GoldenEye

It’s a whole different side of Jamaica. GoldenEye was Ian Fleming’s estate on the island’s north coast, just down the road from Noël Coward’s place, and the desk in the flagship Fleming Villa is where he sat down to write all fourteen of his James Bond novels. It’s still as casual and low-key as you expect Jamaica to be, but with an undercurrent of colonial-era gentility that most of the island’s other properties can’t hope to match.

The original five villas are still intact on this gorgeous plot of coastal land, a bluff facing an empty cove a few miles to the east of Ocho Rios. That was always enough for a modestly festive sort of atmosphere, but eleven brand-new cottages and six new lagoon-facing suites have upped the sociability quotient considerably. The old GoldenEye was a semi-private escape for a smallish contingent of style-seekers and creative types — the new GoldenEye is as chill as ever, just a touch more accessible.

It’s not just more accessible in terms of the relative scarcity of the accommodations, but in a physical sense as well. The new Ian Fleming International Airport cuts what was once a multi-hour drive down to ten minutes. The result is a uniquely history-steeped boutique hotel experience that only feels remote — in reality it’s a quick hop from the States, and no more far-flung than any of the Caribbean’s other choice destinations.

Please note: The hotel has no minimum age restrictions.

How to get there: Guests can also fly into the Montego Bay Airport and transfer is available for $165 for 4, each way (90-min. drive). If flying into Kingston, the cost is $200 for 4, each way (2.5-hr. drive).