Joanna at the West End Early Childhood Institution
TRIED & TESTED: Jakes, Jamaica
Jakes is a one-off. It’s not for everyone, but if you pick the right clients, they’ll fall hard for its friendly, barefoot, boho-chic seclusion. When I arrived, Strictly Come Dancing winner Caroline Flack had just left, raving about her stay.
Set on a secluded cove in
Treasure Beach, the property has slowly grown since it opened in 1993 as owner, Jamaican artist Sally Henzell, has added extra villas. Each is different, but the feel is Caribbean-via- Barcelona, with nods to Salvador Dali in the extensive use of colour and mosaic. There are 21 one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom cottages on the property (I liked Octopussy and
Cockles best), plus two more cottages and three villas in the neighbourhood. Levels of luxury vary from the oldest rooms, which are rustic and a little ramshackle, to Seaweed Villa, a breathtaking four-bedroom show-stopper off-property where Serena and Venus Williams recently stayed. There are hidden nooks to
relax in around the leafy grounds and a truly excellent spa, but the main pool, deck and Dougie’s Bar are the focus for sunbathing in the day and sundowners at night. As well as the main restaurant, more relaxed bistro Jack Sprat is at the far end of the property, with excellent seafood, pizzas and outdoor movie nights every Thursday.
Pelican Bar
think it is best suited to fly-and- floppers rather than clients who want to get out and experience the island beyond the hotel boundaries. Well, yes, guests can quite easily check into a Negril hotel and stay poolside for a fortnight – but if they do, it’ll be a real shame. That slow-paced and relaxed attitude which has given the resort serious slacker credentials is what makes it absolutely perfect for tourists who want to see a bit more of life. There’s nothing remotely aggressive about Negril. So while most visitors are unlikely
to feel happy about hanging around downtown Kingston, no matter how much they want to see the ‘real’ Jamaica, Negril’s chilled-out charm makes it somewhere they can explore with peace of mind by day and night. Clients can experience a little of
local life simply by heading out of their hotel for a drink or two. The sandy strip of Seven Mile Beach is backed by bars as well as hotels, so they won’t need to wander far to find a rum punch. There are smaller shacks as well as the heavily advertised tourist spots such as Margaritaville, a two-
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storey behemoth full of American college kids. Further down the coast, where the sand gives way to rugged limestone cliffs, they’ll find Rick’s Café, one of the most famous bars on the island, noted for both its beautiful sunsets and the opportunity to take a high- adrenaline plunge from a range of jump-points set in the cliffside around the bar into the clear blue waters below.
l THE SOCIABLE SOUTH Travel further along Jamaica’s southwest coast, and things get even more low key. My fellow drinkers at the Pelican Bar couldn’t have been more local – for the first half an hour of my visit it was just me, a stingray and a family of passing dolphins. This bar is in the middle of the ocean – just a shack on stilts set out in Parottee Bay, with drinkers transferred over by boat. Even the more adventurous
activities in the southwest aren’t too fast paced. Going in search of crocodiles doesn’t require any Mick Dundee-style, gung-ho effort when you’re in Jamaica – merely an hour chilling on the deck of
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