52 Best Hotels in Jamaica

Family fun is tops here, but many couples and singles are also drawn to the not-crazy prices and good location, 6 miles (10 km) east of the airport. You can find seven-room blocks spread along the long beach and large public areas that can, at times, feel a bit overrun with kids and the noise they produce. Adults can find some peace in the quiet, adult-only pool, which has its own swim-up bar, or at the spa. On the other side of the grounds, a lighted nine-hole miniature-golf course offers night play. A moderately priced shopping mall is directly across the street. Children 12 and under stay and eat free.

From the locally sourced bath soaps and stationary to the solar panels and naturally cooled rooms, this ecofriendly boutique hotel is a delight for those who are environmentally conscious and socially aware, while also offering luxury bound to please anyone. The vision of Shireen Aga and Barbara Walker, Mockingbird Hill has received recognition for its sustainable model of responsible tourism. "Guiltless indulgence" is how the hotel describes itself, and it provides an authentic Jamaican experience. Your housekeeper prepares breakfast, and there are a handful of restaurants nearby. There's also a Garden of Wellness, for massages and other services.

At the far north end of Negril on Bloody Bay, this massive beachfront resort delivers good bang for the buck, with decent food and extensive activities and facilities. Guests can relax and be pampered at the Renova Spa with a variety of beauty treatments, or enjoy the many water sports that the hotel offers. The programs for kids are slightly better here than at the equally large Riu Tropical Bay, which is next door.

This sprawling resort, built in two U-shape wings each overlooking a pool, is one of the largest in Jamaica. Rooms are generously sized and well maintained, although there are long walks to public areas. All rooms come with an all-inclusive package, but suites include such extras as 24-hour concierge service. In-room amenities include daily-stocked minibars, liquor dispensers, and private balconies. There's a separate waterpark with slides and a special pool just for kids. There are seven restaurants, many of which can get crowded, and a buffet that serves three meals daily in a massive dining hall.

This adults-only beachfront resort with well-appointed rooms is trendy and sophisticated, offering the same all-inclusive service as its neighboring family-friendly sister resort, including a gym, a wellness center, and a spa in addition to freshwater pools and Jacuzzis. There are four dining options, including a Japanese restaurant and a steak house; guests may also eat at any of the restaurants at Riu Montego Bay and Riu Reggae. Land and water sports are in abundance, and there is free Wi-Fi throughout the resort.

An extensive array of dining options (including five bars) and activities are offered at this all-inclusive resort just 20 minutes east of the airport and surrounded by beautiful beaches. The resort features a massive infinity pool with a swim-up bar (and a separate pool area for kids), a nightclub, golf course, casino, and diving school. The resort has some of the same feel as the brand's popular Mexico properties, and this is reflected in its thatch-roof poolside palapas, tropical dance lessons, and around-the-clock action.

This all-suites, all-inclusive property is the most stylish and offers more amenities than the other adjacent Iberostar resorts, including a fantastic spa, a beautiful beach, three pools, and a water park for kids. Guests are welcomed with sweeping grand staircases and an expansive marble lobby appointed with red velvet couches and giant brass chandeliers. By comparison, the rooms have a minimalist approach with soothing green and brown tones. Rooms are well-appointed and inviting, but the vast, dimly lit, uncarpeted hallways that you have to navigate to get to your comfortable suite are a jarring contrast. Once in your room, you may never want to leave, and with 24-hour room service, you don't have to.

This Port Antonio hotel might be distinctive for its Jamaica-shape swimming pool and surrounding black-and-white pool terrace, but that's just the beginning of its unusual aspects as the all-white building is designed to resemble a 17th-century Italian palace. Deemed "the art gallery hotel," the facility displays 2,000 pieces of art from paintings to sculptures, some by the hotel's owner. Guest rooms are surprisingly stark, most having beds with curving footboards, flowery spreads, and little other decoration. There are a handful of dining options at the hotel and guests can choose between a "bed-and-breakfast" or an all-inclusive package.

In the heart of the financial district, this 17-story high-rise is popular with corporate travelers due to its central location and ample business amenities. All rooms have balconies or large windows that overlook the city or Caribbean sea. There's an excellent business center, duty-free shops, and 24-hour room service, and a café that's open around the clock. Two outdoor tennis courts, a spa, pool, and fitness center complete the facilities. Also popular with locals, the hotel's restaurant offers plenty of Jamaican favorites.

Embodying a theme of wellness and rejuvenation, Jewel Paradise Cove comes pretty close to being an actual adults-only tropical paradise with seven dining options and six bars (three of which are swim-up), and the white-glove-service restaurant even has a wine cellar with premium wines. There's also a Zen garden, smoothie bar, state-of-the-art fitness facilities with spinning and yoga, water sports, tennis courts, and three pools. The full-service Radiant Spa features locally sourced natural products, where you can get treatment complete with the relaxing ocean breeze, is the centerpiece of this resort, which focuses on fitness, health, and well-being. Butler service is also offered. Paradise Cove has attracted some big-name live music acts to perform, including the Grammy-nominated Morgan Heritage.

This modest business-district hotel combines business services with a garden-style atmosphere. Rooms are basic, most with white-tile floors and small bathrooms, but are enlivened with colorful walls or fabrics. The pool area and adjacent bar and restaurant are small but popular with the guests. Some rooms have balconies or patios; flat-screen TVs offer free premium-movie channels. At the hotel's Melting Pot Restaurant you'll enjoy fine dining with a nice view.

Three massive 200-year-old Sandbox trees guard the front of this family-owned hotel that has a friendly aura, tropical gardens wrapping around the main building, and flowers spilling onto the terrace restaurant, where breakfast and lunch are served. Basic rooms are simple and breeze-cooled; all superior rooms have air-conditioning, as do suites, which also have full kitchens. The hotel is right in the center of town close to the market; there's a British-style pub, the Manchester Arms.

Adjacent to Moon Palace Jamaica Grande Resort, this SuperClubs-owned hotel is as basic as its name, with optional and reasonably priced meal plans. Rooms have ocean views decorated in tropical tones. It's favored by business travelers and vacationers—an economical choice for independent-minded travelers who would rather sample the town's many restaurants than be tied to an all-inclusive plan. The family-friendly hotel offers Wi-Fi service by the pool deck.

Couples looking for a sports-oriented getaway and a casually elegant atmosphere flock to this resort on one of the best stretches of Negril Beach. You can wear dressy shorts to dinner, but men are required to don a collared shirt at the classy Sundowner restaurant. Water sports, particularly scuba diving, are popular; the capable staff is happy to work with neophytes as well as certified veterans. Tennis and other activities are included for landlubbers. There's a huge swim-up pool bar for when you're through exerting yourself. The range of spacious accommodations includes some two-story suites; personal butler service is available in top categories. The property features seven restaurants and a classy piano bar.

This sprawling, couples-only resort began years ago as two separate properties and is now one of the largest resorts in the Sandals group, though it does suffer a bit of a split personality: the Riviera Seaside and Beach Club has babbling brooks, fragrant gardens, and a chic beach club, while across the road (accessible by shuttle or tunnel) is the all-butler-service Riviera Villas and Great House. Some villas are quite far from the public areas and the beach. The resort also has 16 places to eat, a large rock-climbing wall, Jamaica's first speakeasy (The Rabbit Hole), and complimentary golfing privileges with the Sandals Golf and Country Club.

Four miles (6 km) east of the airport, this elegant resort has Jamaican-style buildings around attractive gardens and a less boisterous atmosphere than Sandals Montego Bay, offering a few more-formal touches, including nightly shows, unlimited fine dining, free nonmotorized water sports, and afternoon tea. A colorful "dragon boat" transports you to Sandals's private island (advertised as two vacations in one) for meals at a gourmet Thai restaurant or for private poolside fun.

This small boutique hotel, opened in 2012, is a good value, particularly since it's on a lovely stretch of Negril's famed Seven Mile Beach. The oceanfront rooms are especially nice, not just because of the view but because of their huge claw-foot bathtubs. The hotel's contemporary design includes wooden floors, photographs of Jamaican scenes, and other stylish touches. Wi-Fi is available on the balconies and throughout the public areas. There's also a gym and full-service spa that offers a range of services. There are also two restaurants and a bar.

This boutique resort on the cliffs features spacious cottages that are handcrafted from stone and thatch, with cedar and mahogany furniture and fittings that were made on-site. The property was designed by architect Shane Cohen, who owns and runs the resort with his wife, Christine. Relax by the saltwater pool or indulge in natural spa treatments in the open-air cabanas on the cliff or on the large covered yoga deck, which is surrounded by a lily pond. Various meal plans are available.

A long-time go-to hotel in Kingston, providing service to business travelers, wedding parties, and tourists, this calm oasis in New Kingston features the well-liked and upscale Rojo Restaurant and a roof terrace with a pool and bar. Rejuvenating amenities include a full-service spa and a gym with the latest cardio machines, and business facilities consist of expansive conference rooms and an up-to-date business center. The professional staff is knowledgeable and courteous.

Often packed with charter groups, this expansive resort can be a good value if you don't mind mass tourism. With one of Jamaica's best (and most-used) lobbies, a water park with pirate ship, a teen center, and excellent beaches on a peninsula jutting out into the bay, the resort has enough to redeem the motel-basic rooms. You can swim around in any of the four swimming pools or the state-of-the-art aquatic park, and when it's time to take a break from the sun, hit the Sunscape Spa or slots-only casino. Although the rack rate is high, the resort runs a number of promotions throughout the year.

Surrounded by lush forests and palm trees, this relaxed all-inclusive is a favorite with ecotourists thanks to its emphasis on environmental sustainability. Rooms here are in tree-house-like cottages amid towering royal palms. Open and airy, rooms have floral bedspreads, gauzy curtains, natural-wood floors, and high ceilings. The beach is across the street, along with such activities as nonmotorized water sports. Nature enthusiasts can also take a walk with the resort's resident gardener.

The sumptuous villas— most of which have a private pool—and pampering staff lend a home-away-from-home feel to this golfers' haven west of MoBay; the beautiful seaside golf course is considered one of the toughest in the world and hosts big-money tournaments. The resort has other fun activities like tennis lessons, motorized sports (wakeboarding, banana boat rides, private glass-bottom boat tours), and a kids' club. The resort is even farther out than Round Hill, but golfers are more than willing to accept the relative isolation for easy access to the great course.