Rockhouse, Negril Before there were “overwater villas,” there was the Rockhouse hotel in Negril with its round, thatched roof cottages built on rock formations thrust over the waters of the Caribbean Sea. The views from atop the 30-foot cliffs of Negril are of course spectacular, as is the experience of swimming in the hotel pool with waves crashing against the craggy shoreline mere feet away. The thatch and timber rooms may look rough-hewn, but they are actually the work of acolytes of Frank Lloyd Wright, and resort expansions over the years remain “in line with that ethos,” says resort owner Paul Salmon. The 40-room property also features the locally inspired Pushcart restaurant and rum bar, a world-class spa, a snorkeling cove, and a reputation for attentive service, environmental stewardship, and giving back to the Negril community, including funding Jamaica’s only inclusion-style school for special needs students. “To me, what distinguishes Rockhouse is this connected experience of Jamaica — a responsible, sustainable idea of what a hotel can look like,” says Salmon.
