Where to stay in Jamaica

The honest post-Melissa position

Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a category 5 storm on 28 October 2025, killing 45 people. The recovery has been fast, and the tourism industry has passed a million visitors in 2026, but "Jamaica is fully open" is a simplification.

• Both international airports were repaired and back at full capacity by December 2025.
• Most resorts in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril and Kingston reopened within weeks.
• A few large properties are still closed, with reopenings announced for Royalton Negril on 25 August 2026, Sandals South Coast on 18 November 2026, and Sandals Montego Bay and Royal Caribbean on 18 December 2026.
• Check your specific hotel's status before booking, rather than relying on a general statement that the island has recovered. Both things are true at once.
• The west of the island took the worst of it, and some smaller guesthouses and rural roads are still being repaired.

What to expect otherwise

• All-inclusives dominate the north coast, in Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios, and for a beach week they are usually good value.
• Check whether the rate includes the 10 percent accommodation tax and any service charge. It moves to 15 percent on 1 April 2027.
• Villas are a Jamaican speciality, often with staff included, and work out well for groups.
• Guesthouses and small hotels in Treasure Beach, Port Antonio and the Blue Mountains are where you find the Jamaica that is not a resort.
• Kingston is business accommodation, and it is where you go for music, food and galleries rather than beaches.

Practical

• Air conditioning and a generator are worth checking. Power cuts happen, and a property with backup power is a materially different experience.
• Hurricane season runs June to November, peaking August to October. Book refundable rates in those months and read the cancellation terms properly.
• Book far ahead for Christmas, New Year and Reggae Sumfest in July, when the north coast fills completely.