I have been meaning to write this review since I returned on Dec 2, 2011. My friend and I stayed at Silver Seas Resort for a week right after Thanksgiving. It breaks my heart to see any bad reviews. This place was enchanting. I am a well-seasoned traveler (Asia, Middle East, Eastern & Western Europe, India) and I have roughed it. Silver Seas for me was like luxury. But I also didn't go there expecting fancy amenities. The staff really was great and I did feel they tried to get to know their guests. I got to know all of them on a first name basis and that did make it feel like home. I also became aware that many on staff have been there for over 20 years. They are committed to the job that they do. I'd like to take this chance to greet once again Sir D (!) /Davis the manager who always had a smile for me; Mavernie, Paulette & Carol who graciously ran the front desk; Ivan and Barry and Lavenia from the kitchen; Lenny who runs the dive center and boating who can almost talk you into anything (!); Percy who is a great driver and arranges excursions; Clive who manned the security desk at the front entrance; and Frances and Alma who faithfully kept our room cleaned daily. The rooms are beautifully spacious and open out onto large balconies overlooking a gorgeous view of the sea. We ate breakfast and did yoga and meditated every morning on our balcony. So restorative. The bathroom was clean. The sink did have an unusual caulking job which gave me a good laugh. We were on the west side upstairs. There was a ceiling fan and an air conditioner and we turned on and off as needed. The pillows were too hard for us but we never asked for softer ones. Probably should have. We slept very well. The only sound I heard was the rain at night and one time music from far away. But it did not last long. I enjoyed sitting on the verandah off the lobby if I wasn't sitting on my balcony. The whole setting of the hotel was very comfortable and relaxed.

Here are some key points:
Security: There is a security person always sitting inside the front entrance. Clive advised us when we arrived to make sure to lock our room door at night, balcony included and also when we left during the day. We signed in all our valuables (cash, credit cards, passports, Ipad) at the front desk for safe keeping in their main office safe. As we needed extra cash, we signed it out. The desk was open until 7pm and re-opened at 8am so we planned our "withdrawals" around that schedule. We used the Ipad to check our emails while sitting in the lobby and then handed it back in. The ladies at the desk were always very patient and helpful. The Ocho Rios area that we were in also did not feel any more dangerous than walking in NYC at night. You take proper precaution. If you are walking along the main road and feel insecure, there are tourist police stationed almost every block and they are very agreeable to escorting any tourist as needed. We never needed this but inquired with them about it.

Food: The food at the hotel was delicious, altho we only ate there a couple times. Barry was very happy to fix the food as we liked it. He fixed a great omelet for me in the evening on the day I arrived altho it was only on the menu for mornings. But part of the fun was searching authentic Jamaican cuisine. And we found it.
Sugar Pot - Run by Judith. Go up to Main Street (walk down the small connecting road in front of hotel) and turn left until you reach the Catholic Church on the left. Walk across the street and take the small side road 30 yards and you'll see it on the right...Painted on the building it says "Sports Bar & Restaurant - Welcome One & All". There was no sign that said Sugar Pot but Judith may put one up soon. There are picnic tables outside. Judith will cook whatever you want, breakfast, lunch or dinner. We had lunch there a couple times and requested a fish dinner and made an "appointment" for 5pm. She prepared the most amazing trout dinner I've ever had: trout, broccoli rabe, banana flour dumpling, specially baked breadfruit & beans & rice. Also, on our last day, she prepared a classic Jamaican breakfast of ackee and saltfish, breadfruit prepared in another way, & fried dumpling - and packed it to go. It was really nice getting to know her and meeting her children.
Blue Cantina Restaurant & Lounge - Run by Cecil. This restaurant is even closer than the Sugar Pot. Just walk out of the hotel and go left on James Ave (road right in front) and walk to the corner of Main Street. It's at 81 Main Street. It is more of a classic restaurant with seating inside and a bar. I got hooked on the vegetarian tacos. And Cecil also would fix them to order with whatever I wanted inside. The wrap itself was all freshly made. They are unlike any tacos you will ever buy in the States. My friend also had the chicken dish and said it was great. And twice Cecil prepared our tacos in the mornings for us to pick up at 9am so we could have them with us on our excursions. I lean vegetarian and I didn't want to pay higher tourist prices at the restaurants or run the risk of not finding what I needed. If you are planning outings, I would bring a collapsible cooler - very handy.
Mom's Restaurant - This is a little further away but easy walk. Go up to the Main Street and turn right. Go to the Clock tower and turn left down the road by the gas station. Mom's is one block down on the left. Like a little cafe. Excellent Jamaican fair. I met with Chef Phillippe earlier in the day and he reassured that he could fix something for my diet, no problem. He asked when I expected to have dinner and said when I arrived in the evening to just let him know I was there. He did not disappoint me. Four of us went (our 2 new friends joined us) and we sat and laughed most of the evening.
Vegetarian Restaurant - About a 15 min walk, straight down Main Street, past the Clock Tower, continue another 5-7 minutes to the Ocean Village Shopping Center. Right next to the "General Store" is a great vegetarian restaurant, simple cafe style.
Calibash Restaurant - Rastafarian Vegetarian - I think there are two in town, but the one we went to was at the back of the market place. The market is on Main street and you'll see a lot of booths set up for Jamaican shopping, not tourist shopping. We had to have someone walk us through the market place to find it. But there was a main road right by the restaurant, too. I don't know the name. It's also just a 10-12 minute walk. Excellent food.
Golden Loaf Bakery - Go straight out of the hotel and walk down the small connecting road to the Main Street. Go right and you'll see it across the street. Ask for their brownies. They are the most amazing brownies I've ever had. When we left, we special ordered a whole tray baked for us so we could take some home. If they don't have any prepared, they will send you across the street to...
Kings Bakery & Pizza: They sell fresh baked goods from the Golden Loaf. And they have pizza but we didn't try any.

Grocery Shopping:
The General Store: This is the best place for buying your own fare. It is in the Ocean Village Shopping Plaza. I bought small packets of Mueslix cereal and small cartons of soy milk to have as breakfast in the room with our tea. I brought my own black tea with me, but I did buy the Jamaican Sorrel tea as presents. Very nice herbal tea.
Hi-Lo Grocery: Go straight out to Main Street and it is across the road. Convenient for water or soda.
Small Korean Mart: I preferred this small store which was right next to the Golden Loaf Bakery. They sold small pieces of cheese, crackers, wine, water and other snacks. Very convenient and faster than going into the larger grocery.

Things to Do: We went up to Nine Mile to visit Bob Marley's Birthplace and Mausoleum. It's a 90min drive up the mountain and well worth the cost for driver and entrance fee. My friend went to Dunns River Falls and was able to take a simple taxi ($2 Jamaican) on the Main Street and then she walked back which took about 30 minutes. She enjoyed it. There's so much more available...Dolphin Cove, Negril day trip, Shaw Gardens etc. Lots to do. But one of the best things we did was rent snorkel gear from Lenny and go snorkeling right out on the reef by the hotel. All the bigger resorts send their boats to the reef directly in front of Silver Seas. I swam out from our "beach" [there is a retaining wall] to the reef but Lenny took my friend by boat. Just wonderful. We also walked over one morning to Mahogany Beach (down Main Street, just past the Catholic Church and down the winding road off the Main Street). Fun gift shop run by Calibud - very nice man, music at the outdoor bar. Fun to explore. My friend met up with a masseuse there and scheduled an evening massage at our hotel room. The masseuse brought her own table and was right on time. We also swam daily in the Caribbean and lounged poolside in the sun.

Other Tips: Bring plenty of $1 bills to tip with. It's nice to be able to thank those who are taking care of you. We made sure to tip daily the ladies doing our housekeeping. You will want to also exchange money. The Jamaican dollar was stronger than the US. $1J = $0.85US altho $1J is written $100J. Be careful to separate out the $1000J bills from your $100J ones. By accident I tipped someone with $1000J when I meant to give $100J but it was night on the street and I didn't have my reading glasses on. I did make someone happy! So keep the larger bills separate. We exchanged our money at the bank by the Clock Tower, not at the airport because the exchange rate was better at the local bank. We prepaid our airport shuttle using Viator.com. It cost $38US round trip from Montego Bay Airport and takes about 90mins to get to Ocho Rios. Great service altho we had to wait 45 minutes upon arrival for the car. But the van that returned us to the airport arrived on time and the driver was wonderful...Michael Grant.
I have already recommended Silver Seas to my 29yr old nephew and to another 30+ friend. But I tell them this is not a "party" scene, but total serenity. A friend of mine stayed at an all-inclusive in Ocho Rios and she did not enjoy it. She wishes she had known about Silver Seas. I'm passing the word to everyone....

I had read all the reviews and thought I could have a nice stay at this hotel. Yes, it's run down. The security gaurd was an old man sitting at the wide open doors. The cement walk ways are eroding away and there was no sign of a hotel computer. The front desk person opened a book to find my reservation. The paint and signage was faded. There was some charm though. There were all sorts of people there...backpackers, families with children and burnt out looking rasta-men.
While waiting for the room to be ready for us (We were an hour early) we walked downstairs to the small beach area. Soon enough a young guy smoking a ganja walked up to us and told us that he was the man to talk to if we wanted anything from a taxi to drugs to women. He had a machete so I can only assume he was working at the hotel clearing vegetation. On the way to the room I smelled marijuana smoke coming from the room next to mine.The rooms were large and clean. No TV remote and some lamps were not working. Yes, the balconies were extremely large and offered great views being right on the water. Security for me was the main issue that needed attention. The door to my room only had a knob lock, there was a chain lock, but the piece that connected it to the door was missing so it didn't work. The door also had pry marks around the handle area. The balconies were constructed in such a way that it would be easy for someone in the rooms next door to simply step onto your balcony.
I traveled with a local friend (from Kingston) and he thought the hotel was rundown and unsafe. Even one of the taxi drivers in Ochi told us that most people spend one night there and then find another place to stay.
I agree, Siver Seas has some sort of charm and it's much different than any other place you will find in Ocho Rios. I just didn't feel that my belongings would be safe during the day while I was gone.

Just got back from staying in this place. This place is definitely a hidden treasure.

Are you looking for a place that has all the amenities that you get here in the US? Like a hair dryer, hot tub, etc. Then no, this is not the place you would stay. You wouldn't want to stay in any hotel in Jamaica then.

But you want to experience the true Jamaican feel, go to this place. It is awesome! Of course the view is unbelievable, but the hotel itself has a nice rustic, home-like feel!

The restaurant at the hotel itself had great food and they really take good care of you!! I felt like home.

There are some disadvantages like you get internet only in the lobby, but if you still want to browse when you are in Jamaica you got some serious issue to work on. :)

The rooms were huge. We didn't see any safety concerns. The linens need some updates but they are not totally unusable! No bed bugs or anything of that sort. Room was clean. You are by the sea water, you are going to see some rusting here and there. The floors can get pretty dirty if you are returning from the beach. Please remember you in Jamaica!

I did hear some loud music in the nights, but I had had too much fun in the day time that I was tiered and fell fast asleep within minutes!!

Also when you drive in to this hotel you feel like you are in an unsafe area of the town, but you are fine once you go inside the hotel. Please just be aware of your surroundings when you are in Jamaica, you are fine!

Overall worth it, totally!!!

The people that wrote good reviews must have been in an area of this hotel I never laid eyes on because what I saw and where I stayed was by far the worse hotel experience ever, I really wish I remembered to take pictures but we checked in late and I just wanted to check out EARLY. The best thing about this place was the bar across the parking lot....that's it!!! Spend a few more dollars and go elsewhere. This place was probably really nice when it was kept up.