reviews

Wave Magazine, "Rock Resort," August 2007
"Tucked away on the western end of the city dubbed the international "Capital of Casual," there's a resort that takes that nickname to luxe heights – even if your wardrobe calls for sandals and flip flops. The Rockhouse Hotel in Negril, Jamaica, is a unique boutique concept in island accommodations that will lull you into the island's natural surroundings the moment you step onto the resort's stone-laden entrance.

Besides boasting year-round views on every corner of its eight acres, Rockhouse's room options range from 20 thatch-roof, octagonal stone and timber villas to 15 traditional rooms. All the villas are situated directly on coral cliff edges over the water with enclosed, open-ceiling, outdoor showers, spacious, wrap-around private terraces and sliding-glass doors providing great vistas of the adjacent Pristine Cove. The garden rooms are in two-story wings in the almond tree-, cacti- and traveler palm-dotted jungle-garden. All rooms showcase lazy, oversized ceiling fans that emphasize the island's natural breeze, as well as spacious balconies, four-poster beds with muslin netting, two custom-made chairs and a table for intimate, in-room dining.

Your first stop after checking in: the gift shop. Here, you can get some basics you may have forgotten, including sunscreen and mosquito coils...trust us, you'll need the latter in the aftermath of even the most brief rain shower or thunderstorm: Even paradise isn't immune to pests.

Of all the villas to choose from, Villa 10 seems to be the best choice for an unforgettable experience – and major bragging rights. Number 10 is considered one of the most private of the options, and it's just steps away from the global landmark that has come to define Negril on websites and travel articles: the wooden bridge that's suspended over the ocean and frequently portrays someone sitting pensively looking out over the horizon. That someone could be you if you opt for Villa 10.

When hunger strikes, the Rockhouse's wooden terrace restaurant and bar offers some of the best food in Negril. Historically, Jamaican cuisine is a complex mix of all the cultures that have come to her shores with the most notable influences derived from Spain, England, China, India, and the Arawak Amerindians. Drawing from these diverse culinary roots, the Rockhouse Restaurant creates "new Jamaican cuisine," a lighter, more modern interpretation of classic Jamaican cooking, most of which is smoked to perfection over an on-site open barbecue. Head Chef Merrick Armstrong says he developed the menu to ensure Rockhouse offers the full gamut – from coconut toast to scotch bonnet sauce jerk chicken and beyond. Since the restaurant is suspended directly over the water, dinner often becomes a living work of art with the sunset – which many consider to be among the best in the world – serving as the backdrop.

Although you may be tempted, don't ask the wait staff for the recipes – they won't give them up – but feel free to ask them for their suggestions to augment the experience outside of the resort, including nearby Sweet Spice Restaurant, just up the road to Sav-La-Mar. There are also a string of nearby local breakfast dives and bars with anything-but-weak Jamaican drink staples, including the always buzzed about Big Bamboo, Jamaican Kiss and Negril Stinger. Warning: If you decide to venture outside the resort, catch a ride with Kenny's Tours, which has taxis readily available to take you into town. If you decide to take the trek on foots, make sure you have a helmet and knee guards handy, since speeding locals are accustomed to swerving through the roads to and from town.

If you're in search of island libations sans a full-on Jamaican feast, the hotel's fin-walled pool bar showcases a solid international wine list and scores of island-inspired cocktails. The thatch-roofed, airy bar tiers down to an outdoor balcony suspended directly over Pristine Cove. Ladders and stairs carved directly into the cliff side allow direct access to the sea, should you choose to go swimming and snorkeling after frolicking in the hotel's 60-foot, solid-rock, swimming pool. Other on site options include morning yoga sessions, Shiatsu sunset massages, sea kayaking and shore side horseback riding.

Regardless of what's on the itinerary, one thing's for certain: your experience at the Rockhouse Hotel will be etched in stone. And that alone is worth the trip to the only hotel in the world that can brag about their rocks, dishes, and sunsets all in the same Caribbean breeze-laden breath."