Jamaica: The ultimate destination to re-connect with loved ones
With brilliant blue seas, sublime beaches and a blistering range of extraordinary things to see and do, Jamaica makes a fantastic holiday for anyone and everyone. And if this year you have decided you need something extra-special – you’re celebrating perhaps, getting married or engaged, or just because you deserve it – there are few finer places where you can relax and recharge in ultra-comfort, body and soul, than this idyllic island.
Luxury comes in many forms, and Jamaica has it all. Every creature comfort you need is available at a selection of first-class hotels offering superb accommodation, from cottages and villas with private pools to beachfront rooms and spacious suites with oversized balconies and terraces, in picturesque settings by the beach, lush rainforest or with stunning mountain views.
Excellent service means you’ll be well-looked after wherever you choose, allowing you another priceless luxury – unlimited time to reconnect with loved ones.
Pay attention to partners and enjoy some much needed me time, chilling on the beach; having a relaxing massage in the spa perhaps; savouring a delicious meal in a fine-dining restaurant; or sipping a refreshing sundowner cocktail as you watch a shimmering sun set over the Caribbean Sea.
Luxury also means having the opportunity to try some of the extraordinary experiences Jamaica’s best resorts offer, from intimate private dinners in the Caves of Negril, to sweetheart swims in the warm waters of the Blue Lagoon; from adventure climbs up natural waterfalls to unforgettable horse rides along a pristine beach.
Outstanding places to stay
You’ll find wonderful hotels and resorts spread all over the island, each with its own special appeal and wow factors.
These luxury retreats include, in the west, Half Moon, Montego Bay, where guests can choose to stay at Eclipse, Founders Cove or Rose Hall Villas. There are 210 elegant rooms and suites and 27 villas with easy access to resort amenities, along two miles of beachfront. How about sunrise yoga and meditation in an overwater bungalow or truly unforgettable horse-riding on the beach?
Round Hill Hotel & Villas, near Montego Bay, offers timeless elegance and understated luxury villas, Ralph Lauren designed oceanfront guestrooms and an exquisite spa nestled on a tropical hillside. Nearby attractions available include floating through a pristine tropical river on a bamboo raft, ziplining through lush island foliage, or dancing the night away on a private sunset cruise. The resort itself offers beachside or poolside treatments, you can tuck yourselves away and enjoy a massage together – Strawberry Herbal Back Cleanse, anyone?
For something special and full of character, head for The Caves, Negril, for exclusive cliff-side accommodation with enchanting surprises…
Jamaica Inn in the northeast is an iconic, elegant hideaway beloved of celebrities, with 55 suites, cottages and bungalows and a stunning beachfront setting.
Goldeneye is another iconic hotel, hidden away in tropical grounds and the former home of James Bond author Ian Fleming. If you crave something a little more active, Goldeneye offers guests complimentary non-motorised waters sports, including paddle boarding and kayaking.
The Trident Hotel, near Port Antonio on north-east coast of Jamaica, features lovely oceanfront villas with plunge pools. Special services it can provide include helicopter transfers.
There’s the unforgettable Geejam Hotel in a magical setting in the rainforest at the foot of the Blue Mountains, near Port Antonio, another celebrity haunt.
Or why not escape to the mountains to Strawberry Hill in the fantastic Blue Mountains, where fine cuisine and exceptional far-reaching views have attracted the elite for decades.
Jamaica has a wealth of things to do for all holidaymakers, but luxury holidays allow guests access to a range of extra-special experiences.
Unforgettable fine dining
Jamaica is home to many fine dining restaurants that will whet your appetite. You’ll find popular stand-alone restaurants such as Summer House in Tower Isle near Ocho Rios where you will find delicious freshly cooked meals or visit the seaside restaurant, Christopher’s at Hermosa Cove for farm to table gourmet meals.
The fine dining seafood restaurant, The HouseBoat Grill, located in Montego Bay welcomes guests to enjoy Alfresco dining in an intimate setting, choose from an ever-evolving fusion menu whilst savouring a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
In Portland, you’ll find Belinda’s Riverside Restaurant, where some of the biggest A List celebrities have dined, including Beyonce, Usain Bolt and Daniel Craig. Fill your stomach with traditional Jamaican food such as curry goat, fried and steamed fish, chicken or pork, each served with rice and peas, festival or bammy.
The Sugar Mill, at Half Moon is one of Montego Bay’s long-established, fine-dining options, while The Caves, Negril, offers unforgettable dining at a private table for two in caves illuminated with flickering candles. You’ll also find the extraordinary Blackwell Rum Bar at The Caves where you can sip a nightcap and watch the moonlight dancing on the waves… can you imagine anything more romantic?
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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We got married on the beach in Jamaica and then stayed on for an absolutely amazing honeymoon. It really has some great romantic spots.
We got married in Jamaica 24 years ago and by my reckoning as we come up to our silver anniversary it must be time to go back for a second honeymoon.
As our first honeymoon was bracing Cromer in April over 28 years and 2 children ago, we definitely are due a second honeymoon. As we’ve both been working so hard this year we’ve hardly seen each other. Jamaica would be a dream destination for us to reconnect. I hood that we don’t have to wait until our 30th to do that.
Jamaica is one of my favourite Caribbean islands. You’re right, it is a brilliant place to reconnect with loved ones.
It is nice that the local menus have stayed local and traditional. When I’m in Jamaica I want goat curry, steamed fish and jerk pork.
Why would anyone go to the Caribbean for bland international menus including the likes of chicken tikka masala or rump steak?
We’ve done Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia and Tobago. A great post persuading us that we should add Jamaica to our Caribbean collection.
There’s plenty of talk of the seas off the coast of England being 4 C above the usual temperatures at this time of year.
Seeing that couple happily standing together in the Caribbean makes you realise that a dip off Bournemouth is no challenge whatsoever. On a hot day last week I went paddling on the Bournemouth beach and still felt that my toes might suffer frostbite.
It may be a bit off theme … surely the Bob Marley museum has to be one of Jamaica’s great attractions? I was expecting the museum to get a mention here.
At some time all of us must have danced to some Bob Marley reggae at a party? May be with a loved one?
There’s a rumour of some English cricket coming up in the Caribbean soon!
Watching cricket and relaxing in Jamaica would make for my perfect winter holiday. A great escape from the miserable English winter.
I wondered how long it would take you before you mentioned rum. For me it ain’t the Caribbean unless you’ve got a rum cocktail in your hand sometime around sunset. Rum really is the taste of the Caribbean and that punchy spirit tells so much of the story of these islands too.