28 Best Hotels in Jamaica

At this boutique resort that's part of former music mogul Chris Blackwell's Island Outpost group, the thatched-roof cottages are individually designed and furnished, most with balconies overlooking the deep water off Negril's West End honeycombed cliffs. These arty accommodations are constructed above huge caves that reach deep inland. There are steps that lead down to caverns, where you can arrange private dining. There is also a cave rum bar, illuminated by dozens of candles. With fabulous sunsets, magical surroundings, and great service, the hotel is a hit with A-listers. Little touches such as incense lit at turn-down time and music in your room upon arrival give the resort a homey feel.

Luxury and privacy are hallmarks at Hermosa Cove, where the contemporary one- and two-story villas offer all the conveniences of home in a beautiful tropical setting. Artwork and stylish furnishings from around the world grace villas named for tropical fruits and spices, each with its own private kitchen and walled-in garden featuring a small private swimming pool and gazebo. The resort has an infinity pool, beach area, and two delicious on-site restaurants, Christophers and the Broken Rudder.

During its heyday, guests at what was then called Plantation Inn included British royals, Winston Churchill, and authors Noël Coward and Ian Fleming, but today, it's one of the Caribbean's most popular boutique hotels. Overlooking a private Caribbean cove and spanning 17 acres, this British colonial getaway is composed of 74 ocean-view suites and the private Villa Plantana, which has its own pool, dedicated butler, and chef. All the spacious hotel suites are decorated in plantation style and are appointed with handcrafted mahogany beds and other elegant furnishings.

When this resort opened in 2017, it made headlines around the world for its stunning over-the-water bungalows that extend to form the shape of a heart in the ocean; in 2020 Sandals South Coast earned attention by unveiling its first swim-up rondoval suites, all of which feature a private pool, conical ceiling, and a serenity swing. The river-like pool that meanders through the rondoval village spans 17,040 square feet and is said to be the longest resort pool in the Western Hemisphere. The innovation alone makes this all-inclusive, adults-only property stand head-and-shoulders above other Sandals resorts. There are also nine restaurants, seven bars (some of which are swim-up bars), a private beach, three pools, a spa, and a range of water sports and activities to complete the luxury south coast experience.

This family-friendly all-inclusive has something for everyone: a prime Negril Beach location, upscale dining for adults, and multiple attractions for kids and teens—a chief asset is the impressive 18,000-square-foot water park, Pirates Island. Also keeping everyone happy are an Xbox lounge for kids (and plenty of adults); Sesame Street characters, who roam the grounds ready to interact; nine restaurants (plus seven bars for the adults); a supervised kids' program; and scheduled teen activities.

The company that specializes in the all-inclusive resort brings its brand of luxury, attention to detail, and attentive staff to this family-oriented property with bright rooms centered on an exquisite beach where you can enjoy water sports and even get scuba certification. There are several restaurants with choices from pizza to fine dining with a wine cellar featuring top vintages. Plenty of activities for children of all ages include an Xbox 360 game room, waterslide, dance-hall club, and Sesame Street–themed activities, exclusive to Beaches. Butler service is offered, and guests get free access to nearby Sandals Golf & Country Club. The helpful staff can help plan off-site excursions.

This beachfront, couples-only resort emphasizes romance and relaxation and is a more laid-back alternative to the nearby Sandals Negril. Located along Bloody Bay, north of the funkier Seven Mile Beach, the property is decorated in bright colors, and lively art by local craftspeople peppers public spaces. Rooms are similarly bright and roomy but are not luxurious. All rooms are air-conditioned and have king-size beds and ceiling fans; oversize bathrooms have a double vanity and Jacuzzi bathtub; every room has a flat-screen TV, bathrobes, an iPod docking station, and a minibar stocked with beer, wine, juices, and soda (replenished daily); and hors d'oeuvres are delivered each evening. All rooms also include balcony or patio, and suites have hammocks.

This classy, couples-only, all-inclusive encourages you to check your cares at the entrance and indulge in soul-nurturing pampering. Rooms—all suites—are soothing, with tile floors, plush linens, large balconies, and a style more Mediterranean than Caribbean. Bathrooms are large and luxurious. Romantic oceanfront suites have oversize whirlpool tubs. Guests have their choice of beaches (one clothing-optional), though both have pebbly sand, and neither is as appealing as the pools.

For sports-minded couples, this all-suites resort is known for its expansive sports offerings, top-notch facilities (Jamaica's best and among the Caribbean's best), and healthy cuisine. If you're looking for an active vacation sprinkled with romance, this is the best option in Negril. Suites are tucked in bungalow-style buildings—each with a private verandah overlooking the sea or a lush garden area—spread along a ½-mile (¾-km) stretch of gorgeous beach. Across the road lies one of Jamaica's best sports complexes, with classes and high-end equipment and instruction. There are 10 tennis courts, a full-service spa, and a fully equipped fitness center.

This all-inclusive has beautiful contemporary designed guest rooms; a handful of villa suites with private plunge pools and private sun terraces; and a private island where you can sunbathe in the buff. The resort is on a nice stretch of beach, and offers many water sports as part of the all-inclusive package, as well as several off-site excursions, including shopping in Ocho Rios and a visit to Dunn's River Falls.

This resort has a pristine location and decor that feels like a time capsule, but a far cry from when Queen Elizabeth II stayed in Villa 18. Villas are the best option; tucked into the dense forest, they offer beauty and space. Many are just steps from one of Port Antonio's best beaches, a setting in movies. Standard rooms, many fairly large, are in the main building, known as the greathouse. Butler service is available for Villa 12.

Hummingbirds flit about this reasonably priced property, consisting of one- and two-story villas with the conveniences of a hotel, including tennis courts, a pool, and a restaurant and bar that's centered on a 300-year-old ficus tree and looks like a movie set. The well-designed villas are bright and breezy and take full advantage of the stunning views and natural scenery. It's near San San Beach.

This massive property is one of the island's largest resorts—and most economical all-inclusives—with more than 800 rooms, seven restaurants, three pools, and a children's water park. Guest rooms, decorated in muted tropical tones, are a good value for travelers who don't mind some dining restrictions (and plenty of fellow travelers at the buffet line). Special Club Golden and Club Diamond categories include separate check-in, a lounge, and other exclusive facilities. There's also an adults-only category.

At this go-to resort for the uninhibited that promises a perpetual spring break for adults, most visitors are drawn to the legendary party atmosphere. You can find "prude" activities, such as those in the large gym, but it's the nude side that's regularly sold out. Many nudist groups plan vacations en masse here several times a year; another peak time is Halloween, when guests celebrate the resort's anniversary with wild costumes and decorated rooms. All the resort's premium suites have private terraces with ocean or garden views and hot tubs. In addition, all rooms have multi-head showers and mirrors over the beds. It's also a great choice for fans of nightlife.

Popular with couples, conference groups, and families, this self-contained property on a former sugarcane plantation occupies 400 lush acres of well-manicured grounds and has received regular upgrades and enhancements over the years, making it a top choice in Montego Bay. Facilities include a huge water park, complete with lagoons and lazy rafting river, a private beach with deluxe cabanas, and 11 restaurants and bars. All rooms and suites have their own private balcony with views of the property and ocean, and there are a couple of excellent courses right across the street.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.