Jamaica Inn
Hotel Information: Winston Churchill came and loved the light for watercolor painting. Actress Marilyn Monroe and husband/playwright Arthur Miller, playwright Noel Coward, and novelist Ian Fleming also visited. What they found at this hotel, and what still attracts an international clientele today, is spiritual refreshment far from the madding world. Sea, beach, gardens, tropical air, and the attentions of staff members each averaging 25 to 30 years' experience, recall the grace of the pre-electronic era. The resort, opened in 1950, has been family-owned for two generations.
Amenity highlights: Jamaica Inn's 213-meter (700-foot) private beach fronting a little cove of calm water and snorkeling sites offers thatch shades, cushioned lounge chairs, and ample room for tranquil sunbathing. A few yards from the beach adjacent to a croquet lawn and a thatch-shaded bar, a 15-meter (50-foot) oval pool surrounded by a sundeck with cushioned lounge chairs provides freshwater swimming.
Insider tip: Although it goes largely unused, tucked away on the second floor of a building in the rear is a television room with overstuffed seating.
The resort offers 45 air-conditioned guest suites without televisions, radio, or clocks located in three buildings and a Blue Cottage (radio/CD player included). All suites provide views of the Caribbean Sea from either ground-floor verandahs or second-floor balconies. Colored periwinkle blue with white trim, buildings include outside balustraded breezeways leading to suites, with breezeway roofs supported by columned arches.
Designed for relaxed, open-air living, all suites feature fresh flower bouquets, high ceilings; ceiling fans to supplement or substitute for air conditioning; louvered windows that open to sea breezes and louvered doors leading to verandahs or balconies; barefoot-friendly terrazzo floors; tropical wood furniture and colonial-Jamaica antiques; walk-in closets; tub/shower combinations in tile bathrooms; and historical West Indian prints on walls. Bedrooms are all white except for a pale-pastel accent wall. The resort's signature blue-and-white motif extends to verandahs and balconies.
Large balustraded verandahs and somewhat smaller balconies function as open-air living rooms. They're furnished with overstuffed couches and wing chairs covered in white duck and include two-chair white-wood dining sets. Room service is complimentary.
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