Kingston: Where To Stay
From: Jamaica Adventure Guide

The complete story

Jamaica Adventure Guide - This travel guide walks with the adventurous traveler to the heart of Jamaica, to the miles of sand beaches, to the rugged Blue Mountains, to the country villages that provide a peek at the real Jamaica

Hotels, Resorts & Inns

CHRISTAR VILLAS
99 Hope Road
876-978-8066, fax 876-978-8068
($$-$$$)

This 32-room villa property has air-conditioned rooms, kitchen facilities, pool and fitness center. It’s right in the heart of Kingston. The standard rooms offer a double bed, as well as a living area with TV, phone, kitchenette.

THE COURTLEIGH HOTEL AND SUITES
85 Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston
876-929-9000, fax 876-926-7744
($$$)

This 10-story hotel is a new addition in the business district, although the Courtleigh name has been familiar to Kingston visitors for many years. It was originally located a short distance from its present site. The 118-room property is aimed at business travelers, but most people will find its rooms comfortable. The family-owned hotel includes a restaurant, nightclub and also a fitness center.

CROWNE PLAZA KINGSTON
211 Constant Spring Road, New Kingston
876-925-7676, fax 876-925-5757; reservations 800-618-6534
($$$)

This fairly new 105-room business hotel is perched in the hills just north of New Kingston in the neighborhood of Constant Spring. Many rooms have views of the city and guests have all the amenities common to Crowne Plazas, such as a fitness center, satellite TV and tennis courts. The hotel includes a business floor; these rooms offer a fax machine, modem and other amenities not found in the standard rooms. Facilities include a pool, squash, massage, sauna and concierge service. Guests can enjoy indoor or outdoor dining at Isabella’s for a great city view.

HILTON NEW KINGSTON
77 Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston
876-926-5430, fax 876-7439; reservations 800-HILTONS
($$$)

This hotel was formerly the Wyndham New Kingston and is located in the hotel section of New Kingston near Le Meridien and The Courtleigh. The 303-room property recently underwent a $15 million renovation. It now offers guests many facilities, including a health club, sauna, Olympic-size pool, tennis courts and more. This hotel is especially convenient for travelers using American Airlines; there’s a service desk in the lobby so you can make changes, seating requests, etc

LE MERIDIEN JAMAICA PEGASUS
81 Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston
876-926-3690, fax 876-929-5855
($$$)

The Pegasus is right in the heart of New Kingston, within walking distance of The Courtleigh and the Hilton Kingston Hotel. The 17-floor property has 350 guest rooms, each with balcony, satellite TV, hair dryer, safe, two direct dial phones and coffee maker. Upgraded rooms are found on the floors set aside for the Knutsford Club members, with separate check-in, afternoon snacks and upgraded amenities. The large, deep pool at the Pegasus lies just behind the property and offers a quiet afternoon getaway with scarcely any traffic noise. Tennis courts and jogging trails are also available.

MAYFAIR HOTEL
4 West Kings House
876-926-1610, fax 876-926-7741
($-$$)

Adjoining the Governor General’s residence, this 32-room hotel has air-conditioned rooms, restaurant and pool, and is near the business district. The hotel offers one-bedroom units as well as one- and two-bedroom suites; all suites have a TV, living room/dining room, and a kitchenette (maid service also included).

MORGAN’S HARBOUR
Port Royal
876-967-8030, fax 876-967-8073; reservations 800-528-9000
($$-$$$)

This 45-room property is home to a marina (you can boat out to Lime Cay from here), restaurant, bar and large garden. Rooms are fairly basic but many do include a mini-refrigerator. This hotel offers snorkeling, harbor cruises, fishing, a dive shop and free airport shuttle.

STRAWBERRY HILL
New Castle Road, Irishtown
876-944-8400 or 800-OUTPOST, fax 876-944-8408
($$$$)

This sprawling mountainside resort is perched 3,100 feet above sea level, looking down on Kingston. The atmosphere here is pure nature. Jamaica’s doctor bird, a hummingbird with an unbelievable plume tail, flits through the trees. A morning mist hangs over the mahogany trees. The sound of life in small neighboring villages drifts up from the surrounding valleys.

The resort is one of the Island Outpost properties owned by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, record label of the late Bob Marley (he recuperated at this site after he was shot in 1976), as well as Melissa Manchester and Robert Palmer. Like other Island Outposts, it is exclusive and unique. There are 12 wooden villas, each filled with antique Jamaican decor. The villas look out on the Blue Mountains from bedrooms, living rooms and expansive porches. We spent part of our time just lazing about in an oversized hammock on our porch. Every room has electric mattress pads to warm up the bed on chilly evenings, mosquito-netted, four-poster mahogany beds, stocked kitchenettes, coffee makers, televisions, VCRs and even CD players with a full array of CDs (okay, some of them are Island Record productions, but they fit the tone of the place). Videos are available for loan.

In January 1998, Strawberry Hill opened a new Aveda Spa, with massage, hydrotherapy, facials and other body treatments. We enjoyed pedicures, manicures and a splendid facial. And, at the end of the day, guests can order spa cuisine or Jamaican dishes with a light touch in the resort restaurant.

The property has 40 acres of lawns and forests. The grounds were once part of one of the first coffee plantations in the Blue Mountains. Today over 350 species still grace these grounds, including some species first planted centuries ago such as Juniperus, Virginiana, Eucalyptus Nicolae, Cedrela Odoratissimia and Mangifera Indica (blackie mangoe).

TERRA NOVA
17 Waterloo Road, New Kingston
876-926-9334, fax 876-929-4933
($$$)

Terra Nova is New Kingston at its very best: formal, traditional and oh-so Jamaican. Unlike the modern highrises also found in this business district, Terra Nova carries on the legacy of Old Jamaica with classic mahogany furniture, fine art and a wonderful atmosphere that tells you you’re not staying in another chain hotel.

There are 35 guest rooms at this intimate property, which is a favorite with those who have been coming to Kingston for many years.

More information on Kingston
• Introduction
• Where to stay
• Where to eat
• Transportation
• Things to see & do

 

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