Frommer's Review
One of the most unusual and intimate inns in Negril defines itself as "a boutique collection of cottages," catering to sophisticated international (often European) clients with simple tastes from a position near the town's western edge. With strong links to Negril's past as a New Age refuge for counter-culture American and British expatriates during the [?]60s and ?70s, it is now considerably more elegant than what it was during its earliest hippy-centered origins. During the hurricanes of 2005, the inn suffered major damage to parts of its cliff-bordering premises, but immediately activated major architectural changes to its cottages that have changed the look and feel of the place forever. Sea-fronting cottages, which had previously been raised high above the ground, South Seas style, on massive timbers, are now supported by massive masonry piers that are bigger than any equivalent foundations in Negril, adding a space-age, high-tech look that's oddly incongruous within a venue that's otherwise small-scale, low-tech, eco-friendly, and charming. The entire compound is positioned at the top of a vertiginous cliff, a 10-minute stroll from Negril's landmark lighthouse, about 6km (3 3/4 miles) south of the center of town. Hidden away from the world, the place is a little gem. On 3/4 of a hectare (2 acres) of grounds, you're surrounded by tropical planting. Laze in the hammocks or sunbathe on the terraces hewn out of rock. Accommodations usually contain a four-poster bed -- crafted either from bamboo or from Jamaican mahogany -- draped in mosquito netting, plantation house-style. Handmade tiles, tropical woods, bamboo rockers, ceiling fans, and louvered windows set the tone. No room contains a TV -- a deliberate omission that's favored by a clientele who appreciate an escape from media in general. Bathrooms with shower/tub combinations are a bit cramped.
The resort contains the scariest-looking bridge in Negril. Fashioned from timber and planking, and without a handrail, it stretches over the water between two rocky headlands, allowing, if you dare, deepwater plunges into the watery depths -- at your own risk, of course. The nearest beach is a 10- to 15-minute drive or a 30-minute walk away, but many of the clients of this place swim locally, off the rocks.
One of the most appealing aspects of the place involves its restaurant. Open only to residents and their invited guests, it occupies a long, low, communal building whose design (and the way its beams have been lashed together with a combination of hempen twine and nails) was imported directly from central Africa. English-born Richard Murray is the elegant, eco-sensitive host whose stories about the early days of Negril could fill a small, gossipy book.
Everyone who checks in here, we've been told, asks about the origin of the hotel's name. Tensing Norgay was the Sherpa tribesman who guided Sir Edmund Hilary in his historic ascent of Mount Everest. The Murray family's pet dog was a Lhasa Apso named Tensing in honor of that guide. Since the dog came to view the entire hotel compound as his exclusive fiefdom, the hotel's name was changed to Tensing Pen, with Pen referring to a fenced-in area for restraining animals.
Facilities:
Restaurant; bar; babysitting; laundry service; rooms for those w/limited mobility
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
