It’s not just the look of Jamaica that inspires creative types—filmmakers, musicians, fashion photographers, aesthete vacationers—to journey to the island. Sure, the cascading waterfalls, verdant mountainside greenery, trumpeting blossoms, and expanses of natural beachline look almost as good on screen as they do in person, rum punch in hand. Instead, it’s the richness of the history and the storytelling—and the creative inspiration they can spark—that make a trip to Jamaica so compelling.
Nowhere is that more visible than within the island’s legacy resorts: most notably Strawberry Hill, GoldenEye, and Geejam. In the knowledge that Jamaica is having a moment, when my husband and I considered planning this trip, we knew we wanted to explore the places that have shaped that storytelling in and about the island. Landing in Kingston, we had to—for a few moments—question this desire to explore so steadfastly as we (he) navigated our hire car up precariously steep roads on the winding 45-minute drive to Strawberry Hill.
Dating back to the 18th century, Strawberry Hill is a secluded mountainside getaway. It’s here, in the mid-1970s, that Bob Marley chose to rejuvenate and recover after threats to his life, and where he found the inspiration to stage 1978’s One Love concert in Kingston. High in the crisp air of the Blue Mountains, it only took a few hours at Strawberry Hill to sink into the sense of peace Marley’s music is known for—and to forget that hair-raising drive. Each white wood-framed cottage or villa at Strawberry Hill is designed in a conscious re-interpretation of the classic colonial style. Ours included a detailed Rastafarian lion in carved wood on the veranda, overlooking the sprawling capital city below. We felt hidden in the very heights of nature, required only to keep an eye on the sun setting below us.
Leaving the property, one can hike safely all around the mountains, whether downhill to famous waterfall spots—where, our guide gleefully relays, Rihanna has partied—or partaking in more challenging uphill treks to locations like the School of Vision, a Rastafarian commune nestled in the peaks of the mountains. On Saturdays, they mark the Sabbath with a musical ceremony, featuring drums and chanting. (You can also buy clothing up there, made by hand by members of the community.) Then, after the deep sleep that followed a full day of hiking, Strawberry Hill’s restaurant laid on one of the most memorable breakfasts I’ve ever eaten. Ackee and saltfish. Callaloo sauteéd with onions and scotch bonnets and sweet, warm bread on the side. Fresh slices of mango, papaya, and star apples with purple insides and liters of Blue Mountain coffee.
Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, owns Strawberry Hill. Despite being known for discovering Marley—and thus spreading a love of reggae music to the rest of the world— Blackwell wasn’t content with this being his only legacy. He now runs Island Outpost, a collection of luxury hotels in Jamaica that also counts GoldenEye among its gems. Developed around the eponymous single villa—the one Ian Fleming famously wrote James Bond in—GoldenEye has evolved into a sprawlingly luxurious resort bracketed by both beach and freshwater lagoon.
As a child, Blackwell knew Fleming personally, working as a location scout during the filming of Dr No—parts of which were shot at Oracabessa Bay, where you’ll find GoldenEye. After a long drive, the presence of the tall wooden bridge connecting the reception space decked out in Bond ephemera to the beach was almost impossibly glamorous. Unsurprisingly perhaps, the overall feeling of staying there is a little like being in a movie. Our villa overlooked the lagoon, where turtles, manta rays, and too many types of fish to count swam with us in clear, natural water. Each evening, guests drank piña coladas, martinis (shaken, not stirred, I’m sure) and rum punches at the beachside bar overlooking deep pink and orange sunsets. What could be more cinematic than that?
Cinema loves Jamaica, after all: beyond Bond, cult films shot on the island like Countryman or The Harder They Come continue to resonate. And so does fashion. The style captured in these films can be found on the mood boards of designers like Wales Bonner and the New York-based fashion brand Diotima, who recently shot their campaign at GoldenEye, styled by Marika-Ella Ames. (Both the brand’s designer Rachel Scott and Ames are heavily influenced by their Jamaican heritage.) “Jamaica provides the opportunity to slow down, reset, and absorb the simple beauties of life that we creatives tend to overlook in major cities,” Ames says.
“The luxury hotels on the island have such rich, incredible history around them,” the stylist continues. “[They] have done an incredible job of preserving and enriching the elements of nature, original imagery, and Jamaican character throughout their properties.” There’s a clear link here, between the evident moment Jamaica is having, and the desire to see—or be seen at—these properties. So too was Burberry’s latest, hottest campaign, lensed by Tyrone LeBon, shot at both GoldenEye and Geejam. (The Burberry images dropped while we were staying at the latter, much to the excitement of staff and locals involved.)
Opened in 2008 by music industry insiders Jon Baker and Steve Beaver, Geejam is a multi-faceted property. Contemporary bungalows and freshly refurbished rooms in the rainforest above Port Antonio can be reached by stairs from the intimate private beach. For musicians, Geejam’s USP is its beloved recording studio, where Alicia Keys wrote Girl on Fire and Amy Winehouse laid down Back to Black. Harry Styles supposedly never wanted to leave, and when The Rolling Stones occupied the space… well, Geejam is too discreet for us mere mortals to ever know. Just think of the stories those studio walls could tell.
Beyond the starry musicians who come to record at Geejam, however, the property is marked by its owners’ desire to attract creative types and to show them a beautiful, unfiltered image of Jamaica. The staff is innately responsive to guests’ desires, recommending everything from the best jerk to the hottest parties in town. Adorning the reception area of Geejam are images taken by Savannah Baker, daughter of one of the co-founders, highlighting key figures from the parish of Portland—beloved local individuals whose status within the community is legendary. Belinda—whose riverside restaurant has cult status with everyone who has ever tried it—stands resplendent, styled and shot by Baker.
It would be hard not to experience the wonders of these legacy-creating Jamaican hotels and not feel inspired. But for me, it was the generosity of creative spirit that resonated. From the food and the fashion, to the music and movies we absorbed during our time in Jamaica, everything felt of the moment. There’s a thirst for the kind of slow, laid-back energy Jamaica offers—one that doesn’t rest on its laurels, but keeps evolving according to the island vibes. These Jamaican hotels may be best known for their history, or how they influenced figures like Bob Marley or Ian Fleming, but there’s a new generation drawing creative inspiration from them too—whether as a place to produce work, or simply somewhere to relax and recharge.
