If you drive three hours from Montego Bay, past the neon-lit all-inclusives and the guys selling plastic whistles on the highway, you eventually hit a wall of red dirt and cactus. This is Treasure Beach. It’s quiet. It feels like Jamaica used to feel before the cruise ships took over, and right at the heart of this dusty, beautiful silence sits Jakes Hotel St Elizabeth.
Most people don't "stumble" upon Jakes. You have to want to be here.
It’s not a luxury resort in the way a Hilton is luxury. There are no marble lobbies. No gold-plated faucets. Instead, you get these wild, kaleidoscopic cottages painted in colors that shouldn't work together—deep purples, seafoam greens, burnt oranges—but somehow look perfect against the turquoise Caribbean. It was started by the Henzell family. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Perry Henzell directed The Harder They Come. That creative, gritty, soulful DNA is baked into every single brick of the property. Honestly, it feels more like an art installation you’re allowed to sleep in than a hotel.
The Anti-Resort Reality of Jakes Hotel St Elizabeth
The first thing you notice is the sound. It isn’t the muffled hum of air conditioning. It’s the wind. Jakes is built right on the edge of the rocky coastline, and the waves here don't gently lap; they crash.
I’ve talked to travelers who arrived and felt a momentary panic because there’s no TV in the room. No phone to call the front desk. You’re just... there. But that’s the point. Sally Henzell, the matriarch who designed the place, used found objects long before "upcycling" was a buzzword in Pinterest boards. She embedded glass bottles into the walls so the sunlight filters through in colored beads. She used seashells and driftwood. It’s tactile. You want to touch the walls.
People call it "Bohemian Chic," but that feels too corporate. It’s more like a beach house owned by a cool aunt who traveled the world in the 70s and never bothered to leave.
Understanding the St. Elizabeth Vibe
St. Elizabeth is known as the "breadbasket" of Jamaica. While the rest of the island is busy with tourism, this parish is busy farming. You’ll see fields of scallions, melons, and carrots stretching toward the Santa Cruz mountains. This matters because the food at Jakes Hotel St Elizabeth isn't coming off a massive Sysco truck. It’s coming from the backyard.
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The farm-to-table movement isn't a marketing slogan here; it’s just how they’ve always eaten. If you go to the Jack Sprat restaurant next door—which is part of the Jakes family—you’re eating fish caught that morning by guys you can see pulling their boats onto the sand. The lobster is fresh. The jerk chicken has a kick that actually makes you sweat. It’s real.
Why the Architecture Disturbs and Delights
Most architects follow rules. Jakes ignores them.
The rooms are a maze of octagons and curves. There’s a specific cottage called "Octopussy"—a nod to the Bond connection (Ian Fleming wrote the 007 novels just up the coast at GoldenEye)—and it sits so close to the water that you might get salt spray on your pillows if the tide is high.
Some guests find it "too rustic." Let’s be clear: if you hate bugs, if you need a 24-hour gym, or if you can't handle a louvered window instead of a sealed glass pane, you will probably hate it here. There are geckos. They chirp. They’re your roommates. But for people who are tired of the sanitized, plastic version of the Caribbean, these "flaws" are exactly why they keep coming back year after year.
The Driftwood Spa and the Art of Doing Nothing
You can get a massage anywhere. But getting one in a thatched-roof hut while the salt air dries on your skin is different. The Driftwood Spa at Jakes uses local ingredients. They use coffee from the Blue Mountains for scrubs. They use seaweed and aloe grown nearby.
It isn't about clinical perfection.
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It’s about rhythm. You find yourself waking up at 6:00 AM because the sun is bright and the roosters are loud, and instead of being annoyed, you go for a swim in the saltwater pool. The pool is carved into the rocks. It’s filled with filtered seawater. It’s cold enough to wake you up and salty enough to keep you afloat while you stare at the horizon.
The Pelican Bar Factor
You can't talk about Jakes Hotel St Elizabeth without mentioning Floyd’s Pelican Bar. It’s basically a hut made of sticks sitting on a sandbar about a mile out at sea. You take a boat from the hotel beach.
It’s the most photographed bar in Jamaica, maybe the world.
Yet, it stays humble. You drink Red Stripe. You eat fried fish. You carve your name into the wood. Then you boat back to Jakes as the sun sets, and the sky turns a color that looks like a bruised plum. This proximity to authentic local icons is what separates Treasure Beach from the walled-off resorts in Negril. You aren't a "guest" behind a gate; you’re part of the neighborhood for a few days.
Sustainable Tourism Before it Was Cool
The Henzells didn't just build a hotel; they built a foundation. BREDS (The Treasure Beach Foundation) was started here. It’s a massive deal. They’ve built sports parks, funded schools, and organized emergency services.
When you spend money at Jakes, it doesn't disappear into a corporate headquarters in Miami. It stays in the parish. You see it in the smiles of the staff, many of whom have worked there for twenty years. They aren't trained in "hospitality theater." They don't give you that fake, rehearsed greeting. They’re just Jamaicans being hospitable. There’s a huge difference.
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Common Misconceptions About Treasure Beach
- It’s too far. Yeah, it’s a three-hour drive. The roads have potholes. Sometimes a goat will stand in the middle of the street and refuse to move. But that drive is what keeps the "wrong" kind of tourists away. It acts as a filter.
- The beaches are black. Some of them are. It’s volcanic sand. It gets hot. But it’s also private. You can walk for miles and see maybe three other people.
- It’s expensive. It can be. Some of the private villas like "Sea Change" or "Calabash" cost a pretty penny. But the standard hotel rooms are surprisingly accessible for the level of "soul" you get in return.
What to Actually Do There
Don't overschedule. That’s the mistake people make.
Spend a morning at the local farmers' market. Take a boat tour up the Black River to see the crocodiles. Go to the Lovers’ Leap—a 1,700-foot cliff with a story about two enslaved lovers who jumped rather than be separated. It’s tragic and beautiful.
But mostly, sit at the bar. Talk to Dougie. Order a rum punch. Be warned: Jakes' rum punch is legendary for a reason. It goes down like juice and hits you like a freight train about twenty minutes later.
The Logistics of a St. Elizabeth Trip
If you’re planning to visit Jakes Hotel St Elizabeth, don't rent a tiny economy car. Get something with a bit of clearance. The South Coast isn't the manicured North Coast.
Pack light. You don't need heels. You don't need a tie. You need a good hat, high-SPF sunscreen (the sun hits differently on the South Coast), and a book you’ve been meaning to read for five years.
Actionable Insights for the Savory Traveler
- Booking: Aim for the "Off-Season" (May to October). Yes, it’s hotter. Yes, there might be a tropical afternoon rain. But the prices drop, and the place feels even more like your own private estate.
- Transport: Use a Jakes-approved driver for the transfer from the airport. It’s worth the $150 or so. They know the shortcuts, they know where to get the best roadside jerk pork, and you can actually look at the scenery instead of white-knuckling the steering wheel on the left side of the road.
- Dining: Eat at Jack Sprat at least twice. Get the seafood pizza. It sounds weird. It is amazing.
- Community: Check the BREDS calendar. If there’s a cricket match or a community triathlon happening, go. It’s the best way to see the real heart of St. Elizabeth.
Jakes Hotel St Elizabeth isn't just a place to sleep. It’s a reminder that travel used to be about discovery, not just consumption. You leave feeling a little bit more human than when you arrived, and honestly, that's the best thing a hotel can offer.
Next Steps for Your Journey
- Audit your expectations: Decide if you are looking for "luxury" or "character." If it's the latter, book a sea-view room to ensure the full soundscape of the Caribbean.
- Coordinate your arrival: Contact the Jakes concierge at least two weeks out to arrange a private transfer; navigating the interior mountains at night is not recommended for first-timers.
- Prepare your kit: Pack biodegradable reef-safe sunscreen and a portable power bank, as the artistic layout of the older cottages means outlets aren't always exactly where you'd expect them.