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Jamaica Inn is one of the loveliest small luxury hotels in Jamaica. Its setting, in its own secluded cove, on probably the prettiest beach in Jamaica, is exquisite, a picture of elegant tropical tranquillity. The hotel, now over fifty years old, retains a gracious air of old colonial Jamaica. Its rooms, all suites trimmed with white Palladian balustrades, stand in a semi-circle, ranging over two headlands and in a curve enclosing perfect lawns dotted with trees. Inside they have a theme of Wedgwood blue on white, with dark, antique and reproduction furniture. But for all the classic Jamaican air, Jamaica Inn and Spa has begun to evolve a more modern aspect. There is a clifftop spa, and the rooms are looking leaner in their design. It is still as elegant as it ever was, but it is more easy-going. And a younger crowd is filtering in among the old faithfuls who have been returning for years. Jamaica Inn, for so long one of the Caribbean’s most fashionable hotels, is becoming cool again.
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KEY FEATURES
| The most elegant of hotels in Ocho Rios Jamaica, 47 suites and 6 cottages, restaurant and bar, superb 700ft white sand beach, beach bar, swimming pool, non motorised watersports, croquet lawn, holistic spa, library, gift shop, fitness room, wedding plan, some child restrictions |
STYLE
| Jamaican classic with tropical Palladian architecture, traditional, slightly formal but friendly service, set within immaculate grounds |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Affluent, discerning couples, some famous, older families and individuals who return on a regular basis; a growing popularity amongst younger professionals; honeymooners during summer months. |
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There is a wonderful, natural tranquillity about Jamaica Inn. Everything in the resort, which has been there for over 50 years, is carefully designed to contribute to it. The Wedgwood blue and white colour scheme, quiet but reliable service, suites that are artfully simple, classically comfortable and entirely without clutter – and even the smoothness of the lawn seem to maintain an air of calm.
As you arrive at the hotel, driving beneath huge tropical trees, some of the key characteristics of the famous resort are already visible. Shingle roofs, ‘flattened’ arches supported on classical pillars and white Palladian balustrades standing against the Wedgwood blue of the walls. And the atmosphere of understated but ever-present service is established the moment you pull around a circular flower bed into the porte cochere and a member of staff steps forward to welcome you.
You pass into the foyer (the reception desk lights briefly on your left) and you come to the top of the steps where the resort opens out in front of you. Ahead, beyond the flowerbeds and the beautifully kept lawn (smooth enough to have a croquet pitch) you see the beach. To left and right are the ‘wings’ of the accommodation that look over the small bay and the sea. The setting is simply exquisite.
The foyer sets the tone of Jamaica Inn’s new incarnation. While its marble floor and highly polished hardwoods still speak of the elegant old Jamaica, there are now more modern touches, including sleek silver ceiling fans and a large urn with bamboo stems set at an angle. It is a satisfying mix of traditional and contemporary.
Turn to your left and you come to the main central areas of the resort. First there is the library and drawing room, which is dressed in traditional style, with sofas, armchairs and shelves of books. There are family photographs and shots of former guests on the piano and the other antique and reproduction tables. While the service at Jamaica Inn is very slightly formal (though still friendly), the hotel does have a familiar feel to it. The manager, Mary Phillips, knows almost everyone by name and I 'n' I, her (very well behaved) cocker spaniel can often be seen faithfully following her around the resort. The drawing room has been brought up to date with a couple of computers for internet access. Beyond the drawing room you come to the bar, which has a similar traditional, almost club-like feel, all dark tropical hardwood and brass.
Beyond the bar are the dining rooms. On most evenings dinner is set outside in the open air, beneath the trees and stars. If the weather is not so good, it goes undercover in the room next to the bar. At the furthest point on this wing is the Seaside dining room, where breakfast and lunch are held. It overlooks the sea on the western side of the resort and small schools of sergeant majors play in the clear water just below it.
There are three main blocks of suites at Jamaica Inn and Spa. One runs along the western arm of the bay, from the dining area towards the point. These rooms all look west along the coastline, towards Ocho Rios, which is out of sight beyond the next point. The last of them is the largest suite in the hotel, the White or Winston Churchill Suite, which occupies the whole headland. See a Review of the Winston Churchill Suite. The other wings are laid out in the other direction from the Reception, so that they enclose the bay. All these rooms look down the slight slope through the gardens to the beach and of course an ocean view. Beyond these suites, on the eastern point, the accommodation is rather different, a number of free-standing cottages. This is also where you will find the spa.
Each of the suites in the main blocks has a bedroom and bathroom, but the key feature is a partially enclosed balcony or veranda. This has a very distinctive feel because it is furnished as a drawing room, with a sofa, armchair, coffee table and desk and usually a table large enough to take a meal. The verandas are painted the familiar shade of Wedgwood blue that runs through the resort. While the veranda is classic, the dual traditional/modern character of the resort comes through in the bedrooms, which are painted in light tones. Muslin nets and some leaner furniture give a more modern feel.
On the eastern headland, the six cottages (two one-bedroom cottages with private pools and four two-bedroom villas) in addition to two new suites (a 7th cottage known as cottages 3 and 4) look back into the bay or out to sea. It is these that strike the strongest note in contemporary design and decoration. They are largely Jamaican in creation, but some have Indonesian pieces, and they are light and bright with cleaner lines. There are white muslin hangings and dark hardwood furniture on marble and wood.
At the limits of the property on the cliffside you come to the KiYara Ocean Spa, which strikes a completely different note again. It has an artful rusticity, with orange adobe walls, lattice wood and palm thatch. Almost smothered by greenery, it sits right on the waterfront, on an ‘ironshore’ coastline, so you can have a massage with an ocean view.
Jamaica Inn was built in the colonial era in the 1950s and of course it rings with the classical elegance of those days. It has been owned by a family from the United States, the Morrows, for many years, but recently the two brothers who managed it took a back seat and have handed over to Mary Phillips, a Jamaican who has spent ten years working in small luxury hotels in Jamaica. Her job has been to bring the hotel into a more modern age and her affect is visible. The chintz that was popular before has gone, dress codes are almost gone and a younger crowd of travellers has begun to mix with the many guests that fell in love with the place years ago and keep returning. For all of these changes, though, Jamaica Inn itself continues serenely on, with its timeless grace and limitless tranquillity. |
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Beach & Swimming
The beach at Jamaica Inn, the centrepiece of the resort, is simply exquisite. It is a 200 yard stretch of excellent golden sand that is backed by palms, sea almond and then lawn. There are palm thatch parasols and a beach bar.
Set just behind the beach, on the lawn, is the main swimming pool. It is large and measures 44 by 21 feet.
Three of the suites and two cottages have their own plunge pools. |
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Sports & Recreation
Some watersports are available on the beach, including kayaks and small sailing boats. Snorkelling gear is available for use on the reef in the bay and around the headlands, where schools of small fish swim.
There is a croquet lawn in the centre of the lawn, down by the swimming pool. For more strenuous activity there is a fitness room on property and a tennis court close by.
If you play golf Ocho Rios has a couple of courses, one just east of the town and another in Runaway Bay to the west. Horse riding, guided walks through the hills and plantations, can also be arranged. And if you want to play polo Jamaica Inn is probably the place to stay for nearby Chukka Cove.
There are some board games in the library. |
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The spa
The KiYara Ocean Spa sits on the point at the limits of the property, overlooking the ocean, where three of the treatment rooms are set right above the water. It is set in its own cliffside vegetation of trees and bushes, into which the outdoor showers are built. The spa is artfully rustic and cabins are built with wood, orange adobe walls and woven lattice walls, roofed with shingle and thatch. The spa is open from 10am to 7pm.
There are five treatment rooms, one of which is a water treatment room. Treatments include Body Balancers (deep tissue, lymphatic drainage, Fijian and hot stone massage, reflexology), facials, body polishes and wet treatments. Manicures, pedicures and waxes are also available. Jamaican products are used in the preparations. Yoga and Pilates classes are available throughout the week. |
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Staff
Many members of staff at Jamaica Inn have been there for decades. At the bar you will meet Teddy Tucker and Rupert Davies, who also doubles as croquet instructor. The Housekeeping Manager, Barbara Marsh, has been at the hotel for 40 years. She came for a stint of work experience and never left. She and her team ensure that the rooms are ready and there are fresh flowers for your arrival.
The manager of Jamaica Inn is Mary Phillips, a Jamaican who has been at the hotel since 2002. She has worked in luxury hotels around Jamaica since 1996. The hotel is owned by Eric and Peter Morrow, whose father built it. |
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The Suites
There are 47 suites at Jamaica Inn, in several locations, and they are divided into a number of different categories. There are also six cottages on the eastern headland of the bay. They are elegant and comfortable but intentionally simple. No televisions, radios or even clocks (unless you want one) clutter the room. There is air-conditioning in the bedrooms, but the suites were designed with fan-ventilation in mind (louvers and the star-burst panels above the doors to allow a through-flow of air) and this is usually adequate except in the full heat and humidity of the summer months. The bathrooms have products made in Jamaica by Blue Mountain Aromatics.
The Balcony Suites are upstairs in the two-storey wing (above the Reception area) and towards the beach. The Deluxe Veranda Suites, which have a larger veranda, are on the ground floor of the main wing and also close to the beach. Premier Veranda Suites are in the west wing close to the dining rooms and in the beachfront wing. Their large verandas are set either right above the water looking out to the west or right on the sand.
The two largest and smartest suites are the Cowdray Suite (named after an English Lord), which is in the main building upstairs with a lovely view over the hotel, and the White or Winston Churchill Suite, which sits at the point of the western headland. See a Review of the Winston Churchill Suite.
The six cottages on the eastern headland are more contemporary in their design. There are two one-bedroom cottages (which have their own plunge pool) and four two-bedroom cottages (three with infinity plunge pools added during summer 2007), though these can often be rented as a one-bedroom cottage. They take advantage of their position on the low cliff and have a lovely view back across the bay to the hotel or out to the ocean. As everywhere at Jamaica Inn, most of the furniture in these suites, which includes cane-backed chairs and beds, is made in Jamaica. |
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Dining
You will eat well at Jamaica Inn and of course the setting is as delightful as the rest of the hotel. The chef is German and he has worked at the hotel for several years, creating a satisfying mix of Jamaican and international cuisine. As everywhere in the resort, as much use as possible is made of Jamaican products, so you will have the world famous Blue Mountain coffee.
Guests often take breakfast on their balcony, which is extremely pleasant in the calm of the early morning. Lunch is light, soups and salads, or a burger if you want, served on the beach and at the Seaside dining room. Dinner is held in the open air, often with a live band. It consists of a six-course menu which changes each evening. Saturday is lobster night and there is a weekly barbecue held down on the beach.
The dress code is fairly informal nowadays, a collared shirt with long trousers for men. |
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Weddings
The exquisite setting makes Jamaica Inn an ideal place for a wedding. The most popular (and probably beautiful) location is the beach, but ceremonies can also be held on the lower lawn near the west wing and around the cottages. The hotel offers a wedding and honeymoon package, but they also have a dedicated wedding co-ordinator, who is happy to liaise with you to create the ceremony you want. The marriage can be as elaborate as you like up to 200 people.
Jamaica Inn’s 2008 Wedding and Honeymoon package, priced US$4,415 per couple for seven days and six nights in an Ocean View Verandah Suite (extra nights US$490 per couple), includes marriage officer fees (licence and attendance), a bouquet, boutonniere, photo album with 36 photographs, wedding cake, a bottle of Champagne and a private candle-lit dinner on your balcony. They can provide witnesses if needed. Also included in the week’s stay are breakfast and dinner at the resort, a half hour massage each at KiYara Spa, a welcome drink, a 'touch' experience at Dolphin Cove, daily Planters Punch on the beach, a boat trip to Dunn's River Falls and private car transfers with drinks to and from the airport. Package valid 16 Apr-14 Dec 2008 except during period 25 Nov-01 Dec 2008. |
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Practical Facts
Annual Closure Dates: open year round
Dress Code: elegantly casual, evening men required to wear long pants and a shirt with collar
Facilities: restaurant and bar, 700ft beach, beach bar, swimming pool, non-motorised watersports, croquet lawn, holistic spa, library, gift shop and fitness room
Complimentary: Weekly manager’s cocktail party. Evening entertainment. Sunfish sailing, snorkelling and kayaks. Fitness room with stair climber, stationary bicycle, treadmill and free weights. Croquet. Tennis can be arranged nearby
Other Services: Front desk will arrange activities off property including tours, river rafting, horse riding, golf and shopping trips. Room service and laundry service. In room beauty treatments by appointment. Small meeting room available for up to 20 people with audiovisual equipment supplied on request. Windsurfing, sailing and diving facilities available nearby
Children: Jamaica Inn and Spa accepts children of twelve and over during the winter season and ten and up during the off season.
Weddings & Honeymoons: A complete wedding and honey package with 6 nights accommodation is available from US$4,415 from 16 Apr-14 Dec 2008. Please see above for more details.
Accommodation: 47 suites and 6 cottages
Rooms: All bedrooms are air-conditioned, have ceiling fans, feature a choice of two twin or a king size bed and have an en suite bathroom with tub/shower. All suites have a private balcony or verandah with a full size sofa, reading chair, writing desk, coffee table, and a breakfast table with two chairs. 14 x Balcony Suites located upstairs in the Main Wing or the East Wing Ocean Front with balcony and views across the lawn to the beach. Maximum 2 persons. 13 x Deluxe Verandah Suites are located on the ground floor of the Main Wing or East Wing Ocean Front with views across the lawn to the beach with a large living room style verandah. Maximum 2 persons (one suite can fit an extra bed for 3rd person). 15 x Premier Verandah Suites have large living room style verandahs on ground level with West Wing with verandahs directly on the water (set on a rocky outcrop) and Beach Wing verandahs directly on the beach. Maximum 2 persons. The Cowdray Suite a favourite suite of polo playing Lord Cowdray features a large bedroom with separate dressing room. Large living room style verandah with sea and coastal views. Maximum 3 persons. The Blue Cottage a private one-bedroom cottage on the beach located between the East and the Beach Wing, with a large shuttered verandah with sea views which can be closed for extra privacy. Maximum 3 persons. The White Suite has 2000sq ft of living space with sea views and is located on the end the peninsula with its own private sun terrace with sun loungers and pool, and a smaller terrace with double sun lounger right at the edge of the rocky outcrop. Maximum 2 persons. Cottages 3 & 4 are located on a bluff to the east of the main hotel and are free-standing one-bedroom suites with a four poster bed, living room with wet bar, spacious marble floor bathroom with a separate shower and tub, plus an outdoor shower. Both are private with their own entrances to the sea. Cottage 3 has a private infinity plunge pool. Maximum 2 persons. 6 x Jamaica Inn Cottages are located either side of Cottages 3 and 4, with 2 x One Bedroom Cottages (maximum 2 persons) and 4 x Two Bedroom Cottages (maximum 4 persons). The cottages have a separate sitting room, large ocean facing terrace, master bedroom with en suite bathroom (the two bedroom also has a twin or king bedded room en suite). Three of the two bedroom cottages have private infinity plunge pools.
Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard and American Express |
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Rates
| | 16 Apr-14 Dec 2008 | 15 Dec-15 Apr 2008-09 | | Superior Balcony Suite | 290 | 550 | | Deluxe Verandah Suite | 340 | 670 | | Premier Verandah Suite | 420 | 825 | | Cowdray Suite | 435 | 860 | | Blue Cottage | 450 | 895 | | Cottage 4 | 820 | 1,760 | | Cottage 3 (plunge pool) | 820 | 1,760 | | White Suite | 820 | 1,760 | | 3rd person * | 60 | 70 | | Single occupancy reduction | -40 | -70 | | Jamaica Inn Cottages | | | | 1-Bedroom Cottage | 568 | 1,170 | | 1-Bedroom Cottage with pool | 630 | 1,400 | | 2-Bedroom Cottage | 678 | 1,340 | | 2-Bedroom Cottage with pool | 740 | 1,550 | | Meal Supplements per person Breakfast (BP) Breakfast & dinner (MAP) Breakfast, lunch & dinner (FAP) All-inclusive (AI) | 27 100 130 170 | 27 110 140 180 | All rates are quoted in US$ per suite/cottage, per night double occupancy, inclusive of service charge and tax, EP basis = no meals included. Rates subject to change without notice. The all-inclusive plan (AI) includes all meals, beverages by the glass and a dine around option (choice of 2 restaurants in Ocho Rios for 1 visit each, excluding transfers, lobster meals, drinks and gratuities). Child policy – 12yrs over welcome during winter season and 10yrs over in summer season. Meal supplements are per person, per night including tax and service. * Third person by request and accepted in Deluxe Verandah Suites only. There is a minimum stay of 10 nights during Christmas/New Year, 5 nights 8-22 Feb and 4 nights over Thanksgiving. A 3 night deposit is required to confirm reservations with loss of the 3 day deposit for Christmas/New Year cancellations within 45 days of arrival, and loss of 1 night deposit if cancelling within 30 days for stays during the winter season and within 14 days for the summer season. There will be no refunds for no-shows. |
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How to book
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with Jamaica Inn, or if you wish to telephone them, their telephone number will be revealed if you click on the CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER link. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser that features Jamaica Inn, please follow the link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Locality
If the resort is so tranquil, it feels all the more so once you step outside the gates and enter Ocho Rios, a very busy town and one of Jamaica’s main tourist centres which is about ten minutes’ drive to the west. There are several parades of shops and craft markets, but the best fun is Island Village next to the cruise ship pier (it is a large cruise ship port), which has a Reggae Museum (Reggae Xplosion) as well as cafes and bars.
There are quite a lot of ‘sites’ in the area, including botanical gardens at Shaw Park and Coyaba, a forest canopy tour and some other natural features. Fern Hill Gully is worth a quick drive. It is the very pretty road that runs north into the hills from the centre of town. Then there are Dunns River Falls, an exceptionally beautiful phenomenon, a series of pools in a 600ft cascade. It is famous and very popular and so it sees a lot or guests on day trips, so you might want to go at the beginning or the end of the day when the crowds are thinner. There is just a handful of restaurants in the town. Try Evita’s above the town and Toscanini’s at Harmony Hall closer to hand. You will also find a delightful art gallery there. There is horse-riding at Prospect Plantation and on the other side of Ocho Rios at Chukka Cove.
Farther east along the coast you eventually come to the small town of Oracabessa, famous for Firefly (Noel Coward’s house, set slightly out of the town in the hills, with a magnificent view along the coast), for Ian Fleming’s house Goldeneye (now a hotel) and the nearby James Bond Beach. |
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Meet & Greet
If you are travelling independently, Jamaica Inn can arrange for a taxi or limousine to meet you at the airport. You will be charged for this locally. The best airport to fly to is probably Sangster International in Montego Bay – the transfer takes approximately 90 minutes and costs US$120 each way - but if you fly into Kingston it can also be arranged (two hours, US$175 each way). Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include limousine transfers and a personal Concierge Service, this is offered by Glamour Tours.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
Hiring a car to explore the island or go to a different beach for the day is a great option in Jamaica. Book via the hotel or your tour operator. Unlike most islands in the Caribbean, there is no need to purchase a local licence in Jamaica. Your licence from home is valid for three months.
Vehicles can be returned at the airport (Island have an outlet at both the international airports) or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time (again at extra charge). Be aware that in the winter season there can sometimes be a shortage of cars, so you are advised to book in advance. Also book early if you want one for a week or more because the pre-booked rates can be better.
Taxis are readily available through the hotel reception. There is often a taxi driver on property. |
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