Jamaica
Jamaica Inn, Ocho Rios
When
Price
How long
Escape the daily grind in this tropical Jamaican paradise. For more than 50 years, this elegant low-key hotel has been quietly providing a luxurious Caribbean living to celebrities and discerning travellers in search of some well-earned peace and quiet.
Location
The largest English speaking island in the Caribbean, Jamaica is famed for its pristine beaches and laid-back island life. A breathtaking combination of blue seas, lush mountains and soft sands, this is an island blessed with the natural beauty—so good in fact that Sir Winston Churchill himself used to come to the hotel to paint in the 1950s. Nestled on its own crescent of champagne-coloured sand in Ocho Rios, the Jamaica Inn is perfectly positioned to make the most of the view.
Your room
This may be Jamaica, but the crisp blue and white colonial-style suites and cottages have a hint of English gentry’s countryside to them. Charming patios and cottages lie between manicured garden paths against a backdrop of vibrant tropical flowers and sparkling seas. Each of the rooms comes with its own private balcony or verandah where you can relax on winged chairs and admire your ocean view. For extra seclusion, the cottages come with their own private plunge pool and private beach access. The best part? You can step from your room straight out on the soft sands with nothing but the Caribbean Ocean in front of you.
Why we like it
Staying here feels like you’ve stepped back in time to a golden era of the Caribbean luxury. Virtually unchanged since it opened, from the moment the hostess Mary Philips greets you with her two cocker spaniels in tow, time here seems to stand still. There are no TVs, radios or even clocks around so you can completely switch off from the rest of the world. Head to the bar where Noël Coward used to bang out tunes on the piano and swap tales with barman Teddy over a cocktail. Or follow in the footsteps of Ian Fleming and Errol Flynn and stroll along the white shores, losing yourself in the deep blue waves. Island life doesn’t get more relaxing than this.