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Winner of Travel+Leisure World Top 100 Hotels, Condé Nast Traveler Top 25 Caribbean Hotels and multi year TripAdvisor Best of the Best Awards! Located on the West End of Negril, Jamaica on its own private ocean coves, Tensing Pen is the ultimate destination for the discerning travelers seeking to unplug, disconnect, relax, and reconnect with loved ones. Tensing Pen offers a unique collection of beautiful cottages and villas, built from indigenous materials, set in lush tropical gardens and around private crystal clear coves. Free daily continental breakfast. A/C and mini-fridge in all rooms. 2 and 3 bedroom villas available for large groups and families.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Value
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English
Location
West End Road, Negril Jamaica
Tensing Pen Resort
4.8 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
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Tensing Pen Resort is lauded by guests for its exceptional service, with the staff earning accolades for their friendly and attentive nature, contributing to memorable stays. The value is evident as many travelers feel the dining options, including The Lodge restaurant, offer a good bang for their buck.
While the rooms receive praise for their comfort and spaciousness, it's the authentic atmosphere and integration with the natural surroundings that truly enchant visitors, despite some noting the occasional lively nearby festivities. The resort's location strikes a perfect balance between seclusion and accessibility to local hotspots, all while maintaining top-notch cleanliness and beautiful views.
Location
Secluded
Atmosphere
Tropical
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Top-notch
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This is a beautiful hotel with fantastic staff. The rooms are just as beautiful as they appear in pictures and the grounds are incredibly well used. The biggest standout was the wonderful people who worked here. They are knowledgable, personable, and responsive to requests. There were two small issues with our room a fan that wasn't working (they already had two extras in the room, however), and a funky electrical socket. Both concerns were addressed immediately. They went out of their way to help facilitate everything we wanted out of our trip- for example, rearranging umbrellas so I could have shade in the beautiful infinity pool, finding great places to cliff jump from on the propoerty, and taking us on informal snorkel swims around the property. We had some of the best conversations we have ever had in Jamaica with the life guards, resturant staff, and conceirge staff here and that is saying something because there is no end to amazing people in Negril. The available snorkel gear, floaties, kayaks, and paddle board (the latter two weren't available on our trip unfortunately) were are really nice touch. Great and very flexible/available spa services. The conceirge even hooked us up with mopeds delivered directly to the hotel.
Tensing Pen is truly something special. It feels like home and everything I would want in a resort. My parnter and I felt comfortable leaving our phones and belongings out and visible on our loung chairs while swimming and often left our room unlocked when close by. Many people were doing similar things. Everything was so comfortable, warm, and luxurious. This is my fourth time to Negril and I don't think I will ever stay anywhere else. The food at the Lodge resturant is also some of the best we had on our trip as well as some of the most reasonanbly priced. You get all of the amenities of a larger resort with the quiet, flexibility, and personal attention of a smaller hotel.
Side note= I highly recommend splurging for one of the Pillar rooms with an ocean view if it's in the budget. We were in the South Pillar and the privacy and view from the suite were top notch.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: April 2023Trip 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 Tensing Pen, Owner at Tensing Pen Resort
Responded 22 Apr 2023
We can’t thank you enough for this incredible review and testimony. It’s been our pleasure having fun loving and great guests like yourselves, we hope to see you again soon, in good health. One Love
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This is a truly wonderful place. Best suited to a peaceful and romantic getaway.
It's a beautiful setting, has spotless and beautiful rooms that reflect the island energy, comfy beds with nice soft sheets. There's attention to detail, an amazing staff, fabulous swimming (and lifeguards!), and one of Negril's best restaurants.
We booked Rock Cottage, and when we got there were upgraded free of charge to maybe the best unit on the property -- just becuse it happened to be empty. I'm not telling which . . .
When we moved mid-week to the property next door, two staff members even walked witu us to help us transfer our luggage without a taxi.
Damage from a recent storm was minimal, mostly some foliage loss, and was being worked on.
Road noise was never an issue as it can be with some of the cliff properties. Bar closes early and is never rowdy or noisy.
You can't go wrong here!
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Swimming does require that you climb out via a ladder, but it's not bad and the lifeguards are...
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 Tensing Pen, Owner at Tensing Pen Resort
Responded 8 Mar 2024
Thank you for your candid review, we were happy to host guests as lovely as you! One Love
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A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
Years ago, my wife and I stayed at a hotel near Tensing Pen and decided that, when we returned to Negril, we wanted to stay at Tensing Pen. Are we ever glad that we did! I don't think I've ever had a more relaxing vacation. The property is beautiful, the staff are delightful, and the overall experience was top notch. We cannot recommend Tensing Pen highly enough.
Accommodations: we stayed in Cove Cottage, a charming detached cottage with a direct view of the ocean. We recommend staying at Cove Cottage or one of the other cottages that are right on the water.
Dining: Tensing Pen's restaurant is excellent, and we ate most of our meals there, but it is worth noting that there are other local restaurants in the area that offer local, traditional Jamaican fare.
Location: located in Negril's West End, Tensing Pen is perched on cliffs over the Caribbean. There are several spots with ladder access down to the water as well as many lounge chairs to just lie back and enjoy the wonders of the sea.
Dogs: Tensing Pen is host to three very friendly Rhodesian Ridgebacks: Tensing, Obi, and Zuri.
Bottom Line: Negril is our favorite place in Jamaica (make sure you explore the town too) and Tensing Pen will be our go-to for the foreseeable future. We cannot wait to return.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Enjoy the resort, but get out and explore the surrounding area. Meet the locals. Learn about...
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 Tensing Pen, Owner at Tensing Pen Resort
Responded 14 Mar 2024
Dear Gil, we are elated that Tensing Pen met your need for relaxation and rest. Our staff is genuinely kind and thoughtful, and will definitely remember you on your next stay. We hope to see your family again soon, in good health. Thank you for making Tensing Pen your home away from home. One Love
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We stayed for a week over Christmas 2024 and absolutely loved this place. I should point out that I did a LOT of research beforehand, as it's not always easy to find the type of thing that we prefer: Off the beaten track, a bit of luxury but in a natural way, great food but not an all-inclusive / all you can eat and drink approach, opportunity to try local food outside of the hotel, privacy with peace and quiet... so Tensing Pen could have been planned with us in mind! It certainly lived up to our hopes and it was great to meet with Sam and Anne-Marie, the owners, who were staying there over Christmas with their family. They were so welcoming and friendly, as were all the staff - even if an older British couple were a rarity there (the guests are pretty much all American, especially over Christmas). We chose Rock Cottage 2 and it didn't disappoint - the views are beautiful and we loved having an evening drink on the patio area, watching the sunset (once the bulk of the sunset cruise and booze boats, with their competing sound systems, had been and gone from Rick's cafe! There are a LOT of these, but fun to watch from a distance). We would echo all of the compliments in previous reviews, so rather than repeat them, would just add a couple of notes on things we particularly enjoyed whilst staying here. 1) The sunrise cruise on the Negril river: Stunning. For any other UK or European visitors, the early start time (4.30 am!) isn't a problem when you get there, due to the 6 hour time difference, and would recommend this. We went with Tiki Pon Da Sea and we were the only guests on the boat, which made it extra special. 2) Barney's Hummingbird garden, within walking distance of Tensing Pen. Barney is a quirky character and again, we were not only lucky enough to be the only ones there, but also saw many hummingbirds and even managed to feed some with bottled nectar! As long as you don't go along expecting to see the hummingbirds as a right ( they don't appear on demand!), it's a great place to visit. We came across mockingbirds, goats and some great local people on the walks there and back. 3) Snorkelling trip to 7 mile beach with Famous Vincent. Yet again, we were lucky to be the only ones on the trip. Whilst the snorkelling itself was pretty average (we scuba dived for many years, so we know we have high expectations), we loved the trip - Vincent picked us up from the jetty at Tensing Pen, gave us a great close up view of 7 Mile Beach at Negril and guided us around some nice coral on our snorkelling trip - lovely guy. As always, the music is all part of the trip! 4) We loved eating at both of the great little jerk shacks, just across the road from Tensing Pen. Watching the Negril West End world go by, whilst eating some of the best (and hottest!) pepper shrimp with rice, beans and pineapple slaw, washed down with a Red Stripe , was perfect. The reception team at Tensing were great in organising any of our trips and, as with all of the team, so helpful and friendly. Thank you for some very special memories and giving us the chance to experience exactly the type of Jamaica we were hoping for!
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Wouldn't recommend travel over Christmas period; Montego Bay airport is hell and roads can be...
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 2nd stay at Tensing Pen. There are many wonderful things about the resort....gorgeous environment, awesome lifeguards, restaurant staff at breakfast & lunch, gardeners, etc. but we felt there were some issues this trip that will probably impact if we come back. We booked about 8 weeks before our stay and room options were limited so we ended up in a garden room which was fine with us as we were happy to be going back. Unfortunately the road noise, barking dogs and the construction noise from next door greatly impacted our trip. We reached out to the front office about changing rooms since they had availability but we needed to pay an extra $150 per night for 6 nights. We felt we had already paid a large amount per night for our Garden room and an extra $750 was not in our budget so we were stuck with a room where you couldn't sit outside during the day and couldn't get any sleep at night and their other rooms sat empty. I can only imagine noise at that end of the resort by the massage area is only going to get worse as they are going to start construction of additional rooms later this year. A few other issues as well such as…Booked a massage but because of the construction and constant jack hammering that had to be cancelled and there was no availability for another day unless someone was called in from their day off and I didn't want to do that. Food at the restaurant was inconsistent, breakfast was our favorite, lunch was good but dinner was just ok for us and we ended up eating at Sharks (across the street) for dinner often. Ordered a fish wrap one lunch at Tensing Pen and took one bite and there were several bones in it and one got stuck in my throat for 2 days. Again it's a beautiful place and I can't say enough about some of their amazing staff (Paul & Jomo the lifeguards, Rooster, and the breakfast/lunch staff) but next time we may look for a different cliff property.
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Avoid Red Birch 3 if you are at all bothered by road noise, barking dogs, construction.
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 Tensing Pen, Owner at Tensing Pen Resort
Responded 21 Apr 2023
Thank you for taking the time to post your review. We apologize for the noise coming from the neighboring property doing their construction work for those 2 days. We are equally sorry for not accommodating your free room upgrade, our guest service agent have been instructed to handle this differently, should a similar occasion happen in the future. We hope to see you again, and hopefully your experience at the Pen will be much better. One Love, from all of us at Tensing Pen
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Tensing Pen has been built with respect for and blending into the natural environment. The vibe is local from the art to the furnishings, and does not feel like teams of designers were flown in from NY, although there are ample creature comforts. The meandering paths throughout the property feel like an echo of reggae rhythms and lilting jamaican patois. Let go of technology and take in the 180º sea views and uninterrupted horizon. Drink the wild air.
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Date of stay: March 2024
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.
Response from Tensing Pen, Owner at Tensing Pen Resort
Responded 23 Mar 2024
Dear Surfer Mom, We could not have said it best ourselves. Thank you for the kind words and for taking the time to post your lovely review. We look forward to your return “home”. One Love
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From the moment you arrive until the moment you leave you are treated to magical experiences. With Razor’s delicious, hand-crafted welcome drink in your hand, you are guided to your accommodations by an attentive staff and often one or more of the delightful Ridgebacks that make the property their home. Nestled in the jungle and overlooking the magnificent Negril cliffs, with breathtaking sunset views, you can’t help but unwind and relax. 24 hour coffee and tea, and an amazing onsite restaurant. Breakfast, which is included, consists of toast with fresh made bread, biscuits, muffins, peanut butter and jelly, yogurt, cereal and a seasonal fruit plate. Juice, coffee and tea are also included. Also available for an additional charge are items like eggs Benedict and porridge. Lunch and dinner offer a wide variety of local cuisine items, as well as some truly innovative dishes. Bar service is excellent and the drinks are all individually prepared and can be adjusted to your liking. The pool and pool area are beautiful and well maintained and have cliff and sunset views. Even the gift shop on site is lovely and includes locally made items as well as some necessities.
I saved the best for last: Tensing, Obi and Zuri, the three dogs that make the property their home (and truly embody the entire spirit of Tensing Pen). There is nothing like curling up with one of them while watching the rain roll in on the cliffs, or having them greet you in the morning and walk you down the path the breakfast. Truly a one of a kind resort and a one of a kind experience!
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:If you would like a visit from the doggies, just leave your door open. It’s like they know that...
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 Tensing Pen, Owner at Tensing Pen Resort
Responded 6 Apr 2024
We could not have said it better ourselves. Thank you for making us your home away from home. Thank you for loving our dogs as much as we do. It’s what makes Penney’s exceptionally the world’s best guests :) One Love
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What a super place to stay...we stayed for a week with friends, our first visit but we will all return hopefully next year.
The setting is pure peace and tranquility, the food delicious, the rooms (Coffee Rose 1 &2) where spacious with large comfortable beds, we had Coffee Rose 2 which was private with a partial ocean view, our friends had a full ocean view upstairs in CR1, both rooms where identical apart from the view.
As other people have mentioned, even when the hotel is full we still seemed to have the place to ourselves during the day due to the many different sun bathing terraces. Fresh towels daily, including pool towels are left in the room.
There are many authentic Jamaican restaurants within walking distance, two just across the road, Kool Vibes being our favourite, excellent Jerk Chicken and you must try their Festival, delicious.
All of the staff was attentive and went out of their way to be helpful, a special mention to Colleen and Trisanne who looked after us at breakfast, and where great fun too. Paul the lifeguard also stood out for us with his perfect Swan dive from the high rocks, what a lovely guy too. Not forgetting Gloria our housekeeper who was just lovely and unobtrusive, and a special lady.
Obviously this only leaves the Rhodesian Ridgeback Family...Tensing (crazy boy who comes bounding into the dining room like a horse!) Obi (a calmer version of Tensing), and sweet little Zuri. All very well behaved, calm, and relaxed just the best most gentle dogs ever.
We couldn't help but notice how many people we met who had been here many times before, once bitten forever smitten!
A big thank you for a super stay.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled 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 Tensing Pen, Marketing at Tensing Pen Resort
Responded 30 Jan 2023
Dear Lorris and Dave, it’s such a pleasure to have had you with us. We hope to see you many more times again, always in good health and spirits. It’s guests like yourselves that make Tensing Pen the lovely getaway that it truly is. One Love from all of us!
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We stayed at Tensing Pen to enjoy a long weekend getaway to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary and also share the love of Jamaica with our two teens! Tensing Pen was more lovely than we remembered from our honeymoon! The property is naturalistic and private. The restaurant - called The Lodge - serves delicious food at every meal. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The waterfront includes gorgeous cliffside lounge areas, snorkels, and the famous footbridge for jumping into the clear saltwater! Our rooms were Garden Studio and Garden B, which were comfortable, convenient, spacious, and had lovely tropical vibes with dark wood and tile. Our balcony lounge chairs gave us a view of the sea. The AC in the rooms was effective in the hot weather of August. The dogs are sweet and can be elusive or effusive depending on their mood. Love the pool to relax late in the day! We recommend the snorkeling and glass-bottom boat tour arranged by the concierge. Maxine gave great massages!
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:You will want to visit over and over!
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 just got back from a week at this exquisite boutique hotel on the cliffs of Negril. It’s an amazing place.. beautiful setting amongst tropical gardens with breathtaking sunsets. Imagine how it feels to get the best massage you’ve ever had by either Georgia Maxcine or Pamela and then to go back to the lodge where Razor makes you the best dirty banana you’ve ever had while the sky is turning scarlet. The feeling of relaxation and peacefulness prevails the entire time you are there due to the entire staff from the minute you are greeted by the lovely women at the front desk, the hospitality from the entire wait staff and the morning greetings from the gardeners while you are having coffee on your terrace. The rooms are kept spotless and fresh from the housekeeping staff and anything you may need is taken care of immediately. My friends and I love coming here every year meeting new friends and seeing old friends that also return year after year. Sophie K Long Island New York
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled 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 Anne-Marie P, Marketing at Tensing Pen Resort
Responded 17 Mar 2022
Dear Sophia, It was an immense pleasure having you “and the girls” yet again this year. We are humbled and honored by your loyalty and yearly visits! Thank you for your kind words about our amazing staff. We wish you a great year ahead, till we see all 3 of you again next year. One Love from all of us at Tensing Pen
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Hello! Yes Tensing Pen offer laundry service. For pricing info, please email or call our Front Desk agents and they can best assist you.
(FYI: TripAdvisor will not allow us to show the email address, but it’s on our website under the Contact Us tab!)
One Love!
Yes some of the rooms can! Please email our front desk and they can indicate which ones are available for your preferred dates.
Thank you for considering Tensing Pen hotel!
Hello!
You will absolutely love Sea Grape 2. Unobstructed views of the ocean and very quiet.
Sea Grape 2 is also close to the SeaSong hut and very secluded lounging areas for 2 (2 lounge chairs, umbrella and private cove entrance)
Enjoy!
There are more places to choose from in the Negril area.
PRICE RANGE
£196 - £305 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
tensing pen hotel negril, tensing pen negril, tensing pen jamaica
LOCATION
CaribbeanJamaicaWestmoreland ParishNegril
NUMBER OF ROOMS
26
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