I was really looking forward to the Tensing Pen, based on the great reviews and the awesome photos. I was VERY disappointed.
PROS: The property, grounds, room were all VERY VERY nice.
CON: The service was lackluster, with the exception of a couple people. Why do I say this?? There was a wedding there, and we were notified that the only restaurant would be closed meaning that we'd have to go elsewhere for a meal, totally fine. What was NOT fine was being informed while we were at the pool / bar area looking for a bartender in the middle of the afternoon that the BAR was closed also. Really? The ONLY bar. There was no water, no sodas, no cocktails to be had. AND the wedding was being held directly outside the two rooms of the apparently only two couples NOT attending the wedding. So, 1) no food; 2) no drinks; and 3) party just outside our doors. The property was plenty large enough and spread out enough that they could have put the non-wedding guests AWAY from the wedding. The staff all seemed unhappy to be working there. We felt like any request was a burden (except for the wonderful housekeeper and the nice guy who took our bags to our room for us). Frankly, I felt like we were just filling empty rooms and all the time and attention was paid to the wedding and wedding party.

But, if you get there and there's not a wedding, it's a lovely place. The room (Seagrape II) was beautiful. Every location on the property was lovely. We just didn't get very good service.

Oh, Ras Rudy's across the street has delicious food.

I was here for a wedding in the middle of May and the place is spectacular in every way. I'm not the type of person that likes contrived "chain" hotels that offer an experience that has nothing to do with the culture of the city/island/country, etc. Tensing Pen combines luxury and pampering with the true vibe of Jamaica. The food prepared by Chef Kevin was amazing (snapper, grouper, jerk chicken barbecue) and Razor, the best bartender in all the land, is almost worth the trip alone. He makes an incredible Hummingbird.

Get a massage oceanside, lounge in the hammock overlooking the cliffs, watch the sun set from the pool or jump off the bridge into the turquoise water. Anything you do here will be perfect.

The cottages are upscale but still offer that "beach bum" kind of vibe. The best of both worlds.

The plane landed and once again I feel like I am home….God, I LOVE Jamaica. I feel at ease there, all my problems slip out of memory and for those special moments that I am there I can totally and fully relax. In my mind Jamaica is absolutely perfect.

Those are just some of the reasons why when it came time to marry my best friend there was no comparison and no decision to be made as to where the special event would take place…it had to be Jamaica. So….the planning began.

Resort

We chose Tensing Pen. There was no other choice for us. The resort is stunning in a natural and simple way, which was exactly what we were looking for. We stayed at Tensing Pen for the whole duration of our stay (7 nights), we enjoyed the quietness of the resort.

We stayed in Middle Pillar and the view was gorgeous from the balcony. We didn’t need AC (doesn’t come in that room) but the breezes that come in off of the ocean were enough to keep us cool and comfortable. The room had a bathroom (sinks and toilet), the shower is located at the bottom of the stairs underneath the pillar. It was nice to shower in the outdoors. It also had a 4 poster bamboo bed which was very comfortable. Great pillows! We had enough closet and drawer space for our clothes for the week. The chairs on the balcony were very comfortable and many evenings were spent out there sipping wine or drinking Red Stripes and enjoying the scenery and taking the atmosphere in.

The housekeeping service was fantastic…our room was always spotless and they always left us fresh flowers on the bed and towel decorations like hearts on the bed….very cute.

The wait staff at the resort were great to us too. They always were there to please and happy to do so. Always grateful for the tips that we gave and shared many stories with us about their own lives. The drinks…well, I definitely recommend the Pina Coladas and the Dirty Bananas….I would shy away from the Strawberry Daiquiri and the Bloody Marys (not so good)…decent prices too for the bar service.

The food at the resort was fabulous!! Chef Kevin is gifted. The only complaint is the limited menu that is offered…kind of disappointing. However, the food that is offered is very good. But, with so many options in Negril you want to get off the resort and try multiple places…however, we did eat at the resort 3 nights while there and were NOT disappointed at all each and every time. The pumpkin soup….to die for!! Kevin cooked our wedding special dinner and I have to say it was the best meal of the week!! I believe that if Tensing Pen would expand their menu (Kevin is definitely up for the task of cooking and preparing a larger menu….he is the best!!) and serve to outside patrons then they would definitely make a profit and bring in more dining business.

The grounds of the resort are immaculate. There are always workers who are sweeping and trimming the plants and making sure everything is picture perfect.

For fun….there is a nice pool surrounded by lounge chairs and most of the time we had the pool to ourselves. We were there during slow season and you wouldn’t of known that the resort was booked to capacity, it’s like you are the only ones there. There is the ocean to play in. They have snorkeling equipment that you can borrow and rafts that you can take into the ocean to lay on and enjoy the current. I have to say that the current at Tensing Pen can be, at times, a bit strong. If you are into snorkeling I found the best time to go was in the mornings. It was hit or miss on what you saw though…a little disappointing. We did see some dolphins one day and that was great!! There is also the bridge and the cliffs to jump off into the water…that is such an adrenaline rush! Or you can just lounge and enjoy a good book…got lots or reading in that week.

Wedding….Tensing Pen was perfect for our wedding site. Everything was exactly how I imagined it to be. Sonia, the wedding coordinator at the resort, definitely came through for me when it came to the wedding details. I could not of asked for more. Now….I am married to my best friend and could not be happier. :o)

Outside Activities

We spent a lot of time off the resort too (if you can imagine that)…we loved to eat lunch at Alice’s across the street from Tensing Pen. The people there are so friendly and welcomed us each and every time. We always had great food, great conversation and good times when we were there.

We visited Rick’s. The new hubby had never been there. It is a show to see if you had never seen it before with the cliff divers. We had a few beers, lots of appetizers but the food was just okay in our opinion. We had a good time.

We did our airport transfers with TOTTT and Sienna drove us to and from the airport and she is delightful. Absolutely LOVE her. She is so full of information and loves to talk. We really enjoyed her company. Such a sweet lady….we will definitely be using TOTTT again!!

We visited YS Falls and Pelican Bar with TOTTT. Barry was our driver that day and he was fantastic. He shared information, let us jam our to tunes in the van and showed us a great day in Jamaica. He introduced us to some of the local food bought from street vendors…OMG the corn was so good!! When we went to Pelican Bar he arranged for us to have fresh fish prepared/cooked when we got back to shore. That fish was so yummy!! Great day…good times!

We absolutely love 3-Dives. Their hot sauce/jerk sauce is some of the best I have tasted. We even bought three bottles and brought it home with us. It seems hotter here in the states then it was in Jamaica. Love it when the mouth burns!! Oh so good!! :o)

We also did the Ultimate Kayak Adventure with Chukka Tours. They picked us up our resort and dropped us off afterwards…would stop for cold Red Stripes along the way when asked. Our tour bus driver (don’t recall the name) but he was so funny!! The tour itself was fantastic. It consisted our us kayaking down the river, exiting the river and doing a series of three zip lines and then getting back into the kayak to finish the trip down the river. Our tour guide Marlin was so informative and gave us a lot of background about the island he really took pride in his job…it was great to see that. The views that we saw from the river were breathtaking. The trees were so old, and HUGE. The zip lines where crazy!! The first one takes you right over the river…the views were amazing! I would definitely recommend taking this tour. We also got lunch combined with our tour and Chukkas hot sauce/jerk sauce was, by far, the HOTTEST jerk sauce I have ever ate. It was good.

I think that pretty much sums up our trip to Jamaica. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions…would be happy to try and answer anything that I can.

Hope you love Jamaica as much as we do!! :o)

My wife and I stayed at Tensing Pen for 6 days at the end of April, as part of group there to see my best friend marry the love of his life! 12 of us all in the entire group, with 10 of us staying there the entire time. Tensing is an oasis on the rocky, cliff side of Negril, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Negril..truely a gem in the rough! Each of the rooms is unique, my wife and I stayed in the Garden B, what an enchanting room, with a large 4 poster queen bed, a private bath, and AC(a godsend for the groom in a suit!!!) The ocean is just a leap away off the cliffs or the bridge, as crystal clear as that water is, it's 20+ feet down...your not gonna hit bottom! The ocean is like swimming in your bathtub, same temperature! No shock at all! The maid service was efficient and thorough, often times leaving flowers on our bed, and we weren't even the wedding couple! The lodge served a wonderful breakfast every morning, and while you can just eat from the buffet, fresh fruit, juices, Jamaican Blue coffee, cereals, toast, eggs...you HAVE to one time, order pancakes or french toast! My god, I've never seen a pancake that is over an inch thick, light and fluffy, garnished with the fresh fruit of the day, maple syrup and cinnamon! I'd go back just for that!
The staff is excellent, curtious, and friendly; everyone has a smile on their face, and it's so laid back! The resort itself is walled and secure, but with the tropical growth and feel to the place, you don't even realize it! Secure so much, that in the 6 days we were there, we never even locked our door! Im a photographer and was carrying several thousand dollars in camera/computer gear! There is internet access in the main lodge or outside the office, and while it's a bit sketchy at times, I never did, not hook-up...though why would really want to stay in touch with the outside world!
There are awesome places to eat, just across the road, a place called Alice's, great jerk chicken and curried goat for sure mon! Plus there is a grocer just a short jaunt down the street for drinks if you want to keep something in your room(refrig in the room).
If your a dog lover, you will love the hotels pups, there for night security, a friendly wag, and general atmosphere! Tensing, Sugar, and I forget the other one's name....great, friendly pooches! But dont feed them!
We will not hesitate to return to Jamaica, we fell in love the country, its people, and the lifestyle!
I should reccomend, for transfers, contact, Errol, at Errol Flynn Tours(google it)! He can provide you with comfortable, relaxing, airport transfers and tours of the country he loves! He's friendly and very knowledgable, and will have you in stitches! There is no better tour/driver in the country!