Let S Hotel Jamaica cure what ails you 

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“As soon as you step in the sand going down, that’s your footprint in Jamaica forever,” bartender Denroy says with pride while making us a Bob Marley daiquiri at the pool bar at S Hotel Jamaica. 

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Denroy is talking about the famed crystal-clear water of Doctor’s Cave Beach, a stretch of tropical beauty in Montego Bay that he says “represents the country.” Denroy’s got proof, too, flashing a $50 Jamaican bill with a depiction of the beach as evidence.

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Doctor’s Cave Beach, in case you’re not familiar, had a role in starting the country’s tourist trade after a British osteopath visited and published an article declaring that the waters had curative powers. These days visitors pay for daily access to Doctor’s Cave Beach Club, but S Hotel Jamaica is the only hotel with direct access to the landmark and provides designated loungers, umbrellas and beach drink service for its guests. 

Historical significance also extends inside the 120-room, all-inclusive boutique hotel as national heroes and cultural icons such as Samuel Sharpe, Usain Bolt, Jimmy Cliff (whom the hotel’s street is named after) and of course Bob Marley are immortalized with statues. 

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Oh, and the Jamaican bobsleigh team is there too! 

“We tell people that it’s not just a hotel, it’s a hotel and a museum, as you go through you learn about the Jamaican people, who we are, where we’re coming from,” says Linda Lawrence, with S Hotel Jamaica sales and marketing. 

“It’s a vacation where you get to learn about us, what makes us such a great destination that has such a big impact on the rest of the world culturally.” 

Located on Montego Bay’s famed ‘Hip Strip’ with gift shops, restaurants and bars, the one-time Breezes hotel location underwent a full remodel and opened in January 2019 as luxury S Hotel Jamaica. Just recently it transitioned to an all-inclusive concept, adding two new restaurants and more offerings for a seamless vacation experience.  

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The hotel’s décor is modern yet authentically Jamaican with some of the furniture — like Tamara Harding’s impressive wood pieces in the lobby — made by local artisans. The work of artist Fiona Godfrey is found on columns in the main dining hall painted with tropical food and drink recipes and on murals in the suites’ oversized shower (with double shower heads and a rain head!) depicting ferns in bold black and white. 

That monochromatic colour scheme makes the blue of the sea outside really pop for the majority of rooms that have an ocean view. We can attest that our suite, Room 461, had an amazing view of the Caribbean Sea and of both pools (which are open 24 hours, by the way, for a late-night dip). 

During the day there are free activities offered including water aerobics in the pool, coffee tasting, yoga on the beach, a cultural tour of the property, and a nightly champagne sunset toast (weather depending) on the Sky Deck level with its beautiful infinity glass pool.  

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There’s also a paint and sip hour for a fee with a local artist who walks you through how to paint, in our case a sunset landscape. (Conclusion: I am no painter.)  

In addition to a 24-hour fitness centre and a business centre, S Hotel Jamaica has a full-service spa with a relaxation room, five treatment rooms offering massages (I enjoyed the 50-minute eucalyptus aromatherapy massage), exfoliating body treatments and facials, as well as nail services, all for a fee. The complimentary Irie baths and sauna that can be reserved for 30 minutes a day shouldn’t be missed. The baths – limited to four guests maximum at a time — are three underground thermal pools that help release toxins from the body and aid with muscle and joint pains. We found our soak time to be quite peaceful. 

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S Hotel Jamaica also has seven ways to dine: Pool grill, room service, specialty restaurants requiring reservations — Jamrock (steakhouse), Roots Rock (authentic Jamaican with ackee and saltfish, jerk chicken and oxtail in a venue inspired by the island’s most popular musicians) and Rocksteady (Italian), 24-hour cafe, and the Marketplace buffet featuring Caribbean and international specialties. There are also bars at the pool, lobby and up on Sky Deck, plus a DJ playing the pool area during the day and a band performing at night. 

Oh, and be sure to try the aforementioned Bob Marley daiquiri. The yummy mix of overproof white rum, strawberry, mango and blue curacao isn’t the most popular poolside drink just due to name recognition. 

IF YOU GO 

— Montego Bay is a four-hour direct flight from Toronto. 

— S Hotel Jamaica is about a 5-minute drive to Sangster International Airport. You can watch the planes come and go and we didn’t find it annoying. The pool DJ’s reggae tunes were also a good distraction! 

— Leave the tots at home as guests must be aged 16 and up. 

— Find out more at shoteljamaica.com and visitjamaica.com. 

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