In a world of endless emails, crowded streets, traffic jams and phones buzzing left, right and centre it can be really quite difficult to switch off (literally) and relax. Well this is absolutely not the case at GoldenEye in Jamaica, where you will feel so laidback you'll be practically horizontal. If you're looking for the ultimate relaxing hideaway, where your biggest responsibility in life is whether to have your sundowner on your balcony or on the beach, then GoldenEye is the hotel for you.
Aaaaand Relax
The vibe here is low-key and, to coin a Daily Mail phrase, achingly cool - it will take but a matter of hours for you to start feeling as relaxed as the island's locals. Apart from the GoldenEye staff that is, who are charming, helpful and go out of their way to make sure everything is perfect from start to finish. You can even pre-order how you would like the Smeg Fridge (like we said, achingly cool) in your room stocked. Now that's Life is in the Detail.
The Name's Bond
The James Bond connection alone is enough to make this Jamaican gem stand out - this is where Fleming wrote many of the books, but there is so much more to GoldenEye. By day the hotel is the ultimate beach-chic, barefoot hangout; the beach itself is classically Caribbean with golden sand lapped by azure water and there are few better ways to spend a day than dozing on the sun lounger, listening to the cool music lilting from the bar and getting up for the occasional dip in the sea. If you do fancy something a little more active then there are any number of watersports to indulge in; jet-ski to forgotten coves, head out on a marine safari and paddleboard or kayak along the resort's lagoon and out into the open sea. To land, the hotel is home to 30 acres of exotic gardens and grounds which are best explored in the company of Ramsay, who has worked at GoldenEye since Fleming's days and will explain the fascinating flora and fauna, including 225 species of bird.
When Darkness Falls
By night the mood changes and the hotel starts to feel like a Bond Baddie's secret lair with underwater lights illuminating the lagoon (you'd be forgiven for thinking some sort of sub-aqueous den might emerge) and fairy lights similarly adorning the bridge that links the main bar and the hotel. The food and cocktails are both delicious and more often than not the hotel's owner, Chris Blackwell (founder of Island Records), can be found in situ, sharing fascinating stories. There's only one thing for it - order an Old Fashioned and pull up a pew.
So there you have it. If you're looking for a thoroughly spoiling getaway, look no further than Jamaica's GoldenEye.
