Hotel Review: Holiday Inn

When my boyfriend and I decided that we would be vacationing at Holiday Inn, I honestly had really low expectations. I knew it would not compare to my experiences at Secrets or Palladium. However, I was still looking forward to it, because Lord knows I needed a vacation after my stressful exams.

Service
The service at Holiday in was surprisingly really good. I read a few bad reviews online before we went, but fortunately we did not experience any of the horrors that some guest complained about. The staff were helpful. From the start of our trip until the end, the staff were delightful. I particularly liked the fact that at check-in were served fruit punch while we waited. This is a step down from the champagne they serve at Secrets, but it was still a lovely gesture. I would have to say that the service was pretty decent for the price.

Accommodation
Another surprise for me was the room. I didn't expect that it would have been so spacious. We booked the deluxe suite with ocean view, and I must say that that was the perfect choice. My only complaint would have to be that the bathroom had no jacuzzi. Yes I know, I could survive without that jacuzzi, but it would have been a nice touch to have it there.

Food
The food was so so, nothing special. They had only a few specialty restaurant and we managed to go to two. The first restaurant we went to was the seafood restaurant. I am not really big on seafood, but the food was actually good. However, I was looking forward to the italian restaurant after reading all the wonderful reviews about it. But, what a disappointment! I guess my expectation was too high.

Both the morning and evening buffet are typical of what you would find at any all inclusive hotel, so nothing too special there. I have to give them props though for making some of the best tasting fried dumplings I ever had in my life...yum yum!

Beach
Let me start by saying that I am obsessed with the beach. Maybe I was a mermaid in my past life...haha. With that said, beaches are resorts are very important to me. Thankfully, Holiday Inn did not disappoint because they do have a lovely beach with plenty of space for the guest to spread out. They also had an island (or you might say a patch of sand) by the beach which was actually very lovely. The sand felt good and the water was clear and nice. It was all I could ask for.

Activities
Honestly I don't visit hotels in Jamaica for activities. I am more interested in just relaxing and not having to make the bed, haha. Therefore I didn't go running around the hotel trying to find activities to participating. However, my hubby and I did go wind sailing and it was lovely. We also had a round of competitive miniature golf which was pretty fun, especially because I won! In the evenings the hotel would have some pretty good performance. Our favourite performance night was the Michael Jackson night. Jamaica do have some very talented people!

Ratings
Considering all things relative to the price, I would give this hotel a high rating and would recommend it to anyone. 3.5/5

Check out our other hotel reviews in the mean time:
Tropical Lagoon Heights Resort
Secrets Resort-Wild Orchid


Shannon xoxo

Thank You

We wanted to take this time to thank everyone who cast their vote for Exotic You during the week long voting period, it means a lot to us. We might not have captured first place in the public votes, but we are extremely happy nonetheless that our blog been so well received and this is what motivates us to continue making posts for you all. In our eyes we have already achieved a great deal....Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Self Esteem.....

...... What does it mean to you?

Debbie

VOTING PERIOD EXTENDED

Hello everyone, the Jamaica Bloggers Association (JBA) recently decided to extend the public voting period until midnight this Wednesday, January 16, 2013. We would sincerely appreciate it if you would continue to vote for us until then; just click on the logo below and it will take you directly to the voting point.

THANK YOU!!! once again to everyone who has voted for us and will continue to vote for us. If you have problems with the site registering your vote, wait several minutes and continue to click the "Click To Vote" button until your vote is registered and the number increases; sorry about that guys.

Debbie & Shannon

PSA: Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival 2013

This year's staging of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival promises to be even bigger than previous years. The annual event is now in it's 16th year of operation and like fine wine, it gets better with age. This year's impressive line up showcases international talents Dionne Warwick, Monica, Mary J. Blige, KC and the Sunshine Band, John Legend, Michael Bolton and Arturo Tappin and our local artistes Rootz Underground and Third World Band.

The event takes place at the Greenfield Stadium in Trelawny, Jamaica from January 24 - 26, 2013, and like previous years this is an even that should not be missed; so will you be going?

January 24, 2013 Performers:
Rootz Underground
Third World Band

January 25, 2013 Performers:
Mary J. Blige
Michael Bolton
Arturo Tappin

January 26, 2013 Performers:
John Legend
Monica
KC and the Sunshine Band
Dionne Warwick

For more festival information or information on how to buy tickets check out the website Jamaica Jazz and Blues Art of Music 2013.

Until next time
Debbie :)

We Are Nominated - Jamaica Blog Awards 2012

Exotic You is officially a finalist in the Jamaica Blog Awards and we have been nominated for the Fashion and Beauty category. We are extremely excited and grateful for all the support that we have received over the past year. The voting period is January 8 -14, 2013 and we ask that you continue to support us. We would also like to send out congratulations to all the other nominees and we wish them the very best of luck!

You can cast your vote here Jamaica Blog Awards

Thank you Everyone!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We have been a little MIA over the holidays, but with travel ,school, work and life in general we have had zero time to make posts, but as the new year rolls in we want to wish you all the best for 2013; this is the year to start afresh and achieve all that you set out for this year so whether it's buying a new car or going after that dream job that you've always wanted, GOOD LUCK in all your endeavours! and stay tuned to even more great things from Exotic You for 2013.

Take Care Guys!!
Debbie & Shannon

M.A.C Store Opens Today!!! - Initial Review

Today was the first official day of operation for the highly anticipated M.A.C store that opened at Sovereign Centre in Kingston. I got the chance to pop in for a little bit so I could do a quick review for our lovely Jamaican followers. First, let me establish that I am basically comparing our (Jamaica) M.A.C store to others that I have been to. I have been to M.A.C stores in Hong Kong, Singapore, Istanbul, N.Y. and Miami. Also, I want to apologize for the limited photos because I had to use my phone outside of the store because they don't allow persons to take photos.

Store
First let me start off my discussing the store itself. The store is pretty big as I was expecting a much smaller store since the Jamaican market is not that large. So the size of the store is quite impressive. You can walk around and shop with enough space to breathe. The layout is very typical of a M.A.C store and the organization of the products is pretty much the same. There is also a little private room sectioned off, which I am not sure what that is all about. They also have most of the permanent collection/products that you would find in any M.A.C store. Also in stock is the current "Glamour Daze" collection. All in all, I am happy with the store itself.

Staff
Le sigh. Where do I begin? First let me express that I am giving them some leeway since its officially the first day of service and they were probably overwhelmed. The staff was dressed in all black of course, which is typical for M.A.C, however, their make-up was very underwhelming. Normally when I enter a M.A.C store I am fascinated by the makeup that the staff is wearing. Tonight, all I wanted to do was to take some makeup remover wipes and wipe off their faces. One or two girls got it right but overall I was very disappointed. As for customer service, it was horrible! Jamaica is known for bad customer service but I was hoping this store would be an exception. I had to ask four,  yes four persons before anyone would really pay me any attention, even when they were not doing anything. One girl was actually really rude. However, finally a MAC MUA (makeup artist) by the name of Nyoka came to my rescue. Also, I realized that they don't have much knowledge about the products which is pretty scary if you asked me. They are also VERY slow! However, on a brighter note, I did see some MAC MUAs testing products on some customers so if you need to find your shade in a foundation, they might be helpful.

Pricing
The Jamaican M.A.C store is also the first M.A.C store that I have been to where the price isn't displayed by the products. If you need to get the price of an item you have to go and find a MUA to get the product for you, then you have to take the product to the cashier, wait in line, then have them ring it up...talk about annoying!!! So, of course I was not able to get the price for a lot of products. The MUA also did not know the price of the items, so it made no sense asking them. I got the price of the M.A.C Matchmaster foundation to use as a comparison. In Jamaica is retails at approximately $4200 JM ($46 USD) after tax. On the M.A.C website this foundation retails for $33 USD. With that, you can do the math. This is not surprising though because things are usually more expensive in Jamaica.

Happy Shopping!!!
Shannon

Get Organized!!

I decided to take charge of my clutter and mayhem once and for all and get my jewelry and clothing items organized so I wouldn't have to spend so much time rummaging through my things to find whatever it is I was looking for so here's what I did:

I purchased these kitchen/food displays at Exotic Stone Creations while they were on sale as cute vanity organizers even though they were meant for apples, bananas and nuts :) The first adjustable display works perfectly for my bangles and arm candy; it's functional, practical and everything is in plain sight and untangled just the way it should be. The second display has four compartments and is perfect for smaller everyday pieces such as my rings, small necklaces and watches.

Vanity display #1

Here are the many different ways you can adjust it

Vanity display #2

As for my closet, it is still a work in progress but I'm glad at the present outcome because it was previously a dungeon of clutter, but after purchasing a shelving/closet unit from True Value Hardware everything is much better, but I still intend to improve upon it

Here's the storage unit that I purchased, normally it's very pricey, but I got this one at a steal about 50% off because I guess it was returned to the store, but it worked out great for me!

Semi organized closet

Always remember to colour coordinate your closet as well, check out Shannon's previous post here on how to do so.

Do you have any suggestions on any great storage ideas for handbags, necklaces, shoes and so on? Well I'd love to hear them.
See ya next time friends!
Debbie

Hotel Review: Tropical Lagoon Heights Resort (picture heavy)

I made a recent post of my short stay in the gorgeous parish of Portland and I wanted to follow up with the review of the hotel that the bf and I stayed at for his birthday. It was a last minute decision to scurry off to the resort, but I was extremely happy with our stay there (even though it was just for one night) and I would definitely return.

The property is nestled on a hill in the San San area right next to other popular resorts and beaches such as Frenchman's Cove, Goblin Hill Villas and the Mockingbird Hotel, but this new kid on the block definitely stands out amongst the crowd. The Tropical Lagoon Heights Resort recently opened in November of 2011 and boasts a small yet intimate setting; there are a total of 10 suites/apartments available but they are also expanding the property as I saw the preliminary stages of construction being carried out for additional rooms.

Main Office, Banana House & Plantain House

Sign at entrance to the resort

Service
The service was impeccable, and being that we were the only persons at the resort at the time, we had the opportunity to indulge in the private one on one attention that we received from our hostess Antonette and the other staff. Everyone was genuinely helpful and friendly and it made us feel even more at home; my only concern is that they would be extremely understaffed if a large group decided to check in at the last minute since I didn't see many employees present, so word to the wise if you're going to be travelling with a large group make sure to inform them in advance. Another disappointing factor was the fact that there are no telephones in the rooms, so that means if you need anything you have to walk to the main office or restaurant which can be a little annoying if you need something but don't want to leave your room.

Accommodations and Pricing
As I mentioned, there are only 10 suites/apartments currently available (they can be viewed HERE) and they are arranged in small clusters, of two or three rooms/suites. Some suites are larger self contained units with a full kitchen and a small living and dining area which can sleep four or even more guests and the smaller apartments are of course for  single or double occupancy. The prices were reasonable in my opinion and you can take a look at the rates HERE, our hostess was also kind enough to give us a further 10% off of the room rate which we were of course very happy about. All the rooms come equipped with a fridge, microwave, air conditioning, cable tv, cold/hot water and kitchenette or full kitchen.

Entrance to our Black Mango Suite

Kitchenette

View from bedroom

Food
Now I'm not very familiar with the parish of Portland nor the Port Antonio area so it was imperative for me that the resort we stayed at had an onsite restaurant. The dining area of the resort overlooked the lush vegetation and the Blue Lagoon. There is a separate breakfast, lunch and dinner menu provided in each suite, and you are given a continental style breakfast as part of the room rate. Menu selections were just ok in my opinion and a little bit pricey, but what we ordered was delicious nonetheless.

We asked to have dinner brought to us in the room

Jamaican breakfast

Entrance to restaurant

Beach
This by far was my favourite part of our stay at the resort, the hotel boasts a private beach which opens up into the famous Blue Lagoon, but getting to the beach however proved to be a very treacherous venture as the path leading to the beach starts out extremely steep but eventually levels out, it took us about 5 - 8 minutes to get to the beach. There is no life guard present at any point in time, so you do have to swim at your own risk, but life jackets are amply provided for the guests right on the beach. Another interesting point to raise about the beach is that the water is brackish, meaning that it is a mixture of mostly fresh mineral water and sea water and at times you could feel the drastic temperature difference of warm and cold as the water that emerged from a nearby mineral spring mixed with the warmer waters of the Caribbean Sea. The colours of the water were absolutely gorgeous as they changed from a deep bottle green to a bright turquoise colour. In addition to the beach, guests can take a 5 minute kayak ride across the water to the mineral spring which feeds into the Blue Lagoon; the water is freezing but it is crystal clear and looks enchanting.

Extremely steep pathway to the beach

And here's the slope : o

Sloping pathway turns to a long stairway

View of the entire beach

Blue Lagoon

Kayaking on the Blue Lagoon

View of the Blue Lagoon from the mineral spring

Kayaking out at sea

The turquoise waters at the beach

Mineral spring that feeds into the lagoon

Activities
Since it is a small resort the activities available on the hotel grounds were limited. Kayaking and snorkeling activities are available at no additional cost to the guests; snorkeling gear is provided by the hotel hostess upon request and there were about 5 or so kayaks available at the beach for guests to use at their leisure. Directly across from the hotel's private beach there is a small set of craft vendors, and bamboo raft guides which you could kayak over to. There is a disco/club on the property but of course we did not get to experience it because it was closed possibly because we were the only guests present at the time and lastly there are two swimming pools on the hotel grounds.

Pool near our room

Kayaks on the beach for guests

Activities & craft vendors across from the hotel beach

Entrance to the club below the restaurant

Rating 4/5
I would recommend this resort to anyone who is looking to explore Portland. As a newly opened resort is on the right path and I expect it to get much better as time goes by. The contact information can be found HERE if you're interested in spending some time there; I am definitely looking forward to spending time there again in the future.

Debbie

Also check out our review of Secrets Resort-Wild Orchid