Ocho Rios Guest House

I’ve stayed at Little Shaw Park Guest house on several occasions and this is my rundown on it. Their website is pretty easy to find and I just want to clarify that it’s not “luxurious” as stated. Although I love staying there, this is the real deal. Its very basic and no frills. I’ve stayed right on the beach at Rooms on the Beach for cheaper, but there are some definite pro’s about this guest house.

I’m a simple traveler who doesn’t require much EXCEPT the freedom to travel how I want. This is one of the definite pro’s about this guest house. I’m free to invite any or all of my Jamaican friends over at any time, we can cook in a room with a kitchen, we can come and go at any hour without interference from staff. With the ability to cook our own meals it works out cheaper than a hotel in the long run because we save on eating out every day.

Like I said, the rooms at this guest house are very basic, no frills. For around $60 USD a night you will get a bed, a mini-fridge, a full bathroom and some rooms have A/C. For around $65 a night they’ll throw in a kitchen. For about $75 a night you can get a cottage with 2 full bathrooms, bedroom with double bed, kitchen, A/C and a hide-a-bed in the living room. They all have TV’s with cable and you can probably pick up the wireless internet on their unsecured network. I’ve stayed in 4 different rooms here and all were reasonable.

Another big plus, in MY opinion, is that the location is up in the hills, but not too far. I can walk into to downtown Ocho Rios in about 10 minutes at a Jamaican’s pace. Its such a short walk that it would be ridiculous to catch a taxi. Also being up the hill a little seems quieter and more quaint. Its set back from the road, which has barely any traffic anyways. And it is situated right next door to a primary school. This could be a pro or a con depending on if you like kids or not. I personally LOVE waking up to the sound of children singing.

The grounds are beautifully kept and you will see the groundskeeper out there every single day maintaining it. He’s the tall, slender guy who walks around with a machete all the time. But he only uses it to dig out anything that doesn’t resemble a blade of grass.

The property is a fair size with rooms and cottages scattered on it. My two favorite places on the property are the two covered gazebo areas – one in a courtyard and one out front. Both can be lit at night if you want to sit out after dark and hardly anyone uses them so its all yours!

My MOST favorite thing at Little Shaw Park are my 3 little doggies. They live there and are the friendliest pups EVER! For some reason they were always on our doorstep….maybe it was because we always fed them our leftovers LOL. They greet you at the gate, they see you off when you leave, they come and hang with you in the gazebo, etc. I miss them every time I look at my pictures.

Little Shaw Park guest house is run by a Jamaican man, Trevor and his Canadian wife, Debbie, hence the Canadian flags on the way in the gates. The cleaning staff and groundskeeper are awesome, always friendly but never intrusive. Trevor looks after a lot of the guest needs promptly and with a smile. Debbie pretty much runs the office but is seriously lacking in the personality department. Their grown daughter is sometimes around too and she’s super friendly and smiley.

Overall I don’t have any complaints about this guest house except (should I say it??), the occasional cockroach. BUT that’s to be expected in Jamaica! Its not just a problem with this guest house. Everyone who works here minds their own business and is laid back in typical Jamaican style. I recommend Little Shaw Park guest house.

[ad#in-post]