are all wood (floor, walls and ceiling) they are on the dark side. Open the drapes and turn on the lamps and you most definitely have enough light. I did take a flashlight but it was not needed. Rooms do not have insulation and as a result noise does travel between rooms. This was especially the case on the lower floor as we were able to hear every footstep of the guests above. In the upper floor rooms this is not an issue but you can hear voices etc from guests either side especially if your neighbour only has one voice level...day or night! Balconies are large and an ideal place to enjoy the view.
I mentioned above that we had booked looking for rest and relaxation. Not having to get up early or at any time to secure a beach chair made our experience very relaxing. There is an abundance of chairs both beach and poolside, though we never used the latter. Beach/pool towels were available poolside, are normal size and simple to exchange. There was no check them in or out like is often the case at other resorts. You could help yourself to these towels whenever they were stocked. We did on occasion end up using beach/pool towels instead of the room towels as those were often tiny and rough, or not stocked! On the subject of room towels we did receive new towels during our final couple of days. They were a decent size and fluffy, though had probably not been washed before use as they shed a lot! With this said perhaps the owners are in the process of transitioning to new towels...let's hope so.
We did notice ongoing work on some room blocks and gardening staff were seen most days taking care of the property. It was nice to see that the owners are investing in the property and slowly making changes.
The beach is wonderful and regularly cleaned of the incoming seaweed. There are some rocks in the water directly in front of the property but nothing that required water shoes unless the water was rougher and visibility reduced. If you are looking for a nicer swimming area head on east (to the right when facing the ocean) and walk down to the Royalton. We swam there on a few occasions and were never bothered by staff to move on!
Few take the beach walk going west beyond the neighbouring cruise ship beach of Blue Waters. We highly recommend that you do venture this direction past the rocks as it is well worth the effort. You can walk a long way and we made it to where we could see the cruise ships docked at Falmouth. On route is a wonderful area for swimming at 'Red Stripe' beach (same name as the local beer!). This beach is used by the cruise ships so can be busy when they are in port. The beach walk there and beyond will have you feel like you are a castaway on your own deserted beach. As I said it is well worth the effort. There is some ongoing construction (barely visible) to build a couple more resorts this way so make the most of it now before others find this paradise!
Several reviewers have mentioned bug bites. We did experience them too but luckily neither my husband or I reacted much to them. There was however one night that my arms were itching like crazy and felt like they were burning up. A slathering of 'Natures Aid' a natural based store bought skin gel (highly recommend) that we brought with us from Canada helped immensely. We noticed the bites occurred mostly whilst sleeping but we also encountered several bites whilst sat in the Elements restaurant by the beach side windows at dinner on our last evening. From what we can tell the bites are from sand flies (aka no-see-ums) but we were also bitten from mosquitos.
A few tips. For the poolside dinner, arrive early (no reservation required). We sat down at about 7.30pm only to find that the special feature, a small pig roast had been completely picked and there was nothing but bone left! The same applies with dinners at Bamboo. Our first experience there we were booked at 8.15pm only to find that the chef had very little seafood left to offer. Arrive, or rather book early for the best food selection as well as an opportunity to dine on the beach by the fire. As our room block was located next to the main restaurant we chose to take our morning coffee and breakfast to our room and enjoy on our balcony whilst soaking up the oceanfront view. The staff were accommodating in this regard and assisted with providing a tray and cutlery etc.
In summary, Mangos exceeded our expectations. We would most definitely return as it has everything we look for in a vacation and at a decent price point....low rise, oceanfront, boutique small size resort, great staff, decent food, relaxed dress code (long pants not required for gentlemen at dinner), no hassles like getting a beach chair, white and soft sand beach, long beach walks and good swimming. The only thing missing was a sunset view (sun sets behind the property).
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Date of stay: February 2017
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Upper floor rooms are quieter. Blocks 1, 7, 10 and 12 have best oceanfront 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.
Location, location, location. Mangoes is close to all the big attractions: 1/2 hour from Montego Bay airport, 15 minutes from rafting on the Martha Brae River, less than an hour from Dunns River Falls. 5 minutes from Glissening Waters. A taxi ride into the city is 50-60 US$. Although it was rated a 3 star hotel, my stay was five star. I have to agree with "Diana in the bin" who said ....."This resort will not be for everyone" but it was exactly what I had been hoping for. I did not want the big corporate high rise hotel feeling. The rooms were more like cabins, knotty pine inside. My room faced the sea and the waves splashed up under my balcony every morning....just beautiful. It was interesting that all the units are built on stilts in the sand so we were literally on the beach. The water pressure was not good in the evening, best in the morning. Very large rooms with lots of space beside the king size bed. My mattress was excellent, my adult kids found theirs less comfortable than mine. Air conditioner worked well but I only needed it at little bit at night. There was always a lovely breeze passing through. Bathroom was dated and there was a chipped tub, but, hey, it was a 3 star. It was quiet & relaxing there. We stayed for one week, returned January 2. Friday and Saturday night they brought in a talented local band and the music was a nice mix of reggae and rock. December in Jamaica is windy (I used to live there) so on windy days the sand was churning and the water did not look good. But when the wind was still, the water was clear and lovely for swimming. Windy days also did a number on the pool because a lot of leaves blew into it those days. Pool is surrounded by trees and bushes. I took my 3 young adult children and they were not bored. They are not the hard party type so were quite happy here.
The landscaping was planned to feel like you were walking through a rain forest between cabins......lots of banana plants, coconut trees, flowering bushes, orchids at eye level... Interesting that one of the guests I ran into had transferred to Mangoes from her corporate highrise hotel down the beach.....traded it in for peaceful Mangoes.
Food was good, mostly Jamaica, not overly spiced. Smorgasboard style all meals in main dining hall. Great Italian restaurant open in the evenings, and seafood outdoor restaurant 2-3 nights/week. Poolside fast food open 11-5.
Think about the atmosphere you want and do your homework. Mangoes had a very "local" feel to it and was what I wanted. I was not disappointed.
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Date of stay: December 2016
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled 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.
Recently stayed at this beachside resort for 10 days.
Located in a very quiet and safe location.
This review is a honest and open review through my own eyes and my own experience.
If you are looking for a Boutique Hotel I honestly would not class this as one so please do not be sold by that however it is not a concrete jungle and is not certainly full of rowdy noisy people so look into what else it can offer you.
The resort consists of several Wooden small blocks which have 8 large size rooms either beachside or pool side or quiet side.
The rooms come with all modern amenities and the beds are large and very comfortable. The bathrooms as previously mentioned could be made more modern however they are clean and I am not sure a modern bathroom would complement the rooms or environment.
Water is hot and the showers are good.
For me there are 2 outstanding things that make this resort stand out.
1: The food is exceptional. In fact in my opinion better than any I have experienced in many years of going on vacation. Authentic with a twist on different nights.
2: The staff are a credit to this resort. Always looking to go the extra mile and there only goal is to make sure your vacation goes the way you want it to go. As they always say "Its your Vacation so do as you wish to do"
For our visit the wind was quite strong most days which made the daily clearing of sea weed near impossible however the team did their upmost to clear it the best they can.
The best thing I can say is, if you want a relaxing, authentic holiday not staying in a Concrete jungle with great staff and great food with great weather then I would recommend this hotel.
At the moment as it's only just opened so I class it as Jamaica's little secret but when it does get busy it still wont seem like its a over-crowded noisy resort as there is plenty of space to chill out and unwind.
For me do yourself a favor and sample what Mangos has to offer.
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Date of stay: June 2016
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Room 108 - Beachside
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.
Reading the recent reviews lots of people seem to be disappointed with the standard of accommodation at Mangos but I think this is mainly down to the agents they booked with raising expectations with questionable 4 & 5 star ratings. Most of the guests during our stay were from the UK and booked through Voyage Prive & Secret Escapes and we all expected 4/5-star accommodation as a result of their descriptions. But, I have to say, despite this slight disappointment we had one of the best holidays we've ever had (and we've stayed in many 5-star hotels around the world) and this was purely down to the fantastic management and staff at the hotel. Its an often used cliché to say "we were made to feel like family" but there is no other way to describe the superior service we experienced at Mangos. Ok, the rooms are slightly dull and the bathrooms desperately need replacing but those issues are being addressed and you quickly realise how insignificant these things are as you become immersed in the extraordinary character of the place and the warmth and welcoming nature of the people.
A big thank you to all the ladies who served at breakfast, lunch and dinner; to the bar staff who refilled your glass before you even noticed it was empty! To Steven and Carolyn for taking the time to get to know everyone of us, making sure our every need was catered for, and going that extra mile (or, in my case, the several extra miles to the bank in Falmouth!). To the behind the scenes staff such as the chefs, the maids, and the relentlessly hard working guys who cleaned the beach every day, and of course, despite being regularly humiliated by them taking part in the evening entertainment, we shall never forget the 2 guys who are so brilliant at their jobs and made the trip so memorable - Gary and Omar - thank you.
As for the location, the food, etc. there's not really much to add to what other reviewers have reported other than to agree they are outstanding.
Would we return to Mangos? If the world wasn't such a big place, without a doubt. Yeah man!
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Date of stay: September 2016
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Oceanview rooms offer the best 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.
Hi There - sorry for delay in response. I'm not sure about right at Mangos. It was too rough to snorkel the days we stayed there. We moved to a new hotel very near by and snorkling was pretty good not too far off shore. Not super clear, but saw one big ray, a few smaller rays, blow fish and smaller multi coloured fish. Not mind blowing, but enjoyable. Please just don't go to Mangos. I really don't know how they are staying at a 3.5 on trip advisor.
30 minutes from Montego Bay, the hip strip and the airport. Please research these areas for what you are looking for. Your idea of nightlife may be totally different from mine 😃
There are more places to choose from in the Falmouth area.
LOCATION
CaribbeanJamaicaTrelawny ParishFalmouth
NUMBER OF ROOMS
96
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