If anyone is searching on Google for places to stay near Lucea, Jamaica you will most certainly stumble across Global Villa Hotel located in Esher, Hanover. Google is how I found it and I felt compelled to book a couple of nights back in February mainly because the online reviews were all so positive and great. I wondered what the hidden secret was and now that I’ve returned here three times in the last few months I KNOW what the secret is.
Global Villa Hotel is a seafront guest house ideally located right on the main highway between Montego Bay and Negril. Coming here from Montego Bay is roughly a thirty minute drive. After passing through the town of Lucea, a rest stop road sign clearly marks your approach to Global Villa which will be on your left, facing the ocean.
Upon arriving, I was greeted by warm smiles from the front desk staff. One of the girls was happy to show me a variety of rooms they had available in different price ranges, and then allowed me to choose my preference. I hadn’t even settled into the room yet when I got a knock on my door. It was the same girl who checked me in offering me a complimentary arrival beverage which was a fantastic gesture. I’ve stayed in a LOT of mid-range accommodations in Jamaica and a welcome beverage is not the norm for this category. And I know this is how Global Villa treats every guest because this was not a pre-arranged review, it was just a random booking for me.
THE ROOMS
Global Villa Hotel offers fifteen rooms in all sizes and price ranges starting at $45.00 USD per night.
Each time I’ve stayed here I chose a different room for different reasons. My first room was room #6 on the second floor, west side of the building. I had a lovely direct view of the sunset each night from there. For my second stay I chose room #1 which is on the main floor. It is one of the larger rooms with two queen beds and a door that opens directly onto a veranda with tables right next to the restaurant. I loved this room because it was close to the hub of everything which made it easy to socialize and meet other guests and locals. For my third stay I chose room #7 on the second floor. It’s probably the smallest room available with the best nightly rate. I’ve also been shown room #8 on the second floor, front side of the building. It’s very large as well, with a kitchenette and a veranda facing the sea.
All rooms (even the cheap ones!) come with air conditioning, fans, cable TV and exceptionally hot water which isn’t very common. Most budget accommodations give you lukewarm water at best.
THE LOCATION
In my opinion, Global Villa Hotel is in an excellent location. It’s away from the hub of busy towns but it’s only a hop, skip and jump from the conveniences of Lucea where you’ll find all kinds of bank machines, restaurants, historical attractions such as Fort Charlotte.Â
Bulls Bay beach is right across the road and a super short walk to a nice cool dip in the sea.
This guest house is approximately thirty minutes drive in either direction to Negril and Montego Bay. Since it is right on the highway, if you don’t drive yourself, transportation is a breeze with local taxis running by here all day, every day. You can get around conveniently and very cheaply by local transport and villa staff know the good, trustworthy ones you can rely on.
AMENITIES AND DINING
Global Villa Hotel literally has everything you need if you don’t feel like going out to look for it. The front office is also a bar and convenience shop where you can pull up a chair and buy liquor, pharmacy and travel items (in case you forgot your toothbrush), cold drinks and snacks.
There is also a restaurant on site serving up a variety of local Jamaican dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dishes such as brown stew chicken, curry chicken, and oxtail are among the daily menu items. One of the best features around mid-day is the jerk grill set up on the front veranda. Food here is locally priced at very reasonable rates. I order an omlette with toast and Blue Mountain coffee every morning for a mere $500.00 JMD. Traditional Jamaican breakfast is also an option with ackee, saltfish, dumpling, banana, etc.
One more pretty great amenity here at Global Villa is their conference center. It is located behind the main building on the property. There are newer, additional guest rooms above the conference center, and some of the services provided there are weddings, business meetings, and other types of gatherings. In fact, just this past mother’s day they hosted a brunch event for 60 people.
THE SECRET
Remember in the beginning of this post I mentioned that I’ve found out what secret to all the amazing online reviews?
Hands down the BEST part about being at Global Villa Hotel is the staff. Once you’re here for a day you feel like family. It is a small property so it doesn’t take long to meet everyone who works here and they’re all wonderful! Nothing but smiles and great service come from the front desk and restaurant staff. Security is very friendly, the owner, Miss Spence is a wonderful lady and the guests (local and foreign) are very happy to be here.
So now the question is, do I recommend this guest house? Absolutely! It’s a fantastic place to book your entire Jamaica vacation or just book a few nights while passing through. Either way, you’re treated with wonderful hospitality and will definitely make a few friends along the way. The price is right along with everything else here that’s right! To make a booking or inquiry at Global Villa Hotel, please see the contact info in the photo below or visit their website.
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