reviews

Secret Hotels of the Caribbean, 2007
"Seclusion isn't easy to come by in the party town of Negril, with its sprawling resorts and thumping dance beats, but that's exactly what Rockhouse delivers, primarily to hip couples and families hoping to avoid anything close to a spring break experience. Rockhouse's rounded thatched villas are strung atop a low cliff carved with stairs that lead down to the warm waters of Pristine Cove. The 20 private units peeking out of the jungle right at the cliff's edge start at $295 in winter, but the long building set a bit farther back are easier to pull off – five studios with sea views ($150) and nine standard rooms with garden views ($125), all with minibars, safes, air-conditioning, mosquito netting around four-poster beds, and furniture constructed of local timber.

Guests take yoga classes, chill out at the 60 foot infinity pool (where lunch is served from an open barbeque), and stroll the property's serpentine paths, which inevitably lead to quiet nooks, isolated beach chairs, and what most people say are the best sunset views in Jamaica. At Pristine Cove, guests can swim and snorkel around dwarf tube sponges, small coral heads, and reef fish; the pool bar rents snorkeling gear. The action on Seven Mile Beach – including live reggae on the beach at Alfred's (Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday) and Roots Bamboo (varies) is a quick cab ride away.

Closer to your cabana and suspended dramatically over the waterfront, is the Rockhouse Restaurant. It serves New Jamaican cuisine that incorporates native, Chinese, Spanish, English, and Indian flavors. Another option – right next door – is Pirate's Cave, where patrons eat grilled lobster before jumping off the cliff and swimming in the sea cave underneath."