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The Caves is an extremely discreet and stylish retreat. Set on the cliffs in Negril, right at the very western tip of Jamaica, it has just twelve very comfortable rooms strung along a narrow cliff top, set in brightly coloured cottages – these stand in a swatch of tropical colours jangling next to one another in the sunlight amid the explosive Jamaican greenery. The Caves has a certain stylised rusticity about it, but it is very comfortable and has a lovely, low key atmosphere. Also, as one of Jamaica’s Island Outposts, it has a distinctly cool vibe. So small, the hotel works well when taken as a whole, but it sees an interesting crowd, so it can also be fun as an individual traveller or a couple.
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KEY FEATURES
| Excellent small Negril hotel, all-inclusive rate, 24 hr self-service bar, Aveda mini-spa, sauna, saltwater swimming pool, Jacuzzi, cave hot tub, all rooms with mini fridge, grotto dining room on request, CD/cassette player, CD library and hairdryer (TVs and VCRs on request), snorkelling equipment, pool floats, kayaks, bicycles, sea swimming access. |
STYLE
| Stone and wooden cottages in bright Caribbean colours offset by tropical greenery and by the turquoise of the sea. Very low key but stylish atmosphere, excellent retreat |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Stylish, independent travellers, groups of friends, couples, also good for single travellers, honeymooners |
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You could pass the Caves without even knowing it, if you went that far along the West End Road in Negril, that is. The small hotel is tucked away near the limits of the town on the meandering West End road. A wall of white limestone appears on your right, then briefly a recess with a set of bright blue wooden gates, before the wall reappears and you come to the lighthouse at the western tip of Jamaica. It’s impossible to know what lies behind the wall and even when you do go through the gates, you are not actually in the hotel itself. It is still hidden behind a fence and carefully trained jungly overgrowth. But then this is what the Caves is all about. It is a delightful hideaway, a small and stylish bolthole where you are hidden from the outside world in an enclave of cool and funky calm.
Once you do pass through the inner gate and enter the hotel proper, the character of the place reveals itself immediately. Limestone paths lead off among the tropical trees and flowers, seeking out the rooms and meandering around pools and thatched bars, eventually descending the cliffs themselves to seek out sunning platforms and small caves. There is a strong theme of funky Caribbean style to the small hotel. There are wooden louvers, ‘sunray’ balustrades and some novel versions of Jamaican ‘gingerbread’ fretwork. And there is a strong Caribbean colour scheme too. The blue that you see first in the front gates runs through the small resort like a leitmotif, in varying shades (that reflect the moods of the sea), and there are many other pastel colours too. Finally, there is a touch of the eccentric too. Brightly coloured wooden carvings stand around the gardens, staring at you from occasional turns.
Through the inner gate you arrive immediately to the reception, which is set in its own pretty creole building. There is a small shop there for essentials (suncream, sunglasses, books and beachwear) and an internet station for guests to use. The small hotel is laid out on 2½ acres around you, though you wouldn’t know it because you cannot see through the greenery. There is an amazing number of palms, trees and flowering bushes – crotons and bananas, ginger lily, bird of paradise - all set in the shade of some larger trees such as sea grape, almond and many different sorts of palms. There are 10 cottages in all, hidden away in the gardens. Most of them are set back very slightly from the cliff edge (allowing a path to meander along the cliff top itself) and almost all of them have a sea view. Some have an uninterrupted sea view, marked by the magnificently straight line between the blues of sea and sky.
The cottages, which have a mix of one and two bedrooms, have names rather than numbers, which all have a Jamaican theme. Moon Shadow, Macca Tree, Two Birds and One Drop (a reggae term). They are all different in layout and construction - some are based in stone, others in wood, with their timber frames visible - and they are individually designed, but again on a common theme. They are stylishly and artfully simple and have an earthy colour scheme. They are furnished and embellished with decoratively carved wood (in bed headboards, the balustrades and the fretwork).
The ‘central’ facilities of the small hotel are ranged mainly along the 200 yards of the cliff edge. In among them you will find many nooks and corners where you can sit in the sun or shade and read a book or relax. There are also several sitting areas on the rough cliff-front itself, on stone platforms or in the caves and crannies in the rock. You will also find several small gazebos in the gardens, dotted along the waterfront and hidden away in corners.
At the far north of the property is the small Aveda concept spa (see below), which has two treatment rooms (one inside, the other undercover on the terrace). A massage with a view. Next to the building is the sauna (with a large window to take advantage of the sea view), and nearby are two Jacuzzis, one on the cliff top, the other set below into the cliffs. Close by is the main dining room at the Caves, where breakfast and lunch is served. It is set in an open-sided thatched palapa supported on ‘Caves’ blue pillars, next to the brightly coloured kitchen building. There are several tables, including a large communal one that enables you to eat with other guests (over your time staying there you will get to know other guests and it often happens that people decide to sit together). Beyond here, close to the reception building, is the swimming pool, which is oval in shape and surrounded by a large terrace with loungers (though you can take these anywhere in the small resort).
At the other end of the cliff-front, beyond a couple of seafront cottages, there is a two-storey wooden building with a bar and a second dining room. This is where dinner is served (it also has a long table where people can sit together. There is also a lounge downstairs (with a television, the only one on the property, normally) and a second sitting room upstairs. This in turn gives onto a balcony which looks out over the sea. Of all the places to view the sunset (and you can do so pretty much the whole way along the cliff edge), this is perhaps the finest setting and so people often gather before dinner. Further south of here there are a couple of cottages, one of which contains the yoga deck, and beyond them you will see the lighthouse.
There is access to the sea in a number of places along the cliff. Limestone stairways curve down, hugging the rock face, to platforms with loungers and swimming pool steps into the incredibly clear sea. You will also find a number of caves, one of which is a favourite for a candlelit dinner. There is also a large cavern into which you can swim, with a hole in the roof through which the sunlight sometimes shines (and which acts as a blowhole at other times). The cave gives its name, Blue Hole, to one of the rooms.
The Caves may have an all inclusive rate (in which you pay the one price and then everything at the hotel is included), but it is by no means a hotel in the style of ‘all inclusive’ as the term is generally understood in the Caribbean. To begin with it has just the twelve rooms, and it sees a lower key crowd. But most importantly, it is not about high pressure fun and games, with a daily diet of activities. The Caves is all about seclusion and tranquillity. For someone looking for and the ability to do very little in very comfortable and attractive surroundings, it is a completely captivating resort. |
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Beach & Swimming
There is no actual beach at the Caves Jamaica. Negril Beach itself is a taxi ride or a drive away. It is a lively strip, fun to walk and there are beach bars at which you can base yourself for the day. The water is shallow for a long way out to sea and it is generally calm (there is a reef offshore) and so the swimming is good.
All this said, many guests of the Caves are happy not to bother, preferring to sunbathe around the Caves itself, where it is a quieter and more relaxing. You can take a lounger pretty much anywhere around the small resort and there are many platforms built into the coral rock, from which there are then steps down into the water.
The sea off the Caves is excellent for swimming. It is too deep to stand but there are several sets of swimming pool steps set into the rockface to get out (and in if you prefer not to jump). The water is usually extremely clear and snorkelling equipment is available to see the corals and schools of small fish that collect beneath the cliffs. In case you are feeling even less energetic than snorkelling, there are floats on which you can sunbathe in the water.
There is a (salt water) swimming pool on the cliff-top, set in its own terrace, quite close to the main dining room and bar, to which you can wander over to get a drink. |
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Sports & Recreation
The Caves has some kayaks available for guests and there is snorkelling gear. Bicycles are available for those who wish to explore.
There are yoga sessions twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday mornings) in the open-sided yoga gazebo at the Sands, the cottage at the southern limits of the property.
There is quite a bit to do in the area around Negril. On Negril Beach there are all the watersports you could ever imagine, snorkelling, windsurfing, jetskis, kayaks, even parasailing. Day sails and glass bottom boat tours are a popular way of seeing the area, or if you want to see the underwater world closer up then there is scuba diving. There is a golf course just outside the town and another about half way to Montego Bay. Horse riding can also be arranged.
Spa
The Caves’ Aveda concept spa is set in a thatched stone building right on the waterfront. It has two treatment rooms, one of which is the covered terrace at the front, which has an exceptional view. Only one guest (or couple) will be given treatments at a time. In such a small and therefore personal resort, it is possible to have a treatment in a number of other places too. You may prefer to be in your room, but you could also choose the cave in the cliffs or in one of the many gazebos in the garden or along the cliff-top.
The spa offers a number of beauty and body treatments including facials, scalp massages, body wraps, exfoliations and polishes and some massages including Swedish and deep tissue massages and reflexology. The sauna is often used to start off their treatments. |
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The Rooms
The rooms at the Caves are set in cottages surrounded by immense amounts of greenery. They sit slightly back from the waterfront, but most have superb sea views. There is a mix of one-bedroom suites, one-bedroom cottages and two-bedroom cottages (rooms with en suite bathrooms). Rooms on lower floors and those at the rear of the resort have air-conditioning. Others are designed to be opened to the natural ventilation, in which case there are screens and fans. Rooms have CD players and a selection of music (much of it from Island Records, which is connected to Island Outpost, the marketing umbrella to which the Caves belongs). A television with a VCR can be put in your room on request, but the resort is so much about peace and quiet that it is generally not requested. |
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Dining
The Caves offers international cuisine with a distinctly Jamaican twist, which makes use of many of the excellent ingredients available on the island. It is often unexpected and original. The main, open-air dining room, where breakfast and lunch are served, is set under thatch next to the pool. Dinner is served in a second dining room in a creole house with a lounge and bar (this is manned until 10pm, when it is self-service).
You can of course have service in your room, or anywhere around the resort for that matter. One popular place for a dinner is in the cave cut into the cliffside. You will dine with candles set into the walls and with the sea murmuring and reverberating at your feet. |
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Weddings
The Caves is an ideal place to take over for a wedding and they are happy to allow up to 55 people. It works particularly well if you take over the whole hotel of course, and if you want more guests than can stay at the Caves itself then there are other places nearby where they can stay. In such a spectacular location there are plenty of places in which to hold the actual ceremony.
The Caves has a number of suggested wedding packages, but they can of course be customised to suit your ideas or needs. They have call on all you can imagine in order to stage the ceremony, including photographers and videographers, florists and of course many different types of bands and musicians. |
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Children
Children under 16 years old are not permitted to stay at the Caves. |
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Practical Facts
Annual Closure Dates: open year round
Dress Code: smart casual
Facilities: saltwater swimming pool, Jacuzzi, cave hot tub, open-air Aveda mini-spa, sauna, CD library, snorkelling equipment, pool floats, kayaks, bicycles, sea swimming access, sundecks, 2 dining gazebos with bar, grotto for private dining or spa services
Complimentary: Weekly manager’s cocktail and dinner party at The Sands. Sauna Experience (when booking body treatments). Pool floats, kayaks and snorkelling equipment. Bicycles. CD library. WiFi access in main areas. Yoga classes on Weds & Sat at 10am. Guided snorkelling tour.
Other Services: Front Office will arrange tours and activities. Room Service. Grotto dining on request. 24 hr self-service bar. Negril ‘Night Out’ accompanied tour US$15 per person plus drinks. International newspapers available on request (extra cost). TVs and VCRs available on request. Spa services with outdoor and cave massages available (extra). Laundry service (extra)
Children: Welcome over 16 years of age.
Weddings: A number of wedding packages are available, starting with a basic wedding from US$1000. A wedding co-ordinator can also create a customised package.
Accommodation: 12 rooms in 6 suites and 4 cottages
Rooms: All rooms are individually furnished, have ceiling fans, either king or queen-size bed, CD player, CD library, safe, telephone, data port, hairdryer, coffee maker and mini fridge, en suite ‘garden’ bath or shower. 6 x One-Bedroom Suites: Bird’s Nest has ocean views, an inside shower and bath, and a king-size bed. Butterfly has ocean views and a living/dining area with kitchenette. Macka Tree has ocean views, a desk area with small kitchenette, and a king-size bed. These suites are located upstairs. Sea Turtle has ocean views, and a living/dining area with kitchenette and a king-size bed. Blue Hole has partial sea views from the patio and a king-size bed. Blue Dolphin has a patio with ocean views, a living/dining area with kitchenette, inside shower and bath, and a king-size bed. These suites are located downstairs and have air-conditioning. 2 x One-Bedroom Cottages: One Drop is an A-frame wooden cottage with partial sea views from its window seat, a writing desk and a queen size bed. Two Birds is a smaller cottage with garden views and a queen-size bed. Both are air-conditioned. 2 x Two-Bedroom Cottages: Moonshadow is a two-storey cottage overlooking the sea and the resort’s Jacuzzi, next door to the main dining room. The master bedroom upstairs has a king-size bed, window seat and balcony with sea views. Downstairs has a living area and kitchenette with breakfast bar, bathroom (outside shower) and a second bedroom with queen-size bed and a writing area. Sun Dancer is a two-storey cottage located close to the cliff. It has two bathrooms en suite with traditional bath and shower. Upstairs is the master bedroom with king-size bed, sitting area, writing desk, a balcony and sundeck with sea views, and a telescope. Downstairs has a living area with kitchenette and breakfast counter, front and back porches, and a second bedroom with queen-size bed, writing desk and ocean views.
Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover |
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Rates
| | 23 Dec- 01 Jan 2007-08 | 02 Jan- 20 Apr 2008 | 21 Apr- 22 Dec 2008 | | One Bedroom Suite - 2 persons Butterfly, Bird’s Nest, Macka Tree, Sea Turtle, Blue Hole, Blue Dolphin | 709.75 | 675 | 495 | | One Bedroom Cottage - 2 persons Two Birds | 610 | 579 | 425 | | One Bedroom Cottage -2 persons One Drop | 674.75 | 625 | 450 | | Two Bedroom Cottage Moonshadow 2 persons 3 persons 4 persons | 709.75 946 1,127 | 675 860 940 | 495 680 800 | | Two Bedroom Cottage Sun Dancer 2 persons 3 persons 4 persons | 813 1,071 1,282 | 750 950 1,040 | 595 785 910 | Rates are in US$ per room, per night on an all-inclusive basis – including breakfast, lunch, dinner, house wines and spirits by the glass, 18.5% government tax and service charge. All rates are subject to change without notice. Children over 16yrs welcome. Minimum stay 2 nights except during 23 Dec-01 Jan when minimum stay is 7 nights. Cancellations within 45 days of arrival and will incur a cancellation charge of 3 nights, and no-shows will be fully charged. |
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How to book
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with The Caves in Jamaica, or if you wish to telephone them, their telephone number will be revealed if you click on the CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER link. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser, please follow the TOUR OPERATOR link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Locality
The town of Negril divides fairly neatly into two halves, both of which has its own character and different things to recommend it. The better known half is ‘Seven Mile Beach’ (actually five miles unless you include Bloody Bay to the north). The beach side of town is backed almost entirely with hotels, bars and other businesses including watersports. There are any number of places, either independent bars (try Margaritaville, for instance) or restaurants attached to a hotel, where you can base yourself for the day. Most do not offer watersports, but it is usually not far to wander along the sand to find a concessionaire. For a slightly more formal dinner you can try Kuyaba or Norma’s and for live music try Alfreds and Bourbon Beach.
The other is the section of cliffs to the south of the roundabout at the centre of town. This is called ‘the West End’ and it is here, near the limits of town, that you will find the Caves. The bars on the cliffs are equally famous in their way and so there is a handful of good places to visit. Rick’s is very well known but it sees bus tours and so you might want to try somewhere quieter like the LTU Pub. To dine on the cliffs out try the Rockhouse or the Hungry Lion. |
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Meet & Greet
If you are travelling independently, the Caves can arrange for a taxi driver to meet you at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay (you should head to this airport rather than to Kingston). The driver will wait with a placard from the hotel. The transfer takes approximately 90 minutes and costs US$75 each way for two people, which you will be charged locally. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include limousine transfers and a personal Concierge Service, this is offered by Glamour Tours.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
Hiring a car to go to the beach or to explore the island, which is exceptionally beautiful, is easily arranged. You can book via your tour operator or through the resort. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time (there will be a drop off and collection charge). Be aware that in the winter season there can sometimes be a shortage of cars in Jamaica, so you are advised to book in advance. Also book early if you want one for a week or more because the pre-booked rates can be better.
Taxis are readily available at Reception, which can also arrange local tours to places of interest. |
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