It's been 20 years since I took my first trip to Jamaica. Since then, I've been half a dozen times and stayed at various resorts in Negril and Falmouth. After explaining to my travel agent that I needed a quiet, tranquil place to rest, destress, reflect, recharge, and renew, she strongly suggested Zoetry and noted that she herself had stayed there. Somewhat hesitant, as I'd never stayed in Montego Bay and was concerned about being so close to the airport (noise), I am grateful for her suggestion. Overall, I was exceptionally pleased with my stay. I stayed for 7 nights in July.
I received the warmest welcome ever! The staff was friendly, courteous, and professional. The decor was contemporary and quite pleasing to the eye. It felt as if I'd stepped into an aromatherapeutic, zen zone. My stress instantly melted away.
I stayed in a Junior Suite King Tropical View. The room was AMAZING! It was spacious, clean, well designed, and well stocked with toiletries, beverages, and incidentals. The balcony was inviting. The 24/7 room service was incredible. There were ample for options to choose from and I was able to order using a tablet supplied by the resort.
This could get long, so I'll just focus on the highlights of my stay.
#1) DAILY YOGA. I enjoyed yoga every morning on the pier which extended into the Carribean. I was greeted daily by Karl, the instructor. He was friendly, professional, motivating, patient/calm, and thorough. I hadn't partook of Yoga in years. Although I felt my stress melt away upon arrival, I didn't realize just how tight and tense my body was. After the first class, I knew I needed to participate daily.
I was so impressed with how phenomenal I felt after participating in yoga, that I quickly reached out to a trauma-informed yoga instructor upon my return to the states to coordinate yoga classes for clients at the outpatient clinic whereby I'm the Regional Director. The first class will be facilitated in September. Thank you Karl!!! You made a profound impact upon me, which others will now benefit from. You earned 5 out of 5 stars! In addition to yoga and Pilates, Karl should really do more classes at Zoetry. I'll be back in December and look forward to Yoga and Pilates with Karl.
#2) THE SPA. Typically, I'm not a spa person. Michael, Michael, Michael. This man has the magic touch! I had the best massage ever. So much so, that I booked another one the following day. He was able to workout the remaining stress knots in my shoulders and was very informative. Now that I know better, I'll also partake of a daily massage when I return, right along with Yoga and Pilates.
#3) THE HOSPITALITY. The staff was absolutely incredible!!! Noelle, Sunshine, Shane, Merlene, the breakfast crew were phenomenal, the spa staff, Nicholas (the grounds keeper), Karl, and Michael truly made my staff memorable.
The staff was attentive, friendly, professional, and accessible. I had an issue with an external excursion. Before I could form the words, Noelle was all over it. She'd already called the company. Sunshine was a ray of Sunshine. His laugh and peaceful energy wad contagious. Shane made the best rum punches that I've ever had. Merlene was a joy to chat with. The ladies who greeted and served breakfast daily were incredibly kind and attentive. The spa staff was warm, friendly, informative, and very knowledgeable. Nicholas (the Grounds Keeper) allowed me to feed the koi in the pond and schooled me on indigenous plants as he watered the plants and took care of maintaining the property.
Saul, the General Manager, was also hands on and responsive. He seemed to genuinely care about my stay and experiences.
#4) The resort itself. It's small, clean, gorgeous, well kept, full of amenities/spunk, and activities. In addition to Yoga, Pilates, and the spa, I enjoyed the nightly entertainment from my balcony, participating in cooking class, kayaking, and the peace and quite....although, one night of dancing to reggae music would have been great!
The only downsides of my stay were: 1) an issue I had with an excursion, and 2) a not so pleasant encounter with my assigned butler. I don't fault Zoetry for Chukka or the butler. At the end of the day, people are people and all of the training in the world can only do so much. When people are focused upon their selfish agendas, training and professionalism go out the window.
I'll be back in December. I look forward to another amazing stay/experience....and having a different butler!
Dr. Lanette Madison
