10 Best Hotels in Montego Bay, Jamaica

With its many room categories, 28 massive villas (five to seven bedrooms), shopping village, a private beach, water sports, three pools, the luxurious Fern Tree spa, a children's village, golf course, and an equestrian center, this resort feels almost as though it's an entire town. What started in 1954 as a group of private beach cottages offered for rent during off-season months has blossomed into one of the most popular getaways on Jamaica's north coast. Renovations in recent years have added more than 50 rooms and a wealth of bars and restaurants, including a vegan café. The original beach cottages, just steps from the sand as well as public areas, remain a great choice. 

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.

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.

A favorite of celebrities and other wealthy people thanks to its private, elegant villas, this peaceful resort west of MoBay also has stylish hotel rooms in the Pineapple House; the rooms are decorated in a refined Ralph Lauren style done by the designer himself, who has property on the resort's 98 acres. Each villa includes a personal maid and a cook to make your breakfast, and most have private pools. It's a fairly quiet place, with a small beach and limited but good dining options. Many guests return again and again because of the personal service and excellent management.

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.

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.