Caves (The)

Description:

• Although the nearest beach is a 12-minute ride away, Negril's most atmospheric and elegant small inn still attracts international celebrities. In spite of its fame, however, there are drawbacks. There's a sense of snobbishness at this member of Chris Blackwell's Island Outpost hotels, generally the finest in the Caribbean, and the prices are very high compared to the competition. The hotel is on 1 hectare (2 1/2 acres) of land that's perched above a honeycombed network of cliffs, 10km (33 ft.) above the surf on a point near Negril's lighthouse, close to Jamaica's westernmost tip. The setting, though lavishly publicized, is difficult to negotiate with its stairwells and catwalks.

  Accommodations, well suited for groups of friends traveling together, are in breezy units within five cement and wood-sided cottages, each with a thatched roof and sturdy furniture. Matisse could have designed them. None has air-conditioning, and the windows are without screens. A TV and VCR can be brought in if you request them. Many of the units contain alfresco showers.

  Sumptuous meals are prepared only for guests and are included, along with domestic Jamaican drinks from the bar, as part of the all-inclusive price.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

TripAdvisor

•  Travelers' Choice 2009

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010

Other features:

Strategically placed around the grounds are tables where guests can dine privately or in the privacy of a guest room. All the rooms have hand-carved furniture with batik fabrics and original artwork.The wooden massage room has doors that lead out to the ocean, and the Jacuzzi has a design of broken mirrors and sea shells.Guests can enjoy an Aveda Spa Treatment in an open-air gazebo.