Starfish Trelawny Resort Hotel

The Starfish is an excellent hotel even though it is starred as 3+.
The food is fantastic with choices for all tastes from veggie to full blown fry-ups. There is huge choice at each sitting in the buffet area but also an Italian, Japanese and a la carte restaurant. Another choice is the pool side bar that serves burgers, chips etc until late evening.
The beach is cleaned each day and there is a separate little island for sunbathing if you wish, also a nudist area further down the beach. The sea is clean and warm and life jackets are available at all times if you want one.
The only disappointing factor was that you are constantly approached by beach sellers and although there are security guards on the beach you still get pestered a lot.
Entertainment is varied at different times of the day.
You would not be disappointed with the swimming pools either, which are cleaned daily. And there are plenty of sunbeds for everyone.
Good for both adults and children.

So far this has been one of the best holidays I have been on!! I went with my cousin and a friend all aged between 20 and 22. Having had an amazing holiday the year before we were a bit apprehensive about this place given the mixed views about it. Anyway having to wait a couple hours in the airport on arrival in Jamaica did not bother us we were just grateful that we could have a holiday in such a nice country!
On arrival at the hotel we were warmly welcomed by the staff and the hotel was a lot better than we expected! The three of us stayed in the same room and there was more than plenty of space with a balcony that looked over the mountains!
The hotel entertainment was amazing we always had something to do during the day whether it was on the trapeze, playing tennis or any of the other activities available. We never even got the chance to sunbathe because we were so busy doing activities!
In the evenings we tried all the restaurants available taking turn each night. The buffet was really good and plenty to choose from and I’m a fussy eater too. Even though there was a $10 supplement to eat in the restaurants is was well worth it.
The evening entertainment was great too! There was an in house band which were brilliant. Each night there was entertainment organised by the hotel staff. We had beach parties, show put on by staff, Mr Starfish comp and reggae dance comps! It was great and fun for all ages!!
The beach was lovely and so relaxing and the locals were really nice too!! We paid extra to do motorised activities like jet skies and it was worth paying for.
The holiday was that good we are planning our next trip back there in Sept.

Butlins in Jamaica !!
This was our honeymoon and it was **** from day one to the end it was a nightmare lost luggage by AIR JAMACIA do not fly with them. no power on the plane in our seated area.
Arrival at Starfish the nightmare began
Room was awful single beds, TV didn't work hair dryer hanging out of the wall wires showing shower broken and my favourite cockroaches had one running up my arm which was nice, mice or rats in the air vent, air conditioning only worked on one level high very loud.
Food very average in the canteen lovely plastic tables and chairs. Nothing to do same thing ever night very boring Oh shouldn't forget Bubbles Disco which stays open till the last person leaves normally about 4am which is an added bonus if you are in a room above Bubbles.
Over looked the staff entrance which woke you up every morning at about 7am Oh and don't forget the dustin bin men at that time as well.
To do extra activities was very expensive and I loved wearing my yellow band Prison Number 53428.
Small little plastic glasses to have you drinks in your going back to the bar every 5mins and the resort is supposed to be for honeymooners so why is the whole thing aimed at kids and families
The whole experience was a nightmare the only good thing I could say about the resort was the wonderful staff.
So conclusion to my report you have two choices.
1. Go to Starfish spend £3000 and be extremely ****** off
2. Hire a sunbed buy a cocktail maker stay at home
The choice is yours!!

I loved it here! This was my second visit to this hotel and I loved it just as much this time, if not more. There’s so much to do, 6 pools, basket ball, table tennis, loads of day time activities (quizzes, family fun time, bingo, rock wall climbing competitions, etc), ice skating (which Mr D Bray (below) the rink is plastic not concrete and do you really expect an outside ice rink made of real ice in Jamaica?!?!), pool tables, sailing, kayaking and much more, threes even a trampoline in the sea!
I went with my dad, 2 brothers (14 and 9 months), my dads partner and 2 of her children (17 and 12) and I can honestly say, despite the age ranges and the fact that the weather wasn’t great and we couldn’t go out much, nobody was bored, even myself and Jo who are both 17 and usually hard to entertain!
The staff were great, very very friendly, they all learnt your names, especially the entertainment staff, although all the staff made an effort to get to know you, at least on 1st name basis, which ultimately made the holiday more enjoyable.
The hotel is all-inclusive although there are a few things you have to pay extra for. the free buffet has decent food, even Jamaican specialities for the more adventurous eater. There are extra 'specialist' restaurants which you have to pay extra for, such as Italian, Japanese, etc, although there is a free restaurant, the Casablanca. There are a few dishes you have to pay extra for but the free menu has a decent variety of dishes for everyone, the six of us all managed to find something nice that was free.
There’s entertainment every night that ranges from singers to steel bands to beach parties. All of which people of all ages are invited to go to and once that’s over there’s bubbles disco to go to. There is a separate room off the disco that’s turned into a kids disco that’s just for people under the age of 18 and later on, a disco for over 18s.
But if the discos not your scene there are many bars you can go to and relax in. The piano bar where a man sings any song requested, sea shell bar and grill where you can sit and listen to the sea, the lobby bar with comfy seats and pool tables near by.
We had to have a room change because the room wasn’t big enough with the king size bed and an additional cot for the bay but all seven of us were moved into three adjoining rooms with a sea view when we had only paid for a mountain view with no fuss and no extra charge.
I thoroughly enjoyed this holiday and would highly recommend this hotel to everyone.

We are a party of 4 a couple & a 14 & 15 yr old & have just returned from Jamaica. The airport was crap & after 2 hours at immigration in the sweltering heat with no fans or air con, we were left in a pretty ratty mood.
We stayed at the Starfish Trelawney. The overall appearance of the hotel was pretty good, reception & checking in was also pretty good where the Staff were lovely & friendly as they were throughout our holiday. Rooms were nice & spacious, cleaned daily , but we was sometimes messed about with towels either not being left any, or only being left hand towels. Food was ok, sometimes better than other nights. The buffet would have been fine, but it was open-plan & open air, and so humid, irritating as you had to queue to get a table, although there were fifty free tables !!!, But a decent selection. Beach bar seemed the best selection for food. Italian, was good, but had to pay for it. although it was all inclusive. Casablanca, ok, but again had to pay for most things...all inclusive -NOT !Grounds beautiful, pools great. Jamaican people really friendly.
BUT..... unless you are 14 or 15 or 60 or 70 there was sod all to do in the evenings.
There was crab racing ! which was classed as an evening of entertainment, which lasted maybe an hour, then NOTHING. Then there was a karaoke, then NOTHING. which also only lasted an hour, there was domino night or some game like it only an hour again. Card night, poker that sort of thing, for an hour again. Then NOTHING. Art gallery night!!!! Really where paintings were sold by a local artist...also for an hour. then NOTHING. That was it !!
All of this was carried out in the lobby bar, which was probably the liveliest bar there. Then there was a piano bar, where a Jamaican guy sung what you wanted, but that was great for the oldies, there were always grey ladies & gentlemen up there, it sort of sent me to sleep. Although the bar was very comfy.
There is a large centre stage overlooking the pool, which would be ideal for entertainment & there was some good singers & bands, but any entertainment only ever lasted the hour, which was very disappointing.
We are a couple in our early forties, & although we don’t want discos,& raving into the early hours we do want something, some sort of bar that plays music. There was no background music, or any Caribbean or Jamaican reggae theme, nothing really going on.
The beach/pool bar was huge, with loads of space to accommodate people, overlooking the pool, hearing the waves of the sea.... but completely dead in the evenings, what a waste. You couldn’t get a drink there until 11.30 as it was used as a restaurant until 11.30, then closed at 12.30 again only an hour!! But no music, nothing!
The 14 & 15 year old loved it, disco-ing every night, & things for them to do in the day...
Overall holiday, good, relaxing very pissed off as it was not ALL INCLUSIVE, and sod all to do for 20-50 year olds.

This was my best holiday to date. There was a big choice of activities including ice skating and trampoline in the sea. There was a full scale trapeze with safety net. The pools were beautiful and included pool tables within the pool. Facilities too numerous to mention. The buffet restaurant was fine but the speciality restaurants were excellent especially the Casablanca and the Japanese restaurants. It was well worth the small surcharge for the Japanese as it was a whole showmanship dining experience. The hotel even has it’s own island that you wade out to from the beach complete with sunloungers and hammocks. The staff are great and the entertainment was the best I’ve found. The disco does not close until the last people leave. I would go back if I did not have a policy of always looking for somewhere new.

In response to some of the more negative reviews on this hotel I have to say the standard of the rooms were extremely good, particularly when you remember that you are in what is still very much considered to be a third world country.
The rooms were exceptionally clean and serviced every day, the staff could not have been more helpful and the entertainment was o.k. The only fault of the hotel was that it is situated in the middle of no where, but to be honest as it is not recommended that you leave your hotel complex at night in Jamaica this is totally irrelevant.
The food was very good and there was plenty of it. The buffet was very good although after two weeks it can get a little boring, however there are other alternative restaurants that are priced very reasonably.
Overall we had a fantastic holiday for a very reasonable price, and I would say to the critics who complain about minor pests such as bees, take a look around next time you travel to the Caribbean as some people live in worse conditions than my dog, so count yourselves lucky you can go on holidays like these.

I would recommend the Starfish Trelawney. Had a great time. The staff is exceptionally accommodating. Lots of activities throughout the day. Rooms are clean and neat. Different foods on the buffet each day. Plenty to choose from! Drinks are good and the pool area is great. Nice activities at night as well. For an all-inclusive package, I recommend the starfish Trelawney.

This was a major disappointment. The room was small, full of ants, and the air conditioner did not work properly. Due to remodelling, our room could not be changed. The food was fairly good, but we were not told of the surcharge on meals outside of the buffet. The bars were covered in bees. I paid extra for an ocean view room, only to have a sliver of the ocean available for me to see without falling off the balcony. We paid for a shopping trip to Montego Bay, and ended up having to stop at overpriced strip malls where the bus driver had friends working.
The beach was beautifully maintained, and the employees for the most part were very friendly, helpful, and fun. The glistening waters tour was awesome as well.

We booked this in Sept 2003 and told operator we were on honeymoon. They said the Starfish was ideal for honeymooners and a honeymoon welcome pack would be there. Not only did we not get a welcome pack, no room was ready after a ten-hour flight.
Buffet restaurant was like Butlins with plastic tablecloths. Adult only pool was full of kids, Ice Rink does not exist, it’s a concrete rink! Room was like a prison cell with white painted breezeblocks, patio door was rusted and didn’t lock and had tissue paper stuffed into seals!
No couples, just hundreds of kids everywhere, the noise was unbelievable in reception area with loud music and slot machines. Double bed was two twins pushed together and this was our honeymoon. Thanks Portland for NOTHING, then had to pay nearly a £1000 for upgrade to another hotel!