Five Great Hotel Stays In Jamaica

As if sun-splashed beaches, beautiful nature and fabulous food weren't enough, Jamaica also boasts some of the Caribbean's top hotels and resorts. Here are some recommendations from a frequent visitor and Jamaica admirer.

SANDALS ROYAL CARIBBEAN

The first overwater bungalows in Jamaica are a world unto themselves; an oasis of luxury that has to be seen - and felt - to be believed. Look for chilled champagne in the room, hammocks suspended over a lagoon and see-through glass floors so your clients can peer down into the clear Caribbean. My room had a massive deck out the back with enough seating for the larger part of a football team, along with a private pool and killer sunset views. My unit was arranged in such a way that I couldn't see a single soul; just me and the sun and the blue sky and the warm Caribbean sea. My villa had a fabulous king-sized bed fashioned out of gleaming teak, with Egyptian cotton linens and polished-to-a-shine hardwood floors.There's also a marvellous spa and great food.

HYATT ZILARA AND HYATT ZIVA

Hyatt did a great job with these twin properties in the Rose Hall area. It's only a few minutes east of the Montego Bay Airport, so it's a great spot for folks who don't want to spend two hours getting to the beach. Zilara is an adults-only property, while the Ziva next door is great for families. The Zilara is very stylish; modern and jazzy but not cold or distant. The swimming pools at both complexes are beautiful and extensive, and there's a wide choice of food; everything from upscale Italian to Jamaican jerk chicken. Non-motorized watersports are included, and there's free Wi-Fi. There are a couple of beach sections, most of them fairly protected and good for family swims. When I was there I had a great time out on a small sail boat with a local instructor. There also was a tremendous, old-style Jamaican band playing music.

JAKE'S HOTEL TREASURE BEACH

It's not quite a secret spot, but it's well off the usual tourist track, which makes you feel like a Jamaican insider. You'll also get a taste of real Caribbean life at this hotel, located west of Kingston on the quiet, untouched south coast of Jamaica. The hotel was built by the director of the reggae classic film "The Harder They Come," Perry Henzell, with the help of his wife, Sally. The beach isn't much to write home about, but the pool is nice and there's a great spa and the food is very good. Jake's also is home to Dougie's Bar, a classic, old-style, low-key place with powerful, just-right rum punches and other specialties. Some units are stand-alone buildings that look like something out of the Moroccan desert; with fanciful swirls and scattered bits of glass and seashells in the walls and outside showers and baths. Tons of fun.

HALF MOON

Families have been coming here for generation after generation to experience the classic comfort and crisp, efficient service. It's also been a magnet for celebrities, everyone from Eddie Murphy to former Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien, who I'm told charmed several hotel workers with his folksy ways. There's a lovely, crescent-shaped beach with sailing, snorkeling and other activities. You'll also find tennis, excellent golf, and an equestrian facility where they take horses and riders out into the ocean for a swim. You'll find a wide variety of units, many of them private or semi-private villas right on the ocean. The food is excellent, particularly at the super-romantic Sugar Mill Restaurant. Old-style comfort and all the amenities you could possibly desire in one of Jamaica's most proven and popular - and beautiful - resorts. The property recently underwent a major renovation; a $96 million facelift in honour of its 65th birthday. They added 57 new, ocean-view rooms, two new restaurants, three new bars and a new entry, among other changes. Easy access to Montego Bay Airport.

TRIDENT HOTEL

Trident is a stunning architectural specimen, with low-rise, all-white buildings perched on the north shore of the island outside Port Antonio, a truly Jamaican city that hasn't yet succumbed to tourism. It's a property that feels as if it was air-lifted from South Beach, and that makes it reasonably unique in Jamaica. The hotel has a wonderful protected lagoon for swimming and snorkelling among colourful fish, and their gleaming villas feature all the latest amenities. My room was spacious and modern and had a large plunge pool with views out to the Caribbean, with hardly a building in sight. The food is excellent, too. I had a wonderful drink called "My Name Is Bond," with rum, lime and amaretto.

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