The Caves Hotel
Negril, Jamaica
West End
Vibe
Stone pathways wind across honeycombed limestone cliffs, connecting open sundecks, natural swimming caves, and wooden platforms dropping straight into the Caribbean.
“Limestone cliffside hideaway”
Handcrafted thatched cottages, stone staircases, and vibrant batik textiles woven into honeycombed volcanic limestone cliffs.
Attentive staff coordinate custom five-course cliffside dinners, private candlelit cave setups, and guided marine excursions.
Authentic Jamaican farm-to-table dining, local rum tastings, and handcrafted island woodwork root each stay in Negril.
Perched on the volcanic limestone cliffs of Negril's West End, overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
“The cottages themselves, designed by Greer-Ann and Bertram Saulter, are after the style of a tropical hut, with thatched roofs, natural ventilation.”
Rooms
Thatched-roof cottages feature vaulted ceilings, handcrafted Jamaican woodwork, vibrant batik prints, and shuttered windows framing open ocean views.
“Rooms are breezy but refined, with vaulted ceilings, handcrafted wood furnishings, and cherry red and royal blue batik prints that signal a slower island pace...”
Wellness
The open-air FieldSpa gazebo offers botanical body scrubs on the cliff edge, beside a saltwater pool and cliff-top hot tubs.
Backstory
Island Records founder Chris Blackwell opened the retreat in 1996, shaping rustic timber and thatch around volcanic sea caverns.
Eat & drink
Five-course Jamaican dinners are served in candlelit sea caves, with signature rum cocktails poured inside the subterranean Blackwell Rum Bar.
The neighborhood
The property sits on the rugged cliffs of Negril's West End near the historic lighthouse, overlooking open Caribbean waters.
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The app
This is one hotel. The app has every one we rate, in your pocket, for the whole trip.
Our shorthand
What makes a hotel special, how well they pull it off, and what it feels like outside the door.
How well they pull it off
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
They did this well. You’ll notice.
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Architecture and interiors lead. There’s a creative vision at work.
The guest is conspicuously well cared for. Requests met before they’re made.
Rooted in place. Local character runs through the whole stay.
Energy and scene. Where the city goes out, whether or not it’s sleeping here.
A building with history. The story of the place is part of the stay.
Built around feeling better. Rest, sweat, soak, spa.
A hotel the city grew up with. Same rituals, same regulars.
A world of its own. No reason to leave the property.
Scene — what’s outside the door
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
A place apart: the property is the destination.